Suggestions for New Traps on Locked Boxes

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Marcuson
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Suggestions for New Traps on Locked Boxes

Post by Marcuson »

There was a great discussion OOC yesterday about new potential lockbox traps. I thought I'd go through that discussion and highlight all the wonderful suggestions that were made. Feel free to use this thread to suggest further devious traps for our poor locksmiths to encounter!
[#GAME] <Sembiance> So uh, lockboxes eh?

[#GAME] <Falor> lockbox IED traps when?

[#GAME] <Nobody (mentor)> because players are crazy, IED traps never. Would someone eventually get big ideas about what they could do with a hundred traps designed to exploed? Yes, yes someone would.

[#GAME] <Heckturtle> that they are

[#GAME] <Falor> I mean, carrying around a lock box I know has the shadow trap as an improvised smoke bomb never stopped anyone

[#GAME] <Falor> Ftr the only reason I haven't followed through with that is because it might be considered an exploit

[#GAME] <Falor> Though a lockbox looneytoons exploding harmlessly and just turning into wood shavings would be top dollar for me.

[#GAME] <Nobody (mentor)> so the thing with shadow traps is they don't destroy walls or gates. You cannot change the game map with shadow traps.

[#GAME] <Falor> I'm not talking grenade potency here.

[#GAME] <Falor> I mean like just enough pop in the trunk to blow the lid off and destroy the contents.

[#GAME] <Talyn> that's easy, make them like the stone lizards. They fling you and do a pretty good amount of damage to you. Don't do damage to constructions. it would also make people not want to work with you if you keep missing those traps. I do see the worry though Nobody it does seem like an exploit after a while.

[#GAME] <Sembiance> Nawh. It has to be shrapnel.

[#GAME] <Sembiance> Make every limb bleed 1.

[#GAME] <Falor> while I agree Sembiance imagine three people walk up to you and start picking it on purpose

[#GAME] <Talyn> you also lose the items in the box but as far as I know that's not what the traps are designed for. they're suppose to be more annoyance then harmful. Hence my shock trap.

[#GAME] <Nobody (mentor)> Eh, I was just extrapolating from the conversation last year about why gunpowder doesn't exist in game yet. Probably it would be less of a big deal with an exploding trap, especially if it was small enough to only damage the picker.

[#GAME] <Talyn> I could see that, only damage the picker but maybe toss everyone on their rear?

[#GAME] <Talyn> in the room I mean

[#GAME] [discord] <lexx416> I do think explosive lockbox traps will mostly incense players to keep asking for ways to make things explode, tho.

[#GAME] <Falor> we always do though. We're already talking about it.

[#GAME] [discord] <lexx416> Which is, I imagine, the reason behind the dev's hesitation.

[#GAME] <Talyn> I don't want it to cause alot of damage. I think it would be fun. I'm personally looking at what other traps could be added. The trap and locksmith system is amazing but I think adding a bit of danger to it isn't a bad thing. I

[#GAME] <Talyn> I don't want it to blow up buildings or anything. That's just silly

[#GAME] <Marcuson> What if it's just a flashbang-type explosion? It temporarily blinds and deafens the locksmith and potentially anyone else in the room (unless they pass certain checks).

[#GAME] [discord] <lexx416> I think that if it hits the locksmith as well, it's probably fine on some level.

[#GAME] <Talyn> it should always hit the locksmith.

[#GAME] [discord] <lexx416> But, the tech level of the game isn't supes high, so being able to wander around with what are essentially low grade frag grenades seems a bit against the spirit of things

[#GAME] <Talyn> hmm true. hence the I'm having trouble thiking of trap ideas. Like arcana level sonic trap in place of the explosion would be neat. It pops the box maybe breaking the items inside or some items inside and throws people on their butt?

[#GAME] <Talyn> could still be exploited I suppose. Eh..

[#GAME] <Heron> Secret compartment in the lockbox filled with pinecones and other garbage that fills the box with bonus unsellable junk so that when you loot it, you suffer.

[#GAME] [discord] <lexx416> A trap like that, that releases tar inside (kept warm/hot through a heat based glyph)

[#GAME] <Heron> Now we're talking.

[#GAME] <Nobody (mentor)> I would salvage those glyphs and remarket them as pocket warmers. Winter in Shadgard is horrible, buy yours today!

[#GAME] <Heron> Why don't we have stink traps?

[#GAME] <Heron> Smelly is the worst debuff in the game already

[#GAME] <Talyn> lol sprays you like a skunk or stink bombs the room

[#GAME] <Talyn> could get crowds upset with you

[#GAME] <Nobody (mentor)> RIP morale

[#GAME] <Marcuson> The box looks to have been opened, but when you reach inside -- bam! Hot pitch all over your hand. Enjoy your sticky fingers for the next bell.

[#GAME] <Nobody (mentor)> :rofl: locksmiths do have a long history of suffering from sticky fingers.

[#GAME] [discord] <lexx416> Traps that you can't tell have been triggered until they get you would be great.

[#GAME] <Talyn> they're all that way. You can check a box and not find anything but begin picking and find out there was one

[#GAME] <Heron> A trap that recolors your clothes with sprayed dye could also be especially heinous. Lockpickers would need a smock.

[#GAME] <Firerose> I love that.

[#GAME] <Heron> Lots of good options if we're going for annoyance factor instead of harm.

[#GAME] <Nobody (mentor)> Not smocks, they would opportunistically wear other clothes so they'd get dyed in hopes of getting good random colors. That isn't a trap, it's a feature.

[#GAME] <Heron> I still feel like it's entertaining enough as a trap concept, even if players use it to their advantage.

[#GAME] <Heron> Of course, the alternative is that it just sprays you with like, pig blood or something and makes you bloody.

[#GAME] <Firerose> That's disgusting.

[#GAME] <Teri is just done> Seconding a colour trap box would be a feature, not a trap haha
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nobody
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Re: Suggestions for New Traps on Locked Boxes

Post by nobody »

I wanted to highlight a few things that came up in the conversation by talking about something that didn't occur to me until later. The lockboxes are part of ruins, they were once a part of civilization. The existing traps all make a certain amount of sense in that context - all of the traps that currently exist would make it easier in some way to catch the thief or to dissuade the thief (darkness would draw attention and temporarily halt a thief's progress, the needle would make it more possible for the thief to be captured in the act and also make it more difficult for them to flee, and the shutter trap is just pure and potent deterrent). The stink and paint traps mentioned would make a lot of sense for the same reason (at least as long as the paint colors are obnoxiously bright or glaring). The paint traps, as mentioned in chat, would be a feature if the dye applied was any kind of desirable, but both would aid in identifying the thieves. So, going from the idea of what would be cool ways to help identify, deter, or disable thieves, I'd like to add the following ideas:
  • An occult trap that throws some very bright pre-determined color illumination on the locksmith (it doesn't make a good trap as it would be more useful than bad).
  • An occult trap that either emits a very loud noise (possibly good for stagger RT and/or morale reduction), or puts a less loud but still very noticeable audible effect on the thief that moves around with them (mostly it'd be annoying, might also be not great for the locksmiths walking around Shadgard with an occult voice saying "This person is a thief" or something like that).
  • A false compartment trap, where triggering the trap makes it *click* and unlocks the top bit with nothing of particular value instead of the false-bottom where the real loot is (this one would only trick folks when they forget to disarm the trap?)
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Lexx416
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Re: Suggestions for New Traps on Locked Boxes

Post by Lexx416 »

nobody wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 10:15 am
  • An occult trap that throws some very bright pre-determined color illumination on the locksmith (it doesn't make a good trap as it would be more useful than bad).
  • An occult trap that either emits a very loud noise (possibly good for stagger RT and/or morale reduction), or puts a less loud but still very noticeable audible effect on the thief that moves around with them (mostly it'd be annoying, might also be not great for the locksmiths walking around Shadgard with an occult voice saying "This person is a thief" or something like that).
I love these two suggestions in particular. For the first one, I think if the illumination was dim enough to not provide light level to the room (seems reasonable to me), that would get rid of the useful aspect.

For the second suggestion, it'd be cool flavor if the occult voice came in different languages occasionally, just to represent the cultural melting pot of Aetgard and Pre-Aetgardian Arad.
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Talyn
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Re: Suggestions for New Traps on Locked Boxes

Post by Talyn »

An occult trap that throws some very bright pre-determined color illumination on the locksmith (it doesn't make a good trap as it would be more useful than bad).
What if instead of the box throwing out bright light it sprays the picker with Cave worm goo that illuminates them for a while. It would make the picker have difficulty hiding in the shadows as they're glowing with bioluminescence goo. Make it a one time effect so they can't keep using it as a torch method maybe?
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nobody
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Re: Suggestions for New Traps on Locked Boxes

Post by nobody »

Talyn wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 10:21 am What if instead of the box throwing out bright light it sprays the picker with Cave worm goo that illuminates them for a while. It would make the picker have difficulty hiding in the shadows as they're glowing with bioluminescence goo. Make it a one time effect so they can't keep using it as a torch method maybe?
That could work if it penalized stealth. The sound traps would also be great if the loud noise version drew mobs to the location, and both versions could make mobs paranoid, and the noisy-aura effect could also raise the thief's risk score. It'd be such a horrid trap.
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Talyn
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Re: Suggestions for New Traps on Locked Boxes

Post by Talyn »

Sorcery Trap - a glyph of paranoia. When triggered it takes a big chunk of your sanity to make you feel paranoid.
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Marcuson
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Re: Suggestions for New Traps on Locked Boxes

Post by Marcuson »

Of course, it doesn't have to be all bad news for our poor locksmiths. Along with Locksmithing, perhaps the Perception and Artifice skills (if they don't already do so) could help with the chances of detecting and avoiding traps. The Awareness, Intuition, and Agility attributes could all help with detecting, disarming, and avoiding traps, respectively.
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Rias
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Re: Suggestions for New Traps on Locked Boxes

Post by Rias »

I think most locksmiths would consider additional trap variety a good thing, adding more fun(tm) to their gameplay experience. That said, having some additional factors for trap disarming and possible avoidance chances could be fun too.

There are some good ideas in this thread, keep them coming!
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Marcuson
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Re: Suggestions for New Traps on Locked Boxes

Post by Marcuson »

Snap-trap boxes: when the would-be looter sticks their hand into the opened box (or fumbles around during disarming), the box closes around their wrist, trapping their hand inside the box. It's harmless in that it doesn't hurt, but they won't have use of their hand -- or whatever they were holding in it -- during this. If the victim isn't quick enough to draw their hand back before the box snaps shut, they'll have to find a strong friend to help pry the box off.
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Talyn
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Re: Suggestions for New Traps on Locked Boxes

Post by Talyn »

Nauseous Gas trap - When this trap is triggered it sprays a foul smelling gas into the room, effecting everyone. Making them feel sick to their stomach lowering their overall strength causing their encumbrance to go up for about 2 minutes.
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