Trap Theory!
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- čas přidán 24. 04. 2018
- Everything is a trap. Yep. Let's get deep, lets get specific, and talk about 'thinking in traps' can make everything you do in your game more exciting. Join me with some terrain and a whole spikes-on-de-face!
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#runehammer - Hry
This is like the 4th time I've watching this video and taken notes. Awesome stuff!
I hear that lol
Would love to see some more collaboration videos with you two.
Wow, the Professor himself is taking notes. That's how you know you're onto something!!
I'm on about my 10th. Gotta pump those numbers up!
Thanks for the recognition of Grimtooth's Traps. We (the people who worked on it) thank you. The humor was to make it apeal, and it also reflects the style of our approach to games. It was meant to get people to have fun and think about what you, as a GM, are doing. I like your presentation felt the urge to comment. You are spot on with your ideas. Great GMs think like this...
!! Awesome to have you here! Loved those books!!!
At 19:00 is genius level (to know, is to know more).
....you don’t have to spend time figuring out how to COMPLETE a trap for your players, let them decide, while they are in the trap, they will attempt things - when you hear one that makes sense - reward that player by telling EUREKA! To that player...they will feel like a hero and you didn’t spend hours figuring out an amazing trap. This improv is soooooo good to know.
Example: my group just got a wand, they don’t know how it works and the magic user that examined it said “you need to find the command word, speak it aloud while motioning the wand”
I have no idea what the command word is (on purpose)...I am going to know what it is when the Mage attempts one I like, or seems appropriate). Win - win.
From now on I'll start saying "Thank you my pectorals are mended" in that voice every time I get healed by someone.
Every game master needs to watch this. Incredible job as always Hankerin!
This is the stuff that I really like about your channel.
I use your enthusiasm and silliness as a model and inspiration when I have to go teach class =) Stay weird mate
Domenick Poster it’s important to have fun. No matter what you are doing, having fun makes it better.
I had your Room Design tenets written down in a little neat table above my encounter ideas, all of which I designed using the three tenets: Threats, Treats, and Timers....
Since you created these new tenets for Traps, and even abstracted them to levels not always thought of as Traps, I did the same, factoring in your 3 T's of Room Design. Behold, the 8 T's of Conflict Design:
Territory_______________________Confines of Scene
Temptation/ Treasure Treat____Incentive/ Bait/ Reward
Trigger________________________Initiates/ Causes Encounter
Threat_________________________Danger/ Risk; Resource Drain
Timer_________________________Urgency/ Feeling of Desperation
Tool/ Trait Treat_______________Condition/ Resource
Toggle________________________Alters/ Alleviates Threat/ Tool/ Trait
Ticket_________________________Key/ Path to Resolution/ Reward
This should be pinned
Jon Makar galaxy knowledge
You, sir, are awesome!
"My name is Runesmith and welcome to my Masterclass."
I needed this. After running a terrible pit trap that dragged our game an extra hour (and seeing the drain in my player's faces), I'm committing myself up to up my game. Thanks so much, Hank
i'm a new DM and I've been struggling to make my dungeons interesting. this is immensely helpful. thanks dude!
I love it when Hankerin delves into theory. Looking forward to the next key Key Mechanics video, which I would argue this video could be categorized as.
Especially when he demonstrates and sets up examples his board.
Yes! Classic Hankerin-style video. Time to party like it’s 2016 again woot woot!
I rewatch this after reading Hank's email. Trap theory still blows my mind after rewatching. Good stuff.
Love it. Going back thru your catalog for room design and trap theory... With quarantine I've been sticking to 5 room "dungeon" adventures for my party - trap theory is PERFECT for this!
you spelled it wrong. it is spelled CORN TEEN
I like this. I'd say the word "trap" implies a different, i.e more holistic, way of thinking about it than just "encounter".
To me, the "encounter" is just the fight with the bandits in the cave. The trap is the broken branch that leads the players off the road to the mouth of the shallow cave, the choke point they unknowingly walk through to get to the poorly hidden strongbox they see at the end that triggers the creaking pulleys that slowly lowers the crude gate at the entrance. it's the raucous laughter from outside as the highwaymen hop down from the trees to separate you from your hard earned coin...
A 15 perception or insight check at any point would have raised the red flags. You took the bait and ran for the oh so convenient loot.
Roll initiative. This will only hurt a bit.
It's not a ground breaking encounter, but when you think in abstract chunks that fit together any which way, it practically writes itself.
Great stuff, Hank.
The trick to teaching anything is to make the student not realize they are learning. You have done this in spades. thanks mate. Love your videos. extremely informative.
This is a great way to frame out every level of design. Thank you for this.
Thanks for the shout out to Grimtooth’s. We would have made the books more serious, but when you’re working for the troll and he wants humor, you do humor.
:D
Mate, you have made D&D 1000x more enjoyable for me. Thanks for the great work!
I'm an actual trapper of critters. I didn't think this video would be so in depth, inspiring, and PHILOSOPHICAL!
There are some serious life lessons in this video, especially during these trying political times surrounded by enemies who fancy themselves slick and clever. So far it's a simple matter of just not taking the bait!
"Strange game. The only winning move is not to play" -Joshua.
Thanks!
It's just like fishing: bait, hook, reel.
Good stuff.
:slow clap:
Bravo, man.
I love puzzles. You don't solve puzzles with intelligence. It's cleverness, & your cleverness is your own. It's the heart of role-playing games. Dungeons should be puzzles. Monsters should be puzzles. Social encounters should be puzzles. “How does this work?” “What do they want?” You don’t solve that with dice.
But yes, there should be a countdown, either time or tries. Or at least there should be penalties for wrong guesses or failure.
This channel is so underrated.
"oh look, a lever but you wont notice that cause no one makes perception rolls." truer words have never been spoken.
This guy has some very unique energy, amazing content!
Doing a mandated re-watch here at the end of 2020...dude, you are too effing funny, and brilliant, great stuff "B"!
"transmogifier!" awesome C&H reference! always love your analysis and ability to break things down to simple components
Thank you for this! I've struggled using traps and puzzles in an effective way for some time so this is a goldmine of knowledge. Stay awesome Hank!
In addition to this being another wonderful video, I would want to poke that idea that the DM doesn't NEED to have a solution. If you have a set solution in mind, then it's a timed puzzle with penalty. If you don't have a set solution, then the players have agency and can do some whacky stuff which makes for great stories 10 years later.
This is how I DM'd as a kid when our elder DM stopped playing. I was thrown into that position with very little knowledge or experience simply because I was the most charismatic, and the most comfortable public speaker. However, I never planned, prepared, made maps, or otherwise structured or organized my campaigns. I guess I had an innate understanding of what compels humans to move forward into an obvious threat (lure/bait), what keeps them there (confinement), and the need to figure out the dilemma (puzzle/trap). I'd then let the PC's start vamping ideas, and usually settle on the one that was the most creative as the "solution", pretending that was my master plan all along. This encompassed the entire story arch. I never really knew what I was doing.
I "cheated" by basically creating simple situations that the PC's would then make very complicated, and tweak and flow with it as we went along. To this day they regale in stories of our lost hobby as children, and all my "AMAZING", "well thought out", and "mythological and archetypical" adventurous campaigns that were the best they'd ever experienced.
Little did they know they were doing all the heavy lifting.
I'll never tell.
this is the best instructional for rpg tabletop i have ever seen.. and i saw it when it was first released!
I just got here, and it’s TRON playing D&D. Awesome.
I’ve watched this video several tim s and there’s new bits to catch each time. My favorite vid of yours to date.
You could use this concept for the out of dungeon parts too! Say you're in a social setting, like the King's court...the bait is convincing the king to help them. The confinement is the court, the only place they can approach the king. The "machine" is the politics and societal rules the players need to manipulate to get what they want. The trigger is asking for the favor. The harm is that the evil count who's also present reveals - surprise! - some dirt (real or not) on the players to turn the king against them. This is great, thank you.
hey hey, just watched this for the first time. Not sure if anyone said this, but another trap that takes place over days/months/years in the lotr's universe is the Pallantir's (hope I spelt that right) the crystal scrying stones and the fact that Sauron laid in wait for years to pervert any who uses them. P.S. Lovin the concept
Cap shirt? The Touch? Are you my long-lost brother? GREAT video, man. Your theory videos are truly my favorites, and that is saying something, because all your stuff is fantastic. Watching you free-associate your traps on the board is surprisingly liberating (surprising because I did not realize I was bound up) but that's sort of what just happens when I spend time with you.
My hardcover of ICRPG 2.0 just shipped yesterday, and I am PUMPED! Bless you, man, and rock your weekend!
Thank you for another great video! Somebody get this man an ale! Seriously, he's been Hankerin for what, five years now?
Personally, I think these are all still puzzles just with trap elements. Just because a puzzle solved incorrectly can inflict harm doesn't necessarily mean that it's (only) a trap.
For example, all of these "traps" have solutions. But you don't solve a trap. You solve puzzles. You disarm traps. It's a roll of skill. Now there are examples of out thinking a trap. Like, "I put a plank over the hole of spikes and walk over." You figure out how to avoid the trap. But it was still a trap. You know?
I'm going to need to watch this one a few times. Awesome approach and ideas!
Everything in life can be explained with LoTR references and Tolkien talk! Love it!
Heck right! Been waiting for this for at least a year!!! I'm holding out for a Runehammer trap book someday. Thanks Hankerin'!
Love this channel man . After getting back into this after 20 freakin years
Wow, you put a lot of efforts in this video and it shows!
this and your mechanics series has been the greatest influence on my DMing style. thank you, you big ol badass!
You can always use puzzles in a centerpiece area often visited and it links to the story on a higher level, if the players eventually see it and get it (via clues being dropped of this puzzles function). When they get it its a big bonus thing the players get to wield vs the bad guys at least for a time, players get to skip an encounter, players get to come at an encounter ambushing the bad guys, or some equivalent. It isnt necessary but is fun for an option for other types of players still working within the runehammer frame yet repeated contact with the area will grow enough familiarity as to slowly discern this in the background.
"No more puzzles"
But what if I'm running a Sphinx's lair?
then it has traps! lol
I dig your style, Broham. Semper fidelis
So good, I had to watch it twice! Also shared it on my FB page. TOP NOTCH work, as always!
Great presentation dude. I'm not going to give up on puzzles just yet. Was very pleased with how one went yesterday. However, I can see how I can apply trap theory to certain plot elements that have gotten a bit slack of late. The sense of urgency isn't there. Time to 'trap' em up to get things going again
Powerful stuff; very inspiring. Pretty much nailed how D&D and adventure games in general work.
The conclusion of my own analysis is slightly different though:
"A trap is a system that consists of two or more distinct Elements. Each element having one or multiple Properties"
Elements: bait, trigger, threat, key, environment (space)
Properties: instant, constant, timed, predictability, visibility, mobility, (in)destructible, repeatable
-instant: element does one thing and then ceases to be part of the trap (not necessarily from the game)
-constant: element is always part of the trap unless the element is also destructible (can be disabled/removed)
-timed: element spawns into or out of the game after a certain time
-predictability: degree of how the element's effect/behavior can be predicted by the player
-visibility: degree of how the element can be detected/recognized (as part of a trap mechanic or at all)
-mobility: degree of how the element can (be) move(d) around
-(in)destructible: degree of how the element can be removed (arbitrarily or requiring key)
-repeatable: singleton, n-instances or infinite
I would argue that your beloved timer is a property, not a game element by itself. A timer will always belongs to an element; it doesn't do anything by itself. (so the giant key... is made of ice? yes, the giant key is made of ice).
Final note is that a trap can also simply be one object that consists out of multiple trap-elements (functions). So you can argue that elements can be more accurately named as "functions" of game "objects". To expand on this idea: one object can have one or multiple functions; so you don't have to limit yourself to apply only one function to single object in the game. The bait can be a threat by itself, the threat can be a key, etc...
Great stuff! Id love some more ROOM DESIGN stuff, its my favorite and so creative and informative :)
Daaaamn I feel like I have smoked a pipe of epicness! Thats some serious deep metalevel thinking there! Friggin blown away! I love your channel!
So enjoyable to sit and watch, I watched the whole thing and no way would I of thought it was 35 minutes long!
Now that two years have passed, i am only beginning to grasp the scale, magnitude and timelessness of this video.
This is a master class. I will be coming back to this video for I dont even know how many years to come.
This is a great video. I've been DM'ing for 30 years, and this is one of the best summaries I've ever seen. Great job!
wow thank you sir!
Also, thank you for making me realize that Ikea is a megadungeon.
The only other thing to consider is the ebb and flow of action. Characters need a respite after an ordeal to consider their options and reformulate their position. The impact of what has just occurred needs time to sink in. Basically: Trap, rest, trap, rest, trap, etc. The rest is not just literally a rest, but a moment or two to gather their wits, check what they earned from the lure, etc.
Another key component is escalation. The traps get bigger and more effective with each iteration. The danger ramps up the deeper they venture. Figuratively.
Amen! I have a podcast about escalation with a similar thesis. www.patreon.com/runehammer
I just made a whacky video and did it to music :) czcams.com/video/IIWricMVDN4/video.html
Glad to see you putting out more D&D videos again.
Truly inspiring. Keep 'em comin'!
I start applying this in my campaing, man, you open my eyes on a lot of things! Thx a lot, it's really a juice for my brains. Hello from Russia btw.
Greetings from the great cascades!
Cool vid! Very excited to give this a spin
Dude you are awesome and you deserve more credit. Your informations are crutial for the fun. Definitely opened my mind.
love your work, mate! keep it up
I actually do a lot of what was covered, but never really looked at it as a formula. really interesting video.
I may have to consider this when it comes to npc dialogue and ulterior motives as Im pretty sure the formula would still apply.
Virtual On hoodie! That's awesome!
excellent concepts my dude. gives me a lot to think about
My players are exhausted from all the as they see them “no-win situations” that are social traps. Same number of checks, it’s just in dialogue.
It gets exciting when the whole game is traps. I gotta give them breaks by throwing clumps of unarmored grunts at them.
The fights don’t need the same intensity when all I want them to feel is “a win”!
Thanks for all your advice. I can turn any fight into a battle fir their lives now!
Was a long time since an awesome moving picture thing!
Hahaha, Trap Theory is on the level! Great setup HF. Love the video. 👍😊🤘
Brilliant video, I learn something with every video you make
Sweet vid Hank, many thanks
This is what I'm talking about. I love your mechanics
Mm, I just understood something that I had difficulty getting: the bigger the region is, the more range the threat must have so that even if the players leave the containment, the threat can catch up to them~ Nice!
This might be your best video yet!
That Virtual On hoodie is fucking awesome.
I agree with you, I make my puzzles with the clues right in front of you and they are easy. So time is not wasted but its a fun element in the game. You have to make sure your puzzle has clues that are available and not just understood buy the DM. I have hints ready that I can give out for their INT Checks.
"It's an implication of danger."
In my opinion, the trap needs to be a choice. Just punishing the characters for forgetting to search for traps isn't enough. You have to have a constant incentive for the players to NOT search for traps, so that when they remember they can search for a trap, they're presented with a choice, sacrificing some other resource to search.
Love it!
Pray, why is this not a "key mechanics" video?
how about instead of having the pc's solve the riddle. make their characters roll for it. and a successful roll will give them a clue that their character was able to figure out with their roll.... that way you're not outright giving the answer away, perhaps you have 2 or 3 clues lined up for successful rolls. or even 2 or 3 BAD clues for BAD rolls :D
That is how I run puzzles. Works great. Give it a try.
Some of my favorite traps humiliate instead of injure. Puzzles are necessary to remind the players they need to slow down and think instead of run through triggering every trap.
When i do traps, i am all about goonies style. Deadly and intense. They bring out the best in players. I always put a time delay, usaly a sand timer before the trap kills player. The delay is where the players have a chance to get out of it.
My favorite lumpy head posts another video!
really nice approach ! good job
I love putting time constraints one semi simple puzzles, also I would also consider the Doors to be both a puzzle and a trap
I think it was your second example, the "trap" with the monster that can't take damage, but can kill you, has the crystal(s)[I think the one with 2 crystals also falls into this category.], and the lightning machine. Both that and as I mentioned the two crystal "trap" are really puzzles. Simply because you don't just pull a leave to start the lightning, stop the crushing walls e.t.c. After finally finding the apparatus to fix the problem, you then need to figure out that those crystals sticking up out of the ground (on the mini that represents it) are in reality lose crystals that not only can be moved, but must be placed in a specific place [or adding the power created by putting both sets of crystals together in the other example]. You the player need to figure that out not your character. I think most players knowing they can move the crystals, are going to figure they are treasure to be tossed into a bag of holding to be split up between the party members once your done playing.
Love the video!
Excellent video.
"Trap Theory!" a magazine direct competitor to "Traps Illustrated"
I would add a couple things. One allow the players to be the ones to set the traps from time to time. The other is with timings i would add minutes. Once the trigger is activated it takes a little time to fully activate, yhis would be like the barrel in moria awakening the balrog. The fellowship noticed the initial result of alerting the orks but not the greater threat.
Great advice and a good way to think about traps/encounters.
I think that the reflection on your glasses was confusing the camera.
Your channel is amazing. I bought ICRPG out of sheer love for your CZcams. I hope my players would be interested in playing a session or two of Warp Shell!
my favorite trap I've ever created is what I call "the gnasher." It is a section of dungeon with a spiked floor and ceiling. Simple enough, but the mechanism for the spikes was accidentally overclocked so that getting hit by any of the floor spikes has a chance of lifting the player off of the floor, which removes the weight off of the floor, resetting the trap, which in turn causes the spikes to quickly retract, making the victim hit the floor again, triggering the trap all over again. I know, it's evil.
well done, great ideas. you painted your Anduril red, looks cool.
I feel bad, but a died laughing when I saw the title of this video. Keep up the good work, buddy.
Yo, Hankerin you should really head over to Web DM and try to do some kind of combined show with those two badasses! It'd only be good for you and the community if you could get that arranged!
Thanks for the awesome video BTW!
...you got the fire!
Great video as always you ole' River Monster!
I'm A MAN NOT A FISH!
@@Runehammer1 you've been watching too many CZcams commercials.
Got here from DM's Craft DM Scotty. Subbed and rang the bell. :)
i know some ways you can do traps COMPLETELY wrong
- you add too many
- you do too little
- you make them unavoidable
- you make them easily advoidable
- you make them too hidden
- you make them too obvious