Magic Traps

[dondoepke]

I've always had an issue with magic traps having a detect DC for Rogues to challenge. To me, their inspection would never reveal that a fireball is triggered to hit them in the face when they open a chest. I'm curious how others rule on this?

[LordEntrails]

What rule system? I play it differently in depending upon the rule system and campaign expectations.

[Bonkon]

In any version of D&D I play it that a rogue can detect a physical trap. So if there us a trigger such as a pressure plate to set off the fireball they could attempt to find and disarm it even though they might not know what it did.

[dondoepke]

I'm specifically referring to D&D 5E in this instance.

[Bidmaron]

Ok characters have powers that are at least supernatural so why would it bother you that they can detect traps. I don’t know 5e but every other edition of d&d has rogues/thieves that can detect magical traps. Heck in early editions they even had a chance to read magic! (Scrolls)

[damned]

Thieves/Rogues are trained to detect traps and many traps are magical so it would not be unreasonable for a Rogue to detect one.

[Zacchaeus]

You don't have to be a magic user to detect magic. If it does bother you then increase the difficulty of the DC; but for me that's unfair. Is it the case that you don't want these traps to be detected and blow up anyway? If so just do that

[Callum]

Ok characters have powers that are at least supernatural so why would it bother you that they can detect traps. I don’t know 5e but every other edition of d&d has rogues/thieves that can detect magical traps. Heck in early editions they even had a chance to read magic! (Scrolls)

Actually, in AD&D (1st edition), thieves explicitly could not find magical traps. The ability to find magical traps was introduced in 2nd edition AD&D, at half the normal chance.

Having said that, it makes sense to me that there are signs that suggest the presence of a magical trap, which rogues would be trained to look for.

In D&D 5E, any character (not just a rogue) can detect a trap by making the appropriate check - usually Wisdom (Perception). However, this varies greatly from trap to trap, and it's certainly possible for a given trap to be described as undetectable other than by magic.

[dondoepke]

You don't have to be a magic user to detect magic. If it does bother you then increase the difficulty of the DC; but for me that's unfair. Is it the case that you don't want these traps to be detected and blow up anyway? If so just do that

It's not that I don't want them found, just having a problem wrapping my head around it. But, good comments here of a different perspective. It's not that I want to nerf Rogues, I like the idea that they are trained specifically for this. I need to work on my narrative concerning this.

[jojogladco]

Magical traps with glyphs, runes, and the like can be spotted by anyone actively searching for anything unusual at my table via a Wisdom (Perception) check.

Knowing how to disarm the trap requires a Intelligence (Investigation) check.

Actually disarming the trap of a magical nature requires a Intelligence (Arcana) check.