Traps on the other side of the door

[Maurice76]

Tough, the Hero triggers the trap if they go through the door. If it's a falling block then don't choose to go into the room.

Except if you use the EU rules, you can't back out. Tough luck if it's the only door into the room and the character doesn't have Pass Through Rock - if it's the Barbarian or Dwarf, who are often the first ones to "break" into a room.

[Pancho]

Tough, the Hero triggers the trap if they go through the door. If it's a falling block then don't choose to go into the room.

Except if you use the EU rules, you can't back out. Tough luck if it's the only door into the room and the character doesn't have Pass Through Rock - if it's the Barbarian or Dwarf, who are often the first ones to "break" into a room.

Good points.
To make matters worse if I remember correctly in ATOH there is a falling block trap in a doorway inside a room the Heroes MUST go through in order to proceed and complete the quest. The trap can't be searched for, it can't be disarmed, the Hero has to jump into the room if he wants to continue (NA or EU rules regardless), and his buddies will be prevented from getting through themselves. Not all will have pass through rock, even if using spell scrolls (which isn't a given). Pretty crappy.
I agree that this kind of thing is cheap and poorly designed, if using the rules as is intended, and a fix is required.

[mitchiemasha]

Tough, the Hero triggers the trap if they go through the door. If it's a falling block then don't choose to go into the room.

Except if you use the EU rules, you can't back out. Tough luck if it's the only door into the room and the character doesn't have Pass Through Rock - if it's the Barbarian or Dwarf, who are often the first ones to "break" into a room.

In the exception of a fallen block. Surviving the falling block, ends the players turn, the choice to move backwards or forwards is a result of the falling block, not the players movement. Although, many ignore the 'not allowed to move over the same square, back out' rule in movement anyways.

[Maurice76]

To make matters worse if I remember correctly in ATOH there is a falling block trap in a doorway inside a room the Heroes MUST go through in order to proceed and complete the quest. The trap can't be searched for, it can't be disarmed, the Hero has to jump into the room if he wants to continue (NA or EU rules regardless), and his buddies will be prevented from getting through themselves. Not all will have pass through rock, even if using spell scrolls (which isn't a given). Pretty crappy.
I agree that this kind of thing is cheap and poorly designed, if using the rules as is intended, and a fix is required.

I hadn't even seen it, but yes, it's there in the quest "The Outer Caves". It's in the small 3x2 room, with the Fimir in it. If the first Hero to enter makes a side step or fails to kill the Fimir, triggering the Falling Block Trap is pretty much guaranteed, blocking the door for any Heroes that are still on the other side.

[Goblin-King]

I don't mind the core concept of unsearchable traps behind doors... IF they aren't deathtraps.
A falling rocks trap that can permantly trap a hero is unacceptable. But put in an alternative route it can be fun and dramatic.

Fully equipped heroes and experienced players need some challenge - even if it's a little cheap/dirty. As long as it's not instant death.

[knightkrawler]

I don't mind the core concept of unsearchable traps behind doors... IF they aren't deathtraps.
A falling rocks trap that can permantly trap a hero is unacceptable. But put in an alternative route it can be fun and dramatic.

Fully equipped heroes and experienced players need some challenge - even if it's a little cheap/dirty. As long as it's not instant death.

My spell system allows for Pass Through Rock to be picked twice and for it to be cast on any visible hero.
Another thing I like to do is reward proactive searching, so I might write a Pass Through Rock scroll into the quest somewhere before or shortly after such a trap is encountered.
I also like the concept of a falling rock seperating the heroes instead of outright killing or trapping one. The trapped hero might then go on a quest of his own, maybe he's the only one who can actively fulfill the quest objective now. Maybe there's something IN the room that has the hero make the jump INTO the room in the first place.

But maybe, just maybe... and that, to me is its biggest merit... a falling rock behind a door was written to, once in a while, remind the heroes that the Phallic Phalanx in front of a door might not be the best of ideas and not entirely fun to play....

I do agree on the use of falling rocks on the original quests. As mere deathtraps, their possibilities are wasted.

[Pancho]

I don't mind the core concept of unsearchable traps behind doors... IF they aren't deathtraps.
A falling rocks trap that can permantly trap a hero is unacceptable. But put in an alternative route it can be fun and dramatic.

Fully equipped heroes and experienced players need some challenge - even if it's a little cheap/dirty. As long as it's not instant death.

I wouldn't say that a falling rock trap that can permanently trap a hero is ALWAYS unacceptable, just that it is totally unacceptable when death is more or less guaranteed even though the players are not at fault at all. The Ogre Horde example above is one such case I believe.
On the other hand if a player DID have a chance to search for traps, and/or he DID have a chance to disarm it, and/or he DID have a chance to jump the right way to avoid getting stuck and at the same time NOT doom his buddies to oblivion, and they still get trapped, then that's tough titties and Morcar can enjoy his victory .

I think we are in agreement maybe, just looking at things from a slightly different angle.

P.S. I think its not acceptable to assume that the Heroes will have enough Pass through rock opportunities, even if they are experienced and skilful dungeoneers.

[The Admiral]

Tough, the Hero triggers the trap if they go through the door. If it's a falling block then don't choose to go into the room.

Except if you use the EU rules, you can't back out. Tough luck if it's the only door into the room and the character doesn't have Pass Through Rock - if it's the Barbarian or Dwarf, who are often the first ones to "break" into a room.

I play NA rules, but I am sure the EU falling block rules would overide the movement rules.

[Anderas]

I like to separate the heroes. That can be a tense moment even for seasoned players and that's good.
I think there are two occasions where you just step inside and that's it. Hero dead. Those need changing.

Beside, phallic phalanx.. I have an idea

[Maurice76]

I actually plan on using the Advanced Rules designed by Slev soon, when we start HQ again . I believe those are based on the NA rules, allowing free movement if I am not mistaken.

Personally I would prefer "fun" over being a sadistic, evil Evil Wizard, so I guess I will have to wing it on some of these situations. I can imagine my friends don't really enjoy unavoidable traps, anyway.

One thing that I didn't stop to consider yet, is that traps directly behind a door might be designed to stop the first Hero who enters in his tracks, easing up the damage potential against the monsters in that room. The EW gets a bit more firepower to bring to bear against the players that way in his first turn after that trap is triggered.