Help with Burglars please – our party has no thief to check for traps so are taking along a burglar. It says ‘If a trap would be sprung while a burglar is leading the way the burglar suffers the full effects but the players get +skill against the trap and add the burglar’s skill to their armor against the trap. Most traps leave a burglar in need of immediate healing.’
Does this mean that burglars automatically set off a trap and suffer the effects? Seems like a hard way to make a living! Is this right? How else could you handle it?
Well you missed the first phrase.When a burglar leads the way they can detect traps almost in time
.If(and only if) a trap would be sprung while a burglar is leading the way…That just means that a burglar can detect traps most of the times.Reading the following comments, I guess I was wrong!
They detect traps 100% of the time…with their faces. It is a tough life. The “almost in time” part is what’s providing the buffer for the PCs.
A burglar has a terrible life expectancy. He doesn’t realize it, the characters don’t realize it, but he is in fact a red shirt.
Operation human shield!
Yeah, that’s how I read it too.
“… with their face.” love it.
Jarrah James Just like almost all other hirelings, if you read their descriptions. Hirelings are at best a temporary bonus.
When a burglar leads the way, you know somebody’s going to die. They are the very definition of a red shirt.
Cool – that makes sense. And I suppose it stops Burglars putting Thieves out of a job with their Trap Expert ability.
To me ” almost in time” sounds like “just a bit too late”. So yes, he walks into the trap. Crappy job, but that’s how it sounds to me.
You can read it as the trap is sprung, but they got insight into how it works and how to bypass or stop it before it takes full effect