Trap throws and puzzle throws
When a party meets a scene that needs a skill check, the hero taking it throws a d20 and adds a modifier built from their level and traits. The game splits those scenes into two kinds: puzzles, and everything else (traps, hazards and other physical checks). Trap-Wise adds +2 to the second kind only.
On a d20, +2 means two more faces pass, roughly 10 percentage points on any check that is neither automatic nor impossible. A trap a hero would pass 50% of the time becomes 60%.
Every trait that touches the throw
| Trait | Traps and hazards | Puzzles |
|---|---|---|
| Trap-Wise | +2 | none |
| Lucky | +2 | +2 |
| Quick-Witted | +1 | +1 |
| Brave | +1 | none |
| Methodical | none | +2 |
| Professional | none | +1 |
| Cowardly | −1 | none |
| Reckless, Hot-Headed | −2 | −2 |
The modifiers stack, so a Trap-Wise, Lucky hero throws at +4 on traps before level. Two traits change the dice themselves rather than the modifier: Lucky rerolls the first natural 1 each delve, Jinxed rerolls the first natural 20, and Gambler throws twice and keeps whichever result is further from the middle.
Why passing traps matters
A sprung trap costs stress as well as whatever damage it deals, and stress follows a hero home. Over about 72 a hero stops counting as fit for selection (see hero state). Clean passes on a hazard-heavy floor keep the whole party fresher for the fights that follow, and on Deep runs, where every wave also adds stress, that margin matters.
The Sealed Door
Some dungeon forks offer a Sealed Door, a hazard room with a gold bonus attached. A Trap-Wise leader leans +1 toward it. With nothing pulling the other way, they take it about two times in three when it is offered, which suits a hero who can pass the check inside. Treasure rooms and Lairs get no lean, so the leader treats them with the default odds.
Gear hunts
Gear Hunt jobs list Trap-Wise among their liked traits, adding 5% to the hero’s suitability. Gear hunts are short (5–8 days) and send a party into old places full of exactly the hazards this trait handles.
Using a Trap-Wise hero
- Put them forward for trap checks on floors with many hazards.
- Pair them with variance traits. A Gambler or Jinxed hero is less reliable on routine checks; a Trap-Wise partner takes the ones that matter.
- Stack modifiers with Lucky or Quick-Witted on a dedicated scout.
Small hooks
Quest reports have their own Trap-Wise lines, and on pair duty the hero speaks with the “curious” voice shared with Curious, Quick-Witted, Restless and Pathfinder. The hero card links the trait to Anticipation and Agility; that link is descriptive and does not change either attribute.
Conflicts and rarity
Trap-Wise can never appear with Clumsy.
- Rarity: uncommon, positive · draw weight 45 of 6,365 · about 1 recruit in 57
- Founding draft: any card.
- In the wiki’s archive: first present in the 2.1.8 build (absent from 2.0.7).
Recruiting
A steady, practical plus on any hero you expect to take trap checks. It does not change combat, so value it as a utility trait rather than a carry trait.