I am not going to recap all the points for and against in this issue. It has gotten to the point, in my view, of becoming dogma. It will just keep coming up, not because people are wrong on either side, but because there are too many valid points all around.
So here is my idea’s outline.
1. A new crafting badge.
2. A new crafting hall.
3. A new agreement system for in character.
4. A new policy for out of character issues.
5. How it all comes together.
One,
With the potential for abuse of poison and trap items, their manufacture, use, or sale should be extremely limited. Both on the role play side and on the rules side if you think about it. It should be looked at like modern society does an automotive license; it is a privilege, not a right.
One way we could help with that is by introducing a new crafting badge item. The new badge which specifically relates to making poison and would also affect trap making as well to some degree, and could be implemented like so.
1. It should have a cost in True.
2. It should be given as apart of a quest, maybe even in a CDQ manner, and no earlier then level eight.
3. The staff has the right to yank it for any instance of abuse.
4. You need it to enter into the new type of crafting hall.
Two,
A new crafting hall area could be made, maybe even two. Now all this rest on what the technical team feels is possible. But I think it would be feasible.
1. A new type of poison crafting station, where permanent poison items can be made. Greater poison making tables as it were.
2. A new Gnomish tinkers toolbox, which can make the traps with less metal parts, mostly one spring and gears and one wire. (But an average would still require tin, a strong iron, etc, etc.) And not less component items. (I.E., the holy water, thunderstones, etc, etc, for making a trap of a degree would be the same.)
Three,
We can use this also has a chance to make a really fun and new role play. Obviously it could be quite rogue focused, but flexible to others as well. Here would be the idea I propose.
1. The new crafting hall for these items is somewhere out of the way. I remember seeing someone suggest the checkerboard room in Hlint’s underworld at one time. What I would think is make one of the tiles a trap door, which leads down to a new small area and just these two devices down there.
2. A NPC, or DM gives the character a quest to go get an item to repair one of the two new devices. After getting the item, they are rewarded with the new badge item, and able to now use them.
3. It is made very clear to the PC however that ‘improper’ use of the items made here will have horrific circumstances.
It could be pretty simple story wise. A group of rogues stole these ‘prototypes’ from somewhere, maybe a Gnomes workshop, like Tyson’s in Lar. And soon word got around about them amongst the rogue’s underground network. So now a lot of people come to use it, but it must be kept hidden. Given with how much it helps the rogues of Layonara, every precaution is taken to hide the two devices. So the quest could be a long the lines of a mission to sneak in somewhere where the part to repair the device is. They bring it back, they get the badge, and they agree in character to the following.
1. To help keep the secret by not making more then three traps at a time, or using more then three at a time.
2. That any poison they make with the new poison station be for their own use.
That right there covers issues of feigned ignorance.
Four,
Make a new sticky post about this policy. And state specifically who can use poison by class and alignment. Make it a crystal clear rule that Layonara considers the laying of more then three traps at a time to be exploiting. And that anyone caught doing so will either loose this new crafting badge, or never even be allowed to get it. The same for poison as well, characters caught using poison who should not be, immediately are considered to have made an alignment change, and may be taken away to be a NPC.
Also the character suffers a flat out level loss. How you ask? Well by breaking their agreement with the rouges in possession of the machine, they have fallen victim to a magically altered deadly level Negative Energy trap, which is was built into the new crafting badge. (Just an idea, but I think it is an appropriate punishment. And a DM does not have to use it right away. They can wait till a higher level is achieved and really punish a rule breaker.)
Five,
I know this is not perfect by far. But I think if we look at it has a chance to reward players who abide by the rules, it is worth at least experimenting with. Traps and poison are two things that can really bring something to the rogue’s class. Which right now, I feel is a bit crippled. With the proliferation of invisibility spells, sneak is not has useful with its reduced speed. That being the situation, it takes away a rogue’s usual ability to scout. The limits of poison, especially the brief time it last, make it very hard to use, especially if there is lag issues. The amount of metal needed for traps, well do the math. I burned a feat to be able to mine, and I try to due it reasonably. However, I have no clue how my rogue character will ever be able to mine 18 iron, or 24 platinum to make a single trap of the higher levels. And that’s assuming I make all the components.
I tried to lay out an idea that required the least amount of modification to the current rules, and such. I feel you can leave the current system alone here, and just add this as a sub system.
I am aware that this will take a lot of work to implement. But, I think it is a shame that those who are playing a rogue are really missing out on something that adds a lot to the class. And for no better reason then there are people who just will rape the rules, and care little for the effect on others. A case of the many paying for the sins of the few is how I see it. And I’d like to think of this as a way to reward those who stick to the rules, and also a way to punish those who do not.
Like any idea though, it still needs a lot of work. And I am sure it will have its fare share of detractors. But if the staff feels it is possible, and worth trying out, I’d help out in any way I could. Thanks.
