Traps! When?

Theogre Fytestuf moved slowly down the dimly lit corridor. The walls were lined with picked shale deposits, and the air was stale and a little moist. He knew the wet droplets running down his brow were a clear indicator that danger was imminent, it was an 8th sense to him at this point. However, the question on his mind was of great importance to his immediate future: why is the next 10 feet of ceiling made of sandstone?

Theogre Fytestuf might not be a rogue, but he is certainly perceptive. This is what's important about being a player in a dungeon that is potentially full of traps. The player-DM interaction here is a very important one, and it is important to choose your words carefully when describing the elements of your world. The warnings should never be too obvious. The trick is to have something go off in the minds of the characters, and not necessarily the minds of the players. Meta-gaming is a big issue here, and you need to understand how to avoid it. Meta-gaming is not only a fun-sucker for the fantasy that the players live in, it is also a time sucker on your game. And traps and treasure are some of the biggest purpoteurs of meta-gaming in all of gaming.

The Dungeon Masters Guide has a lot of good info on how to disguise a trap with your words, but there is also a really important element of when to use traps in a campaign. Don't just throw them out willy nilly, and as a player, don't go looking for them everywhere. Don't place your traps like they're free, because they aren't. Someone or something had to put that trap there, and they most likely went through a lot of effort to protect something valuable. Sometimes it's important to just let the trap go undetected, and still affect the players, because the trap itself may indicate a treasure trove.

Conversely, as a player looking for treasure, don't simply assume that traps will be placed at every hallway, intersection, etc. Let the DM's clues and the context of the dungeon tip you off as to whether it's appropriate to spend some time searching.

This is Lance of the Hill People saying, "Don't Let Traps Slow You Down".

-Lance of the Hill People