Spell Trap
A dormant spell that wakes when its clause is met
Spell Trap binds a dormant spell to an object, place, or creature. It fires without an action as soon as its clause is met, regardless of the caster's condition or location. It fires even when the caster no longer wants it to.
The stored spell must be at least one level below the trap. It uses the caster's caster level and originates from the trap. Its target, area, shape, and other choices are fixed when the trap is set. A spell requiring concentration lasts one round. Casting the trap spends the stored spell's slot normally.
A temporary trap reserves the Spell Trap slot used to create it. That slot reduces the caster's maximum at its level until the trap fires, expires, or is dismissed.
The caster's Intelligence determines how many triggers and conditions its clause can hold.
Progression
| Level | Bound to | What it perceives | Stored spell | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | an object or a point in space | sight, sound, smell | ≤ 3 | hours per CL |
| 6 | + a creature, which it follows | sight, sound, smell | ≤ 5 | days per CL |
| 8 | + magic in flight | school, power, caster identity, being targeted | ≤ 7 | days per CL |
| 10 | + a territory, 10 km per caster level | as level 8, across the area | ≤ 9 | days per CL |
At level 4, the trap responds to physical circumstances. It might wait for a red-haired man to approach after a password was spoken within the previous 10 seconds.
At level 6, it can follow a creature. It knows when its bearer is struck, but not when someone merely aims at them.
At level 8, it detects spells being cast, their school and power, the caster's identity, and whether they target its bearer—even if they fail.
At level 10, the trap covers a region and fires wherever its clause is met. It is not consumed when it fires, but can fire only once per round. Lower-level traps end after they fire.
Permanence
At every level, the caster can make the trap permanent with gold. Set its cost and prescribed chance roll with the GM under the enchantment rules. A permanent trap holds no spell slot. Gold enchantment is the only way to make Spell Trap permanent.
Allowance
A trap of level 8 or higher counts against the same allowance as Reactive Dispel, whether it is temporary or permanent. Levels 4 and 6 have no allowance beyond their cost.
| Intelligence | Watches maintained |
|---|---|
| 10-20 | 1 |
| 20-30 | 2 |
| 30+ | 3 |
When several traps answer the same event, only one fires per tick, in the order they were set.