Find Traps is a skill ability possessed by the Thief class and their kits, as well as the Monk class, Shaman class, and certain familiars.
It can be accessed by toggling/activating the F4: Find Traps / Detect Illusion button (a four-point targeting symbol) on a character's record.
This page will discuss the Find Traps skill and the mechanics behind the skill applicable to the Enhanced Edition games.
Forward[]
The player character record (R: Record) tab lists this skill ability as its own line item titled "Detect Traps", but only if it is provided by the appropriate class/kit/familiar.
The term "Trap" simply means an area map ground zone, container, or doorway/portal that has been attributed with a trap of some type - and when detected will highlight in a red color, in the shape and boundary of the trapped zone which is covered by the trap's potential effects.
In the game, each trap has an associated Detection difficulty value, and a Removal difficulty value assigned to it, as well as a specific script that controls what will occur when a party member creature triggers the trap - The game's NPCs/enemies won't trigger their own traps and should be unaffected by them - including any summoned/conjured creatures from them as well.
The Find Traps skill value isn't a percentage, just a whole number value from 0 to a maximum value.
Note that the Find Traps / Detect Illusion skill ability button can do "double duty" when toggled on - it activates the ability to Find Traps and Detect Illusion at the same time - although the Monk class cannot Detect Illusions, however, the Dark Moon monk can.
The Find Traps - Disarm Traps - Thieving Skill (mechanics) article page covers that subject.
The Dectect Illusion - Skill (mechanics) article page covers that subject.
Finding Traps skill[]
Finding a trap[]
To determine if a character can find (detect) a trap, the game engine looks at the character's Find Traps skill value. When the value is equal to or greater than the trap's Detection difficulty value, the trap is revealed and highlighted in red, with an accompanying text display and a sound effect. If not, the trap isn't revealed.
Notes[]
- Any trap that has a Detection difficulty value of exactly 100 cannot be detected.
- The character who has activated the Find Traps / Detect illusion button can detect traps at a range of about half their visual detection range, so this is around a ~15-feet distance in all directions, however closed doors and walls that block visual range also block the detection.
- While the Find Traps / Detect Illusion button is activated the character will detect traps once per round (6⅔ seconds) - If the character has not detected a trap in that time frame, they won't find one at all, and waiting longer won't help - there is either no trap in detection range, or the character's skill is too low to find it.
- Sometimes a Trap can be detected with almost no delay after activating the skill ability, and other times it may take the entire round to do so, because there is a timing function variance between when ability is activated and when the detection takes place. We can't be any more accurate about this - it is variable.
- The Luck stat has no effect on this skill ability.
- This skill has no dice "rolls" going on at all - it's just a value threshold comparison check.
The highest door Trap detection difficulty value in each game is:
- BG I/BGEE: 99
- SoD: None
- BG II/BG2EE/ToB: 95
- IWD/IWDEE: None
The highest container Trap detection difficulty value in each game is:
- BG I/BGEE: 91
- SoD: 90
- BG II/BG2EE/ToB: 99
- IWD/IWDEE: 90
The highest ground trap detection difficulty value in each game is:
- BG I/BGEE: 99
- SoD: 90
- BG II 99
- BG2EE/ToB: 120 {Link}
- IWD/IWDEE: 95