Trap

Beware of traps! When you step on one, it activates: for example, a rock falls from the ceiling, a boulder is released, a dart is fired, or a flash of light blinds you.

To detect hidden traps, search for them or read a scroll of gold detection while confused.

^ Anti-magic field

This trap will drain between 2 and your experience level + 1 points of your spell power. If this would cause your spell power to go below zero, your maximum spell power will be permanently reduced as well!

Magic resistance will protect your spell power from being drained.

Anti-magic fields have no effect if your maximum spell power is zero.

To remove: Dig a pit into the ground while standing on the trap, then fill the pit.

^ Arrow trap

These fire arrows at you, which generally do 1d6 damage, and can be a useful source of arrows. While standing on or adjacent to the square with the trap, try using the #untrap command. You might fail a few times as a few more arrows hit you, but if you are lucky, you will obtain a large supply of arrows.

To remove: #untrap, or trigger it repeatedly until it runs out of arrows ("You hear a loud click!")

^ Bear trap

A bear trap renders you immobile for several turns. During this time, you can attack and be attacked, but you cannot move from the spot. When caught in a bear trap, you are unable to kick. For some reason, escaping a bear trap is 5 times more likely when moving diagonally than when moving orthogonally.

It is possible to #untrap a bear trap. If successful, it will appear as a beartrap on the dungeon floor. You may then pick it up and apply it to a new location. If unsuccessful, you will become trapped. If a bugbear or an owlbear gets stuck in a bear trap outside your sight, then you will hear "the roaring of an angry bear".

To remove: #untrap, or eat the trap as a metallivore.

^ Dart trap

Similar to an arrow trap, but with darts. Darts will generally do 1d3 damage. Darts can be poisoned (1 in 6 chance), so be careful. Disarming a dart trap will recover a large stack of darts, but this should probably not be attempted by characters lacking poison resistance.

To remove: #untrap, or trigger it repeatedly until it runs out of darts ("You hear a soft click.")

^ Fire trap

This will set off a column of flame underneath you, causing significant damage and a permanent drop in maximum HP to those without the fire resistance intrinsic. There is also a chance of carried scrolls and spellbooks burning, potions boiling, and armor being burnt.

Fire traps are only randomly generated in Gehennom, Plane of Fire and some quests, notably the Valkyrie quest.

To remove: Dig a pit into the ground while standing on the trap, then fill the pit.

^ Hole

Holes simply drop you down a number of levels. 2-3 levels is a typical fall distance, but there is no upper limit, bar extreme improbability, on how many levels it is possible to fall through, although you won't fall beyond the Castle.

The same hole is not guaranteed to lead to the same location, or even the same level, even if an object, monster or pet went through it immediately before you.

To remove: Push a boulder into it.

^ Magic trap

Main article: Magic trap

The effects of magic traps are many and varied...

To remove: Trigger it repeatedly until it explodes.

^ Falling rock trap

This triggers a falling rock, which hits you on the head for 6-12 damage, unless you are wearing some kind of hard hat, in which case the damage is reduced to 2. The rock stays on the ground, so it is possible to use them as a rock source, although the trap will be exhausted eventually.

Early pet deaths are often due to this type of trap, earning it the nickname of "kitty killer".

To remove: Trigger it repeatedly until it runs out of rocks.

^ Land mine

Land mines are hidden explosives, especially common in the Fort Ludios. They wound your legs and create a pit in which you fall after the explosion. You may #untrap a land mine from next to it, pick it up and install it elsewhere, just like with a bear trap. These traps won't be generated randomly before dungeon level 6.

To remove: #untrap, or just set it off (although the latter will replace it with a pit).

^ Level teleporter

This teleports you to a random location on a random level. You will rarely be teleported further down than you have already explored. These traps won't be generated randomly before dungeon level 5, nor on a no-teleport level. After a successful teleport of the player it vanishes.

To remove: Set it off personally; it is not removed when a pet or monster triggers it.

^ Pit

Pits in the ground open up when you walk over them, causing 1-6 damage. This will also abuse strength and dexterity. They require 3-7 turns to "climb to the edge" and escape. While in the pit, any light source you are carrying will not travel beyond the walls of the pit.

To remove: Push a boulder into it.

^ Polymorph trap

Main article: Polymorph trap

A polymorph trap turns you into another monster for a limited time. Monsters can make use of them too. After a successful polymorph of the player it vanishes.

To remove: Set it off personally; it is not removed when a pet or monster triggers it.

^ Magic portal

This uses the ^ symbol, and is therefore a kind of trap. They are used to transport you between dungeon branches, and between the elemental planes. Temporary portals are generated by the Eye of the Aethiopica.

To remove: This trap cannot be removed, although the portal to your quest disappears if you are rejected with prejudice.

^ Rolling boulder trap

This is a trap in two parts. The actual trap is a switch, which when activated by stepping on it, sets a nearby boulder rolling towards you. The existence of these traps can sometimes be inferred by an incongruously placed boulder in a room. These traps won't be generated randomly before dungeon level 2.

To remove: Destroy the boulder or move it out of line with the trap, then set it off to formally remove it.

^ Rust trap

This trap will spray you with water, rusting any rustable items you have on where it hits. Gremlins like to use these traps to multiply.

To remove: Dig a pit into the ground while standing on the trap, then fill the pit. In SLASH'EM, #untrapping a rust trap will, if successful, turn the trap into a safer fountain.

^ Sleeping gas trap

This trap makes you fall asleep for up to 25 turns, unless you're polymorphed into a monster that doesn't breathe, or have sleep resistance. These traps won't be generated randomly before dungeon level 2.

To remove: Dig a pit into the ground while standing on the trap, then fill the pit.

^ Spiked pit

These are just pits which do 1-10 damage. The spikes are sometimes (1 in 6 chance) poisoned, which can be fatal for a character without poison resistance. These traps won't be generated randomly before dungeon level 5. Note that the chance of spikes being poisoned is re-randomized every time you fall on them, not per spiked pit. Metallivores can eat the spikes out of a spiked pit, turning it in to a normal pit.

WARNING: Pets that fall in to a pit can be helped out by standing adjacent to the pit and untrapping in the direction of the pit. When you do this with a spiked pit, if you fail to remove your pet, they will suffer the effects of falling on to spikes each time you fail, making them angry (reducing their tameness) and counting as abuse for resurrection from the wand of undead turning. If they die at your hands, you suffer the consequences of killing them in a trap yourself (-15 alignment and an angry god).

To remove: Push a boulder into it.

^ Squeaky board

A squeaky board alerts monsters to your presence. If a monster steps on a squeaky board on your level, you "hear a distant squeaking sound".

To remove: #untrap, but you must select a potion of oil (which will be consumed) or a charged can of grease (one charge will be consumed).

^ Statue trap

Statue traps look like normal statues of a monster, until you try to walk on the same square as one. When you walk on one, it will transform into the monster it was posing as. A statue trap can also be discovered by searching, applying a stethoscope, or a pick-axe.

To remove: Set it off. A statue trap is a monster, not a statue, so a wand of striking/force bolt will not (necessarily) dispose of it.

^ Teleportation trap

This teleports you to a random location on the map, unless it is a vault teleporter located in a closet behind ad aerarium, in which case you are teleported to the vault. Teleporters won't be generated randomly on a no-teleport level.

To remove: This trap cannot be removed, unless it is located behind ad aerarium, in which case it will disappear after use.

^ Trap door

A trap door is a hidden door located in the floor. When triggered the door falls open and creates a hole that drops anything over it onto a random spot in the dungeon level below. They are sometimes found in closets, with "Vlad was here" engraved in front of the door.

One technique of dealing with this problem is to go down any stairs you encounter and then go up. This way, if you should ever fall down to that level you will know where the exit is. A high dexterity status will reduce your chances of falling down the pit should you accidentally trigger a trap door.

To remove: Push a boulder into it, or zap a wand of locking downward.

" Web

A spider web is a rare type of non-magical trap. If you "stumble into a spider web", you will be unable to escape it for a few turns, unless you are wielding Sting, are a spider, or are strong (strength 18/** or 25) ("You tear through a web!"). If you are polymorphed into an amoeboid or whirly form, a web will not stick to you. If a bugbear or an owlbear gets stuck in a web outside your sight, then you will hear "the roaring of a confused bear".

These traps won't be generated randomly before dungeon level 7. This is the only trap to use the " symbol, rather than the ^ symbol. Attempting to untrap stuck monsters risks trapping you and spreading the web.

To remove: #untrap (difficult), or walk in while wearing gauntlets of power or wielding Sting - or burn it away with a wand of fire.

Container traps

Containers can be searched with the #untrap command. A high luck can be helpful in avoiding the effects of container traps. Bad luck increases the likelihood of more dangerous traps. Be careful of trapped containers in shops, you will be charged for any items that are destroyed if you set off a trap that damages the merchandise. Container traps include:

• Explosive charge: Strength abused and 6d6 damage (unlucky trap)
• Poison gas: Constitution abused, Poisoned if not poison resistant
• Poison needle: Constitution abused, Poisoned if not poison resistant
• Fire trap: As per floor trap
• Electric charge: 4d4 damage and wands/rings may be destroyed, unless shock resistant
• Paralysis trap: Dexterity abused and paralyzed for 6-30 turns, unless you have free action
• Mind-affecting gas: Stuns and causes hallucination for up to 16 turns

Door traps

Trapped doors (and rarely, cursed tins) will explode when opened ("KABOOM!! The <object> was booby-trapped!"), causing damage, abusing strength and possibly constitution, and stunning you. The damage and duration of the stun depend on a number of factors, including (but not limited to) your level and how deep you have been in the dungeon.

Strategy

Avoiding traps in the dungeon takes patience and care. You can minimize your chances of stepping on a trap by paying close attention to monsters, pets, noises, and terrain. Be wary for the telltale signs of traps such as conspicuous boulders, suspicious corpses, or piles of rocks, darts or arrows. By walking only where you have seen pets or monsters safely walk, you can avoid most traps. Remember where you have safely stepped before. Elbereth can cause monsters to flee, possibly uncovering traps as they do. A leashed pet will whine if it is near a trap. Magic resistance and fire resistance can help nullify some of the more dangerous effects of traps.

The search command is a great way to uncover traps without setting them off. #Untrap can be used on doors and containers. You can improve your chances for finding traps if you:

• have positive luck
• put on a ring of searching
• put on a pair of lenses
• wield Excalibur
• play a role with intrinsic searching
  • Ranger: Level 1
  • Monk: Level 9
  • Rogue: Level 10
  • Archaeologist: Level 10
  • Tourist: Level 10

Some items can be useful in detecting traps, although they may have better uses elsewhere:

• scroll of gold detection (cursed or confused)
• crystal ball (with high intelligence scry for ^)
• wand of secret door detection
• spellbook of detect unseen
• The Bell of Opening (probably better used to find portals)