Tactics for trap setting

[Gedd]

Decided to try a new char after the BG series and so took a ranger and then multiclassed to a rogue.
Thing is i'm having a problem getting traps to be particularly effective. Very difficult to set a traps and get whoever you are fighting to walk over it..
Anyone got a advice on how to get the most out of them. How you have used them succefully?
Oh yeh, and which are the most effective?

[AndyG]

I've never used them. It seems they would be most useful in a dungeon like setting. Explore invisibly or hidden in shadows. When you find a pack of enemies, backtrack and set your traps in a choke point. Set three or four traps in a row. Make sure you can still see the enemies from behind the fourth trap. Attack with a ranged weapon, then back up a little. You would need to tell your henchman to Stand his ground before you begin this whole operation.

Type of trap would depend on what you're fighting. Fire or acid traps against trolls and the like. Ice traps in Charwood castle, on the fire side. Holy traps against undead.

This seems like it would be more trouble than it's worth. I thought they did a better job of it in BG2, where you didn't need to carry around bulky traps all the time.

[DraconisRex]

Originally posted by Gedd: Decided to try a new char after the BG series and so took a ranger and then multiclassed to a rogue. Thing is i'm having a problem getting traps to be particularly effective. Very difficult to set a traps and get whoever you are fighting to walk over it.. Anyone got a advice on how to get the most out of them. How you have used them succefully? Oh yeh, and which are the most effective?

How to use traps successfully:

Okay, if you are soloing, it's kind of easy. If you have a henchman or animal companion, it's difficult unless you make them wait (stand ground command).

First, you scout the area to determine enemy strength and the general lay-out.

Second, you find "choke points," such as doorways, narrow halls in which to trap.

Third, you set the traps on top of each other (they can over-lap a great deal) but not too much, say two-thirds so one enemy doesn't trip all of your traps...

OREDER OF STRENGTH IS IMPORTANT. Set the WEAKEST traps closest to the enemies. The privates will generally be in the front wave and will die easily. The higherups will genearlly lag due to buffing up or spell casting.

Fourth, you get behind them and start shooting or otherwise induce your enemies to follow you. YOUR TRAPS WILL SHOW GREEN, as they are friendly. YOU can walk over them...

What traps to use:

I prefer mechanical damage traps. Also, when I UNTRAP an area, I save them all. Later, I then stratify my traps by the damage descriptor (such as weak, moderate, etc.) in my inventory. I keep the THREE HIGHEST DESCRIPTOR LEVELS that have at least THREE TRAPS in the DAMAGE DESCRIPTOR level and sell everything below them.

[Gabrielles blades]

i prefer electrical traps because they go from person to person instead of one person being hit
there are other traps that do that as well, but i like electrical best still!

[Morgan_Corbesant]

also, if you have too low a set trap skill, it wont work. if enemies are around that is. otherwise, they will usually work because of the "take five" factor. so try to do it when there are NO enemies around, that should do it. i did it with a sorceror with 1 point in setting traps, and bought like 5 minor spike traps from the vendor in the academy. i put them in all the corners of the room with Aribeth, and got all of the mages when they appeared. quite handy, especially if you put them in areas that you KNOW the enemy will be coming down. in the military, we call them "areas of approach" and use this tactic to set claymore mines and such. it is QUITE effective.