Trapping

Pathfinder Kowalski awoke instantly. Something was wrong. listening for a moment, he heard the now-familiar scraping and snuffling that had followed him on the 3-day trek from Toronto, always just out of sight - apparently waiting for the opportune moment. Who knew how it had gotten into camp, but now that it had, they were all in danger. Slowly, slowly, he inched his hand toward the shotgun that shared his bed. he couldn't warn the rookies without letting it know he was awake - not that they'd be asleep much longer. as his fingers closed around the weapon's stock, his finger seeking the trigger, as the doorknob started, cautiously, to turn, he squeezed his eyes shut. The blasting cap wired to the door would make a blinding flash when it went off, and he had to be ready...

In the world of Endgame, trapping your door is one of the few ways to provide your dwelling with a bit of security. The art of trapping in live-action roleplaying is an exercise in ingenuity and creativity, meant to challenge both the setter and the picker. It is therefore by nature constantly changing and evolving to keep up with each person's relative skills and the technology available to them.

In order to make sure that all trap designs are safe enough to be used in Endgame, all traps must be inspected for safety by the trap marshal before entering game. Inspection will be at 9:00 P.M. on the evening before an event, when the trap marshal will go door-to-door inspecting traps. Be prepared to display all traps and if necessary explain or demonstrate their workings. Any traps not inspected during the 9:00 inspection will be inspected when the trap marshal is free - which might not be until the following event, so try to be ready for the 9:00. Endgame reserves the right to refuse to allow the use of any trap deemed unsafe or unfair.

If you have a specific question about trap construction, please email the trap marshal at egtrap@hotmail.com for input and a complete rules ephemera on trap design. Hard and fast rules of fair play are as follows:

5 rules of fair play for trappers

1. All traps must be pickable by the setter within 60 seconds. Be prepared to do so during inspection.
2. If a trapped box has multiple triggers, the first one to be set off will be the one to take effect. All other triggers in the box are then destroyed and inoperable, along with all other contents of the box. If multiple triggers detonate simultaneously, the highest damage or special effect will be the one that takes effect.
3. No remote controlled device or radio controlled device may be used to detonate a trap.
4. Any trap that leaves the dwelling in which it was set will detonate, effecting whoever is carrying, pushing or throwing it. Player characters may not set traps outside a dwelling.
5. Sound and light activated devices may not be used inside boxes, although they may still be used as room traps.

A few movies to provide inspiration for the aspiring trapper are: 'Blown Away', 'the Specialist' and 'Die Hard 3'.

Please keep in mind that we are all trying to have a good time safely. If you as the designer have doubts about wether your trap design is out-of-game safe, it almost certainly isn't safe by Endgame standards. Please make every effort to idiot-proof, childproof and marshal-proof your design before inspection.

5 rules of fair play for trap pickers

1. The only part of any trap that may be cut, broken, altered, severed or otherwise destroyed is thread or fishing line. Tape may not be cut, torn or removed. Screws or bolts may not be unscrewed. Electrical wires may not be cut. The structure of a box may not be changed (no drilling, sawing, cutting, breaking etc.) Traps are not cheap to produce. Be kind.
2. Magnets may not be used to disarm a trap. This would destroy any magnetic or piezo buzzer which happened to be in the trap, which would then need to be replaced.
3. Water, glue, grease, graphite powder, iron filings or any other material that is not readily and completely removable may not be used to disarm a trap.
4. No part of a trap may be removed from the vicinity of the trap, I.E. batteries, weights, cogs etc.
5. Trapper's rule #4 also applies to pickers - 'No remote controlled device or radio controlled device may be used to detonate a trap.' This also applies to using such a device to disarm rather than detonate a trap.

A few good picker movies are: 'Hudson Hawk', 'Burglar' (with Whoopi Goldberg) and 'the Heist'.