Excellent Camouflage (3.5e Equipment)
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Problems Arise[edit]
"You go."
The fighter shook his head, gesturing at the gap. "Are you completely mad now, Nellis? Do you want my death that badly- shoving me into the ant pit wasn't enough, now you want me to try to fly?"
The mage covered his eyes, feeling like he was arguing with the wall behind the fighter rather than a human being. "I told you, it was an accident, and if Alvar had been a little faster at getting rid of the archers then I wouldn't have had to dance around like an idiot for them."
"Fat lot of help you were anyhow," the lizardman grumbled, twirling a bowstring around one claw. "And it was an accident, Lian, so don't get your britches in a knot. Now, what new madness are you spouting today, mage?"''
The half-elf gestured at the gap. "Simple. The Tombs of Frehvan Sayre should be right across that gap- hells, you can SEE the eternal flame from here! But according to the book, we've got to make a "leap of faith" to get there, and the only thing that could mean is..." He trailed off.
Three pairs of eyes swept the scene. "I'm not jumping. That must be seventy feet- no way I can make it. And there's no telling what's at the bottom." "Something nasty, no doubt. I can't see anything down there..." "Well, then how are we supposed to get across to there, then? Do you see a bridge?"
Excellent Camouflage[edit]
Sometimes the best way of making something dangerous is to make it not be there at all. Excellent Camouflage is simply a very good paint or carving job on an object that can make it seem like it isn't there, or is something else. As shown, it can be used to hide a bridge over a gap. Or, if you're into more aggressive measures, you can leave the bridge be but camouflage a break in it. Concealing slits for other traps, hiding important doors and switches- camouflage is the passive trap that will often do the most work of all of them.
Most all dungeons prefer to keep their ancient, rusting blade traps concealed- otherwise they'd never rack up a kill count- but Excellent Camouflage is without peer. It can hide the trap, it can be the trap, or it can give the illusion that there is a trap- when in fact there is none. And unlike most camouflaged items, which can be puzzled out by their surroundings, Excellent Camouflage requires either outside reference or a good deal of trial-and-error to decipher; whoever applies this doesn't go for all that "Solve the riddle and you get my stuff" malarkey.
Truly Excellent Camouflage is not detectable by anything less than either a DC 35 Spot Check (possibly 40, if it has help from its surroundings), seeing magic, or by trial-and-error (see the dove in the D&D movie). Trial-and-error is an entirely roleplayed element, and every trap has a different solution. These can either be puzzled out by the player on their own, or it you're truly devoted to the dice, simulated with a DC 30 Knowledge Check.
Note that Excellent Camouflage, when discovered, is rendered completely unusable- unlike some traps, which can be reset in between adventures, Excellent Camouflage's secret is revealed when it is solved, and only completely reapplying the disguise in a different pattern will make it usable again.
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