Traps

Traps is a skill in Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics. In Fallout 3, it was split into Explosives and Repair.

The Traps skill governs the player character's ability to find and remove traps. The skill also has an impact on their ability to handle timed explosives properly. This excludes grenades, as they are handled under the Throwing skill.

Fallout

 * $$\text{Initial level}=20+(.5\times\text{Perception})+(.5\times\text{Agility})$$

Example: A starting Perception of 5 and Agility of 5.


 * $$20+(.5\times5)+(.5\times5)=25\%$$

Fallout 2

 * $$\text{Initial level}=10+{Perception}+{Agility}$$

Example: A starting Perception of 5 and Agility of 5.


 * $$10+5+5=20\%$$

Using the Traps skill
In all three of the Fallout games in which the Traps skill appears, it is handled identically in gameplay.

As a passive skill
In part, the Traps skill is passive and determines the ability of the player character to spot a trap before setting it off. If they attempt to interact with a trapped object, such as a booby-trapped safe, the game checks the character's Traps skill against the difficulty of the trap. If the check succeeds, the interaction is aborted and a prompt notifies that the object may be trapped. If the check fails, the interaction proceeds, and the trap is triggered.

The other passive application of the Traps skill involves the various types of floor traps found in Fallout 2. In this case, Perception conditions are used to modify the check of Traps skill against difficulty. If the check succeeds, the player character is able to spot the trap prior to setting it off, typically with the warning "You see a raised tile," or the warning of a land mine. The trap then becomes visible in the play area. If the check fails, the character can still walk over the trapped tile, potentially setting off the trap.

As an active skill
The Traps skill can be actively used from the skills menu. The active use of the Traps skill has two functions. Primarily, it is used to disarm and remove a trap that has already been spotted. However, observant individuals can check objects for traps prior to interacting with them by using the Traps skill. Landmines and floor traps can typically only be spotted passively.

Once a trap has been spotted, one should activate the Traps skill and attempt to use it on the trap. The game then runs a check of the Traps skill against the trap's difficulty. Success results in the trap being disarmed. If there is a removable component, such as a bundle of dynamite or a grenade, this is added to the inventory by a script. Failure typically means that the player character was unable to disarm the trap, but causes no ill effect. However, a critical failure detonates the trap or mine and results in injury.

As a trapping skill
One can set a trap on some objects by using a set of explosives on it (hold the left mouse button, select the backpack icon from the drop-down menu, then select the item to use). This is very rarely needed and can crash the game.

As a demolition skill
The Traps skill also affects the character's ability to properly arm timed explosives such as dynamite or plastic explosives. A higher Traps skill yields more accurate results with timer settings. With a poor Traps skill, it is best to avoid setting explosives timers for 30 seconds or less due to the very real risk of premature detonation.

Applicable perks
Note: These do not apply to Fallout.

The Demolition Expert perk removes the risk of premature detonation when handling timed explosives, eliminating that aspect of risk when dealing with a low Traps skill. This perk also grants improved damage from explosives. Similarly, the Crazy Bomber perk in Fallout Tactics nullifies failed traps tests meaning that traps cannot be set off when attempting to arm or disarm them.

Similarly, the Light Step perk helps prevent characters from setting off floor-based traps such as land mines and pressure plates by halving the trap difficulty for the purposes of the skill check. However, unlike in Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, the Light Step perk in Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics does not prevent the triggering of floor traps, but rather only makes that event less likely.