Traps and setbacks serve an important role in the pacing and layout of dungeons. After all, if everything is too easy, the game will feel boring and rewards won’t feel as special.
However, I’d like to suggest you use challenges in place of many of your traps. Example challenges could include:
- A path that becomes very narrow along a high ledge. Characters must succeed on an athletics check to pass safely. If they fail, they fall down, taking some bludgeoning damage.
- A ladder that has crumbled away, making it treacherous to climb up a rock face.
- An old, collapsed bridge that forces the players to jump from support beam to support beam.
These sorts of environmental / physical challenges are similar to traps in a number of ways:
- Both involve various skill checks to safely navigate the danger.
- On a failed check, a character suffers some minor damage or other setback.
However, there are a few key differences that I believe make challenges more engaging for players:
- Challenges are not hidden or disguised the way traps are. Constantly checking for traps is time-consuming and tedious.
- Challenges are less abstract, so it’s easier for players to think of creative workarounds.
- Players choose to engage with challenges while traps engage with them. When players made the decision themselves to enter into a dangerous situation, they don't feel as bad if things don’t go well.
There still may be situations when traps make more sense, especially if your players are in an enemy’s lair. However, if you’re just trying to challenge your players in general, I would recommend including these types of environmental challenges.
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