Trapping and Capturing Monsters

Traps

Traps can be placed and dismantled on the ground. When a monster steps on the trap, they will be ensnared. Some key features of traps include:

• Traps can hold [[exhausted monsters|understanding-monster#exhaust]] longer, while [[monsters in rage mode|understanding-monster#rage]] will escape from traps faster.
• Some monsters are immune to certain traps. [[Elder Dragons|understanding-monster#types]] cannot be trapped at all.

Pitfall Trap

When a Pitfall Trap is placed, it generates a large void under the surface. After luring a monster onto the trap, the monster's weight cause the surface to collapse and the monster will fall into the pitfall.

If a monster is paralyzed, put to sleep, or stunned while they are inside a Pitfall Trap, the trap's degradation is stopped temporarily. After the monster recovers from its status ailment, the trap then continues degrading. Monsters stuck in a pitfall trap take a little bit more damage, but this damage bonus does not stack with the [[damage bonus from paralysis|understanding-monster#paralysis]].

A monster cannot be mounted and their tails cannot be hit while it is trapped in a pitfall trap.

Shock Trap

When a Shock Trap is stepped on, it delivers a continuous surge of electricity that immobilizes a monster. [[Mounting, stunning, paralyzing, or putting the monster to sleep|understanding-monster#status-ailments-on-monster]] will cause the Shock Trap to expire immediately.

Although a Shock Trap appears to use electricity, it does not deal [[Thunder damage|damage#elemental]] and it does not affect [[Paralysis damage|understanding-monster#paralysis]] from weapons or items.

Ivy Trap

Monsters ensnared in an Ivy Trap will have its movement restricted by vines. Monsters trapped by an Ivy Trap cannot be captured.

Capturing Monsters

Players can capture a [[limping monster|understanding-monster#dying-monsters]]. To do this:

1. The player must ensnare the limping monster in a Pitfall Trap or Shock Trap.
2. After the limping monster is in the trap, the player must use tranquilizer items to capture them. This often takes the form of throwing Tranquilizer Bombs on the monster.

Only tranquilizer items can be used to capture monsters. Putting a trapped, limping monster to [[sleep|understanding-monster#sleep]] with Sleep-status weapons will not capture it.

Captured monsters cannot be carved, but will still yield monster materials at the quest's completion, similar to carving a slain monster.

Finally, if a monster cannot be trapped, then it cannot be captured. If a monster is immune to one kind of trap, the other kind must be used to capture the monster. Elder Dragons are completely immune to traps, and therefore can never be captured.