For Templar Assassin's sub-ability, see Trap.

Trap is a type of disable that completely or partially surrounds a unit with immobile objects or restricts their movement in such a way that they cannot escape. Traps do not prevent any actions, such as attacking or using abilities and items, from being performed. Spell interactions might be different for each traps with any escape skills.

Definition

Trap Types	Aspect / Definition	Examples
Pathing Blocker	An invisible entity with a collision size that physically block other units walking against them, unless the caster has unobstructed movement.	Fissure
Barrier	A barrier is a force field that prevents a unit from moving out of or into the affected area, by drastically slowing their movement speed towards 0 when close to the edges of the field. This movement speed slow is not shown in the HUD.	Kinetic Field

Pathing Blockers

A pathing blocker is an invisible entity with a collision size that physically blocks other units. Walking against a pathing blocker is akin to walking against any other unit that is not phased or flying, or walking against trees.

Phased movement does not allow a unit to path through pathing blockers, but flying or unobstructed movement does. Lane creeps cannot walk around pathing blockers and try to walk through them, effectively getting fully stopped by them. Player-controlled units try to path around them if possible.

These pathing blockers (npc_dota_thinker) created are generally not selectable.

The smallest distance between a pathing blocker and another unit depends on both entities' bound radius, not collision size. For example, the smallest distance between Marci and a Cycloned unit's center will be the sum of both entities' bound radius, which will be 48.

The picture on the right shows the Defender's Gate utilizing the collision size mechanic as a pathing blocker visualized.

¹ Requires talent.

^2a Requires Aghanim's Scepter.

^2b Requires Aghanim's Shard.

Barriers

A barrier is a force field that prevents a unit from moving out of or into the affected area, by drastically slowing their movement speed towards 0 when close to the edges of the field. This slow only affects the unit when trying to cross the barrier, if the unit turns around and walks away from the edge, they are not slowed anymore.

Forced Movement Disabling

Barriers also work against several sources of forced movement, stopping their movement instantly once the unit gets pushed towards the edge of the field. However, the forced movement aspect of the ability is not canceled — if the barrier disappears, the forced movement may continue towards that direction.

¹ Rebound initial dash gets stopped by barriers, but the leap can pass through.

Version History

Patch History