1000 features, traps, and other things to spice up a dragon's lair

[jonesy]

34. The dragon is currently busy eating the local emissaries, while admiring the gifts they brought.

35. The roof of the lair is made of sand blasted into glass. The lair is below sea level, and a large portion of the original roof has eroded away, leaving the thick glass staring into a shallow part of the sea. Fantabulous colours flood the lair through the glass. Any combat within the lair is made difficult by the swirling colours clouding normal eyesight.

 

[darjr]

36. The dragons horde is tagged and neatly arranged on shelves and desks and displays. Thousands of coins and gems and pieces of art and jewelry and fine weapons and armor. Each meticulously taken care of, carefully arranged, tastefully displayed and artfully labeled. There are signs placed around the area in expensive frames that say 'Please, do not touch' in every language.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

37. A number of golems which maintain and classify the treasure. They are themselves made of ancient suites of armor and carry magic weapons. They will happily display the horde to visitors, but woe to anyone who tries to take anything or interfere with them.

38. The various cases, shelves, chests, etc holding the treasure are all trapped by placing an explosive rune beneath/behind each one. Trying to steal anything is going to be HARD!

 

[darjr]

39. The lair is a cave deep underground way up in the mountains. It is filled with pools and glass tanks all of which hold hostile octopie waiting in ambush.

 

[Electric Wizard]

40) Detailed plan for the invasion of local city. Well-illustrated for the benefit of illiterate orcs and goblins.

41) Cavern is filled with shallow water haunted by hungry gray oozes.

42) Dragon appears to have no hoard. The treasure is buried in several locations known only to the dragon.

43) Globs of metal fused by dragon fire. Some of these alloys are quite valuable, as no forge known to man is hot enough to create them.

44) Dragon sleeps in the skull of a titan.

45) Lair consists of a dozen shipwrecks, each a trophy of the dragon's flights. The hulks are stacked, inverted and connected in a way to confound potential slayers.

46) Vines with poisonous spines choke the floor, walls and ceiling. Dragon is a total sicko who leaves victims impaled on the spines.

 

[Razjah]

47. The lair is a gemstone mine, the hoard is actually the mine. The dragon knows every location of every gem and has a pattern to polish all the gems in a week.

48. The dragon is a mercenary. His hoard is made up the best equipment from defeated armies and payment rendered for his services. He has even hired craftsman to make stands to best display the arms and armor of notable kills.

 

[Electric Wizard]

49) Skulls placed jowl-to-jowl line the walkway to the lair. Clever characters can use speak with dead to learn valuable information.

50) Dragon is a bit cowardly. Her minions carve murder holes in her lair so she can use her breath weapon and tail attacks without being exposed.

51) Dragon keeps captured philosophers and theologians dangling from the ceiling in cages. He enjoys moderating debates between his captives, and expects lively but civil discussions about various topics. Anyone who bores or offends him too often is eaten.

 

[Razjah]

52) The dragon is obsessed with history. It collects every historical text it can find. Should adventurer's find them in the hoard- there are corrections and annotations in draconic on the scrolls and books.

53) The dragon's lair is hidden and can only be found on a full moon. The lair is perfectly dark- the dragon and its minions have adapted to the extreme dark. The adventurers may have darkvision, but it only works for short distances. The dragon and minions use this to their advantage. There are also a couple spellcasters ready to dispel any light spells.

 

[darjr]

54. The lair has a receptionist in a waiting room. One wall is lined with uncomfortable chairs. There are several adventurers in various stages of 'waiting' from just arrived to undead, all of whom suddenly look up at the characters as they first enter, then settle down to waiting once again. The receptionist asks if they have an appointment and initiates a contest of wills. Every character that fails must wait. Every few days the characters can try to gain entrance to the lair again.

 

[Electric Wizard]

55) The walls, ceiling and floor of the corridor leading to the blue dragon's hoard are lined with a copper grid concealed by an illusion. The dragon electrifies it when he smells intruders and enjoys their screams as they are fried to death.

56) The dragon hides in a pit beneath a caldera filled with sand. The floor drops to a 45 degree angle and the dragon springs up in the middle like an ant lion. Anyone caught in the room slides helplessly towards her claws and teeth.

57) A stone giant minion shapes and polishes boulders until they are enormous bowling balls. The dragon rolls them at adventurers from the opposite side of a long, slippery-floored room. He taunts adventurers as they trip over each other trying to dodge them.

58) An enchanted mirror shows the PCs dead and eviscerated. Fortunately, the mirror does not predict the future.