How would you design traps for backstabbers?

[Micah]

I'm creating a pirate lair where the captian has a distrust for those minions under him who would mutiny. What types of traps would you place to give a good idea of this?

My initial thoughts were along the lines of the room filled with poison and one bottle of antidote on the table, with the idea that the antidote would cause quite a few deaths before someone managed to quaff it. However that's already been done in our game. Any other ideas?

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Most (or all) of the weapons within are coated with a contact poison. Captain has an antidote that is mixed into a potion which he gives out to each of his people when they are going into a fight. He claims the potion is to bolster their strength.

 

[VirgilCaine]

A curse on his men that is activated if they harm him or goad someone else into harming him.

 

[gizmo33]

A wooden cut-out that looks like the pirate captains back. When you stab it, it pitches forward and brings up a metal spike behind you that stabs you in the back.

Another, more serious idea would be illusions and shape-changers that test the loyalty of underlings.

 

[Kragar00]

There is always the contact poison coated gold pieces....
Traps designed specifically for muntaneers is tough... I would expect him to have many escape routes, concealed weapons, and probably a heavily trapped quarters where people couldn't get to him if he was sleeping...
His desk may have a crossbow or pistol mounted underneith it....
Escape routes may have traps which spring when the route is taken... like a secret door that when opened releases gas into the room but leaves the secret passage safe....
Escapte routes may also have traps to deter people from following... like boulders rigged to cave-in or doors which can be opened to release protective mosters and in opening the door, you seal off the escape route from pursuers...