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Message: <blockquote data-quote="delericho" data-source="post: 3260494" data-attributes="member: 22424">Water-logged Doom (EL 9)All around the edges of this room at floor and ceiling, iron grilles can be seen. About an inch into these decorations, thick metal plates are in place. The door at the far side of the room sits closed, with no sign either of keyhole or handle. A gargoyle-like visage is embossed on the door, contorted in some manner of leering grimace. A strangely familiar regular wheezing can be heard in this room.Characters entering this room may well suspect a trap, and they would be right to do so. However, the nature of the trap is difficult to discern, and the trap is almost impossible to disable.Creature: the face on the door is, in fact, the animated door Bolt. Once an enemy of the Wizard who built this place, he now is forced to serve as a guardian for the rooms beyond. Bolt currently sleeps - if a Rogue or other character Searches the door for a trap or secret mechanism he wakens with a loud sneeze and a panicked cry. Waking Bolt triggers the Trap and releases the elementals.Bolt: Medium Animated Object, hp 40, MM p. 13, except Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 12, Hardness 20, No moves or attacks.Medium Water Elementals (4): hp 30 each, MM p.100Tactics: The elementals immediately spring to the attack. They have no fear of death, and so fight without asking for or giving quarter. Bolt takes no part in the combat; his role is to guard the rooms beyond, and administer the test. He is quite happy to converse with PCs, being a lonely if somewhat curmudgeonly sort.Trap: When Bolt is wakened, the other door to the room slams shut (Str DC 25 to prevent; characters within 5 feet of the door may make a Reflex save DC 20 to escape the room), and the metal plates above the room retract. Water starts pouring into the room, rapidly filling it. If either door to the room is opened, the plates below the floor retract to drain the water again.Water-Filled Room Trap: CR 7; mechanical; NPC trigger; automatic reset; multiple targets (all within room); never miss; onset delay (10 rounds); water; Search DC 20 (on ceiling, not doors); Disable Device 40Development: As combat breaks out, Bolt speaks again, as though remembering."Oh, I'm supposed to ask you the riddle. If you get it right, I'll open the door! Ahem...My foe bears witness that there is aught I won't do;it remains to be seen if my truth befits you.To open the door that you might pass throughLay low mine enemy with the bolt that flies true."It amused the wizard to constantly torment his captured enemy whenever he sought access to the rooms beyond. As such, the answer to the riddle is to target Bolt with a Magic Missile.There are several means by which the trap can be escaped:1) Characters who are immune to drowning can simply wait. The room fills after 10 rounds. 10 rounds later, the lower plates retract and the room drains. After that, the door into the room (but not the one guarded by Bolt) opens again.2) Character can hack down the doors. Each door has hardness 20 and 40 hit points. Note that hacking down the door Bolt guards slays the guardian, and constitutes an Evil action - Bolt is neither wicked nor an enemy of the PCs.3) The locking mechanism on either door may be accessed by removing the front plate of the door (taking one character three rounds, or two characters one round) and the front pieces of the mechanism with a DC 32 Disable Device roll. Once that is done the lock can be opened with a DC 30 Open Locks roll. Each roll takes one round, so a skilled character can open either door with five rounds of undisturbed work. (As the mechanisms are removed, Bolt complains that "it tickles.")4) The puzzle may be solved, and the door opened by targetting Bolt with a Magic Missile. As above, this is considered an Evil act.5) Bolt may be persuaded to help. Although an enemy of the wizard, he is reluctant to simply release the PCs for fear of punishment. However, if his initial Indifferent attitude can be shifted to Friendly (Diplomacy DC 15, but note the -10 penalty to do so as a full-round action), he will dolorously advise the Wizard to "do what must be done" (mitigating the Evilness of solution 4). If he can be made Helpful (DC 30) he will simply unlock the door.Bolt is also willing to assist the PCs in other ways, as he hates the wizard who built this place. The information he can provide should be tailored by the DM for the specifics of the dungeon the PCs have invaded.</blockquote>

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