The Trap Thread
- Thread starter dungeon blaster
- Start date
werk
First Post
Vraille Darkfang said:
This isn't the board game mousetrap...how intricate and silly can we make a trap that harmlessly 'catches' the prey.
I'm anti Rube Goldberg when it comes to traps.
Traps are designed to protect the trapper or their vaulables. It is meant to kill people flat with little chance for error. I think that traps should be a serious hazard if the party wants to try to break into BBEG controlled dungeons. BBEG don't want to 'rough up' or decrease the power of adventurers, he wants to be done with them all together with as little effort as possible. My BBEG are more like Scott and less like Dr Evil.
Slab of stone cruches the party or party falls into a trap filled with poisoned spikes are ideal IMO.
dungeon blaster
First Post
I prefer memorable traps that severaly incapitate the party but leave some chance for survival. Of all the traps I mentioned, only the black pudding trap is insta-death. Well, I suppose a really high level fighter might survive.
I think my favorite trap of all time has gotta be the head of Vecna trap.
I think my favorite trap of all time has gotta be the head of Vecna trap.
MarauderX
Explorer
Corkscrew Ramp:
Recently IMC there was a waterfall that was frozen and next to it was a ramp that wound its way to the top like a corkscrew. The ramp looks to be constructed in a fashion to allow horse-drawn carts to ascend to the top but hasn't seen use for a long, long time. The waterfall was a hundred feet high meaning that the ramp would be quite long... and dark... and enclosed with no immediate way out. So the PCs decide to take their chances and head up the ramp instead of trying to climb the trecherous falls.
About halfway up, the PCs hear a faint rumbling. It gets louder and louder as they listen, sounding like heavy rock scraping together. There is time for the party to take a few actions as they think whatever is coming down the ramp will be their soon - but what will they do?
A spherical boulder has come cascading down the ramp and will crush anyone in its way. What the PCs have done to avoid the boulder will dictate how much damage they take. They get a Reflex save, and for every point they are below 20 (or other DC depending on the party level) they take a d12 (or whatever) of damage. Also add bonuses to their roll depending on what they did to avoid it. Did the PC flatten himself to the inside wall? +4. Did he drop prone along the outside wall in the corner? +3. Did she climb up the inside wall to the corner or onto the ceiling? +6. Did she flatten herself to the outside wall? oooh... bad... +0.
Have some more fun with it by making them race up the ramp as more boulders come. Don't forget this is a good time for endurance running checks as they run that long distance up the slope.
Recently IMC there was a waterfall that was frozen and next to it was a ramp that wound its way to the top like a corkscrew. The ramp looks to be constructed in a fashion to allow horse-drawn carts to ascend to the top but hasn't seen use for a long, long time. The waterfall was a hundred feet high meaning that the ramp would be quite long... and dark... and enclosed with no immediate way out. So the PCs decide to take their chances and head up the ramp instead of trying to climb the trecherous falls.
About halfway up, the PCs hear a faint rumbling. It gets louder and louder as they listen, sounding like heavy rock scraping together. There is time for the party to take a few actions as they think whatever is coming down the ramp will be their soon - but what will they do?
A spherical boulder has come cascading down the ramp and will crush anyone in its way. What the PCs have done to avoid the boulder will dictate how much damage they take. They get a Reflex save, and for every point they are below 20 (or other DC depending on the party level) they take a d12 (or whatever) of damage. Also add bonuses to their roll depending on what they did to avoid it. Did the PC flatten himself to the inside wall? +4. Did he drop prone along the outside wall in the corner? +3. Did she climb up the inside wall to the corner or onto the ceiling? +6. Did she flatten herself to the outside wall? oooh... bad... +0.
Have some more fun with it by making them race up the ramp as more boulders come. Don't forget this is a good time for endurance running checks as they run that long distance up the slope.
Gunton The Terrible
First Post
One of my favorites is the "Ambush Room." Where the trap just signals the beginning of combat.
My PCs were heading into a hobgoblin liar. The main entrance was more like a fortress entrance then a cave. Iron doors. Murder holes. So the party would have no chance to sneak up or surprise the hobgoblins. Their other choice was to check out a long hallway.
Now, I am not known to place very many traps in any dungeon so the party happily went down the long hallway to see if there were any other options.
At the beginning of the corridor was an alarm spell, the mental signal type. This alerted the hobgoblins to rush to the ambush room at the end of the hallway. The hallway did wind a bit to allow the hobgoblins to reach there first.
The room was 40 x 40 with a 20ft ceiling. The hallway entered in the NW corner and a door was located at the SE corner. If the PCs had searched there was a chance they would have noticed a groove around the ceiling of the last square in the hallway and shallow grooves on the north and south walls 15ft from the floor.
The fun began when one PC tries the door in the SE corner. It’s a false door of course and it triggers three mechanisms simultaneously.
In the last square of the hallway was a large stone block that fell from the ceiling. One PC was in that square and rolled a reflex save. I can’t remember if he made it or not, but I don’t do auto kills. So if he missed he would have to take some damage and I rolled randomly to see if he rolled in or out of the room. Wait. He did make it because I did let him choose the direction he rolled. He chose “In” so the party would not be separated. Silly boy.
The second bit of the trap was a simple 30ft spiked pit in the square in front of the door. The guy opening the door fell in. He was the lucky one.
The third part slid open arrow slits (grooves in the walls 15ft up) from the weight of the stone block crashing down and sealing the exit. 5 each side with archers (fighters w/ missile feats) and rangers (human and elf favorite enemies) one floor above the PCs. I made the center arrow slits manned by a cleric and a sorcerer. So on the surprise round all the baddies shoot and then we rolled initiative.
The first couple rounds were hilarious (for the DM)
. Every PC scrambling around, while arrows and spells fly, trying to figure out how to escape or survive.
The party did prove resourceful enough to avoid the untimely death of any PC (although all were beat up).
My PCs were heading into a hobgoblin liar. The main entrance was more like a fortress entrance then a cave. Iron doors. Murder holes. So the party would have no chance to sneak up or surprise the hobgoblins. Their other choice was to check out a long hallway.
Now, I am not known to place very many traps in any dungeon so the party happily went down the long hallway to see if there were any other options.
At the beginning of the corridor was an alarm spell, the mental signal type. This alerted the hobgoblins to rush to the ambush room at the end of the hallway. The hallway did wind a bit to allow the hobgoblins to reach there first.
The room was 40 x 40 with a 20ft ceiling. The hallway entered in the NW corner and a door was located at the SE corner. If the PCs had searched there was a chance they would have noticed a groove around the ceiling of the last square in the hallway and shallow grooves on the north and south walls 15ft from the floor.
The fun began when one PC tries the door in the SE corner. It’s a false door of course and it triggers three mechanisms simultaneously.
In the last square of the hallway was a large stone block that fell from the ceiling. One PC was in that square and rolled a reflex save. I can’t remember if he made it or not, but I don’t do auto kills. So if he missed he would have to take some damage and I rolled randomly to see if he rolled in or out of the room. Wait. He did make it because I did let him choose the direction he rolled. He chose “In” so the party would not be separated. Silly boy.
The second bit of the trap was a simple 30ft spiked pit in the square in front of the door. The guy opening the door fell in. He was the lucky one.
The third part slid open arrow slits (grooves in the walls 15ft up) from the weight of the stone block crashing down and sealing the exit. 5 each side with archers (fighters w/ missile feats) and rangers (human and elf favorite enemies) one floor above the PCs. I made the center arrow slits manned by a cleric and a sorcerer. So on the surprise round all the baddies shoot and then we rolled initiative.
The first couple rounds were hilarious (for the DM)
. Every PC scrambling around, while arrows and spells fly, trying to figure out how to escape or survive.The party did prove resourceful enough to avoid the untimely death of any PC (although all were beat up).
PapersAndPaychecks
First Post
Lowbie trap: A covered pit that the characters have a good chance to spot, but if they don't, inflicts a bit of falling damage.
Lowbie serious trap: A spike comes out and impales you, inflicting more serious damage. There are bloodstains on the floor near the trap where it's caught previous victims, so there's a chance to avoid it.
Assumption with all lowbie traps: The players are inexperienced and do not have easy access to ressurection; if they search for a tap, it's not guaranteed that they'll find it. The DM uses traps to add spice but makes sure they can't wipe out PCs who've done everything right.
High-level trap: Something ingeniously unpleasant (like the 50d6 trap above, but any variant will do). Typically either big fat amounts of damage, or else a save-or-die situation.
High-level serious trap: Death no save, with optional disintegration of corpse.
Assumption with all high level traps: The players are experienced and have easy access to ressurection. If they search for a trap, it's pretty much guaranteed that they'll find it. Therefore failure to locate the trap is indicative of PCs being incautious, and incaution = death.
Lowbie serious trap: A spike comes out and impales you, inflicting more serious damage. There are bloodstains on the floor near the trap where it's caught previous victims, so there's a chance to avoid it.
Assumption with all lowbie traps: The players are inexperienced and do not have easy access to ressurection; if they search for a tap, it's not guaranteed that they'll find it. The DM uses traps to add spice but makes sure they can't wipe out PCs who've done everything right.
High-level trap: Something ingeniously unpleasant (like the 50d6 trap above, but any variant will do). Typically either big fat amounts of damage, or else a save-or-die situation.
High-level serious trap: Death no save, with optional disintegration of corpse.
Assumption with all high level traps: The players are experienced and have easy access to ressurection. If they search for a trap, it's pretty much guaranteed that they'll find it. Therefore failure to locate the trap is indicative of PCs being incautious, and incaution = death.
dungeon blaster
First Post
Portable Hole Trap
Area: Any
Description: 10x10 ft. pit, 20 ft. deep. At the bottom is a portable hole resting on top of a thin wood "spatula" (think of the paddles used to put pizzas in ovens). The unfortunate PC falls into the portable hole. A small slit at the base of one of the pit walls allows a creature in a secret room on the other side of the wall to pull the spatula out of the pit trap. When the other PCs look into the pit, their friend will have mysteriously disappeared. If they climb into the pit they may find the thin slit in the wall, but will still be quite confused.
Area: Any
Description: 10x10 ft. pit, 20 ft. deep. At the bottom is a portable hole resting on top of a thin wood "spatula" (think of the paddles used to put pizzas in ovens). The unfortunate PC falls into the portable hole. A small slit at the base of one of the pit walls allows a creature in a secret room on the other side of the wall to pull the spatula out of the pit trap. When the other PCs look into the pit, their friend will have mysteriously disappeared. If they climb into the pit they may find the thin slit in the wall, but will still be quite confused.
Similar Threads
