What's your favorite trap?
It was around 3 decades ago, so the details are a bit fuzzy. I had a character who picked up a copy of a book with a title he didn't recognize and started reading. I don't recall the details, but I'm guessing the rest of the party left the room when the name of the book was repeated as being the "Necronomicon" and my cleric couldn't stop reading it. I actually made my save the first round and it took the great tentacled outer horror I had summoned two rounds to eat my soul.
(It's amazing how what you'll take in a game changes over time....)
(It's amazing how what you'll take in a game changes over time....)
Crothian
First Post
The insidiously intelligent pit trap. It was about 10 years ago and we are playing 3e D&D. There is a pit trap that has to be navigated before we get to the Tower we need to investigate. There was nothing special about the pit trap, but half of this first level party could not get by it. They failed climb checks, they failed reflex saves to not fall into it. The half of the party that was able to get by it fully explored the Tower and came back out with what we needed. Then we spent most of our healing resources healing the others. It was comically bad.
ThirdWizard
First Post
All the best traps and puzzles from my games have been the incredibly simple ones that, despite all odds, became cornerstones of the session.
One of the best examples of this was a D&D 3e death trap put in a doorway in a deep underground complex. The party was more than able to bypass it. However, there was some inter-party conflict about a previous encounter that didn't go the way that the fighter wanted it to go. At one point, the fighter was so upset with the gnomish rogue/mage that he picked him up, declared "Just look for traps and try to be useful!" and threw him through the doorway that happened to contain the death trap. The gnome failed his save and died before he even landed on the ground on the other side.
This only made the fighter even more angry with the gnome. He berated the dead gnome for dying to such a simple trap, and confident in his massive Fortitude saving throw, walked through the doorway to berate the gnome some more. He promptly died as he crossed the threshold. The rest of the party looked agape as he fell to the floor dead.
The party cleric cast death ward on himself, sighing, and walked through to resurrect the two of them.
One of the best examples of this was a D&D 3e death trap put in a doorway in a deep underground complex. The party was more than able to bypass it. However, there was some inter-party conflict about a previous encounter that didn't go the way that the fighter wanted it to go. At one point, the fighter was so upset with the gnomish rogue/mage that he picked him up, declared "Just look for traps and try to be useful!" and threw him through the doorway that happened to contain the death trap. The gnome failed his save and died before he even landed on the ground on the other side.
This only made the fighter even more angry with the gnome. He berated the dead gnome for dying to such a simple trap, and confident in his massive Fortitude saving throw, walked through the doorway to berate the gnome some more. He promptly died as he crossed the threshold. The rest of the party looked agape as he fell to the floor dead.
The party cleric cast death ward on himself, sighing, and walked through to resurrect the two of them.
A trap I stole from somewhere....
Underground hallway starts to incline. It peaks and then goes back down. However, there is a build up of natural gas as the peak. So either:
1. The party is using torches & the gas ignites into a concussive blast, or
2. The party gets most of the way up before they start to feel dizzy and pass out
(of course they all get the usual saving throws
)
Simple, different, deadly.
Underground hallway starts to incline. It peaks and then goes back down. However, there is a build up of natural gas as the peak. So either:
1. The party is using torches & the gas ignites into a concussive blast, or
2. The party gets most of the way up before they start to feel dizzy and pass out
(of course they all get the usual saving throws
)Simple, different, deadly.
howandwhy99
Adventurer
An ambuscade is always fun.
A spy hireling or even more commonly, the rescued prisoner who is actually working for the enemy.
Pit trap with sheer walls turning into a slide to a lower, more dangerous dungeon level.
I think Gygax had a great one in The Hall of Many Panes where the PCs were polymorphed into orcs and teleported into a dwarf hold.
A spy hireling or even more commonly, the rescued prisoner who is actually working for the enemy.
Pit trap with sheer walls turning into a slide to a lower, more dangerous dungeon level.
I think Gygax had a great one in The Hall of Many Panes where the PCs were polymorphed into orcs and teleported into a dwarf hold.
Celebrim
Legend
I don't know why you would be.
Exactly why would anyone put sovereign glue on a doorknob? What was the creature that put it there thinking? How long had the sovereign glue been there that it hadn't dried up or been coated in dust and otherwise collected all sorts of adornments (small insects, etc.)? Normally, it appears to set or dry up when left exposed to the air for 1 round, and moreover if the character removes his hand from the glue within one round of touching it - the glue is made worthless. It doesn't bond instantly (otherwise, how could you brush it on?). Who wouldn't pull away upon touching an unexpected sticky substance? That's natural instinct. Why wasn't the presence of a the sovereign glue on the door knob completely obvious, as it would seem ordinary powers of observation would detect a shiny thick viscous fluid on a door knob (DC of search check < 20), particularly after it was touched?
It would probably 'fluster' me too: "What? That seems really random.", combined with silently thinking to myself, "I'm not sure this DM knows the rules."
I'd meet that sort of Tom Foolery by a DM, with some antagonism of my own. Every single door I opened from then on out would be met with the time wasting ritual of me informing the DM I was visually inspecting the door knob, then tapping the door knob with a twig to test for stickiness, then putting on calf skin gloves before touching the door knob before opening the door. I'd try to see if I could extend the act of opening doors out to 10-15 minutes of real time, to see maybe if the DM got the hint.
If became stuck to sovereign glue, I'd either: a) if I was a high level character, cut my own hand off, and have the cleric cast regenerate, or b) if I was a low level character, I'd break the door off, return to town and tell the DM I was going to wait a few weeks for my skin to flake off and take the doorknob with it. I can't see how either outcome is particularly interesting.
Celebrim
Legend
My most notorious trap in the campaign thus far was the harpoon trap in the Temple of Karophat, the God of Misuses of Technology (including building Traps).
The trap was pretty simple in concept, but quickly became complex in its actual effects.
There was an array of pressure plates in the temple's inner sanctum, which anyone crossing had a chance to trigger. The Champion (think Paladin) went in first, and luckily managed not to step on a pressure plate. So the Explorer walked into the room next, and immediately stepped on two in the space of a stride. This caused the Explorer to be almost simultaneously struck by two harpoons fired from recesses hidden in the ceiling. Both hit and embedded themselves in his flesh. The harpoon's lines were attached to reels that then pulled the victim up to the ceiling 20 feet above. The two harpoon's engaged in a tug of war, one lost and was ripped from the flesh of the Explorer doing rending damage. The remainder hurled the Explorer against the spike covered ceiling with great force - essentially the Explorer fell upwards into a spiked pit trap - pinning the Explorer to the ceiling and impaled on a number of metal spikes. Amazingly, the Explorer managed to live through this, but was not in that good of shape.
At about this time, a thick vapor begin to appear in the room, blocking vision. It was in fact only an Obscuring Mist cast by the invisible low level priestess who was in the room, but the party assumed the room was filling up with a poisonous gas.
The rest of the party panicked. Nobody wanted to risk moving about the room after the above description, and no one was sure how to get the Explorer down. However, the Explorer was a bit of a skill monkey and managed to extricate himself from the Harpoon with a lucky Heal Check, grab onto a chain that was suspended from the room, and leap down without too much harm. He then bolted for the door...
And promptly triggered a third harpoon, which also hit, and also hurled him back into the spiked ceiling.
By this point, the Explorer was now in negative hit point territory, but the rogue recovered his courage climbed up to the ceiling, made his away across the network of chains, helped the cleric get up by attaching a rope, and between the two of them, a large number of skill checks and some judicious spell use and healing, managed with the Champion's help to get the Explorer to the ground alive.
The trap was pretty simple in concept, but quickly became complex in its actual effects.
There was an array of pressure plates in the temple's inner sanctum, which anyone crossing had a chance to trigger. The Champion (think Paladin) went in first, and luckily managed not to step on a pressure plate. So the Explorer walked into the room next, and immediately stepped on two in the space of a stride. This caused the Explorer to be almost simultaneously struck by two harpoons fired from recesses hidden in the ceiling. Both hit and embedded themselves in his flesh. The harpoon's lines were attached to reels that then pulled the victim up to the ceiling 20 feet above. The two harpoon's engaged in a tug of war, one lost and was ripped from the flesh of the Explorer doing rending damage. The remainder hurled the Explorer against the spike covered ceiling with great force - essentially the Explorer fell upwards into a spiked pit trap - pinning the Explorer to the ceiling and impaled on a number of metal spikes. Amazingly, the Explorer managed to live through this, but was not in that good of shape.
At about this time, a thick vapor begin to appear in the room, blocking vision. It was in fact only an Obscuring Mist cast by the invisible low level priestess who was in the room, but the party assumed the room was filling up with a poisonous gas.
The rest of the party panicked. Nobody wanted to risk moving about the room after the above description, and no one was sure how to get the Explorer down. However, the Explorer was a bit of a skill monkey and managed to extricate himself from the Harpoon with a lucky Heal Check, grab onto a chain that was suspended from the room, and leap down without too much harm. He then bolted for the door...
And promptly triggered a third harpoon, which also hit, and also hurled him back into the spiked ceiling.
By this point, the Explorer was now in negative hit point territory, but the rogue recovered his courage climbed up to the ceiling, made his away across the network of chains, helped the cleric get up by attaching a rope, and between the two of them, a large number of skill checks and some judicious spell use and healing, managed with the Champion's help to get the Explorer to the ground alive.
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Celebrim
Legend
Other notorious traps so far:
Party is investigating the tomb of a Wind Knight of Aaqa. The can see that the only exit from the room is across a narrow balance beam over a spiked pit. As the rogue approaches to investigate, he fails to detect a magical trap, which he activates.
The trap consists of the illusion of a beautiful butterfly, which fascinates everyone that views it. Saving versus the effect grants only temporary relief - the urge to stare at the butterfly continues, forcing repeated saves at intervals. Those fascinated are held in place, unable to do anything but persist in staring at the butterfly for a period of time that increases by an order of magnitude for each failed save.
The basic pattern of escaping the trap is avoid everyone getting fascinated to drag the fascinated individuals across the narrow bridge to the safety of the other side. Generally, this involves blinding the low will save types with improvised blindfolds of whatever type and crawling across the beam - potentially with humorous blind leading the blind skill checks. Failure to deal with this soon enough eventually would result in everyone fascinated which is potentially a TPK (with a few failed saves, you are held in place long enough to die of thirst). Despite one player realizing the first round that he could cover the heads of the party with sacks and spare cloaks to keep them from seeing the butterfly, we still nearly managed a TPK on this trap because of party confusion. The only reason they survived is the one guy whose head they covered, when he finally recovered from the effect, pulled the cloak off his head and said, "Why is there a cloak on my head? *fails save* "Butterfly..... beautiful... butter...fly."
Party is investigating the tomb of a Wind Knight of Aaqa. The can see that the only exit from the room is across a narrow balance beam over a spiked pit. As the rogue approaches to investigate, he fails to detect a magical trap, which he activates.
The trap consists of the illusion of a beautiful butterfly, which fascinates everyone that views it. Saving versus the effect grants only temporary relief - the urge to stare at the butterfly continues, forcing repeated saves at intervals. Those fascinated are held in place, unable to do anything but persist in staring at the butterfly for a period of time that increases by an order of magnitude for each failed save.
The basic pattern of escaping the trap is avoid everyone getting fascinated to drag the fascinated individuals across the narrow bridge to the safety of the other side. Generally, this involves blinding the low will save types with improvised blindfolds of whatever type and crawling across the beam - potentially with humorous blind leading the blind skill checks. Failure to deal with this soon enough eventually would result in everyone fascinated which is potentially a TPK (with a few failed saves, you are held in place long enough to die of thirst). Despite one player realizing the first round that he could cover the heads of the party with sacks and spare cloaks to keep them from seeing the butterfly, we still nearly managed a TPK on this trap because of party confusion. The only reason they survived is the one guy whose head they covered, when he finally recovered from the effect, pulled the cloak off his head and said, "Why is there a cloak on my head? *fails save* "Butterfly..... beautiful... butter...fly."
was
Adventurer
First of all, I do not appreciate sarcastic and inflammatory posts designed to bait me into an argument.
..The number of times that I have used that particular trap runs about 5 in my 20+ years of gaming. It usually comes up with folks who never check for traps. It also usually ends up with them carrying around a doorknob for a little bit and it usually gets a lot laughs.
...It's called fantasy, so I can bypass the ordinary rules for the speed of glue drying. I am well aware of the rules and know when I can push them and how far without breaking the sense of reality.
...My current group, is a little older than the average (30-40ish). We have little patience for the 'tomfoolery' of rules lawyers and tantrums of any sort.
