Post by StoryTeller on Jan 22, 2006 7:03:27 GMT
The Rolling Hallway
From: Jason Seeley <jseeley@aros.net>
This trap is a long corridor trap. As the PCs are walking down the hall, some of
them may notice that there are grooves in the floor in the corridor in front of
them. The ground is also somewhat rounded (you'll see why.) Actually, the
grooves are fairly obvious to anyone paying attention, with about 1" of solid
stone, upraised slightly, between each groove. Each groove is about 1' long,
followed by another 1" of stone. The walls are smooth however, without any
apparent cracks (it helps if there this corridor was constructed by dwarfs.) The
first few grooves don't have any kind of pressure plate, but about 5' in, each
groove after that has a pressure plate, until the last 5' of the corridor (this
trap works best in a corridor at least 30' long, preferably longer, but that
might be WAY too obvious... but...)
When a character steps on a pressure plate, it causes every bit of that hallway,
even the 5' without pressure plates, to open a hole in one side of each part
(alternating each side -- one left, next right, etc.) Immediately upon opening
outward, a HUGE stone wheel will come out, roll in the groove, roll up the
inclined opposite wall, then roll back into the hole, shutting completely and
undetectably. This can, of course, be quite messy and unpleasant for anyone
caught BETWEEN the stone and the wall, or the floor, or halfway between stones
(yuck.)
The Greedy Party
From: Jason Seeley <jseeley@aros.net>
Now, what party is there out there that doesn't want to increase their ability
scores? Not very many, I'm sure. Well, here is a trap to make them all wary of
easy outs.
In a room, they will find various potions, scrolls, etc. (whatever, really) --
maybe even an electric chair (hehe.) The first character to quaff a potion, read
a scroll, sit in the chair, or whatever, has some kind of beneficial effect
(temporary or permanent, GM's decision.) Anyone else doing the exact same thing
will have a malignant effect happen (ie, eletrocuted in chair, poisoned badly,
blinded by scroll, etc.) Of course, most players will want to try it for
themselves to try to duplicate the effect on the first player. It is very fun to
help the first player understand that there was a beneficial effect, so that he
can brag about it so that the other players try it, too. Maybe even have a good
effect at random after the first (like a 5% chance or something.)
The Golden Chamber
From: Berg <berg@eskimo.com>
This trap is one I once used to take the collective egos of a group of players
down a few notches. The players had stopped thinking about scenarios, merely
using magic to batter their way through. Rather than pouring kobolds on the
problem until it went away, I decided to let the PLAYERS divest their characters
of magic items, more or less voluntarily. This trap only works properly with
groups that use magic to solve EVERYTHING, from locked doors and monsters, to
ordering food and paying for services (why pay when you can charm, for example).
The trap is a 40' long, 20' wide, and 20' tall chamber, at the end of a
side-passage. The walls, ceiling, and floor are all made of pure, solid gold.
This should certainly draw in most PCS, and for those who are less greedy than
normal, there is a shelf on the far wall, opposite the entrance, with a glowing
wand/sword/gem/statuette/whatever on it.
The trap functions fairly simply. When the object is lifted off of the shelf,
there is a loud *CLICK* noise, but nothing else happens, as far as the PCS can
see or hear. However, the floor is now a precisely balanced scale. ANY reduction
in weight will trigger the trap. Calculate how much each PC weighs, including
both body and equipment weight, and add 5 lbs. for the object removed from the
shelf. Removing 5 or more pounds from the floor sets off the trap. Yes,
replacing the object on the shelf WILL set off the trap. Adding more weight to
the floor won't do any harm, and can actually disarm the trap, with enough
weight. For example, putting 1000 lbs. of gold in the room after the trap was
armed, while the PCS collectively (including equipment) only weight 900 lbs.,
means that they can now leave the room safely.
When it goes off, a multi-ton slab seals the only entrance, and the chamber is
now airtight. At the same time, glowing runes appear on the walls, ceiling, and
floor. Finally, all non-permanent spells and spell-like magical abilities within
the room (and within 20' of the outside of the door) are permanently negated.
Permanent spells simply cease to function while in the room, as do charged magic
items. Permanent magic items function normally, but with a NASTY side effect,
explained below.
Attacking any surface of the trap with a non-magical item will easily cause a
hole. Attackers must strike ac 6 and do 10 points of damage to make a big enough
hole to get air through. As soon as any part of the trap is breached, all
magical effects of the trap (magic negation and that side effect listed below)
are permanently and irrevocably dispelled. A human-sized hole requires
inflicting 100 points of damage.
Now for the good part. Most magic-heavy PCS won't think of using a non-magical
object to force the walls, some groups don't HAVE non-magical objects. Any
person who strikes a surface of the trap with a magical object SUFFERS. The
object must make a save vs. crushing blow, with NO bonuses at all, or be totally
destroyed. Any object that is destroyed inflicts 1d4 damage on the wielder per
level enchanted into the object (enchanted weapon, used to add pluses to a
weapon is a 4th level spell, so a +2 dagger does 8d4 damage). The explosive
destruction of magic items does no damage to the wall, nor does the weapon
strike itself do any damage to the trap. The wielder gets a save for half damage
vs breath weapon. If the wielder is resistant to magical fire (innate resistance
only. Efreeti are protected, spell-protected PCS are NOT), the save is for no
damage, half if failed.
A special case occurs with items such as girdles of giant strength. Only magic
used to influence the wall is affected. So a warmth ring won't explode, but a
girdle of giant strength or a mattock of the titans will. Treat each point of
strength above the wearer's normal strength as a separate strength spell for
damage purposes. So a 16 strength fighter takes less damage from an exploding
girdle of hill giant strength than a 14 strength fighter would.
Each special power of the weapon is treated as a separate spell (FEAR striking
the wall with a sword that has 3 wish spells in it. *OUCH*).
Spiked Stair Trap
From: Paul Middleton <paul_middleton@il.us.swissbank.com>
on a set of stairs - somewhere near the middle is a false stair - when a
character of a minimum certain weight treads on the stair the stair cover breaks
- the characters foot falls into a group of angled spikes - the spikes are
angled 45% downwards - so no damage is taken when the character steps on the
trap the weight of the character and the force of the fall will force the foot
to the bottom of the trap - If the character does not try to remove his/her foot
very carefully and take their time doing so - they will impale there foot on the
spikes. (great on for catching thieves this one - they are unlikely to be
wearing metal footing!! :-)
Sand Filled Room
From: neil@clo.com (Neil Watson)
I like to use a variation of the water room. Once the door locks I begin to fill
the room with sand, not water. Sand makes is harder for the PC's to move, which
useful because there are usually creatures in the sand, scorpions, snakes, use
your imagination. One last bonus about sand, you don't have to worry about
inconveniences like water breathing magic!
Follow the Bouncing Boob
From: Berg <berg@eskimo.com>
This trap is one of my sure-fire killers. In grimtooth's scale, while the golden
room is 3 skulls, this one is 4 skulls, possibly 5 skulls.
Take a room, at least 100' long, 80' wide, and 80' tall. Use a variant reverse
gravity to make gravity highly relative. Now fill the room with pillars
stairways that don't go anywhere, archways, statues holding assorted sharp
objects, etc. Each stairway, statue, pillar, or 10'x10' section of floor,
ceiling, wall, or other large surface is considered to be a room 'feature',
explained below.
Every time a PC takes a step in this room, there is a chance that the direction
of gravity will shift (maybe just 1 degree, or maybe as much as 180). Roll two
grenade scatters for every 10'x10' section traversed, or whenever the PC steps
onto a new room feature (stepping from stairs to floor, pillar to statue, or
walking 11' in a straight line, etc). The first scatter is vertical, the second
is horizontal. The point halfway between the two results is the new direction of
down. Or, for simplicity, roll 1d6. 1 = gravity stays normal, 2 = down is now
straight ahead, 3 = down is behind you, 4 = down is to the left, 5 = down is to
the right, 6 = down is straight above you.
Whenever the down direction changes, unless a PC can grab something, they will
fall, taking normal damage. Check every 10' of fall to see if they hit
something. If they hit something, they stop falling, and take damage. To make
the check, roll under their dexterity, just like an ability check. Success means
they grabbed onto something before they fell, failure means they fall. Another
check is made, same way, for every 10' fallen, success means they grabbed
something, hit something, or otherwise stopped their fall.
Unfortunately, hitting something else is moving to a new feature, so roll
another d6 to see which direction is now down (with all associated dex checks to
avoid falling)...
All fall down. And down, and down, and down...
From: Berg <berg@eskimo.com>
This one is one of my more humorous traps, but still, it is almost 100%
guaranteed to kill one PC (but the others won't be harmed at all, except for
their pride).
This is another variant reverse gravity trap, only this one is actually fairly
pleasant. At first, anyway. The trap is a spherical room, polished to glassy
smoothness, with a pair of doors on the equator. The entrance door, and the exit
door opposite it. Both doors are made of solid oak, iron-banded, and cannot be
forced open in the normal ways (even knock or Bigby's clenched fist spells won't
touch it, it's too strong). The entrance door opens easily, but the exit door is
securely locked and barred, from the other side.
The trap has several fundamental laws of physics disabled. First, there is no
terminal velocity, or friction. Second, objects moving in a straight line do not
necessarily keep moving in a straight line. Finally, you don't lose any momentum
from hitting things, and gravity is towards the wall you fall towards.
Basically, you walk in, plummet, bounce off the floor, which is now the ceiling
as far as you are concerned, and fall towards the floor, which is a spot
opposite the one you just bounced off of. And with no terminal velocity, you
just keep accelerating. In all cases, down is the direction opposite the wall
you just hit (and bounced off of). When you hit, you can make a dex check to
change your angle, so you bounce off at a totally new (and random) angle. Make a
dex check, success means roll 1d4, 1 = right, 2 = left, 3 = back, 4 = ahead, and
that is the direction of down.
There is one exception here. The exit door. If someone hits that, they do not
bounce, and if they have more than 20d6 of falling damage accumulated, they
smash through it (destroying the door, and probably dying instantly in the
process). Anyone who lands in the exit doorway (after the door has been
smashed), or in the entrance doorway lands unharmed on the floor (painful, but
no damage). Anyone who hits the closed exit door and takes less than 20d6 damage
will weaken the door, and take full damage themselves (for example, hitting the
door and taking 15d6 damage means that the next impact only takes 5d6 to shatter
the door). Final note, anyone with the Spelljammer skills of Zero-G combat or
space fighting will be able to control their bounces, so as to bounce where they
want to go (on a successful dex check), eliminating the 1d4 roll for new
direction.
Special option: Eliminate the exit door, and make the entrance door a one-way
teleporter (or a one-way secret door). Then, wait for falling PCS to hit
lightspeed (remember, velocity will effectively double each time they fall
across the room), then teleport them somewhere else. Great way to get them to
another world, for some special adventuring (Athas, anybody?).
What Goes Up, Must Come Down
From: aspring@k12.oit.umass.edu (Andrew Spring (FCTS-97))
The PCs see a shaft, like those in mines, with no ladder. looking up it, they
see sharp spike sticking out of a dead end. looking down, they see a floor, with
the shaft ending into a room maybe 20 feet down.
vvvvv<--spikes
__________I | I_________<----ceiling
|
__________ | _________<---floor PCs are on
I | I
I | I <-----shaft
__________I | I_________<---roof of lower floor, end of shaft
Rope--->|
________________________
The shaft has a reverse gravity spell on it, and the rope also does, so it
appears that the rope falls down as it should. it is tied to the spikes. if a PC
attempts to climb down on the rope, or to jump, they land on the spikes, and
take damage depending on the DM. Another variant is that if the PCs try to climb
down the rope, there is no revers gravity, but the spikes fall on them instead.
they hate these!
From: Jason Seeley <jseeley@aros.net>
This trap is a long corridor trap. As the PCs are walking down the hall, some of
them may notice that there are grooves in the floor in the corridor in front of
them. The ground is also somewhat rounded (you'll see why.) Actually, the
grooves are fairly obvious to anyone paying attention, with about 1" of solid
stone, upraised slightly, between each groove. Each groove is about 1' long,
followed by another 1" of stone. The walls are smooth however, without any
apparent cracks (it helps if there this corridor was constructed by dwarfs.) The
first few grooves don't have any kind of pressure plate, but about 5' in, each
groove after that has a pressure plate, until the last 5' of the corridor (this
trap works best in a corridor at least 30' long, preferably longer, but that
might be WAY too obvious... but...)
When a character steps on a pressure plate, it causes every bit of that hallway,
even the 5' without pressure plates, to open a hole in one side of each part
(alternating each side -- one left, next right, etc.) Immediately upon opening
outward, a HUGE stone wheel will come out, roll in the groove, roll up the
inclined opposite wall, then roll back into the hole, shutting completely and
undetectably. This can, of course, be quite messy and unpleasant for anyone
caught BETWEEN the stone and the wall, or the floor, or halfway between stones
(yuck.)
The Greedy Party
From: Jason Seeley <jseeley@aros.net>
Now, what party is there out there that doesn't want to increase their ability
scores? Not very many, I'm sure. Well, here is a trap to make them all wary of
easy outs.
In a room, they will find various potions, scrolls, etc. (whatever, really) --
maybe even an electric chair (hehe.) The first character to quaff a potion, read
a scroll, sit in the chair, or whatever, has some kind of beneficial effect
(temporary or permanent, GM's decision.) Anyone else doing the exact same thing
will have a malignant effect happen (ie, eletrocuted in chair, poisoned badly,
blinded by scroll, etc.) Of course, most players will want to try it for
themselves to try to duplicate the effect on the first player. It is very fun to
help the first player understand that there was a beneficial effect, so that he
can brag about it so that the other players try it, too. Maybe even have a good
effect at random after the first (like a 5% chance or something.)
The Golden Chamber
From: Berg <berg@eskimo.com>
This trap is one I once used to take the collective egos of a group of players
down a few notches. The players had stopped thinking about scenarios, merely
using magic to batter their way through. Rather than pouring kobolds on the
problem until it went away, I decided to let the PLAYERS divest their characters
of magic items, more or less voluntarily. This trap only works properly with
groups that use magic to solve EVERYTHING, from locked doors and monsters, to
ordering food and paying for services (why pay when you can charm, for example).
The trap is a 40' long, 20' wide, and 20' tall chamber, at the end of a
side-passage. The walls, ceiling, and floor are all made of pure, solid gold.
This should certainly draw in most PCS, and for those who are less greedy than
normal, there is a shelf on the far wall, opposite the entrance, with a glowing
wand/sword/gem/statuette/whatever on it.
The trap functions fairly simply. When the object is lifted off of the shelf,
there is a loud *CLICK* noise, but nothing else happens, as far as the PCS can
see or hear. However, the floor is now a precisely balanced scale. ANY reduction
in weight will trigger the trap. Calculate how much each PC weighs, including
both body and equipment weight, and add 5 lbs. for the object removed from the
shelf. Removing 5 or more pounds from the floor sets off the trap. Yes,
replacing the object on the shelf WILL set off the trap. Adding more weight to
the floor won't do any harm, and can actually disarm the trap, with enough
weight. For example, putting 1000 lbs. of gold in the room after the trap was
armed, while the PCS collectively (including equipment) only weight 900 lbs.,
means that they can now leave the room safely.
When it goes off, a multi-ton slab seals the only entrance, and the chamber is
now airtight. At the same time, glowing runes appear on the walls, ceiling, and
floor. Finally, all non-permanent spells and spell-like magical abilities within
the room (and within 20' of the outside of the door) are permanently negated.
Permanent spells simply cease to function while in the room, as do charged magic
items. Permanent magic items function normally, but with a NASTY side effect,
explained below.
Attacking any surface of the trap with a non-magical item will easily cause a
hole. Attackers must strike ac 6 and do 10 points of damage to make a big enough
hole to get air through. As soon as any part of the trap is breached, all
magical effects of the trap (magic negation and that side effect listed below)
are permanently and irrevocably dispelled. A human-sized hole requires
inflicting 100 points of damage.
Now for the good part. Most magic-heavy PCS won't think of using a non-magical
object to force the walls, some groups don't HAVE non-magical objects. Any
person who strikes a surface of the trap with a magical object SUFFERS. The
object must make a save vs. crushing blow, with NO bonuses at all, or be totally
destroyed. Any object that is destroyed inflicts 1d4 damage on the wielder per
level enchanted into the object (enchanted weapon, used to add pluses to a
weapon is a 4th level spell, so a +2 dagger does 8d4 damage). The explosive
destruction of magic items does no damage to the wall, nor does the weapon
strike itself do any damage to the trap. The wielder gets a save for half damage
vs breath weapon. If the wielder is resistant to magical fire (innate resistance
only. Efreeti are protected, spell-protected PCS are NOT), the save is for no
damage, half if failed.
A special case occurs with items such as girdles of giant strength. Only magic
used to influence the wall is affected. So a warmth ring won't explode, but a
girdle of giant strength or a mattock of the titans will. Treat each point of
strength above the wearer's normal strength as a separate strength spell for
damage purposes. So a 16 strength fighter takes less damage from an exploding
girdle of hill giant strength than a 14 strength fighter would.
Each special power of the weapon is treated as a separate spell (FEAR striking
the wall with a sword that has 3 wish spells in it. *OUCH*).
Spiked Stair Trap
From: Paul Middleton <paul_middleton@il.us.swissbank.com>
on a set of stairs - somewhere near the middle is a false stair - when a
character of a minimum certain weight treads on the stair the stair cover breaks
- the characters foot falls into a group of angled spikes - the spikes are
angled 45% downwards - so no damage is taken when the character steps on the
trap the weight of the character and the force of the fall will force the foot
to the bottom of the trap - If the character does not try to remove his/her foot
very carefully and take their time doing so - they will impale there foot on the
spikes. (great on for catching thieves this one - they are unlikely to be
wearing metal footing!! :-)
Sand Filled Room
From: neil@clo.com (Neil Watson)
I like to use a variation of the water room. Once the door locks I begin to fill
the room with sand, not water. Sand makes is harder for the PC's to move, which
useful because there are usually creatures in the sand, scorpions, snakes, use
your imagination. One last bonus about sand, you don't have to worry about
inconveniences like water breathing magic!
Follow the Bouncing Boob
From: Berg <berg@eskimo.com>
This trap is one of my sure-fire killers. In grimtooth's scale, while the golden
room is 3 skulls, this one is 4 skulls, possibly 5 skulls.
Take a room, at least 100' long, 80' wide, and 80' tall. Use a variant reverse
gravity to make gravity highly relative. Now fill the room with pillars
stairways that don't go anywhere, archways, statues holding assorted sharp
objects, etc. Each stairway, statue, pillar, or 10'x10' section of floor,
ceiling, wall, or other large surface is considered to be a room 'feature',
explained below.
Every time a PC takes a step in this room, there is a chance that the direction
of gravity will shift (maybe just 1 degree, or maybe as much as 180). Roll two
grenade scatters for every 10'x10' section traversed, or whenever the PC steps
onto a new room feature (stepping from stairs to floor, pillar to statue, or
walking 11' in a straight line, etc). The first scatter is vertical, the second
is horizontal. The point halfway between the two results is the new direction of
down. Or, for simplicity, roll 1d6. 1 = gravity stays normal, 2 = down is now
straight ahead, 3 = down is behind you, 4 = down is to the left, 5 = down is to
the right, 6 = down is straight above you.
Whenever the down direction changes, unless a PC can grab something, they will
fall, taking normal damage. Check every 10' of fall to see if they hit
something. If they hit something, they stop falling, and take damage. To make
the check, roll under their dexterity, just like an ability check. Success means
they grabbed onto something before they fell, failure means they fall. Another
check is made, same way, for every 10' fallen, success means they grabbed
something, hit something, or otherwise stopped their fall.
Unfortunately, hitting something else is moving to a new feature, so roll
another d6 to see which direction is now down (with all associated dex checks to
avoid falling)...
All fall down. And down, and down, and down...
From: Berg <berg@eskimo.com>
This one is one of my more humorous traps, but still, it is almost 100%
guaranteed to kill one PC (but the others won't be harmed at all, except for
their pride).
This is another variant reverse gravity trap, only this one is actually fairly
pleasant. At first, anyway. The trap is a spherical room, polished to glassy
smoothness, with a pair of doors on the equator. The entrance door, and the exit
door opposite it. Both doors are made of solid oak, iron-banded, and cannot be
forced open in the normal ways (even knock or Bigby's clenched fist spells won't
touch it, it's too strong). The entrance door opens easily, but the exit door is
securely locked and barred, from the other side.
The trap has several fundamental laws of physics disabled. First, there is no
terminal velocity, or friction. Second, objects moving in a straight line do not
necessarily keep moving in a straight line. Finally, you don't lose any momentum
from hitting things, and gravity is towards the wall you fall towards.
Basically, you walk in, plummet, bounce off the floor, which is now the ceiling
as far as you are concerned, and fall towards the floor, which is a spot
opposite the one you just bounced off of. And with no terminal velocity, you
just keep accelerating. In all cases, down is the direction opposite the wall
you just hit (and bounced off of). When you hit, you can make a dex check to
change your angle, so you bounce off at a totally new (and random) angle. Make a
dex check, success means roll 1d4, 1 = right, 2 = left, 3 = back, 4 = ahead, and
that is the direction of down.
There is one exception here. The exit door. If someone hits that, they do not
bounce, and if they have more than 20d6 of falling damage accumulated, they
smash through it (destroying the door, and probably dying instantly in the
process). Anyone who lands in the exit doorway (after the door has been
smashed), or in the entrance doorway lands unharmed on the floor (painful, but
no damage). Anyone who hits the closed exit door and takes less than 20d6 damage
will weaken the door, and take full damage themselves (for example, hitting the
door and taking 15d6 damage means that the next impact only takes 5d6 to shatter
the door). Final note, anyone with the Spelljammer skills of Zero-G combat or
space fighting will be able to control their bounces, so as to bounce where they
want to go (on a successful dex check), eliminating the 1d4 roll for new
direction.
Special option: Eliminate the exit door, and make the entrance door a one-way
teleporter (or a one-way secret door). Then, wait for falling PCS to hit
lightspeed (remember, velocity will effectively double each time they fall
across the room), then teleport them somewhere else. Great way to get them to
another world, for some special adventuring (Athas, anybody?).
What Goes Up, Must Come Down
From: aspring@k12.oit.umass.edu (Andrew Spring (FCTS-97))
The PCs see a shaft, like those in mines, with no ladder. looking up it, they
see sharp spike sticking out of a dead end. looking down, they see a floor, with
the shaft ending into a room maybe 20 feet down.
vvvvv<--spikes
__________I | I_________<----ceiling
|
__________ | _________<---floor PCs are on
I | I
I | I <-----shaft
__________I | I_________<---roof of lower floor, end of shaft
Rope--->|
________________________
The shaft has a reverse gravity spell on it, and the rope also does, so it
appears that the rope falls down as it should. it is tied to the spikes. if a PC
attempts to climb down on the rope, or to jump, they land on the spikes, and
take damage depending on the DM. Another variant is that if the PCs try to climb
down the rope, there is no revers gravity, but the spikes fall on them instead.
they hate these!