Armoire of Horrors

 

A dusty oak armoire is in the corner. One door is slightly ajar.

Magical Trap

The armoire is the stuff of nightmares. It is full of the things that frighten you the most. If the armoire is opened, it is seen to be full of clothing. The clothing immediately begins to writhe and it shapes itself the stuff of nightmares. All creatures in a 30 foot cone in front of the armoire must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or drop whatever they are holding and become frightened. Frightened creatures must take the Dash action and move away from the armoire on each of their turns by the safest route available. Once line of sight ends, the creature may make a second Wisdom saving throw to end the effect. Otherwise, the effect lasts for one minute. A spell such as Detect Magic detects an aura of illusion on the armoire. A spell such as Dispel Magic permanently disables the illusion effect. Spells that suppress magic suppress the illusion effect and end any ongoing effects inflicted upon a target for the duration of the suppression effect. If the suppression effect ends before the fear effect, frightened creatures may make Wisdom saving throw to prevent the effect from re-activating.

 

Pocket Door

 

Access to the closet is through a closed pocket door.

Mechanical Trap

The pocket door is spring loaded to close on the target against the door frame, which has a hidden blade. A DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals a small seam in the doorframe that runs the height of the inside frame and along the bottom of the frame. A DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check on the seam shows that the side door frame is concealing a floor to ceiling blade, the bottom seam seems to conceal wire. If the door is opened, a click will be heard as it locks open. If not noticed, a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check will reveal that the wire has risen out of the floor to a height of about 6 inches. If this wire is tripped, the door slams shut as the blade protrudes from the doorframe. The target must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 slashing damage. The wire can be avoided with a DC 2 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. The wire can also be cut. It requires a DC 12 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools. Failure sets off the trap. If the wire is exposed and above the floor, this check has advantage.

 

 

Personal Fog

 

Small swirls of dust spin around on the ground in this old, dusty crypt.

Magical Trap

The dust protects the crypt. If any of the crypts are desecrated, each target in the crypt must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. If this fails, the target is surrounded by a cloud of dust. This dust causes any check, attack roll or saving throw that requires vision to be at disadvantage. This effect lasts for 1 hour. A spell such as Detect Magic detects an aura of evocation on the crypts. A spell such as Dispel Magic permanently disables the dust effect, and causes the swirls of dust on the ground to disappear. Any effect that suppresses magic causes the dust swirls plus any dust clouds to dissipate for the duration of the effect.

 

Heavy Shelf

 

A large bookcase, filled with books, scrolls and trinkets dominates a wall.

Mechanical Trap

The bookcase is tall, top-heavy and unsecured. It can easily tip over. A DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that the shelf is not secured and prone to easily tipping over. Some of the items are slightly stuck to the shelves, especially the ones on the higher shelves. When these are removed, the shelf topples over. All targets in a 10 foot line in front of the shelf must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 bludgeoning damage and become stunned for 1 round. Additionally, the target is restrained until it or another creature spends an action to make a DC 14 Strength check to remove the bookcase. The bookcase can be secured with a DC 12 Dexterity check using tools and bracing materials.

 

 

Fire Escape

 

Stairs lead down to a warehouse. A garage door is slightly ajar, leading outside to a courtyard.

Magical Trap

The garage door is an illusion. The door actually leads out to a sheer cliffside. Once down the stairs, an illusionary fire starts. Once down into the warehouse, a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals that there are some barrels of gunpowder stored here. When any of the contents of the warehouse are disturbed, a fire breaks out in the corner and begins to rapidly spread towards the gunpowder in 2 rounds. When it reaches the gunpowder, small specks of gunpowder near the barrels ignite and set of mini-explosions. One round later, the barrels ignite and explode, and then the illusion disappears, and will reset in 10 minutes. No damage is done. If the fire is examined, a successful DC 17 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals the fire as an illusion. The same check is also necessary to determine that the courtyard outside is an illusion. This examination requires an action to perform. Any creature that runs out the door must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or fall off the cliff, taking 10d6 falling damage. Those that see the creature fall may make a DC 17 Intelligence (Investigation) check to penetrate the illusion. Otherwise, it just as if the person vanished. A spell such as Detect Magic detects an aura of illusion on the garage door. A spell such as Dispel Magic permanently disables the illusion with a successful DC 17 spellcaster check. Any effect that suppresses magic at spell level 7 or above suppresses the illusion on the garage door and prevents the fire illusion for the duration of the effect. If the suppression happens while the fire illusion is active, it disappears.

 

Lava Tubes

Here is another installment of exTRAPaganza, our Thursday over-the-top trap series. 

The tunnels are surrounded by underground lava streams. They lava often breaks through the walls.

Every 1d10 minutes, lava breaks through the ceiling. All creatures in the area take average fire damage, with an average Dexterity saving throw halving this damage.

Walk, Don’t Run

 

The floor is covered with a vellum-like covering.

Mechanical Trap

The vellum covers a large bed of nails. The nails are coated in a contact poison. A DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals several share points under the floor. If a target is walking with bare feet, or examining the floor with bare hands, this check is at advantage. As long as the targets are only moving at normal speed, there is no effect. However, any creature that takes the dash action, jumps, engages in combat or performs an action that would otherwise create more pressure, the nail tips puncture the target. The target suffers a +4 melee attack for 1 damage. If the target is damaged, they must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned. This condition lasts until removed. If a board or other object is placed on the floor, the nails attacks can be circumvented.

 

 

Cloak Hallway

 

Cloaks hang from pegs along the walls of this narrow hallway between rooms.

Magical Trap

The cloaks entangle those in the hallway. When a creature gets within 5 feet of the far door, the cloaks make a +4 grapple attack vs. the nearest creature within 5 feet. If successful, the target is grappled. To escape the grapple, the target must make a DC 14 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. This condition lasts until the grapple ends, or 1 minute. A spell such as Detect Magic detects an aura of transmutation on the door. A spell such as Dispel Magic permanently disables the cloak attacks. Any effect that suppresses magic suppress the cloak attacks for the duration of the effect and ends any grappled conditions immediately.

 

Dam!

 

A corroded metal chest lies on a grate on the far side of the room. Green liquid flows from several holed on the wall and drips onto the chest, which then drains through the grate.

Mechanical Trap

The green liquid is toxic and naturally flows into the space behind the wall, which then drains out through the holes. A DC 14 Intelligence (Nature) check identifies the green liquid as toxic and caustic when inhaled or contact of any sort is made. All targets that start their turn within 10 feet of the liquid must make a DC 14 Constitution check or take 1d2 Constitution damage. Creatures that touch the liquid must make this save at disadvantage. The holes can be easily plugged, as the liquid is not super viscous. Once the holes are plugged, the toxic effect stop in 1d2 rounds as the liquid drains down the grate. However, 1d4+1 rounds after the last liquid drains, the liquid behind the wall builds up enough pressure to burst through the wall. When this happens, all creatures in the room take 2d6 bludgeoning damage, with a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw halving this damage. In addition, any creature that takes damage immediately takes 1d2 Constitution damage. The liquid stays on them until an action is taken to scrape it off. Once the wall is destroyed, there is no way to stop the liquid flow into the room. The chest is a normal iron chest that can be opened with a DC 12 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools.

 

 

Ice Slide

 

The floor slopes downwards towards the far wall. A few doors are on the side walls.

Magical Trap

The floors and walls become magically covered in ice when one of the side doors is opened. When a side door is opened, the floor becomes a slick sheet of ice and the far wall is covered in outward facing sharp icicles. All targets on the icy floor must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or fall. Each target that starts their turn prone on the ice may attempt to either stand up or stop sliding. Standing up requires a DC 14 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check with disadvantage. Stopping the sliding requires a DC 14 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If either fails, the target slides 30 feet towards the icicle wall. Targets that are not prone may attempt to move at 1/4 speed with a successful DC 14 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. Failure results in the target falling prone. Targets that slide into the wall take suffer a +8 melee attack for 2d8 piercing and 1d6 cold damage. Targets that start their turn in the icicles take 1d4 cold damage per round. A target in the icicles may make a DC 8 Strength check to break the icicles out of them, halting the ongoing cold damage. Targets in the icicles do not suffer disadvantage when trying to stand up. The ice lasts for 10 minutes. A spell such as Detect Magic detects an aura of evocation on the entire room. A spell such as Dispel Magic permanently disables the ice effect on a successful DC 15 spellcaster check. Effects that suppress magic at spell level 5 or above suppress the ice effects for the duration of the effect, including any ongoing active ice effects.