Dam Door

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

A large concrete wall is ahead. Centered in the wall is a single iron door.

The door radiates strong magic.

The wall is cool to the touch as is the door. The wall is the base of a dam. The door is an old service door that was magically sealed after the dam was made. It cannot be opened unless a high-level DC is made with dispel magic. However, once the magic seal is removed, the door flies from the dam as water rushes in, which also causes the dam itself to collapse. This sends billions of gallons of water into the area and above, along with millions of tons of concrete.

I’m sure there is some kind of save… But half of a million points of damage is still a lot.

Un-barred Door

 

A wooden door leads to the next room.

Mechanical Trap

The door is locked but the bar is propped open. The bar slams shut if the trap is set off. A DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check detects small gears near the rotating point of the bar. A DC 14 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools is required to unlock the door. If the door is unlocked without disarming the trap, the target must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 4d6 bludgeoning damage from the bar, which slams downwards. The gears can be jammed with a successful DC 16 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools. This prevents the bar from slamming down. Once the bar has been activated, the gears must be reset to open the bar. This requires a DC 15 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools.

Hot Foot

A narrow bridge without rails leads across the deep ravine.

Magical Trap

The bridge is enchanted such that it causes a target’s foot to become very hot when it makes contact with the ground. When a target crosses the bridge, they must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, whenever their right foot touches the ground, they take 1d4 fire damage. They also suffer disadvantage on all Dexterity based rolls, checks, and saving throws. The effect lasts for 10 minutes. The bridge requires a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to safely cross, with a failure causing the target to take 6d6 bludgeoning (falling) damage. A detect magic or similar spell detects an aura of transmutation the bridge. A dispel magic dispels the trap on the bridge and negates any existing effects.

Barred Door

 

A wooden door leads to the next room.

Mechanical Trap

The door is locked. If the lock is not opened correctly, bars slide down from the ceiling on the inside of the door, firmly locking it in place. A DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check detects a small gap between the floor and door and the ceiling and door. Several 1-inch holes have been bored into the floor, door, and ceiling. A DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check of the lock reveals that it controls another mechanism in the door. The lock requires a DC 14 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools to open. However, if the trap is not disarmed first when opened, bards slide down from the ceiling, through the door, and into the floor. The bars are spaced 2 inches apart and are each 1 inch of steel. The trap can be disabled before being activated with a successful DC 18 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools, which will disable the trigger spring.

Copper Tone

A thick metal door guards the next room.

Magical Trap

The door leads to an empty safe. When the door is opened, all gold pieces turn to copper pieces. The door requires a DC 18 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools to open. If the door is successfully opened, all targets within 15′ must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, all gold pieces that they carry are converted to copper pieces. A detect magic or similar spell detects an aura of transmutation the door. A dispel magic (DC 17) dispels the trap on the door, but does restore the gold pieces.

Fake Castle Door

 

A small sally port is on the back wall of this castle, which is in the middle of a field full of dried grass.

Mechanical Trap

The port is fake, but trying to open it sets off a fire in the grass. A DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that the door is fake, and small wires run from the bottom into the ground. If an attempt is made to open the door, all targets within 30′ of the door take 2d6 fire damage as the grass ignites. A successful DC 14 Dexterity saving throw halves this damage. The fire spreads 60 feet per round, out to the edge of the grass which is 200 feet away. The grass then burns for 1d6+6 rounds. At the beginning of a target’s turn, they take 1d6 fire damage if they are in a burning grass zone, and 1d6 fire damage if they end in a burning grass zone. Unless extreme measures are taken (like conjuring massive amounts of water) the fire in a square can’t be put out, as it immediately reignites. A DC 16 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools allows for the wires to be cut. Failure sets off the trap.

Branding

A small, sturdy door leads to a small closet.

Magical Trap

The door brands those who take anything from the room. The closet contains a few chests full of gold, silver, and other valuable items. If a target leaves the room with an item, they must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw, or a brand of the noble’s sigil will appear on their forehead. This brand is permanent, and can only be removed with a remove curse or similar. A detect magic or similar spell detects an aura of abjuration on the door. A dispel magic dispels the trap on the door, but does not remove the brand.

Connected Gold

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

All of the gold in this dungeon is magically connected to each other. Every hour, an electrical charge surges through the gold. This deals 1d6 damage per 100gp of gold. There is no distance limit to the charge, so even if the gold is removed from the dungeon, it still gets charged.

It requires a dispel magic or equivalent to remove the connection, but it has to be cast on every individual piece, whether coin, jewelry, or other treasure.

Pouch of Gems?

 

A small fire burns in this large fireplace.

Mechanical Trap

A bag of gems is hidden up the chimney where a brick has been removed. The bag holds in gunpowder that has been put in the hole. A DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check spots a bag up the chimney, tucked away in a small recess where a brick has been removed.  A DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check detects small granules on the bag. A DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check identifies these granules as gunpowder. When the bag is removed, the gunpowder spills out into the fire. All targets within 30′ take 6d6 fire damage, with a DC 14 Dexterity save halving this damage. In order to safely retrieve the gems in the bag, the fire needs to be completely put out. This requires a DC 8 Intelligence (Investigation) check and access to water. If this check fails, the gunpowder still explodes, but deals half damage. The bag can be cut open and the gems removed with a successful DC 14 Dexterity check. Failure results in the gunpowder falling into the fire.

Light Switch

A large switch seems to open the door.

Magical Trap

The switch causes it to become dark. When the switch is pulled, the door opens, but the area within a 30′ radius of the door becomes dark as per the spell darkness. This lasts for 10 minutes. A detect magic or similar spell detects an aura of evocation on the door. A dispel magic dispels the darkness and also disables the trap.