Glass Display Case

A glass display case is here. It has several shelves, each one holding a valuable.

Mechanical Trap

A diamond-studded wire slams down if the valuable is taken. The glass of the shelves can be opened without being broken with a successful DC 12 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools. If it fails, the glass breaks. The valuable sits on a small piece of velvet that covers a pressure plate. A slight bulge can be seen with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check. When the valuable is taken, the wire slams down. The target must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 4d4 slashing damage, and gain disadvantage on all Dexterity-based rolls until the damage taken is healed. The pressure plate must be disarmed from below the shelf. This requires a successful DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check to determine which mechanism to disable, and a successful DC 14 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools to disable. If the Dexterity check fails, the trap is sprung in the compartment above. If the Investigation check fails, then the trap in the current compartment is set off when the Dexterity check is made; the result does not matter.

The Window That Isn’t

An archway leads to a peaceful garden.

Magical Trap

The archway and garden are illusions that cover up a severely damaged wall. When the target is within 5 feet of the archway, they may make a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. On a success, they notice that the garden seems very still, as if it were a picture instead of a garden. A target that walks through the archway causes the illusion to disperse. In it’s place is a destroyed wood wall that has jagged beams and rusty nails sticking out in all directions. The target must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take 3d6 piercing and slashing damage, and must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 hour. A detect magic detecs an aura of illusion on the archway.  A dispel magic (DC 15) terminates the illusion. The illusion can also be dispelled by with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check.

Rock, Paper, Scissors

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

The floor is made of laquered parchment, supported by wood. The ceiling is made from a large convex stone.

A dais sits in the middle of the room and contains several small golden statues.

When the dais is mounted, the trap is sprung. The convex ceiling falls, revealing itself as a large boulder. Those in the room must make a hard Dexterity saving throw, or take heavy bludgeoning damage. The boulder smashes through the paper floor. Those that have already taken boulder damage do not get a save, but everyone else must make another hard Dexterity save or fall. Beneath the floor is a 60 foot pit, the bottom of which is covered in sharp knives that stick upwards. Those that fall take 6d6 bludgeoning and 8d4+8 piercing damage.

 

Arc Arch

A metal archway connects the two areas.

Mechanical Trap

The archway will send electricity to anyone wearing metal armor. A DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check detects slight humming from the archway. A DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that a current runs through the archway. When a target wearing metal armor walks through the archway, they take 4d6 electricity damage and become restrained. A DC 14 Constitution saving throw halves the damage and prevents the target from being restrained. While restrained, the target takes 4d6 electricity damage at the start of their turn. On their turn, they can make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw to break away. The trap can be defeated by locating the switch box with a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check and then cutting the correct wires with a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check. Alternatively, it can be shorted by connecting a metal device from the arch to the ground. However, unless grounded, that target shorting the arch takes 6d6 electricity damage.

The Guy Behind You

An ornate bone door blocks the path.

Magical Trap

The door shoots magic missiles at the folks not opening it. The door requires a DC 14 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools to open. It’s not locked but has a complex opening mechanism. When the door is opened, all targets within 30′, with the exception of the person opening the door get hit by 4 magic missiles each, taking 4d4+4 force damage. A detect magic detecs an aura of evocation on the door.  A dispel magic disables the trap.

Trip Stair

A red carpet runs down the stairs, supported by brass rods.

Mechanical Trap

The bottom stair is mounted on a pressure plate that when presses, causes all the rods to lift up. A DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check detects that each stair rod is attached to the stairs on the sides. A DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that they are all attached to a single system and can be protruded and retracted. When the last step is pressed, all the rods lift. Thos on the stairs must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or fall, taking 2d6 bludgeoning damage. The pressure plate can be disabled simply by placing an object between it and the floor, or avoided by stepping over it.  It requires a DC 15 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools to disable the rod system.

Faerie Fired

The shelves are filled to brimming with magic items of all sorts.

Magical Trap

The items are all enchanted to light up those that remove them without paying. When a target removes an item from the store without paying for it, once they cross the threshold of the door, they must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they become outlined in a green light for 1 hour. This light emits a dim light in a 10 foot radius. A detect magic detecs an aura of evocation on the door.  A dispel magic disables the door from lighting targets up. Also, any lit targets within range have the light removed.

Needles in Ceiling

This room is cloaked in shadows, with a single light shining on a golden statue.

Mechanical Trap

The ceiling is covered in hundreds of tiny needles.  The statue is protected, surrounded by a ring of pressure plates. A DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check detects that the mortar on the inner ring of tiles is cracked. When a pressure plate is stepped on, a large weight falls from above onto the ceiling. This causes all the needles to fall. All targets in the room take 6d4 piercing damage, with a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw halving this damage. Then, the targets must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or fall unconscious for 1 hour. If the Dexterity saving throw was successful, this save is at advantage. The unconscious condition can only be removed by a lesser restoration spell or similar before the hour is up.  The plates can be disabled with a DC 14 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools. Failure sets off the trap.

Stone-to-Mud-and-Back

A clean stone floor is here.

Magical Trap

The floor quickly changes to mud and back to stone. A DC 16 Intelligence (Arcana) check detects that the floor has been recently altered by magic. The entire floor is affected when the opposite door is opened. When this happens, all targets on the floor must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they sink into 1 foot into the mud, and then the floor turns to stone again. These targets are restrained. In order to be freed, a transmutation spell needs to be enacted on the floor to free from the stone. Or, the stone can be chipped away. This requires stone-working tools and 1 hour per target trapped. A detect magic detecs an aura of transmutation on the floor.  A dispel magic (DC 16) disables the trap, but anyone trapped in the stone remains trapped.

Temple of the Viper

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

At the center of this temple is a courtyard. A massive emerald is surrounded by hundreds of viper statues. If the gem is moved, the vipers briefly animate and strike, all at once.

The target must make a very hard Dexterity saving throw or be struck by the vipes, taking heavy piercing damage. If damage is taken, the target must also make a very hard Constitution saving throw or die within 1d10 + 10 minutes.

The poison can only be removed via a greater restoration, protection from poison or similar.