Greedy Chest

 

A chest full of jewelry and coins is in the room.

Mechanical Trap

The chest lid is spring loaded, controlled by a pressure plate on the bottom of the chest. The edges of the chest lid conceal blades. After the chest is opened the following can be found. A DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that the lid seems to have some resistance to moving. This is caused by springs concealed in the hinges, which can be found with a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check. A DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check detects blades that run just under the lip of the chest lid. A DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check detects that the bottom of the chest seems loose. The bottom of the lid is a pressure plate. When 100gp worth of weight is removed from the chest, the lid snaps shut. The target must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 4d6 slashing damage and suffer from the poisoned condition until the damage dealt is fully healed. The trap can be circumvented by simply adding weight before removing the contents. It can be disabled by jamming the hinges, which requires a successful DC 14 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools. If the hinges are removed or broken, or the lid is removed, the trap is activated.

Copper Coins

 

A chest full of copper coins sits in the middle of the small room.

Mechanical Trap

The copper coins are actually lithium coins that have been painted gold, then copper. A DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals the hint of gold underneath some scratches on some of the coins. A deeper investigation, which involves scratching the paint, reveals that the gold is paint too, and a DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check detects that the base coin is lithium. When the coins are doused in water, the explode. All targets within 10 feet take 4d6 force damage, with a DC 14 Constitution save halving the damage. If you don’t want the coins to explode, don’t get them wet.

Silver Coins

 

A chest full of silver coins sits in the middle of the small room.

Mechanical Trap

The silver coins are actually copper coins painted silver. They are electrified. A DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals the hint of copper underneath some scratches on some of the coins. A DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check lets the character notice that the chest has no metal fittings, not even nails. A DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check detects a faint humming noise coming from the chest. When the coins are touched, the target takes 4d8 electricity damage and is stunned for 1d4 rounds. On a successful DC 14 Constitution saving throw, the target take half damage and is not stunned. The chest takes 10 minutes to recharge after a discharge. The trap can be disarmed by moving the chest and cutting the wires that connect it to a charging device in the floor.

Sock Puppets

 

The cabinet has a small puppet theater built into it. Three puppets are suspended from strings.

Mechanical Trap

The puppets strike anyone who opens drawers or doors on the cabinet. A DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check detects that the strings are attached to a pulley system above that connects to the back of the cabinet and breaks out into several strings. A search of the puppets reveals that each has a blade concealed under their costumes. When any of the doors or drawers are opened, a loud twang is heard as the puppets strike out with their blades. The target must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 3d4 slashing and piercing damage. The trap can be disabled by cutting the strings or removing the blades.  Cutting the strings requires a successful DC 14 Dexterity check. Failure activates the trap. Removing the blades requires a successful DC 12 Dexterity check. Failure activates the trap and causes the saving throw to be at disadvantage.

Spring Loaded Ladder

 

An iron ladder is set into the wall that goes to the top.

Mechanical Trap

One of the rungs is spring loaded. When stepped on, it is activated. A DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check allows the target to detect that a rung in the middle is slightly thicker, and that there are 6 inch slots under the rung where it connects to the sides. When a target steps on the rung, they must make a DC 12 Dexterity check to step off the rung as it travels downwards and then fires back up. On a failure the target is launched up and over the wall, and takes 3d6 falling damage as they land prone on the other side of the 20 foot wall. The trap can be bypassed with a successful DC 5 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to step over the run. Failure results in a simple fall, taking 1d6 falling damage.  It can be disabled with a DC 12 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools, or a DC 14 Dexterity check if some material is wedged into the slots.

Jumping Cactus

 

The old temple is overgrown with vegetation.

Mechanical Trap

Some of the jumping cacti have been poisoned. A DC 12 Intelligence (Nature) check identifies the plants around the entrances as jumping cacti. When a target moves through an entrance, they must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or 1d6 jumping cacti will stick to them. If any cacti stick, they must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. While any cacti are stuck, the target has the poisoned condition until they are removed. Each cactus can be removed with a successful DC 12 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check or DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check. Removal requires a move action. If the target is aware of the cacti, they can move through with a successful DC 12 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check with advantage. The cacti can be removed by using a weapon with reach to clear them (which takes 1d4 rounds per entrance) or by burning them, again using a mechanism with reach. Trying to do this from 5 feet or closer results in the target needing to make the saving throw to avoid the cacti.

Pine Needles

 

The courtyard is covered in dry pine needles.

Mechanical Trap

The pine needles conceal several spiked pits. Each pit requires a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check to note the unevenness near a pit. Each movement action has a 25% chance of walking over a pit. When a target does so, they must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or fall into the pit, taking 1d6 bludgeoning and 2d6 piercing damage. A target that willfully moves at half speed and only takes 1 movement action has advantage on the saving throw. If a pit is found, it takes a standard action to push needles into the pit to make it easy to identify by others. The target finding the pit can easily avoid it without marking it.

Pins and Needles

 

The wooden floor is uneven and dirty.

Mechanical Trap

The floor contains hundreds of small poisoned needles. A DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals the needles in the floor. They are too dense to be avoided. A DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check detects a small amount of a clear, oily substance on each needle. A DC 16 Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals that the substance is a nerve poison. Each round that a target is on the floor, they are attacked with a +2 melee attack from the needles. If the needles hit, they deal 1 damage and the target must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target gains the poisoned condition, and also loses feeling in their legs. This removes any dexterity bonus the target may have, and cuts their speed in half. A new save may be made every day. The condition ends when 2 consecutive saves have been made. A lesser restoration spell will also remove it. There are too many needles to remove. However, they can be covered by metal or wood at least 1/8″ thick, or 1 inch of cloth. The poison can be washed away by somehow funneling 10 gallons of water through the room.

Stair Trap Door

 

An outline of a door can be seen in the wooden floor.

Mechanical Trap

The door opens to reveal stairs. However, the pegs holding the hinges in place are loose and will fail. A DC 5 Wisdom (Perception) check spots the barely hidden panel to open the stairs, which swing downwards. While opening it, a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check will note that the stairs move a bit side to side when opening. A follow-up DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check detects that the top hinge pins are loose. If the stairs are used, the first person stepping on them must make a DC 12 Dexterity check or fall, taking 2d6 falling (bludgeoning) damage and an additional 2d6 piercing damage and also be knocked prone. The pins in the hinges can be hammered back in with a DC 10 Dexterity check. Failure breaks the hinges, causing the stairs to fall, but unless the target is somehow on the stairs while fixing them, the target will not fall.

Secret Door

 

The very faint outline of a door can be seen in the stone wall.

Mechanical Trap

There is a secret door in the wall, and the seams can just be seen. However, the seams have very thin and very sharp glass protruding. A DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check spots a slight distortion around the seams. If the seams are examined for a secret door, the target must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 slashing damage, unless previous precautions were taken. If the distortion is noted, a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds the glass. The glass can be removed with a DC 14 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools. Failure causes the glass to break, which deals an additional 1d6 slashing damage if the door is opened. Opening the door with the glass in place requires a DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check to rig a mechanism to bypass the glass damage.