Tag: Trap Tuesday

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Trap Tuesday (Uralicans Uncut); Gravity Still Sucks

FanGravity Still Sucks (CR  8)

This small vertical shaft looks like an entrance to the cavern complex blocked only by a slowly spinning fan.

Type: mechanical; Knowledge (engineering, nature or planes) DC 31; Disable Device 24

Trigger location; Reset repair

Effect

slow fan (DC 28 Acrobatics check; a failure requires a DC 28 Reflex save or 5d6 slashing damage plus 3d6 electricity damage)
A narrow shaft leads down about 10 feet into the cavern complex. A fan is about 4 feet down, spinning slowly; if timed correctly, one could easily drop down and avoid the fan. The trick here is that the gravity is low, and creatures accelerate down the shaft more slowly than they are used to.

The gravity in this area is lower than what the adventurers are used to; this is just one example of what can be done to both exploit the lower gravity, as well as introduce the PCs to their new environment, before something even more devious is used. Other examples include creating places where the party has to jump chasms, where they can either over-jump the target, or jump higher than they intended, or even taking advantage of the slower falling rate to give enemy spellcasters or archers more time to hit the PCs as they fall. Remember that although some simple actions can become complex, some very difficult actions can be easily accomplished.

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Trap Tuesday (Macabre Manses): Hangman Trap

Hangman Trap – CR 10 

A raised wooden platform has been constructed at one end of the room. In front of it, an ancient tome lays open on a stand.

Type: magical; Perception DC 34; Disable Device DC 34
Trigger location; Reset none
Effect  As soon as the book is examined several nooses appear around each of the PCs’ necks. Each PC may make a DC 27 Fortitude save; if successful, the noose falls off their neck. Those that fail may not remove the noose. After this happens, an hourglass, inkwell and a quill appear next to the book, and printing appears on the page. The print reads “_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _”. The hourglass flips over and trickles sand for one minute. The nooses tighten slightly with every passing second and a vertical wooden beam appears on the dais. Inside of this minute, a letter needs to be written down onto each blank line on the page. The word to be spelled is “Halloween”. An incorrect letter guess causes the letter written to vanish and appear on the side of the page. The hourglass resets, and the nooses tighten. When a correct letter is picked, it appears in the correct locations (the nooses do not tighten, and the hourglass resets). The 7th time the nooses tighten, they kill anyone with a noose.

grimstarks journalAnyone killed by a noose is immediately killed when resurrected if the noose is still attached—the only way to remove the noose is to solve the hangman puzzle.

Leading up to the trap, have shadows depicting hangmen and victims swinging from the gallows. Add a little bit of eerie music or sound effects and some chill breezes, and you have yourself a haunted house.

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Trap Tuesday (Banlan Backlash!): Sewer Strife Trap

AAW-Moonshard-color-02Sewer Strife Trap – CR 7 (mechanical) / CR 10 (magical)

Sewer water pours into the room.

Type: mechanical / magical; Perception DC 22 (mechanical) / DC 34 (magical); Disable Device DC 32 (mechanical) / DC 34 (magical)

Trigger touch; Reset repair (mechanical) / none (magical)

Effect

When an attempt is made to open the door, the room fills up with sewer water at the rate of 1 ft. per round. After 10 rounds, the room is completely filled to its 10 ft. height. A DC 10 Swim check is required each round to stay afloat; once the room fills up, all characters are subject to drowning.
Once the mechanical trap is set off, the magical trap springs. A small rune on the wall flashes brightly and then trails off smoke. Everyone in the room must make a DC 23 Will save or attack the nearest conscious creature, as per the symbol of strife spell. The duration of this effect is 18 rounds.

Since the party knows that the Order of the Staff is coming, the PCs can use the sewer strife trap against their foes if they are helping the Banlan Brotherhood.

If the adventurers decide to help the Order of the Staff, they can disarm the trap or otherwise warn the mages (who proceed into the room unheeded if not alerted to the danger).

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Trap Tuesday (Banlan Backlash!): Raining Rubble

Raining Rubble      CR 9

Type magical; Perception DC 33; Disable Device DC 33
Trigger visual; Reset automatic (1d4+2 rounds)
castle keep stairs nyamo raining rubbleEffect 20 ft.-square area explodes with rubble from a nearby wall (3d6+4; DC 22 Reflex for half damage). When raining rubble resets, the section of exploded wall rebuilds itself, dealing the same damage to any creatures still in the area

 

When a member of one of the Orders of Timeaus walks nearby (or a member of the Banlan Brotherhood activates it) a rune inscribed on the wall explodes, showering the area with rubble; a few rounds later the trap casts mend to reform itself. Originally used by the people of Timeaeus to do repairs on the Nyamo Wall, it was later adopted by the Banlan Brotherhood for guerrilla warfare against the Orders.

 

 

[Submitted by Tim Snow! -MM]

 

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Trap Tuesday (Destiny Derailed): Rain of Ore

Rain of Ore      CR 5
Type natural (the natural effects of alligotonium); Perception DC 10 (automatic); Disable Device —
Trigger already triggered once noticed (explosion at Demon Pass); Reset none

The rain of ore appears as a cloud of swirling and floating metallic debris that sparkles as bits of alligotonium ore reflect any available light source.

rain of ore trapThe material freely floats, directed by natural wind currents until the weightlessness effect of the agitated alligotonium ends.
The source of the rain of ore is the blasting site at Demon Pass; the workers unintentionally exploded a massive vein of alligotonium, agitating the magic material causing it to become lighter than air. Driven by prevailing winds, the ore cloud drifts over Steamtown.

Effect The weightless effect of the floating cloud of alligotonium disperses when it reaches the area above Steamtown. The chunks of heavy, jagged metal rain down upon the area, including the helpless tent city.  Those caught without ample protection suffer bludgeoning damage (DC 20 Reflex for half damage).

The extent of damage a creature suffers as a result of the rain of ore depends on the size of chunks that fall upon them. Use the following chart to determine the proper level of damage caused by the trap.

1d100            Results
1-25             Several Small-sized bits (3d4 damage)
26-50           Several Medium-sized pieces (6d4 damage)
51-75           A few Large-sized chunks (6d6 damage)
76-99           Several Large-size pieces (6d10 damage)
100              An enormous Huge-sized chunk (10d10 damage)

Any substantial, solid structure negate damage done by the falling ore, but there is a chance that the damage done irrevocably damages any built structures it falls upon. Use the damage determination chart above to discern how much damage is done to any particular structure. If the damage results in more than ¾ of the structures durability, it collapses upon those inside causing damage to creatures equal to ¼ of the damage done to the structure itself.

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Trap Tuesday (Destiny Derailed): Leech Mist

Leech Mist – CR 3

As the crowd gathers for their nightly drinking, a light mist settles in amongst the patrons.

Type: magical; Perception DC 27; Disable Device DC 27

Trigger location; Reset repair

Effect

The mist only affects those that are drunk. Anyone who comes into contact with the mist after having a number of drinks equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1) must make a DC 13 Fortitude Save or lose 1 point of Con due to blood loss and gain the fatigued condition. If already fatigued, then the exhausted condition is gained instead. The mist can affect an area of up to 600 square feet.

The goblins that operate2000px-Shot_Glass_(Marked).svg the fortunetelling press need blood in order for it to print its stories. Killing to get the blood would draw undue suspicion. Nobody, however, is going to give a second thought if heavy drinking from the night before leads to some lethargy the next morning. Usually the goblins have the leech mist trap rigged to trigger right at closing time as drunk patrons make their way to their tents. Once the blood is leeched by the mist, special vials hidden nearby collect the mist and distill the blood out of it. It can take several nights to collect enough blood to make a single printing run.