July 7, 2015

5E Traps - Samples and A Better Design

I am not happy with the layouts of WotC's traps. Basically there is none. They jumble the information about a trap into a couple of paragraphs that a DM has to sift through to get the relevant info. I prefer something I can easily look at and immediately find what I need.

I've been writing an adventure for my group that is laden with traps (it is a kobold lair). I came up with another layout/design for traps that work better for me and maybe better for other people. Here are the traps so you can see the layout and if you are looking for some more traps to use... 

Tar Trap
See Trap: DC14 Wisdom (Perception). “The floor feels weakened here.” 
Disable Trap: DC15 Wisdom (Perception) to move across the trapped area without setting off the trap. Roll with advantage if the person watches someone else cross safely. “There are parts of the floor that are still safe. The trick is to figure out where exactly that is.” 
Activates: When someone moves near the center of the trap area. “The floor gives way.” 
Set Off Trap: Anyone in the trap area is Restrained. A person may take an action to make a DC 12 Strength Save to end the Restrained condition and move out of the trap area. “You fall all of 3 inches. However, those three inches are covered in an odorless tar and your feet are stuck.” 

Leech Pit
See Trap: DC12 Wisdom (Perception). “There is something wrong with the floor up ahead. In fact, you swear you can make out where a corner of the floor is lifted up.” 
Disable Trap: DC15 Dexterity. “The floor is in fact nothing but a loose cover for a pit. You think you can make it so it will not collapse when walked on.” 
Activates: When a person moves to the halfway point. “The floor falls out from under your feet revealing a pit beneath you.” 
Set Off Trap: Everyone in the area of the trap must make a DC12 Dexterity Save. Failure means the person takes 1d6 falling damage and is now in a 10’ deep pit. In addition, the pit is filled with leeches. Each round the person takes 1d4 damage from the many leeches on them. Once out of the pit they can spend an action to remove the leeches. “You fall to the bottom of the pit which is covered in rotten meat, a couple of carcasses and hundreds of leeches. The leeches quickly latch onto you.” 

Stinkbomb Trap
See Trap: DC18 Wisdom (Perception). “There is a tripwire low to the floor. There is something odd about the ceiling.”
Disable Trap: DC15 Dexterity. “Any movement of the tripwire will set off the trap. A wedge needs to be placed where the wire enters the walls so when the wire is cut they will not release tension.”
Activates: When a person moves to the end of the trap and trips the wire. “You feel the pull of a tripwire.”
Set Off Trap: Everyone in the trap area must make a DC12 Dexterity Save. Those that fail are covered in a liquid that gives off a strong musky smell. At the same time the giant weasels from location 6 move to the smell and attack, focusing their attacks on those covered in the scent. “Parts of the ceiling collapse revealing bags that fall to the ground and burst. The bags were filled with a liquid that now covers you. The liquid seems to be water and does not harm you other than leaving a bad smell.” 

Collapsing Ladder Trap
See Trap: DC14 Wisdom (Perception). “The ladder looks shoddy and not safe.”
Disable Trap: None, ladder is fake and cannot be used as a ladder. “The ladder is designed to collapse. It is best left alone.”
Activates: When a person climbs up the ladder and is near the top. “The next rung suddenly gives way as the ladder itself falls apart.”
Set Off Trap: Entire ladder collapses and the climber takes 2d6 falling damage. “The entire ladder comes off the wall in pieces. You plummet to the floor.” 

Deadfall Trap
See Trap: DC12 Wisdom (Perception). “The ceiling looks loose. There is a string stretched across the tunnel.”
Disable Trap: DC15 Dexterity. “Cutting the string will release the tension and disable the trap, but be careful as tugging on the string will activate it.”
Activates: When a person moves into the end of the tunnel without seeing the trap. “Your foot pulls on a tripwire near the floor.”
Set Off Trap: 1d10 damage to everyone within 10’ of the end of the tunnel; DC15 Dexterity Save for half damage; makes a loud noise alerting location 4. “The roof comes cascading down with a loud series of crashes.” 

Pit Trap
See Trap: DC12 Wisdom (Perception). “The floor ahead looks unsafe.”
Disable Trap: DC15 Dexterity. “By wedging a small item into the seam where the pit and regular floor meet it should be safe to walk over one at a time.”
Activates: Move to the end of the northern end of the trap. “The floor tilts downward and then collapses.”
Set Off Trap: Everyone in the trap’s area must make a DC12 Dexterity Save. Those that fail take 1d6 falling damage and are now in a 10’ deep pit. “You fall into a 10’ deep pit.”

 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Clean and useful. Good work.