Looking over the rules, though, traps seem A) kinda weird to build and B) do they . . . not grant XP? That doesn't seem right?
Anyway, I was thinking of making some haunts that act as traps, and I just wanted to get some thoughts.
Like, a long-abandoned infermery. There are several things in bottles that were once healing potions that have since gone bad. The haunt shows up 1/round and tries to get the entire party to drink (what it thinks) are healing potions. A failed save means the PC spends their movement to go to the shelf, and their bonus action to down a bottle that does poison damage to them. A successful medicine check (to convince the spirit that the healing potions have gone bad) or religion check (to put the spirit away) ends the haunt.
Is that in the realm of what is supposed to be happening? Depending on the level of the party, how much XP (if any) should that trap be worth?
I didn't specifically touch on XP but isn't there a relationship between CR rating and XP which would relate to the difficulty of the test and potential risk
“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills, It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
So, using the simple trap rules, I've come up with a trap, I'd like to get people's opinion:
"Take your medicine Haunt/Trap"
Description: As the players enter this hospital or infirmary, they start to feel slightly sick or injured. (Dangerous Trap, 1-4)
Trigger: When a player gets near a shelf of long-expired medicine, the trap triggers. The haunt in the room, concerned for the players health, insists they 'take their medicine,' not knowing that said medicine has decomposed and become dangerous. They player must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. If they fail they drink the medicine past its expiration and take 5 (1d10) poison damage and become poisoned for 10 minutes. A successful medicine (DC 10) check reduces the poisoned duration to 1 minute.
Counteract: An insight check DC 13 allows the PCs to feel that 'something is off.' A Medicine or Religion Check DC 15 convinces the spirit that the medicine has gone bad and would do more harm than good. If the player fails the religion/medicine check by rolling a natural 1, they become targeted with the save to drink the medicine.
certainly like the core of the idea though my spin would be some creepy incorporeal silent hill nurse appearing and wailing "Doctors Orders! Time to take your Medicine!" wielding a rusty syringe, though any damage taken from such a Haunted trap I'd probably make psychic or necrotic
you could have a tragic backstory of a contaminated bach of medicine or incorrect dosage that the nurse administered to the patients which ended up killing them...
Edit update...
As for the actual mechanic Say this is a nasty Haunted trap with a +5 haunt bonus So anyone entering the long abandoned ward on the 13th of blabla... make a DC 15 passive perception check if they succeed or have Devine sense/Detect Good/Evil they have one action to run away or try and disarm via Remove Curse or Channel Divinity the Haunt then gets a +5 saving throw against the character’s spell save DC. If the Haunted trap fails its save it is disarmed for 24 hours. If the trap fails the save by 10 or more, the trap is disarmed permanently.
If the Haunted trap is triggered they must make a DC 15 wisodon save or be caught in the Haunt and find themselves strapped to a bed with said Nightmare Nurse about to administer the medicine with the rusty syringe 2D6 Psychic/Necrotic damage each round, As an action, a player can repeat the saving throw to end the haunt or any players character caught in the Haunt (ie on the patient ward strapped to a bed being administered medicine) can make a DC 15 persuasion check to try and convince the Nurse to stop with a bonus if they they know the story have a letter saying the medicine is contaminated or are wearing a Doctors uniform name tag etc If they stop the haunted trap via persuasion using some evidence doctores uniform or other the haunt is disarmed permanently
“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills, It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
certainly like the core of the idea though my spin would be some creepy incorporeal silent hill nurse appearing and wailing "Doctors Orders! Time to take your Medicine!" wielding a rusty syringe, though any damage taken from such a Haunted trap I'd probably make psychic or necrotic
you could have a tragic backstory of a contaminated bach of medicine or incorrect dosage that the nurse administered to the patients which ended up killing them...
Edit update...
As for the actual mechanic Say this is a nasty Haunted trap with a +5 haunt bonus So anyone entering the long abandoned ward on the 13th of blabla... make a DC 15 passive perception check if they succeed or have Devine sense/Detect Good/Evil they have one action to run away or try and disarm via Remove Curse or Channel Divinity the Haunt then gets a +5 saving throw against the character’s spell save DC. If the Haunted trap fails its save it is disarmed for 24 hours. If the trap fails the save by 10 or more, the trap is disarmed permanently.
If the Haunted trap is triggered they must make a DC 15 wisodon save or be caught in the Haunt and find themselves strapped to a bed with said Nightmare Nurse about to administer the medicine with the rusty syringe 2D6 Psychic/Necrotic damage each round, As an action, a player can repeat the saving throw to end the haunt or any players character caught in the Haunt (ie on the patient ward strapped to a bed being administered medicine) can make a DC 15 persuasion check to try and convince the Nurse to stop with a bonus if they they know the story have a letter saying the medicine is contaminated or are wearing a Doctors uniform name tag etc If they stop the haunted trap via persuasion using some evidence doctores uniform or other the haunt is disarmed permanently
I really like that idea if I was trying to make a Silent Hill type insane hospital haunt . . . AND THERE IS A PLACE FOR THAT don't get me wrong. Just, the situation I was thinking of using these guys in was more about telling the story of what happened in this location, not so much dialing up the horror factor.
Another two traps that I'd like to workshop.
Strategy Meeting (1-4 Dangerous Trap) Trigger: Player approaches a war-table set up in the middle of the room. Effect: Ghostly apparitions appear around the PC and ask them for their advice on how to defend against an enemy onslaught. If the player cannot answer, the psychic weight of being unable to save the lives of so many troops weighs down on the player, and they take 2d10 psychic damage (Will Save DC 15 for half) Countermeasures: When the player is asked their advice on the enemy onslaught, they can either make a History Check (DC 15) to give a satisfactory answer, or a Religion on Persuasion Check (DC 18) to convince the trap that the battle is long over and there is no more need to strategize. The player can choose to make only one check, not all three, but can choose between them.
Crystal Crafting (1-4 Dangerous Trap) Trigger: the player touches a growth of mysterious crystals found in an offshoot cave from the dungeon Effect: Long ago, the previous residents had learned how to use their magics to grow crystals into weapons as hard as steel. This took a great deal of concentration, mental acuity, and practice. When the player touches the crystal, they get swept up in the process of making these weapons. They must make a wisdom saving throw. Once the haunt is activate, the mote of crystal is spent and it may take years for the haunt to rest. DC 20+ Their brain aligns with the memories of making such a weapon almost perfectly. They take 1d6 psychic damage but their efforts pay off, they grow a crystal sword from the shard. This acts as a normal sword or dagger of any type the player chooses except it is a moontouched sword (or dagger) and is immune to the heat metal spell. DC 13-19: Their brain manages to grasp the concept but it is difficult. They take 1d10 psychic damage and can create any sword or a dagger (player's choice) out of crystal. This weapon is not considered magical, but is immune to the heat metal spell, and sells for twice its market price. DC 12 or less: The brain reels at the idea. They take 2d10 psychic damage and only grow a small crystal shard. This shard acts as a dagger without the thrown property, and is immune to the spell heat Metal Countermeasures: An insight check DC 15 can tell that something is off with the crystal cluster. It can easily be destroyed with a ranged attack that hits DC8 and does at least 5 damage.
VampByDay :D sorry if that came across as a "instead of your idea use my one" certainly didn't intend it that way, was more just running with a theme... though I totally got stuck on the last part which was your original question of how much XP, I did look at the CR combat table in the DMG and did a lot of Umming and Arring... about how dangerous? is the trap to what level of player?... and in the end not really feeling confident about making any statement in that regard :o
like your Strategy Meeting Haunted Trap Idea, the Crystal Crafting has me thinking some sort of Ghostly Possession by a spirit of a Master Craftsman obsessed about crafting that one last thing correctly might be a more elegant/conventional source of such a haunt then a crystal... but that's just me, totally intended as constructive criticism
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills, It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Looking over the rules, though, traps seem A) kinda weird to build and B) do they . . . not grant XP? That doesn't seem right?
Anyway, I was thinking of making some haunts that act as traps, and I just wanted to get some thoughts.
Like, a long-abandoned infermery. There are several things in bottles that were once healing potions that have since gone bad. The haunt shows up 1/round and tries to get the entire party to drink (what it thinks) are healing potions. A failed save means the PC spends their movement to go to the shelf, and their bonus action to down a bottle that does poison damage to them. A successful medicine check (to convince the spirit that the healing potions have gone bad) or religion check (to put the spirit away) ends the haunt.
Is that in the realm of what is supposed to be happening? Depending on the level of the party, how much XP (if any) should that trap be worth?
I had a thread regarding the Van Richten's Guide Haunted Traps you might find interesting -> https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/dungeon-masters-only/120057-van-richtens-guide-to-ravenloft-haunted-traps
I didn't specifically touch on XP but isn't there a relationship between CR rating and XP which would relate to the difficulty of the test and potential risk
XP combat encounters -> https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dmg/creating-adventures#CreatingaCombatEncounter
XP and non combat challenges -> https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dmg/running-the-game#NoncombatChallenges
“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills, It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
So, using the simple trap rules, I've come up with a trap, I'd like to get people's opinion:
"Take your medicine Haunt/Trap"
Description: As the players enter this hospital or infirmary, they start to feel slightly sick or injured. (Dangerous Trap, 1-4)
Trigger: When a player gets near a shelf of long-expired medicine, the trap triggers. The haunt in the room, concerned for the players health, insists they 'take their medicine,' not knowing that said medicine has decomposed and become dangerous. They player must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. If they fail they drink the medicine past its expiration and take 5 (1d10) poison damage and become poisoned for 10 minutes. A successful medicine (DC 10) check reduces the poisoned duration to 1 minute.
Counteract: An insight check DC 13 allows the PCs to feel that 'something is off.' A Medicine or Religion Check DC 15 convinces the spirit that the medicine has gone bad and would do more harm than good. If the player fails the religion/medicine check by rolling a natural 1, they become targeted with the save to drink the medicine.
certainly like the core of the idea though my spin would be some creepy incorporeal silent hill nurse appearing and wailing "Doctors Orders! Time to take your Medicine!" wielding a rusty syringe, though any damage taken from such a Haunted trap I'd probably make psychic or necrotic
you could have a tragic backstory of a contaminated bach of medicine or incorrect dosage that the nurse administered to the patients which ended up killing them...
Edit update...
As for the actual mechanic
Say this is a nasty Haunted trap with a +5 haunt bonus
So anyone entering the long abandoned ward on the 13th of blabla... make a DC 15 passive perception check if they succeed or have Devine sense/Detect Good/Evil they have one action to run away or try and disarm via Remove Curse or Channel Divinity the Haunt then gets a +5 saving throw against the character’s spell save DC. If the Haunted trap fails its save it is disarmed for 24 hours. If the trap fails the save by 10 or more, the trap is disarmed permanently.
If the Haunted trap is triggered they must make a DC 15 wisodon save or be caught in the Haunt and find themselves strapped to a bed with said Nightmare Nurse about to administer the medicine with the rusty syringe 2D6 Psychic/Necrotic damage each round, As an action, a player can repeat the saving throw to end the haunt or any players character caught in the Haunt (ie on the patient ward strapped to a bed being administered medicine) can make a DC 15 persuasion check to try and convince the Nurse to stop with a bonus if they they know the story have a letter saying the medicine is contaminated or are wearing a Doctors uniform name tag etc
If they stop the haunted trap via persuasion using some evidence doctores uniform or other the haunt is disarmed permanently
“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills, It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
I really like that idea if I was trying to make a Silent Hill type insane hospital haunt . . . AND THERE IS A PLACE FOR THAT don't get me wrong. Just, the situation I was thinking of using these guys in was more about telling the story of what happened in this location, not so much dialing up the horror factor.
Another two traps that I'd like to workshop.
Strategy Meeting
(1-4 Dangerous Trap)
Trigger: Player approaches a war-table set up in the middle of the room.
Effect: Ghostly apparitions appear around the PC and ask them for their advice on how to defend against an enemy onslaught. If the player cannot answer, the psychic weight of being unable to save the lives of so many troops weighs down on the player, and they take 2d10 psychic damage (Will Save DC 15 for half)
Countermeasures: When the player is asked their advice on the enemy onslaught, they can either make a History Check (DC 15) to give a satisfactory answer, or a Religion on Persuasion Check (DC 18) to convince the trap that the battle is long over and there is no more need to strategize. The player can choose to make only one check, not all three, but can choose between them.
Crystal Crafting
(1-4 Dangerous Trap)
Trigger: the player touches a growth of mysterious crystals found in an offshoot cave from the dungeon
Effect: Long ago, the previous residents had learned how to use their magics to grow crystals into weapons as hard as steel. This took a great deal of concentration, mental acuity, and practice. When the player touches the crystal, they get swept up in the process of making these weapons. They must make a wisdom saving throw. Once the haunt is activate, the mote of crystal is spent and it may take years for the haunt to rest.
DC 20+ Their brain aligns with the memories of making such a weapon almost perfectly. They take 1d6 psychic damage but their efforts pay off, they grow a crystal sword from the shard. This acts as a normal sword or dagger of any type the player chooses except it is a moontouched sword (or dagger) and is immune to the heat metal spell.
DC 13-19: Their brain manages to grasp the concept but it is difficult. They take 1d10 psychic damage and can create any sword or a dagger (player's choice) out of crystal. This weapon is not considered magical, but is immune to the heat metal spell, and sells for twice its market price.
DC 12 or less: The brain reels at the idea. They take 2d10 psychic damage and only grow a small crystal shard. This shard acts as a dagger without the thrown property, and is immune to the spell heat Metal
Countermeasures: An insight check DC 15 can tell that something is off with the crystal cluster. It can easily be destroyed with a ranged attack that hits DC8 and does at least 5 damage.
VampByDay :D sorry if that came across as a "instead of your idea use my one" certainly didn't intend it that way, was more just running with a theme... though I totally got stuck on the last part which was your original question of how much XP, I did look at the CR combat table in the DMG and did a lot of Umming and Arring... about how dangerous? is the trap to what level of player?... and in the end not really feeling confident about making any statement in that regard :o
like your Strategy Meeting Haunted Trap Idea, the Crystal Crafting has me thinking some sort of Ghostly Possession by a spirit of a Master Craftsman obsessed about crafting that one last thing correctly might be a more elegant/conventional source of such a haunt then a crystal... but that's just me, totally intended as constructive criticism
“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills, It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again