So I've been wandering around the published books collecting trap ideas, and I was kind of disappointed that D&D Beyond doesn't have a "Homebrew Traps" ability. Therefore, I leave it up to the forums. So friends and foes, please feel free to share your homebrew traps here for other DMs to scavenge and re-purpose. I'll start us off with one of my dooms day plots.
Trap: The "Tar" Pit.
Description: Under dim light the heroes have stumbled through a door to an empty medium sized room, hoping for a rest from the chaos that has befallen them recently. The room looks to function as an antechamber or a side room of some kind with one other exit. Near the top of the walls you notice intricate stone carved crown molding. Each foot of crown molding resembles a different magical creature with its mouth open towards the center of the room. Suddenly black goo begins to seep from two of the mouths. After every three rounds a new small sized (2ftx2ft) black pudding coalesces near a wall. Slowly the room will fill with black pudding if the adventurers can not escape the trap.
Proposed Solution:
Combat - The group might attempt to kill all of the black puddings as they enter the room then clog the spigots, as someone picklocks the escape door.
Magic - The group might attempt to destroy the spigots with magic, however this might result in more black pudding, quicker. However, if they experiment they can learn that black pudding is afraid of fire and will not approach a lit fire, unfortunately the room might quickly run out of air if too much fire is used.
Brute Force - Destroy the door, destroy the walls, destroy the crown molding - turn the dungeon into another episode of HGTV's Dungeons Remodeled.
Unique - If the players have a decent plan it might work, the enemy is time and pudding.
I like simple and straightforward traps for most dungeoneering experiences (whether that's in a dungeon or a non-dungeony environment) - PC interacts with something in some way, it sets something off, something happens, they get a chance to save (usually) and take damage or half damage on a successful save (or no damage in some instances).
Some recent traps I've run... Mind my players were level 17 at this time, your mileage may vary. (MOST of these could have been seen with investigation checks of 15+. (Guess what my players kept failing to do.)
Eye Beam Trap In a recent dungeon experience, my players were in a labyrinth that had recurring art across the entirety of the inner-labyrinth walls. Occasionally they'd walk past a section and an eye on one of the people would just open up and shoot out a beam, roll to hit vs the PC's AC. Eventually the players started crawling around the entire dungeon to avoid these because there was no way to see these coming. Did... 3d10 on a hit? Maybe more?
Magic Missile Trap When you really just want to ebb away at your PCs' health a little, especially if they keep FAILING TO LEARN TO CHECK FOR TRAPS AS THEY GO DESPITE THE WHOLE PLACE BEING TRAPPED TO THE TEETH (the labyrinth dungeon mentioned above being what I'm talking about here...), they step on a floor plate and BOOM magic missile. Auto-hits for 3-6d4 (depending on how deep into the labyrinth they were).
Flail Plate Trap Step on the trap plate, DEX save DC 16, else a big flail cracks into their chest dealing 4d8 bludgeoning damage.
Poison Dart Trap Tripwire or trap plate. CON save 14+, else 3d6 poison damage. A puff cloud instead of dart works well too.
Spike Floor Tile Trap Step on a tile, spikes shoot up. DEX save 15+, else 4d4 piercing damage. Pairs well with Poisoning.
I may or may not have a habit of making up the damage as I go along to what seems appropriate. But I can get away with that since my party is high-level.
Another "trap" I set up in this same dungeon was the PCs found some potions that were described as "black, but when you shake them, shimmer with gold, then settle again" which is extremely similar to the Potion of Speed's description (except those shimmer without shaking and don't settle). One of my PCs identified it as a "magic potion that was once a potion of speed but probably does something different now" and... in true PC fashion... drank the potion. Took poison damage and was Slowed for 1 minute. At least then they knew that Potions of Speed become Potions of Slow when rancid, at least in my game.
The magic missile trap idea made my brain race - what if characters came across a wide area with a statue of a wizard. Any time they stepped forward, while still brandishing weapons, the statue would launch magic missiles at them. If they stepped forward without brandishing weapons, no damage. e.g. a trust in magic, instead of a trust in metal - kind of thing. idk - still mulling it over.
some fun ways to use an illusory terrain spell trap. One idea for a simple fun harmless “trap” is a stone which when stepped on casts illusory terrain as the players enter the boss room the spell could be used to make the room appear much larger or even like an outdoor space the perfect epic sett for a boss fight. this same trick to apply to make an trap box using a pit around a corner, the character walks on the trap witch hides the pit before they turn the corner make sure the pit is at least one unit away from the corner so by feeling around the corner they won’t discover it, when they fall in the area in the pit is made to look like a set of mirrors on the walls floor and ceiling.
this same design ca also be used to play a cruel trick on players as well. have a large room full of these traps space evenly on the grid throughout the room their is one door it has no handle on the inside and is level with the walls of the room, when characters enter through the room they will activate one of the spell traps it will make the actual door appear to vanish while a new door appears on the opposite side of the room, no matter where the character steps they will set off one of the illusory terrain traps and the door will always move to be as far as posible from them. They only way to catch the “teleporting doors” it is to have two pc move to start in the center of the center of the room and walk at an equal pace back to back away from one another, then they will reach each other’s door due to the rules of the puzzle. Only then will they figure out the doors are illusory, at witch point they may try to find the initial door however by now they will be lost in the room as it has no majorly discernible features and they cannot see the original door. They will have to slowly and painstakingly feel for it I would say a DC25 as they will have to feel fro the tiny line that is signifying of the original door presence since it is level to the initial door, then and only then does the effect of the illusory terrain spell change making the door seem large wooden and obviously ornate with a nice fancy handle, this is the final cruel jab as the Handel is entirely illusory as the door would be a pull to enter and push to exit. This trick will make your player hate you.
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So I've been wandering around the published books collecting trap ideas, and I was kind of disappointed that D&D Beyond doesn't have a "Homebrew Traps" ability. Therefore, I leave it up to the forums. So friends and foes, please feel free to share your homebrew traps here for other DMs to scavenge and re-purpose. I'll start us off with one of my dooms day plots.
Trap: The "Tar" Pit.
Description: Under dim light the heroes have stumbled through a door to an empty medium sized room, hoping for a rest from the chaos that has befallen them recently. The room looks to function as an antechamber or a side room of some kind with one other exit. Near the top of the walls you notice intricate stone carved crown molding. Each foot of crown molding resembles a different magical creature with its mouth open towards the center of the room. Suddenly black goo begins to seep from two of the mouths. After every three rounds a new small sized (2ftx2ft) black pudding coalesces near a wall. Slowly the room will fill with black pudding if the adventurers can not escape the trap.
Proposed Solution:
Combat - The group might attempt to kill all of the black puddings as they enter the room then clog the spigots, as someone picklocks the escape door.
Magic - The group might attempt to destroy the spigots with magic, however this might result in more black pudding, quicker. However, if they experiment they can learn that black pudding is afraid of fire and will not approach a lit fire, unfortunately the room might quickly run out of air if too much fire is used.
Brute Force - Destroy the door, destroy the walls, destroy the crown molding - turn the dungeon into another episode of HGTV's Dungeons Remodeled.
Unique - If the players have a decent plan it might work, the enemy is time and pudding.
I like simple and straightforward traps for most dungeoneering experiences (whether that's in a dungeon or a non-dungeony environment) - PC interacts with something in some way, it sets something off, something happens, they get a chance to save (usually) and take damage or half damage on a successful save (or no damage in some instances).
Some recent traps I've run... Mind my players were level 17 at this time, your mileage may vary. (MOST of these could have been seen with investigation checks of 15+. (Guess what my players kept failing to do.)
Eye Beam Trap
In a recent dungeon experience, my players were in a labyrinth that had recurring art across the entirety of the inner-labyrinth walls. Occasionally they'd walk past a section and an eye on one of the people would just open up and shoot out a beam, roll to hit vs the PC's AC. Eventually the players started crawling around the entire dungeon to avoid these because there was no way to see these coming. Did... 3d10 on a hit? Maybe more?
Magic Missile Trap
When you really just want to ebb away at your PCs' health a little, especially if they keep FAILING TO LEARN TO CHECK FOR TRAPS AS THEY GO DESPITE THE WHOLE PLACE BEING TRAPPED TO THE TEETH (the labyrinth dungeon mentioned above being what I'm talking about here...), they step on a floor plate and BOOM magic missile. Auto-hits for 3-6d4 (depending on how deep into the labyrinth they were).
Flail Plate Trap
Step on the trap plate, DEX save DC 16, else a big flail cracks into their chest dealing 4d8 bludgeoning damage.
Poison Dart Trap
Tripwire or trap plate. CON save 14+, else 3d6 poison damage. A puff cloud instead of dart works well too.
Spike Floor Tile Trap
Step on a tile, spikes shoot up. DEX save 15+, else 4d4 piercing damage. Pairs well with Poisoning.
I may or may not have a habit of making up the damage as I go along to what seems appropriate. But I can get away with that since my party is high-level.
Another "trap" I set up in this same dungeon was the PCs found some potions that were described as "black, but when you shake them, shimmer with gold, then settle again" which is extremely similar to the Potion of Speed's description (except those shimmer without shaking and don't settle). One of my PCs identified it as a "magic potion that was once a potion of speed but probably does something different now" and... in true PC fashion... drank the potion. Took poison damage and was Slowed for 1 minute. At least then they knew that Potions of Speed become Potions of Slow when rancid, at least in my game.
The magic missile trap idea made my brain race - what if characters came across a wide area with a statue of a wizard. Any time they stepped forward, while still brandishing weapons, the statue would launch magic missiles at them. If they stepped forward without brandishing weapons, no damage. e.g. a trust in magic, instead of a trust in metal - kind of thing. idk - still mulling it over.
some fun ways to use an illusory terrain spell trap.
One idea for a simple fun harmless “trap” is a stone which when stepped on casts illusory terrain as the players enter the boss room the spell could be used to make the room appear much larger or even like an outdoor space the perfect epic sett for a boss fight.
this same trick to apply to make an trap box using a pit around a corner, the character walks on the trap witch hides the pit before they turn the corner make sure the pit is at least one unit away from the corner so by feeling around the corner they won’t discover it, when they fall in the area in the pit is made to look like a set of mirrors on the walls floor and ceiling.
this same design ca also be used to play a cruel trick on players as well. have a large room full of these traps space evenly on the grid throughout the room their is one door it has no handle on the inside and is level with the walls of the room, when characters enter through the room they will activate one of the spell traps it will make the actual door appear to vanish while a new door appears on the opposite side of the room, no matter where the character steps they will set off one of the illusory terrain traps and the door will always move to be as far as posible from them. They only way to catch the “teleporting doors” it is to have two pc move to start in the center of the center of the room and walk at an equal pace back to back away from one another, then they will reach each other’s door due to the rules of the puzzle. Only then will they figure out the doors are illusory, at witch point they may try to find the initial door however by now they will be lost in the room as it has no majorly discernible features and they cannot see the original door. They will have to slowly and painstakingly feel for it I would say a DC25 as they will have to feel fro the tiny line that is signifying of the original door presence since it is level to the initial door, then and only then does the effect of the illusory terrain spell change making the door seem large wooden and obviously ornate with a nice fancy handle, this is the final cruel jab as the Handel is entirely illusory as the door would be a pull to enter and push to exit. This trick will make your player hate you.