I love traps!!!

[TheGameMaster]

I would seriously enjoy hearing about your favourite traps, either ones you experienced, or ones you have sprung on other players.

My favourite trap was a simple but deadly one. In a large room there is a large granite stone hanging form the ceiling by a great chain. Across the room is a lever, and to one side are a large set of doors. So the group not suspecting anything, stand aside of the large granite stone and pull the lever expecting the doors to open. However the large stone does not move, but the ceiling collapses and those failing a dodge take severe damage, and just to spite the group, the doors do not open. they of course open like standard doors, by pushing them open.

This is one a friend of mine pulled on his group:

The group was going through a temple I think and they came to a room where there was no apparent exit and the only thing of interest in this room was a life size female statue. This statue had a perfectly round hole about 2" in diameter. Any normal person might have stuck their dagger or something like that, but no! One of the group decided to stick his manhood inside and all every one hears is "CLICK" fallowed by a brief pause and then the genius who stuck his "Thing" in the statue starts screaming becaues the "CLICK" was the sound the blade made as it came down cutting his manhood off.

Every one just laughed at him. The character's name was Dak, so after that everyone started calling him "Dak the Dickless"

[Goliath Strongarm]

One word, and one word only, is needed when talking about traps. It's a name. A name of the most dasterdly, vile, cruel, psychopathic troll ever to walk any world... and when his name is said, all should tremble in fear, and fall to their knees, kowtowing in the direction of the Sun, for that is where his shadow shall fall...

And his name, my fellows, is...

GRIMTOOTH!

[UR Leader Hobbes]

Grimtoooth is truly a vile master of traps..

Personally I like the reverse traps the best.. One of my own design. Group is in an underground area where there are lots of undead... One party member finds a circle that happens to be circle of protection from undead. Unknown to the players is that the circle is drawn over a slab. When 600 lbs of weight is placed upon the circle a slab of stone in the room falls down upon those in the circle..

[Reagren Wright]

Grimtooth's Traps, Grimtooth Traps Too, and Grimtooth Traps Fore are stables in my games.
I love it when my players fall for the same trap over and over again no matter how many
times they met the trap in different adventures .

[Severus Snape]

I haven't experienced PFRPG yet, but I do have a trap that I love to pull on the greediest of the greedy in AD&D.

Simple room, many obvious exits. Smooth, flat floor. The only thing in the room is a small pool, about 5x5, and approximately 6-8 feet deep. The pool is filled with crystal clear water. At the bottom of the pool is your choice of valuable object - obvious magic item, large diamonds, jewel encrusted weapon, whatever your little heart (or the heart of your greediest pc) desires. No obvious trap, right? Wrong.

As soon as you describe this scene, the greediest player will inevitably dive head first into the pool thinking all is well and the money is all theirs. Too bad they didn't check the pool first, because it happens to be the home of a gelatinous cube that can't get out. (For those of you who don't know, the Gelatinous Cube was Gary Gygax's idea of a sick, twisted joke in AD&D. The thing is completely transparent, save for some shimmering near the corners. It's just this giant, transparent cube that does acid damage to anything it attacks. It has zero intelligence, and wanders through dungeons aimlessly picking up everything on the floor and "eating" any organic material, with non-organic material continuing to be displayed prominently inside of it. Hard to kill to boot. Gygax was HIGH when he devised this beauty.) So said PC dives in head-first after the money. At which point I start rolling dice and tell him that he begins to take X amount of acid damage this round, and then will be slowly digested, with his only hope being the cube dies in the next 3-6 rounds.

Most PCs start laughing at this. Some get mad. And they should all know better than to jump head-first into a pool of water.

[BookWyrm]

I stand with those who reccomend the Grimtooth's Traps books. I have all of them (NOT the D20 conversions, TYVM) and they are truly masterworks of delver doom & destruction. If you can, get all of them from Flying Buffalo or on Ebay.

[TiekoSora]

Back when I was a wee lad (before many of you were born probably) I was running a campaign where the guy playing the paladin in the group would mad rush to the treasure/loot after an encounter and claim the choice bits for himself. He refused to alter his behavior even upon threat of an alignment change or armed confrontation with another PC. Next session I gave zero loot, next session as well. He was getting upset at the lack of loot so I decided to spring my trap the next session.

After hacking their way thru the ruins, and overcoming two tediously difficult obstacles, they still have no loot aside from a handful of coppers. Finally they make their way into the deepest chamber, empty of furnishings save for some shabby rotted hangings on the walls. In the center of the room was a quartz pedastal with a crystal case atop. Inside was a gleaming girdle (big belt). High on the walls were slits cut through the stone and daylight was shining down on the case from four angles.

As if on cue and not waiting for the thief to check for traps or the wizard to detect anything magical, the paladin rushes over, smashes open the case and claims his prize! The group grumbled and moaned as we wrapped up for the night, but I assured them they would be showered with the greatest treasure of all the next session. Fast forward a week, and as the group is reporting to the local lord of the land, a minor landed noble, the paladin was questioned on his behavior by the lord. I told him roll a d20 and tell me the number. High, low, didn't matter. He failed his saving throw versus my supreme will, and immediately lifted his cod and began pleasuring himself.

For several weeks, in a stressful situation - admonished by the bishop? Whip it out - attacked by goblins? Whip it out - the result was the same.

He got the hint, retired the character to a life of monastic living, and rolled a new character who was far less anxious to grab the best loot before all others.

[The Beast]

I don't think that Grimtooth is lethal enough...

[pblackcrow]

This wasn't a trap persay, but a lock. That required a tuning fork in a certain key to open. In temple. On the door was a carving of a 1,000 peddled lotus around the lock, and a word in Sandscript, Aum, Ng, or Ah...Not sure which I used.

He made it past the other 6 doors/elemental gates of his mind...He was being tested to become a healer. He decides to follow his friends advise and knock it down. All around him were sounds making instruments, singing bowl, etc, and he saw a tuning fork in the middle of the room.

[gaby]

I like see new traps.

[Goliath Strongarm]

An old GM of mine used to LOVE using interesting locks... He had several that were based on the color wheel, and on musical notes. The only way you'd be able to get it open is if a character had the appropriate skill (art, music, etc). He'd allow pick locks, but at such a penalty, it was almost guaranteed to fail.

Color wheel went perfect with wards...

He set up each possible combination with wards. When the "wrong" wards got triggered, they set off their effects. Made for a really interesting time. Thats why you should never have a GM who's too into art. Causes pain and death..

[The Beast]

I like see new traps.

I could have sworn that I once read that Grimtooth was finally going to release Traps Tree, but I never seen anything else about it.

[Goliath Strongarm]

I like see new traps.

I could have sworn that I once read that Grimtooth was finally going to release Traps Tree, but I never seen anything else about it.

There was Grimtooths Traps
Traps Too
***********
Traps Fore
Traps Ate
Traps Lite

It has been forbidden by Grimtooth himself to discuss what once occupied the space between Too and Fore. He refuses to talk about it, and threatens to eat anyone who pries...

[Lord Malachdrim]

Of late I've been reading over (and greatly enjoying) "Deadly Trappings" from Kenzer (their book of traps).

[DarkwingDuk]

An unlit torch on the dugeon wall, I put a magnesium core in it above a small clay tube of lamp oil.

The nice things about torches is that they need to be held up at about face level.....

[JuliusCreed]

One little trap I came up with. It consisted of the entry chamber to a reclusive sages tower. The front door opens easilly enough into a 10x10x10 room. On the opposite wall is another door out. Beside it is a statue of a portly man with a jolly look on his face dressed in expensive clothes. In the statue's hands and slung over his back Santa style is a heavy cloth bag with a very heavy weight in it. Taking the bag is easy and in it is a small fortuen of 10 solid gold bricks. beside the door the characters first entered is another statue of a rather gaunt man dressed in rags with its hands raised above its head holding a large bowl. The only other door out will NOT open unless every gold brick is placed in the beggar statue's bowl. Once the last one is in, the arms lower the entry door closes and locks and the exit door unlocks and opens.

[Damian Magecraft]

I like see new traps.

I could have sworn that I once read that Grimtooth was finally going to release Traps Tree, but I never seen anything else about it.

There was Grimtooths Traps
Traps Too
***********
Traps Fore
Traps Ate
Traps Lite

It has been forbidden by Grimtooth himself to discuss what once occupied the space between Too and Fore. He refuses to talk about it, and threatens to eat anyone who pries...

I miss Grimtooths traps...
Any one know if there any still available?

[The Beast]

I like see new traps.

I could have sworn that I once read that Grimtooth was finally going to release Traps Tree, but I never seen anything else about it.

There was Grimtooths Traps
Traps Too
***********
Traps Fore
Traps Ate
Traps Lite

It has been forbidden by Grimtooth himself to discuss what once occupied the space between Too and Fore. He refuses to talk about it, and threatens to eat anyone who pries...

I miss Grimtooths traps...
Any one know if there any still available?

They made a d20 version that contained all the books. IIRC, that was where I had read he'd be releasing Traps Tree.

[Aaryq]

Saw a really basic one once, but it's very effective if you don't make a perception roll. Just like in Vietnam, it's a pit concealed with whatever (leaves, branches, etc). You step in it and you fall. In this case it was a 10' pit with bamboo-like spikes.
That was the first trap I ever encountered playing any RPG. I didn't have any rope with me. The GM looked nearly shocked, "What? You don't have rope?" Ever since then it's been the running joke with my friends in that campaign (and spreading to a lot of people I game with) whenever someone doesn't have rope, someone has to ask why. "You don't have rope? You ALWAYS need rope." "Why?" "Trust me. You just do"
Another trap I saw was not really a trap, more of a villain. When the players enter somewhere they're not supposed to go (the evil wizard's treasure chest, the door to the king's basement, whatever" It summons of creatures kind of like the Lasae as its defender (also used by me once for a botched assassination mission). They are essentially the same thing but modified slightly. They're only 6 inches tall, have a natural AR of 17. Moreover they have many more spikes on them so if you kick them or step on them with an un-armoured foot, they inflict 1D4 SDC. Their attacks only do 1D6 regardless of attack type. They never carry weapons. They have no SDC and only 4 HP. When summoned, they usually appear in groups of 1D4 per adventurer & NPC combatant. Vicious little buggers and even though they only have 4 HP, they're so hard to hit that they cause problems, especially with 1-4th level characters that think they're superman.

[JuliusCreed]

One little trap I came up with. It consisted of the entry chamber to a reclusive sages tower. The front door opens easilly enough into a 10x10x10 room. On the opposite wall is another door out. Beside it is a statue of a portly man with a jolly look on his face dressed in expensive clothes. In the statue's hands and slung over his back Santa style is a heavy cloth bag with a very heavy weight in it. Taking the bag is easy and in it is a small fortuen of 10 solid gold bricks. beside the door the characters first entered is another statue of a rather gaunt man dressed in rags with its hands raised above its head holding a large bowl. The only other door out will NOT open unless every gold brick is placed in the beggar statue's bowl. Once the last one is in, the arms lower the entry door closes and locks and the exit door unlocks and opens.

I like it. More of a puzzle trap then evil and painful. I have nothing original. I use them out of books and even then rarely.

Well, it was a little painful for the Thief... he REALLY wanted to keep the gold bricks

[avenger314]

My father played D&D back in the late 60's and early 70's. He and his party saw a beholder at the end of the corridor. Panicking, the party threw all their best shots at it: The fighters shot their best magic arrows, my dad launched his higheset level spells, the priest used their highest buffs, etc. Turns out it was a little goblin holding a balloon, who laughed at the party for wasting their best stuff, and then ran away.

I think this next trap is ingenious, though I can't take credit for it. There is a small pedestal on top of which sits a single, lit candle. Both the pedestal and candle are encased in unbreakable glass. There are four levers on the outside of the glass. Pulling on one of the levers inflicts 1d4 electrical damage...
...
...
...
...
And that's it.

Seriously--adventuring groups will blow through 75% of their hit points trying to find a 'code' that just plain doesn't exist. The only downside of this trap is that your PCs will forever more ignore any puzzles you throw at them.

This next one I actually did make up. The PCs were in a cave complex. They went into a chamber with no ceiling; they could see sky overhead. The floor was made up of a thin wire mesh that supported their weight easily. A couple feet below the wire mesh, they could see numerous piles of logs that appeared a bit wet and they could smell oil.
What they didn't know was that the complex was a dragon's lair and that this particular room was his barbecue grill. The dragon, flying above them, breathed down on the party. They took fire damage from his breath weapon. Then the logs, soaked in oil, caught fire. They took fire damage from being on top of the flames, plus continuous fire damage from catching fire.

The players almost beat the bejesus out of me that day

[BookWyrm]

Yes, the Grimtooth's Traps books are still available. Check Flying Buffalo's site or on Ebay. GET THE ORIGINALS, not the D20 version.

[The Beast]

Yes, the Grimtooth's Traps books are still available. Check Flying Buffalo's site or on Ebay. GET THE ORIGINALS, not the D20 version.

Seconded.

[Dr. Avery]

One of my all time favorites is a hallway 10' wide by 10' high with a tee or branch or L (doesn't matter) just has to be 20' or 30' foot deep. At the end of the branching corridor is a door of regular size for the dungeon. However, the entire door is made of metal,something hard not gold etc. There are no traps in the hall or on the door, nor are there any wards or circles. The only features on the door are some basic designs and an L shaped turning handle. Anyone turning the handle activates the trap. In the original D&D version it was a wand with delayed blast firfeball in PFFRPG I would use area of effect fire wards, set behind the door which is only 1/4 an inch thick creating, in effect, a giant shrapnell grenade. If the characters survive, the room on the other side is meerely a 5' x 5' closet with nothing in it.

[BookWyrm]

I have only three words for everyone;
The Cranequin Goose. Grimtooth's Traps (one), p.52.

[zyanitevp]

One of my favorites is a Palladium Fantasy trap... the sound room trap on Zy in High Seas.

[Killer Cyborg]

My favorite trap isn't doable in Palladium without house-ruling, but one of my favorites has always been to let a low-level party find a Deck of Many Things. This usually has more of a lethal effect on the PCs than anything beneficial. The kicker is that participating in the trap is completely voluntary, so if they die, the players have no one to blame but themselves.

I don't think I've ever played in a game with a Deck of Many Things, no matter what the game was or the level of the characters, where the entire adventure/campaign wasn't destroyed.

So yeah, that'd do it!

Also, immediately (well, the next day), after hearing a certain infamous adventure recap, I had the players encounter a gazeebo, in a dungeon. The reactions of the players (namely the looks on their faces) were priceless. Of course, the thing was entirely normal and not extraordinary in any way (except being in a room 30 feet underground).

Nice.

[JuliusCreed]

While not Palladium Fantasy, anyone with the TMNT Adventures book has access to 10 of the most devious and deadly traps I've ever encountered. Heck, they are even listed as DEATH TRAPS! No Saving Throws, no Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, no special GM consideration... either solve the puzzle or DIE! Period. I ran a group through that adventure once. 7 went in. 3 came out. Highly reccommended.

[The Beast]

My favorite trap isn't doable in Palladium without house-ruling, but one of my favorites has always been to let a low-level party find a Deck of Many Things. This usually has more of a lethal effect on the PCs than anything beneficial. The kicker is that participating in the trap is completely voluntary, so if they die, the players have no one to blame but themselves.

The only time I ever got to use one was when I was in Korea and joined a group that had just got one. The DM misread how to use it and was letting the team pick cards until they were done picking or ran out of cards. The players were in a bar picking cards, and were going around the bar letting NPCs pick as well, in an attempt to get the NPCs to pick the bad cards. They offered me a chance to pick, and I did, since I had nothing to lose (1st level PC and all). I ended up getting a card that raised my primary stat by 4 points. My PC was a mage, and I already had gotten lucky and had an 18 INT. IIRC the new score gave me four languages, and a bunch more spells than a regular 1st level PC would start with, so I was pretty happy.

The next guy to pick had already picked twice, one of which was a Wish card for use at any time. He decided to let a couple NPCs pick a card to flush out the bad card sure to come after my card. 1st one got an ok card, 2nd got a not-so-good card. So he then takes a card and gets one that sends his soul to Hell (or something like that). He then spends the next five minutes trying to word his Wish to reverse the bad card. When he does, the DM rules that no one picked anything from the deck, so all changes were reversed. A couple of the other players were ticked, as was I, because I had spent the time figuring out what all I wanted with my PC and making the changes. Anyway, a few of us decide the risk could be worth the reward, so we start drawing again, and I end up getting my card again. And then the game stagnated before dying off about some reason, so I never really got to use the PC.

While not Palladium Fantasy, anyone with the TMNT Adventures book has access to 10 of the most devious and deadly traps I've ever encountered. Heck, they are even listed as DEATH TRAPS! No Saving Throws, no Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, no special GM consideration... either solve the puzzle or DIE! Period. I ran a group through that adventure once. 7 went in. 3 came out. Highly reccommended.

I forgot I have that book.

[Specter]

I had a trap I was proud of that involved a large circular room with a very dangerous beast chained to the ceiling. Killing the beast causes it's weight to drop closing the gates to the exits in the room. And then some time sensitive traps are triggered. The only way to successfully pass the trap without dealing with the aftermath is to just walk around the edges of the room and go out the other side.

[Justthis Guy]

Try this trap . .
Party member(s) trigger a pit door and fall several feet (at least 10) to a surprisingly soft landing. The fall has been broken by the thick layer of some powdery stuff on the floor. Did I mention that it is completely dark? For whatever reason torches or lanterns are extinguished when the pit is triggered. so Now they are in the dark . . . strike the flint and steel to light the fresh torch . . . KABOOM! all the dust stirred up by the falling bodies ignites into a an impressive but brief fireball on non magical origin. hehehehehe