How to Design & Run Traps in Dungeons & Dragons

[@theDMLair]

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[@cermence3931]

2:25 Why use Traps? 3:52 Why is X Trap needed? + Types 5:37 Mechanical Details (Triggers, effects, location) 8:28 Running the Trap (Click Rule) 11:11 Obvious Traps 12:39 Trapception (Trap within a Trap) 14:40 Countermeasures 16:15 Passive Mechanics 17:32 Complex Traps

[@aidanoconnell5664]

Thank you for Thumb nailing this!

[@RachDarastrix2]

DM: "You then encounter a complex trap! ... First it does this, and then it does that, and then it does this thing, then finally! ..." Party: "We already walked away." DM: "Hmpth! I knew I should have used primitive traps!"

[@galtopel2140]

traps can also be natural occurring: cricking board when they try to sneak, fallen log covered with leaves in a chase scene, lose bolder on a cave wall...

[@minnion2871]

A slide that comes out of the side of a cliff with a rope swing for the first person who goes down it to swing across the chasm to safety.... while pursuers fall into the pit unless the first one through returns the rope... Hanging chains that obscure the players view of hanging bear traps, that can be bypassed entirely by crawling under it.... (Where the Kobolds can attack them while they are prone.... Or gain cover from the players if they try to fight standing up.... ) A hanging chain in a pit that retracts into the ceiling which is covered in spikes.... There are spikes below too.... Combined with a portcullus for the upper level of the pit/shaft the chain....

[@tylerthorstrom4100]

I am wondering how entertaining the Indiana Jones movies would be if all of the characters found and disabled all of the traps and none of them ever went off. I give my players the ability to predict and disable traps, but I always want them to go off because it’s usually more entertaining for everyone. Assuming it’s a well designed trap.

[@nvfury13]

Remember, not all traps need a physical or player tripped trigger; some don’t even need to be “traps”. They might just be from degradation of the ruins they are in (rockfall or pit), or a plant covered sinkhole, or quicksand. For non-physical triggers, you might have a standard magical trap or a normal trap triggered by magic if a character is in position. Extra fun if it is *like* a standard trap, but has magical elements; such as using Portable Holes as pit traps where a normal pit trap wouldn’t work, wands instead of arrow/dart launchers in those walls behind those holes (for extra evil, wands of Magic Missile, so they can’t miss). For non-player triggered traps, you have magical or mundane means of viewing the area, and triggers elsewhere, so minions or the boss of the place can trigger them themselves.

[@chrisg8989]

I am building a Ruined Mage Tower Dungeon for my game, and there is a trap room that is a giant pit which is disguised as a large pool with a powerful Illusion spell. Careful examination will reveal the trap. Otherwise, approaching too close to it or jumping in will result in a fall. (Dex save if they approach cautiously.) Additionally, while falling, there are glyphs along the walls of the pit, which are infused with counter Spell (targeting slow/fly spells) and Hold Person spells (targeting naturally flying or decending via rope characters) The fall isn't fatal unless Max Damage is rolled for the fall, but it will definitely hurt. There are many ways for the players to overcome the trap, but it is definitely devious. Oh, and there is a Roper waiting at the bottom of the trap, that has been feeding off of any unfortunate adventurers that have fallen into the Pit over the years. Should be fun!

[@SilverFoxR]

I remember running a module with friends (probably the last game I ever played) at an early level. Playing a Rogue (Arcane Trickster, though I think we were lv 1 for this), I was going full into the "professional infiltrator" persona, so I'd actively check for traps at every door, hall and so-on. I think the one time I forgot, I fell into a pitfall trap that was designed to capture, not kill. The trap was a floor panel that fell under something's weight and then flipped back up after. After having my party haul my embarrassed Rogue out, we kept going, though not before I marked the trap so that wouldn't happen again. Shortly after, we got to a location and discovered some giant rats. We were trying to figure out how to handle them, when I just smirked and said "I got this." and told them to hide. I then stepped out, made a lot of noise and alerted the rats' attention as I ran back up the hallway with my party (and DM) puzzled. I then tell the DM that I hop over the trap (easily passed my check), turned around and drew my short sword to draw them in. Sure enough, the rats both ran into melee... and fell into the pit. I then easily stepped over the trap and returned to the party with a "...and that's how it's done."

[@TalonSilvercloud]

I like traps which: A-The enemies can trigger. B-The players can trigger. C-They telegraph their actions. D-Once triggered, will do something continuously, so it becomes an obstacle to interact with (avoid or utilize) for an entire combat. E-All of the above.

[@crpgdungeonsdragonsnight]

Had a DM that would put traps in the most unheard-of places. Examples: -In the Tavern while everyone is having a drink. -In your beds in the inn. -in a public street where hundreds of innocent bystanders are also walking. -In the King's throne room while he's hiring you -in the saddle of your personally owned horse. -in the door of a local shop during open hours -a secondary trap if the first one was discovered and made safe. -a third trap in case the second one didn't work. -in the body of an orc you just slew. -in the treasure you're divvying out between the party. -a chair your host invited you to sit in in his house (it blows up the whole house by the way). and many, many others.

[@victor7wy]

...and many more? I hope these were just joke traps that tickle you, or throw confetti at you or just make fart noises. How does any game proceed through the story when traps can be anywhere with no rhyme or reason?

[@crpgdungeonsdragonsnight]

@@victor7wy his explanation was he wanted to keep us on our toes. We were on our first session and kept throwing trap after trap after trap and yes, he used every single one of the traps I listed. We were so sick of it we didn't bother for a session 2.

[@victor7wy]

Well this ex DM of yours certainly proves Luke's point - traps are set in the world by someone, and for a reason. Neither seems to have been considered at all if there's traps on the chair in the house of your host that blows up the host's house! That's definitely the DM playing house and setting up whoopie cushions, but also scaling up the trap response to ridiculous proportions! My goodness 😢

[@crpgdungeonsdragonsnight]

@@victor7wy 🤣🤣🤣

[@Subject_Keter]

Man thought he was playing Yugioh! 😂 Doe this one old story i saw where the police had to detrap a house that had like 30 traps on a note is golden.

[@orokusaki1243]

Don't forget, in addition to environmental traps, there are also strategic and tactical *social* traps. Forcing a group to commit to one thing may block them from all other things, perhaps at great expense or loss of resources.

[@theyellingfish1643]

I was just about to make a dungeon for my parties next session and this will help me so much. Thank you!

[@timothyyoung691]

being biased against "non bacon eaters" sounds dangerously close to walking through tall german grass

[@Guywithaname199]

I'm running my first D&D campain and this is super helpfull for me. Thanks👍

[@EmilyMemily-it3xp]

10 vegetarian sausages. I had 10 vegetarian sausages for breakfast. Gotta treasure tasty protein when it comes up!

[@orokusaki1243]

Traps are to defend a location, or to acquire a food source. Kobolds will totally make traps out of everything and anything at hand, and throughout the day because they are small and fearful little monsters, who take glee in such activities.

[@amyloriley]

Last session I added some teleportation traps in a fight with elves. So the elves were baddies, and they had a hideout with a balcony at a second floor to shoot arrows down to the first floor. Triggers were hidden, invisible, and consisted of random tiles on the floor, touching a particular book on the bookcase, touching a specific brick at a fireplace, ... The elves knew where they are, but the players needed to roll saving throws to not accidentally trigger the trap. This as an abstraction, so I don't have to remember myself which specific tile it was that triggered it. Roll high and you trigger the trap. The trap itself teleported you upstairs to the balcony. That's it. No damage, nothing. As part of their combat tactic, they stood next to the trap trigger, activating it themselves when in danger and teleporting away to the balcony. From there, they could safely shoot arrows to the players downstairs. Players, of course, if they found out about what the traps did, could use it to their own advantage. And teleport themselves upstairs where the teleported elves were. This was based on using the kobolds as enemies before deciding on using elves. Kobolds are known for their hit-and-run tactics, this is just a fancy-pants version of the same thing. At one iteration, I wanted to have all the elves have Misty Step to do the same thing. But in the end, I decided on magic teleport traps instead, so the players could abuse them and look smart doing so.

[@jonathannelson103]

As a DM I have used auto detection of traps but only for thieves. It gives their players a little more relevance to the game and it's realistic. I'll tell them that something looks odd or that they hear a barely audible click as they begin opening the chest.

[@besteger]

I like the niche protection, but it seems unfair to the “Half-Rogues” such Rangers, Artificers or Bards. Maybe gatekeep it behind Proficiency in Investigation or Thieves’ Tools instead?

[@sleepinggiant4062]

While I like the click concept, you can't have 5 players quickly tell you what they do fairly. Once you start with one player, they are at a huge disadvantage, as they are the only ones caught by surprise, while the rest have several moments to decide what to do. Maybe if you handed out slips of paper, then said click and said, ok, you have 10 seconds to write down what you do and hand it back to me. Electrocuted to death, lol. Wholeheartedly agree. No risk, little reward. I do tend to avoid death from failing one roll though.

[@nicholascarter9158]

I'm not sure this is the right meaning of fair for the kind of gameplay Luke encourages. Although also, normally all five players aren't targeted by the same trap.

[@sleepinggiant4062]

@@nicholascarter9158 - What's the right meaning of fair? Fair enough. Targeted or not, anyone near the trap should get the opportunity to react.

[@rainingtacos7529]

I might try this idea in my own game to see how it works.

[@GameMasterDude230]

Luke this was a great video on using traps. It takes away from the boring use of them. And ads some variety of ways that the DM can apply them and run them. I know there is some discussion on how people would need to state what they are doing quickly. But that in essence draws them into if it actually was happening and bring in great RP too. Now for those that would say it’s unfair to those that don’t think as quickly on their feet you could still come back to them after they have seen what everyone else is doing for an answer and maybe adjust their outcome as appropriate. But this places the player in the game filled with tension. My hat is off to you on this one. Each of us can make it work in our respective games. Love your content keep it coming!

[@rkmh9342]

Fun video! Here's some advice I have always appreciated. 1. Conceptualize traps as an encounter. 2. Set up traps using a story-based flowchart. 3. Come up with a couple of ways the PCs could make the trap encounter easier and likewise for increased difficulty. 1a. All encounters should be judged based on how players' agency is maximized. This means I should provide context wrt how different options will likely play out. Whether or not the players interpret the context correctly is the whole point. 1b. If traps are not lethal but deal damage, why would the NPC setting the trap do so? If I do not want a lethal trap, I make the trap a capture trap. 1c. If my combat encounters are balanced, I make my traps just as balanced. While the trap is lethal, the expected result (i.e., damage multiplied by the chance of it succeeding) should be the same as a combat encounter. This means the chance of a lethal trap hitting a PC should be around 15% to 25% at lower levels. If I use a poisoned mechanic, the chance can be as high as 50%, given resistance rolls or saves will factor into assessing balance. In games where there are debilitating wounds, I treat these as if they are lethal in terms of expected results. Having a debilitating trap succeed will likely force the PCs into a retreat and possibly end the session. 2a. Traps are like minions of the trap-setter. The minion is given orders and goes out to get the job done. There is no reason not to expect trap malfunctions from age and environmental changes. I think of all the ways that a trap set by an expert trapper could nonetheless have troubles to overcome to succeed. This provides a basis for a similar "click" event from the video. Pressure plates could have a small stone roll under the mechanism and if the PCs make a mistake, it slides out and the trap goes off. While this context may never make its way into your players' hands, it helps provide a scaffolding for me to tell a story about the trap. 3a. Always sell a 10ft steel pole at your stores. Whether or not my players use my ideas to make a trap encounter easier or accidentally make it more difficult, having some ideas jotted down helps me improvise. If I am using poisons, I like having herbal remedies back a few rooms. If the PCs did not harvest the herbs before, this ramps up the tension but provides clear options. If I do not want to offer this information up when the PCs fail to be prepared, I can ask for, or make a relevant check. I will even offer the information with a failed check but provide some confounding distortion, e.g., give the wrong colour or gill type in the description, so the PCs have to make a more difficult check under extreme duress. Finally, I really like making trap encounters extremely rewarding, beyond just surviving. If there is a trapped chest, I like having a dead body slumped over it with a small treasure bag. If I have already used that trope, I can use signs that a body has been dragged away. Providing this information goes back to maximizing the context of players' options. While information is valuable, I am always generous with this commodity. If I want to make things mysterious, I introduce clues in an order that will likely lead to false interpretations, unless the players roll extremely well, make excellent choices or deduce what is going on intuitively. This way the players have all the information and no one to blame but themselves for jumping to conclusions.

[@victoryspath4116]

@@rkmh9342 Great suggestions! I also wanted to point out that traps could not just kill or capture, but also be meant to scare someone away Think of a car alarm or house alarm in this case. Sure it will eventually alert attention, but mostly is meant to make someone feel as though they've been caught and then hesitate to proceed. Or a trap might be used as a "warning", like an electric fence type thing. It's not meant to kill or maim, just say "don't come in here". That's just some food for thought. I think you have a great point though regarding "what is the purpose of the trap and who set it?" Because yeah, if it just does a little damage before the players move on, what was the point of that anyway?... I suppose maybe it was meant to kill a rat or raccoon or something trying to break into the lair? 😆 And hey, maybe that's another idea, a trap that wasn't intended with you in mind!

[@cdknightes]

I tried the "click rule" during this week's session. I was curious to see how it would go, and I really like it. I enjoyed that it made the trap more of an experience, rather than "oh, you fall in a pit, take 8 damage" lol It made it more of a narrative and gave the characters a chance to respond and roleplay as...well, they ended up falling in the pit anyway because they failed DEX saves, but at least it became a story and was interesting.

[@JamesHazlerig]

One of your best videos so far, imho. I first encountered the "You hear a click. What do you do?" approach in the Ars Magica 5 supplement Lands of the Nile in the chapter on exploring Egyptian tombs.

[@alexj1989]

I had a hobgoblin enemy that loved traps and tinkering so she put traps everywhere just for fun. 😃

[@douglasdingler9405]

While traps that test the thief is good, let's also use alternate forms as well. Such traps might be working off of the strength, magic ability, speed, various skills, along with many other possible options. These traps would bring in strong roleplay opportunity for other characters as well.

[@CappuccinoSquid]

Proposed alternative to the real time click rule: When the trap's set off, roll initiative, with the trap going off at initiative 10, 15, or 20 for easy, medium, or hard (player characters beat ties unless their Dex modifier's negative). This also gives more value to subclasses that can do things like pick a lock or disarm a trap as a bonus action, giving them two attempts in that six second window instead of one.

[@CappuccinoSquid]

Also, use passive investigation and perception if players aren't actively searching but you know they're quite proficient in those skills. If their modifier + 10 can beat the Trap/Hazard DC, it's reasonable that they'd be able to spot it at a glance.

[@timreynolds4785]

I'm fairly certain that kobolds are the only beings in existence that would, in fact, just decide to make traps just out of boredom.

[@Chris-fn4df]

Traps are a resource consumer. Time is a resource. Someone on their tail? _Search the area or run through it pell-mell: if you search the area, your pursuers gain ground._ I don't need to tell them the consequences of not searching the area, it will eventually be demonstrated when it makes sense to do so. After that, they will search and waste time when the situation comes up. Eventually they stop. Eventually it happens again. They complain. I explain: _the first time that happened, you were running out of a subterranean entrance you didn't clear on the way in, since you came in through the second floor. The second time it happened, you were running through the borderlands of two peoples who frequently war with each other._ Then the players get it. Or, just deplete the minutes on their buffs as they clear through the roof. Give them descriptions of rooms, but have a list of key phrases to toss in that hint at the presence of traps. Don't worry if they don't get it the first few times, let them discover it on their own. But also don't be afraid to calmly explain and de-escalate when they complain. You know they aren't hanging on every word, but the knowledge that sometimes, those words really matter... that pushes them in that direction. Then they start to figure you out, and you as a storyteller have to adjust and expand your descriptions from that d6 rollable table, to eventually being one you have to keep track and roll with a spreadsheet.

[@HoffaFett]

I love this! I've never understood " I check for traps". What does that even mean?

[@breyor1]

@@HoffaFett it’s short hand for a series of game actions. Looking for incongruity, discolormemt, tapping the floor and door with a 10ft pole. Etc..

[@HoffaFett]

@@breyor1 I know, but it's lazy and uninventive IMO. Tell me what you're doing to check for what. "checking for traps" is a vastly oblverused umbrella term that shortcuts role playing

[@Subject_Keter]

Considering a trap can be anything? Imagine if you had some fiend make a trap like in the first cube money that almost slices the crazy guy. How would you check something like that and not instant die.

[@ThomasFitch]

I love using traps as a failing forward mechanic. Something that can get progressively worse over time, but gives multiple opportunities to escape from. For instance, I made a trap on a ship that opened a trap door straight to the water beneath them, while simultaneously hitting them with a petrifying mist. Aka, they get turned into a dense statue as they fall into the water, and eventually sleep with the fishes. In combat, this created a situation where that player needed to make multiple checks/saves over their turns in a combat to avoid slowly being petrified, as well as get back to the battle. There were a lot of options for how the party could go about the situation. Do other players help them out? Do they spend a turn to use the petrification cures they found earlier? Or do they let the player make a few saves first and see if they can get out on their own?

[@michaelmuirhead910]

This is the kind of content I come here for. Great stuff! I’m all about finding better ways to make every part of the games fun. Thanks Luke!

[@Clem68W]

Not really a life hack but I categorize traps as lethal or not that lethal. Non lethal traps usually do some stat damage (con, dex, what have you) and lethal traps you save for half your max HP. So they scale. Like, the Indiana Jones style traps don't care what level you are. That boulder is about to flatten you. Otherwise, quicksand or simple punjee stakes will 'slow down' an enemy by sapping one of their stats.

[@kel8923]

Hey, my daughter stopped eating bacon for a while. I support and love my kids.......but that was rough. Glad she returned to the logic of bacon eating.

[@Subject_Keter]

I think the best trap is forcing someone to make a terrible choice. Like you can disarm their trap but it has a memetic effect to make your guy be stunned seeing girls in platemail (increasing stun chance the more you disable it) Or a counter trap that hits WAY harder if you disable a minor trap. Or a trap that requires xp or something hard earned to disable. Get the nogging joggin.

[@jongrandboy4294]

I think Luke should reconsider that, by definition, a trap is a gotcha moment. It's literally called a trap.

[@christianresel8051]

yea if your DM to long you think "trap stoopid, trap need to do something outside of its purpose". I disagree on that too, but it sounds fun that you have to beat those 10 goblins to actualy get to the trigger to disable the wall that will squish you all in the next 4 turns. Even thou, i prefer "trap is there, we miss it, it hurts us or outright kills us"(There are some nasty ones... they can send you per teleportation to a room with no real escape safe killing a meter thick wall and if not fast enogh you die of suffocating.

[@BattleOfShaiya]

Hello! I was just wondering if by chance you have any plans to make any of your Lairs content available on roll 20 aswell? Thanks!

[@Wanderinpaladin]

I'm a long time DM and my kobolds are modeled after Tucker's Kobolds. If my players are say, going into a white dragon lair that is guarded by a clan of Kobolds even if the party is 10th level they move slowly and cautiously because even though the Highest level kobold is CR 1 the traps are not. Now in the above description I had a lot of standard "falling block" or "spiked pit" traps, but the one that my group still talks about years later was the final one. After bypassing normal traps some standard some gleaned from the internet they encountered a long hallway that was about 300 feet long. The party was following 50 feet behind the rogue as he checked for traps. Halfway down the hallway the Kobold Chief stepped into view at the end of the hallway and he swung a maul at a pillar shattering it. It caused a chain reaction that caused blocks of ice to slam down on the ends of the hallway and at the same time opened up a reservoir of salt water that was around 30° F. The hallway started filling with water and they had to figure out a way to get out before they freeze/drown. They shattered the far wall where the chief was and got out, the draining water continued to drain but there was a grate system on the other side. This slowed the party enough so the Kobolds could escape. This did expend some of their resources but they rushed to fight the dragon before their potions of cold resist wore off.

[@linus52]

I am curious about the rune pendants you wear. They look familiar to me (the shape, and the chord holding them). I have a similar one.

[@FoxxTrick]

Thank you for covering. So thoughtfully. Traps should not stop the adventure but notify of danger ahead.

[@Danny191]

"Modern day traps shouldn't kill players" Matt Mercer: I understand the council has made a decision, but seeing as I think it's a stupid ass decision I have decided to Ignore it *Splatters one player 5 minutes in and then disintergrates another*

[@Clem68W]

Modern traps don't kill you if you're like, in orbit, I suppose. Wait...astronauts 'trapped' in space. Nvm.

[@Mastikator]

Based.

[@Subject_Keter]

Just trap the DM chair. Based 😂

[@minnion2871]

"Modern day traps shouldn't kill players" Well yeah, it's their characters that should be dying, not the players themselves.... (Though if we're talking about the player characters.... Well most dungeons weren't exactly built in modern times with modern traps now were they ? Though it would be kind of fun to see a hallway littered with obvious bear traps only for it to turn out to be a distraction from the decapitation traps the dwarfs built.... Turns out the Kobolds figured that if the players attention was on the ground they would be more likely to get their heads chopped off by the scythe blades that pop out of the walls.... Anyone ever see Indiana Jones and the last Crusade? Fighting Kobolds in a hallway with blades that cut off your head if you stand up would be kind of a nightmare....

[@DrenDor100]

Just having my pancakes with bacon, apple and banana in them, and maple syrup on them!

[@jierdareisa4313]

I love ALL the DM Lair videos!!!! ❤

[@mrozzdude]

I once ran a gravity trap triggered by stepping stones The room was basic but a lot of the things in there were warped downwards Th trap would trigger if they stepped on the wrong pressure plate They were encumbered in the room so could not jump When triggered they were over encumbered and could not move If a 2nd trigger happened they were prone as well as others in the room Any further would be Nd6 force damage N being the number of times triggered since being forced prone. New people in the room wouldn't be effected unless they trigger it too

[@neverforged]

I recommend looking up Grimtooth traps for better dnd traps.

[@Marrissis]

Had a hideout for a band of halfling criminals. They had a tunnel system in the floor if their hideout with hidden entries, basically functioning as pit traps. I onboarded the players by making a few very obvious entries to these tunnels in the hallway leading up to the entry of the hideout. While this part of the tunnels was originally intended to be connected to the rest of the hideout, a cave in had prevented all access. This allowed the players to explore this trap safely. Which they didn't 😅

[@jacobmonroe3899]

Cheese is better than bacon. That’s right. I said it.

[@WiscoDice_Conesy]

Bacon is the best! Bacon is not a trap. Though if I were to design a trap for Luke, it would definitely involve bacon.

[@StarForest11]

Can you explain what you mean by initiative 10/20 for certain effects? Like the whirling blades only happen if I or the players roll that number exactly?

[@StarForest11]

Ps thank you for the content!!

[@jeffpkessler]

I do not like passive detection much myself, however I am going to change things up a bit. For each player, when I roll a die and find that they detected something, I am going to play a sound. I take this a their intuition telling them something is up. It is then up to them to 1) notice that their sound was played. and 2) do a more detailed check. They can ignore their intuition at their peril. This is a house rule I've thought of and will present to my players. If they all agree, it is implemented.

[@ts8744]

The thing I have a hard time with are touch based traps. I had a situation with cursed gold. After a perception roll, I said, "you see 10 gold coins half buried in the sand." The player that passed the perception to see the gold immediately starts to add 10 gp to his inventory. I say, "okay, so you picked up the coins." I get back, "oh, no, I didn't touch the gold. I wouldn't touch sketchy gold." I didn't argue and the players just moved on. Maybe I could have said, "as you pick up the gold you feel a small static shock, what do you do." ie: click

[@morty2chipking656]

Favorite trap I've run so far was a small explosive on a trip wire, on a set of thin stairs going around the outside of an incredibly tall tower, the stairs around the trap were greased, to increase the difficulty of potentially disarming it, while also giving them the chance to do so. The parties rogue rolled terribly, setting of the trap, blowing himself and the druid off the stairs and into a freefall. They each had one round to figure out what to do, as they were falling ~700 ft to the city below. Made for an interesting situation, helped the tower feel larger in scale, as well as building tension for the encounter at the top of the tower.

[@morty2chipking656]

My other favorite ive run, set of stairs descending down into a room with a lone chest, (causing players to think mimic), describe stranger layers of discoloration on the stone walls (players think its a water trap of some sort), perception check on the walls reveals a lot of small cylindrical holes in the walls (players continue to think its a water trap), players reach the bottom of the room, walk towards the chest, its locked, and they start picking. And it was a mimic. After defeating the mimic, players breathed a sigh of relief, after looting the mimic (removing some weight) they heard a series of loud clicks, before the stairs rescinded, and the room began filling with tar, forcing them to overcome a significant amount of vertical distance to get to the exit before suffocating.

[@AbstractStew]

A wizard might not necessarily make magic traps. If they are trying to defend against other wizards, they might have mundane traps constructed, because enemy wizards can detect magical traps.

[@CraigRamsdell]

Be sure that the level above has a space for the stone slab to slide down to the level below, or on the same level from the side. Make space for any mechanical features.

[@noahturner9515]

Thanks for the video! I’m a first time DM and I’m about to run traps, so this was super useful!

[@jma3974]

Joining others on the "I like the click rule" and will incorporate with some upcoming adventures.

[@Hanz345]

What a great video! I am running a game this week that has a lot of traps and I was worried it was just going to be a boring game. Traps are like the main obstacle during the session. This is going to help a lot. Thanks! Also I had a sausage and egg sandwich. Sorry no bacon. But I still do love it.

[@Lilmookie1672]

This was an amazing video helped me so much!!

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

I definitely think a trap should have as much player and party involvement s a combat encounter would.

[@NoahWei42]

bro has the entire Wheel of Time series on his shelf 💙💙💙

[@Zeamkub]

I run a game for 6 people, and they have fun with everything from Role-Play Travelling to Combat. The problem is scheduled issues. And my game nerver have meaningful traps even once... Love this video. I will try it out 😆

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

Of traps kill characters, their remains should await the next of their adventurers

[@billmartovich9009]

I present: The Training Trap! Party infiltrates Kobold Cave System. They easily defeat the guards they catch unaware on "guard duty" but bump into a squirrelly Kobold around the corner. It runs into a wall, bouncing off and shaking it's head, rubbing it's snout, before scrambling across the room, taking a nonsensical senic tour on it's way deeper to potentially warn of intruders. (Players can try to catch, combat, or interfere with the Kobold, and they should gain advantage on any attempts) Players are free to proceed across the room, but if they do not follow the path the Kobold took (or was attempting to take) sets off trap doors in the floor. The first just dumps 10 feet into a hole, the 2nd into a hole filled partially with water, and each subsequent hole with greater and greater consequences for falling in. Players can make rolls to remember how the Kobold ran thus bypassing the pits. If the party caught the Kobold, they can attempt to get the info out of the Kobold, with higher and higher DCs each time they try again for the correct route. If the Kobold was eliminated, the party is just going to have to try to come up with an idea to avoid taking the brunt of the traps they trigger, for example, tying off to the rest of the party, so when the lead falls in a hole, the rest of the group catches and pulls them to safety.

[@SoraPierce]

Most monsters don't make traps for kicks, then there's Acererak. I'm of the opinion he runs his own trap delivery process.

[@samtimo3002]

I feel like interesting traps like you step on a preasure plate and then stone golems come out or it changes the path up ahead

[@minnion2871]

Or another Kobold one, a room with several carpets and rugs laying out on the floor. (There are pit traps hidden under every carpet, with tripwires that sound an alarm bell attached to each one so that if someone tries to peek under a carpet it alerts the Kobolds, who can then start shooting arrows at the players...) Maybe combine this with chains hanging from the ceiling that obscures their view if they try to walk through this room normally, with random bear traps hanging among the chains... Mix in some more Kobolds trying to shove or trip them....

[@fhuber7507]

Rambo in the woods... exactly what is different about those traps vs "You failed to find it, here's your punishment?" All movie traps... You failed to find it. Here's damage .... or run for your life to prevent getting squashed by a 50 ton stone ball. Traps are meant to punish or confine intruders. PUNISH. If it's a puzzle, it's a trap that is avoided by those who know the answer. It's assumed only those allowed to enter know the answer.

[@melsky]

They have Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavored bacon now

[@meredithsalt8397]

I had a PC that used traps as a weapon. His trap was to make the taller races easier to fight.

[@besteger]

My favorite trap is the simplest: a lookout.

[@sw33n3yto00]

Donuts. Maple bacon donuts.

[@darksider111]

Had a Trap room the room is empty except a circle on the floor in the center of the room, the door they entered through closed, on the wall above the door was a sign "for you to escape this room someone must be sacrificed to the circle for you to leave" "sacrifice will set you free" (if they had investigated they would have seen the word SELF lightly inscribed into the sign, but no one investigated it - so its on their heads), well an argument broke out and they finally forced the fighter in to the Circle (trap) to sacrifice themselves, the door opens and nothing happens to the fighter (as the Dm) i asked the fighter to leave the room with me, we started talking and convinced him (in game only) that the group did not value him and convinced his character to become a minor villain (if he had wanted i could say that the trap changed their characters alignment to chaotic neutral but he said no), so they had a hoot screwing with the party and thing breaking "accidentally" and other malicious happenings befalling the party , and when they finally figured it out, (the player in character) "you tried to sacrifice me so i then knew my worth to you" - yes a trap that was (tecnically) not a trap as conventional trap but a psychological weapon designed to screw with their heads - - - Yes i was probably the asshole, but i did say to the player that they could have been cursed if they want wanted too

[@darksider111]

Oh and how i would do the malicious stuff, as the dm i would have the players leave the room one at a time an sort of waste time or tell tell them that some of the other players characters were planning things that did not involve them not mentioning the "evil Player", and plan what the now evil player wanted to do to the other players to screw with them, when they finally put the pieces together they were amazed and loved the clever play, though they said it was evil and never do that again

[@mythrilsentinel1]

PC: "But... but... my Passive Perception is 25. I don't need to search for traps to notice them!" DM: Make a save, please... PC: "Sure. Can I have advantage?" DM: Why? PC: "Because of my high passive perception---" DM:HA! -- PC: "And this half-pound BLT sammich, with a one-inch-square of lettuce and a parchment-thin slice of cherry tomato?" DM: Your argument has merit. I have decided you gain advantage on your save (munch, crunch) 😁

[@douglasburck1611]

One of my favourite traps does no damage, it just pops out of the wall and presents a sign that reads This is a booby trap, remit 5cps and leave or forfeit your boobies! It's not a serious trap, just a wake up call.

[@kaycullen5721]

Hahaha currently eating breakfast- oatmeal with collagen cinnamon blueberries and coconut yogurt 😅 but tomorrow is Sunday, bacon day!!!

[@abrahamsorby8193]

I remember running into a gas statue trap in the Barrow mounds. I tied a 50 ft rope to it and dragged it off the wall with a mule , and then threw some fire in there 😂😂. It was epic!!

[@LordDany]

Had a while back a log trap on the den of a giant The string could easly be seen Yet the barbarian ran forward still 😂

[@adamm5141]

I did have a bacon sandwich for breakfast today, so that makes me cool.

[@sterlinggecko3269]

when the Rogue sets his character up to automatically take 10 and autoroll when he's close to a trap, it's actually really fun when his boosted take 10 falls 1 point short, and the next 3 traps go off in his face. then he starts actually rolling, so I have a few fake rolls just to keep him on his toes.

[@JustaRookontheboard]

I Loved this trap! I'm the player that hunkered down. Spoiler alert...my character didn't make it lol, but it was probably the most satisfying character death I've ever experienced. It was so cool to meet Luke and play in that One-Shot!

[@LastNameTom]

I do speed traps. As in, when a trap is sprung, the players have 3 seconds to roll a d20. if they dont, they get a minus 2. Anyone who makes the roll in time gets a plus 2.

[@omikun17]

I love bacon but if someone else doesn't that's their loss. if they're not giving me grief over eating bacon I'm not going to give them grief for not eating it.

[@bodypiercingbytom]

Forever DM/GM/Referee for 40 yrs, here... Most of my traps inflict heavy damage, destroy gear and rations, or can result in a TPK... That being said, most of them are VERY OBVIOUSLY traps. Some of them can be deactivated or disabled, but because of their design, many cannot because the mechanics are inaccessible... "I roll to check for traps..." "No roll necessary; the cylindrical, glass tank of translucent green, bubbling liquid with the key suspended inside is obviously a trap of some kind... You can tell by the way the vapors make your eyes and sinuses feel, this is a tank (maybe 150 gallons), of STRONG acid..." That tank is designed to explode when the key is lifted beyond the half-way point... this results in potentially 4 rounds of damage beginning with a d12, and ending with a d6.. Save for half each round, or quickly strip off affected clothing and armor. The acid has no effect on magic items, but instantly destroys FLESH, normal cloth, wood, paper, and leather materials.... I almost always give my players a "FA/FO" option.

[@alexj1989]

If I’m not a bacon eater do I have to stop listening to your videos?

[@sebbonxxsebbon6824]

Send your bacon you aren't eating to him!

[@alexj1989]

@@sebbonxxsebbon6824 maybe I can drop it off next time we play. 😃

[@dorianthegrey]

I'm a non-bacon eater but not because I think it's gross. It's because pork (and shellfish--any scavenger meat) products trigger my migraines. Breakfast today was a leftover fish taco.

[@CarlHermannFreese]

I want a character who specializes in traps.

[@dukejaywalker5858]

I actually did have bacon for breakfast.

[@GreycatRademenes]

I'm joking, but I love Luke's implication that opening a boobytrapped chest should be a full on barmitzvah instead of quick punishment for a bad roll or incorrect approach. I think one of my favorite traps was a 'Foot Locker', where, unless you keep one of your feet on a specified area as implied by clues you get either, you either get assaulted by a much of Crawling Feet (Crawling Claw stat block), or if you're unlucky a giant rock foot drops on you from the ceiling like Thwomp from Super Mario.

[@MarkoSeldo]

Barmitzvah implies no bacon. Fairly sure that;s the opposite of what Luke said! LOL!

[@MechbossBoogie]

I've always hated how traps are often implemented. It always seems to be either resource denial or some sort of instant death thing. Sure, I get that someone who is smart would want their traps to kill anything that gets in, but from a game design perspective it's just boring. The instant death thing I get, but just making it "failed save=dead character" is uninspired. What if one of that character's allies gets caught in it by accident because he forgot his keys and wasn't quick enough to avoid the trap itself? How about a round timer to give that ally, or a canny rogue, time to disable the trap before the blades in the ceiling turn them into paste? Utilizing traps in a combat scenario feels like a lot more fun. Goblins had set up bear traps in the high grass that they just happened to lure the party into. They weren't fleeing for their lives, they were leading them there on purpose, to fight on their own turf.

[@Hyperguyver2]

My motivation: players get too many healing charges, short screws everything, same for goodberry. My traps will deplete your resources because the players are too powerful

[@johnhansen4794]

Evil gnomes and kobolds are exactly the sort to just put a trap some where because Lulz.

[@aleisterlavey9716]

How about you stumble in the warehouse dungeon of a trap salesman?

[@Subject_Keter]

Run into a face off between maxamillion Peagsus vs Jig Saw in a trap off. 😂

[@jackdunne6152]

Here's a free one you can use: The party is in mid-dungeon crawl, when suddenly a small but very panicked goblin races past them. He runs into the next room where the players were about to go, triggers a trap, and dies a gruesome and horrible death. This tells the players that: 1. More traps await, and 2. That goblin was running away from something

[@orokusaki1243]

Reminds me of an adventure in AD&D back in the day. The whole party of 4 fell into a deep pit trap in a dungeon and we couldn't get out so the adventure ended! LOL Great fun! No seriously, it was fun and funny. It was just the way the game was played back then, before all this touchy-feely, deep character portrayal BS emeerged. We started a new adventure with new characters, like shifting gears in a car..not a problem.

[@coffee1139]

As a sad person who didn't have bacon this morning... I had tuna onigiri and a sandwich from 7-11 🤣🤣

[@b0therme]

Non bacon eaters are uncool? We know this boychick. You don't have to be such a schmeckli!😉

[@questionswithbaldbryce5626]

Much more of a sausage and hash browns guy.

[@strawberrylotlizard]

I ran a really nice trap a while ago for a team of seven. There was a small offshoot room. Maybe 10 by 20 ft. And along the 20-ft wall there was a floor-to-ceiling mirror and a chest right in front of it. But anybody who got seen by the mirror had a duplicate form out of the mirror and fight them. The Monk and the paladin jumped out and the rest of the team just cast support magic from around the corner essentially so the mirror can see them and duplicate their magic. Eventually, the monk got tossed by the mere monk into the mirror world where there were no monsters, but there was also a chest. When the mirror monk came through where he was he found that now he was able to actually damage the mirror so they got in here both mirror men followed them. They were able to destroy them and then destroy the mirror from this side. But I also threw in that the real side chest was actually a mimic and as soon as they got close to breaking the mirror it attacked and always killed one of the hurt pliers which was great. But then they got a very very special ring and a lots antique treasures because nobody's ever gotten past that trap before.

[@GeraldKatz]

Bacon isn't kosher. Be careful there.

[@WayneBraack]

Are you still watch ancient aliens just for giggles thought it was a silly program and then I ran into so-called humans who didn't eat bacon. That's how you can tell.

[@nikolai1566]

Fred Jones would be proud

[@ShakespeareJoyce-h8q]

Fisher Hollow

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

Click-Beautifully inclusive rule

[@kadmii]

what about turkey bacon?