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Lycan 01
2010-01-04, 12:05 AM
So when I get back to college, I'm running my DnD group through a quest involving a forsaken castle full of undead baddies. But I want to throw more than hack 'n slash encounters at them. I need puzzles! Traps! And any other obstacles I can come up with!

IF ANY OF MY PLAYERS HAPPEN TO BE READING THIS, TURN BACK NOW.

SERIOUSLY.



Okay, so... Here's what I've got to work with.

The group is a party of 6 lvl 2-3 adventurers. The quest involves a village being harrassed by an evil necromancer. (Fun fact: I've nixed all the evil dieties, except for Tiamet, and replaced them with the Chaos Gods from Warhammer. My group loves it! :smallcool:) The necromancer in question is an Aspiring Sorcerer who worships Tzeentch, and an Aspiring Champion of Khorne is serving as his muscle. The Khorne guy's mooks kill peasants, and the Tzeentch necromancer makes them into undead soldiers. They intend to build up a nice little undead army, and then launch a Black Crusade against whatever is in front of them. They've already got a nice force of zombies, skeletons, wights, and other undead things, as well as a mix of human/hobgoblin/ork mercenaries and Khorne worshippers.

So here's the plan. The party will first have to help build up a small militia. (Skill challenges and roleplaying tests will allow them to convince a bunch of retired mercanries, as well as an Fighter NPC known as The Great Ork Umbra, to form and lead this force.) The militia will serve as a distraction, and lure most of the baddies out of the abandoned castle the necromancer has set up shop in. With most of the defenders gone, the players can then sneak into the fortress of doom under the cover of night.

Now the fun starts...

The first challenge will, of course, be getting into the castle. The castle consists of a large fortress wall, a huge courtyard where the undead and other baddies stay, and then a large keep. They'll have to get up the wall, probably fight a patrol of baddies on the battlements, and then get to the keep. I'm not quite sure how they'll do that, actually. I figure their best bet is to rig a ballista to fire a rope through a window of the keep, and just shimmy over the courtyard and through the window. Fighting through the baddies in the courtyard is a baaaaad idea. Its not impossible... but its highly unlikely they're succeed. (Should I make it an option? Or should there still be a ton of enemies down there?) And, just to mess with 'em, as they cross over the courtyard, I'll be rolling randomly to see if they get spotted. They won't be, of course, but they don't know that. :smallamused:

I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they hear the guard dragon roar overhead, just as they get near the window. Heh heh... They won't be facing it for awhile, though.

Once they get into the keep, they'll have to work their way up to the top, where the necromancer has constructed a tower to serve as his lair. The keep is the meat of the adventure, and will offer them fights with enemy patrols, brain-melting puzzles, twisted traps, and a few failed experiments. :smallwink: I want it to kind of have a "combat encounter, puzzle encounter, combat encounter, puzzle encounter" pattern going to it, so they have plenty of variety and challenge that won't bore them or grow tiresome. I'll also be giving them more XP than they probably need, on top of bonus XP for good roleplaying and creativity. I hope to have them up to at least level 3 when they get to the roof of the keep - that is where the Young Black Dragon lurks. :smalleek:

Soooooooo... Who wants to help me build some traps? :smallbiggrin:


I've got 3 traps build already. They are...

"Innocent Blood"
The party gets to the end of a hallway, where there should be a door. They've recently rescued a young lady (the daughter of the town's blacksmith, who's been kidnapped by the necromancer for... various reasons.), and they have the option of leaving her behind, or taking her with them until they find a safe place to leave her. At the end of the hall, a statue of a roaring lion's head has been built into the wall. Its tongue is hanging out, and the inside of its mouth is dark - in fact, reaching into it reveals an infinite void of cold darkness. Around the lion's head there is an engraving - it looks like a big jumble of letters, but its actually a message. Each letter is the inverse of itself - A is Z, for example. When deciphered, it reads: "Sacrifice the carrier of life." The players must decide what this means. I ran this by a couple of friends who don't play, and it took them 15 minutes to figure out the cryptogram first, and then they got the riddle wrong several times before getting it right. They poured a health potion down its throat, and said they might have slit the girl's throat if the party had permitted it. Finally, one player cut his palm and poured blood on the tongue - the lion roared, and then the wall faded to dust. The girl would have worked, too, but there would have been consequences...

So yeah. A few drops of Good-aligned blood solve that puzzle.

"Father Time and Mother Nature"
Again, my two friends were guinea pigs for this, and one of them came up with the name. The puzzle involves a dead-end room, which is supposed to exit to the roof of the keep. Instead, there is only an old grandfather clock, and a mossy stone wall. The clock cannot be moved, nor can the wall be destroyed. Attacking the clock will turn your weapon to dust - pity the man who kicks it. However, if the glass face is lockpicked, the party can move the time forward or backwards. Moving the clock forward will age the player who changes it, but it will also cause the moss to grow and the wall to crumble. Moving the time backwards will actually unbuild the wall, if they move it far enough back, but this takes longer and quickly makes the player younger and weaker since they're all in their twenties. Once the wall is destroyed one way or another, the party may progress. And then face the Young Black Dragon.


"Going Up?"
The players discover a 10-foot gap in the middle of the hallway. 20 feet down, there is a pit of spikes full of bones, as well as coins, weapons, and a rather pretty green gem in the center of the pit. There is a rope hanging down from the ceiling, and it is tied up on the party's side of the pit. If one stands on the very edge of the pit, they can feel a slight breeze. Curious... Naturally, somebody will probably try to swing across. This results in them suddenly being caught up in the vortex of upward-blowing wind in the very center of the pit. The gust blows them violently upwards, slamming them against the ceiling for a few points of damage. They must then make a reflex save to grab onto the other side of the pit, otherwise they plummet to the bottom of the pit as the wind spell dies down for a few seconds. (Reflex save lets them grab loot, if they survive.) The spell then reactivates, and the rest of the party can make a Reflex save to grab the player before they hit the ceiling again... or at least recover the body. The spell can be overcome be either getting a rope across, securing it, and climbing across, or somehow dispelling the enchantment - destroying the gem is the best option for this, though who wants to break loot? :smallbiggrin:

So yeah. I'm thinking... Encounter with skeletons, zombies, and wights... Followed by a puzzle or trap. Then comes a patrol of mercenaries and/or Khorne worshipers. Followed by another puzzle or trap. Rinse, repeat... I might toss in a safe room every now and then. Just a calm area with supplies or loot, maybe a servant or slave who can provide info. Then its back to baddies and puzzles. Finally, after they reach lvl 3 at least, they'll get to the top of the keep and fight the dragon, which is a lvl 4 encounter. Once its dead (or should it just be driven off?), they may enter the wizard's tower.

I'll work on the final battle later... Until then, who has good trap and puzzle ideas for me? :smallbiggrin:

Pharaoh's Fist
2010-01-04, 12:05 AM
Each trap should have a magic mouth that activates when the trap is triggered.

"It's a trap!"

Darius Rae
2010-01-04, 12:09 AM
Nurgle strikes me as more of the necromancer... As for Tzeentch esque traps, how about a fort save or be turned to dust, with your soul trapped in your armor forever...

Lycan 01
2010-01-04, 12:19 AM
Nurgle strikes me as more of the necromancer... As for Tzeentch esque traps, how about a fort save or be turned to dust, with your soul trapped in your armor forever...

Tzeentch is the patron of sorcery and forbidden magic. Nurgle is in charge of plagues, decay, and corruption. So Tzeentch makes a lot more sense to me... :smalltongue:


Was that a serious trap suggestion? I don't think anybody wears full armor, except for the Paladin of Bahamut. And I'd feel bad turning him into a Rubric Knight, especially since he's actually got a big side-story going involving a crusade against Khorne and a personal challenge from the Aspiring Champion. :smalleek:

rayne_dragon
2010-01-04, 12:50 AM
This site has a number of ideas that you could potentially use. (http://www.thievesguild.cc/traps/) I recommend giving them a little twist in case any of your players has come across them before.

Lycan 01
2010-01-04, 01:38 AM
Duuuuude... Thank you so much. :smallbiggrin:


I think I'll use the Greed Trap, the tall room with the bucket, and a door with the stone fist on the other side. Others may be added as I continue reading... :smalltongue:

For the Greed Trap, I'll probably scatter a few bones and rusted weapons around the room, just to mess with 'em, as well as a handfull of gold bars and other trinkets - which may or may not have poisons or curses on them. :smallwink: And the door/fist thing will probably be remedied by either knocking and asking permission to enter, or opening the door and dodging the fist so that it flies past them and breaks against a wall.

deuxhero
2010-01-04, 01:48 AM
create food and water!

Lycan 01
2010-01-04, 01:51 AM
Um... Do you mind explaining that one to me? :smallconfused: *is slow*

Darius Rae
2010-01-04, 01:55 AM
In one of the books a space marine chapter gets bound to their armor, they end up worshiping Tzeentch eventually.

Lycan 01
2010-01-04, 02:27 AM
Yes, but I don't want the Paladin to fall to Chaos. At least not to Tzeentch. Khorne will start to tempt him, although the Paladin has actually sworn an oath to destroy followers of Khorne, demons of Khorne, and if he ever gets the chance, Khorne himself.

I'd personally enjoy it if this thing got to Epic levels and the Paladin got to duel Demon Princes... :smallamused:

The Bard also has a grudge with Slaneesh. (Lolth, actually - I combined the influences of Slaneesh with the spiders and poisons of Lolth...) Recently, the Bard's little sister was kidnapped by some mysterious strangers. I didn't know this until our last session, when he asked if he could ask some monks about who kidnapped his sister. I didn't know what he was talking about, but I played along. By the end of a long "in character" discussion, we'd both discovered that his sister was kidnapped by Slaneesh cultists. The monks told him she was as good as dead, but they gave him the name of a village where an expert on Chaos cults lived. That was the plot hook that got them into this quest, actually...

And then there's the Dragonborn Cleric who's twin brother murdered their entire family as an offering to Khorne when he swore allegiance...

The sister is now a Daemonhost, and the big brother is the BBEG, a Warlord of Khorne. This whole campaign will slowly build up to them having to stop a Dark Crusade, and wrap up with an epic showdown against the bro, sis, and other big bads...

evisiron
2010-01-04, 03:13 AM
This site has a number of ideas that you could potentially use. (http://www.thievesguild.cc/traps/) I recommend giving them a little twist in case any of your players has come across them before.

D'oh, got there with the link before me. :smalltongue:

It's a great resource though. My favourite is 59. Maxa and Nora, it drove the group crazy but they loved it!

The campaign sounds great by the way, the traps I was about to suggest seemed a bit underwhelming in comparison.

A classic though is having a hall that stretches away as they get closer to the door. It's a magical mind effect, so normal methods won't work. However, if they deny their senses by walking backwards they can reach the door.

And if you are feeling evil, have an illusionary door with a pit trap on the other side and set a situation for them to rush or attack the 'door'. :smallbiggrin:

shadow_archmagi
2010-01-04, 08:12 AM
create food and water!

Two things.

1. Explanation of joke. Poster named Emperor Tippy suggested making a Create Food and Water trap, because the formula for computing trap cost means it's slightly cheaper to build a trap of create food and water than a wonderous item of create food and water. (Either way you can make an item to generate infinite food.)

He used this as one of the cornerstones of a hypothetical magical empire (Aka the Tippyverse) scheme.

2. The idea of a room that locks itself and then slowly starts filling with bread is an absolutely hilarious trap.

bosssmiley
2010-01-04, 08:31 AM
The Grimtooth's Traps series (several books of hilariously cruel funhouse dungeon traps)
The Green Devil Face collections (three books of harmless-unless-tinkered-with, clearly-a-trap traps)

Lycan 01
2010-01-04, 06:24 PM
Alright, so I've got...




"Innocent Blood"
"Going Up"
"Father Time & Mother Nature"
"Greed Trap"
The tall room with the bucket of refilling water
The door with the stone fist on the other side
The small room with the human and dragon skeletons, and the amulet of "Summon Dragon"
A treasure chest that when opened triggers a trap-door into a spike pit
A treasure chest rigged to explode violently
A treasure chest containing poison-laced gold.
A man-eating treasure chest
A treasure chest full of gold, which they'll probably be too scared to open
A statue that asks 3 riddles
Maxa and Nora, though I may have to think too much for that one since its interactive
A locked door with 5 numbered keys, four of which are poisoned/cursed.


That's what I've got so far... I'm not sure how much XP to give them for some of the challenges, though, especially since some aren't much of a challenge and more of a stupidity gauge. :smallconfused:

There are two other traps I'm planning, but I'm not sure how to make them work. Here's what I've got so far. Feel free to help...

"The Big Red Button"
The party enters a room, and the entrance and exit doors both slam shut. The walls begin to close in on them slowly, and a pedestal with a big red button on it rises from the floor. Pushing the button does not stop the walls - it actually makes them lurch forward several inches. Pushing the button 8 times, though, stops the wall. Holding it down, however, breaks the button, and speeds up the walls.

Here's where I'm not sure what to do next. Should the exit door be unlocked, and they're free to leave? Only its a pull instead of push door, which may slow them down? Or should the exit be barred, and it has to be broken down? And maybe there's a spike pit on the other side, and whoever breaks the door gets to go for a trip? Or, whenever the big red button is pressed, the door opens for a few seconds, and then slams? Which means one player has to stay behind and keep pressing the button for the party to escape, unless he happens to hit it 8 times and stop the walls.

Help? :smallconfused:


"The Gazebo"
Yes. Yes, I am throwing the Gazebo at them. When they enter a room, they suddenly find themselves in a green field, surrounding by rolling hillsides and clear blue skies as far as they can see. Its an enchantment, and there are two ways out. One is an incredibly high Willpower save... or should I even allow that? Waking up doesn't help much - they just stand up in the room and see everyone else asleep. Those still in the enchantment stumble upon a gazebo. Its up to them what they decide to do. Ignore it, sit in it, take a nap beside it... But the moment anyone attacks it, or more than three players are inside of it, the Gazebo attacks! It won't be an easy fight - most of the players will probably die. But that'll just make them way up with penalties and/or HP loss, instead of death. Those who defeat the Gazebo, though, will wake up with some sort of bonus or something. Maybe a permanent bonus to Will saves against enchantment, or something like that?

Again, advice is appreciated... :smallsmile: