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Ice&Fire
2010-03-31, 07:49 AM
Besides Sepia Snake Sigil and Explosive Runes, what other spells are there that make good traps. I'm building an extremely paranoid wizard, and having spells like that littered throughout his lair seems extremely fitting. Being based on runes/glyphs etc. is a plus.

waterpenguin43
2010-03-31, 07:50 AM
Besides Sepia Snake Sigil and Explosive Runes, what other spells are there that make good traps. I'm building an extremely paranoid wizard, and having spells like that littered throughout his lair seems extremely fitting. Being based on runes/glyphs etc. is a plus.

Just about anything offensive mixed with contingency.

Ice&Fire
2010-03-31, 08:01 AM
Hmm, I was thinking as security for when the wizard is not there to defend himself, unless contingencies can be made to trigger without the wizard being there

JeminiZero
2010-03-31, 08:03 AM
Besides Sepia Snake Sigil and Explosive Runes, what other spells are there that make good traps. I'm building an extremely paranoid wizard, and having spells like that littered throughout his lair seems extremely fitting. Being based on runes/glyphs etc. is a plus.


Are you looking for spells that can be put in traps (as per the trap crafting rules in DMG), or spells that create traps by themselves?

Ice&Fire
2010-03-31, 08:10 AM
Are you looking for spells that can be put in traps (as per the trap crafting rules in DMG), or spells that create traps by themselves?

Spells that create traps by themselves, should've specified

JeminiZero
2010-03-31, 08:16 AM
Hmm... thats a far more limited list. You might want to add on various metamagic feats like Searing, Energy Substitution, and Fell Drain so that its more effective. Anyway, a couple of spells of the top of my head:
-Fire Trap (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Fire_Trap)
-Glyph of Warding (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/glyphofwarding.htm) and its greater version (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/glyphOfWardingGreater.htm).

Lysander
2010-03-31, 09:10 AM
All the symbol spells. Death, pain, fear, insanity, etc.

Guards and Wards can include a triggered suggestion.

Programmed Image can be used to frighten or mislead intruders.

Alarm can make an audible noise to alert guards.

Phantom Trap can delay intruders with fake traps.

Illusory Script casts suggestion if read.

I'm also a fan of the "stone golem hidden in sculpture garden of non-magical statues" trick

Trap The Soul is the ultimate trap, but is only keyed to one person

A hidden Teleportation Circle can send people somewhere nasty

Animate Objects can kind of be a trap in that you don't expect chairs to attack

Optimystik
2010-03-31, 09:13 AM
-Glyph of Warding (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/glyphofwarding.htm) and its greater version (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/glyphOfWardingGreater.htm).

Definitely these. Note that the spell you put in them doesn't have to be divine, just "A spell you know." A wizard with Arcane Disciple can grab the Rune Domain (SpC) for both of these, and stick Streamers in a trap. :smallamused:

Everyman
2010-03-31, 09:13 AM
Also, Fabricate is awesome for this purpose, if you don't mind putting ranks into Craft (trapmaking). My wife, upon discovering this spell for the first time, trapped her character's shop so well that I used it as a template for a dungeon I ran in another campaign.

There is something fundamentally wrong about a merchant whose "welcome mat" says "Duck".

Deth Muncher
2010-03-31, 09:43 AM
Definitely these. Note that the spell you put in them doesn't have to be divine, just "A spell you know." A wizard with Arcane Disciple can grab the Rune Domain (SpC) for both of these, and stick Streamers in a trap. :smallamused:

You're mean. :P

jiriku
2010-03-31, 09:47 AM
Also, Fabricate is awesome for this purpose, if you don't mind putting ranks into Craft (trapmaking). My wife, upon discovering this spell for the first time, trapped her character's shop so well that I used it as a template for a dungeon I ran in another campaign.

There is something fundamentally wrong about a merchant whose "welcome mat" says "Duck".

Oooo! Provide trap examples from the shop please.


@ the OP, I'm a major fan of permanent symbols. Also, fear traps are especially effective for combo traps, because they drive a specific adventurer behavior (running in panic). You'll recall that characters who are running do not receive saving throws to avoid falling into covered pits. Imagine a length of hallway with a fear trap at its entrance and a covered pit about 3/4 of the way along. Place the trigger for the fear trap about 1/4 of the way along the hall. When triggered, the players will get hit with a fear effect from behind. Those who fail their saves will run forward into the pit.

Also, I am rather fond of placing reverse gravity traps at the bottom of pits, along with upside down covered pit traps in the ceiling. The fleeing character falls in a pit, takes damage, triggers a reverse gravity trap, falls through the ceiling, takes damage, the reverse gravity effect wears off and he falls back into the original pit, taking more damage. Add spikes/caltrops to taste.

You'll notice a theme here (apart from rudeness and cruelty, I mean): spells that force involuntary movement are preferred, because they can walk a PC into another trap in an unexplored area without giving him a chance to search for and disarm/avoid the trap. Confusion and suggestion are good for this too, as are AoE damage spells modified with the explosive spell metamagic feat. For example, suppose in our hallway with the fear/pit/reverse gravity combo, there is a door 20 feet beyond the pit, trapped with an explosive fireball. The players negotiate the first traps and reach the door. If they trigger the explosive fireball, they're burned, roughed up, and pushed back 20 feet --right into the pit again. Good times.

If you have Dungeonscape, you'll be familiar with the idea of an encounter trap: a trap that functions like a monster, activating repeatedly for a number of rounds on a set initiative account. Players fight these traps like they were a monster encounter, using disable device and dispel magic to shut the trap down one piece at a time or delivering hp damage to the parts to break the mechanisms. Daze monsterand hold person traps work well in conjunction with encounter traps, robbing the players of their actions while they're subject to repeated attacks from the trap. Even simple booby traps on the exits of a room with an encounter trap can contribute to an encounter trap by briefly tripping or blinding characters who are trying to escape the trap, forcing them to tough it out in the dangerous area for at least one more round.

Again, I prefer the one-two punch. The first trap encourages characters to behave recklessly, either by compelling involuntary movement or by creating a danger zone they'll want to escape quickly. The second trap is laid to take advantage of that recklessness.

Last Laugh
2010-03-31, 01:26 PM
This doesn't create a trap but Fabricate + wall of iron is amazing, you can do so much with it.
(I've always wanted to make a paranoid kobold which lined the walls of his tunnels with iron tubing, and using prestidigitation to make it reflectively shiny)

Spells:
-Any of the Water spells (Holy water, Anarchic water) hurt creatures of a certain alignment. These are low level so it may be possible to get them as SLA (25 sp component) making large pools of water that activate various alignments could be useful
-Create Trap (RotD) creates a mundane trap with 12 hour duration
-Evacuate (SpC) creates a permanent tunnel
-Ghoul Glyph (SpC) forces any creature passing within 5 feet to make a fort save or be paralyzed for 1dsomething + 2 rounds, 1 charge per glyph, 1 glyph per square. Discharges on anyone BUT you.
-Sign of Sealing/Sign of Sealing Greater (SpC) seals a door/chest/something from intrusion, can still be broken or opened with a Knock spell. If the door/something is opened it does 1d4/Caster level damage in a burst(1d6/caster level in a bigger burst for the greater version) reflex half, no spell resistance, no listed damage type
-Skull Watch (SpC) watches one direction, if it sees anything it screams (deafens for 1d6 rounds, 60 ft radius) no SR, fort negate. Resets after 1d4 rounds. (Line a hallway with them to make opponents make multiple saves or be deafened. Guard the hall with creatures immune to sonic)
better yet the skulls are objects, making it easy to buff them up up up
-Energy Transformation Field (SpC) drains magic from would be intruders to cast a spell of your choice. (can this be used with summon monster _ (with SLA) spells to infinitely perpetuate?)
EDIT EDIT:
It stands to reason that a (alignment) water would be canceled by the opposite alignment, but I don't see anything in the text to support that.
Ask your DM if having an Olympic length pool filled with every (alignment) water there is...

Lysander
2010-03-31, 01:30 PM
Block a tunnel with a permanent Wall of Force. "No problem," thinks the intruder. They just disintegrate the wall or use their pick of piercing. That's when they discover that it was a supporting wall for the ceiling :smallsmile:

gdiddy
2010-03-31, 01:49 PM
I like the ceiling support idea, but instead, put plenty of illusions on it, to make them think the hallway continues. On the other side of the wall, put 30,000 gallons of salt water and a dire shark.

Darrin
2010-03-31, 10:55 PM
Fire Trap: there are some darts/arrows in various sourcebooks with glass tips that break. Also, cast this on flasks of alchemist's fire/oil/etc. that can break when thrown.

Create Trap (Races of the Dragon): I combined the fusillade of darts with a tent that had Fire Trap cast on it. Dart piercing the tent = "open" = *kaboom*.

Shalantha's Delicate Disk (Lost Empires of Faerun): For 200 GP, creates a ceramic disk that can store any spell up to 5th level until the disk is broken/thrown against a hard surface, triggering the spell. I'd stacked a couple of these disks next to the exploding tent, which caused the disks to break. (The previous encounter, I'd put Explosive Runes on the disk.)

Spell Engine (Spell Compendium): I decided not to use this spell so the party would actually have a chance of surviving... ugh, this is a thoroughly nasty, vile spell... put this in the right spot where the PCs have to rely on magic to get out of a mess, and watch the TPKs pile up.

AslanCross
2010-03-31, 11:39 PM
The Spell Turrets (DMG 2) are a very effective trap and can be rather deadly for their CR. A CR 5 Trap can have Enervation, Orb of Cold, Phantasmal Killer and Ice Storm.

The Spell Turret can make ANY spell a trap spell.