DM HELP! Trap went off, to well....

[SMac8988]

Hey everyone, was looking for some advice on something going on in my weekly game.

So my player began delving into a kobald dungeon and managed to get past the first couple of traps through some quick thinking, then well one of them didnt....

So to set the scene, there is a falling ceiling trap, massive 30ft long, 5ft wide, 15ft thick stone being used as a ceiling for a crawl space. The trap was meant to cause the party to have to crawl to the end, where the trap triggers as the first person passes, but it is an obvious pressure plate, which they could disarm.

Well they didnt.

One player decided to try and penguin slide that, throw some lubricant (a rotting corpus), and running full speed diving and sliding.

I set the roll high, but because it's was a different solution to the situation, and the image was just a great visual. He beat my check by 1. As he slide out the other side, he triggered the trap causing the ceiling to start to fall.

I figured this would cause him to be separated from the party, but another member tried to do it too.....as the ceiling came down. He used some arcane means to help, but didnt make the check, but just barely. So he managed to get almost all the way out but the massive stone fell, crushing him just below the knees, and the ground the tunnel exits to collapsed, leaving him now hanging over a pit.

He has the first party member at his side, and the rest of the party is now behind this massive rock.

So my question is, what do I do about his legs moving forward? He is a good player, and enjoys his character so I dont want to horrible destroy the character at this point, but idk how to proceed.

Advice? Suggestions? HELP!!!

[Wildarm]

So my question is, what do I do about his legs moving forward? He is a good player, and enjoys his character so I dont want to horrible destroy the character at this point, but idk how to proceed.

Advice? Suggestions? HELP!!!

As the DM you didn't need to lop off limbs... that's an incredibly rare event in 5E for reasons like you're facing now. You could retcon it that he just took damage from the trap enough to drop him to 0hp. Or at least permanently have 0 movement until a regeneration spell is cast upon him. Diving under a falling stone slab(and failing) should have consequences regardless of how much he liked his character. Honestly, just make him dead though from bleeding out or infection. Raise dead(assuming they can get his legs) is cheaper and more accessible than regeneration.

[SMac8988]

As the DM you didn't need to lop off limbs... that's an incredibly rare event in 5E for reasons like you're facing now. You could retcon it that he just took damage from the trap enough to drop him to 0hp. I'd probably just make him dead though from bleeding out. Or at least permanently have 0 movement until a regeneration spell is cast upon him. Diving under a falling stone slab(and failing) should have consequences regardless of how much he liked his character.

As of now, the two on that side of the stone were talking post session. One of them has a staff that becomes tree, he plans to use to raise the stone and pull him out.

I already told them all, his legs are at best broke in multiple places, and the other player has said he is gonna backpack him around till they can figure it out, barbarian warforged.

I like the idea of the disability, but its gotta be fixable at some point, so maybe a regeneration spell at a later point. I wanted to make it impactful that just diving into everything is not the solution to problems.

[CNagy]

Let his friend pull him out, mangled legs and all, and then hit Stumpy with 5 levels of exhaustion.

[jaappleton]

So his legs are crushed. That’s a thing that’s happened, and now we’re crowdsourcing a way to.... Manage this.

Right?

Ok.

1. Barbarian is gonna backpack him. So there’s a limited way to transport him. Don’t know what class he is, but hopefully he can perform some sort of ranged attack. Throw handaxes / daggers, spells, Archery, etc.

2. I’d say with enough healing (short of Greater Restoration), and a check to fashion together some leg braces (....Blacksmithing, I guess...?), you can give him back some Sort of independent mobility. Maybe 20ft movement as opposed to 30ft? And a penalty to Dex checks?

Although I’d say that by the end of this, he should get something. Don’t put a guy through all that without giving him something for being a good sport about it. Maybe a bonus to Con when he’s all fixed up? Or grant them the Mobile feet for Free, as this character gained a valuable experience?

[SMac8988]

So his legs are crushed. That’s a thing that’s happened, and now we’re crowdsourcing a way to.... Manage this.

Right?

Ok.

1. Barbarian is gonna backpack him. So there’s a limited way to transport him. Don’t know what class he is, but hopefully he can perform some sort of ranged attack. Throw handaxes / daggers, spells, Archery, etc.

2. I’d say with enough healing (short of Greater Restoration), and a check to fashion together some leg braces (....Blacksmithing, I guess...?), you can give him back some Sort of independent mobility. Maybe 20ft movement as opposed to 30ft? And a penalty to Dex checks?

Although I’d say that by the end of this, he should get something. Don’t put a guy through all that without giving him something for being a good sport about it. Maybe a bonus to Con when he’s all fixed up? Or grant them the Mobile feet for Free, as this character gained a valuable experience?

Lol, yes we are crowdsourcing solutions to this situation.

He is a storm cleric/storm sorc, so he can throw some spells for now and heal as needed.

I like the idea of him building braces later on, and having to adapt while he heals them each day to get them back to normal. Its gonna take time.

Idk about how to reward him and all, he isnt much for the mobility feat to benefit him much.

[Vogie]

You could introduce some sort of Druid/Bard/Cleric that's been trapped in the cave. Personally I'm thinking Game of Thrones "Three Eyed Raven" style Druid who is literally turning into an elemental in there, but use whatever makes sense in your world (such as Jeryth Phaulkon in Waterdeep: Dragon Heist). They could act as a questgiver, and may want them to do more than just murderhobo their way through the Kobold dungeon.

[SMac8988]

You could introduce some sort of Druid/Bard/Cleric that's been trapped in the cave. Personally I'm thinking Game of Thrones "Three Eyed Raven" style Druid who is literally turning into an elemental in there, but use whatever makes sense in your world (such as Jeryth Phaulkon in Waterdeep: Dragon Heist). They could act as a questgiver, and may want them to do more than just murderhobo their way through the Kobold dungeon.

They are down there for a reason, I think they completely forgot. They walked into a room where some people were murdered and found a passage in the wall that was carved and just dived on in. They were looking for a sand Skiff or vessel due to being marooned in a massive desert. But ADD is a bitch..... lol

But I do like the idea of someone or something being down there that maybe able to help him depending on if theh help whatever this creature maybe.

[Guy Lombard-O]

I’d say with enough healing (short of Greater Restoration), and a check to fashion together some leg braces (....Blacksmithing, I guess...?), you can give him back some Sort of independent mobility.

Although I’d say that by the end of this, he should get something. Don’t put a guy through all that without giving him something for being a good sport about it. Maybe a bonus to Con when he’s all fixed up? Or grant them the Mobile feet for Free, as this character gained a valuable experience?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3qlBM9vAW8

[SMac8988]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3qlBM9vAW8

We made this joke immediately, and "You got no legs Lt Dan"

[Segev]

He's a Storm Sorcerer? Give him the opportunity to pick up floating disk (http://5e.d20srd.org/srd/spells/floatingDisk.htm) at his next level as a spell he learned to use a vortex of wind to support weight. Let him cast it as a Ritual (even if he doesn't normally have the ability to do that; I forget if Sorcs can do that innately), and let him move it about at his normal movement rate. I know 5e's version of the spell doesn't work that way: it only follows you, and you can't control it other than by how you move relative to it; but the "cool thing" you give him is the ability to move it about. He's crippled, but he has a magic wheelchair that's thematic to his class. And nothing stops him from casting extra ones, either, so it's still useful as the orginal spell.

[GreyBlack]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you just crushed his legs, you didn't amputate them. Am I correct in hearing this? Then allow Cure Wounds to help him out.

Cure Wounds restores HP.

HP damage broke the bones in his legs.

Therefore, Cure Wounds can restore that damage.

[th3g0dc0mp13x]

DC20 Wisdom (medicine) check to set and brace the legs.
After they've been set then they can go mundane healing 2d8+2 weeks of downtime or 30 points of healing focused on that injury.

[SMac8988]

DC20 Wisdom (medicine) check to set and brace the legs.
After they've been set then they can go mundane healing 2d8+2 weeks of downtime or 30 points of healing focused on that injury.

Saw a few comments to reply too.

They are not amputated just very very much broken. But I have never been a fan that cure wounds just instantly fixes any injury, I love the idea of several weeks of work will get them back to functioning if he splits and braces them properly.

They are about to level. So I may give him that spell to lift him and allow him to move like that for his movement. Make his walk speed like 10 with the braces and using his halbred as a cane, than can use the spell to move him and maybe make like a con save to keep standing as he lands, due to the pain landing on his feet.

Yay or nay?

[Digimike]

If they're crushed and not severed, I'd say some cure wounds to heal the damage and a level of exhaustion as the lingering effect.

[GlenSmash!]

Saw a few comments to reply too.

They are not amputated just very very much broken. But I have never been a fan that cure wounds just instantly fixes any injury, I love the idea of several weeks of work will get them back to functioning if he splits and braces them properly.

They are about to level. So I may give him that spell to lift him and allow him to move like that for his movement. Make his walk speed like 10 with the braces and using his halbred as a cane, than can use the spell to move him and maybe make like a con save to keep standing as he lands, due to the pain landing on his feet.

Yay or nay?

I think that's a question for the player.

If it were me I'd just be tempted to retire stumpy and roll a new PC.

[GreyBlack]

Saw a few comments to reply too.

They are not amputated just very very much broken. But I have never been a fan that cure wounds just instantly fixes any injury, I love the idea of several weeks of work will get them back to functioning if he splits and braces them properly.

They are about to level. So I may give him that spell to lift him and allow him to move like that for his movement. Make his walk speed like 10 with the braces and using his halbred as a cane, than can use the spell to move him and maybe make like a con save to keep standing as he lands, due to the pain landing on his feet.

Yay or nay?

Okay, if you're going that route... have him roll an Intelligence check to see if he can build a wheelchair or small cart. Then, he can attach it to the barbarian who can lug him around on it.

That said... have you spoken to the player about this and gotten his idea? As fun as this might be from an RP standpoint, as a player, I'm not sure how I'd feel being told that, basically, I'm severely hamstrung (no pun intended) from participating in the adventure at hand.

[SMac8988]

Okay, if you're going that route... have him roll an Intelligence check to see if he can build a wheelchair or small cart. Then, he can attach it to the barbarian who can lug him around on it.

That said... have you spoken to the player about this and gotten his idea? As fun as this might be from an RP standpoint, as a player, I'm not sure how I'd feel being told that, basically, I'm severely hamstrung (no pun intended) from participating in the adventure at hand.

We discussed right after the incident and he said he would play it how it turns out. I'll be sure to discuss it all with him prior to getting really invested, and go from there. Cause ya it sucks, but punishments for poor choices. Lol.

[SniffyRockroot]

The character's legs are Wounded. Luckily for him, there is a spell that Cures Wounds. Its very purpose is to instantly fix injuries. If you have a player with the ability to cast a spell that Cures Wounds, you're taking player agency away from them if you disallow them the opportunity to Cure a party member's Wounds.

[ImproperJustice]

This is very much in a Cleric’s wheelhouse to fix.

Cure Wounds, Greater Restoration, Regeneration all can fix this.

Worst case, seeking a divine intervention daily for a few days should get you there as well.

[Aprender]

In D&D, hit points are not an actual reflection of the damage sustained by a target. Rather, it is an abstraction of how well a creature or object handles punishment (physical or otherwise... Psychic damage anyone?). This is why a door with 1 hit point blocks your path just as well as a fresh one and why a 1 hp dragon is just as effective as an undamaged one. When a creature gets to 0 hit points, it dies. Whether or not it leaves a beautiful corpse behind is at the DM's discretion.

As a DM, you can approach what a loss of hit points means however you like including the following:
1. Gritty: each loss of hit points is associated with some physical damage. Some of this damage may be severe enough to impose a penalty. It's up to you to decide how that penalty is removed. Can a simple cure wounds do it or does it require fancier magical or mundane healing.
2. Abstracted. No matter how severe the story around how the damage is sustained, the "usual" healing methods take away all the evidence. Fail your saving throw vs a dragon's breath but survive? A single night's rest will fix you right up.
3. Mix of the above. A "simple" stab to the abdomen from a bandit (which would have killed most people historically) is simply healed with cure wounds. Falling into lava and getting pulled out requires some good medicine checks and a restoration spell.

1 gets tedious for the DM and players. 2 seems simplistic to some. 3 can upset players if they feel the DM is capricious with the how, why, when and who gets penalized.

You're already doing a great job with talking to your players, so I have no doubt y'all will come up with a fun answer.

[Segev]

In D&D, hit points are not an actual reflection of the damage sustained by a target. Rather, it is an abstraction of how well a creature or object handles punishment (physical or otherwise... Psychic damage anyone?). This is why a door with 1 hit point blocks your path just as well as a fresh one and why a 1 hp dragon is just as effective as an undamaged one. When a creature gets to 0 hit points, it dies. Whether or not it leaves a beautiful corpse behind is at the DM's discretion.

As a DM, you can approach what a loss of hit points means however you like including the following:
1. Gritty: each loss of hit points is associated with some physical damage. Some of this damage may be severe enough to impose a penalty. It's up to you to decide how that penalty is removed. Can a simple cure wounds do it or does it require fancier magical or mundane healing.
2. Abstracted. No matter how severe the story around how the damage is sustained, the "usual" healing methods take away all the evidence. Fail your saving throw vs a dragon's breath but survive? A single night's rest will fix you right up.
3. Mix of the above. A "simple" stab to the abdomen from a bandit (which would have killed most people historically) is simply healed with cure wounds. Falling into lava and getting pulled out requires some good medicine checks and a restoration spell.

1 gets tedious for the DM and players. 2 seems simplistic to some. 3 can upset players if they feel the DM is capricious with the how, why, when and who gets penalized.

You're already doing a great job with talking to your players, so I have no doubt y'all will come up with a fun answer.
I tend to go with Abstracted, until the Last Bit. That hit that reduced you to 0 hp was some sort of nasty wound; you ran out of the abstracted hit points that allow you to escape without serious damage.

[Aprender]

I agree. Abstracted may be simple, but combined with Matt Mercer's trademark "How do you want to do this?" it makes the end of combat (or the end of a character) memorable and exciting.

[GlenSmash!]

I tend to go with Abstracted, until the Last Bit. That hit that reduced you to 0 hp was some sort of nasty wound; you ran out of the abstracted hit points that allow you to escape without serious damage.

I tend to run Schrodinger's would with the hit that reduces you to 0hp. It's obviously enough to stop someone from participating in the fight, but how bad it is isn't determined until the death saves have been resolved.

[Mellack]

I also tend to go more abstract HP so would just let a cure spell fix them right up. Having to use up resources is already a cost (or punishment if you want to think that way) for failing the task. Otherwise you get into disconnects and DM whim on why one hp loss is more damaging than an equal amount of different hp loss. A falling rock cripples but a hit from a giant's club doesn't? Seems capricious.

[Segev]

Now, you may already have described the scene, and the broken legs, etc., so this advice won't work, but one way to use abstracted hp in this situation would be to have him have slipped out with his legs scraping by the closing gap and squeezing out just before it crushed them. They're scraped and bruised, but not seriously damaged. It was a very close shave, and his hp are lowered by however much the trap indicates. The lost hp are his luck and/or skill that let him just barely avoid getting crushed. Actually getting crushed represents dropping to 0 hp.

[Scarlet Knight]

...
But I do like the idea of someone or something being down there that maybe able to help him depending on if theh help whatever this creature maybe.

Yes, in most great stories there's a Tom Bombadil, Medea, or sentient flying carpet around to fix these things and steer to quest.

[Nhorianscum]

I'm not seeing the problem here. If the player is still having fun his chars name is stumps now. If not set an arbitrary cost/side quest to get a regeneration cast and give the player the option to play another char on this wild journey. Or some mix of the two.

Legs broken to that point are... essentially ground meat with boney bits.

[Rukelnikov]

We play with lasting injuries and this happened to a friend player during a capaign I was DMing, character was a Bladesinger2/SwordsBard4, lost one leg during an encounter (amputated from the base), there was a Goliath Paladin in the party, he carried him on his back, and during combat I allowed the amputee to attack and cast "normally" his only restriction was that he coudn't move, he shared space with the barbarian like with the mounted combat rules, using an uncontrolled mount. He even lost his other leg some time later, but it didn't change much mechanics-wise.

Later on, they eventually made it back to a powerful nymph he had met some adventures before, and she restored his legs using regeneration.

[Darkbru]

Idk about how to reward him and all, he isnt much for the mobility feat to benefit him much.

Squat nimbleness then?

[Aprender]

Squat nimbleness then?

Give him some kind of advanced swimming feat and then change his name to "Bob"?

[Maelynn]

I'm also partial to making certain injuries not go away with a simple Cure Wounds. Translating all wounds and injuries into hitpoints makes it feel like you're playing a video game. With a *ping* the tank's filled up and we're good as new! Nah, I think that situations like this can really add flavour - and indeed like the OP said, teach a bit of consequence to the reckless player. Though like with most things, it's up to the players as well if they enjoy it.

In this case I'd state that while the healing spells mended the wounds and fused the bones back together, it wasn't as perfect as it was before - comparable to a broken vase, you can glue it back together but it'll leak and may even stand a bit askew. So with both legs mangled this way, he can't walk anymore. He'll have to find someone who can cast Greater Restoration to completely restore him. If need be, you can create the 'crippled' condition to justify it and say that a condition like this can only be removed with Greater Restoration.

I do like the idea of the disk, but I'd give him time to come up with a solution first. Let him get creative and see what kind of 'wheelchair' he can make.


Squat nimbleness then?

Oh confound you. I just spent 5 minutes coughing up the nacho's I inadvertently inhaled.