Save vs Wands: 20 Themed Traps

Part Three of the Traps series: 20 themed traps around Save vs Wands.

Saving vs Wands is arguably the most challenging of the five original saves in terms of coming up with non-standard challenges. Wands are very specific items with very specific effects - and though the application of different saves to different, non-specified hazards is a tried and true practice (e.g. - does this trap produce an area effect, like a rain of acid or a belch of flame? Dragon's breath! Does this trap mutate the victim into an eldritch being? Spells!) what constitutes a "wand?" I've seen people who use wands to save against stream or otherwise indirect, but targeted attacks - shaft of light attacks, bursts of projectiles, streams of sand (see that one below) - but in some other products, those style attacks roll against AC to hit, same as a targeted attack would. I've seen other people use wands exclusively to refer to traps that emulate wand effects (e.g. - a trap emulating a Wand of Cancellation would use the Wands save) - but in so doing, what happens when the trap emulates a Wand of Paralyzation?

In any case, I've tried below to walk the line - but the point being to inspire you, the reader, to main or kill your player characters with inspired and novel traps, it was more important to me to provide something interesting and challenging. As always, pilfer, modify, or whatnot as needed to improve the quality of your game - and feedback is always welcome!

1d%	Result
1	Prismatic Shard A translucent gem of considerable size lies on a pedestal, covered. If any light hits the gem, it is refracted - sending a beam out in each direction: any character touched by a beam is affected according to the color: Red (Decrepitude): target ages 2d6 years immediately. Orange (Circumspection): target doubles their rate of trap detection, but moves at half speed - both exploring and in combat - for 2d4 turns. Yellow (Malady): target loses 1d4 points of Constitution. Save again in 24 hours or damage is permanent. Green (Matriculation): target, distracted by minutia in the environment, becomes doubly likely to be surprised, suffers a -2 penalty to reaction rolls, and cannot maintain eye contact. Save again in 24 hours or condition is permanent until removed with Remove Curse spell. Blue (Probity): target is unable to speak falsely, engage in deception, or utilize abilities leading to misdirection until they have had a full night's sleep. Indigo (Hallowing): target becomes incorporeal, unable to interact with the physical world, but still visible, for 1d4 hours. Violet (Enigma): target may not use class abilities for 1d4 hours. Missed! If an 8 is rolled, the fortunate character is in-between beams and is unaffected.
2	Microwave Platform A circle of light is visible on the floor, projecting from three sources high above. If a character breaches the light, a whirring can be heard emanating from the projection source. A character who remains in the light - or who breaches the light a second time before the whirring can die down (a round or so) activates the trap must save or take 1d6 damage - 1d8 if in metal armor. If the damage dealt is greater than than the margin of failure - that is, if the character needed a 14 to save, rolled a 12, and took 3 points of damage (14 less 3 being 11), they likewise suffer 1d4 points of permanent Wisdom drain: as the trap has fried their circuits.
3	Sand Blast Embedded in the walls to the left and right are several nozzles connected to a pressurized chamber. When a touch-plate is triggered, a restriction device is deactivated on the in flow: allowing huge amounts of partially hydrated sand to blast out of the nozzles in a crossed pattern. Characters in the area of effect must save: on failure, they take 1d8 damage and are blinded for 1 turn; on success, the damage is halved and no blindness is suffered.
4	Circadian Pillar A pedestal with a button on it stands in the center of the room. Around it are four daises - one the moon, one the sun, one a sunrise, and one a moon rise. If the button is pressed, four beams emit from the ceiling above the pedestal, exposing any characters on one of the daises to the trap: Characters on the moon dais saves or is affected by the spell Continual Darkness. Characters on the moon rise dais or is affected by the spell Continual Darkness temporarily: 2d4 turns. Characters on the sun dais saves or is affected by the spell Continual Light. Characters on the sun rise dais saves or is affected by the spell Continual Light temporarily: 2d4 turns.
5	Mystic Dog Fence Four rods are hidden in the ground and ceiling, barring passage through an area. Characters nearing the threshold may notice an odd whining - or characters with metal armor or otherwise bedecked may notice their hair start to stand as they grow closer. Passing the threshold activates a trap wherein an electric shock arcs between two or more of the rods. Affected characters must save or suffer 1d4 points of damage. Characters in primarily metal armor suffer a -2 penalty to the save roll.
6	Frightful Watcher Hidden in the eye of a statue overlooking a junction of corridors, a Wand of Fear has been fixed such that its cone of effect is positioned to cover said junction. A tiled floor reveals a two-tone patchwork of tiles: preferring dark over light: the inverse of a soccer ball. A character stepping on one of the tiles of non-preferred coloration activates the trap; any character in the target area must save or flee, per the Wand of Fear magic item (X49), presuming the statue to be its source. The referee is encouraged to consider the number of exits to the junction when gauging the impact of this trap: a party of 6 characters, for example, coming up on a junction of 6 corridors may end up fleeing down a separate corridor each! The manner of this arbitration is, of course, at the referee's discretion.
7	Beam of Entropy Along a narrow tunnel - no greater than five feet wide by five feet tall - a detection plate has been placed halfway through. If a character steps on the plate and triggers the trap, a rust-colored beam with what appears to be a helix cloud around it spirals down the space: any character in the tunnel must save or lose 1d3 x 25% of their organic consumable items: rations, unguents, wooden projectile ammunition, etc. Consumables that are magic in nature - such as potions - should receive a separate individual save.
8	Displacement Ray By a locked door, gate, or heavy chest (one which cannot be easily hauled off), a shimmering veil of light cascades before it in sheets. A character attempting to access the door - such as by forcing it or by using a key - must save or the member used to interact with the door is affected: producing several fractured reflections of the interactive member, as though looking at it in a broken mirror. There is, of course, only one article: it simply becomes difficult to use it. The interactive article might be inanimate - a key, a ram or pole, an axe or hammer, etc. - or animate - such as the hands of a lock-picker. An inanimate object, when the user attempts to pick it up, suffers a 10% failure rate: the character has grasped at thin air - additionally, when using the item (such as striking with an affected weapon) suffers a -2 penalty to hit, due to the same uncertainty of where the item actually is. A character that is physically affected suffers a -2 penalty to hit and a 10% failure chance, or -10% chance as appropriate, when performing a delicate or measured action with the affected portion of their anatomy. A character that is picking the lock - which does require the full turn - suffers a -10% chance, due to trying to avoid the curtain of magic - and must save 1d4 times, total, during the process or be affected. In any case, it will wear off in 1d4 hours.
9	Mute Shrine A statue holding out both hands and kneeling, head slightly bowed, perhaps before a doorway or another item, its eyes closed, its mouth covered in a mask. A character coming within 20 feet of the statue draws its attention: at which point it begins humming a lullaby. At the end of the lullaby, two lasers are produced from the statue's chest, extending left and right in a 20 foot arc then coming together as scissors. Any character within the area of effect must save or become mute - unable to speak, unable to cast spells - for the next 2d4 turns.
10	Wave of Suppression Five convex hemispheric orbs are placed equidistant from one another around a concave hemispheric depression in the center. When the trap is triggered, a pulse erupts from the central hemisphere, extending out 25 feet. Any character within the radius must save or be suppressed: any character
11	Stream of Ants The floor is cobbled, with sandy ant mounds of various sizes along the way. A foot-path is made by alternating slates, roughly a foot in diameter, each, and leading towards the other side of the space. One of these plates, just beyond two significantly larger ant hills that flank the path, is a pressure plate. If a character activates the trap, all characters in the tripping character's rank of the marching order must save or be covered in ants. If at least one character succeeds this save, the following rank must also save or be covered in ants. A character that is covered in ants will be bitten by the ants until they or an ally can get them off - the method of which is a challenge for the player and the difficulty of which is the discretion of the referee. After 1d4 rounds, the character begins to go into shock: rolling a Constitution check or going unresponsive; every 1d4 rounds thereafter until such time as the character can be cleared of ants, the character must roll a Constitution check again or die.
12	Sleep Ray A spotlight slowly circles the floor of a padded room: pillows lining the wall. The spotlight will seek characters that enter, but a crafty character may be able to walk around it. Any character that is touched by the spotlight must save or fall into a deep sleep for 1d4 turns. Note, a sleeping character, if touched by the circling spotlight again, must save again or have the turn count reset.
13	The Bridge Washer Concealed along the decidedly low handrails on a narrow bridge are several water cannon. The "rails" are comprised of cord hung between alternating posts, such that a long-armed fellow could alternate grasping the posts as he stepped - and the bridge, itself, is perforated and slightly angled inward, with some signs of mildew and rust. A character who does not grasp the post adjacent to the trap - which acts as a retarder - will trigger it. Affected characters must save or be blasted off the bridge into whatever lies below by a sudden and powerful jet of water.
14	Time Flies On the floor is the face of an analogue clock, 20 feet in diameter. All three hands are moving at a clip to be expected of them - the last yard or so of each arm is glowing. If the glowing section passes by a character they must save or be affected: characters facing the clockwise rotation, such that the arm approaches them from the rear as it turns, are shunted into the future; characters facing against it, such that the arm approaches them from the front as it turns, are shunted into the past: 1d4 rounds for the second hand; 1d4 turns for the minute hand, and 1d4 hours for the hour hand. (In terms of refereeing this trap, while pushing players into the future is somewhat easy - you can wait to see what the party does, holding the player in suspense until you can portray accurately what they see - pushing players into the past might be somewhat tricky. My gut would try to re-read some description, or repeat some explanation, that the players had asked for or encountered, essentially having the party play the past version of themselves - potentially interacting with present versions of their comrades, if the times line up. Though I'd be curious to hear other thoughts or methods!)
15	Rod of Tongues Along a wall is a large carved mouth; no nose, no eyes - just lips and a tongue hanging down from a dark recess therein. Where the uvula would be hangs a rod - around six feet recessed. A character that attempts to retrieve said rod may set off the trap; a character that expressly interacts with the tongue does. When triggered, all characters in a 30 foot cone before the mouth must save or have the languages they know - including the common tongue - randomly replaced. Thus, a character knowing three languages - say; Common, Elfish, and Goblinese - would know three corresponding randomly determined languages: perhaps then; Dwarfish, Law, and the tongue of Giants. These languages can be taken from the book or generated as appropriate from your setting. If successfully wrested from the trap, the rod, itself, may be - at referee discretion - looted as a magic item: once removed, consider it a Wand that produces the above effect with  2d4 charges remaining.
16	Laser Show An even number of lasers comb the floor, back and forth in two waves such that one set is combing left to right at the same time another set is combing right to left - back and forth. Any character caught in the beams suffers 2d6 damage as though from fire. A crafty character may evade the beams, or a save can be made to pass the gauntlet; characters wearing plate or other particularly or potentially reflective armor gain a +2 bonus to the saving throw.
17	Geyser Room The floor of the room is evenly checkerboarded with nozzles - eight by eight in approximately five foot squares - flush with the floor, pointing up. The room smells acidic and the characters' eyes may water. When sufficient weight is place on any portion of the floor, a guard mechanic activates: randomly spraying 1d3 times, determining which nozzles activate by rolling 1d8/8 - with one d8 representing the X axis and the other the Y axis, accordingly. A character standing in (or reasonably in) an activated space must save or be blasted from below with a fountain of acid. This acid does nothing initially, but will deal 1d4 points of damage per round for 1d8 rounds or until neutralized. A character which is doused a second time in this manner does not suffer multiple 1d4 damage increments, but the referee is encouraged instead to roll a second 1d8, replacing the duration of the acid burn effect with the higher of the roll or its current value. For characters standing in spaces that erupt twice in a single turn, the referee - at their discretion - can choose to impose a -2 penalty on the save; or to roll 2d8, applying the higher of the two for duration on a failed save; or both; or a separate discretionary effect - you're the referee, after all.
18	Forgetting Ray A brain sits on a pedestal, facing the door. Roll 1d6-1 on entry - that proportion of the brain appears to be damaged, having crumbled to a dry material and fallen to the floor: thus, a roll of 3 would mean 2/6 - or, a third - of the brain is crumbled. The remaining number are the charges in the trap. Any character which opens the door may trigger the trap - specifically, one which approaches it from an angle along the axis perpendicular to the corpus callosum - at which point they must save or lose a memory. A spellcaster may remove one of their memorized spells, a mapper may erase 1d3 rooms and their connecting corridors from the map they are keeping, or in the absence of other creative consequences, the target may lose 1d6 x 100 XP. On each memory lost in this manner, a charge is expended from the brain and 1/6 more of it seems to crumble. When all six charges are spent, the trap can be considered disarmed.
19	Alchemist's Transmutation The way is crossed by a pool of mercury a few inches deep, running the length and breadth of a room. Several small walkways, wide enough for one, lead through - but follow an odd pattern. In the center of the walls facing cardinal directions are the symbols for gold, silver, lead, and tin - which glow faintly. Characters who disturb the mercury in any way activate the trap and must save or have a randomly determined metal item of 1d10 x 10 coins in weight or less transmuted: precious metals are transmuted into non-precious ones; non-precious metals are transmuted into precious ones - the effect on effectiveness for those items is at the discretion of the referee.
20	Jolt of the Ectotherm The likeness of a three-headed creature - the heads being a turtle, a frog, and a lizard - is carved into the wall. The eyes of the creatures follow the three characters closest to the engraving. If the trap is triggered, each of those three characters must save as the eyes of the creature light up: on failure, they become cold blooded, suggested consequences for which could be as follows: In ambient temperatures of 85 degrees or greater, there are no consequences. In ambient temperatures of 75 degrees or greater, the character suffers a 30' (10') reduction in movement rates and -1 to Initiative, if individual initiative is used. In ambient temperatures of 65 degrees or greater, in addition to the above, the character suffers a -2 on to hit rolls, a -10% reduction in success chances for appropriate skills, and a 10% flat chance of spell failure. In ambient temperatures of 55 degrees or greater, the character's movement penalty increases to 60' (20'), initiative penalty to -2, to-hit penalty to -4, skill success chance to -20%, a 20% net flat chance to spell failure, and the character's chance of being surprised is doubled. In ambient temperatures below 55 degrees, the character falls asleep and cannot meaningfully be roused. Being in direct sunlight or being exposed to a consistent equivalent heat source will knock a character up one point on the temperature effect scale. How warm a dungeon is by default is at the discretion of the referee, based on the environment - but should typically correlate to the level of the dungeon: i.e. how far underground it is. A Remove Curse or similar magic is required to reverse this effect.

Happy trapping!

Public domain art retrieved from ReusableArt.com, the National Gallery of Art, or OldBookIllustrations.com and adapted for thematic use. Attribution in alt text.

Licensed photo, Water Fountain 6178 by Wikimedia Commons user Dori, retrieved from Wikimedia Commons on 11/18/2020 and adapted for thematic use. Water Fountain 6178 is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License 1.2 and under U.S. Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 3.0 - in accordance with said license, the adapted version herein - identified and attributed via alt text, same as public domain pieces - was created and utilized without the knowledge, consent, nor endorsement of the original author and is itself, specifically, released under the same licenses.