A Dead Wizard's Floating College

Perusing, in recent memory, through the endless images that can be found on Old Book Illustrations, I found a striking image - Albert Robida's Aerial Rotating House, originally published in Le Vingtième Siècle in 1893 and pictured to the left. I saved the image and mulled on it - needing to find a place to incorporate it into my home game.

Resultant from that mulling, herein I present a short-to-mid-size adventure: suitable and designed for a B/X party of around level 3.

A Dead Wizard's Floating College

Originally designed as a laboratory, college, and retreat for a master of the arcane arts, this unique Victorian was impossibly balanced on an iron spindle of a foundation in the upper district. However - the immensity of the magic used in its externally clockwork construction was revealed upon the backfiring of a mystic experiment for its primary occupancy. Killing the magic user and shaking the foundation loose, the Floating College then began to drift, floating and bobbing on a breeze that no one can feel, along the countryside: occasionally hanging on a precipice or a forest or a building (when coasting over a city) for a few days before breaking loose, wafting off to a new unknowable heading. Ropes, chains, and grapples hang from the foyer level - the evidence of enterprising opportunists seeking to see what treasures its former master may have left behind.

• Spaces demarcated by dotted lines generally indicate railings. 
• Spaces demarcated by stipples generally indicate windows or openings.
• The scale of all maps is 10 feet - click here for a PDF version of this adventure.
  

A - Foyer Disc

The grounds of the disc are ringed by a four foot railing. A character may swing over if they desire, such as if to gain access to other portions of the building more easily, though there is ever the risk of falling should they do so.

A1 - The Grate

This circular space is a metal platform, its floor made of grating, ringed by a thin railing. Along the south-west quarter are three lines tied or hooked on: the first two able to support a man-sized creature climbing, the third having a 2-in-6 chance of dislodging when used, causing the climber to fall. A tree branch is lodged in the railing along the eastern side, having been torn off some time ago, its leaves still green and thriving.

A2 - Spiral Stair

A solid metal silo ascends like a tin can, 60 feet tall, its wall lined with a steep spiral stair. The stair is 5 feet wide - starting at the northern wall - but after the first quarter turn around the silo, its oblong shape takes it through a smooth hole cut in the wall. After another quarter turn, it returns inside; after a third, outside; before terminating at the platform at A3. Transition points internal to external are at approximately 15 foot increments - that is, it is inside at ground level, goes outside 15 feet up, comes back inside at 30, and so on.

Sitting in the center of the silo is a colossal frog - 10 feet in diameter. This frog is a hit die 4+4 creature, saving as Fighter 4 but otherwise as Giant Toad (X40): its tongue affecting a man-sized creature or smaller within a range of 30 feet.

It is too fat to take to stairs - though it will try - and is trapped on the ground floor.

A3 - Underwell

A ladder provides a path upward through a tunnel of stone. Looking up, a character will see the underside of the well in B1 - complete with water: the light diffusing and distorting as it would looking at something outside a pool while swimming. Characters climbing upward to B1 will emerge from the well dry; characters trying to return downward will find a normal stone well with no egress at the bottom if they swim beneath. A Knock spell will open the way. 

B - College Grounds

The level consists of a disc, held aloft by the silo from the foyer, and covered with grass. The disc is ringed by a waist-high railing, metal, and a stone pathway leads from the front door to the nearest perimeter. Shrubbery and bushes hug the walls of the building - with the shrubbery on the eastern side, between the train cars and the sun room, being particularly overgrown. The rest of the disc appears to be manicured grass. A Tuatara (B38) suns itself in the lawn: 2-in-6 chance of being on the eastern side, in view of B1; 4-in-6 chance of being on the western side.

B1 - The Well

This well is stone, circular, with a gable roof overhead. It is the outlet of the ladder in A3, but only works one way - characters coming from A3 to B1 emerge from the water dry; characters entering B1 from above will simply get wet. A Knock spell will allow climbing down, dry, to A3.

B2 - The Foyer

This space is luxuriously bedecked - a thick carpet in rich color leading to a tall room with a hanging (though empty) chandelier. Small lights flicker in the chandelier - these are the result of a fractured Continual Light spell and imitate the twinkling of many candles. On the east and west walls are mirrored crests of the original owner's personal brand.

The door to B2i is locked. Neither of the other doors in this space are.

In each alcove to the south stands a Living Statue (B37) standing guard. They will attack on sight unless the party speaks a password: at which point they will return to their alcoves, not accosting the party again until they leave the college grounds, entirely - requiring the same password uttered upon a return trip.

One of the two Living Statues has a key ring. This key ring has 1d4 keys on it, corresponding to the following doors:

1. B2i
2. B3, South-East
3. B3, North-East
4. B2ii

Thus, if a 2 is rolled, the statue will have a key that will unlock the door to B2i and the south-east door to B3.

B2i - West Closet

A coat rack, a hat rack, and a shoe bench occupy this space. Rummaging through the coats will reveal 1,000 silver pieces, 200 gold pieces, and 35 platinum pieces spread between several pouches, a broach of azurite worth 450 gold pieces on its own. The broach is moderately reflective - but for some reason, if someone can pick up their own face in the reflection, the reflection looks happier.

B2ii - East Closet

The door to this tool shed is locked with an old padlock: it is rusted and can be forced. There is evidence that it was once open to B2, but it has been boarded up. Inside can be found gardening tools. The tools are magic: subjecting any garden tended with them for at least 3 days to a Growth of Plants spell at the next moon-rise.

B3 - Lounge

On the east and west walls are luxuriant divans. On the north wall, a painting of the exterior of the college. In the center of the room is a lush carpet, its palate matching the rich hues of the divans. Noticeable to someone who looks, it appears someone had drawn a circle of salt in the carpet, but the granules are partially obscured via the carpet fibers.

The two doors facing east are locked. The door facing west is not locked - however is trapped. When the door is opened, a pin is released, held in place while the door is closed - opening a hole in the floor. A character caught by the trap must save or fall through the Grounds Disc: landing on whatever is far, far below.

B4 - Mason Room

The door leading into this space is stuck. The walls, floor, and ceiling of the room are solid stone blocks. In the center is a circular depression, blood spattered along its side - browned as a stain with age. Arcane sigils are inscribed in the north wall.

B5 - Garden

The north-east section of this space has bene overgrown with massive flowering plants, pouring in from the window, which cannot be closed. 1d4 flowers - pitcher type - appear to be in full bloom. Inside is a nectar which, if drunk, grants the drinker 1 temporary experience level lasting 1d4 hours. 

This nectar can be harvested if the party has a glass container. A leather or wooden container will leech the magic - revitalizing the container; a metal container will poison the material: impairing the drinker with 1 temporary level LOSS likewise lasting 1d4 hours, save vs poison to evade.

The door to B10 is not locked.

The door to B3 is locked.

The door to B8 has been spiked shut from the far side.

B6 - The Dining Car

The passenger car from a steam train has been wedged into the side of the building - its floor one foot above the floor in B5. Five Giant Centipedes (B33) mill about the car - migrants from the flowers. The car is richly decorated:

• A chair molding lines the north and south walls - it is comprised of a mosaic of silver coins, five tall, running the length of the car with breaks at the windows. These coins can be pried off the wall by a dedicated character, amounting to 1,200 silver in total.
• Two chairs flank an ebony end table on which an ornate chess board is set. The pieces have been scattered as though the table has been knocked, but if collected, the set is worth 1,000 gold pieces.
• A second, smaller table contains a flower vase - a flower similar to those from B5 held aloft by beads at the bottom. Concealed among the beads is a single Cat's Eye stone, the seam down the middle gilded with impossibly smooth platinum inlay. The Cat's Eye is worth 1,000 gold pieces. Rotating the Cat's Eye with a light behind it will show several different scenes in the refracted light on the far side.
• In the west end is an oval portrait of the magic user. In the frame are embedded four gems: three (left, bottom, and right of the face) emeralds (100 gp each) and one (to the top) diamond (500 gp). Below the portrait is another end table with a bowl on it, sitting on a purple table cloth. If the table cloth is lifted, the door to a secret hidden compartment is revealed: behind a simple lock can be found 200 gold pieces and a garnet worth 10 gp.
• In the east end, a small wooden structure has been built to connect B6 with B7: this is a claustrophobic space, only 5 feet high, but it is veiled by a curtain of hanging pearls. The curtain, if removed, is worth 200 gold pieces.

B7 - The Laboratory Car

This passenger car has been converted into an observatory. A large telescope looks out of the center-north window and a collection of books can be found in a case blocking the south-west window. The lens, if extracted, is worth 600 gold pieces, but weighs 40 pounds. The silver-mosaic chair molding from B6 extends into this car also, containing a further 1,200 silver able to be pried out. Hanging along the south wall is a visible brake line - the brake line is actually a Rope of Binding: an item, 25 feet long, which - if tied tightly, will become impossible to move in space, as an Immovable Rod might be.

The door to B7i is stuck.

B7i - Overlook

A wrought-iron chair is propped against an end table, overlooking the drop below. It is painted a pleasant color.

B8 - Dining Hall

A dining table has been cast to one side of this room, blocking a fireplace in the north-east wall. The door to B5 has been spiked closed from this side. No chairs are present. A party of five - an Elf (2), a Halfling (3), a Fighter (3), and two Thieves (5 and 4) - are frantic over the Fighter, who appears to be violently ill. He has been bitten by the centipedes in B6. The Elf knows the password to stand-down the statues in B2. The Elf had memorized Light and Magic Missile - one of which, determined randomly, she will have already cast.

The stairs to the south lead upwards to C1, but are trapped. One of the stairs is pressure sensitive: which will, if triggered, cause the stairs to rise together - the lower at different speeds, such that all will hit the ceiling at the same time - crushing a trapped character. It will reset after 2 rounds; a Save vs Paralysis is allowed to evade.

B9 - Sunroom

Along the many windows of this space are hanging ferns and other hydroponic plants. Against the wall is a work shelf and peg board with tools intended for delicate horticulture - plus a watering can that seems to be gently smoking out the top. The plants are all brightly colored. It is ice cold to the touch.

This coloration of the plants is a natural warning. If a character attempts to touch any of the plants without first pouring the cooling agent on them, they will burst, spraying an acid 1d3x5 feet in all directions. There is a 2-in-6 chance this reaction will chain between the plants if it occurs, covering the whole room. Characters in the zone of effect must Save vs Dragon's Breath or take 1d6 acid damage, followed by 1d4 acid damage per turn for the next 1d4 turns, rolled independently. A generous referee may allow further clues - such as the fire-ferns quivering if the character approaches them, or describing them as exuding tangible warmth.

If harvested, the severed portion of the plant will not explode - being removed from the central mass - and its acid can be weaponized: burning through even metal after a turn of exposure. There are enough plants for 2d4 doses of this material.

B10 - Veranda

The doors to this space are not locked. A rocking chair with a broken spoke lies on its side near the west railing; a grappling hook rests near the north-west corner, dangling 30 feet of rope beneath it.

C - Upstairs

The upstairs space is spatially distorted from the downstairs - it occupies the same footprint in reality, but the interior is around 50% larger. Any character who enters will not notice - scaling, themselves, to match. The floor is exposed wood, unless otherwise indicated, and the walls are papered.

All windows on this level are stuck tight. If a character does manage to open them - 1-in-6 chance, modified by Strength - they will be blown backwards by a sudden rush of air: after which, they will feel off: as one might just before a storm. There are no ill effects from this - though exiting through a window will result in an odd, dysphoric feeling.

C1 - Upper Hall

A small indentation is present in the floor - roughly 20 inches deep - in the north-west portion of the hall. On the walls are a series of cubbies - in which can be found a mundane set of canvas shoes, an umbrella, and what appears to be a sleeping cap.

C2 - Theater

Along the west wall is a stage, running the central 20 feet of the room and elevated off the ground by about 12 inches. Along the east wall are three rows of chairs - in which sit several skeletons. Any character that sits down with the skeletons will see a group of translucent players on the stage enacting a short piece. At this point, the character must Save vs Spells or become transfixed: a transfixed character ages 2d8 years - or an equivalent number of years proportional to their natural life. Characters passing the save realize what is going on and may choose to watch anyway - in which case they will still age 2d8 years: but they may stand up and avert their gaze to avoid it.

The skeletons have nothing of value on their persons.

C3 - Halls

The secret door between C3i and C3ii in the north is in the form of a portrait. A character looking on it - from either side - sees a life-size portrait of the magic user who constructed the building. He is facing south in both portraits - so, from C3i, the figure appears to look to the left; from C3ii, it appears to look to the right. The portrait is an illusion - a character may pass through by simply walking through the area occupied thereby.

C3i - Darkened Hall

The walls of this hall are lined with candles every five feet - lit - providing dim illumination. These candles are secretly slowly burning off pathological fumes emanating from the floor near the south end.

• If the party removes over 2 candles, they will notice a strange smell.
• If the party removes over 4 candles, they must Save vs Poison every turn spent in C3i or feel nauseated for one hour - imposing a -1 penalty on all checks.
• If the party removes over 6 candles, they must Save vs Poison every turn spent in C3i or pass unconscious. A character left unconscious in the hall, unless the candles are returned, will die.

The door to C6 is locked. 

C3ii - Windowed Hall

The walls of this hall are lined with candle holders every five feet on the east wall only. The candles are not lit.

C4 - Balcony

The railing of this balcony is lined with flower beds. The door is heavy - though not stuck or locked. When viewed from the inside, the door is 9 feet wide and 9 feet tall. From viewed from the outside, the door is 6 feet wide and 6 feet tall: an effect produced by the magical expansion of space inside this level. A character walking out onto the balcony will not experience the negative effect of exiting through a window.

There is a 2-in-6 chance that the Tuatara (B38) from B will have climbed to the balcony if it is still alive and not otherwise indisposed below.

C5 - Den

A basaltic stone path has been laid on the floor, leading from the north doors to the south door. On either side of the path is sod and a series of deciduous trees, arranged naturally (or, as naturally as possible in the limited space) rather than in rows, colored appropriately to the season. The ceiling is tall and colored according to the sky, light emitting from it as though it were outdoors - but no clouds nor sun are visible.

Among the trees scowls an Owl Bear (B40). It wears a plated electrum collar - non-magical, but sized for an Owl Bear: weighing 5 pounds - worth 1,100 gold pieces. Nearby, a small pouch containing two smooth jades (50 gp each) has been hidden in a nook in one of the trees to the north-east.

C6 - Lightning Room

The walls and floor of this room are a black, basaltic stone. In the center of the room is an elevated platform, flanked by three stone arms reaching up like spider legs. At the tip of each spider leg is a ruby worth 100 gold pieces. On the base of the platform, in between the stone arms, there is a white spot, as though worn by heavy feet.

The arcane mechanism for the device is broken. A character which approaches within 10 feet has a chance to set off the hazard; a character who stands on the platform, between the stone arms, will set off the hazard. A character thus triggering the device's effect must Save vs Dragon's Breath or take 2d8 points of lightning damage. If doubles are rolled on the damage roll, the victim is also immediately translocated to a random room within the compound.

Removing at least one ruby will disarm the apparatus. A magic user who knows Teleport can fix this device, disarming the hazard and then allowing it to be used to teleport flawlessly - that is, no chance of failure - to a location they are either familiar with intimately or that they can see via a crystal ball.

The doors to C3 - that is, the east and west doors - are locked.

C7 - Ballroom

The ceiling is higher in this room - pitched - and a dancing floor dominates it. There are some tall bar-style tables against the walls. Characters in the space for more than 1 turn will begin to hear music playing faintly, which will amplify over the course of 1 additional turn to a pleasant volume. A character that opts to dance - especially with a partner - will be invigorated: gaining a +2 bonus on all subsequent Saving Throws made until they fail one or until they fall asleep.

C8 - Bar

The north demarcation indicates a bar, waist height to a human. Behind the bar waits a single Living Statue (B37). It will not attack, but will defend itself or the bar if a character becomes aggressive. Likewise, if a character knows the password from B2, it will make that character a drink. It has finite mixing knowledge.

C9 - The Master's Tower

This round space has stone walls and is ringed by magician's equipment. On the west wall is a bunk with soiled blanket on which a Blink Dog (X28) had been napping; on the south-east wall is a writing desk; along the north-east wall is a series of alembics, test tubes, and similar unused supplies. In the ceiling is an opening to D - there is no ladder nor an obvious way up.

Under the bunk has been piled a horde of coins - 8,000 in copper plus 2,000 in silver.

In the north-east section are three scrolls - one Scroll of Knock, two Scrolls of Locate Object - and alchemical ingredients and equipment worth 1,200 gold pieces.

In the writing desk can be found a ring-post with two rings: one of Spell Storing, one of Spell Turning. Also in the desk can be found a key ring with four keys: the doors to which they apply are determined by rolling 4d6, consulting the following:

• C6, West Door
• C6, East Door
• B3, South-East Door
• B3, North-East Door
• B2ii
• Miscellaneous Key

 If a duplicate is rolled, the duplicate stays - the key is simply duplicated on the chain. The miscellaneous key does not open any doors - but may open a chest or lockbox, at the discretion of the referee - elsewhere.

In the north-west wall is a window, complete with flower-bed, facing C7. The window to C7 is open; the window facing outside is closed. A character attempting to enter C9 from C7 through the window must Save vs. Spells or be deposited instead facing South in the corridor beyond the secret door in the south wall. 

The secret door - from the south - appears as part of the wall; from the north, it appears as a wooden section ringed by stone. It is activated by a control word: the password for the Living Statues from B2, spoken in reverse. When spoken, the portal slides into the floor, rising again if the word is spoken again.

C10 - Reverence Chamber

The wood floor is exposed in paths from the two doors - the south door being locked, the north door being ajar - to the walls of the turret to the north-west. Along the rest of the main space, firm kneeling cushions criss-cross the floor, straw-woven mats lining the alleys they create. The turret to the north-west is raised - requiring two steps to enter. Inside is a telescope, pointed at the wall, and an old but copious blood stain on the floor. Inside the telescope - in lieu of a lens can be found a large black sapphire - 500 gold pieces in value - suspended by taunt gossamer lines.

Light sources - including magical ones - flutter and dim while in the main space. If a character stands still too long, they begin to hear a faint chanting from throats not present in the room.

There is a secret compartment under the stairs - accessible by sliding a thin article between the face of the stair and the wall so as to jimmy it out. A character crawling into this space will find two locked chests and a case bolted to the wall containing, in order of appearance:

1. 3,200 silver pieces and a pouch with two fire opals (100 gp each)
2. 2,800 silver pieces and a case containing a further 800 gold pieces
3. A Wand of Negation with 5 charges remaining

The telescope can be used as a crystal ball by a skilled magic user if the sapphire is not removed; projecting the image targeted into a 10 foot tall by 5 foot wide space like a screen.

D - Attic

From below, the entry to this space is ten feet in diameter; from above, it appears to be 5 feet in diameter - the spacial dilation continuing, such that this space is again much larger than the space beneath it indicates it should be.

In the attic is stored spare furniture, spare linens, and several scroll cases. They contain two blank parchments and one map to a treasure trove; thematically, the treasure should likely be esoteric in nature. Hung on a coat rack can be found an Elven Cloak.

A flock of 8 Stirges are hidden among the rafters.

 

Public domain artwork downloaded from OldBookIllustrations.com and the National Gallery of Art and adapted where appropriate for thematic use. Attribution in alt text.

Differentiating Damage

In Chainmail, in AD&D, and in various homebrews around the net, changes have been made regarding the accuracy and effectiveness of weapons based on the armor type of the target. Most of the time, these modifications are made and tweaked around the attack roll, itself - however recently conversing with some old-school experimenters, the idea was floated that maybe the attack roll isn't the only place where tweaks might be applied.

Advantage by Armor

On a successful hit, the type of weapon causing the hit should be compared against the type of armor being worn by the target:

• If the weapon's type is considered effective against the given type of armor, damage dealt should be rolled with advantage: that is, rolled twice and the higher result taken.
• If the weapon's type is considered ineffective against the given type of armor, damage dealt should be rolled with disadvantage: that is, rolled twice and the lower result taken.
• If the weapon's type has no rating for the given type of armor, damage should be rolled as normal.
  

To determine whether a weapon is effective or ineffective, a suggested method here is that the should be categorized based on the physics behind its effect:

• Crushing or Puncturing (maces, flails, picks, hammers, crossbows)
  
• Slashing or Hacking (axes, swords, bladed pole-arms)
  
• Piercing or Perforating (spears, knives and daggers, bows)
• Bludgeons (staffs, slings, clubs, unarmed strikes)
  

A weapon so categorized can then be determined effective or ineffective against armor types as follows, an effective weapon result being marked with a plus sign (+); an ineffective weapon result with a minus (-):

	Armor Class (Armor Equivalence)
Damage Type:	<3 (or Plate)	3-5 (or Mail)	6-8 (or Leather, Gambeson)	>8 (or Unarmored)
Crushing or Puncturing	+	+
Slashing or Hacking	-	-		+
Piercing or Perforating			+	+
Bludgeons	-		-

At the referees option, the table may be expanded to accommodate more armor types or unlisted armors might be lumped in with the closest category.

Further, the referee is encouraged to revisit effective and ineffective markings: as the above is based very loosely on AD&D's Weapon Types, General Data, and "To Hit" Adjustments table (PHB, p. 38) - it does not take into account any sort of "rock, paper, scissors" that might make more enticing the option to carry multiple weapons "just in case."

While initially a thought exercise, this satisfies both a minor nod to verisimilitude without overwhelming the referee with complexity nor without slowing gameplay with sequential dice or unnecessary arithmetic and a side-line desire to make fighters "more interesting." That is, with something like the above, based on the nature of foes encountered, a fighter may be tempted to bring several weapons along rather than just the one big one that does the most damage - as their effectiveness may be tempered or exacerbated by the foe they encounter. 

How does stack up?

Rolling advantage or disadvantage has the effect of skewing the result up or down in the direction corresponding to the high or low roll taken. It logically then follows that on a smaller die, the range of possible results being tighter, the gross deviation (that is, the average amount by which the raw number rolled will change) and the proportional impact (that is, the difference between the normal average and the new average) will be smaller.

In B/X, there are four dice used in the variable damage table: four-sided, six-sided, eight-sided, and ten-sided. So, for each of those die sizes, the average result (and thus average damage inflicted on a hit) can be calculated as follows:

	d4		d6		d8		d10
Ineffective	1.88	-25%	2.53	-28%	3.19	-29%	3.85	-30%
Normal	2.5		3.5		4.5		5.5
Effective	3.13	+25%	4.47	+28%	5.81	+29%	7.15	+30%

So, for a dagger at 1d4 striking against a vulnerable armor type, it will see an increase of effectiveness around 25%, or 0.63 damage per hit; whereas a sword dealing 1d8 would see around a 29% difference, or 1.65 damage per hit.

Additionally - looking at the numbers - an interesting trend emerges as the die size increases. When a weapon is used against armor it is effective against, there is of course a trend towards parity with the upward damage die - however, this is muted by the "effective" average being still below the "normal" average of the next die in line until you get to the d8/d10 comparison. Why muted? Because there are only two 1d8 weapons in B/X - the Battle Axe and the Sword - and only two 1d10 weapons - the Pole Arm and the Two-Handed Sword: as such, by the time you get to the top of the range, there isn't much difference in the types and there isn't much room to diversify - R.A.W. However, when a weapon is used against armor it is ineffective against - the trend is observable almost immediately: with the average damage on 1d6, at disadvantage, being only 0.03 different from the average damage rolling a normal 1d4. 

This is more pronounced on 1d8 - where the average at disadvantage is 0.31 points worse than rolling a normal 1d6! Given the opportunity to use a 1d6 weapon or a 1d8 weapon is obvious: while at the same time, if the 1d6 weapon is strong against the armor being worn by the enemy and the 1d8 weapon is weak against it, the choice is equally obvious in the total opposite direction!

Because of this mechanism, a character which would normally be eligible for a sword - which, by many estimates, is the optimal melee weapon to use on the table - suddenly has reason to bring along a pick or a mace, as well. Expand the table out a bit, add various monster vulnerabilities into consideration? Suddenly the fighter has to decide between which weapons to bring weighed against being able to carry back treasure.

Math Breakdown

Comparing the above to a bonus or penalty to hit - on the general consensus that 2 points of "to hit" is about the equivalent, in terms of damage per round, as is 1 point of damage, the benefit of advantage or disadvantage on the die roll ranges from about +/-1 "to hit" using a 1d4 weapon up to +/-4 "to hit" using a 1d10 weapon. So, on the heavier hitters, it's more pronounced. It's likely to be quicker at the table than applying said modifiers - and definitely takes up a tad less space in your house-rules binder, as the one table is a slight smaller than having to have the same cells duplicated or filled out four times each: one for each die type.

In any case, for further reading, in case you're having trouble getting to sleep, here are the numbers, probabilities, and charts - courtesy of AnyDice - that correlate to the conclusions drawn above.

Delve on, readers!

For 1d4 weapons:
output [highest 1 of 2d4] named "D4 At Advantage" output 1d4 named "D4 On Average" output [lowest 1 of 2d4] named "D4 At Disadvantage"
For 1d6 weapons:
output [highest 1 of 2d6] named "D6 At Advantage" output 1d6 named "D6 On Average" output [lowest 1 of 2d6] named "D6 At Disadvantage"
For 1d8 weapons:
output [highest 1 of 2d8] named "D8 At Advantage" output 1d8 named "D8 On Average" output [lowest 1 of 2d8] named "D8 At Disadvantage"
For 1d10 weapons:
output [highest 1 of 2d10] named "D10 At Advantage" output 1d10 named "D10 On Average" output [lowest 1 of 2d10] named "D10 At Disadvantage"

    -- Edit: 1/23, 7 PM --

Per suggested feedback, edited the armor vs weapon table to include Armor Class ranges rather than just the names of armors in B/X. That having been the intended interpretation, but having used armor equivalences to make the ruling more compatible with clones or other OSR systems, you had also pointed out that AC ranges makes the ruling applicable to monsters simultaneously with no internal conversion necessary.

Thank you, community, in helping to make this blog better!

 

Public domain artwork retrieved from Wikimedia Commons and the National Gallery of Art and modified for thematic use. Attribution in alt text.

Save vs Paralysis or Petrification: 20 Themed Traps

Paralysis and Petrification - as I've heard - is the default for many referees, in terms of evading traps. While originally, it would seem, intended for Paralysis and Turn-To-Stone effects (from the like of Ghouls or Basilisks), the save evolved from there to reflect an element of evasion: as you would avert your eyes when confronted with the Medusa, the same save could be used for traps or reactions where similar reflexive elusion would serve to protect the character. The below traps take both into consideration: some traps assuming it's a literal petrification process and others being more general. It's a bit disjointed in that respect, re-reading the list, but as always, take what you like - and change what you don't until you do!

I've also added a label - "traps" - to this series of posts: hopefully making it easier to access. Although this concludes my run into the five classic saves - producing a total of 100 traps between them - I may re-use the label for more of the same: more elaborate, set-piece traps; or maybe more lists.

Delve on, readers!

1d%	Result
1	Gravity Trap Along a hall, a section of floor is suspiciously clean - no dirt, no stones to speak of. Folderol as such has fallen into the trap. A character stepping into the space must save or fall upwards, gravity having been reversed in that 10 foot radius - falling through a trapdoor concealed in the ceiling and into the "pit." Otherwise equivalent to a pit trap.
2	Lot's Puddle An alchemical substance, violently reactant to organic life, has been pooled at the entrance to a door. A character mistakenly stepping into the sulfurous mess must save or be affected by it: an affected character is, over the course of 1d4 turns, transformed into a statue of salt: first, their feet, then legs, then their core, before reaching the extremities - reaching the head last. Tells for this trap might include other adventurers having befallen this fate - their legs and chests in standard pose, their arms and faces in awkward, odd despair - as though suffocating.
3	The Hypnotist's Door Knocker The knocker on a trapped door is shaped like a face with deep green eyes and wearing a turban. The eyes are enchanted - a character which attempts to open the door without knocking will note the eyes flash and must save or be mesmerized for 1d4 turns. A mesmerized character drops whatever they are holding in their hands and stares into the knocker - vigorous shaking, water, or other mechanisms to wake the affected character are largely ineffective.
4	The Cockatrice Chest This trap is comprised of an ornate lockbox - locked, potentially with another, easily spotted and easily removed trap on it. It is a deep ebony in construction, with stone bindings shaped like features and a chicken's head for a clasp. Inside the box there is no treasure - instead, there is the pickled head of a cockatrice. Any character which gazes into the box must save or be turned to stone, as with the wild monster. A generous referee may allow a bonus to the save, as the creature is deceased and its power may be slightly diminished.
5	Rolling Roof Along the walls are three vertical grooves, each, equidistantly spaced. The floor is a checkerboard pattern of tiles approximately 16 inches across - many of which have cracks running down the center. Several of the cracked tiles are triggers to the trap. A character which steps onto one of the trapped tiles will find it gives way, opening downwards along the crack and then snapping back up. The character must save or have their foot caught: immobilizing them. After at least one character is caught as such, their weight in the clasp will trigger the ceiling to start rolling down - suspended by rollers and lintels that run along the vertical grooves. Any character which cannot get out of the room in 2d3 turns is crushed.
6	Portrait of the Adventurer A glass mirror hangs on the wall. A generous referee will have the reflective surface covered by a hanging cloth. The frame of the mirror is wood and carved with dozens of small faces. A character who looks into the mirror will notice the eyes of the faces along the frame open and the surroundings of the mirror go out of focus: at which point they must save or turn to a polished hard wood statue. At this point, the reflective qualities of the mirror fade and are replaced by a gloss - almost as a piece of stained glass - depicting a portrait of the character or characters affected. Breaking this stained glass piece will allow the character a system shock roll to return to normal.
7	Spike Flat A trapped section of floor is covered by a metal grate, laced with holes. When a character steps onto the grate, their weight may activate the trap mechanism. When the trap activates, a clunk can be heard as a spring-load is triggered - forcing a series of spikes out of the floor and up through the holes in the grate. Any characters on the floor at must save or be impaled by these spikes: suffering 2d8 damage.
8	Basilisk Door Handle The trapped article has an oversized handle or clasp - shaped like a basilisk's head. If a character opens the trapped article, they may trigger the trap. When triggered, the basilisk's head's eyes open, glowing gray - the opening character must save or be turned to stone. The item is single-use: the clasp crumbles to dust once a character has been turned to stone, though it can continue to affect other characters interacting with after a character successfully saves: thus, it is deadly until a character is hit.
9	Shudder-Sand Ahead, the floor is unnaturally smooth. It is liable to have been covered - if in a traversed area - by whomever is using the floor to guard against entry. If touched, it appears that the floor is liquid: a tub of unknown depth containing a thick, viscous material. The material is not caustic and its surface tension is extraordinarily high. A character attempting to move across the surface by normal means must save or sink: Small characters, such as Halflings, may roll twice and take the better save. Characters in heavy armor or who are heavily encumbered by equipment or treasure must save twice successfully to avoid sinking. Characters encumbered by treasure or inventory may opt to drop said treasure and inventory in order to avoid the penalty of encumbrance. The pit is ten feet deep. Sinking characters will, unless fished out, drown.
10	Creeping Ether Along the trapped item is a hidden needle - pricking the hand of a user interacting with it. Immediately upon pricking, the character begins to feel tingling in the target appendage. After one turn, the character must save or lose the use of the hand. After two turns, the character must save or lose the use of the arm. After three turns, the character must save or lose control of their core: suffocating. If any of the above saves is passed, the character need not check again on the following turn: however any effect suffered to that point is permanent. A character killed by this trap will, after one further turn, evaporate - leaving clothing and equipment in a shell shaped like the owner. Subjected to gravity, the clothing and equipment will jumble into a mass if touched.
11	The Frog Catcher's Light Several light beams line the area, shining from above and illuminating a space the size of a salad bowl on the floor. A character moving through the area may activate the trap: breaching one of the beams of light. When the trap is triggered, the nearest several lights combine, broadening the focal point of illumination, targeting the breaching character. The character must save or look up, bedazzled and perplexed by a strange compulsion. The character is allowed a new save if substantially agitated - or once every other turn - but if the character remains paralyzed in the room after 1d6 turns, a great hand will reach down and grasp them: removing them into the black abyss above.
12	Stasis Cones Hanging in the room like air fresheners are cones - as though from a large conifer. A character may try to evade them, but it is a challenge due to their abundance. If a cone is disturbed, it will shed pollen - the disturbing character then must save: on a failure, they are paralyzed, dropping what they are holding and seizing up where they stand for 1d6 turns; on a success, they are slowed for 1d6 turns instead: always going last in initiative and reducing their movement speed by 30' (10').
13	Quickfloor The floor of the trapped area is smooth - grainy, as thick dust. A character's feet will sink slightly into it - and they will track the stuff behind them for roughly a turn or so. One section of the floor, however, is deeper than the others - represented by tripping the trap. A character which trips the trap must save or their foot becomes stuck in the stuff; they then begin to sink - if they are not pulled out or otherwise rescued (requiring ingenuity on the part of the party) within 1d3 rounds, they will be submerged. In a multi-level dungeon, the referee is encouraged to dump the character onto a lower level of the dungeon; alternatively, the character may simply suffocate.
14	Medusa's Mirror A mirror, circular - its rim lined with snakes, hangs at the end of a corridor. It's smudged and the reflective surface has an odd dullness to it. A character which polishes the mirror will activate the magic; a character simply passing has a chance to. Any character affected by the mirror, upon seeing their own face, must save or turn to stone: after which point a glow circulates along the mirror's snake-rim.
15	Ghoul Spit Sprayer In the corners of a wandering hall-like space, small fans are rotating, circulating air. Along the hall are several stones inset in the walls - blue initially, but slowly transition to green, yellow, and finally red, based on proximity to a living thing - faster, if there are multiple. When the sensor reaches red, the mechanism triggers, releasing a sticky mist into the fans which will then splatter awkwardly into the hall. Characters in the affected area must save or be paralyzed for 2d4 turns.
16	Frost Orb In the center of a space stands a golden sconce with a crystalline blue orb. As a living thing gets closer to it, it begins to glow - as though a bright white light lies beneath a blue liquid, sloshing around. The article bursts when a character gets too close - releasing a wash of foamy material too light to feel as it brushes past, but dreadfully cold. When the trap is triggered, all characters within 60 feet must save or be frozen solid. Characters outside 30 feet may re-roll a single failed saving throw as the effect weakens and they have more time to react. The orb is single use: it will not reset and instead must be replaced by the trap-setter. An enterprising dungeon architect might place this behind a door or into a confined space, that an unsuspecting party might not notice it before waltzing into its range.
17	The Whisper of Memories As the characters enter the trapped area, they begin to hear unintelligible whispers: continuing through the area may trigger the trap. A character hears a phrase in their mother tongue that highlights a personal secret, a fictional potential outcome, or some other verbal element that would be highly disturbing: the character must save or freeze - contemplating the whispered secrets - until they are jogged out of it by an ally or an attack. An affected character is allowed a new save against the whispers every 2d3 turns.
18	Pegboard of Flagella Pinholes perforate the sides of a trapped chest or furniture piece. Characters who attempt to open or otherwise manipulate the opening mechanism may trigger the trap. An affected character is engulfed by a legion of small sticky tendrils - spouting out of the side, rotating violently, and adhering to anything they touch that is not metal nor stone. They must save or become webbed to the trapped item - immobile.
19	Gossamer Webbing Spinnerets are concealed in several hanging chandeliers, angled to cover the room like a fire extinguishing system. Along the walls, there may be some grime: residual from a previous expenditure of the trap. The spinnerets are heat-activated: characters moving through the area have a chance of triggering them - doubly so if the party has multiple lit torches. When triggered, the spinnerets fling a gossamer material - almost akin to the web of a spider - that has a numbing property if it touches the skin. Characters in the affected area must save or be coated in the stuff: slowing them at first and then paralyzing them thereafter. An affected character has 1d4 rounds to remove the stuff - perhaps by flame, perhaps by two successful Dexterity checks - or be paralyzed entirely until it dissolves or is removed by someone else.
20	The Lightning Frame Hidden in the jam of a door is a large, low voltage Jacob's Ladder. A faint humming should be audible at the door for a character listening, as the mechanism is kept warm, waiting for intruders - and a thief may notice their hair standing on end if picking a lock, if the door under guard be so secured. In the years since its installation, however, it has grown weaker - a character affected by the trap must save or have their muscles seize up: paralyzing them for 1d4 turns rather than killing them.

Public domain artwork retrieved from OldBookIllustrations.com and the National Gallery of Art and adapted for thematic use. Attributions in alt text.

Turn Table Bridge

Scale: 10 ft.
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Dungeon Key

Z - Entry

In the center of this room is a circular pedestal from which for firm posts, 4 inches in diameter and 4 feet long, extend horizontally around chest-level. On the floor is a tiled track, extending roughly six inches from the base of the pedestal and six inches out from the end of the posts. To the south, a bridge extends into the darkness to the far wall; in all other directions are blank walls.

Outside the central space, and beside the bridge, is a chasm - deeper than torchlight will show. Optionally, if using this map as a side-segment of a bigger adventure, a referee might have this chasm lead to deeper level of the dungeon. It is suggested it be two-levels deeper - to keep in proportion the scale. 

In each non-cardinal direction is a double door, leading to different parts of the level. To the north is an opening leading to E - this opening is 20 feet below the level of the bridge: thus, discoverable by an enterprising character.

The pedestal is a focal point for the bridge mechanism. If a character or set of characters - up to eight - press against the poles, the track beneath them will move: twisting a giant leveraged gearbox below - when the track turns counter-clockwise, the bridge rotates clockwise; when the track turns clockwise, the bridge rotates counter-clockwise.

Notes regarding the bridge are as follows:

• 8 full "turns" of movement are required to move the bridge one full rotation. Thus, eight characters (or hirelings) working together could put the bridge into any position in 1 turn; where a single character (or hireling) working the track would take 8 full turns to do the same.
• In its south-facing position, the bridge is 1/8th rotation away from either door to B or C; any two doors - A and B, D and C, etc. - are 2/8ths rotation away from one another; the semi-hidden entrance to E is 1/8th turn from A or D, but if the bridge is lined up with it perfectly, it will block entry. If lined up imperfectly, a descent may be possible.
• The opening in the wall to the south of Z does not rotate. Thus, if the bridge is facing a non-southward direction, the south portal from Z will face an open gulf.

A - Geomancer's Wing

The door from the bridge in Z is warped (stuck, but the party gains a +1 on their chance to open it), but not locked.

A1 - A Damp Theater

The floor to this space slopes downward slightly, east to west; the ceiling slopes upward over the same run. Along the east wall is curved a pool of cold water and along the ceiling hang similar cloth, pinned at increment, but worn, hanging, and torn with age and wet. Along the north and south walls hang thick curtains; the tapestry to the south is wet: water seeming to permeate through the ceiling in the south-east corner. Candle-holders line the walls - six of them - worth 100 gold each. In the water on the far side can be found 360 silver pieces. The west wall is blank stone.

The door in to this room is stuck. The secret door in the south-east is comprised of damaged masonry, hidden by curtains and leading through a short tunnel to B2. In the folds of the ceiling-dressing nest 9 Stirges (B42).

A2 - A Room of Many Angles 

Within the octagonal space is a concentric hexagonal space - 6 feet shorter in diameter, rotated 45 degrees, and sunk 3 inches into the floor: within which is a concentric square, again 6 further feet shorter in diameter, 3 inches deeper into the floor, and rotated 45 degrees. 

In the ceiling is a decagon, followed by dodecagon, concentric and rotating in the opposing manner. The room is otherwise empty.

A3 - Guardhouse

Standing guard along the west and east walls of this room are 11 Skeletons (B42). Each skeleton wears an impossibly thin platinum chain around their cranium - connected and supporting a silver symbol, roughly the size of a quarter, hanging on their foreheads. These headdresses are worth 10 gold pieces each.

B - Sanctum to Order

The door to the bridge in Z is ajar, opening inwards.

B1 - Sanctuary

This room is rank with musty ammonia smell. The floor is soft and spongy with moderate amounts of guano. Five Giant Bats (B31) are roosting just out of sight in the stone rafters.

Four statues of figures - two armored male; one armored female; and one male in robes - stand in the center of the room, looking up. The ceiling is vaulted, 40 feet high in the center; 20 feet high at the walls. There appear to be mounts for large relief carvings on the south and west walls, but no artwork remains.

The door to B2 is locked.

B2 - Locking Hall

The door to B1 is locked, but can be manually unlocked from this side. The door to B4 is locked; the door to B3 is not.

To the north, the hall terminates into a curving offertory - a table cloaked in a graying white cloth and adorned with a dusty dagger and a desiccated lilac in a glass to the left, a purple plate in the center (empty), and a bunch of dry wolfsbane to the right. A character lifting up the white cloth will be able to see damage to the stone work in the floor and wall behind the offertory: this opens to the narrow, moist passage terminating in A1.

To the west, a 30 foot section of iron bars separates the main hall from an interior crypt: in which the walls are lined with a mosaic made of human (or humanoid) bones. The bone work depicts three scenes - a set of two figures dancing, a figure on a throne, and another set of three figures dancing. From the exterior, the areas marked as doors appear as gaps in the bars: an ingress with no door. Upon entry, however, a figure on the inside sees bars - which will prevent egress, as would be expected. When inside the barred area, a character can hear faint woodwind music playing a happy, somewhat lively tune.

B3 - Music Room

Antique instruments can be seen stored against and on the north and south walls. Several still work and can be sold for 120 gold pieces, as a group, to a collector - inside one of the non-functional instruments nest two Stirges (B42). Against the east wall is a square platform, wood, and six stools. Beneath one of the stools is a coin purse with 200 gold pieces in it.

B4 - Reliquary

The door into this room is locked. On the north, south, and east walls each are ornate cabinets. 

To the north, the cabinet houses a small bath, like a sink with no drain, in which can be found 400 silver pieces. This is obscured by a door panel which is not locked.

To the south, the cabinet houses two rosaries on silver chains - at the end of one is the bone from a foot, at the end of the other, what appears to be a mummified ear. The chains are worth 10 gold pieces each. This is likewise obscured by a door panel which is not locked.

To the east, the cabinet has a chalice - gold and bedizened - worth 200 gold pieces: in which can be seen 400 more gold pieces resting. In addition, a sword with an ornate handle hangs. This sword grants a +1 bonus (+3 versus Undead). The door to this cabinet is a wire lattice - it does not obscure the view, but is trapped. A character attempting to open the cabinet without burning incense beneath it first will be subjected to a vitality-draining trap: save versus death, aging 2d10 percentage points of your natural life on success; drying into a lifeless, desiccated husk on a failure. Lawful characters may re-roll one failed save.

C - The Trickster's Wing

The entrance door from Z is stuck.

C1 - Guard Room

The door into this room is not locked.

The walls of this room, except the north-east, are lined with pole arms: their bases obscured by a wooden rail, seeming to contain them, around foot level and their hafts held in place by bronze receivers around chest height. This is a ruse, however: a character which attempts to remove any one of the polearms will trigger the trap. When triggered, a lever action causes the racks of polearms to tilt, chopping downward, and affecting all characters in the room. This is counted as an attack, THAC0 15, for 1d10+1 damage. The trap resets itself after 2 rounds.

C2 - The Ogre King's Throne Room

The north and west walls are draped in large tapestries depicting what appears to start as a celebration near the entrance hall, but then devolve into open battle termination of the tapestries at the corner of the curved south-east wall. The south east wall is made of stacked stone.

In the center of the space is a throne - heavy, crude, and stone, directly mortared into the floor. It is sized for a creature of an ogre's stature. If a character sits on the throne, a trap may activate. An affected character must save versus spells: on a success, they gain a permanent 2 point increase to their Strength score; on a failure, they permanently lose 2 points of their Intelligence.

C3 - Trickster's Quarters

A broken bed frame and some straw adorn the north-east side of the space; along the south wall are two chests: one broken, one open, both vacant. Along the rest of the floor, paint has been spilled and smeared. On the west wall, a large polychromatic face, smiling smugly, has been drawn. The room is otherwise empty.

D - A Concept in Miniature

The door to this space from Z is neither locked nor stuck.

D1 - Turn-Table

Upon closing with this space, the party feels a slight elevation of temperature, as when an oven has been left on in a home. The rotation mechanism is a miniature version of the rotating bridge in Z. A similar track, a similar pedestal with posts, excepting that only four characters may - at a time - maneuver the track and that the total turning time (as the mechanism is smaller) requires 4 "turns" instead of 8 to perform a full rotation. In its initial configuration, it is off-kilter, requiring an enterprising approach to gain access to the turn-table hub.

This miniature, however, is trapped. An observant character may notice a peg, 10 feet below the bridge line, that will be depressed if the bridge passes between D2 and D3. When the trap is triggered, the section of the bridge attached to the hub falls while the section against the far wall remains: producing a steep incline and exposing a gaping hole belching heat. Characters on the bridge when the trap triggers must save or fall into the hole: wherein they will be incinerated.

To reset the trap, 3 "turns" worth of rotations in either direction are necessary: slowly leveling the bridge surface. Once leveled, the bridge will continue turning in the corresponding direction to the movement of the operator in the hub.

D2 - North Chamber

Cobwebs choke the corners of this room. Several broken boards and a bead necklace - costume or toy jewelry, no value - can be found pushed to the walls.

D3 - South Chamber

Dust and some cobwebs can be found along the south and east walls. A body - a week or two dead - is sitting, clutching a map case. Inside is a crude map of this dungeon: it shows layout, does not show secrets nor traps, but does have section C scribbled over in charcoal. The corpse carries a shield, a lantern, no oil, no rations, but wears magical chainmail armor. The armor is a brass-color and grants +1 AC, +3 to saves to resist or evade flame attacks, -3 damage from flame sources that do hit.

A group of 15 Cave Locust (B32) has been feeding on the corpse. They will startle if approached.

E - The Trove

E1 - Mystic Egress

The door to this room is locked.

The flagstones are smooth; on the west wall there is a large, heavy dial. If the dial is turned - treat as stuck door - and the bridge does not block the way, a shimmering stairwell appears going down into the chasm. A character traversing this stair will find themselves having walked into the central chamber, Z.

This is a one-way trip: a character walking into Z will, if they attempt to walk back, walk up and out of the dungeon level instead: into wherever they were when they entered.

This mystic stair lasts 1 turn before the dial resets itself and the stairs disappear.

E2 - Treasure Horde

Four ravenous Ghouls slink about this space amid a horde of treasure, as follows:

• 2,000 copper pieces
  
• 10,000 silver pieces
  
• 4,000 gold pieces
• Ring of Djinni Summoning (X49)

Wandering Monsters

The following table should be used to determine type when a wandering monster is encountered:

2d6	Result
2	1-4 Rhagodessa (X38)
3	1-3 Carrion Crawlers (B32)
4	1-8 Troglodytes (B43)
5	1-8 Oil Beetles (B31)
6	2-20 Cave Locusts (B32)
7	3-12 Skeletons (B42)
8	1-10 Stirges (B42)
9	1-10 Giant Bats (B31)
10	2-8 Zombies (B44)
11	1-6 Ghouls (B35)
12	1 Wight (B44)

Public domain art downloaded from OldBookIllustrations.com. Attributions in alt text.