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.

Save vs Dragon's Breath: 20 Themed Traps

Part four of five - 20 traps themed around Saving vs the Breath of Dragons!

1d20	Result
1	Salt Wash Centered in each tile of a tile floor are upward-facing nozzles, capped with corroded metal meshes to prevent intrusion of foreign substances. Several of the tiles - identifiable by the grout not actually adhering to the sides of the tiles - are faux and pressure plates. If a character steps on one of these pressure plates, the trap activates: blasting pressurized salt-mist out of the nozzles. Characters in the affected area must save or take 2d6 points of damage; half on successful save.
2	The Old Flame Flanking a chest or other iron-wrought container are two dragon heads, pointing in front of the chest at the point where someone opening said chest would stand. The chest has a simple lock on it, but also two hidden pinholes in the lower left and right corners: if the key (or an aptly applied probe) is placed into the pinholes, the chest unlocks and can be opened; if the key (or a successful lock picking) is applied to the simple lock instead, the trap is triggered, immolating the picker. The character picking the lock, and any characters up to five feet behind them, must save or take 2d8 fire damage; in addition, any flammable elements an affected character carries must also make a save or be destroyed.
3	Blob Lobber In the walls on either side of a hallway are two slits, roughly two inches in height and two feet in width. Filaments hang from the ceiling - barely visible in torchlight - that will adhere to helmets, hair, or pauldrons. A character walking through the space and collecting enough filaments will trigger the trap. Behind the walls are spinners beneath hopper-feeds of caustic baubles, exploding on impact and dousing whatever they touch. Any character in a 15 foot 45 degree arc from either side of the trap must save or be pattered - taking 1d6 acid damage and potentially damaging organic equipment such as leathers, sacks, scrolls, and the like. If appropriate, 1d4 eligible items should be determined randomly and allowed their own save against destruction from the acidic substance.
4	Hair Standing The ceiling of the space is lined with a metal lattice. A light crackling can be heard in the air; characters in metal armor may feel their smaller hairs begin to stand on end. As the characters pass under, they may trigger the effect. A character entering the slope, and thus coming closer to the lattice, may trigger the trap. When triggered, a weave of electric bolts form a trailing nets below the lattice. Any character in the area must save or be electrocuted: 2d6 points of damage, or 3d6 for characters festooned with metal or in predominantly conducive armor.
5	Sleep Powder Concealed in the frame of a sealed door (read, no draft) are pouches of a fine powder. If the door is opened, the pouch falls open, dumping the powder into the air, where it will be carried by airflow leaving the destination space on the other side of the door in a 15 foot cone: 5 feet wide at the door, 15 feet deep, and 15 feet wide at the end. Any character in this affected cone must save or fall asleep, as if affected by the Sleep spell.
6	De-Evolution Wave A hanging circular device adorns a wall or door: its exterior of exquisite craftsmanship - ivory - but at its center, a raw skull with runes punched into it bluntly. In the center, counter-clockwise, the craftsmanship appears to gradually degrade, as though different, less skilled carvers were responsible for different sections of its area, but the transition between them is seamless. The trap is activated if the device - or the element it is guarding - is disturbed: wherein a tangible wave, wet and warm, washes out away from it. Characters within a 40 foot cone of the device, as wide as the door at is start, 40 feet deep, and 40 feet wide at its ultimate extent, must save or be exposed to the wave. An exposed character devolves as follows: Human characters become Neanderthals. Halfling characters become Kobolds. Dwarf characters become Troglodytes. Elf characters become Pixies. The effects of these changes are at the discretion of the referee - but at a minimum XP requisites per level should increase.
7	Exhaust Chamber In the ceiling are several large circular openings, covered by blackened grates, inside which can be seen large fans. Beneath the grates are conic protrusions coinciding with the hub of the fan blades. If the conic protrusions make contact with any element that isn't the air around them, the trap may trigger. For 1d4 rounds, a whirring can be heard as the fan begins to turn. At the end of the count-down, a clunk is heard and a thick black substance blasts out from the orifice, scattering in all directions: characters directly under the fan are automatically affected; other characters in the room must save or be coated with the substance. Until it is washed off, the chance of encountering a wandering monster is doubled due to tracks left and a distinct aroma that seems to follow them.
8	Hallucinatory Cloud A room is painted wildly, with clashing colors on the walls, floor, and occasionally ceiling alike. Four fans with narrow blades - not spinning - are spaced evenly in the ceiling. When a door closes such that all exits to the space are closed, the mechanism triggers: three of the four fans begin to spin - slowly at first, and then more quickly - for 1d4 rounds. On any round at or above the 3rd, a mist is released from the functioning fans, coating the room as it slowly descends. Characters in the room must save or be affected by one of several effects: Fearful Visage: The victim sees horrific monsters conjured by their own psyche: the character will hide or flee from these monsters as though affected by the Fear spell. Closing Walls: The space the victim is in seems to them to constrict (or maybe they, themselves, appear to grow!): the character will attempt to exit the space in search of a larger section, believing that they will be crushed if they cannot find more cavernous spaces. Sworn Enemy: The victim sees a sworn enemy, or a monster type that is abhorrent to them: the character will attack and fight the illusion, making no ground, taking no damage, but causing a ruckus in the process for the duration of the effect. Hilarity Ensues: Though their fellows may be unsure of what the victim is seeing, whatever it is must be the funniest thing they've seen in their life: the victim laughs uncontrollably - unable to fight in combat, cast spells, or perform delicate tasks, but able to move at half speed - for the duration of the effect. In any case, the effect lasts 1d4 turns: rolled uniquely for each affected character.
9	Nerve Agents Three orbs sit atop three staves embedded in the floor. One of the three will open a trapdoor leading further in - the other two are trapped. If both hands are placed on the correct orb, the trapdoor will open; if one hand is placed on the wrong orb and one on the right orb, there is a chance the trap will activate; if both hands are placed on an incorrect orb, the trap will activate. When the trap activates, the orb activating begins to roll backwards, revealing a series of small holes. When it completes rolling up, it begins spraying an invisible gas into the air for 1d4 rounds: any character within 5 feet on the first, 10 feet on the second; or 20 feet on the third or fourth round must save or be exposed to the agent - on a success, the character is impeded: 1d3 of their abilities are halved, but will heal at a rate of 1 point per day of rest; on a failure, the character passes unconscious and must pass a second save - versus Death - on the following round and on each round the trap is still affecting them. If all of these secondary death saves pass, all of the character's abilities are halved, but will heal as above; if any of the secondary saves fails, the character dies.
10	Rockfall Thin pillars line the walls of the space, two of which are tethered to a trigger line across the floor. If the trigger line is pulled, the two trap pillars give way, pulling down a line of stones from the ceiling with them. Characters caught in the affected area must save or take 3d8 bludgeoning and crushing damage.
11	Cold Rush Encircling an egress - a door, perhaps a cabinet-sized door opening into a storage area - is ringed by four blue orbs set in a circular brass frame. The orbs glow as a lantern and seem to have visibly circulating liquid mass inside. These orbs are a trap. If the frame is rotated to the left, the trap deactivates - but if the door is opened before the trap is deactivated, one of the four orbs will burst, sending a flood of freezing cold into the room. All characters in the room must save or suffer frostbite: dealing 1d8 points of damage and slowing the character for 1d3 hours: move speed is reduced by (30') 10' to a minimum of 0' (at which point the character is frozen solid) and they always go last in initiative order. The trap must be manually reloaded - as such, it can fire up to four times before being spent.
12	Laser Grid Along two corners where the ceiling meets two walls are what appear to be clusters of horns; there are burn marks in a curving or warped grid pattern on the floor. The trap is pressure-triggered: when the weight on one side of the room exceeds that of the other by a fair threshold, the floor tilts in that direction as a see-saw, activating the trap. Lasers jet from the horns and fan downward, cross-hatching the floor along the pattern lines. Any character in the space takes 4d6 damage - save for half.
13	Roiling Suds High along the walls, near the ceiling, are several large circular openings capped by iron bars. The floor is slick, but surprisingly clean. There are two egresses from the space - both of which have large circular dead-bolt mechanisms, accessible (but not able to be triggered) from the inside, and able to be unlocked from the outside via a leveraged wheel. If both doors are closed, there is a chance the trap will trigger. When the trap triggers, a rumbling can be heard emanating from the openings - after which, thick foam begins to blast out of them. Enough blows through over the course of 1d6 rounds to cover the floor to a depth of approximately 6 inches and inundate the room with the scent of almonds and ammonia. If ingested, it has an extreme, extreme bitter character; if swallowed, it will deal double damage as it ravages the organs. All characters in the room must save or be coated in the stuff - which deals 1d6 damage due to an incredibly high (basic) pH per round for 1d8 rounds or until it can be thoroughly washed off with water or neutralized with a weak acidic substance - such as wine or vinegar. If a character is affected by the substance for 5 or more rounds, they will be blinded by it for 1d4 hours (if they survive the recurring damage). In addition, a character coated in the stuff must save for their exterior (unprotected) equipment that's organic in nature lest it be damaged or destroyed; characters passing the initial save - and who are unable to come up with a clever way to prevent it - must only save for their shoes.
14	Boiling Oil A ladder with several rungs missing and damage to one leg lies beneath a trap-door to an above level. The trap door has an odd, choking smell to it. If a character opens the trap door without first disabling the trap mechanism - a hidden slot in a far wall, such that a second character must insert something into it, depressing a latch, to block the mechanism - a character climbing up - on the damaged ladder or via a mechanism of their own - must save or be doused. A character doused in such a manner will take 1d6 damage per round for 1d8 rounds or until suitably cleaned/cooled. A character which is affected by the substance for 5 or more rounds (and survives) will suffer restrictive scarring: producing a permanent -1 penalty to reaction rolls and a permanent reduction in Dexterity of 2 points.
15	Bug Dump The floor is sandy, the ceiling seems mostly clay, held up by numerous beams. Hidden in small piles of sand - no greater than 4 or 5 inches tall - along the floor are kick-plates: characters walking through the area may trigger the trap. When triggered, the victim and any other characters within ten feet must save as a rain of sand and insects rain down on them. These insects may be of different character: Stinging Insects - the victim is covered by stings and stabs; they suffer immediately 1d4 points of damage: characters taking 4 points of damage from the attack must roll for system shock. Itching Insects - the victim is covered by itching bites; they suffer a -5% penalty to all skill checks, a 5% failure rate for all cast spells, and are double as likely to be surprised until the next morning. Devouring Insects - paper, wooden, leather objects, or rations carried by the character must save or be devoured by the bugs. Persistent Insects - the victim is covered by parasitic insects that will stick with them until they can be removed by magic or sophisticated medicine. During that time, the character is at a -2 penalty to all saving throws made. It is at the discretion of the referee as to whether the bug type varies, is the same throughout, or is of mixed type.
16	Methane Bubbles On a bridge over a liquid surface, near the center is a false board which will break if stepped on, triggering the trap. When the false board breaks, the breaking character falls down (they are not stuck, but must expend movement to get their leg out of the hole created) and the liquid below begins to bubble uncontrollably. If the party is using flame-based light sources, such as torches or lanterns, the gas will ignite - the party must save, individually, or be caught in a flare - taking 2d4 damage. A character taking 6 or more damage in this manner must save for flammable items on their person lest they be damaged or destroyed. Flares will erupt in this manner immediately and every 1d4 rounds thereafter, until the party has cleared the area. If the party is not using flame-based light sources, such as magic or infra-vision, they take no immediate damage, but will begin to suffocate as the gas replaces the ambient oxygenated atmosphere: necessitating a quick exit from the space. The bubbles, to an infra-vision creature, appear markedly colder than the surrounding liquid and atmosphere.
17	Firework Alarm Along a corridor leading to a door, a trip wire connects along a pulley, such that the mechanism to be triggered is behind a group walking towards the door. When triggered, a spring-mechanism is activated: launching a rain of small paper pouches which pop audibly on impact. Automatically, when the trap is triggered, a guarding creature in proximity is alerted that the trap has been sprung: characters in the corridor must save, however, or be, themselves, struck by the poppers: which will deposit soot on their clothing and backpack. A character which has such been marked is easily track-able by the guarding creature - through scent or another predetermined mechanism: 5-in-6 accuracy on pursuit. Optionally, this may also impact the likelihood of wandering monster rolls.
18	Plague Blast A large mouth, its lips appearing cracked and dry, sits embedded in a wall. Inside it may be a key, or other desirable element. This element is bait - when the mouth is broached, the trap may trigger: evidenced as contact with interior portions of the mouth. The lips contract and open slightly, releasing a cough or sneeze and bathing the room with a cone - 10 feet wide at the narrow, 30 feet long, and 30 feet wide at the far end - of visibly wet, stale air. Characters within the cone must save or be exposed to a bacterial infection. Subsequent saves for the next 1d4 hours are at a -2 penalty: at the end of this incubation period, the character must then save versus poison or their physical stats (Strength, Constitution, Dexterity) will each be reduced by 1d12. They will recover at a rate of 1 point each per day - but if any one of these abilities is reduced to 0, the character will die without appropriate magical healing, such as by a Remove Disease spell. If said magical healing is applied in a preventive manner - during the incubation hours - the future save versus poison is automatically passed.
19	Halon System Within a space housing documents, equipment, or other elements sensitive to flame, an open flame has a chance of triggering a fire-prevention system, which for the purposes of the adventure, operates as a trap. Torches, producing more smoke than other light sources, have twice the chance of activating the trap. There are metal nozzles protruding from the ceiling or high on the walls: when the trap activates, they begin spraying a grayish substance that is bitterly cold. Any character with a flame-based light source must save or said light source will be extinguished: additionally, if the area is a confined space, they will begin to suffocate - dying after a number of rounds equal to their Constitution scores unless exiting the space. No flame can be sparked in a confined space with this system: as such, the flame even of a successful saver will be extinguished after 1d3+1 rounds.
20	Spores in the Ceiling Hanging from the ceiling of a space are wooden planters in which toxic mushrooms have been planted. Beneath the planters are small discs, as wind-chimes. Vibrations - such as talking or excessive clatter - have a chance to trigger the trap. When the trap is triggered, the discs resonate in harmony, passing the vibration into the planter boxes: causing the fungi inside to release spores in a cloud. Characters in the area of effect must save or be exposed: exposed characters go into paroxysms for 1d4 rounds: at the end of which, they must save again, versus death, or die.

Delve on, readers! 

 

Public domain art respectfully stolen from OldBookIllustrations.com and ReusableArt.com. Attributions in alt text.

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.

Save vs Spells: 20 Themed Traps

Part two of a five part series that I started in April and promptly forgot about for seven months, a list of 20 traps, tricks, and hazards which were inspired by thinking about what could prompt a character to Save vs. Spells. 

Mix and match, pilfer and edit - but either way, don't forget to abuse your player characters while protecting the treasure at the bottom of the dungeon!

1d20	Result
1	Mosaic of the Mesmer Along a wall is a thick curtain, secured in the center with a knotted cord. Behind the curtain is the mosaic - two figures, one standing over the other, who is falling to a knee. If the mosaic is exposed to light, such as a party with torches opening the curtain, the kneeling character will shift "inward" - seeming to fade against the background coloration, and the standing character's eyes shift, focusing on anyone in line of sight. All characters seeing the eyes of the standing figure must save - the closest character saving at a -2 penalty, the figure making direct eye contact with them - or become mesmerized (unable to act) for 2d4 turns. A significant event - such as a torch going out or an unfazed ally shaking them - allows an affected character another save to shake the transfixation; however if a wandering monster appears and there are no waking characters, a victim of the trap is at the encounter's mercy.
2	Mist of Nubility A corridor, longer than it is wide, extends before you. Along the walls near are trappings of youth - nearer one end, elements that would appeal to a teenager; nearer the other, elements that would appeal to an infant. In the ceiling are poke holes, four of them in total, alternating left and right side of the corridor. Walking too closely to the holes may trigger the trap: spraying a fine mist over an affected victim: who must then save or reduce their age by 1d10 years. The change is permanent and cumulative if a character is affected more than once.
3	Sinking Trap On the floor, a square of stone - cut as though a trapdoor, but with no hinge. Upon stepping into the square, a flash of dark light and the stepper must save or fade, halfway, from existence for 1d4 rounds. When incorporeal as such, the character cannot touch material items around them and will start "falling" through the floor: potentially re-materializing on a lower level... or inside of solid rock.
4	Flesh to Vines The trapped item - door, chest, whatever - is covered in spiked brambles, midnight blue in color. If a character is nicked by the brambles, they feel a strange rushing sensation - out of themselves and into the bramble, followed by a pinprick at the site. Upon being so pricked, the victim must save up to three times over 3 turns: Failing the first time, the character's hairs change into thin fronds, like a fern. Failing the second time, the character's internals begin to change, reducing movement by half as tendons stiffen, granting +1 Armor Class as the skin hardens, forcing the character to act last in a melee and lending 50% failure chance to delicate activities, such as picking a lock or casting a spell. Failing a third time, the transformation is complete: the character takes root as a newly acquired house plant. Magic such as a Dispel or Remove Curse will, if applied during this transformation, counteract it entirely.
5	Anti-Magic Orb The character sees a circular relief, hinged and ringed as though to rotate, the center of which is a deep black orb. If the relief is turned, it begins to whine; if the turning persists, it emits a high pitched sound that deafens all within 15 feet for 1 round. The black orb is burst - removed from existence with no trace it was ever there - and all characters within five feet of it must save or be affected by an anti-magic field. No magical effects will affect them, nor will magical items work for them, for 1d4 days.
6	Gateway Gills A grate or gateway - the bars of which are, upon examination, forged to look like twisting kelp, the hinges are sea shells, and the entry gate, is a fish with legs. Attempting to pass by the gate will activate the trap - wherein the affected party must save or have their lungs transitioned into gills: meaning they will survive handily in water, but will suffocate outside of water in 2 turns, plus any Constitution modifier they may have. The effect lasts for one hour.
7	Spiked Ceiling Trap In a rotunda, encased by portico, the domed ceiling consists of dozens of iron spikes, forged to appear jagged: stalactites from a nightmare. Under the dome - but within the square space encased by columns - are two blue concentric circles: one significantly smaller than the other. Stepping into the inner circle activates the trap: all characters within the outer circle must save or fall upward to be impaled on the spikes, before dropping back to the floor. For alternative flavor, consider whether or not the triggering character in the inner circle is subjected to the magic or just his compatriots.
8	Shocking Fangs A large statue of an eel - tall enough that a man might stand beneath it - stands with two gold fangs protruding down from its open maw. The pupils of its eyes are lightning bolts. A character which  touches both fangs at the same time must save or be electrocuted - taking 2d8 points of damage. The referee is encouraged to use this trap in conjunction with another secret - perhaps, connecting the nodes will cause a gate to open or a secret to be revealed - as then it poses an obstacle, not a silly and somewhat trite "gotcha" moment.
9	Arcane Diffuser The guarded element - a trapdoor, a chest, what have you - is under a wire cage, closely woven as a sieve. Surrounding it - at the cardinal directions - are erect staves, embedded in the floor, with spearheads on them that rotate to face the nearest living being. By crossing the threshold of two or more of these staves where the faces both follow the same target, the trap is activated: the stave-heads flash and the target must save or be turned into a gaseous form, as the potion, for 2d4 turns.
10	Inanimate Magnetism The player is confronted by a steel ball floating between iron needles extending from the floor and the ceiling - the ball is flawless in its shape and smoothness. If they approach it, they feel drawn to it; more so, if they wear ferromagnetic materials - such as is commonly found in weapons or armor. If the character touches the orb, they activate the trap. Affected characters must save or become, themselves, highly magnetic. Affected characters wearing armor suffers immediate damage equal to 2d4 minus the descending Armor Class provided by the armor as it crushes against them. Affected characters and their allies within 10 feet of an affected character suffer a -2 on attack rolls with primarily metal weapons, including ranged weapons, for the duration as their magnetic field retards the attempt. Other metal equipment - such as iron spikes or hand mirrors - can be affected, but would be at the discretion of the referee: a mirror, for example, in the hand of a magnetic character would function as normal, as it would stick to the hand; whereas a spike might be harder to use, as it would be drawn to the spiker. Miscellaneous metal items within 10 feet will be drawn to the character; with larger objects potentially causing damage or increasing character encumbrance. This effect lasts for one hour.
11	Inanimate Anti-Magnetism As Inanimate Magenetism, excepting that the character repulses ferromagnetic materials! Primarily metal armor balloons out - like a loose shirt being blown upwards with a fan: the player should roll 1d10 - if the result is less than the AC provided by the armor, something snaps and the armor is repulsed off of the body of the magnetized wearer. Primarily metal weapons become difficult to hold as they are pushed away: the player should roll under Strength initially and whenever a significant event occurs or drop the weapon - which will be forced distant from the character if they attempt to pick it up. Other metal equipment - such as iron spikes or hand mirrors - will likewise try to repulse; the exact effect to be arbitrated by the referee. Miscellaneous metal items within 10 feet will be likewise repulsed to a minimum distance of 10 feet from the affected character. Magic armor, or magic equipment, should have a bonus to resist this effect, at the discretion of the Referee.
12	Headstone of Vampiric Redistribution Embedded in a wall is a holy symbol - as might mark a grave - but on it is a face, twisted, eyes black. Touching the eyes activates a trap - wherein the victim must save or lose one experience level. An ethereal spray then emanates from the mouth of the statue in a fifteen foot cone - any characters other than the drained victim who are caught in the cone must save or gain experience points on the spot equal to 1/5 of the total necessary for the victim to advance back to where they had been before.
13	Decrepitude Curse At the entrance to a treasure horde, barred or locked by a portcullis, a lever on the floor takes on the appearance of a walking cane, under an inscription, "Wealth cannot buy fortitude." The walking cane can be pulled, and in so doing it will come loose and unlock the horde, however the puller must save or suffer decrepitude - reducing their Strength and Constitution scores to 3 until such time as Remove Curse or similar magic can be used to lift the burden.
14	The Love Tunnel A narrow passage, the walls grimy with an organic material which absorbs light - all light sources inside it have their illuminated radius halved. The passage seems straight, but if a character walks into it, they appear to go around a curve from the exterior - but as soon as they reach the extent of their normal light, such that they can no longer see the entrance, they see an exit in front of them - which will turn out to be the entrance that they came in from. A character that exits the tunnel via the mystic loop activates the trap; a character turning around and exiting the way from which they came does not. A character subjected to the trap must save or become enamored of a randomly determined party member. The effect lasts 1d6 hours - during that time, obnoxious role play aside - the character will be distracted, being twice as likely to be surprised, suffering an automatic 25% failure chance on any skill checks or spellcasting attempted, and if the affected character is the party's mapper, the referee is encouraged to be scant on the details, perhaps talking about the target of affection instead, if asked specifics regarding the dimensions of a room.
15	The Dazzler Ball Hanging from the ceiling to around face height, a silver ball - not round, but made of dozens of polygons together - awaits the party. As the party enters, music begins to faintly play and the ball slowly rises towards the ceiling. If allowed to reach the ceiling, it will flatten itself into a hemisphere and issue a pulse of entropy: any characters that can see the wave must save, and any characters close enough to have heard the music must likewise save, but may re-roll if they fail on the first try. Characters that fail the save by seeing are blinded for 1d6 turns, they - themselves - perceiving their head to be caught inside a ball of mirrors, capable of seeing only themselves; characters that fail the save by hearing are effectively deafened for 1d6 turns, hearing only the repeating music.
16	Truth Horn A horn with a bellow affixed to the mouthpiece hangs across a narrow entry point. Crossing the threshold activates the item - at which point the bellow depresses and the horn sounds. The referee should immediately check for a wandering monster - and all characters must save or be illuminated based on their alignment: lawful characters radiate a warm yellow; chaotic ones a cool blue; neutral characters have an odd anti-glow, wherein light seems to suck into them rather than reflect off. For the next 1d6 hours, reaction rolls made should be modified based on alignment: up to -2 for differing alignment, up to +2 for lawful to lawful, and a plus or minus in secret for chaotic to chaotic, based on opportunity perceived by the reacting party.
17	Mother of Locusts A burlap sack in the shape of a person hangs from the ceiling. Tied by the hands, feet, and top of the head, it slowly drips caterpillars, locusts, and cockroaches. If the party opens the sack-person, setting them "free," or otherwise significantly disturbs the sack person, the burlap falls apart in their hands, dousing the handler or handlers with a black smoke-like semi-liquid and forcing them to save. On failure, an affected character belches insect vermin for 1d4 rounds; taking 1d4 points of damage and summoning a single Insect Swarm (B37) on each of affected round.
18	Beast Allure A crystal flask with rubber stopper, filled with a swirling mauve cloud: it might be placed obviously or perched atop a door or other hidden place to drop on an unwary victim. When significantly disturbed, un-stoppered, or broken, a series of sparks emits from the flask - seeking the trachea. Any character within 20 feet must save or, after 1d4 turns, begin to sweat a strange, powdery mauve substance - the sweating lasting 1d8 turns. For the duration of the effect, the rate of wandering monsters should be tripled.
19	Flesh to Brass Three masks trailing black curtains bound to appear as robes look down onto a dais containing a pedestal with guarded item. On the dais are 1d3-1 metal adventurers: absolute realistic in their depiction. A character that comes too close to the dais may note the masks begin to follow them - and a character who dallies too long on it, or who attempts to directly acquire the guarded item, will activate the trap. The masks begin to oscillate warm colors and any character - up to three at a time, as there are three masks - at whom the masks are staring must save once per round for as long as visual contact can be made: Failing once causes the skin to become irritated and scaly, cool to the touch. The target suffers -1 to reaction rolls going forward. Exterior worn metal items begin to shift to a more organic material - reducing their effectiveness, per referee discretion. Failing a second save causes the skin to harden, reducing movement speed by 10 feet and imposing a -1 penalty on attacks or a -10% success chance on fine motor actions, but granting a +1 to Armor Class. Worn metal items become wholly disconnected flesh: becoming largely useless for their intended function. Magic items should receive a separate save against the effect. Failing a third save freezes the character in place. They are unable to move, trapped within a metal shell once their skin. The effect is permanent, unless Remove Curse or similar magic can reverse the effect.
20	Curse of the Puppeteer Strings hang from a ceiling too far in the darkness to be seen, as though holding invisible marionettes. If a character touches one, it gives them a buzzing sensation. If a character touches two or more at a time, they must save or become entangled in them - the ropes taking hold in their wrists and ankles.  The ropes then begin to move, dancing the character about the room and potentially threatening others with being struck. The character will feel at peace - as though this is the natural order - and after 2d3 rounds, they will no longer struggle against it and - if freed by their allies, will walk listlessly and react only to stimuli or particularly confident commands. The duration of the effect is at the discretion of the referee.

Happy Trapping!

Public domain artwork retrieved from OldBookIllustrations.com between September and November, 2020, and adapted for thematic use. Attribution in alt text.