Mechanical Traps: Card I of V

This card and its companion cards present basic guidelines for various mechanical
and non-magical traps you might place in the dungeon. These traps are intended
to complement monsters, hazards, and terrain in encounters designed for the
Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition game. Because all of these traps are mechanical,
the use of the Arcana skill will not reveal their presence. Only careful rogues and
cautious adventuring parties can hope to avoid these deadly devices.

Trap Determination
It is recommended that DMs carefully place these traps within the dungeon. For
random placement of traps, roll a 1d6; 1-2 indicates the presence of a trap.
Replace one monster in an encounter with a standard trap, or two monsters with
an elite trap. Minion traps – traps that activate once in an encounter – are the
equivalent of 1/4 a heroic tier monster, 1/5 a paragon tier monster, and 1/6 an epic
tier monster. Roll 1d20:

Random Trap Generator

1. Door Darts 8. Falling Door 15. Scything Blades
2. Falling Blocks 9. Tripwire 16. Contact Poison
3. Levers 10. Weighted Net 17. Gas
4. False-floor Pit 11. Tilting Floor 18. Falling Floor
5. Ejector Plates 12. Alarm 19. Crushing Walls
6. Ankle Blades 13. Thrusting Blade 20. Rolling Boulder
7. Dart Wall 14. Water-filling Room

1. Door Darts (Minion XP)

Often placed on the locks of doors or large chests, darts fire upon anyone
tampering with the lock or door. When the trap is sprung, a dart is fired from a
keyhole or hidden chute, attacking the person closest to the lock (level + 5 vs. AC,
normal damage by level). Many door darts are coated in poison; the DM may
choose the type of poison or roll randomly (1d8):

1. Ongoing 5 poison damage per tier (save ends).

2. The target is dazed (save ends).
3. The target is slowed (save ends).
4. The target is blinded (save ends).
5. The target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls per tier (save ends).
6. The target is weakened until the end of its next turn.
7. No damage from the dart, but the target is knocked unconscious (save
ends).
8. No damage from the dart, but the target loses 1 healing surge per tier.

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2. Falling Blocks (Minion XP)
Triggers for these traps involve stepping on pressure plates or a trap on a door;
the area of effect is usually 2-by-2 squares. The falling ceiling blocks attack all
creatures in the area of effect when the trap is triggered (level + 1 vs. Reflex,
limited damage by level, and the target is knocked prone).

3. Levers (Standard XP)

These traps are designed to punish those who move the levers in an incorrect
combination. Levers are placed on corridor walls by themselves or alongside
doors, and typically consist of three iron levers affixed to a metal plate. Lever
boxes often allow creatures one or more ‘grace’ attempts to move the levers into
the correct position; on the third incorrect attempt, one of the following traps
triggers (choose or roll 1d6):

1. Poison gas cloud – close burst 2, level + 1 vs. Fortitude, limited poison
damage by level, and the target is weakened (save ends).
2. Pit trap opens up in floor – 2-by-2 square area, level + 1 vs. Reflex,
perilous fall severity by level.
3. Burning oil jet – close blast 3, level + 1 vs. Reflex, limited fire damage by
level, and ongoing 5 fire damage per tier (save ends).
4. Grease released on floor – close burst 5, level + 1 vs. Reflex, the target
is knocked prone.
5. Slime dumped on targets in a 2-by-2 square area, level + 1 vs. Fortitude,
ongoing 5 acid damage per tier and the target is slowed (save ends).
6. Grotesque mural revealed, affects all sighted enemies within line of
sight, level + 1 vs. Will, the target is pushed 3 squares and dazed (save
ends).

4. False-floor Pit (Standard XP)

Stepping on a 2-by-2 square section of floor causes it to swing open, dropping
victims into a pit below (level + 1 vs. Reflex). A trapped character may escape the
pit with a move action and an Athletics check (moderate DC). The effects of the
false-floor pit trap depend on how far the victim falls and what is in the area
beneath it. DMs can choose one of the following pits, or roll randomly (1d6):

1. Perilous fall severity by level.

2. Snake-filled pit – painful fall severity by level, and ongoing 5 poison
damage per tier (save ends).
3. Contact poison walls – painful fall severity by level, and the target is
weakened if it tries to climb out (save ends).
4. Acid filled pit – painful fall severity by level, and ongoing 5 acid damage
per tier (save ends).
5. Spiked pit – painful fall severity by level, plus normal damage by level.
6. Chute to isolated, yet dangerous new area of the current encounter.

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 Mechanical Traps: Card II of V
This card and its companions present basic guidelines for various mechanical
traps in the dungeon. For random trap setup and traps of types 1-4, see Card I. For
trap types 11-20, see Cards III-V.

5. Ejector Plates (Standard XP)

These 2-by-2 square sections of floor are trigged by the weight of a medium-sized
or larger creature. When a victim steps on a plate, the floor section vaults upward
on a strong spring or column, smashing the victim against the ceiling (level + 1 vs.
Reflex, normal damage by level, and the target is knocked prone and dazed until
the end of its next turn). Variations of this trap hurl victims toward spiked walls or
up into ‘pit traps’ in the ceiling.

6. Ankle Blades (Standard XP)

Ankle blades are sharp, circular razors that whir out from a door, chest, or 2-by-1
square floor tile. These blades cut through the even the thickest of leather boots
and greaves (level + 5 vs. AC, normal damage by level, and the target takes a non-
cumulative -1 penalty to speed until the end of the encounter). Creatures wearing
heavy armor take half damage from ankle blades. The blades of this trap might be
coated with contact poison, increasing the peril to dungeoneers.

7. Dart Wall (Elite XP)

Dart walls can be connected to floor plates, door traps, tripwires, and other
triggers. Careful dungeoneers that detect these traps notice dozens of small
holes in the walls, floor, or ceiling. The darts fly out of a 5-by-1 square length of
wall, attacking each creature standing within a 5-by-5 square area directly in front
of the trap (initiative +4 + one-half trap level). 1d4 darts attack each target each
round (level + 5 vs. AC, normal damage by level). Like door darts (see trap #1),
dart wall traps might be poisoned.

8. Falling Door (Minion XP)

This is a simple but dangerous trap. The door is usually made of stone or heavy
iron. The door has pull rings on one side, but they are only for decoration and
deception. When someone pulls on the rings, the door falls on its opener with
great force, like a drawbridge. Creatures in a 2-by-2 square area directly in front of
the door are attacked (level + 1 vs. Reflex, normal damage by level, and the target
is knocked prone and restrained until it escapes). Falling doors are, in uncommon
instances, coated with contact poison or rigged to release blades or spikes upon
falling.

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9. Tripwire (Minion XP)
Carefully threaded across corridors and chambers, these hard-to-spot wires are
the downfall of many dungeoneers. Characters can spot tripwires with a hard DC
Perception check. Those who move across a square containing a tripwire are
attacked (level + 3 vs. Reflex). On a hit, the target slides forward one square and
is knocked prone. A tripwire becomes harmless after being triggered. In addition,
the victims usually fall into or trigger a more hazardous trap. The following chart
lists some possibilities for additional traps and hazards keyed to the tripwire
(1d8):

1. Target falls directly into an ooze, which makes an opportunity attack

against the target.
2. Target falls into a pit trap (see trap #4).
3. Target falls onto a square coated in contact poison (level + 3 vs.
Fortitude, ongoing 5 poison damage per tier).
4. Target takes normal damage by level from the razor-sharp tripwire.
5. Triggering the tripwire causes spikes to rise from the floor in 5
predetermined squares. Creatures standing in the squares are attacked
(level + 5 vs. AC, normal damage by level).
6. Triggering the tripwire causes a section of wall to slide down behind
the target, isolating him or her from the other dungeoneers.
7. The target falls forward into a pile of caltrops (normal damage by level,
and the target is slowed (save ends)).
8. Triggering the tripwire causes a Falling Blocks trap (see trap #2) to
activate.

10. Weighted Net (Minion XP)

This simple trap is intended to hold intruders and thieves for a brief period of
time, and is often placed in front of doors to private chambers, laboratories, and
vaults. Weighted nets are released when dungeoneers fail to detect a trap or
disable it.
A weighted net falls on a 2-by-2 square area, making a loud thud due to the
weights attached to it. This noise alerts the individuals and creatures on the other
side of the door, allowing them to investigate or prepare to defend against the
intruders. Those in the trap’s area of effect are attacked (level + 3 vs. Reflex, the
target is immobilized (save ends)).
Variations on this trap place monsters nearby, such as spiders or stirges that
are released when the net is dropped, or creating a heavy net of cloth-wrapped
chains to prevent cutting.

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 Mechanical Traps: Card V of V
This card and its companions present basic guidelines for various mechanical
traps in the dungeon. For random trap setup and traps of types 1-17, see Cards I-
IV.

18. Falling Floor (Minion XP)

These traps are often set on tiled floors in corridors or dungeon chambers. Each
falling floor trap fills a 2-by-2 square area. A creature that enters a square
containing a falling floor trap is attacked (level + 3 vs. Reflex). On a hit, the target
falls into one of the following (1d4):

1. A deep crevasse filled with freezing water: painful fall severity by level,
normal cold damage by level plus ongoing 5 cold damage (save ends).
2. A wide cavern: perilous fall severity by level, and the target encounters
1d4 minions of its level or lower in the cave below.
3. A pool of sludge: painful fall severity by level, and the target is
restrained (save ends).
4. Iron funnel: the target falls down a greased chute (painful fall severity
by level) that narrows to a 1/2-by-1/2 square aperture at its base,
wedging the target in tight (ongoing 5 damage per tier plus
immobilized). Freeing the stuck target requires a successful Athletics
check (hard DC).

19. Crushing Walls (Elite XP)

The massive mechanical deathtraps are engineered for entire sections of
corridors or chambers 5 squares wide or larger. They are usually triggered by
pressure plates or the movement of certain doors; they can also be used in
conjunction with other traps, such as false-floor pit traps (see trap #4) that send
the target into a closing wall trap room. Once in the chamber or corridor, the
exits lock (or stone blocks seal them), trapping the victims. When the trap is
triggered, the walls close in at a rate of 1 square per round (initiative +4 + 1/2 trap
level) until the walls meet in the center. If any creatures are between the walls,
they automatically take limited damage by level and are slowed until they escape.
A creature trapped between the walls for 3 consecutive rounds is crushed to
death, along with all of his or her possessions.
Variations on this trap cause the ceiling and floor to rise/fall on trapped
dungeoneers. Particularly cruel trap builders may fit spikes to the crushing walls
or coat them in poison.

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 Mechanical Traps: Card III of V
This card and its companions present basic guidelines for various mechanical
traps in the dungeon. For random trap setup and traps of types 1-10, see Cards I-II.
For trap types 15-20, see Cards III-V.

11. Tilting Floor (Standard XP)

This device is often placed in long corridors (4-by-2 squares or longer) that end in
open doors or pits. Stepping on a pressure plate somewhere in the hall causes
the back of the corridor to rise (or one end to lower to another door!), attacking
each creature in the trap’s area of effect (level + 1 vs. Reflex). On a hit, the target
is slid through the opening at the end of the tilting floor. Of course, danger
usually waits with the benefit of a surprise round against all targets. DMs can
choose monsters and traps to place at the mouth of the titling floor, or roll
randomly (1d10):

1. Gelatinous cube. The first two targets are automatically engulfed.

2. Green slime or other ooze.
3. Mold (level + 3 vs. Fortitude, normal poison damage, and the target is
weakened (save ends)).
4. Pit of acid (perilous fall severity by level, plus normal acid damage by
level per round of exposure).
5. Pool of lava (limited fire damage by level per round of exposure, saving
throw avoids).
6. The room beyond is filled with angled spikes (1d4 spikes attack each
target, level + 5 vs. AC, normal damage by level).
7. The room beyond is filled with poison gas (see trap #17).
8. The room beyond is filled with loose sand (level + 3 vs. Fortitude, the
target is slowed (save ends); first failed save: the target is immobilized
(save ends); second failed save: the target is restrained (save ends);
third failed save: the target is dragged under and dies).
9. The room beyond contains a standard monster of the party’s level.
10. The room beyond contains an elite monster of the party’s level.

12. Alarm (Standard XP)

Designed to attract or alert monsters, alarm traps are affixed to pressure plates,
locks, tripwires, and other triggers. By setting of an alarm trap, mechanisms cause
mallets to strike gongs, pulleys to ring bells, and so on. These noises are loud and
often amplified by the dungeon surroundings. After the trap is triggered, 1d8
minions per tier of the party’s level arrive in the encounter area on initiative count
0 (roll initiative for the interlopers separately or have them act on the monsters’
turn). Do not award XP for defeating the summoned minions – their value is
approximated by the XP for the alarm trap.

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13. Thrusting Blade (Minion XP)
This trap is often disguised within an ornate design: a thin opening in a bas relief,
a brass knocker, or a monster’s head with its mouth open. The trap is affixed to a
door or wall – anything that has a lock nearby. If the trap is not disarmed, it will
be activated when a creature attempts to open the locked portal or fails to break
the lock.
When the trap is triggered, a blade thrusts out from the hidden opening and
attacks the triggering creature (level + 5 vs. AC, normal damage by level).
The blade must be manually reset after being triggered.
The blades are occasionally coated in poison (1d4):

1. Ongoing 5 poison damage per tier (save ends).

2. The target is weakened (save ends).
3. The target is dazed (save ends).
4. The target falls prone (save ends).

Most thrusting blade traps are set at a human’s waist level so the blade might
catch short demi-humans as well. However, variations place the blades at knee- or
shoulder-level, or multiple blades at different levels. Rarer variations place the
opening behind the targets, facing the door, with a spear firing into the back of
the offending trespasser.

14. Water-filling Room (Elite XP)

This trap empties a large reservoir of water into a small, sealed chamber.
Typically, the trap is activated by stepping on a pressure plate or pulling an
incorrect lever. The room fills accordingly (initiative +4 + 1/2 trap level):

 Round 1 – all squares in the chamber are treated as difficult terrain.

 Round 2 – small-sized creatures treat all squares in the chamber as
challenging terrain (Athletics).
 Round 3 – small- and medium-sized creatures treat all squares in the
chamber as challenging terrain (Athletics).
 Round 4 – all creatures treat all squares in the chamber as challenging
terrain (Athletics) and are slowed.
 Round 5 – as above, and all creatures are subject to the rules for
drowning and underwater combat (Dungeon Master’s Guide).

Variations on this trap flood a chamber with acid (normal acid damage by level
per round of exposure), lava (limited fire damage by level per round of exposure),
or other noxious liquids. A water-filling room might also be rigged with dart walls
(see trap #7), or thrusting spears (see trap #13, above).

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 Mechanical Traps: Card IV of V
This card and its companions present basic guidelines for various mechanical
traps in the dungeon. For random trap setup and traps of types 1-14, see Cards I-
III. For trap types 18-20, see Card V.

15. Scything Blades (Standard XP)

These pendulum-like blades are affixed to stonework above trapped doors or
corridors, hidden by spiders’ webs or shadows. Dungeoneers who trigger the trap
or who fail a Thievery check to disable it by 5 or more set the scything blades in
motion (initiative +2 + 1/2 trap level).
Up to four sets of blades each cut a path 1 square wide and 5 squares long
across the corridor they were guarding, with two sets attacking creatures
standing in the area of effect each round (determine randomly, level + 5 vs. AC,
normal damage by level, and the target is knocked prone). The blades swing until
the end of the encounter, at which point they lose momentum and come to rest.
Scything blades must be reset manually.

16. Contact Poison (Minion XP)

One of the deadliest traps in any dungeon, contact poison can injure or kill
dungeoneers no matter their level or the amount of armor they wear. Contact
poison traps are built into chamber ceilings or door frames and are affixed to trip
wires or pressure plates. Those trigger the trap cause a section of dungeon ceiling
to release the poison, spraying it in a fine mist that falls onto all within its area of
effect (level + 1 vs. Fortitude). The strength of the poison can vary widely but
usually depends on the size of the trap’s area of effect:

 Area burst 1 – ongoing 15 poison damage per tier

 Area burst 3 – ongoing 10 poison damage per tier
 Area burst 5 – ongoing 5 poison damage per tier

Variations of this trap spray poisons that inflict harmful conditions rather than
damage. Choose from the table below or determine randomly (1d3):

1. Area burst 1 – the target is dazed (save ends); area burst 3 – the target
is dazed until the end of its next turn; area burst 5 – the target is dazed
until the start of its next turn.
2. Area burst 1 – the target is weakened (save ends); area burst 3 – the
target is weakened until the end of its next turn; area burst 5 – the
target is weakened until the start of its next turn.
3. Area burst 1 – the target grants combat advantage (save ends); area
burst 3 – the target grants combat advantage until the end of its next
turn; area burst 5 – the target grants combat advantage until the start
of its next turn.

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17. Gas (Standard XP)
A gas trap might be triggered by pressure plates, tripwires, or – most often – by
failing to detect the trap and unlocking a warded door or chest. When triggered,
a fragile glass globe drops into a section of floor (or even inside the chest). The
glass shatters, releasing a quickly-evaporating liquid that turns into gas upon
contact with air. The gas creates a zone in an area burst 3 that lasts until the end
of the encounter, after which it dissipates. Squares in the zone are treated as
heavily obscured terrain.
Creatures caught in, entering, or starting their turn in the gas’s area of effect
are attacked (level + 1 vs. Fortitude). Some potential gas effects include (1d12):

1. Chlorine Gas: The target takes limited medium poison damage by level.
2. Sleep Gas: The target is falls unconscious (save ends).
3. Weeping Gas: The target is blinded (save ends).
4. Paralysis Gas: The target is immobilized (save ends).
5. Poison Gas: The target takes ongoing 5 poison damage per tier (save
ends). First Failed Save: The target takes ongoing 10 poison damage per
tier (save ends). Second Failed Save: The target takes ongoing 10 poison
damage per tier and is weakened (save ends). Third Failed Save: The
target dies.
6. Noxious Gas: The target is weakened and slowed (save ends both).
7. Opaque Gas: Creatures may not draw line of sight through or from
squares in the zone. Creatures in the zone are blinded until they leave
it.
8. Anti-magic Gas: The target may not use daily or encounter powers
granted by magic items (save ends).
9. Corrosive Gas: Targets creatures wearing heavy armor only. The target
takes a -1 penalty to AC (save ends). First Failed Save: The target takes a
-2 penalty to AC (save ends). Second Failed Save: The target takes a -5
penalty to AC (save ends). Third Failed Save: The target’s armor is
destroyed.
10. Rotting Gas: Targets creatures wearing light armor only. The target
takes a -1 penalty to AC (save ends). First Failed Save: The target takes a
-2 penalty to AC (save ends). Second Failed Save: The target takes a -5
penalty to AC (save ends). Third Failed Save: The target’s armor is
destroyed.
11. Confusion Gas: The target is not considered an ally for the purposes of
powers, class features, and feats that target allies (save ends).
12. Fear Gas: The target is pushed 5 squares and takes a -5 penalty to
saving throws versus fear (save ends).

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20. Rolling Boulder (Minion XP)
These traps are most often triggered by a pressure plate, a tripwire, or a
counterweight. When triggered, a large boulder (2-by-2 squares) is pushed free of
a hidden alcove in the wall or ceiling. Each round (initiative +2 + 1/2 trap level), it
rolls 6 squares in a straight line, making a trample attack against each creature it
hits (level + 3 vs. Reflex, limited damage by level, and the target is knocked prone;
miss: the target slides 1 square out of the way of the boulder). The boulder stops
moving when it hits a solid obstacle, such as a wall.
More nefarious boulders are wrought of magnetic iron, covered in poisoned
spikes, filled with burning oil, or shaped from corrosive ooze.
Consider adjusting the speed of the rolling boulder trap to accommodate
larger or smaller encounter areas.

Combining Traps
Obviously, any number of these traps might be combined with some of the
others in a single encounter, creating a deadly ‘gauntlet’ with numerous dangers
threatening the dungeoneers simultaneously. For example:

 A crushing walls trap (see trap #19) that causes the floor to rise toward
poisoned scything blades (see trap #15) that swing from the ceiling.
 A tilting floor trap (see trap #11) that combines a few tripwires (see
trap #9) to catch hurried creatures.
 A falling door trap (see trap #8), combined with a falling floor trap (see
trap #18), causes dungeoneers to disappear beneath its weight, only to
be dropped in a dangerous new area of the encounter.

Original cards © 1994 TSR (Wizards of the Coast).

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