[MECHANICS] Dungeon! - Traps

Traps and the OSR

Before I talk about how Traps are intended to be used in Dungeon!, I should first touch on the overall purpose of Traps in OSR TTRPGs.

Especially today in 5e, the purpose of Traps has been completely missed by both the game designers and many DMs. For whatever reason, Traps in many modern TTRPG systems are designed for the sole purpose of being "gotcha" mechanics that serve to deplete resources. While this may be effective for the bad guys, it is in no way fun or enjoyable to the players. Also, it punishes the players for Exploration... One of the core pillars of TTRPG game design. Seems kind of silly, doesn't it?

Enter the OSR. Many people in the OSR community seem to truly understand the purpose of Traps; Traps should serve as a puzzle or problem to solve. This puzzle or problem may require resources to solve, but it shouldn't take those resources away as a "gotcha," instead allowing the players to actively choose how to handle the Trap in a way that may cost them specific resources. GMs should design Traps to be somewhat obvious, but they guard something tempting or important to the players, such as a chest of treasure or the way into a dungeon. Traps shouldn't be haphazardly placed everywhere, only in places where it both makes sense and serves a purpose.

If you still aren't sold, I recommend checking out the videos below.

• A Treatise on Traps by GFC'S DND
• D&D Traps, When and how to use them by Bandit's Keep
• Stop Hiding Traps by Questing Beast

Traps in Dungeon!

With the purpose of Traps established, I can now delve into their use in Dungeon! Traps should be used sparingly and intelligently, as detailed above. Use Traps as puzzles, NOT as "gotcha" moments.

If you are used to other systems, you may be inclined to hide Traps behind Skill Checks. DO NOT DO THIS! Why? Because as the GM it is your job to tell the players what their characters see, hear, smell, etc. Their senses of a room shouldn't be up to an arbitrary roll. Just tell them what is in the room, what it smells like, what they hear, etc. They may then take that information and make decisions. Simple.

Now, you may ask, do I just tell them, "Hey, there's a Trap in this room." You should! Just do it in a subtle way. For example, in a room with a one-way dart Trap you may describe one of the walls as "dotted with holes" while the one directly across is "chipped and pock marked." The players will then realize what you said is a clear indication of a Trap. If they don't... Well, they will learn very quickly.

Next, be open to creative solutions to Traps. Not every Trap will have a logical and easy way to be disarmed, so more creative solutions may be required. Also, even simple Traps can be solved creatively. The dart room mentioned above could potentially be solved by a Fighter with a metal Shield just carefully walking by the trap, hiding behind their Shield. Remember, Traps are puzzles, not necessarily resource taxes. This Shield solution is very simple and costs the party little to nothing. And that's okay! It's a simple and smart solution to a simple problem. That should be rewarded.

Finally, some example Traps are below. Each Trap includes a description, options for how the Trap is triggered and mechanics for how the Trap "Attacks." Additionally, each Trap lists 4 possible locations where you may find such a Trap. Feel free to roll 1d4 on these lists to place these Traps throughout your dungeons.

• Alarm Trap: A trap that makes noise or otherwise gives away the position of those who trigger it.
• Possible Triggers: A weighted pressure plate, a tripwire, lack of Stealth, etc.
• Effect: If triggered, the Trap alerts nearby Monsters. The GM rolls the Encounter Die, but 3 or less counts as a 1.
• Locations: 1; A room full of bells attached to tripwires via pulleys. 2; A silent room where the floor is covered with calm but deep water. 3; A room where a large guard dog sleeps. 4; A hallway full of hanging strings of glass bottles.
• Boulder/Rockfall Trap: A trap which allows gravity to drop a rolling boulder or pile of rocks onto targets.
• Possible Triggers: A weighted pressure plate, a tripwire, etc.
• Effect: If triggered, Targets within a 10-foot Radius of the trigger must roll a Save. If they fail, they take 5d6 Damage. If they succeed, they take half as much Damage.
• Locations: 1; A room containing a golden idol on a weighted pressure plate. 2; A hallway with obvious scuffs along the walls and a hole in the ceiling. 3; A crumbling cliffside path where small chunks of different colored rocks are scattered. 4; A long hallway with an obvious round boulder visible in a high place.
• Chute: A trap that uses gravity to displace its targets to a lower location, such as the lower level of a dungeon.
• Possible Triggers: A trapdoor, a suspicious lever, etc.
• Effect: If triggered, the target must roll a Save. If they fail, they fall down the chute, being spat out wherever the chute leads. It is near-impossible to climb up a chute. If they succeed, they simply sidestep this Trap.
• Locations: 1; A hallway with missing floor tiles, where each missing tile shows a different chute. 2; A room where the entire floor is a massive trapdoor. A chest sits in the middle of the room. 3; A room with many trap doors built into the floor. Some are open, some closed. Multiple levers can be seen on the walls, some pulled, some not. 4; A room where the only way out is a visible Chute.
• Dart Trap: A trap that fires sharp darts at targets.
• Possible Triggers: A weighted pressure plate, a tripwire, etc.
• Effect: If triggered, the GM rolls 1d20 + 10 versus the target's AC. On a hit, the target takes 3d6 Damage.
• Locations: 1; A hallway with holes in the walls. 2; A wall where many faces are chiseled, each with open mouths. 3; A chest with a suspiciously large keyhole. 4; A large statue with holes for eyes.
• Dart Trap (Poisoned): A trap that fires sharp, poison tipped darts at targets.
• Possible Triggers: A weighted pressure plate, a tripwire, etc.
• Effect: If triggered, the GM rolls 1d20 + 10 versus the target's AC. On a hit, the target takes 3d6 Damage, and they must roll a Save. If they fail, the gain the Affliction Poisoned 3.
• Locations: 1; A hallway with holes in the walls. 2; A wall where many faces are chiseled, each with open mouths. 3; A chest with a suspiciously large keyhole. 4; A large statue with holes for eyes.
• Fire Trap: A trap that cooks its targets with hot flames.
• Possible Triggers: A weighted pressure plate, a suspicious lever, etc.
• Effect: If triggered, the target must roll a Save. If they fail, they take 3d6 Fire Damage. If they succeed, they take half as much Damage.
• Locations: 1; A dragon statue with a gaping mouth. 2: A room where the floor is covered with pipes and pressure plates. 3; A room where magical orange crystal floats in the middle of many pressure plates. 4; A room where the ground is coated with oil and many burning lanterns haphazardly hang from above via tripwires and pulleys.
• Gas Trap (Poison): A trap that floods an area with poisonous gas.
• Possible Triggers: A weighted pressure plate, a suspicious lever, etc.
• Effect: If triggered, each target within the hallway, room, etc. must roll a Save. If they fail, they gain the Affliction Poisoned 6. If they succeed, they gain the Affliction Poisoned 3.
• Locations: 1; A snake-like statue with a gaping mouth. 2: A room where the floor is covered with pipes and pressure plates. 3; A room that has been overgrown with massive, poisonous mushrooms. 4; A hallway with holes in the walls.
• Pit Trap: A trap that drops the target into a pit, likely filled with spikes.
• Possible Triggers: A trapdoor, a suspicious lever, etc.
• Effect: If triggered, the target must roll a Save. If they fail, they fall into the pit. If the pit is spiked or bladed in some way, they also take 3d6 Damage. If they succeed, they simply sidestep this Trap.
• Locations: 1; A hallway with missing floor tiles, where each missing tile shows a different pit. 2; A room where the entire floor is a massive trapdoor. A chest sits in the middle of the room. 3; A room with many trap doors built into the floor. Some are open, some closed. Multiple levers can be seen on the walls, some pulled, some not. 4; A forest clearing with an obvious mound of leaves that seem out of place.
• Portcullis/Wall: A trap that drops a metal gate between or onto targets. Its primary purpose is separating targets from each other.
• Possible Triggers: A weighted pressure plate, a tripwire, etc.
• Effect: If triggered, the target must roll a Save. If they fail, they are pinned beneath the portcullis/wall, taking 3d6 Damage. If they succeed, they simply sidestep this Trap, choosing which side they end up on.
• (If the party's goal is to lift the portcullis/wall, roll 2d4 x 100. This is the weight of the portcullis/wall in pounds. If the party realistically has enough manpower to lift this weight, they may do so [no roll is required]. If they do not have the manpower, they may choose to lift the weight [no roll required], but they each gain Exhaustion)
• Locations: 1; An archway where a rusted portcullis clearly looms above. 2; A large room with a divot down the center and a crack/slit directly above it. 3; A hallway where a secret door seems to be hidden behind a lever. 4; A room full of treasure, but it only has one suspiciously unguarded way in.
• Swinging Blades/Logs: A trap that uses gravity to swing weaponry at its targets.
• Possible Triggers: A weighted pressure plate, a tripwire, etc.
• Effect: If triggered, the GM rolls 1d20 + 10 versus the target's AC. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 Damage.
• Locations: 1; A hallway with a suspiciously high ceiling. 2; A slightly ajar door that leads into a small side-room. 3; A hallway that has a seemingly pointless intersection. 4; short, claustrophobic hallway with many slits in the walls.