Upon triggering, the area seems to darken and expand in all directions, so that the exits are no longer visible. High winds start up, and sea water seeps up from the floor, rapidly filling the area as far as the eye can see. Clouds form overhead, and soon the characters appear to be out in the open...
A pressure plate or hair-thin tripwire on the far side of a door triggers deadly frost rays to shoot from the door frame at whatever is passing through it.
The first person to pass through the doorway is safe, but anyone or anything immediately following is blasted with 1d8 cold damage. The pre...
This appears as a full set of plate mail armor, which, if tested for, will radiate magic. It has a +3 magical bonus on it, adding to the wearer's AC and Saving Throws. It may be removed easily at this stage. Testing for curses may or may not reveal the armor's true nature (GM's choice). The magic o...
The trapped area is quite large, and has a very high ceiling. Carvings on the wall depict storm clouds and lightning. Upon triggering, dark magical clouds appear in the corridor/room overhead, and begin dropping torrential rain and lightning on the characters. Anyone in the area has a 50% chance of...
A mirror, should the eldest living creature in the room look into it, shatters violently for 1d6 piercing and slashing damage, and a 50% chance of blindness for 1 hour.
Optionally, to add insult to injury, if you own the Tome of Beasts from Kobold Press, see the Mirror Hag on page 243 for an...
These appear to be a bundle of twelve +2 arrows, which, if tested, will radiate magic, and if specifically tested for curses, will reveal their true nature (in practice, most groups don't seem to look for curses in arrows; that will likely change after this). Until used in a crisis, these arrows...
Spellcasters and Thieves only. A particularly nasty item, this appears as an ornate ring with a magical aura. If tested, it will seem to be a ring of great power and utility. The Ring Of Severing will always have a spell function such as Fireballs, Flying, Teleportation, etc.
The ring can be...
When triggered, exits seal up, and the entire corridor/room moves to another level of the dungeon, whereupon the exits unseal. Try as they might, the characters cannot get the elevator to function again. Characters who've been diligently mapping will have no idea where they are.
gray framed...
INTRODUCTION
Right off the bat, it's important to understand that every GM is different. No two styles of running a game match completely, nor should they. And while there is no one correct way to run a game, there are plenty of ways to do it poorly. The GM wears many hats, but in my opinion, th...
When triggered, the floor begins rapidly moving forward like a magical conveyor belt, and a gate or hatch opens on the far end, revealing an active blast furnace. Characters have only 1 to 2 minutes (50-50% chance) to figure something out, or be incinerated.
Characters ending up in the furnace...
When triggered, all characters within a four square radius randomly switch consciousness, no Saving Throw allowed. The characters are still all themselves, even though they look like other people. They retain their old skills (including prepared spells), but must now contend with new bodies, includ...
When triggered, any exits seal up, and the walls (made of metal or stone, of course) begin moving in. Characters have 5 minutes to either jam, disarm, or deactivate the trap.
Jamming might be possible with metal spikes, which take one minute each to set (though multiple characters may do so at...
An elaborate tapestry, if removed from the wall, reveals hundreds of ice needles that shoot from the wall for 1d6 piercing damage, plus 1d4 cold damage.
The needles take 1 minute to melt, during which time they impose a further 2d6 cold damage. If the needles are removed manually, they deal 3d6...
When triggered, duplicates of each character appear and begin attacking their counterparts. The doubles will only attack their likenesses, and will not help their fellow duplicates. The doubles have the exact same statistics, powers, and items as the characters they have copied at the moment that...
A beaded curtain extends across one side of the room. Many of the beads are precious gemstones. The strings holding the beads and gems are curiously strong, but the gems can be removed with a Strength check DC 15. When a gem is removed, 1d6 ghosts, shadows, wraiths, or wights (or similar) appear be...
A trap door opens and one random character slides down to a spinning circular saw. A roll to Hit applies, or perhaps a Dex roll, or Saving throw (whatever the GM prefers). If hit, the character takes 5d6 HP of damage, and the character then lands in a locked room on the floor below. Optional: If...