Traps by Chasmyr

Traps come in many forms, depending on what they were meant to do. Some are made to deter or detain would-be thieves. And dome, well, they just slice and dice who ever should come along.

Lethal Traps

Lethal-To squash, maim render or tear them to little pieces! -Xim Calafar, drow warrior

1) A tripwire is suspended above the to trip folks who come by. A matching piece of extremely thin, razor sharp metal is suspended at a point where any one tripping will fall upon it. Damage varies depending on where the person lands.

2) A counter balanced stair landing, usually balanced diagonally to throw off so-called acrobats, is an excellent way to begin a long fall to some thing nasty-say, spikes? This beauty can usually be disarmed by a concealed lever.

3) Four needles are placed around a door handle, positioned so that who ever uses the door handle has an excellent chance of being stuck by at least on needle. Traditionally, the needles are coated with poison. Particularly devious landlords have been known to include a fast acting anesthetic in the poison used. This can be very effective, and long lasting if wax or a similar substance is used to seal the holes, keeping moisture out. Combine it with a spring-loaded door, you can put every individual in a party of thieves at risk.

4) If a landlord is not worried about using a chamber anytime soon, he might place specially prepared torches in sconces upon the walls. These torches are hollow, and contain a fuse, some sort of explosive charge, and frequently nails or the like for shrapnel. These torches will explode a short time after being lit, causing damage to those around them. Unlucky souls who are carrying the torch may lose an arm or at least a hand. Persons caught in a room or passageway lined with these on a slow fuse may regret visiting this portion of the landlord's property. It may also be used to trap a survival cache if the survivalist is especially vindictive.

5) A variant on #1 is a stair that has been rigged to collapse into a slide. The slide is then greased through some mechanism. A razor blade is placed either parallel to the stair or perpendicular to it. Either way, this little baby hurts.

6) A scything blade spins out of the wall, floor, or ceiling. Persons not short enough or quick enough may find themselves missing vital portions of their anatomy.

7) A stair, the steps of which have been rigged with so that when weight is applied upon a step, spikes protrude from the next higher step across the step being pressed on. This little baby hobbles people really fast.

8) A board in the floor has been counterbalanced to swing up when weight is applied on either end. The board, or stone in some cases, is typically 7-8' long. The end meant to swing is typically blunted to avoid detection, but may be rigged to have spikes pop out upon moving. If the other side of the trap is stepped on, it will spring up, again with the spikes! A common variation is a smaller board meant to swing up and break the knee of the victim. This version also commonly entraps the victim's legs.

9) Darts are launched from an object, targeted to pass through a certain area, commonly where the victim is standing, but interesting things have been recorded involving gas globes…

10) A spear drops from the ceiling to impale the victim. Depending on the perversity of the owner, it may also retract, doing damage coming and going.

11) A corridor is balanced such that persons walking down it find that it rotates in a corkscrew fashion. This causes the walls, ceiling, and floor to come together and crush whatever is between.

12) A door that is rigged so upon opening, something drops from the ceiling. Typical examples include large blocks, blades, 10000 vials of acid…

Deterring traps

To deter-Meaning to keep the little buggers from getting in! -Ghalarandorxanthilprix, dragon

1) Comb out black or gray silk. Then hang the silk over the entrance to an area that you wish to gain a reputation for being haunted. When walked through, the motion causes the silk to touch a person, making them believe a ghost or something has touched them similarly invisible.

Detainment of Intruders

To detain-To capture the buggers for the stewpot! -Gak, kobold

1) The passage is counterbalanced so that when either end is stepped into either end causes the passage floor and ceiling sink. This encloses the would-be thief in a long, slanted chamber, which typically is now opening into something wonderful, like a tank of acid. As for those left behind, lethal little devices like pools of acid or hundreds of caltrops typically slide down the slide created by this action to injure or kill them. This trap always resets when the weight is removed.

2) A rolling block turns to trap a foot or leg into place.

3) A pit with a twist. The cover is mounted upon a ball joint that is mounted in turn onto a pillar rising from within the pit. When the locking mechanism is not engaged, the pit will rotate when weight is placed on any part of it. Because the cover tilts up, and may twist under the victim, the victim only has half his normal chances of avoiding this fall.

4) The floor of this passage or room is a finely crafted belt of stone or wood that rolls on a set of rollers. This belt turns faster the faster people walk on it, effectively reducing or negating the victims speed. It may be crossed by moving extremely slowly, and is typically found with a disarming device near it.