System	
  Reference	
   Document	
  5.1 	
   196	
  
Trap Effects 
The	
  effects	
  of	
  traps	
  can	
  range	
  from	
  inconvenient	
  to	
  
deadly,	
  making	
  use	
  of	
  elements	
  such	
  as	
  arrows,	
  
spikes,	
  blades,	
  poison,	
  toxi c	
  gas,	
  blasts	
  of	
  fire,	
  and	
  
deep	
  pits.	
  The	
  deadliest	
  traps	
  combine	
  multiple	
  
elements	
  to	
  kill,	
  injure,	
  contain,	
  or	
  drive	
  off	
  any	
  
creature	
  unfortunate	
  enough	
  to	
  trigger	
  them.	
  A	
  
trap’s	
  description	
  specifies	
  what	
  happens	
  when	
  it	
  is	
  
triggered.	
  
	
   The	
  attack	
  bonus	
   of	
  a	
  trap,	
  the	
  save	
  DC	
  to	
  resist	
  its	
  
effects,	
  and	
  the	
  damage	
  it	
  deals	
  can	
  vary	
  depending	
  
on	
  the	
  trap’s	
  severity.	
  Use	
  the	
  Trap	
  Save	
  DCs	
  and	
  
Attack	
  Bonuses	
  table	
  and	
  the	
  Damage	
  Severity	
  by	
  
Level	
  table	
  for	
  suggestions	
  based	
  on	
  three	
  levels	
  of	
  
trap	
  severity.	
  
	
   A	
  trap	
  intended	
  to	
  be	
  a	
   setback	
  is	
  unlikely	
  to	
  kill	
  
or	
  seriously	
  harm	
  characters	
  of	
  the	
  indicated	
  levels,	
  
whereas	
  a	
  dangerous	
  trap	
  is	
  likely	
  to	
  seriously	
  
injure	
  (and	
  potentially	
  kill)	
  characters	
  of	
  the	
  
indicated	
  levels.	
  A	
   deadly	
  trap	
  is	
  likely	
  to	
  kill	
  
characters	
  of	
  the	
  indicated	
  levels. 	
  
Trap	
  Save	
  DCs	
  and	
  Attack	
  Bonuses	
  
Trap	
  Danger	
   Save	
  DC	
   Attack	
  Bonus	
  
Setback	
   10–11	
   +3	
  to	
  +5
Dangerous	
   12–15	
   +6	
  to	
  +8
Deadly	
   16–20	
   +9	
  to	
  +12
Damage	
  Severity	
  by	
  Level	
  
Character	
  Level	
   Setback	
   Dangerous	
   Deadly	
  
1st–4th	
   1d10	
   2d10	
   4d10	
  
5th–10th	
   2d10	
   4d10	
   10d10	
  
11th–16th	
   4d10	
   10d10	
   18d10	
  
17th–20th	
   10d10	
   18d10	
   24d10	
  
Complex Traps 
Complex	
  traps	
  work	
  like	
  standard	
  traps,	
  except	
  once	
  
activated	
  they	
  execute	
  a	
  series	
  of	
  actions	
   each	
  round.	
  
A	
  complex	
  trap	
  turns	
  the	
  process	
  of	
  dealing	
  with	
  a	
  
trap	
  into	
  something	
  more	
  like	
  a	
  combat	
  encounter. 	
  
	
   When	
  a	
  complex	
  trap	
  activates,	
  it	
  rolls	
  initiative.	
  
The	
  trap’s	
  description	
  includes	
  an	
  initiative	
  bonus.	
  
On	
  its	
  turn,	
  the	
  trap	
  activates	
  again ,	
  often	
  taking	
  an	
  
action.	
  It	
  might	
  make	
  successive	
  attacks	
  against	
  
intruders,	
  create	
  an	
  effect	
  that	
  changes	
  over	
  time,	
  or	
  
otherwise	
  produce	
  a	
  dynamic	
  challenge.	
  Otherwise,	
  
the	
  complex	
  trap	
  can	
  be	
  detected	
  and	
  disabled	
  or	
  
bypassed	
  in	
  the	
  usual	
  ways. 	
  
	
   For	
  example,	
  a	
  trap	
  that	
  causes	
  a	
  room	
  to	
  slowly	
  
flood	
  works	
  best	
  as	
  a	
  complex	
  trap.	
  On	
  the	
  trap’s	
  
turn,	
  the	
  water	
  level	
  rises.	
  After	
  several	
  rounds,	
  the	
  
room	
  is	
  completely	
  flooded.	
  
Sample Traps 
The	
  magical	
  and	
  mechanical	
  traps	
  presented	
  here	
  
vary	
  in	
  deadliness	
  and	
  are	
  presented	
  in	
  alphabetical	
  
order.	
  
Collapsing Roof 
Mechanical	
  trap 	
  
This	
  trap	
  uses	
  a	
  trip	
  wire	
  to	
  collapse	
  the	
  supports	
  
keeping	
  an	
  unstable	
  section	
  of	
  a	
  ceiling	
  in	
  place. 	
  
	
   The	
  trip	
  wire	
  is	
  3	
  inches	
  off	
  t he	
  ground	
  and	
  
stretches	
  between	
  two	
  support	
  beams.	
  The	
  DC	
  to	
  
spot	
  the	
  trip	
  wire	
  is	
  10.	
  A	
  successful	
  DC	
  15	
  Dexterity	
  
check	
  using	
  thieves’	
  tools	
  disables	
  the	
  trip	
  wire	
  
harmlessly.	
  A	
  character	
  without	
  thieves’	
  tools	
  can	
  
attempt	
  this	
  check	
  with	
  disadvantage	
  us ing	
  any	
  
edged	
  weapon	
  or	
  edged	
  tool.	
  On	
  a	
  failed	
  check,	
  the	
  
trap	
  triggers.	
  
	
   Anyone	
  who	
  inspects	
  the	
  beams	
  can	
  easily	
  
determine	
  that	
  they	
  are	
  merely	
  wedged	
  in	
  place.	
  As	
  
an	
  action,	
  a	
  character	
  can	
  knock	
  over	
  a	
  beam,	
  
causing	
  the	
  trap	
  to	
  trigger. 	
  
	
   The	
  ceiling	
  above	
  the	
  trip	
  wire	
  is	
  in	
  bad	
  repair,	
  
and	
  anyone	
  who	
  can	
  see	
  it	
  can	
  tell	
  that	
  it’s	
  in	
  danger	
  
of	
  collapse.	
  
	
   When	
  the	
  trap	
  is	
  triggered,	
  the	
  unstable	
  ceiling	
  
collapses.	
  Any	
  creature	
  in	
  the	
  area	
  beneath	
  the	
  
unstable	
  section	
  must	
  succeed	
  on	
  a	
  DC	
  15	
  Dexterity	
  
saving	
  throw,	
  taking	
  22	
  (4d10)	
  bludgeoning	
  damage	
  
on	
  a	
  failed	
  save,	
  or	
  half	
  as	
  much	
  damage	
  on	
  a	
  
successful	
  one.	
  Once	
  the	
  trap	
  is	
  triggered,	
  the	
  floor	
  of	
  
the	
  area	
  is	
  filled	
  with	
  rubble	
  and	
  becomes	
  difficult	
  
terrain.	
  
Falling Net 
Mechanical	
  trap 	
  
This	
  trap	
  uses	
  a	
  trip	
  wire	
  to	
  release	
  a	
  net	
  suspended	
  
from	
  the	
  ceiling. 	
  
	
   The	
  trip	
  wire	
  is	
  3	
  inches	
  off	
  the	
  ground	
  and	
  
stretches	
  between	
  two	
  columns	
  or	
  trees.	
  The	
  net	
  is	
  
hidden	
  by	
  cobwebs	
  or	
  foliage.	
  The	
  DC	
  to	
  spot	
  the	
  trip	
  
wire	
  and	
  net	
  is	
  10.	
  A	
  successful	
  DC	
  15	
  Dexterity	
  
check	
  using	
  thieves’	
  tools	
  breaks	
  the	
  trip	
  wire	
  
harmlessly.	
  A	
  character	
  without	
  thieves’	
  tools	
  can	
  
attempt	
  this	
  check	
  with	
  disadvantage	
  using	
  any	
  
edged	
  weapon	
  or	
  edged	
  tool.	
  On	
  a	
  failed	
  check,	
  the	
  
trap	
  triggers.	
  
	
   When	
  the	
  trap	
  is	
  triggered,	
  the	
  net	
  is	
  released,	
  
covering	
  a	
  10-­‐‑foot-­‐‑square	
  area.	
  Those	
  in	
  the	
  area	
  are	
  
trapped	
  under	
  the	
  net	
  and	
  restrained,	
  and	
  those	
  that	
  
fail	
  a	
  DC	
  10	
  Strength	
  saving	
  throw	
  are	
  also	
  knocked	
  
prone.	
  A	
  creature	
  can	
  use	
  its	
  action	
  to	
  make	
  a	
   DC	
  10	
  