Treacherous Traps
Welcome again to Masters and Minions, where I strive to give you interesting NPCs and encounters that can be placed easily into your game. This week’s encounter takes the PCs into a dangerous dungeon, full of traps and monsters, in search of an ancient treasure. There are many rumors about what this treasure might be, but most rumors say that it is a huge golem that can be worn like armor (The Behemoth golem armor can be found in Into the Armory, available for free download).
The dungeon is home to many kinds of subterranean creatures, and the golem armor itself is rumored to be guarded by a fearsome neothelid, which can be found in the Pathfinder Bestiary. The dungeon has also become the home of an elder cavern kami, which may grant the PCs its blessing if they befriend it (cavern kami can be found in The Book of Kami, another book available for free download).
The dungeon is also filled with a myriad of traps, the three most dangerous of which are listed here. For other traps I recommend check out this article by Joshua Zaback.
Lava Pit Trap CR 18
The lava pit trap is in a 5-foot-wide hallway and is one of the first traps the PCs encounter.
Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20
Trigger location; Reset automatic delayed reset by 1d4 minutes
Effect 50-foot-deep pit (5d6 falling damage); 10-foot-deep lava pit (20d6 fire damage per round immersed plus an additional 10d6 fire every round for 1d3 rounds after exposure ceases); DC 20 Reflex avoids
Maximized Xelar’s Inferno Trap CR 16
The maximized Xelar’s inferno trap is contained in a massive circular chamber with a 200-foot diameter and 100-foot tall ceiling, with at least two entrances, and six large stone statues depicting fearsome ruby-eyed dragons along the walls. The trap is triggered when the PCs reach the center of the chamber. When the trap is triggered, the entrances become sealed and the dragon statues begin to charge up for the inferno. Each statue has a mechanism that must be disabled before the trap can be stopped and the entrances be opened once again.
Type magic; Perception DC 31; Disable Device DC 31 (must be made on each of the six dragon statues)
Trigger proximity (alarm); Onset Delay 1d6 minutes; Reset automatic reset delayed by 1d6 minutes
Effect spell effect (Xelar’s infernoAA, 80 fire damage, DC 16 Reflex save for half damage); multiple targets (all targets in a 100-foot-radius burst)
Poison Dart Trap (Wanderer’s Luck) CR 15
This trap is set inside an ornate iron door and is triggered when the door is opened.
Type mechanical; Perception DC 30; Disable Device DC 30
Trigger touch; Reset automatic reset (only five darts left)
Effect Atk +20 ranged (1d3 plus wanderer’s luckItA)
Wanderer's Luck
Type: Poison, Injury; Save: Will DC 17
Onset: -; Frequency: 1/minute for 1 hour
Effect: Random teleportation (see below); Cure: 1 save
This pseudo-magical poison is made from the distilled essence of a greater teleport spell. On a failed save, it teleports the victim to a random location on the same plane. If the victim is cured of the poison in the first 10 minutes, he is immediately teleported to wherever he was before the poison took effect.