Decided to go ahead and round out this particular Table that has been lingering on my list for a spell. Sometimes those Pitfalls and Pit Traps don’t really receive much more attention than a Saving Throw after all.
See also: One Hundred Clues & Tells for the Tersely Detailed Trap, and I often find myself sometimes sprinkling a bit of Random Impedimenta down there as well.
See Also: d100 - This Secret Door Opens...
So often in Modules and Published Adventures, Traps are tragically under-telegraphed. Oftentimes, they are at least properly indicated on the provided maps/grids with a “T” and we might see a terse description of their primary function/effect (often in the form or Recommended Saving Throws), but seldom are there any telltale indicators that can be used to foreshadow these dangers.
I prefer to assume competency with Adventurers. The characters are well aware that these locations full of Treasure that they’ve found themselves exploring are fraught with perilous dangers, even if the Players might be more cavalier in terms of their approach. In addition to threats from Monsters, Running out of Resources, Getting Lost, or even the Dungeon Itself, the fact that “Other Dangers Exist” stares right up at the Players from the character sheet in the form of those deliciously evocative Saving Throw Categories. If the characters are moving at those relatively tortoise-ish Exploration Movement Rates, then I assume that they’re doing their level best to be not only Quiet (preserving Surprise Chances where applicable), but also Careful.
Naturally, anything out of the ordinary should justifiably “spook” someone in these environments. But it can be a bit of a balancing act not to “under” or “over” describe details associated with a potential Hidden Hazard or Disguised Danger. Sandwiching them within long-winded descriptions of set dressing is sometimes used tactically to obfuscate them, but I’m generally not much of a fan of this kind of “Buried Within The Boxed Text” approach. I instead prefer to proffer opportunities for Questions about the environment, consistently encouraging information gathering (and not just in “potentially consequential situations”) so that there’s always an active dialog and exchange of information concerning the surrounds. These clues can serve as something more akin to these sorts of “answers” or “expositions” to close those gaps in the minds’ eye when approaching a new area. After all, most Traps are only rarely utterly undetectable, especially those that fall into these more expansive “Room Trap” categories (as opposed to devilishly concealed “Device” Traps which are a separate animal in my mind).
Another approach I lean heavily on is the Trap Activation chances (2-in-6 by default in B/X and OSE, but often handwaved or ignored sadly). While this can sometimes be adjusted for the context of a particular Dungeon, it’s still something I like to leave to chance rather than assume a foregone conclusion. A musty Crypt, unopened for eons is likely less well maintained (1-8) than say, the Thieves Guild Mistresses’ private Treasure Vault (5-6). But situations like these go hand in hand with the unexpected, and I like that to apply to all Players, including the Referee.
Trap Activation is very useful, because it’s a lot like an additional Saving Throw and really does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to addressing some of the misconceptions about the perceived lethality or wantonly antagonistic nature of the older versions of these games. But more importantly, this failure to spring can serve as an additional indicator to provide those Clues/Tells or additional details concerning Trap Triggers. These Clues can also serve as a prompt or justification for consuming Time Resources by engaging the Search Procedures.
Not everyone runs Traps the way I do, and that’s perfectly fine 😊. Sometimes the fun for me is in overcoming the obstacle or acquiring information by interacting with the environment rather than in maliciously concealing information. But at the very least, Clues such as these can be a wonderful way to ground the consequences of actions in the shared imagined space rather than having ufortunate outcomes seem arbitrary or unjustified in their application. Sometimes in Play, these pieces get put together retroactively, but that still generally results in a more satisfying conclusion for most victims than the more cutthroat and capricious Gotcha! style Trap.
That’s enough waxing philosophic for now! Here are the Tables:
It’s a relatively common conundrum: You’ve placed your concealed or secret doors in a lovingly designed dungeon but may have not bothered to give much thought to how they’re opened/operated other than “oh there must be a lever/pressure plate/button somewhere.”
I’ve created this table to help provide some inspiration. It might also be useful for methods of disabling tricky traps or burnishing an evening with minor puzzle elements as well:
As a caveat: Clues are completely crucial when sprinkling in secrets, mysteries, and puzzles. I’ve underlined items that could be expanded through virtuosic descriptions to help draw in players attention to certain features, but feel free to incorporate another nudge or so. If they must open the door by kissing the carving of a crone (#47), it stands to reason that perhaps the lady’s lips are worn or stained, etc. This underlining typically indicates that these should be incorporated somehow into dressing/room descriptions as the players interrogate the fiction and should only adjust the character of a room in a minor way. If it flatly doesn’t fit with character of the room contents, then it might be simpler to choose another or adjust it slightly.
Some puzzles require pieces. For these, I’ve applied bolding. If the players don’t have these, or a means of acquiring them, then this could serve as a “hard stop” in play which isn’t ideal. They can always come back at a future point in time with the proper component, or as above, you can always adjust or incorporate additional necessary ingredients in nearby dungeon dressings if it’s frustrating any fun. Not all secret doors have to opened, and fully exploring a deviously drawn dungeon often triggers other in-game resource/real-life dependent limitations or exasperation (this isn’t Myst after all and pixel-bitching is about as un-fun as you can get for most).
Feel free to flex your imagination on how things are “actually working” with lovably “off-screen” byzantine mechanisms or gonzo Rube-Goldberg contraptions. Inexplicable magics from mad mages are another common scapegoat. Most of the time this is largely less important to the players than simply bypassing a mercifully brief obstacle. I also like to muse on how these doors might see use by other dungeon denizens, but I don’t get too caught up on it. Like many, I prefer the more Mythic Underworld approach which is blessedly less logical: The monsters play by their own rules down here. But naturally, a canny party, silently tracking or carefully observing the inhabitants should be rewarded with revelations on how some of these triggers work.
Let me know if you find this useful or how an entry works out if it makes its way into one of your dungeons!