LocksandTraps

FoundatRPGamers'Station
PresentedbyADnDDownloads

Locksandkeys
"Bored"Lock
Inordertopickalock,athiefneedstobeabletoreachthelockwithhisorherlockpicks,correct?Thislock
shouldbesetinthewallnexttothedoor.Forittowork,thewallmustbe3ormorefeetthick.Thelockissetina
holeboredintothewallapproximatelyafootortwodeep.Theresultisthatalongstemmedkeywillopenthe
lock(say,amacepommelthatscrewsofftorevealakey?),butlockpickswillnotunlessthethiefcarriesvery
long,hardtoconceallockpicks!
GlyphofWardingLock
Thislockisaspeciallypreparedmagicallock.Thekeyholeplatehasasmallglyphofwardinginscribedaround
thekeyhole.Theglyphisenspelledagainstanymetalobjectsbeingputthroughthekeyholetodoanelectrical
dischargeattheoffendingitem(fordamage,seeGlyphofWardingspellinthePlayer'sHandbook).Saidcharge
travelsthroughthelockpicksofwhoeveristryingtopickthelock,and(hopefully)detersthemfromtryingagain.
Thelockwouldhavetobe"reset"pertheGlyphofWardingspell.
TapestryLockandKey
Thefirstcomponentofthisduoisasapphirepearcutnecklace,aboutthesizeofatypicalkeywithoutthestem.
Whenbothsidesofthenecklacearepressed,anillusionofakeystemappearstosproutoutthepointofthe
necklace.Thekeyisattunedtoatapestrytypicallyalargetapestrywithadoorbearingakeyholesomewherein
thepicture.Whentheillusionarykeyisinsertedintothekeyholeonthetapestry,thetapestryshiftsintoan
extradimensionalportal.
Lockpickeatinglock
Thewaythistrappedlockworksisthatthereareapairofsmalltexturedrollersthatsnaptogetherfromeither
sidetotrapalockpick.Therollersturnand"suck"thekeyintothelock(presumablyouttheotherside),muchlike
therollersinapitchingmachinethrowaball.Ifthethiefgetsthroughthelockwithoutunderstandingitsnature,it
willbeamusingtoseeareactionwhenapileoflockpicksisdescribedonthefloorbeyondthedoor!
Doorknobkey
Afairlysimpletrick,butonethatplayerswillnotnecessarilythinkof.Haveadoorwitharotatingdoorknob(likea
typicalmoderndoor)leadsintoaroom.Theonlyotherdoorintheroomcanonlybeopenedwithamagicalkey.
Thedoorknobsandthestemconnectingthemarethekeytothemagicallock.Thekeyisproducedbypressing
inthedoorknobonbothsidesofthedoor,twistingtheknobsinoppositedirections,andpulling,whichgivesyou
aknob,andaknobwiththestem,whichisthekeytotheotherdoor.Theremaybecluesyoucangivethe
characters,suchashavingarounddepressionintheotherdoorthatthekeyholeisin.Youcouldalsocluethe
PC'sinbyusingaverseinscribedinthedoorperhaps"Thewayinisthewayout"or"Yourmethodofentryis
thekeytoyourdeparture".Asanaddedunpleasanttwist,removalofthedoorknobmaycausetheentrydoorto
shutandpermenantlylock,andforcethecharacterstofacewhatliesbeyondtheexitdoor.
WordofRecallLock
ThisisaspeciallymadepadlockwithavariantoftheclericalspellWordofRecallcastuponaniteminthelock.
ThereisasmallclaytileinthelockthatthemodifiedWordofRecalliscastupon.Whenthelockisopened,the
tileisbroken.Whoeverisincontactwiththelockwhenthetileisbrokenisteleportedwiththelocktoapreset
location(ajailcell,thebottomofadrywell,onapillarinavolcano,etc.).

FakeDoor/PanelDoor
Simplyamisdirectioneffortherehavetheopeningofalockinadooractuallyunlockaslidingpanelnexttothe
door(oracrosstheroom).Thedoormaysimplynotopen,orifyouareinanastymood,openingthedoorleads
toasmallclosetwhereaprearrangedfireballdetonates.
AnimatedStoneLock
Thislocknecessitatesanumberofpowerfulspells(Contingency,AnimateStone,etc.).Thenetresultisthatif
theproperkeyisnotused,astonehandshootsoutofthedoor(presumablystonealso)andgrabsthehandof
theoffendingthief,pullsitintothedoor,thendeanimates,leavingthethiefwithhishandembeddedinthe
stonework.ThethiefwouldgetaDexteritycheckat1/2toavoidthetrap.Thetrapmayormaynotresetitselfat
DMoption.

Traps
PivotingWaterfillingHallway
Allright,youcomeupwithabetternameforit!Thistrapcentersinahallway,perhaps3050feetlong.Thereare
doorsevery10feet,withsmall1footby1footbarredwindowsinthem.Thedoorsarelockedbutcanbepicked.
However,beforethenextdoorinthehallwaycanbeopened,theonebeforeitmustbeclosedandlocked.The
lastdoorinlinelooksliketheothers,exceptthereisdarknesspastthewindowopening.Dispellingthedarkness
showsblankstonebeyondthewindow(there'snothingthereyet).Whenyougettotheendofthehallwayand
trytoopenthelastdoor,amechanismistriggeredthatpivotstheentirehallwayfromhorizontaltovertical,sothe
partyisnowstandingatthebottomofashaft.Oncethehallwaystopsatvertical(takes2rounds),abarrier
(magicalornon,yourchoice)movesasideandpressurizedwaterbeginstofillthehallway.Thewaterlevelrises
10feetevery2rounds(10'/roundifyouhaveanexceptionallytoughparty).Thewindowsinthedoorsallowthe
waterleveltopassthedoors,butpartymembersstillhavetopickthelocksandrelockthedoorstogetoutthe
top.WhatisatthetopisuptotheDM.CouldbemoreoftheplacethePC'sareexploring,couldbeablankwall
(suckstobethem!).
BreakawayLadder
This20'ladderlookslikeastandardwoodenladderwithonerungeverytwofeet.Theweightlimitoftheeighth
rungupisdrasticallylessthantherestoftheladder.Therungsoftheladderareactuallyhollow,withathin
diamonddustedwirerunningthroughthecenteroftherung.Thewireismuchstrongerthantherungandwillnot
break. When the full weight of the person on the ladder crashes to the rungs below, they also will break,
revealingdiamonddustedwires.Thewireswillslicethroughanythingthatisnotmetalormagicallyenchanted
(leatherboots,gloves,etc.).Endresult:anyoneontheladderwhenitbreakstakes1d4damageforeveryrung
uptheladdertheyare.AsuccessfulDexteritycheckcutsthedamageinhalf.
Theheartofthematter
Thesetupofthistrapisthatthereisagrosslyobscenelookinggrowthattheendofacorridor,lookinglikea
large veiny heart. The heart is the seal for a highly pressurized fluid filled chamber that keeps the ceiling
suspendedoverthehallway.Thefirstinstinctofaplayerislikelytobetoshootit.Iftheheartispierced,theseal
isrupturedandalltheliquidisletout,causingtheceilingtocomedownandcrushthepartyinthehallway.