TEXT: From Indiana Jones to James Bond to the 
  earliest stalwart fantasy adventurers, traps 
  are a staple part of any fantasy gamer’s 
  diet. Poison needles, spiked pits, rolling 
  boulders, cursed scrolls, electrified safes, 
  motion-activated lasers, and explosive 
  mines all deal death and destruction to the 
  unwary intruder. 
  Basic Traps 
  At the basic level, all you need for a trap is 
  a dice pool. This tells you how deadly the 
  trap is. Everything else can be derived 
  easily from that dice pool. 
     Choose a dice pool. A dice 
  pool equal to the PCs’ dice 
  pool is a fairly dangerous 
  trap; one less than their dice 
  pool is an inconvenience, 
  while one higher can be very 
  deadly. For example, with a 
  group of PCs at 6d6, you 
  might choose a 4d6 trap to 
  slow them down a little. 
     A trap’s dice pool 
  determines its attack roll, 
  how hard it is to spot and 
  disarm, and the amount of 
  damage it does. 
  Describing A 
  Trap 
  A simple trap can be 
  described in evocative ways. 
  Rather than simply saying 
  “the lock clicks, and a burst 
  of flame does 16 fire damage 
  to you”, say “You carefully 
  turn the lock, but something 
  is wrong. The key only turns 
  halfway. To your right you 
  hear a slight grinding noise, 
  and you look on with horror 
  as the gargoyle’s head 
  DEADLY 
  TRAPS
  
  slowly turns to stare at you. From its 
  mouth comes a billowing burst of fire, its 
  intense heat enveloping you all.” 
     From the player’s side, attempts to 
  disarm traps should be described also. 
  Players should tell the GM what they are 
  doing to circumvent the pit trap they just 
  spotted; the roll then tells you how well 
  they succeed at this. For example, they 
  might say “OK, we’ll take out 10’ poles 
  and lay them across the trap, using the 50’ 
  of rope to lash them together into a crude 
  bridge.” Should they fail their check, the G 
  might reply “You carefully make your 
  preparations. It looks sturdy! As the first of 
  you crosses the bridge, however, your 
  crude construction slips….” 
  Sample Trap 
  The following is a sample trap stat block. 
  Following that, each entry will be 
  discussed in detail. 
     
  Trigger 
  The traps’ trigger mechanism should be 
  briefly described. Common examples 
  include: 
  • Pressure plate 
  • Tripwire 
  • Door handle 
  • Wrong key 
  • Wrong password 
  • Touch 
  • Motion sensor 
  • Activation/opening 
  • Sound 
  • Timed 
  This description can be as simple or 
  complex as needed. It might simply say 
  “pressure plate” or it might say “anybody 
  who opens the chest without turning the 
  two knobs anti-clockwise first”. 
  Circumvent 
  Some (but not all) traps have a deliberate 
  deactivation mechanism, usually used by 
  the person who placed the trap or their 
  allies. For example, a magical trap might 
  be deactivated if the right password is 
  spoken, or a needle trap on a chest might 
  be deactivated by turning one of the gems 
  on the lid. This isn’t the same as disabling 
  the trap, and it requires no attribute check. 
     If a PC performs the circumvent action 
  (deliberately, by accident, or blind luck) 
  then they get to circumvent the trap.  
  DIFFICULTY 
  This is the INT roll needed to spot or 
  disarm the trap (or, indeed, to do anything 
  else to/with it). The target number is equal 
  to 4 times the dice pool - so a 4d6 trap 
  needs rolls of 16 to spot and disarm. 
     To spot a trap, roll an INT (perception) 
  check. To disarm it, roll an AGI (thievery) 
  check. Thievery might be replaced by 
  engineering, computers, spellcraft, or other 
  relevant skills, depending on the trap. 
     Note that spotting and disarming traps 
  are separate rolls. Failing to disarm a trap 
  sets it off. 
     This value can be used for all sorts of 
  checks related to the trap. It’s basically the 
  difficulty value of the trap - if you are 
  trying to sneak past sensors, you’d use this 
  value; if you are trying to climb out of a 
  pit, you’d use this value; and so on. In 
  some cases (such as the latter) you may 
  need narrative reasons as to why the pit is 
  so hard to climb out of.  
     You’d also use this value to repair the 
  trap, to build the trap (assuming you had 
  all the necessary parts - if you don’t have a 
  15’ spherical boulder, you can’t build a 
  Rolling Boulder trap), and so on. If you’re 
  interacting with a trap and need a 
  difficulty number for an attribute check, 
  this is it. 
     Complex. If a trap is noted as being 
  complex, it requires an extended skill task 
  POISON GAS (5d6) 
  A pressure plate causes deadly poison gas to 
  be emitted, filling the area with death. 
     Trigger pressure plate 
     Circumvent none 
     Difficulty 20 
     Attack 5d6 melee (burst 5) 
     Damage 5d6 poison 
     Reset 1 hour
  
  to circumvent. Typically, this will be three 
  checks. As always with extended skill 
  tasks, the GM should allow PCs to use any 
  relevant skills. These work especially well 
  with countdown traps to create a sense of 
  tension. 
  Attack  
  This is the roll the trap makes when 
  somebody sets off its trigger (opens the 
  door, steps on the pressure plate, and 
  soon). This is equal to the dice pool, so a 
  5d6 trap rolls 5d6 to attack victims who set 
  it off. 
     Whether the trap attacks MELEE, 
  RANGED, or even MENTAL defence 
  depends on the nature of the trap. A 
  poison needle would make a melee attack, 
  while a falling boulder would make a 
  ranged attack. 
     If the trap has a range, or an area of 
  effect, such as a cone, line, or burst, this is 
  also noted in parenthesis. If there is no 
  note, it simply affects one adjacent target. 
  For more information on cones, lines, and 
  bursts, see the core rules. 
  Damage 
  The damage from a trap is also equal to its 
  dice pool - so a 5d6 trap does 5d6 damage. 
  The damage type depends on the trap 
  itself - jets of flame will do fire damage, a 
  falling boulder will do blunt damage, gas 
  might do poison damage, and so on. 
     Critical hits can be scored by traps in the 
  same way as by regular attacks. The type 
  of condition inflicted by a critical hit 
  depends on the damage type as normal; 
  sometimes, however, a different condition 
  may be noted in parenthesis. 
     The following keywords may be found 
  in a trap’s damage entry. 
     Alarm. The trap might simply sound an 
  alarm to alert occupants of intruders. 
     Conditions. Some traps might not do 
  damage; instead they simply inflict a 
  condition. A net trap might just say 
  “restrained” indicating that the target 
  gains the Restrained condition. Another 
  might cast a sleeping enchantment to send 
  intruders into a slumber. 
     Countdown. This is a slow trap set off 
  when triggered, but the damage doesn’t 
  take place until the countdown period has 
  expired. This might represent a crushing 
  trash compactor or slowly extending 
  spikes. In this case, the trap has no attack 
  roll, and the damage takes place 
  automatically when the countdown pool 
  expires. The size of the countdown pool is 
  the same as its dice pool (the more deadly 
  it is the slower it is). In these types of traps, 
  escape is often the goal; this is the same 
  difficulty as disabling the trap. 
     Ongoing. Occasionally, damage might be 
  noted as “ongoing”. The damage from the 
  trap does not require an attack roll. 
  Instead, it applies automatically whenever 
  a creature enters or starts its turn in the 
  area. The escape difficulty is the same as 
  the disable difficulty, and might involve 
  climbing out of a pit, or forcing open a 
  door. 
  RESET 
  Some traps can be reset, while others are 
  used once only. This entry either says 
  ‘no” (indicating the trap cannot be re-used) 
  or it gives a time period after which it is 
  automatically reset. The time period can be 
  anything from “instant” or one round, to a 
  day or more. Alternatively, this may say 
  “manual” in which case it can be reused 
  once somebody manually resets it. 
  Optional. Create a fourth defence called 
  BODY DEFENCE. This is created from 
  ENDURANCE in the same way that 
  other defences are created from AGI, etc. 
  It is the target used for poisons, illnesses, 
  and other effects which attack the target’s 
  physical system. The relevant skills 
  include resistance, endurance, and 
  fortitude.
  
  LIST OF TRAPS 
  Following is a list of example traps. You 
  should use these as inspiration and create 
  your own traps for your own games. The 
  traps below are from mix of genres. Note 
  that you can easily increase or decrease the 
  difficulty of these traps. 
  ACID POOL (8d6) 
  A false floor opens downwards into a chute, 
  which leads into a pool of deadly acid. The 
  damage is delivered at the start of every turn.  
     Trigger area 
     Circumvent none 
     Difficulty 32 
     Attack 8d6 melee 
     Damage 8d6 acid (ongoing) 
     Reset 1 minute 
  BEAR TRAP (5d6) 
  Steel jaws slam closed on anybody unfortunate 
  enough to step into this concealed device. 
     Trigger pressure 
     Circumvent none 
     Difficulty 20 
     Attack 5d6 melee 
     Damage 5d6 piercing; restrained 
     Reset manual 
  CAVEFALL (5d6) 
  A tripwire is set to trigger the roof of the cave 
  to collapse, crushing all below it. 
     Trigger tripwire 
     Circumvent none 
     Difficulty 20 
     Attack 5d6 melee (burst 3) 
     Damage 5d6 blunt 
     Reset no 
  CRUSHING ROOM (8d6) 
  The walls being to close in, hundreds of metal 
  spikes extending from them. 
     Trigger pressure plate 
     Circumvent none 
     Difficulty 32 (complex) 
     Attack automatic 
     Damage 8d6 crushing (countdown, 
  ongoing) 
     Reset instant 
  CURSED GLYPH (6d6) 
  A dark sigil in the wall instils a sense of fear in 
  any who look upon it. The weak-minded can be 
  slain by pure terror. 
     Trigger sight 
     Circumvent none 
     Difficulty 24 
     Attack 6d6 mental 
     Damage 6d6 psychic; afraid 
     Reset instant 
  FLAME JET (6d6) 
  A gargoyle spits a cone of flame at any who 
  attempt to open the door without the correct 
  password. 
     Trigger opening door 
     Circumvent password “dragonfire” 
     Difficulty 24 
     Attack 6d6 ranged (cone 3) 
     Damage 6d6 fire 
     Reset 1 round 
  INTRUDER ALERT (5d6) 
  Motion sensors detect the presence of intruders 
  and automatically lock down the base unless 
  the day’s pass code is uttered. 
     Trigger sensors within 30’ 
     Circumvent password “alpha blue zero” 
     Difficulty 20 
     Attack none 
     Damage alarm 
     Reset 1 minute 
  LANDMINE (6d6) 
  A mechanical device which explodes when 
  somebody steps on it. 
     Trigger pressure 
     Circumvent none 
     Difficulty 24 
     Attack 6d6 melee 
     Damage 6d6 fire/ballistic 
     Reset none 
  LASER HALLWAY (6d6) 
  Deadly laser beams crisscross the hallway, 
  cutting through anything in the area. 
     Trigger sensors 
     Circumvent none 
     Difficulty 24 (complex) 
     Attack 6d6 ranged 
     Damage 6d6 heat 
     Reset 1 minute 
  
  POISON GAS (5d6) 
  A pressure plate causes deadly poison gas to be 
  emitted, filling the area with death. 
     Trigger pressure plate 
     Circumvent none 
     Difficulty 20 
     Attack 5d6 melee (burst 5)* 
     Damage 5d6 poison 
     Reset 1 hour 
  Poison NEEDLE (6d6) 
  This dangerous trap pricks an unwary thief 
  with a poisoned needle when she tries to open 
  the chest. The needle is concealed in the chest’s 
  handle. The gem’s lid is embedded with three 
  gems, of red, blue and green. Turning the red 
  gem 180 degrees deactivates the trap. 
     Trigger opening chest 
     Circumvent turn red gem 180 degrees 
     Difficulty 24 
     Attack 6d6 melee* 
     Damage 6d6 poison 
     Reset instant 
  ROLLING BOULDER (7d6) 
  When a pressure plate is stepped upon, a giant 
  15’ boulder falls from the ceiling and starts to 
  roll towards the hapless adventurers. 
     Trigger pressure plate 
     Circumvent none 
     Difficulty 28 (complex) 
     Attack 7d6 melee (line 10) 
     Damage 7d6 blunt 
     Reset no 
  SCYTHES (7d6) 
  Razor sharp blades swing through the chamber, 
  easily capable of beheading any intruder who 
  sets them off. A torch sconce at the entrance to 
  the chamber is a secret level which can be used 
  to deactivate the trap. 
     Trigger pressure plate 
     Circumvent pull torch sconce 
     Difficulty 28 (complex) 
     Attack 7d6 melee (burst 3) 
     Damage 7d6 slashing 
     Reset 1 minute 
  SENTRY LASER (5d6) 
  A concealed laser emitter the wall projects a 
  beam at anyone who enters the area without 
  wearing a base identification badge. 
     Trigger sensor (30’) 
     Circumvent ID badge 
     Difficulty 20 
     Attack 5d6 ranged 
     Damage 5d6 heat 
     Reset 1 round 
  SPIKED PIT (4d6) 
  A basic trap consisting of a 10’ pit in which 
  wooden spikes have been placed. The pit is 
  concealed with crude netting or cloth, and dirt 
  or leaves. 
     Trigger area 
     Circumvent none 
     Difficulty 16 
     Attack 4d6 melee (burst 2) 
     Damage 4d6 piercing 
     Reset manual 
  *If you are using BODY DEFENCE, these 
  traps attack that defence instead. 
  
  Trap Ideas 
  What follows is a list of trap ideas; or you 
  can roll d66 for a random trap. You will 
  need to choose its dice pool yourself; an 
  8d6 pit trap is likely a very deep trap! 
  11) Arrows (damage) 
  12) Swinging log (damage) 
  13) Pit trap (damage) 
  14) Alarm sound 
  15) Poison needle (condition) 
  16) Cursed scroll (condition) 
  21) Rolling boulder (damage) 
  22) Confusion gas (condition) 
  23) Falling rocks (damage) 
  24) Insect swarm (ongoing) 
  25) Scything blade (damage) 
  26) Stair slider  
  31) Fire cone (damage) 
  32) Runes (condition) 
  33) Necrotic damage (damage) 
  34) Sonic damage (damage) 
  35) Net (condition) 
  36) Reverse gravity 
  41) Collapsing roof (damage) 
  42) Bear trap (damage, condition) 
  43) Electrification (damage) 
  44) Freezing cone (damage, condition) 
  45) Contact poison (damage, condition) 
  46) Falling cage (condition) 
  51) Exploding fireball (damage) 
  52) Blinding light (condition) 
  53) Flooding room (countdown) 
  54) Acid shower (ongoing) 
  55) Acid pool (ongoing) 
  56) Lava pit (ongoing) 
  61) Crushing wall spikes (countdown) 
  62) Hail of darts (damage) 
  63) Poison gas (damage, condition) 
  64) Quicksand (countdown) 
  65) Spell (varies) 
  66) Descending ceiling (countdown) 
  If the trap inflicts a condition (poison, or a 
  spell, usually), roll 2d6 on the following 
  table unless the condition is obvious. For 
  example, the trap may be a rune of fear, or 
  sleeping gas. Note that the trap may well 
  do damage also (mental traps will do 
  psychic damage). 
     Don’t forget that on a critical hit, a 
  damaging trap will also impose a 
  condition just like a regular attack does. 
  2) Angry 
  3) Slowed 
  4) Manic 
  5) Afraid 
  6) Sleeping 
  7) Poisoned 
  8) Sick 
  9) Pain 
  10) Fatigued 
  11) Forgetful 
  12) Confused 
  Having chosen your trap’s dice pool, you 
  can easily derive it’s attack, damage, spot/
  disarm, and escape scores. 
    
   For convenience, here are the keywords 
  used in the above lists. 
     Condition. The attack inflicts a 
  condition on a successful attack roll. 
     Countdown. The trap’s effects are 
  delayed. Start a countdown pool equal to 
  the trap’s dice pool. The effect takes 
  place when the countdown expires. 
     Damage. The attack does damage 
  equal to its dice pool on a successful 
  attack roll. 
     Ongoing. The damage from the trap 
  does not require an attack roll. Instead, it 
  applies automatically whenever a 
  creature enters or starts its turn in the 
  area.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/WOIN/EONS Magazine/Eons 66 - Traps.pdf