A Collection of Traps & Hazards (D&D 5e)

P O S T E D B Y S H A WN E L L S WO R T H O N J U L Y 2 9 , 2 0 1 6 P O S T E D I N C A M P A I G N
TR AIL, D &D 5 E
Type: Hazard
The world your players are exploring should be filled with
Environments: Jungle
dangers other than monsters. This week on theCampaign
Trail I wanted to share some traps and hazards I have used in Tar pits can often be found scattered throughout the jungle or
my campaigns. The D&D 5th edition Dungeon Master Guide ruins. They would appear as nothing more than a shallow pond,
and the published adventures provide us with a limited number but a DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) check is enough to recognize
of traps and hazards, but I thought this collection might be the danger. A tar pit functions as quicksand and ignites if
interesting too. Some of these I have included in previous brought into contact with open flame.
articles, but I thought collecting them in one place would be
handy.
Brush Fire
What are Traps and Hazards? Type: Hazard

A trap is commonly found in a dungeon, but can be set along Environments: Grassland
a forest path, in a home protecting valuables or anywhere.
Traps should serve a purpose such as preventing intruders Placing standard traps in a grassland setting can work, but a
from progressing, protecting treasure or hunting. Traps can be pit trap does not make as much sense in the middle of a field
as on a trail or in a dungeon. Having your adventurers face a
mechanical or magical, so you should also think about who
brush fire can be used to create a challenge or to steer your
would have set the trap and why when placing it in your
players away or towards a goal. As the fire catches the
adventure. If you have a rogue with high perception who finds
all your traps, try a magical trap. adventurers with its flames and smoke, have them make a DC
13 Constitution check to see if they are overcome by the fire
A hazard is a location based threat that is similar to a trap. (or whatever is appropriate to your player’s escape actions).
Anyone who gets caught takes 1d6 fire damage; as the fire
 Natural hazards present players with survival challenges as the spreads, anyone who starts their turn in the area or moves
environment itself is trying to kill them such as floods, through it takes 1d6 fire damage; eventually, smoke causes
landslides, and cave-ins. obscurement and then suffocation. You could even try out the
 A living hazard is different from a monster as it usually can’t do chase rules in the Dungeon Master Guide where the players
much more than mess with the players somehow like a fungi are the quarry. For bonus DM points consider the direction of
releasing spores. the wind as a factor in the movement of the fire, even having it
 Magical hazards (or technological hazards such as radiation) pick up to create a deadly firestorm.
are often leftover effects from spells or experiments gone
wrong. Room of Pacification
This is a silly hazard that I used in an Adventure Time game. It
Example Traps and Hazards might fit your game, but proceed with caution if you use it.
Type: Trap
Quicksand
Environments: Dungeon
I looked to Pathfinder’s Core Rulebook for some ideas on how
to use quicksand in my D&D 5e game. This trap is activated when an intruder enters a room. A statue
shoots out a violent beam of magical energy any time a
Type: Hazard creature does too much, as in anything more than simply
walking (or moving at base flying speed for floating or flying
Environments: Jungle creatures). The statue should be a representation of something
A patch of quicksand will usually appear solid and might even lazy like a sleeping animal, but have something to tempt your
be covered with debris. An adventurer who is traveling at adventurers like a huge gem on its chest. You might even have
normal pace (not running) should be given a DC 15 Wisdom a warning for the players to “Relax” or “Take it easy”.
(Survival) check, which is enough to recognize the danger. A A spell or other effect that can sense the presence of magic,
running creature will not be given a save and travel 5′-10′ into such as detect magic, reveals an aura of evocation magic
the pit (roll 1d2 x 5′). A typical quicksand pit should be around around the statue. A successful dispel magic (DC 13) cast on
20′ in diameter. the statue disables the trap for 24 hours.
Creatures in quicksand need to make a DC15 Strength When the trap is activated it causes the statue to shoot out a
(Athletics) swim check to move 5 feet (in any direction), beam of magical energy, the triggering creature must make a
failure results in sinking 5′ and beginning to drown. You may DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 11 (2d10) force damage
want to allow close fails of 4 or less to float where they are. A on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
creature whose head falls beneath the surface of quicksand will
need to succeed on a swim check to get to closer to the surface
or be rescued, otherwise see drowning rules. Jiggly Jelly Floor
This is a silly hazard that I used in an Adventure Time game. It
Tar Pit might fit your game, but proceed with caution if you use it.
Similar to quicksand, but with fire! You can make minor tweaks Type: Trap
to quicksand to also create stink bogs and horse swallowing
muck. Environments: Dungeon
The floor in this room (with a minimum 20 foot ceiling) is jiggly. Place a long wall or wide trench in the middle of a grassland.
Movement across the room sends nearby creatures bouncing Trenches are often dug by soldiers for protection during war,
into the air. A successful Intelligence (Investigation) or but they can be used to keep away monsters. A tall wall
Intelligence (Arcana) check (DC 15) will grant knowledge of stretching forever in either direction could be found or a wall
how the jelly floor acts. A Wisdom (Perception) check (DC 15) that is clearly created as a powerful fence. A trench or wall will
is required to notice the jelly floor. provide your adventurers with an obstacle to overcome, but
they might want to consider what is the wall or trench keeping
The floor feels like hard stone when lightly touched touch, but out or in.
while walking across the floor or if hit, it really jiggles. A creature
on the floor who is within 5 feet of another creature who is
walking across the floor (or hits the with a decent amount of War!
force) is tossed 10 feet into the air and takes 1d6 bludgeoning
damage. Type: Hazard
Environments: Any
Drowsy Daisies As your adventurers travel across a large plain, a huge army
This is another hazard from the Adventure Time. It could work appears on the top of the nearest ridge and then another army
well if you are exploring woods with fairy magic. I modified this advances out of the hills on the opposite side of the plain.
slightly when my players were deep underground and meet up Effectively surrounded, it looks like your adventurers have
with some fungi. stumbled into the middle of a battle that is about to begin. Do
your adventurers try to fight everyone, quickly join a side or
Type: Hazard run? Instead of some random encounter with no impact, their
choice can set off events to power an entire campaign. The
Environments: Forest Meadow armies can be led by rival orc chiefs, human kings fighting for
Your adventurers see a shimmering field of daisies growing in territory, rival groups of treants or whatever you like. The more
alike you make the armies, the harder it will be to choose a side
front of them, filling them with with a pleasant feeling of peace
for the adventurers.
and tranquility if they can smell them. A creature exposed to
this field for longer than 1 minute must succeed on a DC 15
Wisdom saving throw. If it fails its saving throw, it is charmed A Deep Chasm
and will bend over or sit down to do nothing else but smell the
beautiful flowers. Type: Hazard

At the end of of each of its turns, an affected creature can make Environments: Any (or Mountain)
a Wisdom saving throw. If it succeeds, this effect ends for that
target. If the creature continues to smell the flowers for 1 minute This dungeon is guarded by the fact that it is hard to get down
it will fall asleep. to and hard to find. Assuming they arrive during daylight.
After traveling for a few hours through light forest and
Knife Storm meadows, you arrive at the edge of the deep chasm, which
splits the forest in two. Looking over the edge you see the light
Another hazard from the Adventure Time. It could work well if swallowed in darkness hundreds of feet below.
you want to move your players along or have them look for
cover, finding the next adventure location. The PCs will have to climb down a deep, steep sided chasm
full of ruins using their climbing gear they hopefully purchased
Type: Hazard in town. This could be run as a skill challenge or just with some
tough ability checks. Reward players for using climbing gear or
Environments: Outside magic to make it easier with advantage and lower Difficulty
The skies grow dark as black clouds roll in from the west. The Checks (DCs).
knife storm will be here in 1 minute. Basically run and find Climbing down the side of the cliffs should be a multi-stage
shelter or start to dodge daggers. challenge (2 to 3). At each stage roll for a random encounter
No check is required to notice the storm. A successful with a 20% chance for encountering flying creatures (or put
Intelligence (Nature) check (DC 15) to predict that the distant them up against creatures hidden in cliff side burrows as an
storm clouds are actually a knife storm that will arrive in 1 alternative). Punish the players for failing the stage climb as a
minute. Anyone who has experienced a knife storm before has group with a level of exhaustion or lost hit points.
Advantage on the check. This can easily be reversed for the climb out or to climb a steep
Suddenly, the first “drop” falls; a perfectly formed iron dagger. cliff.
Any creatures caught out in the open in a knife storm will be the
target of 2 knives each round. Each knife makes a ranged
attack with a +5 bonus against a random target. Any cover such
as trees, shields held overhead or other portable cover should
be considered using the Cover rules. A target that is hit takes 2
(1d4) piercing damage.

Huge Wall or Trench