Monday 7 October 2013

Dragon's Lair Trap & Trick Generator



Wow, Dragon's Lair--that was a nasty, unforgiving game. But it has so many trap ideas(despite all the sections repeated in reverse)! Funny how the sequel(8 years later in 1991) was less trap-based. I wonder if this represented a change in how people thought of dungeons i.e. more combat based, rather than trap-based.


Anyway, when the party enters a room, roll 1d38:
  1. Rickety wooden floor breaks, tentacle monster awaits to surprise attack
  2. Twin Portcullises slam behind you
  3. Pressure plate in floor causes room collapse
  4. Tentacle monster attacks from multiple directions(get's flanking/backstab bonus)
  5. Door Slams. Each round a Giant snake pop through hole in ceiling/walls, attacks, returns.  Pull the cord and a rope drops down for you to climb out
  6. Door slams behind you.  Fiery pit to cross, with ropes to swing on. Floor is slowly withdrawing
  7. Room full of pressure plates causing floor collapse/arrow traps. If you jump into the central pool to avoid the plates, it's full of tentacle monsters ready to surprise attack
  8. Giant Spider climbs out of recess to surprise attack
  9. Plate by door triggers quickly closing blocks-leave immediately or get trapped inside
  10. Bubbling cauldron. Explodes with hot liquid if approached
  11. Shelf of potions: one of them contains a malvolent slime which will surprise attack
  12. As you climb up through trapdoor, a goblin comes-up behind you in your blind spot, surprising you
  13. As you climb up the stairs, goblins come out of hiding and attack from both sides
  14. Room with descending stairs, pit, ascending stairs. Stairs turn into ramp except on far edge. Tentacle monster rises out of pit to surprise attack
  15. Smithy with weapons rising to attack of their own accord
  16. Magical fire. If tampered with, statue comes to life and attacks. Usually it is behind the tamperer and gets surprise
  17. Cross narrow bridge over chasm with swinging sacks which must be passed with precise timing
  18. Briars come to life and surprise attack
  19. Opening door triggers magical wind, blowing furniture and PC along hazardous tunnel--good change of getting pummelled badly
  20. Magical wall begins to form before exit. Must jump through without getting caught in it to proceed
  21. Bench covers a low crawl-space. Magical lighting begins setting room's contents on fire, preventing access to doors. PCs will die of fire/smoke if they don't move the bench and crawl out.
  22. Suit of horse barding. If mounted, it goes shooting off and you'll have to steer it to avoid crashing, riding through magical fires.
  23. Opening door sends small, magical fireball at your back
  24. Door slams shut. Magical entity at other end of room sends energy bursts at you through the floor
  25. Walking through hallway with many open doorways, crypt with coffins on either side. Swarmed by animated bones.
  26. Wooden walkway breaks away as you walk on it. At the same time, you are swarmed by vampire bats
  27. Floor detaches from walls and begins to free-fall, magically stopping for a second at each dungeon level
  28. Magical cauldron full of gold pulls all weapons to it, flies down the hall, while a giant mace-wielding Lizardman, dressed like a king, chases you. At the end, it stays in a room but continues it's attempts to evade you
  29. Table with potion and "drink me" sign is at far end of room. Pressure plate in floor triggers fireball trap. Potion is poison.
  30. Narrow passage with see-saw floor with parts that magically break away over a long drop
  31. Throne room with crystal ball on pedestal in middle. Magically pulls your weapon to it. Then floor begins to drop away till only the throne is left. As soon as throne is sat in, weapon is shot blade-first from crystal ball to head-level of throne
  32. Electric charge chases you down hallway
  33. Floor collapses, dumping you in sewer.  If you're lucky, you'll manage to get in the boat waiting there before you're swept away by the current. Must steer boat through boulders, rapids, whirlpools. Grab the chain hanging from the ceiling or be swept into the final whirlpool
  34. Boiling pools of mud and water spout out earth elementals and geysers
  35. Magic cavalry spectres charge and slice at you
  36. Trippy halfpipe with giant marbles rolling back and forth. Once you enter, a giant marble starts rolling behind you to encourage you to run through fast
  37. Magic electricity in walls/floor chases you through chomping door. Better time it right! Same for jumping over broken bridge with lava geyser in the middle.
  38. Room full of treasure. If you knock of the highly-unstable treasure over, you'll wake the dragon! You'll need the key around it's neck.  The sword of dragon slaying in the stone might help!

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