101 Clever D&D Traps and Trap Ideas
Looking for ideas for some Dungeons and Dragons traps your players will love? We’re compiling a list of 101 clever D&D trap ideas right here and we need your help! Give us your best creative, clever, evil and downright diabolical trap ideas and we’ll compile them all right here in this post as well as enter them all in our shared D&D traps tool (over 40 are available right now for members).
What Makes a Good D&D Trap?
Great traps build up tension just before the trap springs. They create action as the character tries to escape. They are difficult and require a creative solution to escape without bringing the game to a grinding halt. Instead, they make sense in moving the adventure forward.
How to Post Your Trap Idea
Simply post a comment at the bottom of this post. You can either simply post a description or use the format below:
Trap Name:
Level:
Role:
Type:
XP:
Quick Description:
Full Description:
Perceptions DC:
Perceptions Success:
Additional Skills:
Additional Skills DC:
Additional Skills Success:
Trigger:
Action Type:
Attack Type:
Target:
Attack Roll:
Hit:
Aftereffect:
Miss:
Countermeasures:
Lets Get It Started with the First Trap Idea Straight from the DM Tools
Trap Idea #1: Raging Silver Fire
- Level 15 Lurker – XP 850
- A glowing circle of runes on the ground tempts the victim. Unfortunately, when activated, only being INSIDE the circle protects one from the ensuing blast. A raging inferno of Silver Fire erupts in the room, damaging all occupants not inside the glowing cirlce of runes.
- Perception
- DC 10: Notice the glowing blue runes in a circle on the floor.
- DC 25: Recognize the runes as a protective ward.
- DC 30: Sense the perimeter of the room is beginning to flare up.
- Acrobatics
- DC 15: If attempting to vault into protective circle, chance on making it before ward activates.
- Trigger: Within 15 seconds of entering the room.
- Attack: standard•Area of effect + 15 vs. Endurance
- Hit: 2d10+10 initial fire damage and has a (25% – Level of magic item) chance of detonating item, causing item level x 10 damage.
- Aftereffect: 1d10 ongoing fire damage until save ends.
- Miss: 1d10 fire damage.
- Countermeasure: Stepping into protective circle of runes.
Nezumi’s Mirror
This trap is meant to protect a room that can contain treasure or some other desired item. It consists of two rooms, the treasure room, and a guard room adjacent. There is a set of very heavy wooden doors between the rooms, that are locked. There is a gap between the doors large enough to peer inside the treasure room. The keyhole can also be peeped through.
The Treasure Room. The treasure room is well lit enough with torches to see the interior, including the object of their desire. Also visible is are two lines of statue warriors on either side of the room. To get to the treasure, the adventurers must pass through the gauntlet of statues. If the adventurers break into the room, they will activate the 12 statues, which attack them as stone golems. Once the lock is broken, the activation spell cannot be reversed. If the door lock is picked, it will have the same effect. Only by using the proper key can anyone enter safely.
The Guard Room. The guard room is smaller than the treasure chamber, and contains a small table and chair on one wall, and a full length mirror on the opposite wall. Set into the wall behind the table is an iron hook, which is empty. If anyone looks into the mirror, they will see just what they would expect, reflections of themselves and the room they are in. A closer examination will reveal a different. On the wall behind them in the reflection, the iron hook has a key hanging from it. If someone walks through the mirror, they will be in the reflection of the guard room, facing the reflection of themselves. The reflections of the characters are very real, and will attack anyone entering the mirror. The reflections of the PCs have the same skills, weapons, spells, etc . it will be like fighting themselves. Note that even if a PC does not enter the mirror, but is standing in front of it, the reflection will attack whoever is inside the mirror.
It may be noticed that any PCs that are not in a position for their reflection to be seen in the mirror will not generate a mirror image of themselves inside the mirror, and will not be attacking whoever is already in the mirror. And if someone standing in front of the mirror leaves the guard room, their reflection will also disappear. This will res