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False Hoard Trap

th tier (
Challenge
DC
Region
Area
(less than 1 hour)

In a corner of the room, a seemingly inanimate dragon skeleton rests atop a mound of glittering treasure.

The dragon skeleton is held together with fine wire. A wire attached to the dragon’s tail leads into a hole in the wall. If the wire, skeleton, or treasure is disturbed (by gathering the treasure, for instance), stone slabs descend from the ceiling to block the room’s exits. A creature directly beneath a slab must decide whether to move into or out of the room. Poison gas hisses from a nozzle hidden under the treasure pile. Roll initiative. Each round on initiative count 10, each creature in the room must make a Constitution saving throw or take 3 (1d6) poison damage. The nozzle continues producing gas for 1 minute, at which point the gas stops and the trap resets.

Hoard. An Investigation check or an examination of the treasure reveals that it consists of worthless costume jewelry, polished tin cutlery, and thousands of copper pieces painted to look like electrum and gold coins. What appears at first to be worth thousands of gold pieces is worth perhaps a hundred.

Skeleton. An Arcana or Nature check, or an examination of the skeleton, reveals that it is a wooden carving, painted white to resemble bones and held together by fine wires. A further examination of the wires reveals that one runs from the dragon’s tail to a hole in the wall.

Wire. Before the trap is triggered, a creature can make a thieves’ tools check to fix in place the wire on the dragon’s tail. A successful check triggers a Critical Success. On a failure, the trap is triggered.

Possible Solutions
  • A creature can make a Strength check to lift a stone slab. The slab must be propped open or it falls again. Succeeding on this check does not grant a Success on the trap, but it may allow creatures to escape the room.
  • A creature that locates the source of the gas can make a Strength check to push the treasure aside, followed by a Dexterity check to plug the nozzle with a wad of cloth or a similar object.

Potential Outcomes

Critical Failure or Failure. The creature makes no progress in disarming the trap.

Success. The nozzle stops producing poison gas for 1 round.

Critical Success. The trap is disabled.