College: Bob - D&D Wizard

-D&D Dirty Tricks-

Featuring: 1800 traps and situations where it pays NOT to save.

  It has come to my attention of the many 18+ characters that are being
played now-a-days. To combat this many D.M.'s have made their monsters
more studly, thus the game gets to be a stand up drag out fight where
the level of skill drops as the grossness rises. However one should try
situations where that 1800+ will be a detriment to the player; thus my
creation of the 1800 traps.
  The object of these traps is that only 18+ in the stat designed can
set them off. Using the % roll after the 18 system (you can adapt-19=1801
20=1851, etc.), you roll %dice under the % of the 18 to set it off.
Example: 1850 needs a roll of under 50 on the %dice.
  1800 strength:
  A door with the words- 'DO NOT ENTER THIS IS A TRAP!' on it. the normal
1800 warrior will of course try to break it down thus tripping the trap
(only 18+'s can open it). The trap could be anything from a falling 2 ton
block to-the first door is an air lock to vacuum with the second door
propped open.
  An illusion of a door with a D-Door in it. Only an 18+ strength can
activate the D-Door and he is transported to-a room with a table on which
is a potion with a label saying 'DRINK ME'. The only way he is going to
escape is to drink the potion, dropping to 17 strength, and being ejected
back to the party. Or-a kobold with a ground zero wand (6D8 cold ball
followed by a 6D8 fireball) telling him to strip or he will commit suicide.
  Door nobs that come off of the door and explode when a 18+ strength is
applied are fun also.
  1800 Dexterity:
  A room 10' in diameter with a 1' dia disk in the center. The disk has a
frictionless field and the edges are very sharp. Only an 18+ dex can
balance it well enough to pick it up. When it is waist high it becomes 10'
in diameter for an instant. This tends to make the other players who had
characters in that room ticked off at the 18+ player.
 A room with a ball bearing floor and treasure at the end. Only 18+ dex
has a chance of staying upright. He is then distracted by skating kobolds
and after 4 males a waist high cutting field slashes out. (pays to fumble
here.)
  A reverse gravity room where everyone falls onto threatening nurf spikes
except the ones with 18+ dex who try to catch ropes hanging conveniently
close. The roops will not let go of them as they are pulled up to be
stripped of everything they have.
  1800 charisma:
This one's simple. You have a room full of 1 charisma orcs of the oppo-
site sex bent on rape. After that I guarantee his disposition will have
soured down to a 17.
  1800 intelligence:
  Use any writing that will hurt or lead to something that the D.M. wants
the party to see. Then make it so that only a genius can figure it out.
  The above are only a few ideas that can be used. Your imagination will
furnish you with more.
  Save situation where it pays NOT to save:
  I have a room with one opening and a chest at the far wall. neither the
chest or the room is trapped. However in the chest is an eye of panic and
anyone who gazes on it must make save (vs wands) or will run out of the
room in blind fear. That and inanimate objects are the only way to leave
the room. The only other way to leave the room is as an inanimate object
(i.e. dead). This way low levels with no pluses have an advantage over a
10th level hobbit thief who saves on a 5. (note: this is a good time to
have a party of kobolds arrive state that they will raise the shield if
the party throws out all their gear)


  There are always situations where making your save can hurt. Use your
imagination and try to make them. I consider reverse saves as a cop out
but if you can convince them that this is happening then they can mess up
even more by playing out of character.
Favorite items and happenings-------
  Magic Land Mines: Magic runes on coins. Spread liberally on floor with
50% chance the rune side is up. I have a mage that uses these on silver
coins as sling stones. It will do a D4 silver damage+ 3D6 explosive rune
50% of the time. Also if the rune doesn't go off another 50% chance that
it landed face up at the targets feet. He figured this out so that fumb-
ling would do him little damage (he blew part of his foot off with a
magic missile as a 1st lvl in Androlock's Abode).
  Ethereal arrows: When they contact magic they enter into the real plane
You need aa +1 bow with arrow clips to use these. They hit as AC9 but if
there is no magic armour encountered they never hit but 'pass through' in
the ethereal plane. Thus a 1st level dressed in leather wouldn't even know
that he was under attack while the man dressed in +5 plate,+5 bracers,+5
shield would find an arrow appear out of nowhere in his chest.
  Magic reflective walls: You would be surprised how devastating and de-
moralizing magic ricochets are. (Combined with Mazes can be quite deadly.)
  Overland: To discourage fireballs, have the surroundings be a prairie
filled with grass 5'tall during summer. So far there have been 3 total
burnouts (where you got out with just what you have on) and one total
destruction. It is also a good ambush spot and a 'see invisible' if moving.
  Set up some if-hit-will-die monsters (my favorite are 1 pip giant spiders)
and throw some into the middle of a party. Then just sit back and watch
themselves kill themselves off. Insist on rolling for EVERY magic missile
to hit-machineguns are NEVER sharp shooting weapons.
  Set up automatic doors that self open on touch and watch the surprised
thieves listen to an opening door.
  The art of the con, the real life mage, the guerrilla fighter will beat
the powerful any time. One last time I will stress the outlook of finding
the situation to fit your goal in a skillful way and not the opposite.
 Use your imagination and-----HAPPY HUNTING!

(p.s. Don't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs-
  I've equipped and treasured whole dungeons through those characters)