Looking for help. Running the second session of a DW campaign on Monday. First session, the heroes blocked an attempted coup (after the death of the king). The supposed ringleader died whispering that his master will avenge him. Seems likely they’ll check out the ringleader’s manor for clues, and I want to have a few magical traps there. However, I’m hitting a wall creating (or finding) custom sorcerous trap moves. Anybody got something they’ve used before that I can “borrow”?
Looking for help.
Looking for help.
Depends who set the traps. How about a stairway without handrail, with an illusion over it that shows the stairway with a handrail, but offset by 2 feet so that unsuspecting victims will reach for the handrail and plunge to their deaths? Even without the handrail, this would work with a spiral staircase. You could have plenty of illusion traps throughout the place.
How about teleportation? If you don’t perform the correct ritual of tapping, poking, pulling, turning, and pushing at certain doors, they teleport you someplace you don’t want to go.
An illusionary long corridor, that looks as if it trails off into the distance, but it’s actually a rapidly shrinking corridor that shrinks anyone walking down it. Imagine the characters surprise when they find that the ringleader is a giant, before his house cat attacks, and the characters realize that they are actually the size of mice!
Upper floor doors that lead directly outside for a deadly drop, but with an illusion that makes it look like the ringleader’s lair.
The basement trap door which actually leads into a locked cell in the nearby castle dungeon, with no way of return. Now the characters must explain to the dungeon guards how they’re not supposed to be there, or try to escape.
What do we know about the owner of the manor?
If you don’t chant properly before the main entrance, it robs you of your senses as you pass through the gate, making you both deaf and mute, and just then the magical gatekeepers attack.
Aaron Friesen and David Guyll, I’m having fun spitting out ideas anyway. I’m certain that William Gerke can tweak them to his needs, or perhaps get inspired by something and come up with his own.
How about moving doors, rooms, and staircases (like the ones at Hogwarts) that only take you where you want to go if issued the proper command.
You must always use the last door to your left, or be lead into certain death. The temptations and tricks are many, but the only safe path is to always use the last door to your left. (Yes, this is inspired by George R.R. Martin.)
Oh, totally Joachim 🙂 I was just asking so I can think on some moves of my own. Keep going! I’ll for sure be using your posts for inspiration.
Aaron Friesen, Joachim Erdtman , David Guyll, a faster, richer response than I expected. Thank you. To answer the question, I don’t know much about the Hooded Sorcerer yet: he’s a sorcerer, he wants to place his puppet on the throne, he is a viviseconist type (the one monster servant they fought was made of pieces parts), he works primarily through others, and he’s someone at court. This is one of his puppet’s home, so there will be clues pointing to the Sorcerer’s lair (and maybe identity), and I’m letting the players’ answers determine who ends up being under the hood. (He’s one of three fronts–him, the Necromantic Horde coming from the East that killed the king, and the magical maze in the basement that has powers and agendas of its own)
Pets.
Tentacled puppies from the netherplanes. Mindsucking earwaxworms.
Or what about an AI called Gladys that controls the house?
I’d make the home one giant animated creature, bounded by it’s exterior. It’s not gonna get up and march on the Empire State Building, and setting it on fire and burning to to the ground is an easy way for the PCs to rid themselves of it, but they need the clues inside it and destroying the house would ruin those. Give it an Instinct of “To protect the Master’s secrets” and moves like “Shift the walls” “Drop them into the basement” and “Display a haunting message”. The library can then have swarms of flying books, the cellar can have the stairs pull away, and don’t even get me started about the shenanigans in the kitchens. Basically the most terrifying combination of the castle from Beauty And The Beast and Hogwarts.
Aaron Friesen Yes!
That’s why Aaron Friesen is the Master of Arcane Secrets 🙂
Awww, y’all’re gonna make me blush.
Aaron Friesen for the win! I may not use it for the puppet’s house, but definitely how I’ll do the Master’s Manse. Thank you! And Spike Gowers, I’m definitely using that one. Thanks everyone!
A room with a huge glass vial filled with dark purple liquid in the center that says Drink me! In the next room, their is a sleeping gas belching monster that the potion would have protected against. Needs to come after other traps.
Glad I could help 😀