So I have this room with lots of chains hanging from the ceiling. When you pull one something triggers that usually has to do with the material that the chain was made of. So far I have this
Chain Room
Pull a chain and it comes out triggering?
Adamantine:
Bone:Drops tons of bones that Danse Macabre(find skeleton dance video)
Bronze:
Darkwood: Trees Sprout throughout the room Reflex 20 or take 6d6+10(5 feather tokens)
Dragonhide:One link for each type of dragon.
Gold: Bag of gold (1000g)
Platinum:Bag of Platinum (10000g)
Cold Iron:
Mithril:
Nexavaran Steel:Blueish Tint
Obsidian: Obsidian Flow is cast forming into Obsidian Minotaur
Serpentstone:Smokes Slightly with a faint glow. Pull for snake swarm.
Silver: Bag of silver drops(100g)
Stone: Stone Call in room (2d6 and difficult terrain)
Deep Crystal:
Ice:Entire Floor in covered in ice dc 18 reflex for remainder/until obsidian trigger.
Iron: HP:30 Hard:10 AC:17 +7(1d6+6)
Steel:
The exit door has a sort of circuit that can only be opened by connecting the pulled chains to two nodes that correspond. The iron chain is animated. Any help in coming up with fun/dangerous ideas for the other materials is welcome.
I'd make the platinum chain something bad - otherwise the gold and silver chains will give it away easily. It's more fun to make players paranoid.
Mithral - Gravity temporarily reverses (PCs take room height fall damage, twice.)
Bronze - summons an appropriately high level bronze dragon that attacks the party?
Steel: An animated suit of armor attacks?
Good point on the platinum chain. I had thought about changing all the abilities around so they don't match and making the last link in the chain (concealed in the ceiling) the actual material.
This would change the circuit lock a bit but would lower the number of nodes and could make a cool rune or something upon completion.
One of the characters is a dragon slayer so I Definitely need to have one summon a dragon. Some sort of hybrid for the Dragon Chain, or just normal metallic.
Don't conceal them IMHO. People like having clues and not just pulling levers at random. I'd keep them at least obvious enough to get the 'why am I surprised' reactions :)
If you have a re-occuring villian or gag going in the campaign, have one chain to represent it, and then have it have absolutely nothing to do with said gag or villian when pulled.
Also, I'd make a few of them have harmless but amusing results - such as making it drizzle in the room for a few seconds, or a chain that uses magic mouth to yell 'WRONG!' every time you pull it, or come up with some amusing insults for a little comic relief.
Adamantine: summons a group of constructs with DR/adamantine x, or something similar.
Platinum: I would actually make either a quest, (like, a horde of gold lands in the room, but amongst the gold is a cursed item, or even, that the gold belonged to a dragon, and now its missing. The dragon has ways of locating the gold, and thus the party, have fun.
Intestines = Poop falls from the ceiling, covering the floor in 3 feet of dookie. Failing a DC 14 Fort save causes nausea. Small or tinier creatures get a -2 on the save since they are close to the ground. Creatures with the scent ability have a -4 to the save.
Phallus-es = Urine sprays down on the party causing blindness for 1 round on a failed DC 12 Reflex save. Female creatures get a +2 to the save because they know nothing good can come of pulling a chain of phallus-es.
Worms eating their own tails and linked together = Tape worms fall from the ceiling. Their nibbling causes distraction on a failed DC 13 Will save. Half-Orcs get a +2 to the save because they are all wormy butts already.
The idea reminds me of the vault sequence from the first Addams Family movie.
The idea reminds me of the vault sequence from the first Addams Family movie.
Yep! First thing I thought of when I read OP description.
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I'd say the platinum chain is fine as is-- after all, it's only "obvious" if they pull the silver and gold chains before the platinum one. I think the one you should change is the silver one.
When they pull the silver chain, it should simply drop out of the ceiling, revealing that the end of it is spiked. Then a lycanthrope is released into the room. Well, no problem, it may have DR 10/Silver but they've just been given the perfect weapon to fight it! Now who's proficient with spiked chains? ...Anyone?
Seriously, if none of these chains have anything to do with the spiked chain it's going to be a major disappointment. I would also make the iron chain deal 2d4 instead of 1d6, so it's effectively "wielding itself".
The cold iron chain should be the same trick as I suggested for the silver chain, but with fey. Preferably a whole room full of different kinds, all with DR versus cold iron.
So here is where I'm sitting right now.
Adamantine:Str check 30. Every fail it insults you(pansy,my grandmother could... ect.)
Bone:Drops tons of bones that Danse Macabre(find skeleton dance video)
Bronze:Bag of Copper (10g) once emptied turns inside out into tan bag of tricks
Darkwood: Trees Sprout throughout the room Reflex 20 or take 6d6+10(5 feather tokens)
Dragonhide:One link for each type of dragon. Summons Faeire Dragon/Pugwampi(play trix)
Gold: Bag of gold (1000g)
Platinum:Platinum Dragon materializes. (young Gold No breath weapon no weakness)
Cold Iron:A campfire with bacon and beans and biscuits in cast iron pans appears YUM!
Mithril:Mirror Copies of the Party. 1/2 HP
Nexavaran Steel: Gravity Temp Reverses Take 2d6x2-Ref Stunned-Fort Dazed-Will DC 15
Obsidian: Obsidian Flow is cast forming into Obsidian Minotaur
Serpentstone:Smokes Slightly with a faint glow. Pull for snake swarm.
Silver: Bag of silver drops(100g)
Stone: Stone Call in room (2d6 and difficult terrain)
Deep Crystal:2x Crystal Oozes form next to the door. Not obvious.
Ice:Entire Floor in covered in ice dc 18 reflex for remainder/until obsidian trigger.
Iron: Iron Maiden golem Materializes
Steel: HP:30 Hard:10 AC:17 +7(2d4+6)
Weird Black:like the color from space. Party room streamers/baloons/confetti
This is not etched in stone, and I'm still open to any suggestions about changing any of the effects or adding more.
Sorry to disappoint with the lack of spiked chain. I had thought of something similar with the chain being/summoning the perfect weapon to fight an enemy. Problem is, the party is pretty well prepared for DR/material already so they'd probably just let it sit there. of my 3 players,2 have cold iron and silver, 2(including 1 with the other two) have adamantine. I would like to incorporate it somehow though if you have other suggestions. I have changed the animated chain to reflect that it is spiked.
The weird Black chain is meant to make them think about the color from space they encountered that sent them on a planar journey. It's the whole reason they are in this dungeon as an item they found on that journey has a unique ability that brings them here. It should evoke the proper feelings trayce was talking about.
The DC 30 strength check is a nice touch. If they pull it off, do they get the Adam chain? You might want to think about the result if they succeed, however unlikely it may be. I like the idea of the voice accusing them of cheating, regardless of any rewards. :P
The Darkwood one looks especially punishing. Are you sure your party can handle that?
This is one of the last rooms of the dungeon leading to one more test before the BBNG chamber. I know one guy has a +7 str add in bulls strength and guidance and he needs a 20 to do it. It will be done. They will not get the chains as they will be used to solve the lock on the door forward.
The party can definitely handle the darkwood damage. Even in they all take full they should be still standing and they have channel positives out the wazoo to heal up. What will be interesting is if the Faerie Dragon and Pugwampi pull that chain while they are fighting something else however. He He He.
edit:i think i misunderstood what you meant by what will happen if the succeed at pulling the adam chain. The will simply get the chain which is needed to unlock the door. The strength check and berating is the only feature of that chain. Perhaps another effects should be added though. That way they're are super excited to finally get the check only to be sorely disappointed as "blank" materializes.