Anti-Demon Traps

[laraqua]

So I'm running a lengthy game in Mendev and trying to think in terms of traps that would be useful against demons - ideally ones that can also be a pain to mortals, though demon-only traps would be good as well. Naturally there's things like cold iron spiked pit traps and the like, but what else could a person put in place to keep things safe and protected? Any ideas?

[RumpinRufus]

What level/cost are we looking at?

A Greater Glyph of Warding with a Banishment spell could ruin a demon's day pretty badly.

[lemeres]

Holy water. Just simple holy water that gets dumped.

I know you are looking for traps that also works on mortals, but this seems like a simple yet effective trap that also works as a 'test' to root out any outsiders in disguise.

You only need a level 1 clerics (ie- noob initiates) to set it up, and can be made and operated by mundane individuals once they are given the supplies. Heck, all it needs to be is a bucket over a door way (although more complicated mechanisms can be made, of course).

Overall, this is not going to be anything too major. But it is a kind of 'cute', 'clever', and 'home-alone-esque' trap that get your players giving an 'Oh'. Have it as practice by the lower level members learning how to set up traps, and have it as traps of desperation.

[laraqua]

I really like that one. It'd be very cool when they're exploring a seemingly empty village, open a door, and get a bucket of water on their heads for their trouble. They're much higher level than that so it'd be a bit of a humbling experience to see how rough and desperate everyone else is. Especially if the villagers are then horrified at how their combined wealth just got wasted (a bucket might be 75gp worth of holy water).

Same with cold iron caltrops and pit traps, really, especially if it's only the tips of the spikes (kind of like cold iron arrows sat the wrong way).

I like the Greater Glyph idea. That'd be a good one for some of the higher level temples and strategically significant locations.

I'm pretty much after traps of all sizes and CRs, both those that affect everyone (potentially hurting a naughty rogue) and those that only affect evil folks or outsiders.

[Stockvillain]

Bear Traps. Either make them out of special materials or use a weapon blanch. They'll work on mortals as well as evil monsters from the Abyss. Heck, one with a ghost salt weapon blanch should technically work on a shadow demon or other incorporeal nuisance.

Find a way to block teleportation in the area (dimensional lock, maybe), fill it with a fine holy water mist and you're golden.

[Emmanuel Nouvellon-Pugh]

Is there such thing a circle of protection from evil trap?

[lemeres]

On the 'silly and impractical' scale, you could also go to the other extreme with holy water- complete and utter extravagance.

Have the main hall flooded ankle deep in holy water. That makes it inconvenient to teleport in there. Have net traps to catch anything that flies.

Holy water is acid that only mildly inconveniences you. If you can throw concepts like 'price' out the window, then you should totally take advantage of that. I would expect nothing less from lava men in a volcano. Teleporting means nothing if the other side cannot survive even being in that location.

[RumpinRufus]

Magic Circle only works on called creatures (when oriented inward) or summoned creatures (when oriented outward.) Unfortunately, it has no effect on unbound outsiders.

[laraqua]

Actually that might make it even better. A fellow knows nothing about how magic circles work, or at least, knows nothing of the details of unbound outsiders and simply pays for the circle. Either an unscrupulous mage did it for him or he simply refused to believe that his plan wouldn't work and demanded it be done. Again, it adds an extra sense of realism to it.

How about Protection From Evil on a quilt to help keep the succubi at bay? A very expensive extravagance from a rich noble in Mendev!

[Silent Saturn]

I would just say Cold Iron Everything. Cold iron chains over the doorway, cold iron farm tools, cold iron forks and knives, the works. Just about every item that a villager would have in his house that's made of metal should be Cold Iron, so that A) demons are (hopefully) warded off, and B) in case of emergency, the villager will always be within arm's reach of a cold iron improvised weapon. I don't think demons would actually be repelled by the presence of cold iron, but that plays into the "hoping beyond hopelessness" theme you seem to like.

I would also say the holy symbol of a good-aligned deity should be everywhere too, in the vain hopes that they work like crosses do against vampires in most literature.

[laraqua]

Or at the very least out of the vain hope that the god is more likely to see you and send help. I can imagine some villages having icons to only one god to impress them with their piety and others covering all bases with all the gods represented.