Outdoor Traps


Homebrew and House Rules


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No cave ins here.

1: Fire seeds: An oak tree with holly in the winter. If the acorns or berries are picked recklessly, they detonate. They can be disarmed by picking stems and all, then later activated and thrown or placed. The tree and seedlings are completely fireproof.

Disarm: DC18

Trigger: Acorns impact or touch activated 5D4. Berries touch activated like landmines 1D8+5.


2: Snares. DC16 to detect. If you don't see them, you get your foot caught in one and it pulls you upside down.

Escape artist 16 to cut yourself down.


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3. Entangling Path Druids of the Gnarl often leave purposeful trails to confound their enemies. These paths through the tangled woods seem like a blessing until they suddenly spring upon their trespassers. DC 21 to detect; trigger is usually a "sounding stone" or a glyph marked with an Alarm spell; succeeding the detection allows PCs to sense a distinctly heady, unnatural aura around a section of the path, often where it collides with other such trails; succeeding by 5 or more reveals a barely noticeable quiver in the plants to either side of the trail; Remove DC 21 Disable Device to obscure the "sounding stone" without triggering the trap; effect: victims in a 40' radius from the "sounding stone" are subject to the effects of an Entangle spell (CL 3; DC 13 saves)

There are several variants to the Entangle spell, depending on the level of the PCs to be harassed and the nature of the druidic order employing this trap. Some use a combination of the Cantrip, Prestidigitation and the Orison, Create Water, to spew a foul smelling splash that coats all victims in a 10' radius, making it easier for these foes to be detected with Scent or otherwise identified by the druids and their animal minions.

Carrying on this more warning-based effect, several non-lethal alarms that this trap can be as follows: Alter Winds to cause a sudden zephyr that rattles nearby foliage and disturbs local wildlife, a sure sign for hundreds of yards that the forest and trap have been disturbed; Faerie Fire marks the intruders for the next 3 minutes; one victim crossing the threshold of the trap is afflicted with a Tracking Mark making it much easier for the victim's trail to be tracked

Feel free to add still other, higher level Druid spells to these, utilizing them in creative ways. For example, an Animal Ambassador spell, bound to the "sounding stone" might call forth an Animal Messenger with a degree of sentience to speed directly to you and relay everything it spied about the intruders, or perhaps Insect Spies for the same effect.


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4: Pungi pit. Small covered pit about 1' deep with spikes. 1d6 damage and slow 50% until healed. May be poisoned.

5: Snare but with poisoned barbed wire.

6: Narrow, rubble-strewn cliff path. Snare tied to rock balanced precariously on the edge. Foot caught in the snare will dislodge the rock, pulling victim over the edge.

7: Unsafe wooden bridge dumps victim into spikes hidden in shallow river below.


You can scale down for the outdoor dungeon or up for the one mile hexes.


8:Hand Mine. A hand, sticking out of the ground and hidden by grass or rocks. DC18 to spot. As a third level undead fighter it tries to grab and pull underground a character. If it makes the first grapple it can attempt to pull the character underground with both hands. The second grapple is +4. If the first or second grapple fails the character pulls free and moves away. If the second grapple succeeds, they start to suffocate as soon as they cannot hold their breath anymore. If the character makes the third grapple they can try to climb out while still fighting the undead, or they can use a small weapon like a dagger to try to destroy the undead, 2D10 usually 12 hits.


9:Pit A. DC 19 to notice the rattan trap door hidden among the terrain. DC 18 to jam it closed or open. Other wise, the creature falls ten feet into the pit and it closes. 1D6 falling damage. Reflex save DC 19 to avoid falling in. Huge creatures get second save or they get stuck halfway in the opening.

10:Pit B. There is already a wandering monster in the pit. If you get a flyer or otherwise wrong monster roll again. The pit is wider at the bottom.

11:Pit C. There are wooden stakes at the bottom adding 1D8 extra damage if they hit as a level one monster.


12. Pit D. The pit is full of colorful balls, fort save DC 18 or be dazzled for d8+1 rounds.


13. Pit E. It's actually the open mouth of a giant worm/creature with swallow whole. You've been swallowed (w)hole !


*Thelith wrote:
13. Pit E. It's actually the open mouth of a giant worm/creature with swallow whole. You've been swallowed (w)hole !

DC12 to spot. Hot chili peppers to disarm. Will puke out bones and minor treasure, then tunnel far far away.


14.Step on the hidden trip vine and a stone duck drops at the target, which pulls the triggers on a double barreled shotgun. DC18 to spot or disarm. DC18 reflex save to avoid stone duck(2D6 concussive, size S) but the cut nail loads attack as a first level gunslinger(1D8/1D8 scatter).


15: -Dazzling Alarm Trap: Simple triggers ignites a Paper Candle Firework: DC 15 FORT or Dazzled for 1d4 Rounds. Plus Firecracker: 1d2+1 Non Lethal, Deafened 1d4 rounds (DC 11 FORT Halves damage, Halves duration). Frightens animals in 20ft for 1d3 rounds (DC11).

16: Wounded Kobold Trap: A Shallow, wide pit with a lifelike humanoid form in the centre. Form is actually 3 Kobolds in a disguise ready to lure "Rescuers" in. At a signal trap doors fall and sling stones fly, central Kobolds attack then dive into a hidden trap door beneath.

17: Razor Grass: Transparent Grass often deliberately planted around fortifications and private farms to guard against pests.
1d2 damage to unprotected legs (Medium or heavy armour, or +2 natural armour). DC12 Reflex to move at half speed and avoid damage. DC20 to detect.

18: Oil Weeds: Slick, shiny grass (very similar to local grasses) that exudes an oily sap along its leaves. Can easily catch fire and burn while wet, as a 1d3 fire for 3 rounds, Sticky sap can adhere to people (Reflex DC15 avoid catching fire). Often used by primitive hunters as traps ignited with tossed embers.


19. Cartoon style bent over tree with foot snare which then launches victim like a catapult.
Perception 20 to see it.
Reflex 15 negates.
If launched 10d6 fall damage.
Acrobatics 20 to take half damage.
Damage is not from trap, trap related damage reduction ineffective.
Launched horizontally 10d20+100 feet.
If feather fall, or similar effects are active horizontal distance is multiplied by 10.
If victim is able to fly he can use his fly speed to negate all or a portion of the horizontal movement, up to double his fly speed each round, if he does so he can take no other actions.
If landing in water no damage.
In air two full rounds.
Engineering 20 to reset.


20:Mandrake plants: 2D6 of the ones that scream like a banshee when you uproot them. DC18 to detect that this is the one that's trapped. DC18 to perform the special ritual that keeps them asleep while you dig them up.


21:Bear trap: DC18 to detect. 2D8 damage and held. DC18 to release.


22. a 3 layered frosted colorful cake sits on large green leaves (As a tray) atop a large rock.

anyone touching or eating it need to save or get poisoned.

poison- 'Naila's secret frosting': contact or ingested; save Fort DC 13; onset 2 minutes, frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect unconscious for 1d10 minutes; cure 2 save.

if all party members fall unconscious they wake up tied seated on small chairs around a rock where a tea party is held by a pink dressed female goblin child (Naila).


23: Land mine, DC16 to detect. Otherwise a random party member steps on it and it clicks. If the weight is taken off it explodes for 3D6 damage. It's DC16 to disarm by switching a rock for the foot(or other appentage) on the trigger.


24: Like 23 but if it goes off it does 2D6 concussive damage and 2D6 shrapnel damage in a 20 foot radius.


25. Air mine. DC 16 to detect. If stepped on (no delay) the character needs a DC 16 Reflex save or be blasted 15 feet into the air. Each 5 points the check is failed by indicates another 5 feet of height. Creatures smaller than Medium are propelled an additional 5 feet in height per size difference while larger creatures are lifted comparatively less.

26. Reverse bear trap. Magical. Anyone other than the trap setter who walks through the square this steel trap is set in without stepping on it triggers it, causing it to snap shut on empty air, dealing 2d8 damage and magically holding them in place, entangled, until they pass a DC 18 Reflex save as a standard action on their turn. Stepping on this trap does nothing. Perception DC 25 to determine this if examined.

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