Goblin Traps of Zugguth Peak

The goblins of Zugguth Peak are master trap-makers - the underhand, treacherous nature of their mechanical malevolent marvels have earned them a notoriety both across southern Rockhome and also other goblin and humanoid tribes beyond, even as far as the Broken Lands. They even have a demigod of traps and trickery,  Choroth Brogg.

Although there are numerous permutations and varieties of booby-traps built by these goblins, they tend to approach the design from a fairly standard methodology. The main trap types include:

• Pits
• Hidden/covered pit
• Pits with spikes & blades
• Pits with hostile creatures
• Pits with unpleasant substances - lava, acid etc. 
• Blade & Spear traps
• Tripwire activated
• Pressure plate activated
• Door activated
• Scythe traps
• From the walls
• Or from the floor or ceiling
• Crossbow & Dart Traps
• Tripwire activated
• Pressure plate activated
• Door activated
• Poisonous? Other injected chemicals?
• One-shot or automatic reloading?
• Deadfalls
• Ceiling Blocks
• Boulders
• Unpleasant substances - lava or acid
• Trapped Items
• Poison
• Static electricity
• magical curse
• Connected to trap mechanism
• Gasses
• Lethal
• Paralyzing
• Sleeping
• Nauseating
• Unusual magical/alchemical effects
• Misdirection and containment
• Chutes
• Rotating rooms
• One-way doors
• Elevator rooms

The Lure: Goblin traps often prey on human emotions, using human behaviour to encourage their victims to walk into the trap. These include:

• Greed: A big pile of treasure or a locked chest
• Ego: Something that could prove the target is the best
• Fear: Avoiding one danger but stumbling into a worse one
• Compassion: Trying to help another person, either another party member or something that appears to be an NPC
• Anger: Insults, taunts and nuisances
• Laziness: Not bothering with hard work or due diligence

One important factor that most goblins consider is that they don't want to fall victim to their own traps (a few goblins forget this, while others are crazy enough not to care). Thus many traps will either have a secret way around them or else a way of temporarily disabling them. This is particularly important if the trap is in a crowded goblin lair. Often the lure described above will help differentiate between goblins who know what the lure actually is or does, and intruding humans who don't. 

Example Traps

Sideswiper

This is a fairly simple one - there is an open or poorly hidden pit with spikes in the floor of the passageway. Anyone falling in takes 1d6 falling and 2d6 impaling damge. However, it does not take up the whole width of the passage - there is a 2ft wide path on one side against the wall. This way around the pit is not as safe as it may appear - anyone taking this route will step on the pressureplate that then triggers the spear trap in the wall. Anyone who triggers this must make two dexterity checks - the first one is to avoid the emerging spears - failure results in 2d6 impaling damage. The second dexterity check is to stay on the path and not fall into the pit. It is possible for a person to fail both - getting stabbed by the spears which also push them into the pit for 5d6 damage (2d6 for wall spears, 1d6 for falling, 2d6 for spikes at the bottom of the pit). The goblins have a simple way around this trap - they have a large plank of wood that acts as a bridge over the pit while avoiding the pressureplate. 

Stepping Stones

This trap involves a large pool of water at least 10ft deep. Across this pool there are a row of what seem to be stepping stones. Poking the first one or two reveals they seem to be stable - they are held in place by metal rods and can hold the weight of a person. However, the central  ones are made of painted wood and held in place by dark-coloured twine - they are definitely not stable. If a character crossing the pool insists on poking each stepping stone then they will safely realise the next stone is not stable enough to step on. Anyone who assumes that because the first one was okay they can just walk across carefree will almost certainly fall into the pool as the wooden stepping stone completely gives way. Goblins being goblins, drowning the enemy is not enough, and the chances are that the pool contains some hungry aquatic monster. Giant octopi are quite popular in these sorts of traps, though piranhas, electric eels and giant crayfish are all acceptable substitutes. Of course, drowning is still a risk, and encumbrance and armour weight suddenly become very important. Tying a rope around a character can help, at least in terms of drowning, but anyone entering the pool (such as avoiding the stones and swimming across) can attract the attention of the monstrous inhabitant. 

The Sword in the Stone

This one plays to the ego of intruders which goblins find hilarious. The trap is set in a room with a boulder on the floor. Stuck in this boulder is the upper half of a magnificent sword. Next to the boulder is a sign in Common that reads "Whomsoever pulleth the sword from the stone shall be worthy!" though it does not say worthy of what. Careful studying the ceiling will reveal a slightly different rectangle  shape about 6ft x 8ft,  immediately above the sword. The sword's hilt glistens. If a character attempts to pull the sword out, ask if they are firstly wearing gloves/gauntlets or are barehanded and secondly whether they use one hand or both. The glistening of the sword hilt is not magic or polish but a strong adhesive (goblin superglue!) and anyone grasping the sword hilt will find themselves stuck. Furthermore the sword is attached to a trigger mechanism. Pulling it (either to free the sword, or just to free their hands from the sticky hilt) opens up the trapdoor immediately above the sword, dropping a swarm of angry black widow spiders (or similar, such as scorpions or centipedes) onto whoever is grasping the sword. The party will find themselves fighting for their lives, possibly with their strongest warrior stuck to the sword hilt. Strong alcohol will dissolve the adhesive in 1 turn (but not quick enough in the middle of combat with spiders). If the character grasping the sword was wearing gloves or gauntlets, the hand-wear can be left in place while hands are safely withdrawn.  Note that the sword is actually worthless - its blade has been drilled through to attach wires that link to the ceiling trapdoor. 

The Tilting Room

This involves a rectangular room with doors at either end. Close to each door (to the side or above) there is a lever. This does not trigger the trap but disables it for 1 turn by activating a lock that holds the floor in place. If this lever is not pulled the trap will be active. The first half of the room seems normal but once the characters reach halfway they step over the fulcrum. At this point dexterity checks are required. Although complex calculations involving who weighs what and where they are on the floor could be carried out, a simpler rule of thumb would be that anyone who makes a dex check gets back to the first half of the room. However, if more party members fail than succeed, then the room floor tilts and this is irrevocable as characters slide down to the exit half of the floor, tilting the floor further. Thus even those who have successfully retreated to the starting side of the room are rolled down into whatever awaits - a spiked pit is a common favourite (1d6 falling damage + 2d6 piercing damage). And once the intruders are all in, the floor tilts back to its horizontal position - good luck getting out of that! Goblins just remember to pull the lever to lock the floor.