Sample Traps
Pathfinder Core Rulebook, page 420
The following sample traps represent just some of the possibilities when constructing traps to challenge the player characters.
Arrow Trap
CR 1
Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger touch; Reset none
Effect Atk +15 ranged (1d8+1/×3)
Pit Trap
CR 1
Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger location; Reset manual
Effect 20-ft.-deep pit (2d6 falling damage); DC 20 Reflex
avoids; multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft.-square area)
Poisoned Dart Trap
CR 1
Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger touch; Reset none
Effect Atk +10 ranged (1d3 plus greenblood oil)
Swinging Axe Trap
CR 1
Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger location; Reset manual
Effect Atk +10 melee (1d8+1/×3); multiple targets (all targets in
a 10-ft. line)
Burning Hands Trap
CR 2
Type magic; Perception DC 26; Disable Device DC 26
Effects
Trigger proximity (alarm); Reset none
Effect spell effect (burning hands, 2d4 fire damage, DC 11
Reflex save for half damage); multiple targets (all targets in
a 15-ft. cone)
Javelin Trap
CR 2
Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger location; Reset none
Effect Atk +15 ranged (1d6+6)
Spiked Pit Trap
CR 2
Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger location; Reset manual
Effect 10-ft.-deep pit (1d6 falling damage); pit spikes (Atk +10
melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d4+2 damage each); DC 20
Reflex avoids; multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft.-square area)
Acid Arrow Trap
CR 3
Type magic; Perception DC 27; Disable Device DC 27
Effects
Trigger proximity (alarm); Reset none
Effect spell effect (acid arrow, Atk +2 ranged touch, 2d4 acid
damage for 4 rounds)
Camouflaged Pit Trap
CR 3
Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger location; Reset manual
Effect 30-ft.-deep pit (3d6 falling damage); DC 20 Reflex
avoids; multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft.-square area)
Electricity Arc Trap
CR 4
Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger touch; Reset none
Effect electricity arc (4d6 electricity damage, DC 20 Reflex save
for half damage); multiple targets (all targets in a 30-ft. line)
Wall Scythe Trap
CR 4
Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger location; Reset automatic reset
Effect Atk +20 melee (2d4+6/×4)
Falling Block Trap
CR 5
Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger location; Reset manual
Effect Atk +15 melee (6d6); multiple targets (all targets in a
10-ft. square)
Fireball Trap
CR 5
Type magic; Perception DC 28; Disable Device DC 28
Effects
Trigger proximity (alarm); Reset none
Effect spell effect (fireball, 6d6 fire damage, DC 14 Reflex save for
half damage); multiple targets (all targets in a 20-ft.-radius burst)
Flame Strike Trap
CR 6
Type magic; Perception DC 30; Disable Device DC 30
Effects
Trigger proximity (alarm); Reset none
Effect spell effect (flame strike, 8d6 fire damage, DC 17 Reflex
save for half damage); multiple targets (all targets in a
10-ft.-radius cylinder)
Wyvern Arrow Trap
CR 6
Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger location; Reset none
Effect Atk +15 ranged (1d6 plus wyvern poison/×3)
Frost Fangs Trap
CR 7
Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger location; Duration 3 rounds; Reset none
Effect jets of freezing water (3d6 cold damage, DC 20 Reflex
save for half damage); multiple targets (all targets in a
40-ft.-square chamber)
Summon Monster VI Trap
CR 7
Type magic; Perception DC 31; Disable Device DC 31
Effects
Trigger proximity (alarm); Reset none
Effect spell effect (summon monster VI, summons 1d3 Large
elementals or 1 Huge elemental)
Camouflaged Spiked Pit Trap
CR 8
Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger location; Reset manual
Effect 50-ft.-deep pit (5d6 falling damage); pit spikes (Atk +15
melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d6+5 damage each); DC 20
Reflex avoids; multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft.-square area)
Insanity Mist Trap
CR 8
Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger location; Reset repair
Effect poison gas (insanity mist); never miss; onset delay (1
round); multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft.-by-10-ft. room)
Hail of Arrows Trap
CR 9
Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 25
Effects
Trigger visual (arcane eye); Reset repair
Effect Atk +20 ranged (6d6); multiple targets (all targets in a
20-ft. line)
Shocking Floor Trap
CR 9
Type magic; Perception DC 26; Disable Device DC 26
Effects
Trigger proximity (alarm); Duration 1d6 rounds; Reset none
Effect spell effect (shocking grasp, Atk +9 melee touch [4d6
electricity damage]); multiple targets (all targets in a 40-ft.-
square room)
Energy Drain Trap
CR 10
Type magic; Perception DC 34; Disable Device DC 34
Effects
Trigger visual (true seeing); Reset none
Effect spell effect (energy drain, Atk +10 ranged touch, 2d4
temporary negative levels, DC 23 Fortitude negates after
24 hours)
Chamber of Blades Trap
CR 10
Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger location; Duration 1d4 rounds; Reset repair
Effect Atk +20 melee (3d8+3); multiple targets (all targets in a
20-ft.-square chamber)
Cone of Cold Trap
CR 11
Type magic; Perception DC 30; Disable Device DC 30
Effects
Trigger proximity (alarm); Reset none
Effect spell effect (cone of cold, 15d6 cold damage, DC 17
Reflex save for half damage); multiple targets (all targets in
a 60-ft. cone)
Poisoned Pit Trap
CR 12
Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger location; Reset manual
Effect 50-ft.-deep pit (5d6 falling damage); pit spikes (Atk +15
melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d6+5 damage each plus
poison [shadow essence]); DC 25 Reflex avoids; multiple
targets (all targets in a 10-ft.-square area)
Maximized Fireball Trap
CR 13
Type magic; Perception DC 31; Disable Device DC 31
Effects
Trigger proximity (alarm); Reset none
Effect spell effect (fireball, 60 fire damage, DC 14 Reflex save
for half damage); multiple targets (all targets in a 20-ft.-
radius burst)
Harm Trap
CR 14
Type magic; Perception DC 31; Disable Device DC 31
Effects
Trigger touch; Reset none
Effect spell effect (harm, +6 melee touch, 130 damage, DC 19
Will save for half, cannot be reduced to less than 1 hit point)
Crushing Stone Trap
CR 15
Type mechanical; Perception DC 30; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger location; Reset manual
Effect Atk +15 melee (16d6); multiple targets (all targets in a
10-ft. square)
Empowered Disintegrate Trap
CR 16
Type magic; Perception DC 33; Disable Device DC 33
Effects
Trigger sight (true seeing); Reset none
Effect spell effect (empowered disintegrate, +9 ranged touch,
30d6 damage plus 50%, DC 19 Fort save reduces the
damage to 5d6 plus 50%)
Lightning Bolt Gallery Trap
CR 17
Type magic; Perception DC 29; Disable Device DC 29
Effects
Trigger proximity (alarm); Duration 1d6 rounds; Reset none
Effect spell effect (heightened lighting bolt, 8d6 electricity
damage, DC 16 Reflex save for half); multiple targets (all
targets in a 60-ft.-square chamber)
Deadly Spear Trap
CR 18
Type mechanical; Perception DC 30; Disable Device DC 30
Effects
Trigger sight (true seeing); Reset manual
Effect Atk +20 ranged (1d8+6 plus black lotus extract)
Meteor Swarm Trap
CR 19
Type magic; Perception DC 34; Disable Device DC 34
Effects
Trigger sight (true seeing); Reset none
Effect spell effect (meteor swarm, 4 meteors at separate
targets, +9 ranged touch, 2d6 plus 6d6 fire [–4 save on
a hit], DC 23 Reflex save for half fire damage, 18d6 fire
damage from other meteors, DC 23 Reflex save for half
damage); multiple targets (four targets, no two of which can
be more than 40 ft. apart)
Destruction Trap
CR 20
Type magic; Perception DC 34; Disable Device DC 34
Effects
Trigger proximity (alarm); Reset none
Effect spell effect (heightened destruction, 190 damage, DC 23
Fortitude save reduces damage to 10d6)