Hello my friends! In the world of fantasy TTRPGs, there are countless challenges that await you as you journey through fantastical realms and battle fearsome creatures. While combat encounters are a staple of any good campaign, traps and puzzles provide an exciting change of pace and test your players wits and problem-solving skills.
I often have a hard time coming up with puzzles for my games that will engage my players but not be so challenging that they stop having fun so I make sure to save the ones I use that go down well. Below I have compiled that list and I hope that you get as much joy from trapping your party in a mirror dimension as I do!
# | Description | Notes |
1 | The Mirror. A large, rune covered mirror hangs on the wall. When the party approaches the mirror, they see their own reflection beckoning them closer. When the leading character gets within 5ft. of the mirror, their reflection reaches through and pulls them in, trapping them in the mirror. The only way to escape is to break the mirror from the other side. | Perception DC:
Counter: Breaking the Mirror Reward: Potion of Vitality |
2 | The Magnet. A strong magnetic field pulls anyone wearing or holding a metal object who fails a hard Strength saving throw towards a pillar in the center of the room where they are restrained and take 1d4 bludgeoning damage per round. The only way to escape is to find a way to disrupt the magnetic field, such as using non-metallic means to destroy the pillar, casting Dispel Magic or similar magic, or pressing the button in the hidden notch on the pillar. | Perception DC:
Counter: Destroying the pillar, pressing the notch, Dispel Magic or similar magic. Reward: Scroll of Shield in the notch |
3 | Trick Lock. A chest sits in the room with a large lock built into the front. Any attempt to pick the lock will result in a device trapping the hand of the character attempting to open it. This can be avoided by succeeding on a very hard Dexterity saving throw. The lock can be broken with a hard Strength check or one hours work. If the Strength check beats the AC of the trapped character, they will take 4d8 bludgeoning damage. If the party chooses to take the time to remove it without a check, the Redcap (o5e) who owns the chest will come back and find them. The Redcap has both the key to the chest and the trap. The real lock to the chest is small and hidden on the back. A hard Dexterity (Slight of Hand) check will open it. | Perception DC:
Counter: Destroying the trap, convincing the redcap to open it, using the key, succeeding on the save. Reward: Dust of Disappearance, Potion of Healing, 20 gold pieces |
4 | The Broken Chair. A table with enough chairs for each character sits in the room. Sitting on a chair causes it to break. The character who sat takes 1d4 piercing damage from the splinters. | Perception DC:
Counter: Not sitting on the chair. Reward: Eyes of Minute Seeing under the table |
5 | The Countdown. In the room is a large emerald on a plinth. As soon as they all enter, metal gates slam down over the doors and a metal cage over the emerald. A voice can be counting down from twenty at a rate of one number per round. On the far side of the room, a button is set into the floor. When the lever is pulled, the countdown begins again. The when the countdown hits zero, the gates and cage raise. | Perception DC:
Counter: The countdown hits zero. Reward: Emerald Elemental Gem |
6 | The Frog Prince. A group of 6 Giant Toads (o5e) sits in this room. The one in front has a crown tied to its head. While wearing the crown, a creature's intelligence score is equal to 10. The toad will beg the party to untie the crown and free it from the hell that is sentience. Once they do so, the toad reverts to its base nature and it and its companions attack the party. | Perception DC:
Counter: Do not remove the crown. Reward: 20 Gold Pieces |
7 | The Honest Door. The exit is blocked by a door. When approached, the door will say "In order to pass everyone must tell me something true about themselves, for instance, I am a door. After they tell the door a truth, it will say that someone is lying and refuse to open until they tell it who. | Solution: The door lied. It is actually an illusion. It will vanish when this is discovered. Reward: A glass bauble worth 35gp in the middle of the doorway. |
8 | The Bored Chest. A chest sits in the room. When approached it says it is bored and will open if the party answers a riddle. The riddle is: "I weigh almost nothing but no one can hold me for long." | Solution: Breath. Reward: 200 silver pieces, Dust of Sneezing and Choking. |
9 | Simon Says. A dragonborn skull sits on the far side of the room. It will tell the party not come any closer because an invisible wall that instantly kills is just ahead. It will say it can help them to pass through if they do what it says to the letter and then will ask them to do humiliating and dangerous tasks for its amusement. | Solution: There is no invisible death wall. The skeleton is just an asshole. Reward: The skull. It can talk. |
10 | The Goo. The floor of this room is covered in a 1ft. thick layer of black goo. Any character that steps in the goo is coated in it and must roll with disadvantage on Dexterity checks and saving throws. There are also bear traps in the goo. Any creature that moves more than 5ft. through the goo must succeed on a medium Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 piercing damage and have their movement speed halved. If exposed to heat, the goo will become transparent and avoiding the traps becomes easy. | Perception DC:
Counter: Exposing the goo to heat. Reward: Restorative Ointment under the goo |
11 | Its a trap. A human skeleton with one arm lays near the entrance. Investigating the skeleton reveals a note that says "Beware the trap." in its hand. When the party have turned their backs on the skeleton to search for the trap, It will reveal itself to be a Mimic (o5e) and attack. | Perception DC:
Counter: Killing or incapacitating the mimic. Reward: Periapt of Health inside the skull |
12 | Fool's Gold. A body lies on the floor clutching a coin purse. Inside the purse are 20 magical rocks. Anyone with an intelligence of less that 16 perceives the rocks as gold coins. As soon as they touch the rocks, they are compelled to count the them. However, as soon as they get to 20, they become convinced that they lost count and must begin again. If it is pointed out to them that they are just counting rocks or the rocks are taken away, they may make a Medium Intelligence saving throw ending the effect on a success or taking 2d6 psychic damage on failure. | Perception DC:
Counter: Affected character passes a Medium Intelligence saving throw. Reward: A single real gold coin in the bag |
13 | The Hungry Scroll. A large scroll sits on a stand in the center of the room. The first character that looks at the scroll is transformed into text and written on the scroll. In order to release them, a spellcaster must expend a first level or higher spell slot and read the scroll out loud to "summon" their companion. After this happens, the scroll is destroyed and the companion released. | Perception DC:
Counter: Expending a spell slot to summon the trapped character. Reward: Five +1 arrows in the stand |
14 | Being Polite. A line of ghosts stands before the exit which is blocked by an old and rickety wooden door. If a character tries to budge the line, the ghosts begin shrieking in anger causing the character to take 1d10 Psychic damage. The ghosts otherwise ignore the party. | Solution: The door is not locked. If a player holds the door open, the ghosts will pass through, disappearing as they cross the threshold. Reward: The last ghost in line tips a Scroll of Identify |
15 | The Force Field. A forcefield blocks the path forward. The forcefield has 400 hit points and can only be passed through if it drops to zero. Every time it takes damage, it becomes immune to the last type of damage it took and changes color to correspond with that damage type.
| Solution: Use a different damage type every attack. Reward: 100 gold pieces in a chest on the other side of the field |
16 | Wrong Way. As soon as the party enters, a door slams behind them locking them in the room. The exit also has a door blocking it. No matter how hard the door is pulled, it will not open. When a character touches the door, poison gas begins to fill the room from two gargoyles in the walls. While the door is closed, any character in the room takes 1d4 poison damage per round. | Solution: The door is a push door, not a pull door. Reward: One vial of poison in each gargoyle's mouth Tip: Ask the player trying to open the door to act out how they open it. |
17 | Your Majesty. A beautiful and intricate statue of a king stands in front of the exit and blocking the path forward. It is impossible to damage the statue or move it. | Solution: Bowing to the statue will cause it to step aside. Reward: Chain Mail on the statue |
18 | The Hidden Room. A note on the floor reads "There is a hidden room". The trap door to the room is cleverly hidden behind an illusion on the floor. | Solution: A clever solution by the players. Reward: Carnelian (50gp), Chalcedony (50gp), Citrine (50gp) |
19 | A Little Ditty. A large spectral ear blocks the exit. Any character that attempts to walk through it takes 2d6 force damage and is knocked prone. | Solution: Players must sing a song to the ear or succeed on a Medium Charisma (Performance) check. After it hears the song it will vanish. Reward: The ear leaves behind a Potion of Growth |
20 | The Box. A locked stone box is inscribed with this riddle, "You cannot hold me, but I can be caught. You can give me away, but I am not a gift." Solving the riddle opens the box. | Solution: A cold/illness/virus. Reward: Periapt of Health, Potion of Healing |
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