Traps Revisited
The rules for traps in the Dungeon Master’s Guide provide the basic information you need to
manage traps at the game table. The material here takes a different, more elaborate approach —
describing traps in terms of their game mechanics and offering guidance on creating traps of
your own using these new rules.
Rather than characterize traps as mechanical or magical, these rules separate traps into two other
categories: simple and complex.
Simple Traps
A simple trap activates and is thereafter harmless or easily avoided. A hidden pit dug at the
entrance of a goblin lair, a poison needle that pops from a lock, and a crossbow rigged to fire
when an intruder steps on a pressure plate are all simple traps.
Elements of a Simple Trap
The description of a simple trap begins with a line that gives the trap’s level and the severity of
the threat it poses. Following a general note on what the trap looks like and how it functions are
three paragraphs that tell how the trap works in the game.