The RP Message Board

[Zaleramancer]

I used the egg timer trap room on my players once (ps, this isn't mine but i don't recall where it came from.)

Basically they enter a 15mx3mx3m featureless smooth stone hallway and once they are all in the hallway doors slam down closing them in from both sides.

At exactly halfway down the hallway a panel will open up and a large ornate egg timer will slide out of the wall suspended by a thick copper looking rod of metal attached at its middle, just below the egg timer protruding from the wall is a shinny red button.

Once the egg timer is all the way out of the wall it will perform one half revolution so all the sand is in the top half slowly trickling down into the bottom.

To anyone who is skilled enough to see it the egg timer will give of an intense magical aura, it will seem impervious to any damage the PC's try to inflict upon it and it will all so prevent any magical damage to the hallway and stop any magical travel spells/scrying or communication spells which attempt to target anything outside the hallway or dimension blah blah (basically it traps them inside a magical box.)
The walls and door are made out of smoothly polished stone which is barely scratched by any mundane forms of digging etc the PC's may attempt.

Pressing the button causes the egg timer to perform a half rotation after which the sand continues to flow from the upper half of the egg timer into the lower half.

Once all the sand is in the lower half of the egg timer the doors at either end of the hallway will open up and the egg timer and the button will disappear back into the now seamless wall.

It helps if you have an actual egg timer to use as a prop for this one.

When i used this it bought me about 45mins of DM joy barely being able to choke down my laughter (which is not bad considering the egg timer prop i had was set for about 3 mins). After the PC's escaped the room they called me many bad words and then went outside for a smoke.

They still however laugh about it now, a few years on.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Oh damn, that's scary.....

[Zaleramancer]

This is actually something I posted in that thread:

Though, in your case it would be Perception and not Spot/Listen.


One day, have them roll a spot check.

Regardless of what they roll, tell them they see a shadowy figure off in the distance, staring at them.

Then, it vanishes.

Afterwards, every so often, have this figure reappear. Always just out of reach.

Then have nothing happen for awhile, to let your players think it was just some freakish coincidence.

And one day, when one of the characters is isolated from the others, have them roll spot and listen.

Behind them they hear a gurgling, choking sound- like something breathing through a clogged tube.

And when they turn around, they see a shadowy figure obscured in a hooded robe, a mere few feet from them. Then have it vanish.

Afterwards, just tell them to roll spot or listen every so often.

And tell them they don't see or hear anything. This time anyway.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Considering we mostly play at night....this is going to freak them the hell out. It's perfect.

[Zaleramancer]

Here's a bit of advice.

Add little mysteries and small things.

Like, one day when they're tromping through the woods, have them find a boulder with a sword in it.

None of them can pull it out.

Have them see a dragon flying over head. It utterly ignores them. Or have them see a bunch of dryads dancing in a clearing. Hear a snatch of singing in the distance.

You can also have creepy things.

Like finding a small skeleton laying arms crossed in front of a tree. Or just a stone in the middle of nowhere with the words Do Not Disturb engraved on it. All the grass and plants near it are dry and dead.

These things don't have to be explained. That adds ambiance..

And lets you mess with them.

And adds plot hooks if you want to use them later.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Well, I did have them run through one room in which there were clear signs of traps.

Slits in the wall, pressure plates, bodies piled in distinct locations and positions. However, there were no actual traps. It took them half an hour to cross the room after about 40-50 unnecessary skill checks.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Sorry, folks, wish I could be of some help here right now, but henpecking at a Nook color in a McDonalds isn' exactly an environment conducive to roleplay....no internet at the house SUCKS...

[Zaleramancer]

Alright.

Is that why you vanished?

[Celadon's Penultimate]

The only reason I ever would. Though, while I'm here, I guess I could pitch a few ideas.

What about narrating the children strangely? Every timeyou enter a new town children stop whatever the're doing and just stare. No expression, no meanness, no niceness, nothing. Not even curiosity. Just...all of a sudden, you see them staring. Then one little boy shows up slowly following you. And another, and another. By the time you near the edge of town, nearly every kid has assembled, and when you turn back to confront them, they scatter, and can' t remember having ever followed you.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Yeah, that sounds terrible. Incidentally, I' d like to point out that half my RP posts have been from a phone. Some of them while I was in the back seat of a car.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Any in a bad neighborhood, after having walked thirty minutes through streets you've never traveled before, and fearing being mugged, assaulted or mistaken for a criminal and harassed by the police?

[Marvelous Miscreant]

As far as you know, yes.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Goof...

Anywho, whaddya think of my idea for your rl roleplay? If that's a no-go, I can try to think of more.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

I just might try it.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Or maybe items showing up in the wrong bags. A female character's brush in a bald character's bag, etc. Or maybe anything written they have has curiously switched into a language no one recognizes, or understands. Though, strangely, one of the folks in town can read the language without a hitch, and identifies it as demonic.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Okay hope to see you guys again soon. Headed home right now. Be blessed, folks!

[Zaleramancer]

I learned that I can make a sound that's either a video on rewind or demonic possession.

[Philote]

@Marv: Are you playing that on campus?

@Wulf: Hope you can get the internet problem sorted out quickly.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

No, I'm playing it back in my Hometown, Coppell, when I go home on the weekends. I didn't think to look for a group here on campus though I'm sure there are some.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

A friend just suggested an idea to me. Present the group with an array of seemingly useless objects and items. All but one of these items is junk. One however will allow you to easily destroy the "boss monster thing-a-ma-jig" at the end of the dungeon.

The name of this item? Chekhov's Crossbow!

Needless to say, I laughed pretty hard at the reference.