“What is a wizard? A wizard is a cold, calculating mind ruled by reason. A wizard possesses untold power.” After his little speech, Thersus proudly looked down on his pupil. “So, Gavin, do you want to be a wizard when you grow up?”
The boy looked Thersus up and down and answered, “You’re just a man. Daddy says men die.”
* * *
Gavin smiled as he remembered the beating that followed. Thersus had remained his tutor for the rest of the year, but his dad had been so very proud of him. “Strength is weakness, Gavin. Always remember that, but take care because shared knowledge can hurt you.”
Unwrapping the long metal cord he had coiled around his waist, Gavin looked around the wizard’s study. He noted a fine crystal ball, some sort of magic flask, and countless books and assorted scrolls. The key to a wizard’s demise remained the same: Angry wizards are not ruled by reason. They are just people when anger takes over, and people die.
Happy with his work and feeling a little guilty about wasting such valuable treasure, Gavin had only one thing left to do: Summon the wizard to his death.
Weaving a net to hold the crystal ball and tying the rest of the cord to the study’s ceiling is the first step to establish the trap. A decanter of endless water is placed in a scroll case. The scroll case acts as a nozzle and the crystal ball acts as ammunition. Tripping the trap pops the decanter, and the resulting geyser propels the ball forward, but the cord imparts a circular motion to its trajectory. As the ball destroys part of the study, the water and paper form a sticky mix. The resulting mess is sure to anger any wizard or, for that matter, scholar or collector of any sort.
Wretched Wrecking Ball Trap CR 5
Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 20
Trigger location; Reset none
Effect scything cord (+20 melee, 4d4 slashing damage); multiple targets (all targets in a 30-ft. radius)
Effect paper mash (gain the entangled condition); multiple targets (all targets in a 30-ft. radius)
Next Installment
What can Gavin do with 3 ft. of tinsel, half a dozen baubles, a fir tree, and a goose?
The Challenge
Name four adventuring items and receive a murderous trap in return.
Nice trap; a cannon ball on a cable. There was actually a civil war double cannon that fired two cannon balls connected by cable. I believe it fell out of use because if the firing wasn’t synchronized one ball would whip around behind the gun.
No such trouble with this devious device.
How about a mandolin, a greataxe, an alchemy set and a bag of caltrops?
@Todd, I think the ball and chain was also used to wreck the main mast or rigging of ships.
@Dmitri, that are some fine items, a mandolin can be used in so many different ways.