Hello, everyone! As the days cool and we coast into a nice relaxing Thanksgiving week, it seems like a good time to discuss...stabbing adventurers in the eyeballs. Because that's what Thanksgiving is all about, at least when it comes to Grimtooth. So here is designer Marzio Muscedere with a few thoughts on his work statting up Grimtooth's Old-School Traps...

by Marzio Muscedere

Ahh, the good ol’ trap. A tried-and-true staple of all fantasy RPGs that brings a smile to every gamemaster’s face, and the eventual roar of shock and surprise from the players at the table once sprung.

Nothing warms the cold, black heart of any good judge more than a perfectly laid trap. And why shouldn’t it? When used properly, a well thought out trap can be just as engaging as any NPC interaction or combat situation. Smart trap designs allow players to come up with different ways to approach and handle each trap encounter, resulting in some wildly ingenious solutions, or if things go wrong, some extremely hellacious outcomes.

But not all traps are created equal my friends, let me tell you. Having worked on over 50 traps for this project, I can definitely say that Grimtooth is one dastardly and nefarious genius. Within Grimtooth’s Old School Traps one can find all manner of traps that range from simple devices to complex mechanical marvels. There are traps that range in deadliness, from those that serve to wound nothing but a character’s pride, all the way to those that deliver instant and excruciating death. There are traps for different locations, be it room traps, door traps and even trapped items, giving the judge flexibility and options when outfitting their deadly dungeon designs. But what I love most about Grimtooth’s traps is that many of them have more than a single effect, resulting in a chain reaction of nasty things that can happen to the PCs depending upon their very own actions and reactions. This can include anything from additional traps being sprung based upon the PCs location, to traps being planted on their person that are triggered at a later time, to the releasing of a kraken…yes, I said it, a KRAKEN!

Yet, despite the myriad versions of traps provided, what they all have in common, aside from being memorable, is that they serve to challenge both the players and their characters alike. Each trap within Grimtooth’s was written to allow for different methods of detection and deactivation that are sure to keep intrepid gamers thinking and on their toes.

So, what are some of my favorite traps? I personally enjoy traps that the PCs can’t help but spring upon themselves. To quote the indelible Gary Gygax - "The worthy GM never purposely kills players' PCs, he presents opportunities for the rash and unthinking players to do that all on their own." And that is what good traps do; they lure the PCs by preying upon their greed, curiosity, or stubbornness. Case in point, the simple but effective Eye-Catching Trap, whereby overly curious PCs find out the hard way that it is not polite to stare, especially when wickedly barbed spikes drive into their eyes tearing their eyeballs straight out of their sockets as they pull away. Clever, effective, and absolutely brutal - and for that Grimtooth, we salute you!

P.S. Don't forget to share on Facebook (see below) - and vote in our latest poll! To see larger images of the poll traps, click here.

Hello, trap-bait! I mean, faithful backers! Thanks for the continued support. Greetings to all the new backers over the last couple days. Grimtooth has a couple updates for you today.

Trap D is pulling ahead in our latest poll! The trap shown below is in the lead, but you have plenty of time to vote for this one or the others! (And check this update to see bigger versions of the trap graphics.)

"Against the Thieves Guild" live play tonight! Twenty Sides to Every Story will be playing the traps-based add-on adventure live on their channel, tonight at 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern. Watch the show and find out exactly how challenging it can be to raid the Guild's traps-filled base!

Keep Sharing on Facebook! Please use the achievement option at bottom of this update to share this project on Facebook.

And finally, let's hear some thoughts from the lead editor on our 5E edition of Grimtooth's Old-School Traps, about just how deadly these traps can be...

Grimtooth’s collection is infamous for meat-grinder traps that can make fresh hamburger out of unwary delvers. The old troll describes traps that crush delvers under 4,620,000 pounds of gold, weapons that snap with enough force to cause “the very real danger of a broken back,” and even a smashing-floor trap that leaves victims flat enough to fit into a single envelope. Most of the traps are surely lethal to your average spelunker, but Fifth Edition heroes are seldom average. So, just how dangerous are these traps?

 

Alongside Chris Doyle, I was on the 5E design team in charge of balancing the trap conversions. We knew we wanted to keep the old-school style of Grimtooth’s traps while still applying some of the design wisdom that has accumulated in the four decades since those first trap-filled manuals. Designing how the traps would spring on Fifth Edition victims meant deciding such things as if a trap would roll initiative, whether a trap allowed a saving throw for delvers who were too close, and when to include new rules for injuries brought on by traps that targeted a delver’s feet, hands, or even eyes. In making these decisions, we had to pay our respects to the era of evil trapsmiths who delighted in maiming delvers, but we also had to show respect to the players by giving them a fighting chance to avoid such things as a sudden decapitation. Fair is fair.

 

To start with, not all of Grimtooth’s traps are so deadly. Using his five-skull rating as a guideline, we divided the traps up into three threat categories that help Game Masters choose the right trap. The smallest category of traps are only a Moderate threat. These traps ridicule the delvers, ring dinner bells for the other dungeon denizens, or generally challenge the characters without causing (much) pain. Half of the remaining traps have a Dangerous threat. Dangerous traps inflict suffering in a thousand different ways, but, generally, they only kill characters who are already worn down from the dungeon gauntlet. That is for the better: players are less likely to blame the Game Master for their character’s death when it is due to their own decision to press on through injuries.

 

Traps with a Deadly threat, Grimtooth’s specialty, make up the other near half of the collection. Deadly traps may isolate victims beyond the help of allies, capture entire parties in a countdown to destruction, or trigger a sudden fatality for those who ignore warnings. Often the more obvious a trap is, the more deadly it is—making a character’s demise very much their own fault. However, Grimtooth’s deadliest traps are seldom instant; they tend to give victims a chance to realize their mistake, or at least contemplate their mortality, before the final blow. This allowed us to really spike the lethality for some of the traps. For example, the “Beware of Low Ceiling” trap has a spinning fan that deals 1d100 slashing damage per round.

 

Despite the risks, most of these 5E conversions allow a saving throw so that foolhardy characters have a chance of escaping danger at the last second. They also usually, but not always, target hit points so that unconscious victims may still be rescued by their allies—if any survive. Exceptions exist among the deadliest traps, of course, which are much less forgiving to delvers who take no precautions. This design choice may seem too forgiving at times, but not all old-school traps need to be an insta-death. In fact, the more likely that cautious delvers are to survive, the more traps you can spring on them...

Well Met Backers!

There are over 2,750 backers! Grimtooth is pleased! Pleased at how many more PCs will fall into the clutches of his diabolical deathtraps. He is pleased, indeed.

Before we get to today's Designer Diary by Daniel Bishop from our DCC RPG Design Team, a few show announcements coming up later this week. Our second poll is ending in a few hours. Make sure you get your vote in! And don't forget to spread the word about this project on Facebook!

Be sure to tune into the Official Goodman Games Twitch Channel at a special date and time for this week's Traps Show hosted by the old Troll himself. Join us on Wednesday November 15th at 6 pm EST with very special guest Steve Crompton. That's right, the Trap Master himself is being let out of the Dungeon to talk traps with Grimtooth. Perhaps he will shed some torch light on the history on these fine books, and maybe reveal a few spoilers on the Stretch Goal Traps he is working on. The show will be streamed right here on BackerKit, or check out our Twitch Channel: https://www.twitch.tv/goodmangamesofficial

Curious about the 5E/DCC RPG Adventure Against the Thieves' Guild that is part of the crowdfunding campaign? Join Alex Kurowski, the author of the adventure, on Friday November 17th at 8 pm EST/7 pm CST on the Twenty Sides to Every Story Twitch Channel for a live 5E playthrough of the adventure. See the 5E traps in action during this early playtest of the 1st level of the dungeon. Check out the Twenty Sides to Every Story Twitch channel here: https://www.twitch.tv/twentysidestoeverystory

Traps and Opportunity
Daniel Bishop, DCC RPG Design Team

I have been running role-playing games for over four decades now, so it is always a delight to be able to work with some of the early artifacts of our hobby. When I was asked if I would help convert the Grimtooth’s Traps series to Dungeon Crawl Classics, I jumped at the chance. Puzzle traps were part of early adventure design, and these books have a good combination of practical and elaborate traps. In addition to truly deadly designs, there are traps designed to channel, delay, and annoy adventurers. Some of these I’d already used back in the day, so this wasn’t just a dive into the game’s history. It was a dive into mine.

Grimtooth’s Traps are written with a sense of humor, and each one has a deadliness rating which helped to set save DCs and damage. When these were first released upon an unsuspecting game world, there was no Open Gaming License. Allowing third parties to publish materials for popular games was rare, so the writers had to describe their offering in a system-neutral way. Then, no matter what game engine you were using, the books could be adapted to that ruleset. Grimtooth’s was ripe for conversion. We went a bit beyond that.

One thing I really liked about this project was the format used to present game information. We didn’t just provide a DC for finding these traps; we thought about what a PC would actually notice, and what disarming any given trap actually meant. Even better, we thought about what it would take to reset each trap after it was sprung, which also offers the judge some insight into what it would take to make the trap in the first place. All of this is value added on top of doing the conversion work itself. 

Some of the traps require serious magic, or super-science, to set up. Others are simple enough that you would expect a dwarven engineer or a clever orc to be able to set them up. Even the simplest of traps here is inventive enough that they deserve inclusion. There is a certain joy in an elaborate set-up where, just before the hammer falls, the players can see it coming. Or realize that they should have seen it coming. Some of these traps are perfect to add to, or trigger, an encounter. And, of course, some traps allow PCs to figure out clever ways to resolve them – or even use them against enemies!

I honestly can’t tell you whether I was working on Grimtooth’s before, after, or at the same time as Piercing the Demon’s Eye (Free RPG Day 2023), but I would say that the influence of one project to the other is fairly obvious. Both offer complex three dimensional spaces, traps that might really be considered tricks, and some fairly simple traps where you really only have yourself to blame if you fall victim to them.

I feel honored to have worked on this project.

Hello everyone! Welcome to all the new backers who keep showing up. Great to see you all!

Grimtooth interviews Steve Crompton! Did you know Steve Crompton is the artist and writer who illustrated and wrote many of the original Grimtooth's Traps products from way back in the day? He'll be on the Goodman Games Twitch channel tonight at 3pm Pacific / 6pm Eastern, getting skewered interviewed by Grimtooth himself! Come watch and learn about the true origins of Grimtooth!

A new poll! Grimtooth wants to know: Which of these traps do you want to see full stats for? Note that in the poll, the images display at a tiny size, so read below on update for full image resolution. Here are options A, B, C or D - which would you rather see statted up?

Share on Facebook! And finally, remember to share this project on Facebook! Grimtooth is still dangling out there the possibility of a free sticker if we get enough shares!

Greetings, trap-bait!

I mean, kind and generous backers!

Today we have two treats for you.

First, a free sticker of ME! What better prize could there be? All you have to do is share this project on Facebook. There's even a link  at the bottom of this update! If 1,000 backers share this update, we'll give a free sticker to all print backers! (Note - you must be logged into your BackerKit account to use the "share" button below.)

Second, a wonderful article about ME! Well, about how one of our 5E authors converted some of my deadly traps to fifth edition rules. Let's learn more...

By Benn Hayward

How sharp can diamonds be in Fifth Edition? Let’s figure it out! But first, let me introduce the trap. Grimtooth’s description for “Water that Glimmers, Shimmers, and Kills” reads as follows:

 

This trap is simply a waterfall of living diamond, which should look like nothing more than a beautiful sparkling waterfall. Everyone knows that the hardest substance around is the diamond—and when it’s razor-thin and falling, it will cut through almost anything. Pity then the delver who sticks their hand through this waterfall, or tries to gain entry to the cave beyond...

 

This is one of Grimtooth’s simpler traps, but it is no less dangerous. To start a conversion to 5E, I need to decide what gameplay tier this trap is balanced for. Diamonds ought to slash for a lot of damage, and this curtain seems surmountable only by magic, so Tier 3 (levels 11-16) makes sense. Adventurers at those levels will usually have a way to avoid the trap once they figure it out, but casting a spell like dimension door does cost them resources.

 

Within Tier 3, choosing the trap’s threat level—Moderate, Dangerous, or Deadly—helps me balance its damage and DCs. Grimtooth’s high 4-out-of-5 Skull rating for this trap suggests that its threat can’t be Moderate. Furthermore, cautious delvers can easily spot and skip the waterfall, and even if they’re not cautious, only the first adventurer will be hurt. Traps that are out in the open can be the most wicked. That means these diamonds should have a Deadly threat level.

 

How can the party detect this trap before dying to it? Let’s give a particularly observant party a hint. Deadly traps have high DCs, so a successful DC 19 Wisdom (Perception) check notices that the scintillating water looks more like small crystals than droplets. That’s all the tip-off an expert delver should need to avoid certain doom.

 

Finally, just how deadly are slicing diamonds? Well, splashing crystals sound somewhat random, but also unavoidable for a creature that commits to moving through. In addition, Grimtooth’s description suggests it can cut through anything. So how about... A creature or object that passes through the waterfall automatically takes 101 (2d100) slashing damage, and if the creature is wearing armor, its AC is reduced by 1d4 until repaired. However, if a creature only tests the water with part of its body, it can make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 50 (1d100) slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

 

That’s how sharp diamonds can be in Fifth Edition. The full trap conversion includes a section on possible countermeasures in order to circumvent the trap—like what happens if a character holds a shield over their head while passing through. Importantly, I added a note that the magic water is only temporarily transformed into diamonds while falling. After all, we had to prevent enterprising players from looting the diamonds, but they can certainly try...

Welcome Backers!

OK, old Grimtooth thinks I'm cleaning out Grimcat's litter box. If you've ever scooped a hellcat's litterbox, you are aware I have some time to present an exciting Update.

We are over 2,600 backers, and just passed $150K in funding. That means another Stretch Goal trap will be added to the book. This one is called "It Ain't Over Till It's Over", penned and illustrated by the trapmaster himself, Steve Crompton. For the diabolical details on this brand new trap, see below.

And speaking of Trapmaster Steve Crompton, how about this bit of news. Steve will be appearing with Grimtooth on a live stream next Wednesday, November 15th. As soon as we have the final show time, we will make sure we update everyone. The livestream can be found on the Goodman Games Official Twitch Channel.

And now, we present the SG Trap "It Ain't Over Till It's Over": Fight your way to the treasure room and the adventure is over… or is it?...

 

Let’s face it, half the fun of being a dungeon master is being able to watch the adventurers rejoice in their “victory” when you know that there is still more to come and “it ain’t over till its over!” Here’s how this trap works… The adventurers complete a long slog through the dungeon and get to “the treasure room.”  Finally they have fought past the goblins, destroyed the undead guardians and hacked and slashed their way through various monsters and gotten to the treasure.  This square room is stacked high with gold, gems, and other rare artifacts and they can take whatever they can haul out.  However there is (of course) a catch. The room is carefully balanced on a long  rolling bar under the floor which is held in place by two temporary support posts on either side of the room. With the most valuable items at the back of the room and delvers being greedy they are likely to go for the most valuable items in the back (like the gold and mithral.)  

 

The room is locked in place until the door is opened at which point a hidden timer starts (make it 1-8 minutes).  Once the timer runs out, the supports under the floor retreat back into the wall and the room is fully balanced on steel bar. If most of the delvers are on one side of the room, or if they have managed to remove a fair number of valuable items from the far side of the room, the  entire floor will suddenly “tip over” in that direction and dump them all in the pit of spikes below.  (If for some odd reason you want to go easy on them, you can dump them into an underground lake.) 

 

The only way for the delvers to NOT get dumped is if they enter the room, quickly grab a couple of items and leave before the timer removes the support posts, but we know that adventurers are far too greedy to just delve in and dash out. They of course won’t know about the timer or the support posts – at least I won’t tell them. 

 

I suppose if there were very careful about how they position themselves and what items they take, they might be able to keep the room “in balance” but that is highly unlikely. (Though it might be fun to see them try.)  Note that even flying characters are likely to be hit by the floor or tumbling items when the floor suddenly flips over, so don’t let them use that excuse to escape… 

 

It's time to look at some trap stats! This edition of Grimtooth's Old-School Traps features playable game stats for all 150+ included traps - a first in the history of Grimtooth's publications. We're pleased to show you all some detailed page layouts, so you can see this for yourself!

Here are two PDF previews, one for 5E and one for DCC. They include some true Grimtooth classics: Delvermatic Dicer and Malingerer, Chute and Hammer, Teeter-totter room, Only Time Will Tile - and a few more. 

Astute readers will note that we've kept the infamous skull rating system intact! There are some 4-skull beauts in this preview.

Let us know what you think!

Click to download!

Click to download!