Cleaving Walls | Free D&D 5e Trap

Not every dungeon trap needs to be hidden to be dangerous. Cleaving Walls is a simple mechanical trap for low-level characters that turns an ordinary hallway into a deadly obstacle, with pressure plates triggering axes that swing out from the walls. Because the crevices are visible and the trap can be detected, triggered intentionally, or disabled, it gives players several ways to deal with the danger instead of reducing the encounter to a single saving throw.

This trap comes from Loot & Lore, which is packed with ready-to-use encounters, traps, puzzles, magic items, NPCs, and other resources you can drop directly into your D&D  5e game.

Cleaving Walls

Mechanical Trap, (Simple trap, Level 1-4, dangerous)

Description. The walls are lined with visible crevices, and the floor has tiles that cause axes within the walls to swing outwards when pressure is placed on them. Each ax is swung forward and backward through the use of ropes behind the walls that are connected to the pressure plates.

Trigger. Any weight above two pounds placed on a pressure plate. The trap isn’t activated if weight is taken off the pressure plate.

Effect. The axes swing from the crevices. Each character within five feet of the wall must roll a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 11 (2d10) slashing damage on a failed save.

Countermeasures. Characters can activate the trap by throwing sufficient weight onto a pressure plate and either avoiding the plates with weight on them or trying to break the trap by making a DC 13 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to either untie or cut the ropes holding the axes behind the crevices. A character can attempt a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) or DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check to perceive the pressure plates, though a failed Intelligence check by 5 or more results in the trap activating on that character.

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