Gingerbread Slaughterhouse | Free 5e and PF2e Trap

Written by Claire Martin

Everything in the mysterious and eerie underworld is out to get you. What will your players’ characters do when faced with the tempting delight of sweets, but what is housed within is more than they may have bargained for?

If you're looking for other 5e and PF2e resources, check out our entire collection of Lair Magazine issues. This particular puzzle came from the May 2024 issue of Lair Magazine, Desperation & Darkness, where you can find even more to add to your campaign!

Gingerbread Slaughterhouse - 5e

Simple trap (Mechanical trap, level 1-4, deadly)

Description. A row of candy canes leads up to a façade built into the cavern wall made of gingerbread, gumdrops, lollipops, and icing. The child-sized door has a peppermint doorknob; adults could fit but would need to crawl. The inside is dark and smells of sugar and metal.

Trigger. A creature stepping or crawling through the door and touching the ground on the other side will trigger the effect.

Effect. The façade hides a downhill tunnel with a guillotine at the end. The ground is a slow-moving mechanical conveyor belt coated with sticky candy that will ensnare whoever comes into contact with it. If a creature crawls through the door, its hands, elbows, and knees stick to the conveyor belt, and it becomes restrained. If a smaller creature walks in, only its feet get stuck, and they become grappled.

The conveyor belt only bets set into motion when significant weight is on it. It moves relentlessly downwards, reaching the guillotine after one minute, which slices down upon any trapped creature in its path, dealing 11 (2d10) slashing damage if using this trap for levels one or two and 22 (4d10) slashing damage if using this trap for levels three or four.

Countermeasures. Creatures can try to peek inside before entering but will not see the guillotine at the bottom of the tunnel. Trapped creatures may make a DC 16 Strength check to wrench one of their limbs free. Grappled creatures have advantage on this roll.

Creatures may find other creative ways to release themselves from the sticky candy, such as pouring on a solvent. With a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check, a creature notices a lever sticking out of the ground about halfway down the tunnel to the right of the conveyor belt. It currently sits in the upright position. Changing its position requires an action and at least one free hand.

The labels indicating each position’s purpose are on the opposite side, facing away from the conveyor belt, so only creatures with free movement can look at them. From left to right, left being toward the door and right towards the guillotine, the labels indicate “Fast,” “Slow,” and “Stop.” The lever is on “Slow.” If the lever gets flipped to “Fast,” the conveyor belt doubles in speed, halving the time left before a creature reaches the guillotine.

Gingerbread Slaughterhouse - Pathfinder 2

[Hazard 3]

Mechanical, Trap

Stealth DC 23 (trained)

Description. A row of candy canes leads up to a façade built into the cavern wall made of gingerbread, gumdrops, lollipops, and icing. The child-sized door has a peppermint doorknob; adults could fit but would need to crawl. The inside is dark and smells of sugar and metal.

A lever sticks out of the ground about halfway down the tunnel to the right of the conveyor belt. It currently sits in the upright position. Changing its position requires an action and at least one free hand. The labels indicating each position’s purpose are on the opposite side, facing away from the conveyor belt, so only creatures with free movement can look at them. From left to right, left being toward the door and right towards the guillotine, the labels indicate “Fast,” “Slow,” and “Stop.” The lever is on “Slow.” If the lever gets flipped to “Fast,” the conveyor belt doubles in speed, halving the time left before a creature reaches the guillotine.

—

Disable DC 20 Athletics to wrench free of the sticky candy

Conveyor Belt [reaction] Trigger A creature stepping or crawling through the door and touching the ground on the other side will trigger the effect.

Effect The façade hides a downhill tunnel with a guillotine at the end. The ground is a slow-moving mechanical conveyor belt coated with sticky candy that will ensnare whoever comes into contact with it. If a creature crawls through the door, its hands, elbows, and knees stick to the conveyor belt, and it becomes restrained. If a smaller creature walks in, only its feet get stuck, and they become grabbed. The conveyor belt only gets set into motion when significant weight is on it. It moves relentlessly downwards, reaching the guillotine after one minute, which slices down upon any trapped creature in its path, dealing 2d10+13 slashing damage.

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