Your PCs approach a small chasm somewhere underground in your adventure, or approach a cliff that overlooks a small area over a river or forest, or while pursuing a clan of orcs into a volcanic cave they come to a point they must cross a river of lava with nothing but swinging chains that swing across the span of the river.

A d12 or d20 can be used (or lower numbered dice depending on how difficult you want to make this challenge) while setting this little trap up. Random (or not so random) charts are created based on the die you choose to use and that chart will be your reference for which vines are not the safest ones your PCs can use. (see sample chart below)

PCs roll initially to pick out which vine, rope or chain they just leap out to, or can "pick and choose" at which point you the DM roll on the random vine chart. Spot checks can be made with DCs based on your PC's levels, light conditions of your encounter area, and the distance the PCs are from the actual mechanism holding the vines. A successful Spot (Perception) check notices something not looking so safe about specific vines. These vines, after a succesful check, may be avoided by the PCs.

PCs not making the proper Perceptions checks may (either before or after seeing a fellow party member fall) choose to use the same vine any other PC crossed with successfully.

Don't forget your Climb (Athletics) checks (DC based on variables mentioned above as well as your PC's weight with gear). The PCs have to jump, grab hold, and then hold on to make it all the way across to "safety".

XP awarded for getting across should be pretty minor with a little bonus for those who actually used their heads to look up and search first, or for anyone using their noggin to follow any successful PCs. I say minor only because once you know which ones to avoid, this can be a fairly easy trap to avoid.

For those daring enough to climb to the top and disable this mechanism, a DC 12 (I will explain) will successfully disable the device, causing the "trapped" vines to fall into what ever hazard is below, but it will also stop the mechanism from creating the swing in the vines, having all the vines stop midway between the start point and the objective, thus creating an even more difficult challenge for those who were "daring" enough to Disable this device. Once disabled, the device will not start back up.

DMs may also have the device give off an audible alarm once disabled or have the once noisy mechanism come to a completely silent stop, no alarming any foes in nearby areas, creating an opportunity for an ambush.

d20 Random Vine Sample Reference Table (just an example... you can create your own)

1-3 Safe
4-5 Trapped
6-10 Safe
11 Trapped
12 Safe
13-14 Trapped
15-19 Safe
20 Trapped


Give it a whirl and let me know how it turns out. :)

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