Greetings Amazing Backers!
Summer is just around the corner, and do we have news for you. A few weeks ago, all files were sent to the printer! That's right, everything. This in...
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Chris-Goodman Games
about 1 month ago
Another April Update!
Greetings Backers!
We are back again with another update. We just couldn't wait to share a few goodies we recently received from one of our artists. And a PSA from Goodman Game...
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Chris-Goodman Games
about 2 months ago
April Update
Greetings Backers!
Happy April! The only April Fools around here are the delvers that are going to blunder into these traps at your game table! The DCC and 5E teams are hard at...
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Chris-Goodman Games
3 months ago
February Update
Greetings Backers!
Welcome to the February update. Despite what good old Grimtooth thinks, we at Goodman Games toil away working on other amazing books, not just Grimtooth’s Old...
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Chris-Goodman Games
4 months ago
January Update
Greetings Backers!
Chris here again, with another update on the progress of this project. The old Troll is on vacation, lounging on a beach outside of the City of Brass, escapi...
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Chris-Goodman Games
5 months ago
Progress Report
Greeting backers, Chris here. In the true holiday spirit, the old Troll has allowed me a 15 minute break to give you all an update. And there is much to discuss, including Pax U...
Welcome to the February update. Despite what good old Grimtooth thinks, we at Goodman Games toil away working on other amazing books, not just Grimtooth’s Old School Traps. That said, progress moves forward on our deadly book of traps for 5E and DCC RPG, and Grimtooth demands we share the news with our fine backers. Here is where we are at regarding the books involved with this project:
· The last few traps to round out the main book, plus the Bonus Trap are fully edited, and in final development for the respective rules systems. Next up is layout!
· With the Table of Contents for the main book set, we are commissioning the last few pieces of art to round out the book.
· All of the Stretch Goal traps have been converted to 5E and DCC RPG rules. These are in various stages of editing and development. Next up is layout!
· FEF #26 Against the Thieves’ Guild is back from the 5E editor, and ready for a development pass. Interior artwork and maps are in progress. Next up is layout!
· The DCC RPG version of Against the Thieves’ Guild has been fully converted, and is in the initial editing and development stages.
· DCC #106 Trails of the Trapmaster is back from editing, and is awaiting layout.
· The Goodman Games Gazette is currently being written and developed. We have a few surprises to reveal soon about the content of this fun trap-themed news zine, included with our major crowdfunding projects.
Don't forget to check out our two other crowdfunding projects, live right now. First we have Adventures on the Purple Planet.... and Beyond.You can check out the project here. This is not just a reprint of the classic Peril on the Purple Planet. It includes all new material, presented in a thick hardcover. But there is so much more, including new Tomes of Adventure, limited edition DCC Core Book covers, dice, a Judge's Screen, and a Player's Guide! Plus more! And did we mention the Purple Horde? Eight additional 3rd party publishers creating brand new Purple Planet themed projects, with cross-project Stretch Goals! There is just over a week to go so check it out!
And for those of you who want an enhanced online DCC RPG experience, we are pleased to announce our Roll20 for DCC RPG campaign has fully funded. You can check it out here. We have partnered with the folks at Metamorphic Digital Studio to implement the DCC RPG Core Rulebook onto the Roll20 VTT platform. Plus six adventures fully implemented to Roll20 that can comprise a campaign path for level 0 to 3! So if you have been on the fence about jumping on the wizard van to explore the DCC RPG in a new VTT format, join us!
Summer is just around the corner, and do we have news for you. A few weeks ago, all files were sent to the printer! That's right, everything. This includes:
Grimtooth's Old School Traps in 5E
Grimtooth's Old School Traps in DCC
Against the Thieves Guild in 5E
Against the Thieves Guild in DCC
Trials of the Trapmaster's Tomb (DCC funnel)
Plus, the next book in the Original Adventures Reincarnated line is coming to crowdfunding very soon. OAR #9 Caverns of Thracia!Check out the landing page here.
We are back again with another update. We just couldn't wait to share a few goodies we recently received from one of our artists. And a PSA from Goodman Games regarding GenCon. But first a quick update on the project progress:
Project Updates
The DCC and 5E main books, plus all three adventures are in layout. We have already seen the first 20 or so pages, and provided some feedback to the graphic designer. We should be getting full documents to proof any day now!
For the 5E books, we decided to create a bunch of charts for an appendix. These charts summarize the traps by Skull Rating, 5E Tier, Complexity, and Threat Level. This should make finding that perfect trap for your players even easier! These charts are all complete (following some Excel wizardry) and have been passed to the graphic designers.
The art sketches we shared last update are getting finishing touches.
Animated Traps!
Speaking of artwork, Chuck Whelon has outdone himself (yet again). He created animated GIF's of two of the traps he illustrated and recently shared them with us. They are so neat, we had to share them with the fine backers that made this project possible.
Here is the Shower of Gold Trap. The delver that triggers this trap will be rich, but certainly not "clean". Be sure you wait until the end!
Shower of Gold Trap
And here is the Wet Noodle Trap. Spoiler Alert: There is no pasta involved with this trap, but something gets to dine at the end! This is the bonus trap we created just for the backers!
The Wet Noodle Trap
Public Service Announcement
Goodman Games is looking for a few good 5E GMs for GenCon
Goodman Games is looking for a few good Game Masters who are attending GenCon (August 1st through the 4th) interested in running 5E games for our Castle Whiterock Organized Play Program. Castle Whiterock is a classic mega-dungeon, with 15 full levels and 14 sub-levels (over 320 encounter areas!) and updated versions are coming to crowdfunding in 2025.
You are welcome to run as many (or as few) games as you desire. All GMs will get a sneak peak at our updated Castle Whiterock, and maybe even have an opportunity to help direct the conversion. But there are some sweet perks if you commit to running 4 slots of 5E Castle Whiterock at GenCon. These include:
If you are interested, please shoot us a message at [email protected]. Please introduce yourself, tell us a bit about your 5E and GMing experience, and when you started playing TTRPGs. Also, let us know what your favorite classic adventure is.
That is all we have for this update. We'll be back in a few weeks with some more exciting news!
Happy April! The only April Fools around here are the delvers that are going to blunder into these traps at your game table! The DCC and 5E teams are hard at work bringing this project across the finish line. And you know what, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Wait, is that a fireball incoming....
First, an update on the progress of the various components on this project. And then we are going to share some sketch artwork.
Project Updates
The entire DCC main book is off to the layout team.
The entire 5E version of the main book is in the very last stages of development. It too will be off to the layout team in a matter of days!
The Stretch Goal traps have been fully edited and developed. They too are off to the layout team.
The DCC RPG version of Against the Thieves' Guild is also off to the layout team. The 5E version still needs a few tweaks before its ready for layout. The interior artwork is still in progress, as are the maps. We discovered a slight error in one of the maps, so its back to the drawling board (literally) for that map.
DCC #106 Trials of the Trapmaster is off to the layout the team.
We can't help ourselves and just had to add all new original artwork to the interior of the main book. We have received the preliminary sketches for approval (see below).
Artwork Preview When we decided to commission brand new artwork for some of the classic traps, we knew we needed an artist that captured the feel for Steve Crompton's original art. That means a healthy dose of comedy, and multiple panels to show the trap "in action". Chuck Whelan instantly came to mind for the assignment, and if you've seen some of the XCC previews, you know what we are talking about. And he knocked it out of the Dungeon! These are just rough sketches, but we couldn't wait to share them you!
The Shower of Gold Trap Rough Sketch
The Magnesium Torch Rough Sketch
The Rope Snake Rough Sketch
Dinner Time Rough Sketch
The Wet Noodle Pit Trap Rough Sketch
And if you made it down this far, please consider supporting Steve Crompton, the Trapmaster himself, with his new Kickstarter. This is an innovative mix of Comic and RPG gaming using the Monsters! Monsters RPG. You can back it here.
Chris here again, with another update on the progress of this project. The old Troll is on vacation, lounging on a beach outside of the City of Brass, escaping the ice, snow and wind. In this update we shall give you a progress report on project, show off final art for the Stalactites of Death Stretch Goal Trap, present a new Stretch Goal Trap, and tease our next upcoming crowdfunding campaign. Lets get to it!
Here is where we are at with the various tasks regarding this book:
The last few traps and the Bonus Trap are back from editing. They just need a few more development tweaks, but otherwise are ready to go.
The Table of Contents for both books has been set.
Steve Crompton has submitted the final few art pieces for the Stretch Goal Traps (see below).
The Stretch Goal Traps are currently being converted to DCC and 5E stats. They should be hitting our in-box any day now!
All of the essays have been edited and are ready for layout.
FEF #26 Against the Thieves' Guild is off to the editor. The author is deep into the DCC version.
The DCC funnel DCC #106 Trials of the Trapmaster is in editing.
Last time we shared the preliminary art sketch for The Stalactites of Death, one of our brand new Stretch Goal Traps. Here is the final art, curtesy of the Trap Master Steve Crompton.
The Stalactites of Death Trap Final Art
And here is another brand new Stretch Goal Trap from Steve:
I Go Weak In the Knees
“Kneed” I explain this trap? Well for you humans, I guess I should. Over the years, I’ve had traps that slice ankles, spike feet and even cut off feet, but I hadn’t presented a trap for knee knocking. This trap was suggested to me by Tonya Halfling, that infamous hobbit skater from the 1990s. Anyway, here’s how this one works…
You need a dark corridor that your delvers must pass through. I say dark, so that the trap itself will not be easily noticed. All along the corridor about 2 and a half feet above the floor is a long groove that runs horizontally along the corridor. Upon a casual look it just appears that a row of bricks is missing and was presumably done for aesthetic reasons. Upon very close examination the back of the groove has been covered over with a layer of thick paper the same color as the rest of the bricks in the wall and there is a dark hollow space behind it if one cares to punch through the paper layer. Needless to say, punching through the paper anywhere will trigger the trap as will stepping on one of the trigger plates located about 1/3 down the hallway.
So, what IS the trap I hear you ask? Well behind the wall is a horizontal “wheel” with eight hammers on it. The wheel is aligned along the horizontal groove and when the trap is triggered by the delvers, the wheel starts to spin and bursts out of the groove about ten feet in front of the delvers and moves towards them at a goodly speed. The spinning hammers are set at the height of the average humans knees, so when the hammers start hitting legs it will be at the knee level. Hopefully the repeated strikes of the multiple hammers will shatter more than a few kneecaps! If the victim is taller or shorter than average, the hammer hits will be on their shins or above their knees, so they may break other bones. To make it more fun, make sure the door they used to get into this corridor seals tight when the trap is triggered, so they can’t just run out.
As for how the wheels operate, you can either say they are run by elaborate spells, or they can be machines made by crafty gremlins – whatever works best in your adventuring world. My servants can install it in your dungeon by either method…
I Go Weak in the Knees Final Art
And finally, be sure to check out our next crowdfunding campaign coming soon. You can find it here.
Greeting backers, Chris here. In the true holiday spirit, the old Troll has allowed me a 15 minute break to give you all an update. And there is much to discuss, including Pax Unplugged, book progress Updates, and a sneak peak at another Stretch Goal Trap!
A few weeks ago, 30,000+ (!) gamers descended on downtown Philadelphia for Pax Unplugged. If you have never been, you should consider Pax next year. They have a first rate Exhibitor Hall, amazing panels, a massive open game library, and host lots of game tourneys. And if you have non-gamers in your midst, acclaimed museums, sightseeing, and the amazing Reading Terminal Market are all within walking distance.
I was invited to host a two-hour demo at the Backerkit booth on Saturday. I decided to playtest the first few encounters of FEF 26 Against the Thieves' Guild, one of the add-on adventures with this campaign. Folks were lined up to play, and we had a steady stream of onlookers the whole time. No delvers met a grisly end, although one came close. And that was at the entrance to the dungeon! Shout out to the whole Backerkit crew for hosting us!
At Pax Unplugged, three delvers all ponder their next move in Against the Thieves' Guild
Updates on the Books We are making excellent progress on all of the books! Here are a few notes:
The last few traps have been converted to 5E and DCC. They are off to development and editing.
The Bonus Trap has been converted to DCC RPG.
Steve Crompton has submitted the text for the last few Stretch Goal Traps. He is busy at work finishing up the artwork for these. Once complete these go to the 5E and DCC RPG teams for stat conversions.
All of the essays have been submitted and are off to the editor.
The 5E draft of FEF #26 Against the Thieves' Guild has been play-tested, submitted, and is through development. The author is making a few tweaks to make it even better, I mean deadlier. Once that goes off to the editor, the author will jump into the DCC version.
The draft of DCC funnel DCC #106 Trials of the Trapmaster has been written, play-tested, and submitted. Up next is development and editing. I had the pleasure to be one of those play-testers, and I can report that this funnel is everything promised. Grimtooth is pleased with the lethality. Don't get attached to those characters!
Another all-new Stretch Goal Trap from TrapMaster Steve Crompton!
The Stalactites of Death Trap
Many have said that some of my traps are like Rube Goldberg machines. So, in honor of this long-gone cartoonist and his weird devices, I shall pay tribute to him with a convoluted conTRAPtion of my own: The Stalactites of Death Trap. This is takes place in a corridor although it could just be in a large cavern.
The Delvers enter the cavern and must brush away a giant spider web (A) which has a trigger wire that goes to the container of Acid (B) in the cave ceiling. The acid flows through the upper ceiling which starts to dissolve the layer just above the stalactites (C). Delvers see a bag of gold (D) and pick it up, pulling string (E) which releases the cage filled with bats (F). As the bats fly out of the cage, a weight in the cage is released, pulling the string (G) and releasing the battering ram (H). The ram hits the large brass bell (I) causing it to create a bellowing BONG, which causes the stalactites to fall from the ceiling onto the delvers. The bell ringing also awakens the kraken (J) which will emerge from the water to attack any remaining delvers.
It will be fun to watch the confusion as bats fly into the delvers, followed by a huge ringing “BONG!” Then hundreds of spike-like stalactites fall from the ceiling followed by a large slimy tentacled creature surging forth to pick up the pieces! You know, that Rube Goldberg WAS a genius in his own way... (At least with a bit of help from me!)
Rough Concept Art for the Stalactites of Death by Steve Crompton
Just a quick note to say THANKS for your support of Grimtooth's Old-School Traps!
We are very happy with how the project went. It's awesome to see many backers for the project in general, and especially here on the BackerKit platform.
There were so many fun moments with Grimtooth himself over the course of the project. I hesitate to reveal his secret identity, but perhaps it's time we did. Special thanks to Thorin Thompson, the man behind the mask, for doing such an amazing job depicting Grimtooth on our livestreams. I think my favorite part was his Grimtooth Karaoke on last night's stream. "Do you really wanna hurt me?" really seems even more special when Grimtooth croons it!
Now, we have some stretch goal traps to write! We'll get busy on that, and keep posting updates as things progress.
Grimtooth the Troll here to say that for once, I am impressed by you puny humans! You've made MY PROJECT the #3 most-backed project by Goodman Games! (Take that, Joe Goodman! Back in the locker with you!)
I'm going to give you another trap for getting us to #3. The Statue of Limitations is yours. (Crompton! Get to work!)
NOW: Can we make MY PROJECT the #2 most-backed ever by Goodman Games? Only a few more backers will get us to 3,451 and make this the 2nd most backed ever. Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell your orthodontists! (Are they friends or enemies? Hard to say...)
If we get to #2 I will give you ANOTHER free bonus trap! Just need to figure out which one it's gonna be. Hmm...I'll get thinking on that, while you guys get us to #2! Hop to it!
Grimtooth the Troll here. Can I just say, oh so politely:
MY BOOK OUTSOLD ALL OF GOODMAN'S OTHA BOOKS!
Yeah, that's right. Grimtooth's Book of Old-School Traps is now the #2 most-backed crowdfunding ever by Goodman Games. That's right! Just about to pass 3,500 backers! Thank you, thank you, thank you! (And what did I need Goodman for anyway? He was just in the way! I coulda done it all myself, thank ya.)
The big number to beat is 4,274, which was the most-backed Goodman Games project ever. I don't know if we can pull that off though. About 2 hours left. Maybe we can? Not sure? Should we try?
HECK YES WE SHOULD TRY!
So here's what I'm willing to do for ya. If we get to 3,600 backers, just about 100 more than now, I'll throw in ANOTHER free trap. It was TimeLoop Bomb Trap for breaking the #2 slot, and now if we get to 3,600 backers, I'll give you The Room Of Cursed Treasures. Ooooh, gives me shivers just saying that. Sounds like a great room, don't it?
And if we get past THAT, I'll give you ANOTHA TRAP, and anotha and anotha till I'm #1. Number one baby!
Grimtooth the Troll here to congratulate all you puny mortals on making MY PROJECT the 4th most-backed from Goodman Games EVER! And guess what? We're almost #3!
I'm giving you another bonus trap for making it to #4. The Trapezoid Corridor is yours! And if you puny mortals can now make MY project the #3 ever, I'll give you ANOTHER bonus trap. Statue of Limitations is up for grabs. But this is my final offer, humans! Back it or leave it! (Unless it's not my final offer...like if you might get us to the #2 most-backed project...but one thing at a time!)
You'll see the new achievement attached to this update. Help me find 3,347 backers! GET MY PROJECT TO THE TOP 3! RAAAAA!!
P.S. Two of the writer-humans recently recorded a very intriguing show called Grimtooth's Graphs. It is lots of graphs and charts analyzing all 150+ of my traps that will be in this book. If you like math AND deadly traps (and who doesn't?), you're gonna love this show. You can watch it here!
As I write this (under Grimtooth's glaring supervision), there are 3,177 backers for Grimtooth's Old-School Traps. Awesome! This means we are closing in to a record for Goodman Games. If we can get to 3,248 backers, this will be our 4th most-backed project ever. So we are going to make that a new stretch goal:
We just cleared the "I Go Weak In The Knees!" stretch goal bonus trap at $180k...and at 3,248 backers you all get another bonus trap, "Trapezoid Corridor"!
Today we have some game stats for you. We polled backers on which trap you'd like to see statted up, and it was a close race. Options C and D were neck-and-neck for most of the polling. But in the end, option C came out ahead - and there were so many fun comments along the way. So here are the official game stats for this one.
We appreciate all the support, everyone, and look forward to a strong finish as we close out this project tomorrow!
5E Stats:
VARIOUS KILLERS OF PARANOIDS, 3 Skulls
Ever get tired of watching characters open chests and such from a distance with a pole, thus avoiding all your careful traps directed at anyone trying to loot the treasures within? Scott Rhoads apparently did, and developed the following Various Killers of Paranoids. With each of these traps, the character who opened the chest is safe, but a person standing a respectable distance away is in trouble—and someone standing out of the room entirely is subject to an even worse fate…
Type. The Various Killers of Paranoids traps are four Tier 2 Simple traps that are established around the same idea: getting at characters who try to stay away from danger. Each has a Deadly threat.
Each trap contains a chest. The chest is unlocked, and it may or may not contain anything of value—although the trap does hurt more if the chest is empty.
Detection. For each trap, a DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check notices that the walls or floors have seams in the stonework that suggest they can move. Each trap can also be detected with a successful DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check on the lid of the chest. If successful, the trigger for the trap is revealed, but not the exact nature of the trap.
Trigger. Each trap triggerswhen the chest is opened.
Option C. A Wall Too Close
The chest stands next to the far wall of a 15-foot-by-10-foot chamber, which is entered through a double door at the end of a 40 feet-long corridor. See diagram C.
Effect (Reaction). The walls of the room and the final 20-feet of the corridor close abruptly. Creatures standing near the chest are safe, but each creature standing in the corridor must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw to leap back down the hall or forward toward the chest. On a failed save, a creature is flattened for 27 (5d10) bludgeoning damage and restrained until the trap resets or the creature escapes with an action and a DC 16 Strength saving throw. Additionally, restrained creatures cannot breathe and start suffocating. A suffocating creature can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round), before dropping to 0 hit points.
A Snake! (Initiative +2). The new position of the walls leaves two new openings at the beginning of the corridor. Behind these are two secret chambers, the left containing a hezrou, the right holding a giant constrictor snake. The monsters leap through the openings to attack anyone who is standing outside of the corridor, rolling for initiative as normal.
DCC Stats:
VARIOUS KILLERS OF PARANOIDS, 3 Skulls
Ever get tired of watching characters open chests and such from a distance with a pole, thus avoiding all your careful traps directed at anyone trying to loot the treasure within? Scott Rhoads apparently did and developed the following Various Killers of Paranoids. With each of these traps, the character who opened the chest is safe, but a person standing a respectable distance away is in trouble—and someone standing out of the room entirely is subject to an even worse fate. Still, I feel that these traps speak for themselves, thus…
Detection: A thief searching the floor or lower portion of the walls in both the chest room and short hallway for traps and succeeding on a DC 12 find trap check notices the walls do not fully connect to the floor and are capable of movement. Also, a thief searching the chest for traps and succeeding on a DC 14 find trap check notices a wire attached to the lid that runs into the floor.
Trigger: The trap is triggered when the lid of the chest is opened.
Effect: (Instantaneous, then Init as per creature) Once triggered, the spring-loaded walls on either side of the chest and the 15’ hallway beyond slam together crushing anyone standing within the hall for 6d6 damage. A successful DC 15 Ref save allows the character to jump out of the path of the crushing hallway walls for no damage. In addition, two fearsome creatures are released from their hiding spots within the walls to wreak havoc on anyone beyond the 15’-long hall.
Deactivation: The trap may be deactivated by severing the wire attached to the chest. Alternatively, the walls may be lodged into place with several iron spikes, daggers, or similar objects accompanied by a DC 18 disable trap check.
Reset: The trap is reset by affixing the wire to the closed chest lid and pushing the walls back into their original position. Note that a combined Strength score of 50 is required to successfully move the walls. Alternatively, if the character destroys the springs (AC 12, hp 10), the walls can be moved with a simple DC 15 Strength check.
Hello Grimtooth fans! Grimtooth hopes you all had a great Thanksgiving. He gives thanks for all the PCs that have walked right into his dastardly traps over the years. And, in the true spirit of Thanksgiving, Grimtooth wants to hear YOUR thanks for the PCs you have killed! We have a new community achievement for you all:
Tell us how Grimtooth killed your PCs!
If we get enough stories of Grimtooth killing your PCs, we'll give all print backers a free sticker! See the Achievement listed below and tell us your stories in the comments!
And while we're here, let's talk about Perception checks in 5E as they relate to traps...
“I have passive Perception 22. Do I see any traps?”
By Benn Ward
These words were the bane of my GMing days when I ran published 5E adventures for a rogue with the Observant feat and expertise in Perception. What can a trapsmith do when the players—or worse, the adventure—thinks a single skill roll can circumvent an entire trap? Thankfully, in Grimtooth’s collection, we came up with some solutions.
When converting these traps to 5E, we thought about how even detecting a trap can be a puzzle of trial and error. The Detection section in each trap entry outlines where the delvers actually need to be looking to notice the threat and what they see when they do notice it. Then your players have to figure out the trap themselves through some degree of ingenuity, not by simply rolling a die.
We kept in mind that Perception isn’t radar: it doesn’t just ping when danger is nearby! Some traps only reveal themselves if the players realize what to check for. Any delver with a passive Perception 13 or higher can notice the unusual acrid smell coming from the “Gas Passage” trap, but only a character who stops to roll an Intelligence check will deduce before it is too late that they’ve descended into poisonous carbon dioxide.
These traps don’t (usually) have a label that says “trap!” We didn’t simply give each trap a Perception DC and call it done. Instead, we often used more than one Perception DC and provided each DC with a hint about what kind of spring-loaded danger waits ahead. How will your players respond when you describe uneven cobblestones or a door overly tight in its frame? In Grimtooth’s collection, a Perception check doesn’t typically reveal the trap, just the hint of a trap. What happens next is up to the party—and how closely they’ve been paying attention!
Finally, Grimtooth’s traps are made for delvers who think the danger is over when they’ve detected the blade slot in the wall. In reality, the trapsmith’s fun is just getting started. Grimtooth’s traps are also made for players who like to think through a trap. And when the trap is sprung, and the delvers successfully avoided those crisscrossing scythe blades, it will be all the more satisfying that they figured out the trap on their own.
A well-placed Perception check won’t ruin these traps. Where would be the fun in that? So when your players finally plummet into that magma-filled pit, they will blame themselves for not taking the heat as a hint—rather than blaming you for placing a death trap under their feet.
Now everyone - tell us your stories in the comments! How have you used one of Grimtooth's traps "back in the day" against your PCs - and preferably killed a few along the way?
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...
Grimtooth, We Salute You!
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!
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...
Just How Deadly Are These Traps in 5E?
By Benn Ward
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...
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.
