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...
How I Converted a 4-Skull Trap to 5E
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...
