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  ©2014 Bill Webb, Frog God Games. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written 
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  Concept and Design 
  Bill Webb and Matthew J. Finch
  Author 
  Bill Webb
  Developer 
  Skeeter Green and  
  Matthew J. Finch
   
  Editors 
  Skeeter Green and  
  Matthew J. Finch
  Layout and Book Design 
  Charles A. Wright
  Interior Artists 
  Artem Shukayev, Brian LeBlanc
  CEO
  Bill Webb
  Creative Director: Swords & Wizardry
  Matthew J. Finch
  Creative Director: Pathfinder
  Greg A. Vaughan
  Art Director
  Charles A. Wright
  To be The Man, you have to beat The Man
  Skeeter Green
  FROG GOD GAMES IS
  Frog  
  God 
  Games
  Bill Webb’s Book of
  Dirty Tricks
  
  2
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  Dirty Tricks ...................................................... p. 3
  Bill’s Lost Lands House Rules  ...............................p. 9
  The Players Got Too Much Treasure ......................p. 26
  Situational Advantage (Environment) ...................... p. 37
  Time Wasters ...................................................p. 47
  Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing ....................................p. 54
  Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing ................................... p. 60
  Trickery ..........................................................p. 66
  Greed is Bad! .....................................................p. 74
  Legal Appendix  .................................................p. 78
  Table of  
  Contents
  
  3
  Welcome to Bill Webb’s Book of Dirty Tricks. This fun little tome is a GM utility for use 
  during regular play when either too many good things happen to the players due to luck or 
  just whenever the GM feels they need a little push to remind them that success is fleeting. 
  Over the years I have seen many movies, read many books, and played a great deal of this 
  game. While I usually don’t steal tricks verbatim from these sources (I like to assume my 
  victims have seen and read the same things I have), I do like to take them as general ideas 
  and modify them to achieve the same effect.
  Dirty tricks are intended to create great players. That is and should be the only reason a 
  GM springs such things on them. It also has the effect of creating a great game, where even 
  mundane tasks cannot be taken for granted, and boredom is rare.
  Be aware: Lots of spoilers from the classic adventure modules are in here because I use 
  them as examples. No discussion of tricks and traps would be complete without mentioning 
  Gary Gygax’s Tomb of Horrors1, for example. If you haven’t played through Tomb of 
  Horrors yet, put this book down, get a group together, and play through that module before 
  you keep reading.
  This book consists of portable encounter and campaign modification ideas that can be 
  used with, or at least tailored to, virtually any level party. There are several different angles 
  to each set of dirty tricks depending on how the GM wants to use them. These tricks are 
  by no means an end all to end all, nor do they represent a complete listing. This author 
  looks forward to hearing from you with your ideas for more dirty tricks. Each category is 
  described below:
  Bill Webb’s House Rules 
  This is a series of house rules that have been used in the Lost Lands for more than 
  35 years. If applied, these rules significantly decrease the power level of play and make 
  the game much more difficult. We (and the author in particular) pride ourselves on a 
  tough but fair game. Players who survive in my adventures have bragging rights few 
  can match. Players who survive and thrive in my campaign itself are truly men (and yes, 
  Jillian, women) of steel.
  Several optional rules have been used for years in my actual campaign. Keep in mind 
  these rules are not for everyone, as my home game is much grittier low fantasy than many 
  other campaigns. Likewise, these rules fit well with OD&D2, but perhaps not as well with 
  modern game systems such as 3.53 and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game4, in some cases. 
  The real key here is that advancement in my campaign is slow. Characters and monsters, 
  even high level ones, are vulnerable and can be killed. Players in my game who have 
  Dirty Tricks
  1 Gygax, Gary. Tomb of Horrors: An Adventure for Character Levels 10-14. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR 
  Games, 1981. Print.
  2 Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson. Dungeons & Dragons. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Hobbies, 1974. 
  Print.
  3 Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook: Core 
  Rulebook I V.3.5. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2003. Print.
  4 Bulmahn, Jason, Gary Gygax, and Dave Arneson. Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Core Rulebook. 
  Redmond, WA: Paizo, 2009. Print.
  
  4
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  reached 6th- or 7th-level are proud of their accomplishment. Several areas for which I have 
  house rules and that have been in place in my Lost Lands campaign for 3-1/2 decades, are:
  • Experience Points
  • Attributes and Bonuses
  • Table Dice Rolls
  • Damage Rolls and The Value of Magic Weapons
  • Hit Points vs. Rolls to Hit
  • Travel and Getting Lost
  • Food and Water
  • Surprise, Initiative and Melee Order, and Spellcasting in Combat
  • Hit Points, Death and Dying
  • Doing Things Rather than Rolling Dice
  Each GM must assess for himself how implementing these rules could affect his 
  campaign. They are not for everyone, but those of you who want the challenge and feel of 
  my home campaign may wish to give these a try and see how well they fit you. 
  The Players Got Too Much Treasure
  This series of tricks is designed to “take away” some of the players’ ill-gotten gains based 
  on circumstances outside of the main game. These can be used for several reasons. First, if the 
  players simply got a little too lucky and gathered a few too many gold pieces last adventure, 
  the GM may need to take back some of that loot without appearing capricious. Second, the 
  dirty tricks can be used to provide impetus for the players to “get going already.” Nothing spurs 
  a group of greedy players out the door more than financial hardship. Last, it offers a sense of 
  realism. I mean, really, who among us has not gotten a bonus at work, just to have the car break 
  down or that tuition payment be due all in the same week? The GM giveth, and the GM taketh 
  away … that is just the reality of the game. Specific tricks in this category include:
  • Tax Collector
  • Framed!
  • Wilderness Bandits
  • A Friend in Need
  • Holy War!
  • Disaster in Home Town
  • Here is your new Castle (aka The Money Pit)!
  A Note to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game crowd
  Gentle Reader,
  Bill’s perspective and writing style assumes an “old-school” feel, with his home 
  mechanics based on a version of the original rules, mixed with Swords & Wizardry, and 
  some 3.X or Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rules sprinkled in. This makes for a fluid, 
  exciting and utterly hair-pulling experience for those of us trying to quantify his mechanics 
  for game-play. Throughout this book, there are sideboxes to define the concepts presented 
  more clearly, or for a different rules system then presented in-text. The concepts here are 
  universal, so we’re trying to give mechanics for as broad a range as possible. Enjoy!
  —Skeeter Green
  
  5
  Situational Advantage (Environment)
  These tricks can be used to make what would otherwise be a simple encounter deadly. By creating 
  a difficult environmental factor, the GM can give his monsters a significantly better chance to win 
  in combat vs. the big bad player characters. After all, one must protect his low-level monsters from 
  those nasty players! Alternatively, these tricks can be used to make the players use their other abilities 
  to overcome a challenge. Be careful with this though: Falling off the slippery bridge into the chasm 
  is a lousy way to lose a character. Players need to be able to tell stories of epic character death to 
  appreciate play. Now, if you caused a player character to fall off the rope and into a pool of gray ooze 
  because a goblin was hurling beehives at him from the cave entrance above, or if the evil wizard 
  tossed a vial of oil of slipperiness onto the castle wall, causing the players to plummet into the 500 
  foot chasm below — that is worthy of a story. Specific tricks in this category include:
  • Slippery Conditions
  • Bad Air
  • Stinky the Skunk
  • Slow Movement (mud and rubble)
  • Death from Above!
  Time Wasters
  This series of tricks should be used sparingly. However, they are incredibly useful in 
  those circumstances when the players are geared to automatically succeed at something, 
  or in those cases when you as a GM have become too predictable. They also provide an 
  opportunity to use those random encounter tables that all GMs love. Specific situations 
  where this GM has used some of these include the “all-elf party” where secret door 
  detection became laughable (also known as “the reason Bill hates elves”), as well as one 
  instance where I found that my players started casting defensive spells every time my 
  flavor text got heavy. Specific tricks in the category include:
  • Fake Secret Door
  • False Adventure Lead
  • Magic Key (does nothing)
  • Unobtainium
  • Extra Heavy Flavor Text
  • Monkeys Typing Shakespeare
  • Buttons and Levers
  SG Note:
  Oil of slipperiness is salve of slipperiness in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
  SG Note:
  In the Swords & Wizardry ruleset, elves has a passive 1 in 6 chance to notice a 
  secret door, and a 4 in 6 chance when actively searching. This equates, roughly to a 
  +3 or +4 bonus on a passive DC 20 Perception check, and up to a +16 bonus on an 
  active check. Yes, this is why Bill hates elves.
  Dirty Tricks
  
  6
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
  These tricks are used to remove the predictability of what seems a safe or easy situation. 
  Just because it’s a goblin does not mean it has fewer than 8 hp and that your fighters 
  get multiple attacks against it. Certainly we all have used those cursed items out of the 
  rulebooks as well, although they always seemed a little unfair (you put it on and die, no 
  save). Everyone has used the “hot chick is a vampire” version of this, and there are many, 
  many more. I will give you a few examples of situational wolves that you may or may not 
  have seen before. Specific tricks included here are:
  • Cursed Items
  • Kobolds with Toys
  • Super Bunny
  • Symbiotic Monsters
  • The Unkillable Monster
  • Beauty is Only Skin Deep
  Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing
  More fun for the GM and less dangerous for the players are the sheep that appear to be 
  wolves. It always brings back memories of The Wizard of Oz5 for me. It’s a blast to have the 
  players waste spells and magic items to completely obliterate that 1 hp bad guy. Sometimes 
  it’s dangerous to do so (remember your first gas spore?), but most of the time it’s just paranoia 
  followed by massive overkill. These tricks are particularly effective when used deep in a 
  dungeon, right after a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing encounter, or in another way where the 
  players are expecting the worst. It’s quite entertaining to see if you can get the 10th-level 
  party to negotiate a truce with the 1 HD goblin because he “scares the hell out of them.” 
  • Kobold with a Glowing Stick (aka the “Wiz”)
  • Stuffed Dragon
  • Scary Looking Things
  • Illusions
  Trickery
  These tricks are just that … tricks. They are good ways to hide treasure and to create general 
  chaos for adventurers. Sprinkled in occasionally, these types of tricks are good for keeping player 
  characters on their toes, and also good for making them approach different things more carefully.
  SG Note:
  In the Swords & Wizardry ruleset, fighters gain additional attacks when facing 
  opponents of less than 1 hit die.
  Also, in Swords &Wizardry, the “save or die” rule is real. The Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game largely removed this, to shift survivability rates greatly to the 
  players. 
  5 The Wizard of Oz. MGM, 1939.
  
  7
  • Hidden Compartment within a Hidden Compartment
  • Trap on a Trap
  • Time Limited Magic Item
  • The Melting Lock
  • Tesseracts and Teleportals
  • I Can Get In and You Can’t!
  • I Got It, Now What?
  Greed is Bad!
  Often, players get greedy. They simply are not satisfied with some random boon or thing 
  that they have found, and seek to exploit it. I am often reminded of the Once-ler from  
  Dr. Suess’ “The Lorax”6 when I am motivated to use tricks like these. Having found a 
  “good thing,” the players may try to get “too much of a good thing.” This, of course, must 
  be punished.
  • Collapsing Treasure Room
  • The Apple Tree
  • Magic Pools and Potions (is one enough and two too many?)
  • Hiding in Plain Sight
  Build the Story, 
  Don’t Screw the Players
  A note on the use of this book: Adding dirty tricks to the game needs to be part of the 
  overarching storyline. If the players are constantly being confounded with trick after trick, 
  they will grow tired of it and you will have unhappy players. If, on the other hand, you 
  intersperse these tricks (or others of your own) into the main plots and stories of your 
  campaign, the players gain a sense of accomplishment each time, and they will be very 
  happy. The goal is to get that “remember that time when we …” feeling going.
  A note or two on my home campaign: I use very few monster encounters outside of 
  actual dungeons. Weird artifacts, animals, bandits and other what one would term “easy” 
  encounters are what populate my game world. After all, too many easy experience points 
  can be gained by defeating slow-moving monsters when the characters have mounted 
  bowmen. Also, if big, scary monsters roamed the world at will, humans would be extinct. 
  And finally, after all, I find it a true test of any GM to create challenges out of things that 
  don’t just roll initiative. My old friend Steve Bishop never used a monster in any encounter 
  I ever played with him. We fought humans, orcs and such, and we had to puzzle our way 
  through tricks and traps constantly. It was one of the most rewarding games I ever had the 
  pleasure to play in. Combat tests character skill; tricks and roleplaying test player skill. 
  I am not an advocate of monster-less play. God knows after 15 years of publishing and 4 
  The Tome of Horrors books — I love my monsters. If you enter the places where monsters 
  are supposed to be, you will find them. Occasionally in the Lost Lands, they find you. Most 
  likely, your outdoor travels encounter animals, men and other seemingly minor encounters. 
  A few tricks that make them deadly, too. That is what this book is about.
  One final note: I am a firm believer in building player skill. Anyone who has met my 
  6 Seuss. The Lorax. New York: Random House, 1971. Print.
  Dirty Tricks
  
  8
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  children knows that even at 11 years old, they are formidable players. Heck, Dennis Sustare 
  sat out a game at a convention because my daughter was not playing and it worried him 
  that the other (adult) players would get him killed. My most memorable experience with 
  my kids playing was, after having two evil priests throw sticks to snakes spells at a party, 
  hearing my daughter say “Daddy, I cast snake charm.”
  Most of my house rules, as well as most of the tricks below have been designed and used 
  to make good players great. In my game, and the Lost Lands in general, high stats and 
  character optimization are not the keys to success. Thoughtful play and using your head are 
  what make great players. Creative use of items and spells rather than brute force is a key to 
  success when playing in my games. 
  SG Note:
  I should not have to note this, but for players who are not into the history of the 
  game, Dr. Dennis Sustare created the druid class for 1st edition, and the spell chariot 
  of Sustare was named for him.
  
  9
  Experience Points
  In old-school games, few experience points (XP) were given for defeating monsters. The 
  real haul was obtaining gold. Certainly to get this gold, monsters had to be defeated, or at 
  least tricked and stolen from. But it was gold, Gentle Reader, which got the players what they 
  wanted, both materially and in terms of power growth. Bilbo certainly got more experience 
  as a burglar from stealing Smaug’s cup than he did from killing anything. This method of 
  XP distributions sets up for a slow level-gain campaign. I take pride in building player skill, 
  not character skill, in my game. Slow advancement means players learn new tricks. Life is 
  precious, and players take a higher level of care than they do if advancement is fast. Again, 
  this method is not for everyone, but I do find it works well for me and my players.
  A great example of this for all you grognards out there relates to a piece I wrote in 
  Crusader Journal a few years back. Advancement in 3.X is so rapid that it made me think 
  about the differences in player skill at mid to high levels. In the old days, it took years to 
  advance to say, 10th-level. It took hundreds of hours of play and lots of wits to survive that 
  long. In later versions of the game, one could advance a level in 2 to 3 gaming sessions.
  Putting this in context is a module like Tomb of Horrors7. Imagine a player who has 500 
  hours invested in learning to play his character; he knows his skills and abilities inside and 
  out. He values and holds dear the life of his character as if it were his own. Now take a 
  player who has maybe 50 hours of play with the same power. Now put them both in Gary’s 
  Tomb. The second guy is in for a short adventure.
  In most old-school games, gold pieces are worth 1 XP each when taken from monsters 
  or gained in treasure from the completion of some quest or objective. It is simple: one gold, 
  one experience point. Monsters gain some points for the players for sure, but the ancient 
  red dragon is worth 7700 XP and his treasure is worth 40,000 XP. 
  I do things a little differently. I only give experience points for gold spent on things that 
  each character class would, if living in a Howard-esque world, spend it on. Gold gained can 
  be used for any purpose, but experience is only gained from:
  • For fighters and dwarves, I call it “wine, women and song.” This effectively means 
  gold that is wasted shamelessly by our heroes passing out in their soup after looting 
  Thulsa Doom’s tower; it means gambling, buying rounds for the house, and other wasteful 
  indulgences that a war-weary brute of a fighter would spend his gold on after a hard month 
  in the wilds.
  • For clerics and druids, as well as monks, paladins and rangers, I give experience for 
  gold donated to charity or the church, tithes as well as random acts of kindness that serve 
  the character’s mission in life. This does not include gold spent purchasing healing and 
  raise dead spells for party members, but could include such if spent on NPCs.
  Bill’s Lost Lands 
  House Rules
  7 Gygax, Tomb of Horrors
  
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  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  • For wizard-types, gold experience is gained from spending it on magical research. 
  Learning new spells or doing whatever freaky things these guys do. This could include 
  purchasing rare tomes, alchemical equipment, or consultation with sages.
  • For what I term “antique collectors” (thieves), gold experience is netted for everything 
  they actually steal, plus the same “wine, women and song” that begets fighters their XP. 
  In any case, these guys need a level or two boost to stay up with the other players in terms 
  of power levels.
  For monster experience, I typically award 1 XP per monster hit point, times the “level” 
  of the monster. By “level,” I mean the number given under the monster listing in the 
  Swords & Wizardry (or other) rulebook. For example, an ogre (a 4th-level monster) with 
  20 hp is worth 80 XP. A 7-HD vampire with 20 hp (a 9th-level monster) would be worth 
  180 XP. Seems low, but all the XP is really in the treasure — not the monsters. Watch your 
  players start trying to avoid random encounters and try out new tactics to fool rather than 
  kill monsters so they can steal the treasure!
  I never give XP for magic items.
  I also give experience points for accomplishing objectives. For example, completing 
  a quest is usually worth 100 XP (for quests that take 1 to 2 adventures) to10,000 XP (for 
  quests that take many sessions over long periods of time), depending on the length of time 
  and complexity of the quest. This bonus XP is completely a judgment call on the part of the 
  GM, and should be used sparingly. Another place characters can net XP is by establishing 
  their stronghold.
  Last, XP accrue immediately whenever characters return to a civilized area, and I do not 
  require any training events or costs.
  Attributes and Bonuses
  I keep this very simple. A score of 13 or higher gives a +1 to any roll involving that 
  statistic. A score of 8 or less nets a –1 on similar rolls. Thus, character attributes are 
  not really game-changers. The lucky dice roller who gets an 18 strength does not have 
  a huge advantage over the poor schmuck who has all his stats under 12. It once again 
  gets back to character skill, not luck. Keep in mind that all my games use 3d6 in order 
  for character generation. To truly experience the Lost Lands as a campaign, this should 
  be done.
  I also implement the experience point bonuses (no minus is taken for a low score) as 
  a 5% per attribute (prime, wisdom and charisma) above 13, just like in the main Swords 
  & Wizardry rules. Even players using the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game could try this 
  approach. It would take some getting used to, but I encourage you to give it a try and 
  see how the players adapt. Try the 3d6 method, too. Players used to all high scores may 
  complain at first, but after a while they get used to it and start using their heads instead 
  of their stats to make characters legendary. The single highest level player character ever 
  to play in my Lost Lands campaign (Flail the Great) had a 17 wisdom and nothing else 
  above 9.
  SG Note:
  A similar rule of thumb for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game system would be to 
  award 1 XP per monster hit point x its CR rating. Or use the slow advancement track 
  for XPs. To truly replicate Bill’s home flavor, double the slow track!
  
  11
  Bill's Lost Lands House Rules
  
  12
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  
  13
  Table Dice Rolls
  One simple rule — no cheating. To easily enforce this without incident, I require all, including 
  myself, to roll dice only when it is their turn (or when asked), and to roll all dice that do not 
  require secrecy (things that players cannot know the success or failure of, like disarming a trap 
  or finding a secret door) on the table in front of everyone. The benefit of this is that it builds team 
  spirit as players cheer one another to “Roll that 20!” and even complex combats retain order. 
  A note here, this style of dice rolling makes a game extremely lethal as the GM cannot cheat 
  the dice to save lives. I have rarely seen a GM cheat to kill a player, although I have seen dozens 
  cheat to save them. My players know I don’t, and this adds to the fairness and enjoyment of the 
  game in my opinion. Success is earned by luck and skill, and not under false tenets.
  Damage Rolls and the  
  Value of Magic Weapons
  I use 1d6 damage for all weapons. Exceptions are as follows:
  • Giants and other creatures larger than troll/ogre-sized roll 2d6, not 1d6
  • Wizard weapons and daggers do 1d6–1 
  • Two-handed weapons do 1d6+1
  • Two-weapon fighting does 1d6, and only one attack, but grants +1 to hit
  • One weapon plus a shield gives +1 armor class
  • Natural 20s (only) do +1 damage
  • 13 or higher strength does +1 damage, and a strength less than 8 does –1 damage
  • Missile weapons get a +1 bonus to hit and damage from high strength
  • Improvised weapons and fists, etc. do 1d6–3 damage
  • Charging lances or spears set vs. charge do +1 damage
  This keeps things really simple. It even makes sense if you consider that 1d6 points 
  of damage is enough to kill a normal man. Extra hit points on anything not giant-sized 
  are implied to be skill and luck (from levels). This also ups the value of thieves, as they 
  actually can cause massive damage on a backstab. It also makes enlarge spells quite useful.
  There are no rules for critical hits and fumbles beyond an automatic hit at +1 damage 
  (on a natural 20) and an automatic miss (on a 1). This style of game is just too deadly for 
  “double damage” type attacks.
  Magic weapons are powerful in my games. Unlike the original rules, which only gave 
  bonuses to hit for most magic weapons, I grant a bonus to hit and damage. Hence, a +3 
  sword actually does +85% average damage over a regular sword. A +5 sword is almost too 
  terrible to imagine. The GM must be very stingy with giving out such things, or else the 
  campaign becomes unbalanced very rapidly. 
  Hit Points and Rolls to Hit
  Of all my house rules, this one creates the most controversy. Here goes: All creatures 
  and characters need an 18 to hit AC 0, except monsters and pure fighters (not rangers or 
  paladins) which need a 17. This never improves except by magic and strength bonuses (and 
  Bill's Lost Lands House Rules
  
  14
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  dexterity bonuses for missiles). Thus, a 10th-level fighter and a 1st-level fighter need the 
  same roll to hit.
  OK, has everyone finished spraying the Mountain Dew out of their noses yet? 
  The idea here is that adding a bonus to hit along with extra hit points is double dipping. 
  Higher-level characters not only hit easier, but can take more punishment than low-level 
  guys. That just does not seem right. It is still hard to bust through that plate armor, even if 
  you have 70 hp. It’s commonly misunderstood that at the Battle of Agincourt, the French 
  knights were not actually slain by arrows (although their unbarded horses were), but instead 
  by bowmen with daggers who killed them while incapacitated by falling wounds or mud. 
  Armor is hard to penetrate for anyone. Arrows (or even bullets) still bounce off plate steel.
  The idea here is that an attack dealing a slaying blow really only does 1d6 damage. 
  Creatures with higher hit points just avoid that last 1d6 hit for a long time. The character 
  skill is in the hit points, not the dice adds. A 10th-level fighter just avoids the first 9 attacks 
  that would have killed him, only being slain when he is too weary or cut up to get out of the 
  way. The 1st-level fighter lacks the skill (hit points) to dodge those first 9 blows. 
  While this does tend to make combats longer, it also gives a remote chance for a low-level 
  player to beat a higher-level one. It means the separation in power and ability is linear rather than 
  geometric (in relative terms). Monsters have bigger problems with heavily armored foes as well.
  I treat grenade-like missiles separately. Things that would naturally ignore armor (like 
  big rocks from giants or catapults, oil or holy water) just need to hit AC 9 (AC 10 for 
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game folks).
  There are a few pitfalls one must observe if this rule is implemented. First, magic armor 
  must be (like magic weapons) made very rare. A suit of +2 plate mail is hugely powerful. 
  Most importantly, GMs must be very careful with placement of monsters with extremely 
  hard to hit armor classes. Something like a will-o’-wisp is nearly impossible for anyone to 
  hit (as it should be, really). Plate mail and shield (AC 2[17] in Swords & Wizardry) or full 
  plate and a heavy steel shield (AC 21 in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rules) is very 
  good protection. A stone golem still needs a 16 to hit you.
  Once again this increases the value of thieves (+4 to hit on a backstab), spells like bless 
  and prayer, and magic weapons. Wizard (arcane) spells that cause damage are also deadlier 
  (not requiring a roll to hit). I strongly advise any GMs who delve into the use of this rule 
  play test a few combats to see what effect it has. Perhaps the best effect of implementing 
  this rule is that hirelings and henchmen actually survive encounters. 
  Travel and Getting Lost
  One of the worst hazards of the wilderness is getting lost. In the Lost Lands, there is no 
  GPS and few roads. Many areas are trackless wilderness, and getting from known areas 
  to unknown areas is hard and fraught with peril. Movement through the wilds in my game 
  is evaluated in 5-mile stretches. In the wild, there is always a chance a group can become 
  lost and head in an unintended direction. This creates hazards related to food and water 
  shortages, and can even lead to encounters with unintended places or monsters. In the 
  past, I had simple applied conditions to this factor based on the old 1E Dungeon Master’s 
  Guide8. I encountered a simplified version while playing at a convention with my friend 
  Jimm Johnson and have modified my approach here.
  For each 5 miles moved, the party must roll 1d6 to determine if the direction they are 
  going is as intended. 
  8 Gygax, Gary. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeon Masters Guide: Special Reference Work. 
  Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Games, 1979. Print.
  
  15
  Table: Getting Lost
  Terrain Type
  Lost?
  Move as Desired
  Plains or River
  1
  2–6
  Hills and Mountains
  1–2
  3–6
  Forest, Desert
  1–3
  4–6
  Badlands, Swamp
  1–4
  5–6
  City/Road/Trail
  —
  1–6
  Open Ocean
  1–3
  4–6
  Modifiers (cumulative)
  Druid: +1 (land and sea)
  Ranger: +1 (land only)
  One Character with Wisdom 15+: +1
  Obvious Landmark: +1
  No Landmarks (cannot see sky or surrounding area): –2
  Familiar with area: +1 to +3, at GM’s discretion
  If the party is successful, they move five miles in the direction desired and nothing 
  more occurs (until they move again). Should a party become lost, they move in a random 
  direction as follows (1d8):
  Lost!
  Roll
  Direction
  1
  Straight ahead as intended, they got lucky
  2
  45 degrees right
  3
  90 degrees right
  4
  135 degrees right
  5
  Straight backward 180 degrees
  6
  135 degrees left
  7
  90 degrees left
  8
  45 degrees left
  After 5 miles (1 hex) the party rolls another d6 at –1 on the roll (non-cumulative). If they 
  are successful, they realize they are moving in the wrong direction and can choose to either 
  backtrack (roll 1d6+1 and consult the “lost” chance again) or try to move in a different 
  direction (roll 1d6 normally to determine success).
  Bill's Lost Lands House Rules
  
  16
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  Food and Water, 
  or “Let Them Eat Cake”
  Travel through the wilderness and long dungeon treks often ignore several important 
  aspects of life. One of these is food and water. Sure, a GM can extrapolate that adventurers 
  eat rats and drink from subterranean streams, or that their travels through the plains assume 
  that they nail a deer or a few conies each day, supplemented by berries, roots and other 
  foods that they happen across.
  In older games, especially the original rules, food and water were critically important to 
  survival, both in and out of doors, as soon as the player characters left civilization. Anyone 
  who has seen The Treasure of Sierra Madre9 knows that this can also limit the amount of 
  other gear and treasure that can be carried forth from the Aztec tomb, dragon’s lair, the 
  dungeon, or anywhere else the players explore.  
  SG Note:
  Depending on the individual GM, overland travel in the Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game may be handled several ways. Some GMs prefer to roll dice and quickly 
  get the “boring” travel done. Some roll endless dice to “liven up” the time with 
  encounters of every form and fashion. Either way, here are some suggestions to 
  mimic, as close as possible, Bill’s deadly wilderness. Each of these are a Knowledge 
  (geography) check (GMs are given some leeway to make things interesting):
  Table: Getting Lost (Pathfinder Redux)
  Terrain Type
  Move as Desired
  Plains or River
  DC 5–10
  Hills and Mountains
  DC 10–15
  Forest, Desert
  DC 15–20
  Badlands, Swamp
  DC 20–25
  City/Road/Trail
  DC 0–5
  Open Ocean
  DC 10–20
  Modifiers (cumulative)
  Obvious Landmark: +4 circumstance bonus
  No Landmarks (cannot see sky or surrounding area): –2 penalty
  Familiar with area: +2 to +6 circumstance bonus, at GM’s 
  discretion
  Each hex requires a new roll from the GM. If the party is lost, roll the random 
  direction (see Lost!), and the party moves in the new direction, up to their movement 
  rate. When a new Knowledge (geography) check is required, give the PCs a –4 
  circumstance penalty on the roll. It’s very easy to get hopelessly lost in the Lost 
  Lands!
  9 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., 1948.
  
  17
  One almost totally forgotten limitation to the player characters being able to carry 
  mountains of loot and gear into the wilds is food. There is a reason that create food was 
  a 5th-level spell in early versions of the game, available when a cleric reached 7th level; 
  no mean feat (in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, create food and water is a 3rd-level 
  cleric/oracle spell, available at 5th level). Not having to carry or worry about food creates a 
  false “easiness” for adventurers. It also forces them to spend hard-earned gold on retainers, 
  wagons and rations. The system below is designed to be fast and easy to use. 
  A typical traveler needs a gallon of water and 2 pounds of food each day. Horses need 
  more than that amount. Hot or cold conditions, as well as strenuous activity, necessitate 
  even higher intake amounts.
  Food and water amounts required each day are as follows:
  Table: Food & Water Needs
  Creature
  Food (pounds)
  Water (gallons)
  Man
  2
  1
  Light Horse
  4
  5
  Medium Horse
  6
  7
  Heavy Horse
  10
  10
  Draft Horse
  8*
  8
  Mule
  4*
  5
  Dog, large
  0*
  1
  *Draft horses, mules and dogs are hardy, and can forage food as long 
  as conditions permit (eating scrub for horses and mules and mice, etc., 
  for dogs). Obviously, things like frozen or desert conditions prevent this. 
  Other creatures (e.g. camels) can be handled as the GM sees fit.
  Modifiers 
  Temperature greater than 80 degrees: double water need
  Temperature greater than 100 degrees: triple water need
  Temperature less than 30 degrees: double water need
  Temperature less than zero degrees: triple water need
  Lack of water weakens creatures (–4 constitution per day after the first day). Lack of 
  food has the same effect, but to a lesser extent (–1 constitution per day). Anything losing 
  constitution this way loses movement capability at the same rate (e.g. 25% constitution loss 
  is 25% movement loss). 
  Foraging
  Alternatively, players could forage their way through the wilds. This creates high value for 
  ranger and druid characters (tracking, identification of safe water and food sources) as well as the 
  ability to use some spells (locate plants, locate animals, purify water, create water) that are often 
  SG Note:
  Starvation and thirst are covered in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core 
  Rulebook, Environment, “Starvation and Thirst”)
  Bill's Lost Lands House Rules
  
  18
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  deemed worthless to players. I allow the player characters to forage by using one-third of their daily 
  movement for each attempt. Success in foraging is dependent on a dice roll as follows (roll 1d20):
  Table: Foraging Success or Failure
  Roll
  Result
  1–10
  Failure
  11–16
  Roll once on the table below
  17–19
  Roll twice on the table below
  20
  Roll 4 times on the table below
  Modifiers (individual)
  Druid: +3
  Ranger: +2
  Thief: +1
  Wisdom greater than 15: +1
  Wisdom less than 7: –1
  Foraging generates food and water for each individual that is successful as follows:
  Table: Foraging Results
  Roll
  Result
  01–50
  No food and 3d6 gallons of water
  51–75
  1d6 pounds of food and unlimited water
  76–80
  3d6 pounds of food and unlimited water
  81–89
  6d6 pounds of food and unlimited water
  90–95
  No food and poisoned/tainted water (save or catch disease 
  [parasites, 80%] or die [poison, 20%])
  96-00
  Poisoned food and unlimited water (save or die in 1d3 days)
  Modifiers  
  (areas to be modified by the GM as desired as well) 
  Certain terrain types generate more food and water 
  than others. What I typically use as a rule is as 
  follows:
  Desert: Rolls of 01–50 result in no water. Rolls of 51–80 
  result in 1d6 gallons of water.
  Ocean: No water is available.
  Plains: None.
  Hills: All food is +1d6.
  Forest: All food is +1d6.
  Mountains: All food is –1d6.
  Swamp: 75% chance water causes disease.
  Scrub/badlands: Rolls of 01–50 result in no water. Rolls 
  of 51–80 result in 2d6 gallons of water.
  River: All rolls result in unlimited water.
  Underground (assumes living caves): Food is one-third 
  amount rolled. Water is dependent on conditions. 
  Note 
  Druids of 3rd-level 
  and higher are 
  never affected 
  by the conditions 
  of rolls of 90–100, 
  and can prevent 
  the same if 
  they inspect 
  food and water 
  before ingestion. 
  Taint can be 
  removed by use 
  of a purify water 
  spell. Poison food 
  (e.g. toadstools) 
  cannot be made 
  nonpoisonous.
  
  19
  SG Note:
  Simply put, Bill’s advice works for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game system as-
  written. If, however, you wish to use more Knowledge checks, try these out:
  Table: Survival Check Foraging Success or Failure
  DC
  Result
  >10
  Failure
  11–20
  Roll once on the table below
  21–25
  Roll twice on the table below
  26+
  Roll 4 times on the table below
   
  Foraging generates food and water for each individual that is successful as 
  follows:
  Table: Foraging Results
  Roll
  Result
  01–50
  No food and 3d6 gallons of water
  51–75
  1d6 pounds of food and unlimited water
  76–80
  3d6 pounds of food and unlimited water
  81–89
  6d6 pounds of food and unlimited water
  90–95
  No food and poisoned/tainted water (DC 20 Fort save 
  or catch disease [80%; filth fever] or poisoned [20%; Filthy 
  Water, type poison (ingested); save Fortitude DC 11; onset 
  10 minutes; frequency 1/minute for 4 minutes; effect 1d3 
  Wis damage and 1 Int damage; cure 1 save])
  96-00
  Poisoned food and unlimited water (save or die in 1d3 
  days)
  Modifiers (areas to be modified by the GM as desired as well) 
  Certain terrain types generate more food and water than others. 
  What I typically use as a rule is as follows:
  Desert: Rolls of 01–50 result in no water. Rolls of 51–80 result in 1d6 
  gallons of water.
  Ocean: No water is available.
  Plains: None.
  Hills: All food is +1d6.
  Forest: All food is +1d6.
  Mountains: All food is –1d6.
  Swamp: 75% chance water causes disease.
  Scrub/badlands: Rolls of 01–50 result in no water. Rolls of 51–80 
  result in 2d6 gallons of water.
  River: All rolls result in unlimited water.
  Underground (assumes living caves): Food is one-third amount 
  rolled. Water is dependent on conditions. 
  Bill's Lost Lands House Rules
  
  20
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  Surprise, Initiative, and Melee 
  Order and Spellcasting in Combat
  I tend to try to keep combat really simple. To that end, after surprise is determined, 
  initiative is rolled each round for each party (the players and the monsters), and everyone 
  just goes in order of dexterity on their side’s turn. 
  Surprise is rolled on 1d6 for each party, with a 1–2 indicating that the group is surprised 
  (a 1 with a Ranger in the group). Certain monsters can modify this, as can circumstances at 
  the GM’s discretion (e.g. if the player characters are using light in a dark place, they cannot 
  surprise a creature that does not need light if in an open space). Surprise rounds grant the side 
  that is not surprised 1 full round of actions. If both sides are surprised, or if neither is, the 
  melee (tactical) round begins with an initiative roll.
  Initiative rolls are likewise accomplished by rolling 1d6. Highest roll goes first. The 
  player characters go in order of dexterity, and the monsters just go in whatever order the 
  GM wishes. Actions before the initiative roll include:
  • Declare Spells
  • Declare Missile Fire
  • Change Weapons
  • Parley (talk)
  Only after these are stated is the die rolled.
  Thus, it is possible for an unlucky individual to have changed over to his bow and arrow, 
  only to have a creature move in and melee him, losing an attack. Likewise, a spellcaster or 
  archer must decide before initiative is determined whether or not he will cast a spell. If he 
  loses initiative and is hit, the spell is lost. Any hit on a spellcaster that causes any damage 
  disrupts the spell and prevents effective missile fire. A creature attempting to parley is 
  assumed to have lowered his defenses, and an attacker gains a +1 to hit him during that round.
  Once initiative is determined, all actions simply go in order of dexterity (unless it’s 
  a really long action, as determined by the GM). To keep it simple, I don’t differentiate 
  between a spell, an arrow or a sword slash. 
  Hit Points, Death and Dying
  A few house rules apply to this. 
  First, all 1st-level characters start with maximum hit points. After that, it’s a roll. Seems 
  strange that I am kind in this regard, but it’s just too heartbreaking to play a 1 hp fighter. Player 
  characters die at negative hit points equal to their level plus their constitution bonus (minimum 
  0). Hence a 3rd-level character with a 13 constitution lives to –4 hp, and a 10th-level character 
  with a 6 constitution dies at –9 hp. If a character is killed, I do allow fairly readily accessible 
  raise dead spells, assuming a Lawful Temple is close at hand (for a fee, and sometimes assuming 
  a quest spell). The player characters have 1 day per level of the receiving cleric to get the body 
  to a temple. Anyone slain loses 1 constitution point each time they are killed. 
  SG Note:
  In the Swords & Wizardry system, Lawful is considered the same as “good”.
  
  21
  Doing Things 
  Rather than Rolling Dice
  Back in the old days, there were no such things as thieves. The only way to locate a trap 
  was to ask the GM to describe what you saw. Secret doors could be found with a dice roll, 
  true, but to open them, you had to say exactly what you were doing and how. 
  When I added thieves to my game in 1978 or so, I allowed traps to be detected without 
  a  roll — but to disarm one, you still had to describe to me what you were doing and how. 
  To be fair, characters with high disarm scores or with an ability to detect something (like 
  elves with secret doors or dwarves with stone traps) were given more or better descriptive 
  information, but everyone still had to interact with me as a GM rather than simply roll a die. 
  The GM should give characters with better skills a better understanding of the effects of 
  what they are doing could be. It should not be definite, but to tell the dwarf player “Based on 
  your knowledge of stonework, it appears that the ceiling block may be triggered by moving 
  the loose stone to the left” is reasonable (assuming you made the dice roll indicating he 
  understood it). Likewise, telling the elf player “There appears to be a series of buttons along 
  the edge of the wall. Two of them are slightly depressed and the other two protrude slightly 
  from the wall” is a lot cooler than saying “Oh look, a secret door is present on the north wall.”
  What this does is creates a realism of how something works, and converts traps and secret doors 
  into something special rather than just a humdrum roll. In our publication Tome of Adventure 
  Design, Matt Finch provides hundreds of pages of material that can assist you in this type of 
  thing. Two examples are repeated here to illustrate what I mean by this. Anyone who truly wishes 
  to implement this type of play into his adventures would benefit greatly from owning that book.
  Doors and secret doors become interesting and more meaningful if you describe how 
  they are opened. An example of how this could be done is:
  Die Roll
  Roll on this column 
  (d100)
  And then this column 
  (d100)
  And then roll on this column (d100)
  01-02
  Rotate (clockwise)
  The Falcon head
  Three times
  03-04
  Rotate (counterclock-
  wise)
  The King’s crown
  Forcefully
  05-06
  Lift up
  The Second button
  Hard
  07-08
  Push in
  Each knob
  Slowly
  09-10
  Push up
  The shortest lever
  Quickly
  11-12
  Push down
  The entire keyhole
  Carefully
  13-14
  Push left
  The large flagstone
  Until it clicks
  15-16
  Push right
  The handle
  Until the keyhole appears
  17-18
  Slide up
  The serpent’s tongue
  Until the latch appears
  19-20
  Slide down
  The curtain rod
  Until the latch opens
  21-22
  Slide
  The disk under the latch
  Until the button pops up
  23-24
  Pull
  The hidden lever
  While the other door is closed
  25-26
  Pull down on
  The doorknob
  At the indicated time
  27-28
  Pull up on
  The glass pane
  While saying the word  “Ni.”
  29-30
  Turn around
  The gargoyle’s buttocks
  Until the real door opens
  Table: Unusual Mechanisms for Normal Door
  Bill's Lost Lands House Rules
  
  22
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  Die Roll
  Roll on this column 
  (d100)
  And then this column 
  (d100)
  And then roll on this column (d100)
  31-32
  Turn
  The carving ont he 
  bottom
  Just after the chime sounds
  33-34
  Remove
  The middle face
  Then jump back
  35-36
  Use water on
  The rope
  Then run like hell
  37-38
  Apply heat to
  The torch sconce
  But pull your hand back quickly
  39-40
  Squeeze
  The skull
  Until the floor opens
  41-42
  Close
  The statue
  As hard as you can
  43-44
  Open
  The eye of the idol
  Until it aligns with the other side
  45-46
  Replace
  The blue stone
  Until it lines up with the yellow marker – 
  NOT the red marker
  47-48
  Take weight off
  The spiral thingy
  To get it into the other socket
  49-50
  Put weight on
  The knob
  To make it match the other side
  51-52
  Shake
  The numbered dial
  While the eye of the statue is closed
  53-54
  Twist
  The red pin
  In complete darkness
  55-56
  Lower
  The water valve
  From a distance
  57-58
  Cover up
  The large gear
  Using a mental command
  59-60
  Shine bright light on
  The twisted wire
  Which is in the other room
  61-62
  Pry out
  The other door
  Out in the hallway
  63-64
  Use a wrench on
  The floorboard
  Until the water-tubes connect
  65-66
  Use electric shock on
  The tripwire-looking 
  thing
  Until the electrical arcs have started
  67-68
  Press on
  The hook
  Then back away
  69-70
  Apply pressure to
  The eyeball
  Then cover your eyes
  71-72
  Move
  The bell-pull
  Until blood flows
  73-74
  Unfasten
  The chain
  Until you have heard two clicks
  75-76
  Lift and turn
  The triangular piece
  When it glows
  77-78
  Press and then turn
  The faucet
  While standing on the pressure plate
  79-80
  Disconnect
  The carved hand
  Until the other one makes a clicking 
  noise
  81-82
  Reconnect
  The eye of the tiger
  Until the ticking noise stops
  83-84
  Hit 
  The gem
  To start the process
  85-86
  Crank
  The loop
  Until the tubes fill with liquid
  87-88
  Don’t touch
  The talking part
  In complete silence
  89-90
  Touch
  The fig leaf
  Very gently
  91-92
  Take pressure off
  The wheel
  Until the illusion disappears
  93-94
  Strike
  The bolt
  And wait for three hours
  95-96
  Uncover
  The bladed apparatus
  To remove the magnetic force
  97-98
  Rotate
  The coupling
  To make the stone rise
  99-00
  Spin
  The decorative wing-nut
  To keep that obviously very bad contin-
  gency from occurring
  Table: Unusual Mechanisms for Normal Door Continued
  
  23
  In my opinion, description and disarming of traps by describing them is even more 
  important. The act of disarming the trap and saving the party, or of an epic failure causing 
  the death of a player character, should not be left to a dice roll alone. Some examples the 
  GM can use to describe “how traps work” and how players can try to disarm them are:
  Table: Mechanical traps – Concealment, Complicated Triggers
  Die Roll
  Trap Concealment 
  (d100)
  Complicated Trigger (d100)
  01-02
  Alcove
  A chemical requires a certain level of coolness to remain inactive.  Near-
  by flames (such as torches) cause it to react and activate the trap
  03-04
  Altar
  A chemical requires a certain level of heat to remain inactive.  Shadows 
  cause it to react and activate the trap
  05-06
  Aquarium
  A coating of grease covers a substance that heats up when exposed to 
  air; if the grease is smeared, the heat of the chemical reaction activates 
  the trap
  07-08
  Barrel or cask
  A feather is suspended over a very delicate pressure plate.  If it is blown 
  down by air currents, it will activate the trap when it lands (so would 
  other very light objects)
  09-10
  Bath or basin
  A glass globe (possibly quite small) contains a chemical that is highly 
  reactive when exposed to air.  If the globe breaks (and is still in the right 
  place) the heat of the chemical reaction activates the trap
  11-12
  Bed
  A hanging object or an object resting on the floor holds down a vertical 
  tripwire.  If the object is removed, the tripwire flies into the ceiling 
  (probably due to a counterweight) and the trap is activated
  13-14
  Book
  A highly reactive powder is located upon a heat sensor of some kind.  
  Body heat, oils in skin, or exhaled carbon dioxide concentrations (three 
  different triggers, here) cause the powder to react and activate the heat 
  sensor or burn through a thread
  15-16
  Bookshelves
  A part of the item can be moved, and contains a lever that activates the 
  trap
  17-18
  Box or crate
  Acid container tips onto string; when spring snaps, trap is activated
  19-20
  Bridge
  Acid container tips onto string; when spring snaps, trap is activated
  21-22
  Cabinet
  Beam of light (possibly invisible, possibly not, possibly visible only 
  with unusual type of vision) has a “photoreceptor”: if the beam of light 
  is broken, the trap is activated
  23-24
  Carpet or rug
  Beam of light (possibly invisible, possibly not, possibly visible only 
  with unusual type of vision) has a “photoreceptor.”  Something blocks 
  the beam of light, but if that item is moved, the light will hit the photore-
  ceptor and activate the trap
  25-26
  Ceiling hook
  Beam of light (possibly invisible, possibly not, possibly visible only 
  with unusual type of vision) has a “photoreceptor”: if the beam of light 
  is broken, the trap is activated
  27-28
  Chair or throne
  Beam of light (possibly invisible, possibly not, possibly visible only 
  with unusual type of vision) has a “photoreceptor.”  Something blocks 
  the beam of light, but if that item is moved, the light will hit the photore-
  ceptor and activate the trap
  29-30
  Chest
  Blade cuts twine if moved
  31-32
  Corpse
  Blade cuts twine if moved
  33-34
  Dais, platform or 
  stage
  Change-up.  A hammer is held suspended by a latch, which, if opened 
  will cause the hammer to strike an obvious pressure plate.  That pressure 
  plate HAS to be hit in order to temporarily de-activate another, hidden, 
  pressure plate in the floor.  The pressure plate in the floor is the one that 
  activates a trap.
  35-36
  Desk
  Flint sparks a trail of flammable powder to the triggering poin
  Bill's Lost Lands House Rules
  
  24
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  Die Roll
  Trap Concealment 
  (d100)
  Complicated Trigger (d100)
  37-38
  Display case
  Flint sparks a trail of flammable powder to the triggering point
  39-40
  Door
  Guitar-type string, if plucked, establishes a frequency that breaks a little 
  sliver of glass, activating the trap
  41-42
  Door hinges
  Latch releases gears to begin moving, if the latch is accidentally pulled 
  off its holder
  43-44
  Doorknob or latch
  Latch releases gears to begin moving, if the latch is accidentally pulled 
  off its holder
  45-46
  Fireplace
  Piece of tubing contains gas or liquid under pressure.  The pressure 
  keeps the trap from functioning; if a stopper is removed (possibly at-
  tached to a wire or chain), the pressure is removed and the trap activates.  
  Same result if the tubing is broken or pierced.
  47-48
  Flagstone in floor
  Pin (like that of a grenade) hold trap from functioning unless it is pulled 
  from its socket
  49-50
  Forge or anvil
  Pin (like that of a grenade) hold trap from functioning unless it is pulled 
  from its socket
  51-52
  Fountain
  Pressure plate with weight on it releases when weight removed
  53-54
  Idol or statue
  Pressure plate with weight on it releases when weight removed
  55-56
  Jar, pot, urn
  Pressure plate with weight on it releases when weight removed
  57-58
  Ladder
  Pressure plate: when depressed, the trap is activated
  59-60
  Lamp
  Pressure plate: when depressed, the trap is activated
  61-62
  Machine
  Pressure plate: when depressed, the trap is activated
  63-64
  Manacles or chains
  Pressure plate: when depressed, the trap is activated
  65-66
  Mirror
  Pull-wire on item releases trap
  67-68
  Oven
  Pull-wire on item releases trap
  69-70
  Pedestal
  Pull-wire on item releases trap
  71-72
  Pews or benches
  Sliding bolt keeps hidden gears from moving unless the bolt is pulled 
  from its socket
  73-74
  Pillar or column
  Sliding bolt keeps hidden gears from moving unless the bolt is pulled 
  from its socket
  75-76
  Pool
  Sliver of blown glass contains a light beam or a corrosive liquid that 
  activates the trap if the piece of glass is broken
  77-78
  Portcullis
  Something is delicately balanced upon a button.  If it falls, the removal 
  of weight lifts a pin and activates the trap
  79-80
  Railing
  Spring releases trap
  81-82
  Ramp
  Spring releases trap
  83-84
  Stairs
  Trap is located on a balanced “seesaw” with another counterweight; if 
  either item is removed, the seesaw will press onto a trigger and activate 
  the trap
  85-86
  Stove
  Trap is located on a balanced “seesaw” with another counterweight; if 
  either item is removed, the seesaw will pull up a chain and activate the 
  trap
  87-88
  Sundial
  Trap is located on a balanced “seesaw” with another counterweight; if 
  either item is removed, the seesaw will press onto a trigger and activate 
  the trap
  89-90
  Table
  Trap is located on a balanced “seesaw” with another counterweight; if 
  either item is removed, the seesaw will pull up a chain and activate the 
  trap
  
  25
  Die Roll
  Trap Concealment 
  (d100)
  Complicated Trigger (d100)
  91-92
  Tapestry
  Tripwire activates trap when pulled
  93-94
  Taxidermy piece
  Tripwire activates trap when pulled
  95-96
  Telescope or kalei-
  doscope
  Tripwire activates trap when pulled
  97-98
  Toilets or privy
  Tripwire activates trap when pulled
  99-00
  Torch or sconce
  Water container in trap, if disturbed, splashes water onto reactive sub-
  stance; chemical reaction releases trap
  SG Note:
  To add a sense of Bill’s house rules to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, a GM 
  might give a PC a +2 to +6 bonus on Perception checks for vividly describing how 
  they search.
  Bill's Lost Lands House Rules
  
  26
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  The Players 
  Got Too Much 
  Treasure
  
  27
  Tax Collector
  As the adage goes, nothing in life is certain except death and taxes. Having recently 
  cheated death (assuming the players survived to gather treasure), the local lord/king, etc., 
  has learned that a rich hoard of treasure was taken within his domain. Now he wants the 
  players to wet his beak, because, after all, they are his subjects; or at least they are under 
  his “protection” and within his domain.
  The initial contact occurs when the players are back in town, right after they have 
  spent a large sum on whatever it was that they wanted to buy (armor, horses, magic, etc.). 
  Whatever the cause, the “rich” adventurers’ rampant spending catches the eye of an agent 
  of the local tax collector. 
  The players are approached by the tax collector named, sure why not, Paul the tax collector, 
  accompanied by six men-at-arms, all wearing the regalia of the local lord. Paul informs the 
  players that he has learned that they recently came into a large amount of wealth, and that 
  he has been instructed to inventory and valuate this wealth for purposes of the local income 
  tax. Paul evaluates wealth based on retail (e.g. book) value of all mundane items. He is not a 
  wizard, nor can he properly assess magic item values. Hence, a staff of power looks (to him) 
  just like a fancy carved wooden staff, maybe with a few gems encrusted on it. 
  The tax rate, he explains, is 25% of the total value of wealth gained per year, and since 
  the players are new to the area, the baseline amount (25% of their total wealth) is due now. 
  Not to worry, he goes on, subsequent years will be taxed based on the amount of “new 
  wealth” gained, and not residuals on the existing wealth assessed this year. 
  Now, part of what he says is true, and part is a lie. The local lord did indeed send him to 
  collect a tax — but that tax is supposed to be 10%, not 25%. Paul and his men at arms are 
  adding a “surcharge” to the lord’s taxes. 
  Several courses of action are open to the party at this point. First, they could just openly 
  and honestly pay Paul the 25% and be done. Second, they could kill Paul and his men, 
  thereby becoming outlaws in the realm and having the full force and opposition of the local 
  lord against them while within the area. Third, they could comply with Paul’s request, but 
  hide/hedge on the amount of material wealth they actually have (love that bag of holding!). 
  A fourth course of action would be to demand to see the lord, which Paul attempts to stop 
  (since he is a crook) by negotiating down the amount to tax (but never to less than 15%). 
  Finally, they could just ride on over to the lord’s castle and negotiate payment with him 
  directly. 
  Each of these scenarios is a great opportunity for roleplaying and setting the stage for 
  local adventure hooks. Perhaps they pay the lord, but are offered service or land (see “Here 
  is your Castle [aka The Money Pit]” below). Perhaps the lord has missions to send them 
  on (e.g. adventures), or is an evil, greedy bastard intent on fleecing them out of their gains. 
  In any case, this writer has found interaction with the local nobility to be particularly 
  useful for making things happen in a campaign. Even better, you get to make your player’s 
  characters pay for the privilege of getting adventure hooks and political connections. The 
  clever GM uses this trick as an opportunity to flesh out his campaign. If it provides an 
  opportunity to take away some of the players’ gold as well, all the better.
  Framed!
  While not a particularly new or innovative dirty trick, this oldie but goodie can still have 
  its place and be fun to add into a campaign, particularly if the GM is in need of a good 
  roleplaying mystery session. The cliché encounter is to have a player character’s weapon 
  The Players Got Too Much Treasure
  
  28
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  found with a dead victim, or even to have an assassin using the disguise ability dress up 
  like a character and murder someone with witnesses present.
  Alternatively, a well could be poisoned, an adversary’s farm burned or wife kidnapped, 
  or some form of treason laid to rest at the character’s feet. Certainly anyone who needs 
  ideas on this could watch a few episodes of The Tudors10 and get some ideas. This dirty 
  trick is a tried-and-true method of generating an exciting adventure throughout the annals 
  of literature and film.
  Two methods of using this dirty trick can have very separate scenarios. The first and 
  most obvious is the “prove them innocent and catch the bad guy” scenario. This one can 
  force the player characters to examine their morals, perhaps even forcing certain lawful 
  types (e.g. paladins) to submit themselves for justice. Other thoughts include a hostage 
  trade to give them a month to prove their innocence or the hostage dies in their place (think 
  Damon and Pythias). Alternatively, if a non-capital crime, perhaps they could be required 
  as punishment to submit to a geas or quest.
  The second, and in my opinion more fun option, is the “imprison the characters, take their 
  stuff, and see how they react/escape” version. After all, one of their “mother’s sister’s cousins” 
  may have told them of a secret way out of the dungeon (Conan the Barbarian11). Perhaps 
  the princess has fallen in love with them (e.g. Jason and the Argonauts12, Braveheart13), or 
  perhaps instead they just have to arrange an escape or rescue (Robin Hood14). 
  One very challenging way to do this is to have them captured and imprisoned in the deep 
  dungeons below the city. Have the guard be a man that they once fought beside, perhaps 
  even saved the life of, in a battle. After a few days, the slop tray conveniently contains a 
  method of escape: a key, a set of lock picks, etc. 
  10 “The Tudors.” IMDb. IMDb.com, Feb. 2014
  11 Conan the Barbarian. MCA, 1982.
  12 Jason and the Argonauts. Time, 1963.
  13 Braveheart. Paramount Pictures, 1995.
  14 Robin Hood. Universal, 2010.
  
  29
  The characters cannot go up and out of the dungeon, so they have to exit the city though 
  the underworld — without gear and spells. Creating a hostile circumstance like this forces 
  the characters to rely on their wits and not their +5 holy avenger. The GM simply creates 
  a method (hopefully a chase scene) where the players have to run through a gauntlet of 
  the populated dungeon (without killing any guards, since this would actually be a crime 
  they were guilty of!), perhaps landing in a sewer system for cavern system below it. The 
  challenge then becomes a survival race. They have to figure a way out of this underworld 
  (without gear), figure out a method of exiting the underworld without being recaptured, and 
  escape the area. Only then can they sort out a way to prove their innocence (perhaps re-
  entering the city in disguise?) and become outlaws in the process (very tough on the egos 
  of Lawful characters). As the GM, you should provide them ample opportunity to prove 
  themselves true, and thus regain their stuff.
  Have fun with this one. Players always do. I don’t think I have seen more high-fives and 
  bigger smiles than when they have exonerated themselves and caught the bad guys.
  Wilderness Bandits
  Those of you familiar with Rappan Athuk have seen this type of dirty trick before. As 
  Thomas Tusser once famously said, “A fool and his money are soon parted.” The antagonists 
  in this trick are well versed in taking loot from “fools” who go into the dungeon, barely 
  make it out again, and expect that whatever they take out will actually go home with them. 
  It should teach them to save something for the way back.
  This trick is designed to teach a lesson to those who overstretch themselves and expect 
  that the wilderness is actually safe to travel home through. Everyone knows that dungeons 
  are dangerous, and some have learned that folk leaving the dungeon are usually weak, 
  wounded and rich. For those grognards out there, this type of trick was used heavily in the 
  old days. I have used two types of this trick over the years, the first I call the “Gatekeeper,”, 
  and the second is the “Opportunist.”
  The Gatekeeper
  Several very well-known modules from the ‘70s used a dragon gatekeeper who would 
  “tax” parties going in and out of “its” dungeon. The dragon, you see, was far too large to 
  fit in the entryway. Likewise, the tax rate was not too heavy — after all, the keeper wants 
  adventurers going in and grabbing him loot. Too high a fee and they might either attack the 
  dragon (just bad for business) or decide to go elsewhere. While dragons make excellent 
  gatekeeper types, a myriad of other creatures could be used in their stead. Basically anything 
  intelligent and powerful that does not want to/cannot enter the dungeon. This critter just 
  sets up camp at or near the dungeon entrance and charges a fee, either as a fixed rate or a 
  percentage, of anything taken out. I usually have the beastie ask for 30%–50%, subject to 
  negotiation of course. Cruel GMs give the gatekeeper a means of detecting magic — that 
  way, magic items can be assessed and taxed as well. 
  The GM should take care to ensure that the beastie is large and powerful enough that 
  the players don’t just decide to kill it. One advantage of this type of trick is that the GM 
  can use the gatekeeper as a source of rumors and legends about what is inside — either 
  for a charged fee or just as a roleplaying opportunity (after all, the gatekeeper wants the 
  players to bring out more loot). Alternatively, this can be used a source of adventure links 
  or missions. For example, the gatekeeper might send the players on a quest to obtain a 
  certain item, with promise of a reward or some information, etc., should they succeed. 
  Again, this type of trick can be used as a source of campaign enrichment, similar to the Tax 
  The Players Got Too Much Treasure
  
  30
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  Collector, the players can develop long-term relationships with the Gatekeeper monster, 
  perhaps developing a symbiotic friendship at some point (powerful monsters need minions 
  like the PCs after all!).
  The Opportunist
  “Stand and deliver” is the battle cry of the opportunist. These bandits watch for groups 
  of adventurers going into places where there is loot, let the adventurers do the hard work 
  of obtaining it (think Belloq in Indiana Jones15), and then grab them on the way out — 
  presumably weakened, wounded and low on spells. They live by the adage that it’s much 
  wiser to have someone else do the dirty work for you and reap the rewards that others 
  worked for. Many of these guys grow up to be oil barons or Wall Street CEOs in later life.
  The rule of thumb I use for this type of trick (encounter really) is a non-player character 
  or monster group of approximately the same power level as the player characters if they 
  were fully prepped and healed. Unlike the gatekeeper type of bandit, the opportunist rarely 
  forms a long-term relationship with the players (and often forms the basis of the “hunt it 
  down and kill it” adventure). These guys tend to make players very angry. These bandits 
  are usually not in it for the long haul, and don’t hesitate to attack and kill a group if they 
  believe they can. 
  The typical way to use the opportunist is with an ambush. Either they take over the 
  players’ henchman-staffed camp (and horses), holding it hostage when the characters 
  emerge from the dungeon, or else they hide in the bushes and emerge with arrows nocked 
  and spells ready when our heroes start toward civilization again. These guys’ only goal is 
  to take everything the characters have and walk away.
  For these types of encounters, I like to use a few powerful foes laced with many weaker 
  ones (usually all armed with missile weapons). A good example would be an NPC party 
  of equal or slightly lower level (approx. 1–2 levels lower) than the PCs with a corps of 30 
  or so men-at-arms with bows or crossbows (and orders to shoot arrows at the unarmored 
  “wizards” and run away from Joe Platemail III types). I have also used a higher-level 
  wizard with a troll pack, as well as an ogre with 200 kobolds. 
  The key to this type of encounter is that it should be a) dangerous but possibly defeatable 
  and b) the bad guys really do not want to fight. They want loot, but fight to obtain it if they 
  think they can win. These types are usually cowardly (else they would go into the dungeon 
  themselves), and usually flee if they might lose. Where the gatekeeper-style encounter (a 
  lion) must include a super-powerful beastie (else the gatekeeper would have been slain 
  by every group that came before), the opportunist exists to prey upon the weak (a coyote 
  pack). The clever GM uses the opportunist encounter to make the players mad. Pure and 
  simple. Once they are mad, the next game session is almost certainly dedicated to getting 
  revenge.  
  A Friend in Need
  How many times have you seen this happen: An old friend, down on his luck, needs 
  your help. Sometimes its circumstance, sometimes just bad luck, and sometimes, well, 
  you know. One great way to take some of that treasure away from your players is to tug 
  on the old heart strings. Remember that bartender in that inn from your first adventure? 
  You know, the one who gave you the rumor that led to the ogre’s lair when you made 2nd-
  level? Well, here he is, and he needs your help. What about that henchman who was killed 
  last year? Well, his wife and three orphan kids are about to lose the farm. They need you 
  15 Raiders of the Lost Ark. Paramount Pictures, 1981.
  
  31
  to bail them out.
  These and other scenarios like them can be periodically used to take away some of that 
  extra loot. These types of tricks should be used fairly frequently (the player characters are 
  likely very wealthy by game standards), as the people they know would naturally look for 
  rich Uncle Joe Platemail III to help them. They do not have to be huge requests — some 
  could be very small (the old one-legged soldier, the poor homeless waif on the street). In 
  my home game, I tend to throw in a friendly request for funds at least once every two game 
  sessions, and I keep note of it for reasons I will describe below. I keep most of these cash 
  drains small, so as to avoid suspicion, only hitting them up for big bucks when they are 
  feeling particularly rich and invulnerable.
  This could also be presented as a business opportunity — for example, “Gosh, I could 
  open this inn and make us both a ton of cash,” or “I need 1000 gp to finish my research 
  on this new spell.” Things like that. Some of the bequests could actually show a profit; 
  however, it should be noted that most just eat the investment and/or have the beggar ask for 
  more money because “for another 500 gp we can start to turn big profits!”
  Most businesses in the Dark Ages and antiquity rarely made a “living” (e.g. enough to 
  live on, and that is all) for their proprietors. The odds of making an investment show a 
  return are quite small. If it were not, why would the adventurers risk life and limb fighting 
  vampires and trolls in dark caves rather than grow barley and sell ale? One solid tactic is 
  to have an investment pay (a small return) and then burn down (see “Here is your new 
  Castle [aka The Money Pit]” below). You can entice them to spend a ton by having their 
  bar burn to the ground. I have yet to fail to get a player to do this. 
  It is important that the GM make the players feel good about doing these things. After all, 
  they are the local heroes. This type of trick can be used to make the players feel important, 
  all the while really taking away that gold. Likewise, if properly done, it can form the basis 
  of logic as to why the players actually attract followers at name level. For example, if 
  Joe III from the above example becomes Lord Joe III at 9th level and builds a castle, he 
  attracts followers. Rather than just say 200 nameless, faceless men-at-arms show up, what 
  about a cool scene where Captain Briggs arrives with 30 men-at-arms in tow, explaining 
  that he heard you were looking for men, and he remembered that time you helped his poor 
  old mom save the farm. Likewise, when Joe’s buddy Father Tim builds his temple, that 
  homeless waif may just have become a cleric, and arrives with some friends to serve the 
  man who kept him from starving that winter. Followers and henchmen come into service 
  for a reason; and for good-aligned folk at least, a charitable master is a major driving force 
  in this. 
  There are plenty of story-building opportunities here. You see, gentle reader, that if the 
  players are rewarded for, ahem, “spending” their cash, they don’t resent it. In old school 
  games like Swords & Wizardry where cash is experience points, this makes far more sense 
  anyway (see the Alternate XP rules).
  Holy War
  One surefire way to get rid of a ton of “excess” cash is to have your local temple, you 
  know, the one dedicated to the god your clerics and paladins follow, or the one that heals 
  you, cures your diseases and raises you from the dead, go to war or face some other 
  fundraising crisis. Instead of the standard 10% tithe that the players gave, now the church 
  demands 50% or even 90%. Be very careful with this one, for if most of the tricks in this 
  section are bombs, this one could be a nuke.
  This one is similar to the “Tax Collector” encounter previously described, but much, 
  much less voluntary. The clerics and paladins really have no choice in the matter (if they 
  want to remain clerics and paladins). Likewise, the potential for getting healing magic cast 
  The Players Got Too Much Treasure
  
  32
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  
  33
  in the future may well be limited to “the faithful” (e.g. those who gave money).
  The GM must be careful not to invoke this event too frequently. I personally have used 
  it maybe 4 or 5 times over the course of 30 years. If you use it more than once with a 
  particular group of players, it becomes obvious that you are just screwing them and that is 
  never good for a game. The advice I would give is that if you resort to this trick, make sure 
  you have a way for the player characters to participate in the war or other event.
  If the levy being collected is for a crusade, plan to have the players assist. If there is a 
  war, perhaps the church can ask the “brave adventurers” to go on some special mission 
  or something to support the cause (in addition to the cash). Basically, if the end product 
  involves the players and appears meaningful, then their money went to something 
  meaningful, and was not just fiat grabbed away by the GM being a jerk.
  An example of how I once did this is described below. 
  My player group had a particularly successful series of adventures (some luck, some 
  skill) where they had simply gained far too much loot far too quickly. It was one of those 
  “oops, I messed up” GM moments. I mean the kind where you look at their sheets and 
  consider resetting the campaign because they are so rich that there is no way they would 
  ever adventure again. How I handled it was as follows:
  The church of Muir demanded a 90% tithe of all goods and holdings from all players 
  (and non-players). Bannor the Paladin and Flail the Great had to give the money. Speigel 
  the Mage, Frac Cher and Helman did not have to (all real players in my campaign). 
  The problem was that the forces of evil (led by priests of Orcus, of course) had burned 
  two cities to the east of Bard’s Gate. The marauding army was ravaging the countryside, 
  and a call up of an army, aided by mercenaries from the south, was needed to stop it. The 
  players were used to getting healed and cured by the temple, and so all but Helman decided 
  to pay the fee (he fooled them into thinking his 40% or so was really 90%). The high priests 
  (Flail was still an adventurer at the time, and had not yet become the high priest of Muir), 
  after graciously taking away 90% of the players’ monetary wealth, asked them to help with 
  the war as well.
  The players were sent on a mission to recover three holy artifacts for use in the war. This 
  adventure formed the basis of 14 months of play. The players never once questioned the 
  fact that the “evil GM” had stolen all their money, because it was meaningful. The money 
  taken by the priests had purpose, and in the players’ minds was worth spending. Until I 
  wrote this (at least three of them will likely get copies of the book), I doubt any of them 
  knew that I invented the storyline to get rid of all their loot. (John Murdoch is wringing his 
  hands as he reads this.)
  The point is, I was able to fix the mistake I made (well, Frac had this crazy knack of 
  rolling 20s) that had the potential to kill the game, and I am fairly sure the players never 
  were wise to what I had done.
  Alternate uses of this that are not game changing could include an increase in fees 
  to build a new temple,  a requirement that raise dead spells include a quest to recover 
  something, or to pay some huge amount of cash over time (my raise dead’s usually require 
  a quest to tithe as a paladin). Just be careful how you use this one in particular, as it can be 
  an obvious “screw the players” technique if used often or without proper planning.
  Disaster in Home Town
  One’s roots always inspire loyalty. When Isiah Thomas won the NBA championship, he 
  went to East St. Louis to help kids. Never mind it was crime-filled, industrial and poor, he 
  was a hero made good. One of the genius things about developing backgrounds for player 
  characters is that the GM is afforded the opportunity to create humble beginnings to which 
  erstwhile heroes can return. Player characters are the elite, the “kids who won,” and the best 
  The Players Got Too Much Treasure
  
  34
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  of the best of an often agrarian and poor society. Sure, your random paladin player character 
  may have been the privileged rich kid with the “save the world complex,” but by and large 
  all characters come from humble beginnings, and have made their own way in the world.
  It’s the clever GM’s job to make this work against them (and perhaps for them). Similar to the  
  “Friend in Need” trick, this trick combines the player loyalty to a perceived idea of 
  “roots” with the ability to make the player feel like an important big shot, all the while 
  accomplishing the GM’s goal of reducing character wealth and providing the need for the 
  engine to consume more gasoline (to make the players head off to get more wealth).
  I have used this trick several times over the years. Examples include plague in the village 
  (requires hiring priests to go there), a huge fire or crop blight (rebuild or import food), an 
  ankheg or purple worm assault (save us!), and other items. Perhaps the best time I ever 
  had using this trick was when I had a purple worm destroy the village (think Dune16). The 
  player characters had to first defeat the worm, then rebuild the bulk of the town. Lots of fun 
  for all, and once again, the players came out of the ordeal feeling like heroes. 
  Another take on this is for the homeland to be ruled by an evil knight/wizard/priest, 
  and the players have the opportunity to take over as the new rulers by defeating him. This 
  can have some of the same effect as “Here is your new Castle (aka The Money Pit)”, if 
  the GM makes the town poor or destroys it during the “rescue” by the player characters. 
  This has the same effect on the game as “A Friend in Need” if used to justify followers 
  and/or acquisition of a stronghold. Since the player characters rescued the poor oppressed 
  peasants from the evil lord, then rebuilt the town, it makes sense that Sven the blacksmith 
  joins up as a follower.
  Additional examples that could fill this trick include:
  • The local ruler and former patron of the party falls on hard times and may lose his 
  castle/men at arms, etc.
  • An earthquake levels all of the stone buildings (temple, castle, etc.) in the players’ 
  place of origin. 
  • A player character’s family is heavily mortgaged, and the family estate will be lost 
  absent the player’s intervention.
  • A bandit lord threatens to destroy the village unless a huge ransom is paid (could either 
  be a battle, a compromise or a payoff).
  • The kind old benevolent lord dies, and the territory goes up for sale by the king/
  overlord, etc.
  Here is your new Castle  
  (aka The Money Pit)
  OK, so this one is an oldie but a goody. One of the common tactics of the Tudor kings was 
  to bequeath estates that had historically lost money to noblemen they wanted to destroy. 
  Either the nobleman turned around the fortunes of the estate (and the king’s taxes became 
  more profitable) or they went bankrupt trying. It was a sort of “F-you, pay me” situation 
  for the nobleman. He owed the king a fixed fee for taxes on the estate, he received income 
  from it, and he hoped that the latter exceeded the former. It often did not.
  This trick, if properly handled, can form the basis of a scenario that many players find to be the 
  most rewarding part of the game. They actually get to build a home and base of operations and can 
  take pride in how well they run it. Sure, you as GM are fleecing them out of most or all of their gold 
  — but I have yet to have any player complain or even realize that this is what I was doing to them.
  This is another situation that looks like a great deal for the player(s), but is actually a 
  16 Dune. Universal, 1984.
  
  35
  The Players Got Too Much Treasure
  
  36
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  money sink that eats up cash and forces the player(s) to head back into the dungeon for 
  yet more gold to keep the machine fed. The irony is that increased taxes on the population 
  has the effect of decreased population, so the answer on the agriculture side is often take a 
  larger loss in the near term for a larger gain later on.
  It could be that the estates inherited by the player character house a rich gold mine, a rock quarry, 
  or a hotspot along a trade route. Maybe the gold runs out, the rock quality wanes, or the trade route 
  gets disrupted by the plague, a bandit chief, or a war. No matter, the king’s taxes are still due.
  Failure to pay is at best a disgrace, with an interest-bearing debt, and at worst (especially 
  after a few years) banishment or even accusations of treason. The key is to make the player 
  believe that he can “make this work.”
  Several key ideas play into this scenario. First, the player must do something that 
  warrants the granting of lands and title. This could include offending the ruler of the area, 
  or it could simply be fate that destines the player character to get the money pit. Second, 
  the land and castle need to be designed by the GM so that they currently lose money. 
  This could be due to a number of factors — bandits, poor farmland, lack of resources or 
  lack of peasants to work the land, massive repair bills on old crumbling castles, large pay 
  increases for men-at-arms (who are billeted with the character by the overlord), etc. Lastly, 
  there needs to be a way for the character to improve his lot. This cannot be a “must lose” 
  situation. There needs to be a means of redemption and “victory” if the player plays well. 
  One common theme is the clearing of the land, in which the players can greatly improve 
  the conditions of the area by defeating monsters or bandits plaguing the area, making it 
  more hospitable to the people working the land, as well as safer for others to travel through 
  and visit the area. The GM can pre-set a series of bad guys in the region, and have them 
  impact trade and commerce. Ideas include having a hill giant ransack the tax delivery, 
  or have a chimera kill off a cattle herd. Hippogriffs taking horses, and bandits extorting 
  peasants and burning crops are other ideas. This gives the player characters several good 
  mini-adventures with a defined purpose, as well as letting them establish themselves as 
  good stewards of the land with the local populace (as well as their lord).
  The GM should have new denizens creep in every now and again to keep things interesting. 
  Typically, I allow a 10% chance per game month that some new randomly determined bad 
  guy creeps into the land and harasses or kills some peasants or livestock. This provides for 
  continuing adventure and increased responsibility (and pride of ownership) for the characters. 
  One of the best situations I was able to create along these lines was when Speigel the Mage 
  (who kept trolls in cages to make healing potions from their blood) had his laboratory 
  destroyed and apprentices killed when a troll escaped inside his castle! 
  Another idea for “making it work” is to provide the player characters with the ability 
  to hire “experts” in various fields to look for ways to make the land wealthier. This could 
  include hiring prospectors to look for metal deposits, subsidizing farmers to allow them to 
  grow larger crops and build up reserves (basically the characters pay the taxes and allow 
  the peasants to build up surplus, thereby growing population and tax base), or building 
  infrastructure (roads, ferries, bridges) to attract trade, etc.
  The real goal of all these scenarios is to make the characters pay out money (a lot) to 
  make their land holdings better. Finally, low taxes and fair, honest and just rulership net 
  more inhabitants. The opposite nets less. More inhabitants net more gold, and more gold 
  nets a happy overlord. 
  One way to handle this is to apply some factor of success and failure to economic and 
  population morale.
  SG Note:
  Additional kingdom-building information can be found in the Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Ultimate Campaign sourcebook.
  
  37
  Situational 
  Advantage 
  (Environment)
  
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  Slippery Conditions
  This one has always inspired me, and those who have read my work know I use it often. 
  Simply put, this dirty trick can turn relatively easy encounters hard by making combat 
  more difficult (for the players) or by adding slapstick entertainment (by having everything 
  slipping and falling).
  The way I like to use this is to create muddy or slimy floors, either inside or out, that 
  force the player characters to make saving throws every time they take an action that forces 
  them to move rapidly. Easy examples include ice and mud; more complex examples could 
  include things like oil of slipperiness (see “Kobolds with Toys” below), or simply wet 
  floors. 
  Monsters, particularly in cold climes, would be unaffected. Likewise, this is a great 
  opportunity to use a flying monster (such as stirges or a will-o’-wisp), that is unaffected by 
  the ground conditions. An example follows:
  The Cold Cave
  Exploring the area, the player characters come across a small cave entrance buried below 
  some rubble at the base of the cliff. After a few minutes of excavating the debris, a 4-foot-
  diameter tunnel can be cleared, leading down at a steep slope into a cave below. The hole 
  is covered with a thin layer of mud and silt, although below this layer is a layer of ice. The 
  lower area glows with a faint light.
  Characters descending without ropes immediately find themselves sliding down the 
  tunnel at a high rate of speed, landing rather roughly (save or take 1d6 points of damage; 
  DC 15 Reflex save) on a sheet of ice covering a 20-foot-diameter pool of water in a 40-foot-
  diameter cave with a 10-foot ceiling. The ice has a 20% chance of cracking if a character 
  misses a save (20% for each one) when sliding down the tunnel. Each time the ice cracks, it 
  has a 20% cumulative chance of shattering and dumping the characters into a 20-foot-deep 
  icy pool with slippery sides (save at –4 to escape the pool from the sides; DC 20 Reflex 
  save). Each round spent in the pool gives the character a –2 cumulative penalty on all dice 
  rolls as the cold numbs the character’s hands and feet. In 10 rounds, the character succumbs 
  and drowns.
  Hovering over the pool is a will-o’-wisp. It glows brightly should anyone fall into the 
  water. Otherwise, it winks out and waits patiently, hoping the characters crack the ice and 
  fall into the pool. Normal movement at one-quarter speed still creates a chance of slipping 
  and cracking the ice (save at +4, each fall has a 20% chance of cracking the ice; DC 12 
  Reflex save).
  The wisp can be attacked normally; however, anyone touching the icy floor must 
  save each round or slip and fall prone (and have a 20% chance of cracking the ice if 
  on the pool; DC 15 Acrobatics check, treat the pool as difficult terrain). Spell casting 
  can be performed normally, although if the caster is hit in combat, he must save or 
  fall as well (concentration check applies to not lose spell; DC 15 Reflex save to stay 
  standing). Should roped characters escape the cave, the wisp does not follow. Climbing 
  up the tunnel without assistance is nearly impossible (one-eighth speed, if spikes are 
  used to create a series of handholds; DC 25 Climb check, +5 circumsatnce bonus if 
  spikes used).
  The wisp’s treasure is at the bottom of the pool and consists of 200 gp, a jewel-encrusted 
  +1 warhammer, and many rusty bits of armor and weapons.
  
  39
  Bad Air
  Similar to slippery conditions, this dirty trick can be used to make a mundane encounter 
  very dangerous. Those of you who have read my will-o’-wisp lair on Level 0A of Rappan 
  Athuk have seen this one in action before. Monsters that don’t breath, or those that breathe 
  just fine in a respiratorily hostile environment, have a huge advantage over opponents that 
  have to worry about their lungs. We all remember James Bond cutting the villain’s SCBA 
  air hose while deep underwater. If you cannot breathe, you cannot fight.
  A couple of variations on this dirty trick are possible. Poison air, flammable air, and air 
  that lacks oxygen are all good ideas. Underwater combat is similar, although I’ll cover that 
  later. The first time this was used was in an early adventure called The Hidden Shrine of 
  Tamoachan17, or Lost Tomoachan for you purists. A (relatively) easy dungeon was made 
  into a deathtrap by use of poisonous air. The air created a race against time, putting the 
  7th-level characters fighting the 3rd- and 4th-level monsters at real risk because of the time 
  it took for the combats.
  Poisonous air can take several forms, and certainly the GM should think this through 
  before using this trick. It is no fun to create a “save or die” type atmosphere, unless of 
  course the player characters know that in advance and still choose to enter the area. Slow-
  acting poisons (the one in Tomoachan did 2 points of damage per 10 minutes) or debilitating 
  poisons (damage or ability loss over time) are certainly a better approach. I like to either 
  have a more severe effect (like 1 point a minute), and let the players know the air is bad, or 
  a lesser, subtle effect (1 point an hour) and not tell them. 
  Explosive air is another matter. This one can be fun if played in conjunction with a 
  monster they would normally use fire against (such as a mummy). The GM should drop 
  subtle clues about the nature of any gas present (“your torches glow blue, and sputter and 
  spark”) to let them know that they are reaching what is called the lower explosive limit 
  of flammable gas in the air. The impact of this gas can be scaled as needed; however, 
  something like a fireball could have its range massively expanded, and in some cases even 
  a torch could cause the air to ignite. Two things occur when this happens: One is that the 
  explosive gas causes damage to all within its confines, and the nastier side effect is that 
  the oxygen in the area is immediately depleted (see below). Conveniently for the GM, 
  mummies don’t need oxygen. The good news is the fire usually is blown out and goes away 
  immediately.
  Air that lacks oxygen is just plain deadly. We have all heard the stories about men 
  going into confined spaces like a series of lemmings to rescue a fallen comrade, only 
  to immediately collapse themselves, leaving many dead in some real-world cases. Each 
  round a player character is in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere, the character must save at 
  a cumulative –4 or collapse (DC 20 Fort save to negate). Death results in 1d6 rounds. One 
  can see where this would be a big problem in the aforementioned mummy encounter. If 
  used as a trick, the GM is advised to give the players plenty of warning—make them feel 
  tired or dizzy, have their light sources burn poorly, and even have their canaries (if you 
  ever wondered why there was a songbird on the equipment list in the 1st Edition Player’s 
  Handbook18, this is why) fall asleep or even die, before they are affected. Purposefully 
  holding one’s breath allows for 1 free round of action before any saves must be taken. It 
  is hoped the character uses this free round to get back to where he can breathe again. An 
  example follows:
  17 Johnson, Harold. The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan: An Adventure for Character Levels 5-7. Lake 
  Geneva, WI: TSR Games, 1981. Print.
  18 Gygax, Gary. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Players Handbook. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Hobbies, 
  1978. Printt
  Situational Advantage (Environment)
  
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  Acid Air
  On a raised mound in the center of the swamp is what appears to be a large animal 
  burrow of some sort. The hole is four feet across and roughly almond shaped. Daylight 
  filters down the hole, revealing a tunnel descending 15 feet or so into a cave below. Near 
  the entrance, the smell of rotten eggs is noticeable. 
  The smell seems to go away once anyone descends into the cave below. The cave 
  contains what is best described as “hazy” air, and torches and candles burn with a weird, 
  yellow hue. What anyone down in the cave fails to realize is that their sense of smell has 
  been deadened by the sulfur dioxide gas present in the cave. The cave has exits to the left 
  and right. The left tunnel goes back 50 feet and ends in a roughly circular cave. The right 
  tunnel leads 80 feet back and ends in a fetid pool of swamp water.
  The circular cave from the left tunnel contains the bones of several creatures, some as 
  large as a badger. Careful inspection notes that the bones are yellowed and corroded, as 
  if they had been subjected to acid. The pool at the end of the left tunnel is 10 feet deep 
  and full of rotting vegetation (zero visibility; –20 circumstance penalty to all Perception 
  checks). It eventually leads down a 200-foot-long submerged path to the outside swamp.
  The real problem here is the toxic and corrosive gas anyone exploring the cave is exposed 
  to. Each round, this gas does 1 point of damage (do not tell anyone this until they exit or 
  collapse). After only 2 rounds in the cave, saves must be made to avoid feeling dizzy each 
  round. If saves are made (to avoid being dizzy as noted above; DC 15 Fortitude save), tell 
  the player making the save they taste a strange, bitter taste in their mouth. Anyone reaching 
  0 hit points collapses and dies unless removed from the cave.
  Stinky the Skunk
  Of huge importance in this game is the element of surprise, and it’s awfully hard to 
  surprise an opponent if they can smell you from 500 feet away. Lots of ways can cause this 
  to happen. The obvious and most used is the encounter with the skunk, wolverine or the 
  dire variant of them. 
  Anyone who has had a real-life encounter with a skunk (or owns a dog that has) knows 
  that the stink lasts for many days. I myself, having no experience with wolverines, have 
  heard that they are even worse. Certainly in the fantasy environment, where tomato juice 
  baths and high-tech soap are not available, the smell would last somewhat longer than 
  usual.
  This type of encounter can be sprung on players in less ignoble ways as well; a chamber 
  pot tossed out a window, for example. Regardless of cause, the effect of such an encounter, 
  whether by monster (dire animal), menace (chamber pot), or annoyance (a skunk) can 
  cause headaches for the player characters. An example follows:
  Pepé Le Pew
  As the party sets up camp, a skunk enters the campsite. Their actions determine its 
  actions. If they calmly back away and don’t have any pesky pets (e.g. guard dogs) that 
  bother it, it simply passes. Should they get within 20 feet or harass the skunk in any way, 
  they get a nice dose of stink. Anyone sprayed must save or be blinded for 2d4 rounds and 
  is incapacitated for 1–2 rounds due to retching. 
  Assume any creature sprayed has a –4/6 chance of surprise for 1 week, and a –2/6 
  chance of surprise for 3 weeks. This applies to anything within 100 feet of any object 
  
  41
  Situational Advantage (Environment)
  
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  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  or creature sprayed. Items subjected to this effect retain their stink four times longer 
  than creatures. Hence, the need to replace armor (and spend gold) and other items is 
  real. It is, of course, imperative that the GM not tell players what in game effect this 
  has. Further, reactions with any creature with olfactory senses are affected. Unless 
  the creature has an affinity for bad smells (like an otyugh), the reaction is negative. 
  Innkeepers are loath to allow stinky players to stay in their inns. They would charge 
  as much as 10 times the normal cost — if they even agreed to lodge the characters 
  at all!
  Giant Skunk: HD 4; HP 17; AC 7[12]; Atk bite (1d6); Move 9; Save 13; AL N; 
  CL/XP 5/240; Special: sprays musk. (Monstrosities 431)
  SG Note:
  Creatures sprayed by a giant skunk risk being nauseated (or worse). 
  GIANT SKUNK 
  CR 3
  XP 800 
  hp 27 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3 “Skunk, Giant”)
  MUSK (Ex) Up to twice per day, a giant skunk can spray a stream 
  of noxious musk at a single target within 30 feet as a standard 
  action. With a successful ranged touch attack, the creature struck 
  by this spray must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or be nauseated 
  for 1d6 rounds and then sickened for 1d6 minutes by the horrific 
  stench. A successful save reduces the effect to only 1d4 rounds of 
  being sickened. A creature cannot use the scent ability as long as 
  it is affected by this musk. The save DC is Constitution-based, and 
  includes a +2 racial bonus.
  Slow Movement 
  (Mud, Brush and Rubble)
  Similar to slippery surfaces, obstructions to movement cause a disadvantage during 
  combat to all who move on the ground. I frequently use this type of terrain feature to 
  make things more interesting — giving penalties on movement and obstructions to charge 
  actions, as well as things to hide behind. Frequently, caves and caverns have obstructions 
  (e.g. cover) in the form of stalactites and stalagmites, and rough ground in the form of rock 
  piles and loose flooring. Forests come to mind, as do brush, bushes and rocks. 
  The key is that you as a GM establish penalties to movement during combat, as well 
  as prohibit activities that player characters and monsters would normally perform (e.g. 
  charges, missile fire). Creating an atmosphere that takes away some uber attack (“I charge 
  on my heavy horse with my +2 lance!”) forces the characters (and monsters) to rely more 
  on tactics to which they are unaccustomed. 
  During 3.X, I had a player who figured out a way to do massive damage every time he 
  found himself outside due to a sequence of mounted combat feats and a heavy warhorse. 
  Imagine my disdain for a 3rd-level player character being able to wipe out a hill giant with 
  2–3 attacks.
  
  43
  SG Note:
  The kobolds in this scenario have the following advantages in a Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game: +10 to Stealth; DC 10 Reflex save or fall prone; targets of 
  missile fire receive cover (+4 to AC); terrain is considered difficult; if a PC attempts 
  to move more than 1/2 speed, they must make a successful DC 15 Reflex save, or 
  suffer 1d4+1 hp of slashing damage from branches.
  In a similar vein, the sicko elven archer with the +10 bow of death can be forced to act 
  differently if the 10 hobgoblin enemies he faces can be shot at only once a round, or at a 
  huge penalty. This is not to say that you as a GM should use this type of trick only to nullify 
  player abilities. Like slippery conditions described above, it can be used to emphasize 
  tactics on both sides of the dice by creating conditions that slow down damage dealt in 
  combat.
  A good example of how this could be applied is as follows:
  Encounter in the Woods
  The party has been traveling for two days through the forest. The brush creates a virtual 
  wall of twigs, leaves and wood, making it difficult to see even 30 feet in any direction (–10 
  penalty to Perception checks). Roots and fallen branches block even the deer paths here. 
  Movement is half normal, and even that rate of travel has caused a number of scratches and 
  cuts from nearly invisible thorns that cut and poke unsuspecting noses and foreheads (treat 
  as difficult terrain when using the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game system).
  Hidden from each other, a pack of kobolds (no stats given here) runs into the group. The 
  chances of surprise are triple (e.g. 6/6, with a ranger 3/6) for each group. The encounter 
  actually starts with a kobold physically stumbling into a player character. Each must make 
  a save, or trip and fall prone.
  Once combat is joined, all missile fire is assumed to be at long range (–5 to hit), and 
  movement is one-quarter at best (kobolds and halflings move at one-half speed; there are 
  fewer obstructions at waist level). Anyone may attempt to move half speed during combat 
  (the little people can move normally) by making a save at –2. Failure indicates 1d2 points 
  of damage (01–25%), trip and fall (25–90%), or knocked unconscious (91–00%). The 
  kobolds flee if more than 25% of their party is slain. 
  19 Apocalypse Now. Paramount Pictures, 1979.
  20 The Hunger Games. Roadshow, 2012.
  Death from Above!
  Always look up. Always look up and “never get out of the boat. Absolutely goddamn 
  right!” That is the battle cry of Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now19 and also most of the 
  players in my game. 
  Ceiling monsters such as the lurker above, and even Katniss in The Hunger Games20, 
  both realized the advantage of attacking from above. Most people look around at eye level. 
  It is reasonable to assume player characters do the same. Unless it is specifically stated 
  that the characters are examining the area above them, the GM may assume they are not.
  After a few attacks from above, the player characters will become well-versed in 
  “looking up.” Attacking from above has several advantages. First, it gives +1 to hit for 
  Situational Advantage (Environment)
  
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  45
  hand-to-hand combat. Most importantly, it allows the attacker to do things such as drop 
  rocks (or bees) and other objects at +2 to hit. Finally, and most importantly, it also prevents 
  defenders from striking back in melee if they are out of reach.
  The other fun thing to do is to actualize the power of the air force. If nothing else is plain 
  about every war since 1918, it’s that air power wins the day. In every case. 
  It’s awfully difficult to fight something that flies overhead and attacks via dropped 
  objects only when it wants to, by swooping in with claws or even feint attacks and veers off 
  at the last moment. It may not seem like a dirty trick to rely on flyers for attacks, however, 
  but most GMs underplay the value of this ability and treat it just like melee combat.
  The trick here is to prepare monster ambushes from above. Dropped rocks, oil and even 
  well-fortified positions can provide cover and protection from those poor little monsters. 
  Joe Platemail III cannot thump your kobolds with his +25 holy sword of monster slaying 
  if he cannot reach them. Meanwhile, they are bombarding him with oil, rocks and missiles 
  (and hiding behind cover themselves). 
  The other effect this has is that your players soon grow accustomed to examining ceilings 
  and other “up-there” features. This allows you as a GM to put hidden doors, entrances and 
  exits and other cool stuff above normal vision range, thus creating a 3D adventure. It also 
  means that things such as rope, grapnels and spikes become necessary gear (and weigh a 
  ton!) that player characters have to start carrying.
  Flying monsters provide a whole new level of problems. They can choose to avoid a 
  combat entirely, do nasty things such as drop rocks and trees, and even circle above and spy 
  on non-flyers (or act as spotters for a ground force). I typically apply a –4 to hit with missile 
  fire aiming at a flyer, and give the flyers –2 to hit while moving. The degree of paranoia that 
  can be instilled in a group of players just by having a strange and unassailable flyer swoop 
  overhead every few days is well worth it. An example follows:
  Hey, Hey, We’re the Monkees!
  Traveling through these woods is easy. Huge trees and large open spaces are everywhere, 
  with the giant canopy preventing scrub and plants from getting sunlight. The redwood trees 
  tower more than 300 feet high, with some trunks reaching 40 feet in diameter. Suddenly, 
  the still nature of the woods becomes less still.
  In the trees are 12 Carnivorous Apes. The apes surprise on a 5/6 chance, and initially 
  attack by hurling rocks and feces down on the player characters. Each ape has 2 rocks (1d6 
  points of damage) and two lumps of feces (1 point of damage, humiliating, but no other 
  effects). Rocks and feces attacks are –4 to hit, but ignore armor. 
  The apes move between the trees at will, easily swinging from branch to branch. Once 
  they run out of missiles, the apes descend and attack on the ground. If wounded for more 
  than 50% of their hit points (individually), or if more than 4 of their number are slain, the 
  apes retreat to the trees and leave the player characters alone (other than screaming and 
  shrieking at them for several rounds). Extremely loud noises or significant pyrotechnic 
  effects (fireball, lightning bolt) cause the apes to retreat and hide in the canopy.
  Anyone reduced to 0 hit points or slain is carried off by an ape (moving at half speed as 
  it climbs) to the nest. The nest is 200 feet up in an extremely branchy tree. In the nest are 4 
  SG Note:
  In the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, attacking from higher ground gives a +1 to 
  all melee attacks. Ranged attacks are unmodified.
  Situational Advantage (Environment)
  
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  baby carnivorous apes and the remains of two half-eaten deer.
  Carnivorous Apes (12): HD 4; AC 6 [13]; Atk 2 hands (1d3), bite (1d6); 
  Move 12; Save 13; CL/XP 4/120; AL C; Special: hug and rend (if both hand 
  attacks hit, additional 1d6 damage).
  (Monstrosities 17).
  SG Note:
  CARNIVOROUS APES (12) 
  CR 2
  XP 600 
  NE Large animal 
  Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +8 
   
  AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 12; (+2 Dex, +3 natural, –1 size) 
  hp 19 (3d8+6) 
  Fort +7; Ref +5; Will +2 
   
  Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. 
  Melee 2 slams +3 (1d6+2) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks rend
   
  Str 15, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7 
  Base Atk +2; CMB +5; CMD 17 
  Feats Great Fortitude, Skill Focus (Perception) 
  Skills Acrobatics +6, Climb +14, Perception +8, Stealth +1
  
  47
  Fake Secret Door
  One of the fun tricks I like to play with elves — especially when a party consists of 
  groups of elves — is to toss a few fake secret doors into my dungeons. Sure they find the 
  secret door easily, but they still have to figure out how to open it. I had one circumstance 
  at a convention a few years ago where I had 8 elves in the player group. Secret door 
  rolls became a joke (rolling 8d6 and not getting a 1–2 is nigh impossible). How I finally 
  countered this was by putting in a fake one. It took them almost an hour and 6 wandering 
  monster checks to give up and leave the door alone.
  Simply have a false door, studded with buttons, twisty knobs, keyholes and other things, and 
  stand back and watch the fun. This is really a rotten thing to do very often, but given extreme 
  circumstances (such as 8 elves) it does give a GM a bit of payback. An example follows:
  Bells and Whistles
  One panel in the hallway has an obvious crack in it. If the crack is inspected, it is noted 
  that there is a thick layer of plaster covering a 4-foot-by-4-foot wall section. Behind the 
  plaster is a strange panel. The stone of the panel is dark gray, contrasting with the lighter 
  gray of the main section of wall. On the panel are 11 buttons. 
  The buttons do nothing besides push in and out, and neither does the wall panel. The 
  only noticeable effect is that a maximum of three buttons can be pushed in at the same time. 
  Pushing a fourth button causes one of the others to reset in the “out” position.
  False Adventure Lead
  Another nasty thing to do to your players is to create a fake adventure lead. This trick is 
  occasionally necessary to ensure your campaign does not feel like it’s being run by a train 
  conductor. After all, if every adventure lead is real, then you are really leading the players 
  around by the nose rather than letting them explore and find things themselves. 
  These false leads can take several forms. Fake treasure maps (also good for relieving 
  them of some gold), false rumors, and weird writings and puzzles that lead nowhere should 
  be used occasionally just to prevent the “GM said go here so it must be here” mentality. 
  Certainly some con artists would make fake maps to sell. Rumors regarding the Holy Grail 
  and lost Templar artifacts, Captain Kidd’s treasure and many other “lost wealth” stories 
  have had people digging on Oak Island at great expense for years. Is something actually 
  there? Who knows? After a few of these, clever players will have their characters do more 
  investigation regarding these leads. They may even consult sages or cast divination spells 
  to determine whether to throw resources at some adventure.
  One way to do this in multi-part quests is to have several real clues followed by a 
  false one. A great example of this is the fake horcrux in the Harry Potter21 tales. After 
  Time Wasters
  21 Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter: And The Deathly Hallows. New York: Scholastic, 2007. Print.
  
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  discovering several of these, our heroes are misled into questing for a false item, only 
  realizing it after finding the fake. So sure are they that they are on the right track that they 
  ignore even obvious clues to the real goal. 
  If the sacred Ark of Neverstone is supposedly hidden in 3 or 4 places, the player characters 
  need to do some homework to find out which location is real. Rumors of vampires could 
  really be goblins or stirges, or perhaps the reverse. The goal here is to provide some doubt 
  in their minds about the task at hand. This causes the players to prep for many different 
  challenges rather than load up on their vampire kits and holy water squirt guns.
  A word of caution here: Most of your storyline leads need to be real or else you won’t 
  get the players to bite on any of them. Real is a relative term, however. Just because an 
  adventure lead may not be what is expected does not mean some adventure is not at its end. 
  This is also a great way to have seemingly innocuous bad guys set traps and ambushes for 
  the characters. The treasure map may lead to a box canyon where they are ambushed by 
  archers from the cliffs above, for example. An example follows:
  I’m the Map, I’m the Map, I’m the Map!
  While sitting in the tavern drowning themselves in well-deserved ale, the party is 
  approached by an old man. He has been listening to their tales, he tells them, and they 
  sound like brave and adventurous souls. While ploughing his field, he came across a 
  strange clay tablet.
  The tablet shows a map of the area to the west, distinct by two mountain peaks and the 
  confluence of three rivers. Strange writings on the tablet show a symbol of a dragon and 
  a cave. Certainly dragons guard vast wealth, he extolls, and while he is not an adventurer, 
  he would be willing to sell the map to the party for a fair price. Read Languages and other 
  abilities cannot decipher the runes at all.
  The man is a charlatan. He made the map himself (he is a potter), and carved the runes 
  and cryptic sigils into it before he baked it and buried it in mud for a week or so. His asking 
  price is 1000 gp. He can be haggled down to 250 gp, but will not sell any lower.
  The map leads to a hilly area about 4 days from the village but no trace of a cave (or 
  dragon) is there. If threatened (drawing the ire of the other villagers), the man admits the 
  fraud. Short of this, he does not refund the money, telling the player characters that they 
  “must not be looking in the right place” or “that they must be blind.” 
  Magic Key (Does Nothing)
  Another fun time waster is the fake key. Players love keys because, after all, keys open 
  something, right? I am sure they do, but maybe nothing that matters to the player characters, 
  and also maybe nothing in the general vicinity. 
  This trick can be done in several ways. It could just be a large ornate metal key found in 
  a treasure pile that truly has no use. A second type could have a magic aura on it — perhaps 
  it used to open some magic lock and was discarded after use. In any case, the goal here is 
  to force the player characters to spend time looking for a lock when none exists. 
  SG Note:
  In the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Read Languages is comprehend languages. 
  The runes could also be determined as fake with a DC 25 Linguistics check, if 
  desired.
  
  49
  In a similar vein to the fake adventure lead and fake secret door, this trick must be used 
  sparingly or else it becomes cliché and the players won’t even bother looking again (even 
  if they find a key that matters). These types of tricks are all thrown in to allow the GM to 
  create some mystery (“I wonder where that magic lock actually was”) as well as to keep 
  them looking around the area that you want them to be in. Imagine a magical mystery 
  key found in Rappan Athuk. I have done this, and had players explore 5 or 6 levels of the 
  dungeon looking for a nonexistent lock. I wanted them in the dungeon, but needed the key 
  as a carrot to keep them looking around. An example follows;
  That’s not a Key, This is a key!
  The party finds a large key in the treasure pile. It is made of bronze, and its handle is 
  studded with turquoise (worth 10 gp). The key itself is 2 feet long, and its handle is 6 inches 
  wide. What it opens is lost in time, and unless the GM decides otherwise, it is of no use 
  other than to sell. The key weighs 10 pounds.
  Unobtainium
  This is another one that is always fun. The idea here is to create a treasure so huge 
  and vast (and heavy) that there is no way it can be recovered and taken by the players. 
  The Mithril Gates in Rappan Athuk are a fine example. Worth perhaps a million gp, but 
  weighing in at 200 tons, all the player characters can do is gaze upon the wealth of kings 
  — but not take it. 
  Veins of magical or precious metal in dangerous places have the same effect. Sure, 
  you “could” mine that gold out of the bedrock. But the purple worms would likely eat 
  you before you finished. Those of you familiar with my work have seen this many times. 
  In the Lost City of Barakus, precious minerals cover an entire chute leading down to a 
  small dungeon. The problem is the chute off-gasses toxic fumes and is a caldera of hot 
  hydrothermal water (a geyser) that blows up at random intervals. 
  Creating large treasures that the players cannot easily obtain is fun, but beware: Six 
  players may be smarter than one GM. You really need to be cautious to prevent them from 
  developing a plan where they actually do get the 2 million gp thing out of the dungeon. An 
  example follows:
  We Don’t Need No Stinking Badges!
  Deep within the desert is a large cave. The interior of the cave is more than 200 feet in 
  diameter, with a towering ceiling reaching 200 feet in the center. The whole of the cave is 
  covered in mineral encrustations, huge quartz crystals, flowers of pyrite and gypsum, all 
  arrayed in a spectacular series of colors and shapes.
  In the ceiling is a large quartz vein containing strips of gold ore. More than 20,000 gp 
  of gold ore is present. The problem is twofold. First, the ore weighs more than 40 tons 
  and would need to be refined to obtain the gold. Of greater importance is this: Should the 
  vein be mined out, the cavern itself collapses, burying anyone in the cave under 40 feet of 
  debris (save or die, successful save indicates 6d6 points of damage, and they are trapped 
  within the cave). A dwarf immediately recognizes the risk of collapse. Anyone inside the 
  collapsed cave can dig his way out in 3d6 days. The only problem is there are only 6 man 
  days of air present in the cave. 
  Even if the ore can be removed after all of this, the cave is 10 days travel by horse from 
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  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  the closest town. Obviously, the player characters could mount an expedition to retrieve the 
  gold. Should they do so, they will have earned their reward.
  Extra Heavy Flavor Text
  I always wondered why a certain group of players always readied for combat at 
  exactly the right time. I never seemed to be able to spring a trap on them, never 
  seemed to catch them unawares, and they never seemed to fall for my feints of 
  danger (yes, Speigel and Flail, I am talking about you!). It turns out that I would 
  click my teeth whenever the risks were real, and after 4 years of twice-weekly play, 
  these guys could read me like professional poker players. It was only years later that 
  they told me how they knew (and returned my infamous black d20).
  The key here is to figure out what your “full house” signs are, and what your 
  “bluff” signs are. In one episode of Knights of the Dinner Table22, the players all got 
  geared up every time the GM’s flavor text got heavy. One of the things I have tried to 
  do over the years is to buff up the flavor text in dire and non-threatening situations. If 
  you can make a harmless situation appear to be dire (e.g. “the blue flowers are unlike 
  any you have ever seen before,” or “the wind blowing through the trees sounds 
  like a strange voice whispering on the wind”), you can get players to waste their 
  characters’ spells, sit on the edge of their seats, and better yet, become complacent 
  when the danger is real.
  Another piece of this dovetails with later tricks, and in fact is just the sign of 
  a great GM. Never describe a monster as a “goblin” or a “ghoul.” Always use 
  descriptive language when talking about a monster. A ghoul is far more intimidating 
  as “a leathery gray-skinned creature with three-inch claws and red, piercing eyes that 
  emits a howl of glee as it hops toward you, its mouth foaming with pus and blood.”
  I have had a 6th-level party run away from a single ghoul by doing this. 
  I often act really excited or humdrum at random intervals, dangerous or not, just to 
  throw on my game poker face. This is tough to do (it’s a lot more fun for the GM to 
  have that ambush planned than it is to have the character cross over some harmless 
  blue flowers), but it can be done. 
  One of the tools I use for this is a series of materials made by Tabletop Adventures 
  (www.tabletopadventures.com). They make outstanding flavor text and setting 
  material (just add monsters and plot) for each type of terrain and even dungeons. I 
  keep a few of these examples handy and toss them out at random intervals during 
  each play session. 
  One example of this is included here (from Into the Wildwood, by Tabletop 
  Adventures, 2005, Pg 15),
  SG Note:
  In the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, make the following adjustments; the damage 
  from the falling cavern is 10d6; DC 20 Reflex save for half. PCs are still trapped. 
  Anyone with Knowledge (dungeoneering) may make a DC 20 check to determine 
  the dome is unsafe to mine. Likewise, a DC 15 Knowledge (engineering), or DC 25 
  Knowledge (nature) check comes to the same conclusion. PCs with stonecunning 
  may add that bonus to their roll.
  22 Blackburn, Jolly R. Knights of the Dinner Table. Mundelein, Il: Kenzer &, 2000. Print.
  
  51
  The key here is that none of what you just said/read to the players may have any danger 
  at all involved. Or else it could have a giant octopus squirrel living in the pond that has 24 
  HD. The point is, if you do things like this randomly, you can absolutely keep the players 
  on their toes. I would wager that they will tell tales of you to their gamer friends about how 
  great you are on scene setting as well. Some folks are really good at coming up with this 
  stuff on their own. For people like me, however, this is my shameless plug to go out and 
  buy all the TTA material you can (and their stuff is excellent and inexpensive).
  Monkeys Typing Shakespeare
  Over the years I have had a great deal of fun with this one. Usually, whenever a written 
  clue is found, it has great significance to the adventure. Coded clues, mysterious writings 
  and such are the stuff of great adventure. Read or comprehend languages spells, along with 
  general Linguistic-type skills make it relatively trivial to decode and read these mysteries. 
  Just to shake things up now and again, I like to toss in one that has completely no 
  meaning. This can be done in a couple of ways, and either way works well. The first is to 
  create a written clue of absolute gibberish, one that is a random set of scribbling with no 
  meaning whatsoever. A few dozen characters or a few paragraphs of totally meaningless 
  words or letters and numbers can have the player characters puzzling about for hours. The 
  second method is to create actual words and sentences that also have no meaning. This 
  could include some random writing about some meaningless (to the adventure) subject — 
  anything that misleads or wastes the time of the player characters.
  Similar to any false clue, these need to be used sparingly. After all, you don’t want the 
  players to ignore Acererak’s poem on the floor, only to have it in the back of their mind 
  that it could be meaningless. Used infrequently, these false writings can cause the player 
  characters to waste money on sages, perhaps leading them in circles of false paths, or cause 
  them to develop some totally wrong assumptions about what the message truly means. 
  What is in reality a grocery shopping list could be interpreted as a map to a dragon’s lair, 
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  53
  for example. The key is that wise players will soon realize that the Read Languages spell 
  (and other variations) they cast on the mystery code has no meaning. This has the effect 
  of sharpening their skills in interpreting the real clues that you give them, and is for all a 
  good exercise. 
  Buttons and Levers
  Another false clue time-waster that I like to use is a bunch of levers, bells and buttons 
  that do absolutely nothing. Because traps in my campaign are disarmed by characters 
  actually doing something with the trap or secret door components rather than roiling a die, 
  my players are used to having me explain how things move/twist and pull when it comes 
  to traps and other physical challenges. 
  Sometimes, it is just as fun to hone your skills in describing such things as it is to 
  fiddle with the real ones when the time comes. It also forces the player characters to be 
  careful and take their time on this type of thing. Any of you with small children have 
  seen baby toys that consist of randomly moving objects, sometimes complete with lights 
  and noisemakers. This type of trick is a good training ground to teach the players how to 
  interact with physical puzzles when the time comes. After all, you never know if pulling 
  that cord will have no effect whatsoever or if it will cause the ceiling to fall down and crush 
  them. As I explained in the discussion above on the fake secret doors, this can be quite 
  useful when the players are used to being able to do something without fail every time (like 
  having 8 elves and finding secret doors). 
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  Cursed Items
  Cursed items are an old trick long used by GMs on poor, unsuspecting player 
  characters. I am actually of the mind that this has often been done unfairly (you put 
  on the necklace and die, no save), especially since most of the time the nature of the 
  item is undetectable.
  Truly awful cursed items should provide some warning. Sort of a “how dumb can 
  you be” situation, like the cursed glowing purple gem in Tomb of Horrors23. I mean 
  seriously, anyone who picked that thing up just deserved to be killed by it.
  That being said, like any trick listed here, an occasional use of such an item is 
  a good thing, if nothing else than to prevent complacency and immediate use of 
  any item found. I personally am not a fan of the “don it and die” type item. This 
  is certainly true unless the GM provides some clues that the item is cursed. Items 
  that create problems for the player characters are another matter. One of my old 
  time favorites was the cursed berserking sword, and the backbiter spear (functions 
  normally unless you roll a 1). These items have some use, but backfire or create some 
  terrible consequence if misused or if a poor roll is made.
  The one ring, as a good example, gave the wearer great power, but it also bore a 
  terrible curse that drove the wearer insane (and called Nazgûl to his location). Items 
  that “dare” the player to use it in times of dire need, or only fail to work in specific 
  circumstances, work well for this type of trick. A few examples of these that I have 
  used in play over the years include:
  • Magic plate mail that falls apart if the wearer is at less than 5 hit points
  • Magic weapons that heal certain types of monsters (e.g. a +2 sword that heals 
  golems)
  • Magic potions that end rapidly or create delusional effects (flying is fun)
  • Altered items such as a growth potion that ignores equipment
  Certainly anyone who owns an old 1E Dungeon Master’s Guide24 can look up 
  minor effects on the “bad stuff” tables. Scaling risk and reward (e.g. a very powerful 
  wand that does a 12-HD fireball with a 10% chance of it being centered on the 
  wielder), with powerful rewards being balanced by very bad things, and minor items 
  having relatively minor side effects. 
  Wolf in Sheep’s 
  Clothing
  23 Gygax. Tomb of Horrors
  24 Gygax. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeon Masters Guide
  
  55
  Kobolds with Toys
  Perception and fear are certainly good tools in the GM’s arsenal. Ever since Dragon Mountain25 
  was written, the use of “little bugs” against powerful characters has been a staple in most GMs’ 
  campaigns. This has the benefit of providing risk while at the same time limiting XP and treasure. 
  After all, are not player characters “little bugs” to big monsters? Yet by trickery and creative use of 
  items and abilities, the player characters often overcome monsters much tougher than themselves. 
  The same can be done by the monsters.
  One of my favorites is to use kobolds (or goblins, orcs, etc.) and give them tactics and 
  items that make them much tougher than they are in a stand-up fight. This only makes sense 
  anyway. If a 3-foot-tall kobold has seen his friends slaughtered in droves my Joe Platemail 
  III, there is no way he blindly rushes to his death against Joe IV. Specific ideas and tactics 
  I have used include the following:
  • Flaming oil and other grenade like missiles (green slime is a nasty one)
  • Poisoned weapons — I would advise limited use of these, although a scorpion on a stick is fun
  • Missile weapons en masse — and running away from all hand-to-hand
  • Preferential targeting or grappling of spellcasters while avoiding tanks
  • Traps, especially for kobolds, that detain or separate them from the party
  • Hit-and-run tactics that target food, mounts or one individual with all attacks
  • Large objects dropped from above (nets, rocks, barrels of sewage)
  • Pets — rust monsters and such work well
  • Leading the party into a larger monster (think Gollum with Shelob)
  • Using Agincourt tactics (like leading heavy armor into slippery conditions of mud)
  SG Note:
  Wow, I’m getting tired…
  Neither the cursed berserking sword, nor the backbiter spear exist in the Swords 
  & Wizardry rules. Some unofficial stats for each are:
  Cursed Berserking Sword
  This +1 two-handed sword seems to be a “normal” magic sword in all tests, save 
  actual combat. In the heat or mortal combat, its wielder goes berserk, attacking the 
  nearest creature and continuing to fight until dead or until no living thing remains 
  within 60ft. The possessor of a cursed berserking sword can be rid of it only if a 
  remove curse or stronger magic (wish, etc.) is used.
  Backbiter Spear
  This +1 spear is to all tests a “normal” magic spear (very rarely +2). When it is 
  used in combat against an enemy it will initially perform properly, but each time it 
  is used there is a 1 in 20 cumulative chance that it will damage its wielder instead. 
  Once this occurs, it cannot be removed without a remove curse (or more powerful) 
  spell. When the spear attacks is wielder, it curls to strike in the back, negating any 
  shield and/or dexterity bonuses to armor class. Backbiting may occur even if thrown, 
  but if the wielder throws the spear, he must spend the next round recovering it. In 
  addition, if thrown, the spear inflicts double damage to the wielder.
  25 Dragon Mountain. Lake Geneva, WI, U.S.A.: TSR, 1993. Print.
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  The best way to think about this is to think like a player character fighting a much more 
  powerful monster, and adjusting tactics accordingly. Things with high cunning, such as 
  kobolds, ghouls and mites, would be much cleverer than something like an ogre or an orc. 
  I personally can never think of a situation where a kobold would go hand-to-hand with a 
  human-sized foe unless cornered.
  Super Bunny
  Super bunny has been a favored tactic of anyone who has ever seen Monty Python and 
  the Holy Grail26. A seemingly harmless monster (Nibbler from Futurama27 comes to mind) 
  is in reality very tough and very powerful. A good example of this is the intellect devourer 
  — a 3-foot-tall clawed brain that is virtually unkillable (not actually unkillable — that is 
  another subject). 
  The best use of this type of critter is to make it non-
  aggressive, only revealing its true terror when the 
  players attack it. Clues about danger are mandatory: 
  a pile of crushed skulls and bones, watching it claw 
  its way through solid rock, etc. The key here is to 
  demonstrate that size and appearance doesn’t always 
  matter, and that even the smallest critter may be best 
  left alone. Arduin28 had several of this type of monster 
  and would make a good reference for anyone who 
  needs ideas.
  The other factor here is that if the player characters 
  are smart, of if they are kind or helpful in some way to 
  this critter — they may gain either a guard while they 
  sleep or be able to use the monster as a booby trap for 
  some powerful foe. 
  Symbiotic Monsters
  Symbiotic monsters are those that cover for some weakness of their own by teaming up 
  with another monster that makes up for this weakness. This also could be the reverse case, 
  where a monster uses some strength or power it has to greatly boost the effectiveness of its 
  teammate. Just like fighters need clerics and wizards to keep them alive and to weaken their 
  foes, and thieves need fighters to distract their opponents to allow them to backstab them, 
  monsters can use “party members” to gain an advantage. 
  Examples of these types of these pairings that I have used over the years include:
  • Rust monsters with anything not using metal.
  • Medusae and anything without eyes.
  • Will-o’-wisps and blobs (of really any kind).
  • Mummies and gas spores (a fireball would be a bad idea).
  • Incorporeal undead with spiders (pass through webs).
  • A wizard with hellhounds and an iron golem (fire heals).
  • Ghouls or ghasts with carrion creepers.
  26 Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Cinema 5 Distributing, 1975.
  27 Futurama. 1999. Television.
  28 A., Hargrave David. The Arduin Grimoire. 1977. Print.
  
  57
  The benefits of teaming up with each other has to benefit both parties — for instance, the 
  medusa is weak in combat and her available allies are few, but teaming her up with eyeless 
  creatures such as grimlocks gives her the ability to stand back and let them take the brunt of 
  combat while she uses her eyes and arrows from afar. The wraith inhabiting the spider nest 
  may not even be known by his allies, but his ability to safely slay victims while trapped 
  does not prevent the spiders from getting their meal (soul-drained corpses taste just fine).
  There are countless examples of this teamwork for monsters beyond just pets (like ogres 
  with wolves, a dragon with kobolds or other types of arrangements).
  SG Note:
  Unofficial conversion from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game…
  Intellect Devourer
  Hit Dice: 6
  Armor Class: 2 [17]
  Attacks: 4 claws (1d4)
  Saving Throw: 11
  Special: immune to physical damage, magical abilities (at will—charm 
  monster, confusion, invisibility, reduce size; 1/day—cure light wounds), 
  magic resistance (75%), +3 or better weapon to hit, steal body
  Move: 15
  Alignment: Chaos
  Number Encountered: 1 (rarely 1d4+1)
  Challenge Level/XP: 20/4400
  An intellect devourer is 3 feet long, weighs about 60 pounds and has no head, or any features 
  at all save for four short, clawed legs. This creature’s body looks like a large, glistening brain 
  with feet. Intellect devourers are thought to be invaders from another dimension or planet, 
  due to their wholly alien nature and actions. Lone intellect devourers often dwell in ruins or 
  caves on the edge of a civilized region so they can make periodic forays into town to “shop” 
  for an attractive new body. An intellect devourer can reduce its size, crawl into the mouth 
  of a helpless or dead creature, and burrow into the victim’s skull to devour its brain. When 
  the devourer attempts this on a living victim, they must make a save at –2 or die instantly. If 
  the save is successful, the victim takes 6d6 points of damage (which will probably kill them 
  anyway). If the victim is slain by this attack (or already dead), the intellect devourer usurps 
  control of the body and may use it as its own. The intellect devourer has full access to all 
  of the host’s defensive and offensive abilities except for spellcasting and magical abilities 
  (although the intellect devourer can still use its own magical abilities). A host body may 
  not have been dead for longer than 1 day for this ability to function, and even successfully 
  inhabited bodies decay to uselessness in 7 days. As long as the intellect devourer occupies the 
  body, it knows basic information about the victim’s identity and personality, yet has none of 
  the victim’s specific memories or knowledge. Damage done to a host body does not harm the 
  intellect devourer, and if the host body is slain, the intellect devourer emerges and is dazed 
  (unable to act) for 1 round. Raise dead cannot restore a victim of body theft, but resurrection 
  or more powerful magic can. Intellect devourers are only damaged by +3 or better weapons, 
  and they only one point of damage from those weapons. They take full damage from magic, 
  if it bypasses their resistance.
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  The Unkillable Monster
  Again, if this trick is used sparingly, it is incredibly effective. The dung monster in 
  Rappan Athuk is the most famous of mine. The goal here is to create a situation in which 
  the player characters must use their brains and not their sword arms. Those of you reading 
  this may also see this trick in Sword of Air — but it would be a spoiler to reveal it here.
  The GM must take care not to turn this trick into an unfair and un-fun encounter. There 
  needs to be some reason or some story behind why the monster cannot die. The monster 
  needs to be slow or uninterested in killing the party as well, else some warning needs to be 
  provided before they encounter it. The goal of defeating or bypassing the monster becomes 
  the goal. Perhaps it hides some great treasure, or a key to the next area; perhaps it can be 
  used as a trap by leading others into its lair. In any case, creating an unbeatable foe should 
  not be taken lightly. The reward for Dungie was vast, if you could determine a way to get 
  it. Dungie moved slowly and could be easily avoided. 
  That being said, many hardheaded players may succeed at suicide when encountering 
  such a foe.
  There are many ways this trick can be used that significantly add to the thrill of the 
  story and create great opportunities for smart play. Perhaps the monster has one Achilles 
  heel — some method of destruction that is the only way to kill it and move on. This could 
  require research away from the field or quick thinking while in the encounter. The monster 
  in this case is treated like a sort of “living artifact” with only one method of destruction. 
  The reward for destruction should be important.
  Beauty is only Skin Deep
  One of the biggest mistakes a GM can make is to have the beautiful, sexy villain woman be in 
  every adventure. Nothing has been more entertaining for me than to have the player characters 
  slaughter the gorgeous (and innocent) princess, only to have the modestly dressed, normal-
  looking woman be the true villain. Nothing makes a group of players more suspicious than the 
  “hot chick” who they just know is a succubus, vampire or worse. It’s important that the GM mix 
  this up, else the “rescue the maiden who is really an evil monster” trick won’t work.
  In Demons and Devils, I wrote a she-devil encounter that was to be played a little 
  differently. Having Princess Leia tactics, her snarky insults were incredibly disarming 
  (and fatal) to many player characters. Would I have presented the lady as a dumb, horny, 
  beautiful girl, they would have attacked immediately.
  Playing these villains as something not obvious is the key to success. Certainly the poor 
  farmer, the old woman, or the homely fighter is less a threat than the silk-clad beauty. You 
  need to mix the “Dark Natasha”-style villain (from The Lost Lands: Stoneheart Valley) 
  in every now and again, but to truly develop the wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing, variation in 
  appearance is key. Sometimes these villains can make multiple appearances. If the player 
  characters encounter them several times, perhaps even initially under the guise of an ally or 
  friend, they grow to trust them, only to be set up for the grand betrayal later.
  Good examples of this in modern games include Sarah Oakheart in the Lord of the Rings 
  Online29 game. Sarah is a doddering old gal, desperately in need of saving. The first 10 or 
  so encounters involve rescuing her from various foes and returning her to safety. Finally, it 
  turns out that she is an evil servant of the dark lord and she attempts to sacrifice the players 
  to him. The same could be done in a tabletop game. There is also nothing to say that an 
  “ally” cannot simply use the player characters to achieve some end. This could be theft, 
  assassination or ambush. Consider the following sequence of events:
  29 “The Lord of the Rings Online.” The Lord of the Rings Online, Turbine, Inc.. 2007.
  
  59
  • The players encounter a “priestess of Muir” who heals them in the wilderness and then 
  mysteriously leaves.
  • The same priestess is encountered as a “prisoner” of a band of orcs and they rescue 
  her, only to have her leave again.
  • The third time they meet her, she is in combat with a pack of undead. She eventually 
  “turns” the creatures after sustaining several wounds. She heals the player characters and 
  then leaves again.
  • The priestess vouches for the player characters during another trick — “Framed” 
  comes to mind — getting them off the hook and establishing yet more trust.
  • The priestess agrees to go on some major quest with the party to recover an artifact.
  • Once the artifact is recovered, the priestess either a) attacks the party with a large 
  group of minions or b) steals the artifact and leaves for good — completely betraying them.
  The same could be done with an aging fighter (really a high-level foe), a little kid, or 
  an old farmer. Gary Gygax always seemed to use the town merchant (see the Village of 
  Hommlet30 or Necropolis31). In the Conan stories, it was usually one of the sexy vixens 
  or some loyal henchman. Whether you treat these types of villains as double agents or as 
  direct threats, it is imperative that the setup of the encounter is not obvious.
  Another fun way to handle this is to have the villain pretend to be the victim, causing 
  the player characters to select the wrong side in a fight. I have seen this done well several 
  times. In the Hall of the Fire Giant King32, for example, several of the prisoners were worse 
  opponents than the giants. Consider this:
  • The player characters happen across evidence of a party being slaughtered in the wild 
  or dungeon. There is evidence that many were taken prisoner, and the logical solution for 
  the Lawful party is to rescue them. 
  • They track the survivors back to their camp.
  • They battle with the monsters/brigands, etc.
  • They locate the prisoners, all of whom are dead except for an old woman.
  • The old woman is in reality an evil witch who was the monster/brigand leader, but is 
  pretending to be a victim to escape or slay the player characters. She killed all the others 
  so they wouldn’t talk. She wails and cried about her treatment, telling PCs she is a poor 
  merchant’s wife, and while not rich, she will see that they get a reward for their bravery.
  • The witch proceeds to kill them in their sleep. Of course she doesn’t actually want to 
  get back to civilization! Or else she escapes if the PCs are too powerful to kill, stealing 
  what she can in the process.
  Now if that old woman was a young nubile girl, the players would likely become 
  suspicious. Rescuing the “merchant’s wife” seems a lot less dangerous than rescuing the 
  “princess.” Likewise, promises of great rewards, in my opinion, make players suspicious. 
  Offering little other than “a good deed done” is quite disarming.
  30 Gygax, Gary. The Village of Hommlet: Introductory to Novice Level. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR 
  Games, 1979. Print.
  31 Gygax, Gary, Bill Webb, Clark Peterson, and Scott Greene. Necropolis. United States: Necromancer 
  Games, 2002. Print.
  32 Gygax, Gary. Hall of the Fire Giant King. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Games, 1978. Print.
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  Kobold with a Glowing Stick 
  (aka the “Wiz”)
  “I am Oz, the Great and Powerful!”
  Everyone remembers the end scene in The Wizard of Oz33 where the wizard is found out 
  to be a charlatan who uses fear and intimidation to create fear and awe, only to be revealed 
  as a simple old man (albeit wise). 
  This trick has been used over the decades to great effect. Essentially, a weak creature is 
  made to appear as something far more powerful. Sometimes the creature has a magic item 
  or a potion that temporarily creates what I like to call the “nilbog effect.” A nilbog (goblin 
  backward; these appear in The Tome of Horrors Complete for the Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game and Swords & Wizardry, pages 446 and 399, respectively) grew in power if you 
  damaged him, and could only be slain by casting healing spells on him.
  The plan here is that the creature involved wants to either make the party go away, 
  or even possibly extort something out of them. For example, a creature using a potion 
  of gaseous form and pretending to be a djinni could “grant them a wish” if they give 
  him 1000 gp, only to consume the rest of the potion and take off with their loot never 
  to return. A kobold with a light spell on a bone wand-like device could threaten to 
  “blast them all to oblivion” if they don’t leave him alone. A small creature with a 
  potion of giant strength (potion of bull’s strength in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game) 
  could perform some amazing feat such as tearing a metal breastplate in two (or it 
  could pull a rigged object in two even without a potion) to scare or intimidate players. 
  Really, anything that makes a weak creature appear very powerful works here. One 
  key is that, as I discussed above, the GM should not describe creatures as a “goblin,” 
  but rather as “a small, fanged humanoid, covered with tattoos of mystical symbols, 
  wearing numerous bone and metal amulets and talismans, carrying a two-foot-long 
  glowing femur bone.” 
  Ideas I have used in the past for such an encounter include:
  • A kobold wearing bright clothing and carrying a glowing bone “wand” with a light 
  spell cast on it.
  • A goblin shaman with faerie fire or dancing lights cast on him. 
  • A low-level evil wizard coming out of a bottle using a potion of gaseous form to be a 
  “djinni.”
  • Any small creature with a growth potion or spell that makes them get big.
  Sheep in Wolf’s 
  Clothing
  33 The Wizard of Oz. MGM, 1939.
  
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  Sheep in Wolf's CLothing
  
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  Stuffed Dragon
  Similar to the last trick, this one uses environmental factors to trick and intimidate the 
  player characters into retreating or paying off some tricky low-level monster. The “if you 
  bother us, my momma is going to eat you” method is tried and true, and usually works. 
  The idea here is that some low-level critter has something like a gong that he will ring, 
  ostensibly summoning a huge ally. Alternatively, a fake dragon (with someone operating 
  bellows to create smoky fumes or something like that” makes it appear that a giant monster 
  will join the fray if the party attacks the “little ones.” 
  The best way to use this is to sprinkle it in with a real instance of a “dragon with kobolds.” 
  Have the real one actually be involved in an encounter early on (e.g. the symbiotic monsters 
  trick, combined with a wolf in sheep’s clothing) in an adventure. That way the fear of an 
  unknown ally becomes real, and the player characters are more susceptible to the reverse case.
  There are several other ways that fear and intimidation can be used:
  • Noise (drums, loud grunting, metal clanking, etc.) that makes it appear that many more 
  or larger creatures are “just around the corner” (think Samwise in the orc fortress).
  • Scarecrow monsters deep in the shadows with fake missile weapons.
  • Illusion spells that make it look like there are tens or hundreds of creatures near (I like 
  to use wraiths and shadows from phantasmal force spells).
  • Ropes and pulleys that move some large puppet creature.
  • Obscured vision due to smoke, steam, etc., added to any of the above.
  • Cave echoes or other sound-manipulating effects.
  • Pet gas spores or other monsters that seem intimidating because they look like 
  something else. (I used a blue dyed worg once to great effect).
  • Really scary door covered with skulls, etc., that actually is the only safe path forward.
  SG Note:
  Unofficial…
  Dancing Lights
  Spell Level: Magic-User, 1st Level 
  Range: 0 
  Duration: 1 round per level
  A magic-user may create up to four lights that resemble lanterns or torches (and 
  cast that amount of light), or up to four glowing spheres of light (which look like 
  will-o’-wisps), or one faintly glowing, vaguely humanoid shape. The dancing 
  lights must stay within a 10-foot-radius area in relation to each other but otherwise 
  move as you desire. The lights have a Movement rate of 18. A light winks out if the 
  distance between you and it exceeds 400ft.
  A magic-user can only have one dancing lights spell active at any one time. 
  Dancing lights can be made permanent with a permanency spell. If you make this 
  spell permanent, it does not count against the limit of one spell active at a time.
  
  63
  Scary Looking Things
  Another way to create a harmless yet intimidating situation is to provide either a creepy sense 
  of dark evil, simple grossness or even something that the players are “sure” is dangerous, but is in 
  fact harmless. For example, large bloodstains are one way to create a situation that just screams 
  danger. Oozing slime running down a wall, glistening in the torchlight, may just be naturally 
  occurring goo, but if properly described, it sounds like some big, bad ooze monster is near.
  One of my personal favorites is to have floating chunks of green goo floating in rooms partially 
  filled with water. The green goo is probably harmless, although sometimes it can be green slime. This 
  also works in outdoor settings, even though astute players realize that green slime perishes in sunlight.
  Additional outdoor tricks like this include huge footprints, bark scratched off trees by 
  what appears to be huge claws (and may just be beavers), and loud nocturnal noises. Trees 
  falling in the woods do make noise after all. Strange smells work wonders in getting player 
  characters to cast defensive spells immediately as well. An example follows:
  The Loud Leaping Ghoul
  This ghoul is just like any other, with a couple exceptions. First, he is a chimpanzee. 
  Second, he has a very loud voice. When in combat, the ghoul swings from trees and vines, 
  all the while screeching in a menacing, horrible, throaty voice. Being fiendishly cunning, the 
  ghoul uses tactics during combat and seeks to engage and paralyze one opponent at a time. 
  It moves on to a second opponent as soon as the quivering body of a victim hits the ground. 
  SG Note:
  The ghoul monkey appears in The Tomb of Horrors 4 for both Swords & Wiz-
  ardry and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. If you want to use the stats presented 
  there, for the Pathfinder version, please add the following: Melee bite +4 (1d2+1 
  plus disease) and 2 claws +4 (1d2+1 plus disease and paralysis); Special Attacks 
  paralysis (1d4+1 rounds, DC 13, elves are immune to this affect).
  Illusions
  Illusory walls, doors and other objects are of great value to the GM. They can be used 
  to hide things such as passages, pits and traps. They also have been the source of much 
  angst and confusion in the game since they were first introduced. Adjudication of illusions 
  has never really been clearly defined by any game system, and the GM must use judgment 
  in figuring out how they work. While not the answer to all, these are some ways I use 
  illusions, and some clever ways to add them to your game.
  First, in order to disbelieve an illusion, I require a “leap of faith” similar to Indiana Jones 
  crossing the invisible bridge in The Last Crusade34. One must close his eyes and just walk right 
  into/through the illusion, unless of course it is dispelled. Some reason must be present for a player 
  character to even have a chance at disbelief. For example, if the demon suddenly changes places 
  with the cleric (see Scramge in Rappan Athuk), this seems strange and could be disbelieved. If 
  one falls through a floor and a splash is heard beneath it, it makes sense that the player characters 
  would notice that “something is strange” about the floor, and would likely attempt to disbelieve.
  34 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Paramount Pictures, 1989.
  Sheep in Wolf's CLothing
  
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  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  The way I play illusions is governed by several rules:
  • Illusions themselves cannot cause damage (some exception could be made for higher-
  level spells). They cannot turn you to stone or incinerate you (yes, I know, Swords & 
  Wizardry allows 2d6 damage — I do not). 
  • Illusions that are found out do not disappear.
  • Failure to disbelieve prevents someone from successfully navigating past/through the 
  illusion (think Harry Potter’s platform at the train station) because they veer off at the last 
  second rather than hit the wall they “know” to be there.
  • I allow players to use judgment to do things like “close their eyes and cross the invisible 
  bridge” or “attack my friend the cleric, who I believe is really a demon” without making any rolls.
  Some higher-level spells are slightly different. For example, the spell phantasmal killer 
  creates a situation very similar to the one in Conan the Destroyer35 (the wizard in the mirror 
  room). The illusion cannot be harmed, but it can harm you if you believe it can. Higher-
  level spells just have to be handled differently because, well, they are higher-level spells. I 
  treat hallucinatory terrain as an incredibly powerful spell. Imagine walking through woods 
  that are disguised as a grassy field. The twisted ankles and knots on heads as PCs step on 
  invisible roots and run into branches would be innumerable.
  Some great uses of even simple illusions (using the spell phantasmal force) I have had 
  experience with include:
  • Illusions of wraiths/shadows in a pack in front of the caster. To get to him, you have to 
  pass through the grasping shadowy hands reaching out of walls and the floor. 
  • Illusions covering a pit or other trap.
  • Illusory walls (see The Lost Lands: Stoneheart Valley) causing player characters to 
  miss the direction they need to go and leading them into a big monster.
  • A false camp with sleeping people and a small fire burning. This allows the caster and 
  his allies to spring a trap when their “sleeping bodies” are attacked.
  • Illusions to cover hiding places, such as a false forest in front of the party (think 
  Hermione and the snatchers from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows36).
  35 Conan the Destroyer. MGM Home Entertainment, 2004.
  36 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Warner Home Video, 2011.
  35 Conan the Destroyer. MGM Home Entertainment, 2004.
  SG Note:
  Unofficial…
  Phantasmal Killer
  Spell Level: Magic-User, 5th Level 
  Range: 100ft. 
  Duration: 1 round 
  A magic-user may create a phantasmal image of the most fearsome creature imaginable 
  to the victim. Only the spell’s subject can see the phantasmal killer, a vague shape of 
  doom. The victim first gets a special save to recognize the image as unreal. The victim 
  must roll 3d6 and score under their int score. If that save fails, the phantasm touches the 
  subject, and another (normal) save must be made or the victim dies from fear. Even if the 
  second save is successful, the subject takes 3d6 points of damage.
  If the victim of a phantasmal killer attack succeeds in disbelieving and possesses 
  telepathy, the beast can be turned upon you. You must then disbelieve it or become 
  subject to its deadly fear attack.
  “Conan makes his save by smashing the mirrors and slaying Thoth Amon” 
  — Conan the Destroyer37
  
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  Sheep in Wolf's CLothing
  
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  Hidden Compartment within a 
  Hidden Compartment
  This one can be quite entertaining. The player character thinks himself a genius because 
  he was smart enough to find that hidden compartment. But he almost always fails to check 
  the hidden compartment for a second hidden compartment. This is best played by having 
  the false (first) hidden item contain something of value (a potion, some gems) while the 
  second interior hidden compartment contains the real treasure (a ring, perhaps). 
  One of the keys to treasure distribution is that it should be hard to get. It should be either 
  hard to find (e.g. hidden) or hard to carry. This trick makes a great tool in the GM’s arsenal 
  to keep those pesky player characters from finding the loot. One of the biggest errors a GM 
  can make is to make treasures obvious and easy to get. After all, most creatures would go 
  to great lengths to hide their wealth lest it be stolen by their neighbors. I play this pretty 
  tough. In honest estimation, I would bet that more than half the loot in my games is missed 
  by player characters.
  Another way this can be done is similar to what I did on Level 9B in Rappan Athuk. A 
  chest contained a hidden compartment containing a magical extradimensional chest. The 
  real treasure (well, and a demi-lich) was found inside the chest. Opening the chest was a 
  difficult task, requiring divination spells and perhaps trips to a sage. 
  Trap on a Trap
  This one has been a great gag ever since the spell phantom trap was invented with 
  another name in 1E. Two primary methods can be used to achieve this trick. The first is to 
  have an obvious trap trapped by a less obvious one, and the second is to have a fake trap 
  that, if disarmed, triggers the real trap. The true purpose of this trick, much like the double 
  hidden compartment trick previously described, is to teach players to be careful and avoid 
  complacency.
  An example of the first type of trick would be a pit trap with pressure plates along its 
  sides. The pit would be easily located. To avoid the pit, you just walk around it, right? 
  The pressure plates would do something fun like release hidden spears or drop a ceiling 
  block down, covering the pit and squashing anything along its edges. Anyone who has read 
  Grimtooth’s Traps38 has seen a great deal of this type of trap. That tome could be used as a 
  great reference aid in using this type of trick. 
  The second type of trick in this category can either have a real secondary trap or none at 
  all. A mechanism is set up to be easily detected and obviously a trap. It actually does nothing, 
  or certainly nothing dangerous, but is almost impossible to disarm in any way. The reason 
  something like this might exist is that some denizen wants to scare off any would-be looters 
  or intruders but does not want to stop and disarm its “trap” itself. A good example would be 
  Trickery
  38 O’Connor, Paul Ryan., and Steven S. Crompton. Grimtooth’s Traps: A Game-master’s Aid for All 
  Role-playing Systems. Scottsdale, AZ: Flying Buffalo, 1981. Print.
  
  67
  a ceiling that appears ready to collapse, but is in fact quite stable. Another example would be 
  having the trigger for the real trap be the disarming of the fake one.
  This is another example of how I use actual description of actions taken to disarm a trap 
  by manipulating its components during play rather than just having the players roll dice. 
  The action of cutting a wire or pulling a lever is much more stress inducing (and fun) than 
  simply saying roll a d20 to see if you disarm the trap. 
  Finally, this trick can be fun when used to hide some means of egress or treasure. A 
  good example is the pit traps in Tomb of Horrors39 that “lead to a fortuitous fall.” The only 
  way a group was able to bypass many of the early (and deadly) traps was to get trapped 
  and locate a secret door inside the trap. This could also be used with an obvious trap that 
  “cannot” be disarmed guarding some form of treasure. Is the party willing to set off the 
  trap to grab the gold? 
  Time-Limited Magic Item
  Nothing steps up the pace of an adventure like a ticking clock. Similar in effect to the 
  “Bad Air” trick noted above, this one creates a situation in which the player characters have 
  to react in real time to do whatever it is they need to do. This is akin to holding a grenade 
  that has had its pin pulled. This trick can take many forms. One might be a magical sword 
  that only works until it has slain the one creature it was enchanted to slay. Another could be a 
  magical potion of flying that only lasts 1d6 rounds instead of its usual duration. An insidious 
  trick would be an item that allows a creature to fly or breathe water until a certain height (say 
  200 feet) or depth was reached, then turns off. Other ideas include a magic wand that only 
  works for 7 days or any other item that, instead of being stable, is slowly drained of power.
  It is a good idea if the player characters know this effect is occurring. This creates a sense 
  of urgency for using the item and for completion of whatever quest it is associated with. 
  One example I used last year at Gen Con is described below. In this encounter, no one had a 
  +3 weapon, and the player characters were all 4th- to 6th-level. So just how did they defeat 
  an iron golem you ask?
  SG Note:
  Unofficial Swords & Wizardry spell, converted from the Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game.
  Phantom Trap
  Spell Level: Magic-User, 1st Level 
  Range: Touch 
  Duration: permanent 
  A magic-user makes a lock or other small mechanism seem to be trapped to 
  anyone who can discover traps. The spell is placed upon any small mechanism or 
  device, such as a lock, hinge, hasp, cork, cap, or ratchet. Any character able to detect 
  traps, or who uses any spell or device enabling trap detection, is certain a real trap 
  exists. Of course, the effect is illusory and nothing happens if the trap is “sprung”; 
  its primary purpose is to frighten away thieves or make them waste precious time.
  If another phantom trap is active within 50 feet when the spell is cast, the casting 
  fails.
  39 Gygax. Tomb of Horrors
  Trickery
  
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  The Golem Pool
  The party enters a circular room fully 60 feet in diameter. In the center of the room is 
  a small pool of liquid, 6 feet in diameter. The pool is filled with a silvery liquid, and cold 
  radiates from it. On the far side of the room is a large throne, upon which sits a large iron 
  statue of a fully armored knight. Its visor is pulled back to reveal a close-fit iron grating like 
  a tiny portcullis. Both the pool and the statue radiate magic if detect magic is cast.
  The pool lining itself is magical and keeps the liquid from freezing as long as it remains 
  in the pool. The pool’s contents are a chemical mixture that freezes rapidly if removed 
  from the pool. Anything placed in the pool is immediately frozen (flesh is destroyed; 2d6 
  points of damage if an arm or leg is placed in, 1 point of damage for a finger, instant death 
  for anyone diving in, no save). Use of metal implements (pots, helmets, etc.) to remove the 
  liquid makes them very cold, with the liquid inside freezing to ice in 1d3+1 rounds after 
  removal. The residue forms a strange silvery solid (worth 10 gp a pound to an alchemist). 
  A total of 300 pounds of material could be removed. Any hasty attempt at removal (see 
  combat below) requires a save to avoid being splashed for 1d3 points of damage as icy 
  liquid sloshes about (DC 15 Reflex save in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game). 
  The statue is an iron golem enchanted with a fiery breath weapon instead of the usual 
  poison cloud. The monster, like most of its kind, is immune to virtually everything.  It does, 
  however, have one major vulnerability — magical cold directed at its furnace face can 
  harm it, making it vulnerable to the “freeze-shatter” effect.
  The golem breathes fire every round it is able. During the round it does this, its face 
  visor opens, revealing the grated head behind. If the icy liquid is tossed into its face (save 
  or take 1d3 points of splash damage, and treat as a grenade-like missile), its breath fails to 
  take effect, and for the next round, its head (targeting a creatures head gets a –2 to hit on 
  the attack roll) is affected by normal weapons. In addition, any hit with a blunt object does 
  SG Note:
  Modified Iron Golem: HD 16 (80hp); AC 3 [16]; Atk fist (4d10); Move 6; Save 
  3; AL N; CL/XP 17/3500; Special: cold vulnerability (head only), fiery breath (3d6 
  damage in a 30ft cone), immune to all weapons +2 or less, slowed by lightning, 
  healed by fire, immune to most magic.
  MODIFIED IRON GOLEM 
  CR 13
  XP 25,600
  hp 129 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Golem, Iron”, with 
  the following changes: add Weakness vulnerable to cold (head 
  only); Breath Weapon (Su) As a free action once every 1d4+1 
  rounds, the iron golem can exhale a 30-foot cone of fire. Vulnerable 
  to cold (Su) This modified iron golem take double damage from 
  cold, on its head only. On a round after it has taken cold damage, it 
  loses all damage reduction for 1 round.
  Unofficial…
  Rod of Smiting
  A rod of smiting is a +1 heavy mace with a +3 bonus against golems and 
  mechanical enemies. If the wielder rolls a natural 20 on a hit, it completely destroys 
  the golem (no saving throw). 
  
  69
  double damage that round.
  The golem wields a rod of smiting with 21 charges. 
  The Melting Lock
  This trick has been seen in games and in movies for a long time, but is often neglected 
  in actual play. Like most tricks, it has various applications. First, a critical key required to 
  open the proverbial “door to the treasure” could be used in one of a series of locks. If used 
  in the wrong one — poof, no key. The second method of applying this trick (while kind of 
  mean to your thief characters) is to have a bottle of acid in a door/chest, etc., that if the lock 
  is picked, dissolves the lockpick. Yet a third way to apply this is to create a riddle or puzzle 
  that must be solved to open some item or to know how to use the key. Perhaps it must be 
  turned three times to the left and never to the right. Perhaps there is a keyhole within a 
  keyhole. Anyone who has seen National Treasure40 remembers Nicolas Cage having to 
  trouble over a mysterious puzzle lock containing acid that was set to dissolve a key clue if 
  not deciphered first.
  All of these scenarios provide an excellent way to continue the challenge after the 
  monster is slain. Sure the player characters have found the treasure — but they still have to 
  get it out safely. The idea of self-destructing treasure items forces the player characters to 
  stop and use their brains, even long after the monster is slain. 
  Tesseracts and Teleportals
  Misdirection and getting people lost is an old standby. Teleportals, bottomless pits and 
  even simple mechanical things such as one-way doors, and sealing corridors and rooms 
  change the whole nature and focus of an adventure. The nature of the adventure becomes 
  focused on escape rather than exploration.
  Like many of these tricks, this one should be used sparingly. The goal of my play is to 
  allow the players to set the nature and context of the adventures they go on. The occasional 
  disruption of this is a good thing, however. “Endless” pathways need to have some clue 
  or method of escape (such as the White Corridor on Level 11–A of Rappan Athuk, or the 
  encounter with the Sphinx in the Tomb of Abysthor. Each has an endless trap that requires 
  a creative solution to escape). Perhaps the player characters have to walk backward, answer 
  a riddle or solve some puzzle to escape. Trial-and-error solutions are fine, as long as they 
  are not too difficult (e.g. hopeless).
  Teleporters are a different animal. I tend to use these as a method of egress that once 
  learned allows the user (or the local bad guys) a rapid means of travel within the area. For 
  example, in the lair of an evil wizard, the wizard could have built these things as a means 
  to get around rapidly. Of course he knows where each one goes and which lead to danger 
  (the useless, dangerous ones are made as a trap to snare others trying to use his toys). Once 
  the player characters learn the patterns, they have an effective means of travel as well. Of 
  course, the occasional random teleport (very occasional, else it is just a “screw the players 
  deal”) is not out of place either. I encourage any GM to decide “why” the teleporter exists 
  before adding it in. Creatures like crypt things and demi-liches have their powers to divert 
  people away from them or their lairs. Where you send player characters teleported by 
  hostile creatures like these could and should be bad.
  The simple mechanical “no-retreat” mechanism has many uses. One-way doors, falling 
  portcullis traps and shifting walls are great ways to create multi-part traps. From dead-ends 
  40 National Treasure. Buena Vista Pictures. 2005.
  Trickery
  
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  filled with oozes and blobs to starvation death traps, this concept occurs in the real world 
  and in fantasy. The ancient Egyptians created such things to seal tombs and kill tomb 
  robbers. In a fantasy setting, there is no reason to assume the vampire princess would do 
  any less.
  I Can Get In and You Can’t!
  This is yet another trick I like to use fairly frequently when using monsters that 
  can move through places or know how to move through places that player characters 
  cannot. Good examples include the small holes in a bricked-up wall allowing a 
  vampire in gaseous form to pass through, solid walls preventing access to the lair 
  (and treasure) of an incorporeal monster, long stretches of underwater rivers or lakes 
  preventing anything that needs air to breathe from accessing it, and tiny tunnels 
  through which small monsters (such as mites and rats) can pass, but players cannot. 
  Illusory walls are also a great way to do this.
  Certainly there are magical and mundane solutions to these situations. Spells such 
  as locate object and find the path and potions of gaseous form, reduce person and 
  treasure finding become extremely valuable to your players. Frankly, if I were a 
  vampire, I would certainly hide my treasure and resting place somewhere inaccessible 
  to others.
  You should keep in mind that if the treasure is say, behind a wall, a method to get it 
  there in the first place must exist. Players who are wise will figure out that they need 
  to bash the wall down to get at what is behind it. Some clue about passing through 
  the wall needs to be provided, at least to the careful player who asks. Perhaps the 
  6 wraiths coming out of the east wall are enough of a heads up that something lies 
  beyond! An example follows:
  Sealed in Stone
  This 20-foot-by-20-foot room contains an 8-foot-by-3-foot crypt shaped like a man, 
  with ancient paintings and runes detailing curses (non-magical) that befall any who open 
  the tomb. No exits from the room, other than the one through which the party entered, are 
  present.
  The crypt can be opened using a crowbar or lever. Its lid weighs more than 300 pounds. 
  If dislodged, it opens to reveal the mummified remains of a man dressed in rotten finery and 
  adorned with several pieces of costume jewelry (6 pieces worth 2d6 gp each). The crypt 
  itself contains no secret compartments of other means of hiding anything. The real treasure 
  of course, lies underneath the nearly 1,400 pound sarcophagus itself. If the whole thing is 
  moved, it can be noticed that instead of smooth stone, the floor beneath is composed of 
  mud brick and mortar. If the bricks are removed, 6 pieces of jewelry almost identically 
  matching the fakes found on the body are found. They include:
  • A cat’s-eye ring, made of gold, worth 200 gp.
  • A silver necklace, set with 10 small emeralds, worth 900 gp.
  • A platinum-and-gold broach in the shape of a spider with rubies for eyes, worth 600 gp.
  • A gold ring engraved with runes (read magic reveals the command word —“Cassius”). 
  This is a ring of water elemental command (2 charges remaining).
  • A gold bracelet set with a large polished red agate, worth 70 gp.
  • A solid jade snuff bottle filled with “ancient snuff” (really dust of appearance, 6 uses), 
  worth 1,200 gp.
  
  71
  SG Note:
  Unofficial for the Swords & Wizardry ruleset…
  Ring of Elemental Command
  Rings of elemental command are very powerful. Each appears to be nothing more 
  than a lesser magic ring until fully activated (by meeting a special condition, such as 
  single-handedly slaying an elemental of the appropriate type or exposure to a sacred 
  material of the appropriate element), but each has certain other powers as well as the 
  following common properties.
  Elementals of the plane to which the ring is attuned can’t attack the wearer, or 
  even approach within 5ft of him. If the wearer desires, he may forego this protection 
  and instead attempt to charm the elemental (as charm monster). If the charm attempt 
  fails, however, absolute protection is lost and no further attempt at charming can be 
  made.
  Creatures from the plane to which the ring is attuned who attack the wearer take 
  a –1 penalty on their attack rolls. The ring wearer makes applicable saves against 
  the creature’s attacks with a +2 bonus. He gains a +4 bonus on all to hit rolls against 
  such creatures. Any weapon he uses my strike such creatures.
  The wearer of the ring is able to converse with creatures from the plane to which 
  his ring is attuned. These creatures recognize that he wears the ring, and show a 
  healthy respect for the wearer. 
  The possessor of a ring of elemental command takes a saving throw penalty as 
  follows:
  Element
  Saving Throw Penalty
  Air
  –2 against earth-based effects
  Earth
  –2 against air- or electricity-based effects
  Fire
  –2 against water- or cold-based effects
  Water
  –2 against fire-based effects
  In addition to the powers described above which function constantly, the following 
  magical abilities may also be used. Each elemental ring has 12 charges, and each 
  magical ability drains charges as listed.
  Ring of Elemental Command (Water)
  • water walk 
  • create water (1 charge)
  • water breathing (1 charge)
  • wall of ice (2 charges)
  • ice storm (2 charges)
  • control weather (4 charges) 
  Other elemental rings have similar abilities and powers. These rings may be worn 
  by any class.
  Continued on following page.
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  Opening the bricked-up area does in fact release a real curse. All within 20 feet must 
  save or be affected by the curse, which causes anyone wearing the jewelry to lose all 
  their hair. Hair regrows as soon as the affected individual receives a remove curse spell, 
  although this could take several months. (This is a DC 20 Will save for the Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game)
  I Got It, Now What?
  This one is also an entertaining trick that can test the players and make them work for 
  the treasure you give them. A clear example of this is a magic item or gem secreted away 
  inside a Rubik’s Cube. You simply pass the cube across the table, inform them that it rattles 
  around a bit, and make them solve it (in real life) to get the goodies. Another thing I have 
  done is used a ring puzzle — you know, one of those wire things with a ring that slides back 
  and forth, but is almost impossible to get off. The only time I have ever given a player a 
  ring of spell turning I used this. The player had to get the ring off the wire puzzle before I 
  would let his character wear it. Of course, the ring is quite fragile, so attempts to cut it off 
  would destroy it. Examples of these types of puzzles can be found at http://en.wikipedia.
  org/wiki/Disentanglement_puzzle. It took the player four gaming sessions before he finally 
  got the thing loose!
  SG Note: (Continued)
  Water Walk
  Spell Level: Cleric, 4th Level; Druid 3rd Level
  Range: touch
  Duration: 1 hour
  The spell-caster can tread on any liquid as if it were firm ground. Mud, oil, snow, 
  quicksand, running water, ice, and even lava can be traversed easily, since the 
  subjects’ feet hover an inch or two above the surface. Creatures crossing molten 
  lava still take damage from the heat because they are near it. The subjects can walk, 
  run, or otherwise move across the surface as if it were normal ground.
  If the spell is cast underwater (or while the subjects are partially or wholly 
  submerged in whatever liquid they are in), the subjects are borne toward the surface 
  at a Movement rate of 24 until they can stand on it.
  
  73
  Trickery
  
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  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  Collapsing Treasure Room
  We all remember the scene from The Mummy41 where the greedy evil henchman gets 
  trapped inside the sealing tomb because he is unwilling to leave behind the hundred-pound 
  sack of gold. Whether you trap a player character for being greedy or have the ceiling fall 
  down on him, it’s a useful lesson that greed can get you killed.
  Several ways I have seen this used in the past include:
  • Incorporating the treasure into a support for the roof (e.g. gold in the walls) that causes 
  the ceiling to fall in if too much is removed.
  • Having the evil wizard’s enchantments fail when he dies (e.g. wall of stone) or fail if 
  dispelled by a dispel magic.
  • A big, dumb monster bursts out of supporting structures when it is obvious the bad 
  guys are going to lose, pulling a Samson-type collapse.
  • Creating situations requiring speed to escape — characters that are encumbered by 
  sacks of treasure won’t have time to escape (Goodbye, Bennie).
  Numerous other situations like these can of course be used. The most important thing 
  is that you allow the player characters to escape with “some” but not all of what they 
  are trying to get. Forcing them into rapid decision making and forcing a choice between 
  safety and death is the idea. One thing I have done in the past is explained the situation, 
  and then set a timer. I rapidly ask each in turn “what are you doing exactly” and give each 
  the same amount of time, only revealing the consequences of their choice after all have 
  acted. A good explanation of this is in Tomb of Horrors42 — both the sealing corridor at 
  the start and the lava pit trap near the false tomb. Adding an element of real time to this 
  trick is essential. 
  Vivid description by the GM is also critical when using this type of trick: “At first just 
  dust and small pebbles fall from the ceiling, then larger stones start to fall. The ceiling 
  groans and creaks as even larger bits start to fall. The exit is about 100 feet away, and the 
  pile of gold from the dragon’s treasure still has not been gathered up. What exactly do each 
  of you do now?”
  The Apple Tree
  Sometimes the player characters encounter something in their travels that is beneficial, 
  but limited in quantity or that takes months or even years to replenish. Those of you 
  familiar with Rappan Athuk recall the mushrooms on Level 7. Some of these took 100 
  years to regrow. Others would regrow faster, but would not regrow at all if all were 
  taken. The idea here is to teach the players that “overfishing” leads to no more fish. Two 
  examples follow:
  Greed is Bad!
  41 The Mummy. Universal Pictures, 1999.
  42 Gygax. Tomb of Horrors
  
  75
  Greed is Bad!
  
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  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  The Silver Apples
  Deep in the forest is a clearing. Birds and chittering critters dart about, making a 
  cacophony of noise that is almost maddening. In the center of the clearing is a small red-
  leafed tree. The tree is a strange variant of an apple tree and bears 4 silver apples. If detect 
  magic is cast, the apples and tree radiate magic.
  The apples are indeed magical and have the effect of a cure serious wounds spell if 
  eaten within 12 hours of being picked. After that time, they lose all magical properties. 
  The apples regrow over a period of 12 months and, while on the tree, retain their potency 
  for two months.
  Fishy, fishy, fishy, fish
  The pond in the cavern is filled with a dozen or so small fish. In the darkness, the fish 
  radiate a strange blue glow. Should detect magic be cast, they do in fact radiate magic. 
  This magic has the effect of granting water breathing for 20 to 40 minutes upon anyone 
  consuming one of the fish. As long as at least 6 of the little fish remain in the pool, they lay 
  eggs that hatch once every two months, creating an additional 2d6 fish each time. If the fish 
  population drops below 6, this number is halved. If fewer than 3 fish are left in the pool, no 
  more fish hatch, and the remaining fish die off within two months.
  From both of these examples, the GM can teach a powerful lesson in conservation. The 
  apples fail to function if taken but not used in time, and taking too many of the fish means 
  that the resource no longer exists. A druid character would certainly understand the second 
  situation.
  Magic Pools and Potions  
  (Is One Enough and  
  Two Too Many?)
  Another lesson in “don’t overuse the gift horse” is similar to mixing magical potions 
  and going “boom.” Too much of a good thing is sometimes just that. Good examples of 
  this include:
  • A magical fountain that generates some beneficial effect (e.g. healing, flight) that is 
  poison if too much is consumed.
  • A magical statue that grants wishes, or increases attributes, etc., for the first one to use 
  it, but creates the opposite effect for anyone else doing the same.
  • An herb, potion or other substance that solves some problem (wounds) if ingested, but 
  causes an entirely horrible effect if too much is taken.
  We all see things like this in real life. Three beers are good, 30 not so much. It’s good to 
  remind your players that moderation and caution of all things magical is necessary, and that 
  too much of a good thing can result in an overdose.
  
  77
  Hiding in Plain Sight
  Plain-looking things attract less attention than shiny ones. If Jesus was a carpenter, it 
  simply makes more sense that the Holy Grail is a wooden cup rather than a gem-encrusted 
  solid gold goblet. One trick I have used in the past is to have the mundane (or cursed) items 
  be huge, valuable-looking and shiny. No one pays attention to the flea infested, stinky 
  bedding of the ogre, even though it may be a cloak of elvenkind. In most cases, it pays to 
  hide your magical treasure well, and hiding it in plain sight, perhaps in the trash heap of the 
  aforementioned ogre’s bed, is a good place to do it. 
  Conclusion
  Well, gentle reader, I hope you have enjoyed this brief peek into my brain, and I hope 
  you have a better understanding of how I think when I run a game. Certainly all of you 
  reading this have similar tricks up your sleeve, all of which I would love to hear about. 
  This sampling of a few ideas is at best an idea generator for all of you, and at worst a list 
  of one-off things you can try in your home campaign.
  I graciously hope that you have enjoyed this book, and that you will share your 
  experiences and other dirty tricks (or applications of the general ideas presented here) with 
  us and with the gaming community. More GMs using more dirty tricks creates more skilled 
  players. More skilled players mean more skilled GMs, and the cycle should continue. 
  Endless, mindless combat and rolling dice to determine everything does not a roleplaying 
  game make. Interaction and careful thought by the GM and the players has created, at least 
  for this GM, the most memorable times at a table I have ever had.
  Bill Webb
  26 January 2014
  43 Gygax. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeon Masters Guide
  SG Note:
  The “Potion Miscibility Table” from the 1E Dungeon Master’s Guide43 is still the 
  greatest resource for scaring players when their characters drink 2 potions, or drink 
  one while still under the effects of another.
  Greed is Bad!
  
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  Legal appendix
  
  80
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  Your Own Fiendish Plots
  (Share them with us www.froggodgames.org/forums)
  
  2
  Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks
  Bill Webb’s Book of
  Dirty Tricks
  Frog God 
  Games
  $4.99
  This fun little tome is a GM utility for use 
  during regular play when either too many good 
  things happen to the players due to luck or just 
  whenever the GM feels they need a little push to 
  remind them that success is fleeting. 
  Dirty tricks are intended to create great players. 
  That is and should be the only reason a GM springs 
  such things on them. It also has the effect of 
  creating a great game, where even mundane tasks 
  cannot be taken for granted, and boredom is rare.
  ISBN 978-1-62283-200-2
  
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