A-to-Z Challenge Day 19 Tau (Τ): Tablets and Traps

Entry 19 for The Lost Catacombs of Kadmos

Down the wall to your left are four pedestals. On the top of each pedestal rests a stone tablet that features a primitive drawing of some sort. In front of each pedestal is a lever. On the wall directly across from each pedestal is a door. It would seem that the four pedestals/tablets/levers coordinate somehow with the four doors.

The four doors are all locked, but three of them are "false" doors and when opened (after being unlocked) will only reveal the wall behind them. All four doors may be unlocked by standard means, but trying to break down the false doors will do 1d2 damage to anyone attempting to do so; also, any attempt to break down the door will do nothing to unlock the door. Although it is natural to assume that the traps and levers have something to do with the locks on the doors, they have no correlation.

Close examination of the tablets will reveal that each of them depicts an adventurer falling victim to a different type of trap. The levers in front of each pedestal will "spring" the trap depicted, affecting the area denoted by the numbered "target location" that coordinating to position of the table (far left=1, second from left=2, and so on). Each of the traps does 1d6 points of damage to anyone standing in the target location for that trap as outlined below:

(1) Swinging weight trap: This trap affects those of elf-height or taller who are standing in the target location. Ducking or crouching, or creatures shorter than an elf will be unaffected.

(2) Dropping weight trap: This trap affects any creature standing in the target location.

(3) Pit trap: This pit is 10' deep and affects any creature(s) standing in the 10'x10 target location.

(4) Fireball trap: The fireball is released from a hole in the ceiling directly above the target location and does 1d6 flame damage (on a failed saving throw vs. breath weapon) to any creature(s) standing in the 10'-diameter target area.