Although the players might disagree, there are many reasons for a DM to use traps when playing Dungeons & Dragons. First, it is a great way to keep things lively. Sometimes an adventure can get monotonous, or perhaps it wasn’t as challenging as the DM originally thought. A trap suddenly springing on the party will certainly get their attention and make the players more alert.

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Sometimes, players get their characters to a level where they’ve fought everything, and nothing seems to give them too much of a challenge. Traps are a great way of reminding the players of the mortality of their characters. You should keep in mind the three basic trap types: annoying/diverting, damaging/debilitating, and fatal. Fatal traps should be kept to an absolute minimum, though – if they are used at all.

Updated February 9, 2025, by Alfredo Robelo: Traps can come in all shapes and sizes, and the release of the 2025 Monster Manual has reminded us that certain creatures are capable of the most devious traps. We've updated this article to include a few new and improved toys from the latest Monster Manual edition.

Keep in mind that using too many traps in your campaigns will make players exceedingly wary, which can really ruin the flow of a D&D session.

28 Arcanaloth's Soul Tome

A Fiendish Book

Art by John Patrick Gañas

Traps often happen before or after fights, but certain creatures have some tricks up their sleeves to use them during a fight. An arcanaloth (found in the 2025 Monster Manual) has such a trick, and it has all to do with the book they carry, which can (and should) be targeted by the party unless they want to be trapped inside its pages.

This is due to the arcanaloth's special attack, Banishing Claw, which forces a Charisma Saving Throw on the target, trapping them inside the book on a failed save. Of course, the target can repeat the save on the following turns, but if it fails three more saves, it is permanently bound to the tome; escaping it at that point is only possible by destroying the fiendish book.

27 A Cave That's Alive

Using Ropers, Piercers, And Dark Mantles

Art by Brian Valeza and Olivier Bernard

A cave in Dungeons & Dragons can be a treacherous place even when there is no enemy in sight. This is because, in reality, there are plenty of enemies, but they are camouflaged as different rock formations and are waiting for the players to pass by, ambushing them from all sides.

An encounter filled with these creatures can have a roper as the main threat, as piercers and dark mantles fall from the ceiling to hinder the players. These creatures can also be part of an event where the cave starts to collapse, preventing the party from escaping the falling debris.

26 A Doppelganger Disguised As A Friend

The Worst Kind Of Backstab

Art by Sean Murray

Once a player has come to trust one of your NPCs, you can use that trust to lure them into a trap. If the NPC in question isn't meant to be evil, then you can replace them with a doppelganger who has kistatic.aayyy.com/topic/dn/apped the real NPC and is currently taking their place.

You can have a trap like this lead to instant combat, although you can also play a long game with this set-up. Players who are too trusting might never expect to be betrayed, while more perceptive ones might want to investigate why their old friend is acting differently than how they usually behave.

25 Pendulums

Pit Not Included

Tomb Of Annihilation artwork via Wizards of the Coast

A classic and one that takes some good timing to avoid. Any tight hallway or room is a perfect chance to put a pendulum trap to good use. Simply add a large axe that swings from the ceiling; they are impressively scary to come across.

You have the choice of having your player's movement trigger the trap or just having the axes already swinging when they enter an area. Regardless, the dexterity the characters will need to avoid getting sliced will have them carefully considering their next moves.

Combined with other traps, this can make for a gauntlet of agility checks.

24 Call Of Distress

A Citizen In Need?

Zadash Market by Linda Lithén

The party is navigating through a dungeon, forest, or city (location isn't important), when they hear cries of help from someone. When they investigate they discover a person bound to the wall with heavy chains. Perhaps it is a small child; though, this might make it a more obvious trap.

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At this point they discover the call of distress was meant to lure the party into an ambush. This trap can be tailored to fit the party's experience level. A low-level party might be ambushed by goblins or orcs. A high level party might discover the small child calling for help is actually a powerful demon or devil.

23 Snares

Watch Your Feet

Kalashtar Lightwalker by Lucio Parrillo

This ancient form of trap is pretty common, and capable of being employed by nearly every intelligent creature in D&D. There are two basic types of snares. The first is simply a length of rope, or vines, that are placed in a way to ensnare the victim. These types of snares are meant to slow or stop the victim's movement. A bear trap is another form of this type of snare.

Another type of snare uses a counterweight to move the ensnared victim. This could simply leave them dangling in the air, usually upside down. This type of snare could be used to pull the victim into an even deadlier trap.

22 Mimic

They Could Be Anything

5th Ed. Monsters Manual via Wizards of the Coast

The mimic has become famous, so much so that one made a brief cameo in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. These creatures normally resemble treasure chests but are in fact living beings with a huge mouth full of sharp teeth.

These are perfect traps to employ when party members have grown complacent due to gaining better gear and higher-level abilities and spells. At that point, a mimic isn't a serious threat, but it will almost certainly bring a little levity to the night's gaming session. If you want to make this a more serious encounter, you should be aware there are house-sized mimics (that resemble a house).

21 Bear Traps

Ouchy

Art by Zuzanna Wuzyk

It's one of the cruelest options on this list. You should consider the tone or how you describe this trap before implementing it. However, you can always opt for the toothless options that just pin your characters in place instead.

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Bear Traps are a great option indoors and outdoors. You can put them in a hallway or cover them with leaves in a forest. There are several ways to hide them and have them spring unsuspecting players. Either way, the time and checks it will take to disarm them and release the player can make for some excellent tension.

Bonus points for putting this outside an enemy encampment to start an encounter.

20 Gelatinous Cube

A Goopy Trap

Art by Olivier Bernard

This is another famous D&D creature that appeared in Honor Among Thieves. The gelatinous cube (or g-cube) is a translucent cube of ooze large enough to hold several human-sized creatures within. Once engulfed by a g-cube, the victim begins taking a significant amount of acid damage every round.

These creatures can be placed just about anywhere in a dungeon. A particularly nasty location is in the floor of a dark dungeon, so unsuspecting adventurers will walk right into the trap. These creatures can also move, making it even more dangerous if they trap the party in a dead-end passage.

19 The False Adventure

A Red Herring?

Reality Break Spell by Brian Valeza 

This is a particularly devious trap, as it's not the kind that can be detected in the normal means. The party is given a quest to perform; however, the quest is from a source that wishes the party harm. Maybe the party has earned a reputation that makes them a threat to someone, or something.

If the party lets a powerful enemy escape at some point in the past, this is a good opportunity to reintroduce that NPC. The adventure is actually meant to lure the party into an unfavorable situation. Again, this is not a trap that can be discovered with a simple roll of the dice — making it perhaps the most dangerous trap of all.