100 Death traps

By Erik A. Dewey
Art by Donald G. Dennis

Second Rat Games Staff

Erik Dewey
Dictator-for-life/Wordsmith/Cartographer/Last of the Original Nice Guys
erik@secondrat.com

Donald G. Dennis
Queso Grande/Art Direction/ Production Monkey/ Eater of Hobbits
don@secondrat.com

Copyright © 2010 by Second Rat Games. All Rights Reserved

No reproductions without the express written consent of Second Rat Games.
Produced and distributed by Second Rat Games.

Introduction:

Death traps are a common staple in many role playing games, but coming up with interesting ones, especially off
the cuff, can be difficult. Below you can find a list of 100 death traps to spring on your players at a moment’s
notice.

The traps below meet a certain criteria. All of them aim to fatally remove a victim, not permanently maim them.
Also, each trap does not instantly kill the victim. There should be enough time for the hero to somehow escape
the trap and defeat the bad guy, usually at the last minute. Finally, the traps contain no super-science or magic.
While they may be far fetched, they are all at least within the realm of possibility.

So fire up the boilers, provoke the sharks, and get the locks ready. The heroes are coming and we need a place
to store them while we tell them how brilliant our plan is.
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Instructions:

Roll d% on the table below to determine the type of death trap that the villain chooses to use. On the pages
after the table are alphabetical descriptions of each of the traps for further information.
Roll Trap
1 The water cone 54 Into the garbage chute
2 Large fan that pushes up to spinning blades 55 Buried alive
3 locked in a paint drying baking room 56 Suspended over vat
4 Entombed in ice 57 In the path of a robotic welder
5 Willian Tell 58 Run the gauntlet
6 Avalanche 59 Furnace
7 Touch a truck 60 Time release IV drip
8 Hanging over certain death 61 Locked in armor
9 Gladiator games 62 Crushing walls
10 Conveyor belt leading to crusher 63 Friends or enemies
11 Hourglass 64 Drawn and quartered
12 Send down the river 65 Watch your fate
13 Trapped in a sauna 66 Video game with real pain
14 Rube Goldberg device 67 Timer leading to electrocution
15 Slide 68 Wipe out
16 Poisoned 69 Suspended over animals
17 On a train with broken rails 70 Haunted house ride
18 Placed in a compression chamber 71 Tied up in room on fire
19 Strapped to the hood of a car 72 Car crusher
20 Cremation 73 Falling elevator
21 Dropped in the middle of the desert 74 Sonic assault
22 Stairs to slide 75 Hanging in a crow's cage
23 Super magnet 76 Locked in a meat freezer
24 Slowly boiled in a large pot 77 Room fills with water
25 Drycleaner 78 Locked in sinking car
26 Chained to a large animal 79 Acid burning rope
27 Locked in car on crash test track 80 Poison gas
28 Smothered in feathers 81 Laser/focused sunlight
29 Placed on a simple raft in the middle of the ocean 82 Tied to train tracks
30 Drug behind vehicle 83 Tennis ball/baseball launcher
31 Placed in a stalled plane 84 Pendulum
32 Magnifying glass 85 Swallowed by a whale
33 Niagara Fall 86 Behind a rocket engine
34 Tunnel system 87 Retracting bridge
35 Razor wires room 88 In a clock tower
36 Hallucinogenic gas 89 Deserted island
37 Tied to a log in a lumber mill 90 Heater
38 In the path of a high energy beam 91 Staked out for animals
39 In a small box outside in hot weather 92 Rolling cylinder
40 Chemistry lesson 93 A maze
41 In a wind tunnel 94 Staked out
42 Constricting chair 95 In an unpressurized airplane hold
43 Explosives with long fuse/timer 96 Elevator going down
44 Small room full of allergens 97 Locked in a vault
45 Secretly attached to a car 98 Trapped on exercise equipment
46 Killer bee hive 99 Trapped in the middle of nowhere
47 Pit with animal 100 Giant bowling ally
48 Giant centrifuge/g-force simulator
49 Tilting floor
50 In the path of a stampede
51 Falling ceiling
52 Lady or the Tiger
53 Shrinking room
100 Death Traps Page |3

A maze – The victims finds themselves at the dirt keeps the victim from climbing out of the pit
beginning of a large maze. Typically, the maze and soon they smother to death.
walls are stone, although mirrors and (in a pinch)
hedges can work as well. The assumed promise is
that if the victim makes it through the maze and
to the exit, they get to live. Within the maze itself
may be other dangerous death traps or animals.
Particularly fiendish masterminds design a maze
with no exit to give the victim that false sense of
hope.

Acid burning rope – The victim is hung by their

wrists with a thick rope, hopefully over a volcano.
Above where the victim’s wrists are tied, near the Car crusher – The victim awakens to find himself
rope knot, is a small vial of corrosive acid. Every trapped inside an older car. The doors are locked,
few seconds, another drop of acid falls on the possibly welded shut. A thump on the roof
rope, burning it a little more. Soon the strands of indicates the large magnetic crane picking up the
fiber give way and the victim plunges to their car and placing it into a car crusher. Moments
doom. later the powerful walls compress the vehicle, and
victim, into the world’s heaviest coffee table.
Avalanche – The companion death trap to a
mountain chateau base, this involves building a Chained to a large animal – A horse is the classic,
small cabin at the base of a mountain piled high but any large beast that moves fast will do. Camel,
with snow. The hero is tied up inside the cabin, cow, even an elephant. The hero is drug across the
with a beautiful view of the surrounding terrain. ground as the animal moves quickly away.
Then a small explosion is detonated on the Eventually a large rock or stump crushes an
mountain, near the massive snow piles. An important part of the hero’s body and he expires.
avalanche quickly occurs either burying or
destroying the cabin and all within it. Chemistry lesson – The hero finds himself trapped
in a room. There are three tubes each with a
Behind a rocket engine – The perfect different color of liquid in them. The three tubes
augmentation to a mastermind’s space program. have smaller connecting tubes below them that
The victim is simply tied down underneath one of ultimately drip into an open beaker. Above all of
the engines of a rocket scheduled to blast off. the tubing lies a digital clock counting down.
Once the timer counts down and the engine When it reaches zero, all three chemicals release
activates, the victim is atomized by the high from their tubes and mix together. The resulting
powered exhaust. mix emits a deadly nerve gas, killing the hero. The
good news for the hero is that on each tube is a
Buried alive – Probably the cheapest trap on this
button. The hero can press one, and only one,
list. A large hole is dug, at least six feet deep. The
button and stop that fluid from mixing. Two of the
victim is thrown into the hole and then the
ingredients are active chemicals and make the
removed dirt is replaced. The weight of all of that
nerve gas. One is an inert dummy. If the hero
100 Death Traps Page |4

guesses right and stops one of the active Drawn and quartered – The victim accidentally
chemicals, they live. steps into two hidden loops of cable or chains. The
cable quickly tightens around their legs as similar
Constricting chair – The victim is placed in the loops fall around the victim’s hands. The cables
chair and his wrists, ankles, and neck are all locked then retract, lifting the victim in the air and
behind metal cuffs. A timer is connected to the preventing all movement. From that point, they
chair, in plain view of the victim. When the time slowly continue moving, causing stress on the
expires, the metal cuffs all retract into the chair victim’s shoulders and hips until they pop out of
slightly and timer begins its countdown again. joint, tearing the victim into pieces.
After three constrictions it becomes painful, after
ten breathing is very difficult, after twenty, the Dropped in the middle of the desert – A staple of
victim is dead. the Western genre. The victim is transported deep
into the middle of the desert and kicked out. The
Conveyor belt to crusher – This trap is usually only thing they have is the clothing on their body.
found in an industrial setting. There is a long With no food, water, or shelter, it is only a matter
conveyor belt that leads to a giant roller or of time.
lowering crusher. Normally rocks, garbage, or
other resources are smashed and ground up by Drug behind a vehicle – Perfect for the leader of a
the machinery. Imagine what happens when the motorcycle gang, the hero is chained to the back
victim is tied up and placed on the conveyor belt. of a vehicle by their feet. The vehicle then heads
down the open road letting friction and asphalt
Cremation – The victim wakes to find himself take care of the problem.
inside a plain wooden coffin. The coffin itself is on
a conveyor belt and poised to enter a Drycleaner – The hero is suspended from a hook
crematorium. Soon, flaming jets engulf the coffin via his tied hands. This hook is on a large track
and it catches fire. The oven and high heat do the that moves along over vats of chemicals. When
rest. the hero is over the vat, the hook lowers to dunk
them in. It holds for a second and then raises up
Crushing walls – A classic. The victim is locked into and moves on to the next one. This continues with
a room. After a few moments, mechanisms in the an occasional blast of steam and, if you are feeling
wall start up gradually pressing the two walls particularly diabolical, a hot metal press at the
together. Everyone in the room becomes a lot end. What chemicals are sitting in the vat are up
thinner. to you.

Deserted island – An easy way to dispose of your Elevator going down – The victim enters a normal
enemy, especially if they infiltrate your ocean looking elevator. No matter what button they
base. Simply drop them on a convenient deserted push, they find themselves going up to the top
island and leave them there with nothing but the floor. Once there, a timer announces how many
clothes on their back. Disease, starvation, seconds until the floor opens up. Once the
dehydration, exposure, even wild animals, end up countdown is reached, the entire floor of the
being the cause of death, but the mastermind elevator drops open sending the victim hurtling
doesn’t have to set any of it up. down the elevator shaft.
100 Death Traps Page |5

Entombed in ice – Depending on the technology and guilt when it is revealed they slew their best
available, this trap can be quick or very slow. In friend.
the quick version, liquid nitrogen or another
similarly cold substance is injected into a mold, Furnace – The victim finds themselves inside a
creating a thick ice cage around the victim. In the bricked structure. Coal or wood is then ignited and
slow version, the victim is restrained as water it becomes obvious that the room is nothing but a
slowly fills the mold. The mold is constantly chilled large furnace. The heat continues to build, either
and soon the ice prison forms. Either way the directly (flames underneath the victim) or
victim is trapped inside the ice to either suffocate indirectly (heat pumped into the room) until they
or suffer fatal hypothermia. expire.

Explosives with a long fuse/timer – A simple Giant bowling alley – Definitely one for the more
death trap that can be set up in minutes. The unbalanced mastermind. The victim is placed
victim is tied up next to a large amount of inside a transparent giant bowling pin, barely large
explosives. These explosives are triggered to go enough to hold them. The pin is setup next to its
off by either a timer, in plain sight of the victim, or brothers on a giant bowling alley. At the other end
a long lit fuse. The victim can quickly see how is a large bowling ball. Soon, a machine will roll
much life they have left. the ball down the alley, hoping for a strike. The
collision would be fatal for the victim.
Falling ceiling – The hero finds himself trapped in
a room. While he messes with the door, a
pressure plate trips and the ceiling begins its
inexorable descent into the room. Eventually the
heavy ceiling smashes all in the room into paste
before retracting back up. Spikes can be added to
the ceiling for extra effect.

Falling elevator – No matter what floor the victim

presses, the elevator automatically goes up to the
top level. It pauses for a few moments and then
the brakes release. The elevator begins its
plummet straight to the basement and no,
jumping at the last minute will not break the fall.

Friends or enemies – Either through virtual reality

technology, hallucination drugs, or powerful
hypnosis, the victims believe they are fighting for
their lives. Their opponent could be a dangerous
animal, henchman, or the mastermind himself.
Weapons are conveniently provided so the victims Giant centrifuge – Generally used to simulate g-
can amply defend themselves. Of course who they forces in pilots or to separate large amounts of
are really fighting is each other, leading to shame liquids. The victim is strapped inside of the
machine as it slowly begins rotating. The rotations
100 Death Traps Page |6

increase in speed, causing disorientation, realizes that what they are holding on to is getting
dizziness, and nausea. Eventually, the victim is warmer, moving, electrified, etc. It then becomes
spinning so fast that he is crushed by the gravity a test of endurance. How long can they hold on
acting on him. before they fall to their doom?

Gladiator games – The death trap that also Haunted house ride – This death trap operates
provides entertainment for the troops. The victim just like a carnival haunted house ride. The victim
is thrown into an area, with or without weapons. is restrained in a moving car on a track, rolling
Across the way, the mastermind’s champion along and seeing different scenes. In a normal
warrior (guard, henchman, robot, pet, whatever) ride, the scenes are startling but in this death trap,
comes out. It becomes a fight to the death where they can be fatal. A skeleton with an axe swipes at
only the vicious survive. If the victim wins, well the the victim, natives with blowguns shoot real darts,
mastermind can decide what to do with him next. a low ceiling doesn’t stop a few inches over the
victim’s head, and poisonous snakes slithering
Hallucinogenic gas – The room is a standard cell. around are real, not robotic. For additional
Gas is pumped in that causes extreme impact, the mastermind can pipe in hallucinogenic
hallucinations. Depending on the whim of the gas to really warp the victim’s mind.
mastermind, the gas could be odorless and
invisible, or it could roll in on great clouds. Either Heater – A good design for the mastermind with a
way, the victim begins to see things that are not penchant for the Old Testament. The hero is
there. They are then released from the cell. It thrown into a small pit and the roof closed over.
usually does not take long for the victim to fall off The pit is hot but not fatally so. On the wall is a
a high wall or run into a moving machine, all the thermostat of a nearby room, showing both the
while thinking they are slaying dragons, running current temperature and the level where the
from killer clowns, or sneaking up on a dinosaur. furnace kicks on to heat it. Pipes enter into the pit
and in the roof above, similarly sized pipes lead
Hanging in a crow’s cage – Time to get medieval out, too small to crawl through. Somewhere else a
on the hero. The crow’s cage is an open cylindrical large fire heats up the air that is piped into the pit
cage too small to stand up in. The hero is locked and then rises out. Of course, the room’s
inside and the cage hung from either something temperature is slowly decreasing and when it hits
like a gallows, over a large wall, the underside of a the magic level, the hero is sure to be incinerated.
cliff, etc. The hero is exposed to the elements and
basically left to die. It takes a long time, but the
hero isn’t going anywhere.

Hanging over certain death – The victim is placed

near a location leading to a large fall. Waterfall,
volcano, deep well, etc. They are then given
enough warning to prepare for the coming push
and an area that they can leap to and hold on to
prevent falling, usually a protruding stone or
convenient handle. The hanging victim then
100 Death Traps Page |7

Hourglass – Great for a time-themed mastermind. In a wind tunnel – Typically used to study
The hero falls into a trap door that slides him in aerodynamics, the high speed wind tunnel is
the top half of a giant hourglass. The roof closes basically a giant fan that blows an immense
over and locks. Soon the entire hourglass rotates amount of air around. The victim is placed in the
so that the hero is now on the bottom and the tunnel and the door locked. The large fan begins
sand is running on his head. As the sand fills the to rotate and the wind begins. Quickly the air has
bottom, the hero soon becomes immobilized. enough power to pick up the victim and hurl them
Eventually enough sand will fall through to at great force to the opposite wall. Spikes can be
suffocate him. installed on the wall for extra deadliness.

In a clock tower – The hero finds himself tied up In an unpressurized airplane hold – If you are the
inside a large clock tower. Death can come in a mastermind on the go and you need to get rid of
variety of ways. First, they could be attached to the hero without actually seeing them, then this is
the bells and when the hour chimes, a large the trap for you. Simply place the hero inside the
hammer smashes them. Second, they could be airplane’s unpressurized baggage hold. The
tied to the clock hands. When the hands reach temperature drops to close to freezing inside and
five-o-clock, the hero slips off the hour hand and the air rapidly becomes too thin to breathe. Either
plummets to their death. Third, they could be tied asphyxiation or exposure finishes them off.
to the large clockwork gears in the tower. Each
minute, they move closer to the other large gear In the path of a high energy beam – The victim is
until eventually the two meet, squishing the hero. restrained directly in the path of a radar or
Time is literally on the mastermind’s side with this microwave transmitter, usually in the bowl of a
trap. dish to better focus the rays. Every time the
transmitter sends out a pulse of energy, the victim
is bathed in it, causing minor radiation burns at
the beginning and leading up to deadly strength
with each sweep of the beam.
100 Death Traps Page |8

In the path of a robotic welder – On an assembly

line, critical manufacturing tasks are handled by a
robotic welder. The victim is tied onto the
conveyor belt moving through these robotic tools.
When the victim reaches them, the precise tools
send jets of high temperature flame to specific,
and fatal, points on the victim’s body.

In the path of a stampede – The victim is either

tied down to the ground or is left in a ravine
somewhere, a place with a natural funnel. Out of
sight from the victim is a large corral full of ox,
cattle, elephants, or some other animal. The gate
to the corral is open and several loud noises scare
the animals into a stampede. The horde of scared
animals race down the ravine and towards the
victim. Lady or the tiger – Almost more of a puzzle than a
deathtrap. The victim is in a room with a set of
Into the garbage chute – The victim finds
choices. One choice leads to freedom while one
themselves tied up and tossed into a garbage bin.
choice leads to certain death. Depending on the
Eventually the trash truck will come around and
personality of the trapper, hints may be found in
dump the victim, along with the rest of the trash
the room indicating which is which. Traditionally,
into the back. At some point in the truck’s route it
this trap had two doors. Behind one was the lady
will be forced to crush all of the garbage in the
the victim searched for and behind the other lay a
back, including the victim. This trap has the added
hungry tiger. Other versions include choosing a
benefit of automatically disposing of the body as
goblet to drink from when one it poisoned,
well.
choosing a lever that either opens the door or
electrocutes the victim, choosing a piece of music
Killer bee hive – The victim is locked in an
to play on an explosives-filled piano, choosing a
enclosed room. The only other item there is a very
button that either releases a noose or tightens it,
large (man-sized) bee hive full of killer bees. Next
etc.
to the bee hive is a timer holding back a hammer.
When the timer goes off, the hammer strikes the
Large fan that pushes up to spinning blades – The
hive, angering the bees. The buzzing mass of
floor of this circular room is metal grid work.
stingers looks for the source of the disturbance,
Beneath the grid works lays a giant industrial fan.
focusing its attention on the victim.
One that is easily capable of pushing the victim up
in the area. In the ceiling is a similar fan. When the
fans start, the victim is pushed up into the air,
right into the spinning (and sharp) blades of the
one in the ceiling.
100 Death Traps Page |9

Laser/focused sunlight – Either an industrial laser the hero is lead (or the armor marches him) into
or just a large magnifying glass, the execution is an arena for gladiatorial combat. Across the way is
the same. A beam of super-focused light cuts another armored opponent. The hero either fights
through anything it touches. The beam slowly voluntarily or the armor could be remote
moves up the table/wall/ floor until it connects controlled. Alternatively, electric shocks could be
with the unlucky hero. In a matter of moments, administered until the hero starts fighting. Either
the hero is sliced in two. way, it should not take long for both combatants
to realize they are actually fighting one of their
Locked in a car on a crash test track – The hero friends to the death.
awakens to find himself in the passenger seat of a
minivan, or subcompact car if the mastermind is Magnifying glass – The victim is tied down,
feeling devious. The car is locked on a track with a typically on a table, and a large lens is placed in
large solid wall at the end. From the control front of them. The lens goes between the victim
booth, a button is pressed and the car hurtles and the sun, focusing the solar energy in to a
down the track to the wall. Unfortunately for the beam that burns anything it touches. As the sun
hero, the airbags are deactivated/removed and he moves across the sky, the beam slowly moves
has no seat belt on. across the victim, eventually killing them.

Locked in a meat freezer – The victim is placed Niagara Fall – The mastermind places the victim
inside a large industrial meet freezer, possibly inside a small barrel. The barrel is sealed up and
with sides of cattle to keep him company. The thrown into a nearby river. The natural buoyancy
door is locked and the thermostat lowered. of the barrel lets it float on the water and follow
Eventually exposure to the sub-freezing the river’s current. Eventually, the barrel reaches a
temperatures will take their toll. tall waterfall and plunges over the side. Some
people can survive such a fall, but not most.
Locked in a sinking car – The victim is placed
inside a car, either unconscious or tied up. The car
is then pushed into the water with its windows
slightly rolled down. The car quickly fills with
water and sinks to the bottom, taking the victim
with it.

Locked in a vault – A classic bait-and-switch trap.

You place the information, item, or person the
victim seeks in the back of an open vault. When
they move to retrieve the item, an electric eye
beam or pressure plate triggers the door of the On a train with broken rails – The train speeds
vault to close. Locks click into place and suddenly down the tracks. The hero courageously makes his
the victor is the victim. Eventually the air runs out way up to the engine only to discover all the
and your problems disappear. controls are smashed and the train is moving at
full speed. Up ahead, the rails are destroyed and
Locked in armor – The hero is dressed in high tech
there is no way to stop the train in time. A quick
armor, complete with face obscuring helmet. Soon
100 Death Traps P a g e | 10

derailment, especially if it happens on a bridge, Placed on a simple raft in the middle of the ocean
brings an end to the hero. – With nothing to see except the horizon, the
victim is placed on a basic raft, a series of tied
Paint drying baking room – Usually used to dry together poles, and set adrift. Exposure,
the paint on large vehicles. This room is covered in dehydration, or even eaten by sharks, are the
hundreds of high-intensity light bulbs. The victim many ways for the victim to die. If the mastermind
is locked in the room. When the time is right, the is feeling a little sentimental, he can toss the
lights in the room turn on, immediately blinding victim a volleyball.
the victim. Quickly the temperature climbs up
until eventually the victim dies from heat Poison gas – The victim is placed in an airtight
exhaustion. room. The door is closed and locked. Soon, poison
gas flows in from the filtration system. The victim
Pendulum – Another classic death trap. The victim has just a few minutes to discover a way out
is tied down to a table and above them a large before the gas takes effect. The gas does not need
blade begins to swing back and forth. Each time to be lethal; it could just cause unconsciousness if
the blade swings, it moves closer to the victim. the mastermind needs a way to move the victim
Eventually, the blade lowers enough to cut the into another death trap.
victim.
Poisoned – The character is tied or chained to a
Pit with animal – A simple and cheap death trap. post. The food they have eaten before was
The victim falls into a pit, deep enough to prevent poisoned, or if the hero is uncooperative you can
them from climbing out but shallow enough that just pump in the poison gas. Either way they have
they do not die on impact. A gate at the bottom of only a few hours to live. On a table, out of reach of
the pit is opened and a mean and hungry animal the hero, stands a jar of antidote. If the hero can
enters the pit. Soon something digestive happens get out they can save their life. For added evilness,
to the victim. Classic animals include tigers, bears, poison two people but leave only enough antidote
snakes, alligators, wolves, sharks, and piranha. for one.

Placed in a compression chamber – Normally this Razor wire room – The victim finds themselves
large tube is used to help deep sea divers locked in a good sized room. On the other end is
acclimate to the pressure at sea level. In this case an escape option, like a door or ventilation shaft.
the victims, or victims, are sealed inside the Strung throughout the room at numerous
chamber. The controls are then set to gradually intersecting angles are incredibly thin and razor
increase the pressure inside the chamber until sharp wires. The victim must maneuver their way
their bodies are crushed. through the wires to the escape on the other side;
however there are no places small enough for it to
Placed in a stalled plane – The unconscious victim
happen. By the time the victim makes it across,
wakes up to find themselves strapped down in a
they will be bleeding from hundreds of wounds
chair in a small private jet. The door to the cockpit
from moving across the wires.
is open and it is obvious no one is flying the plane
and the controls are smashed. It is just a matter of Retracting bridge – The mastermind arranges for
time before it crashes into something. the victim to run over a bridge spanning a large
100 Death Traps P a g e | 11

chasm, preferably one ending in a pit of magma.

The door onto the bridge immediately closes. As
the victim tries to race across the bridge, it starts
to retract under his feet, towards the now closed
door. The victim has no choice but to move back
towards the beginning or fall into the abyss.
Eventually the bridge retracts fully into the wall
flush with the closed door and casting the victim
down.

Rolling cylinder – Hidden in the ceiling of the

room is a large cylinder. When the trap is
triggered, the cylinder rolls down a large track to
the floor and chases the victim. Typically the Run the gauntlet – The victim is placed on one
cylinder is larger in diameter than the average side of a large room. On the other side is an
person, making jumping over it almost impossible. escape or the object they seek. Between the
If the trap is long enough and the victim fast victim and the goal stand fifty armed warriors,
enough, they may escape it. Otherwise, the twenty-five to a side. All the victim needs to do is
cylinder bowls into the victim, crushing him. survive the run through the gauntlet.
Alternatively, instead of the fifty warriors, a series
Room fills with water – Simple, classic, and of mechanical spinning bladed machines could
elegant. The victim finds himself locked in a room move randomly around the area. Either way, the
with small vents in the ceiling. Soon the sound of victim needs to be fast and skilled to survive.
rushing water is heard followed by a strong
constant flow of water. The level begins to rise Secretly attached to a car – The victim is chained,
and eventually the victim is forced to float at the glued, or tied to the back of a normal car in such a
top, gasping for breath until the room fills up way that the driver of the car, who has no
completely. From there the victim only lasts as connection to either the victim or the
long as they can hold their breath. mastermind, has no idea that the victim is there.
Soon the car heads on down the street and the
Rube Goldberg device – A deathtrap made up of victim needs to start running or be drug along.
many different parts. The victim is restrained at Woe to the victim if the driver heads on to the
the end of the device and the mastermind pushes highway.
a button to start it up. From there a complex
combination of levers, pulleys, roller skates, Sent down the river – The victim is tied up and
balloons, tea kettles, bowling balls, a fan, and an tossed into a rapid flowing river. A life jacket on
axe or pistol break into motion, one item at a the victim prevents them from outright drowning
time. At the very end, the axe is released into the and instead they smash against the various rocks
victim or the pistol is fired. The good news is that in the river as they float down. The battering
the death trap is slow, complex, and easily ultimately ends when the river goes over a very
disabled. The bad news is that the victim has little tall waterfall, dashing the victim on the rocks
chance to shed their bonds and disable it. below.
100 Death Traps P a g e | 12

Shrinking room – The victim finds themselves Smothered in feathers – A pillow fight gone bad.
locked in a small room with various geometric The victim is dropped via a pit or chute into a large
patterns on the walls and ceiling. At one end of room full of heavy feathers. The velocity of the
the room is a control panel with five dials and a victim drops them deep into the middle of the
button. A placard announces that if the victim can feathers and what seems initially like a comfy
enter the correct password, by adjusting the dials place to rest quickly turns into a smothering
and pressing the button, the door will open. What mound. The feathers cover everything making
the placard doesn’t mention is that each incorrect breathing very difficult and there is no place for
entry will cause some of the random shapes to the victim to move. Eventually they cannot draw
move out from the walls and ceiling, shrinking the in any breath at all. This traps takes a certain kind
room and causing the victim to bend in awkward of mastermind to pull it off. Marshmallow crème
positions. Eventually the correct code will be can be substituted for the feathers if desired.
guessed or the victim will be crushed by one
wrong guess too many. Sonic assault – For this death trap, the victim may
or may not need to be restrained. In a sound proof
Slide – The victim is placed at the top of a large room, the victim awaits their fate. Suddenly high
slide, typically at least a half-pipe if not a fully pitched sonics assault them. The sound is
enclosed tube. Friction is kept low on the slide so engineered to cause nausea, pain, and even
the victim will speed down it when pushed. The bleeding from the nose and ears. Prolonged
slide deposits the victim into any number of exposure causes seizures in the brain and eventual
deadly locations. Classics include vats of acid, death. The victim can cover their ears but how
quicksand, pools with sharks, a spiked pit, out the long can they keep their arms in that position,
side of a cliff, pit of gasoline with a spark, or a very especially when the volume is turned up.
large wall.
Stairs to slide – The victim walks up a seemingly
Slowly boiled in a large pot – Also known as the normal flight of stairs. Either via a manual switch
frog trap, a hero is placed inside a large pot half- or pressure plate, the stairs shift forty-five degrees
full of water. A fire is lit below it and eventually creating a slick and smooth surface.
the water inside boils, killing the hero. It takes a Simultaneously, some sharp blades slide out at the
while for the temperature of the water to end of the stairs. The victim slides down and is
noticeably rise, possibly filling the hero with a sliced/impaled at the very end. If the mastermind
false sense of security. wants additional choices, the blades could be
removed and the victim deposited into a pit.
Small room full of allergens – The victim is
trapped in a small room. From overhead, a chute Staked out – A simple trap. Basically, the victim is
opens up and massive quantities of allergens are staked, chained, or tied out in the middle of
dumped into the room. Pollen, mold spores, inhospitable terrain and abandoned to die. Typical
animal litter, basically anything that triggers climates include the middle of the desert, arctic,
allergies. The victim quickly finds it hard to at low tide, over an unstable volcano, or on top of
breathe, their eyes water, and the sneezing starts. a natural geyser.
Eventually, their lungs cannot draw in any air and
the victim slumps to the ground and expires.
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but well within their striking range. For added

suspense, the rope the victim is hanging from
could be slowly lowering into the pit.

Suspended over vat – The hero’s hands are tied or

cuffed and then placed on a large hook. The hook
rises up, suspending the hero from it. The controls
to the hook soon send it over the top of a very
Staked out for animals – The victim is either tied
large vat filled with… well whatever the
spread eagle to the ground or tied to a large stake.
mastermind wants. Contents could include acid,
The location is near a natural or artificial habitat of
boiling water, random industrial chemicals,
carnivorous animals. As the animals get hungrier,
molten steel, or hot high fructose corn syrup.
they soon discover a meal waiting for them.
Suggested animals include large cats, wolves, Swallowed by a whale – Tricky to pull off but
crabs, sharks, piranha, bears, alligators/crocodiles, clearly one of biblical proportions. The victim is
hippopotamus (even though they are herbivores), placed in the path of an oncoming large whale.
rats or army ants. When the whale opens its mouth to siphon the
small creatures it eats, the victim goes with it.
Strapped to the hood of a car – The hero is
Inside they are digested in the whale’s giant
constrained on the hood of a large car, manacled
stomach.
spread eagle. The mastermind then has one of his
minions get in the car and start driving. When a Tennis ball/baseball launcher – The victim is
certain high speed is hit, the manacles restrained in some manner, be it tied down or
automatically release. If the hero manages to hang locked in a room. A modified tennis ball/baseball
on when they release, a quick tap on the breaks launcher starts firing heavy metal balls randomly
should send him flying. at very high speed. The victim may be able to
dodge some of them, but certainly not all.
Super magnet – Metal cuffs are attached to the
victim who is shoved and locked into a room. The
room is empty except for the spiked wall on the
opposite side. After the mastermind has finished
gloating, he throws a switch which activates a very
powerful magnet. The metal in the cuffs pull the
victim’s arms forward and begins dragging him
towards the spiked wall. The smooth floor
provides little friction to stop the inexorable pull
towards their doom.

Suspended over animals – A variation of the pit

with animal death trap. In this case, instead of
being thrown into the pit, the victim hangs from
their wrists in the middle. The victim is high
enough that the animals need to jump to get him,
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The hot box – Take a small metal box, large the floor tilts 60 degrees, sliding the surprised
enough to hold a stooping victim but not large victim into all manner of deadly areas. Spiked pits,
enough to stand up or lay down in. Place the box lava pools, and acid vats are common.
outside in the hot sun. Add enough of a slit for the
victim to see out and for the occasional guard to Time release IV drip – The victim awakes strapped
look in. Temperatures inside the box will easy rise down in a hospital bed/gurney. In their arm is an
over 100 degrees. From there, you just let nature IV attached to a drip bag. An obvious timer sits on
take its course. the IV stand, quietly counting down. When it
reaches 0, the drugs in the IV bag are released into
The water cone – The victim has a large open the victim’s system. What drug is in the bag is up
cone attached to their head, not unlike the kind a to how the mastermind feels that day.
dog wears after surgery. The cone is taller than
the victim’s reach. Above him, water starts Timer leading to electrocution – The hero is
flowing, filling up the cone. The victim needs to placed in an electric chair and strapped down.
keep drinking to keep his nose above water, but Across from the sits a large clock and below the
the cone fills up faster than it can be drunk. clock are two large electrodes. As the clock ticks
down, the electrodes move closer together. When
Tied to a log in a lumber mill – Usually reserved the timer finally reaches zero, the electrodes
for damsels in distress, the victim is physically tied connect, completing the circuit and sending the
to a large log, running down the conveyor belt in a electricity to the chair.
lumber mill. At the other end of the belt is a very
large saw blade that slices the log into two pieces, Touch a truck – The victim has a hand placed
along with the victim. somewhere on a pick up truck. From that point
on, the moment the victim removes their hand, a
Tied to train tracks – It is a cliché, but that is sensor is triggered dropping massive voltage into
because it is so effective. Tie up the victim and lay the truck and the floor below, electrocuting the
them on any convenient set of train tracks. When victim. So the question is: how long can they keep
the 4:40 comes barreling down the track, it should touching the truck.
be going far too fast to stop in time. The impact
with the hero would be minimal to the train, but Trapped in a sauna – A camouflaged death trap.
fatal to the victim. This looks and operates like a traditional sauna,
complete with a heating element and water
Tied up in a room on fire – The victim is securely bucket. The door to the outside can be locked and
tied to a chair, chained preferably. Around them the heater goes much higher than a normal
are plenty of flammable objects. Old newspapers, model. The result is an ever increasing sweat bath
cans of paint, piles of rags, etc. The whole lot is for the victim, ultimately leading to heat stroke.
then set on fire. The victim is left to their warm
demise. Trapped in the middle of nowhere – The perfect
death trap for those short on time. Place the
Tilting floor – Sometimes more Fun House than victim in a locked or blocked area in a place where
fatal, this death trap consists of a slick tiled floor. there is little to any traffic. The victim could be
When a particular tile is stepped on or when a trapped in a cave, an abandoned mine office,
switch is thrown from a hidden observation point, inside a buried train car, a remote log cabin, or
100 Death Traps P a g e | 15

Antarctic base. Whatever location, lock the door through the game. Great for those competitive
and throw away the key. heroes who never know when to quit.

Trapped on exercise equipment – The victim finds Watch your fate – The victim is trapped inside a
themselves locked onto some exercise equipment. room. Looking around, it is obvious how the
The machine seemingly has a mind of its own as it victim’s death will happen. It could be large spikes
begins to move the victim’s arms and legs into in the ceiling, crushing walls, poison gas, or vicious
various positions, moving weights up and down. animals. What isn’t obvious is how the trap is
The victim needs to keep exercising to avoid triggered. Suddenly, a curtain on the wall retracts,
injury, but the machine never tires. It is only a showing a one-way mirror that the character can
matter of time before the victim’s muscles give look out. He see’s a normal situation, like a
out. sidewalk. There is an ATM machine on the street
and a person walking up to it. If this person
Tunnel system – The air ducts of a hideout are a finishes their transaction at the ATM, the trap is
classic method of infiltration or escape for the triggered. The victim can try to communicate in
modern hero. Why not turn their very salvation some way with their unknowing executioner, but
into a death trap. This trap divides the tunnel the odds of this innocent understanding the
system in to three sections. In section one, once beating on the mirror is slim.
the hero is inside the tunnels for a good distance,
the metal around the hero heats up dramatically. William Tell – The hero is tied to a post and an
Since they must crawl on their hands and knees, apple placed on their head. The mastermind, or
this exposes a significant area of their body to his privileged henchman, picks up a bow and
second degree burns. Once the hero makes it arrow, crossbow, musket, or other firearm. He
through the first section, the second section takes his time as he aims at the apple. The
attacks with voltage flowing through the metal. question the hero needs to ask himself is, how
Unless the hero is wearing a rubber suit severe good of a shot is the bad guy?
electrical burns occur. If somehow the hero makes
it on to the third section, Freon dispensers coat Wipe out – Perfect for that volcano base in the
the metal ducts with extremely cold gas, causing Pacific. The victim is locked onto a surfboard and
frostbite and other cold damage to the hero. By sent out into middle of the ocean. When a large
the time the hero makes it through this gauntlet, wave comes, they are released. They need to stay
they will be begging to be captured and returned on the surfboard and not wipe out. Once their
to their cell. body leaves the surfboard, a powerful electric
charge, amplified by the salt water, travels down
Video game with pain – A simple video game the surfboards ankle connection and electrocutes
where one opponent fights the other. The major the victim. If they happen to be a champion
difference here is that metal contacts in the surfer, they just might survive.
joysticks and the floor send out an ever increasing
jolt of electricity each time the video game
character is hit, meaning that as the character
loses health, the actual player does too. When
one side loses the game, a fatal pulse goes