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Silver Archer's Trial

nd tier (
Challenge
DC
Region
Area
(less than 1 hour)

This hallway is filled with an unnaturally dark void that hides three layered traps, one of which is magical. When a creature moves within 10 feet of a magic sensor or one of four pressure plates concealed on the ground registers 20 or more pounds of weight, all three traps activate. Activating the traps causes divine fire to burst in a 15-foot radius in the hallway, a nozzle to appear to shoot freezing water, and makes a concealed panel drop away to reveal a firing poison-covered ballista bolt! For the next minute the divine fire trap is unable to activate.

Aligned. Creatures with the Good trait are immune to the effects of the divine fire.

Delicate Sensor. Creatures that succeed on a Stealth check to move carefully do not activate the divine fire.

Sequenced. When one of these traps is triggered, all of the other traps are also triggered (even if they are deactivated).

Spell Solve. Dispel magic (or any other effect that negates magic) and a spellcasting ability check deactivates the divine fire’s magic sensor for 1 hour, but none of the other traps.

Trap. The mechanical traps of the Silver Archer’s Trial (the freezing water and ballista bolt) can be detected with a Perception check, but only a DC 22 Investigation check notices the divine fire’s magical sensor. If all of the traps are not detected, it automatically triggers a critical failure.

Unusual Darkness. The darkness effect cannot be dispelled or negated by light. Any Perception checks or ability checks made using tool kits have disadvantage within this darkness.

Possible Solutions

Any creature is able to activate the traps. An adventurer can make a Dexterity check to wedge a dagger beneath the pressure plate or a thieves’ tools check to disarm the pressure plate before triggering the ballista bolt and freezing water. Painstaking and careful alterations to the carvings of the divine fire’s magical sensor can deactivate it for 1 minute before it repairs itself.

Critical Failure: Each creature within 15 feet makes a Dexterity saving throw with disadvantage , taking 14 (4d6) fire damage and 14 (4d6) fire damage on a failure, or half damage on a success. A nozzle shoots streams of freezing water in the hallway, making attacks with advantage against each creature within range.

Freezing Jet. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 40 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) cold damage.

The adventurer (roll to randomly determine which) is targeted by the ballista bolt and the attack has advantage.

Wyvern Ballista Bolt. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 140/480 ft., one creature within 10 feet of the pressure plate. Hit: 16 (3d10) piercing damage and the creature makes a DC 15 Constitution saving throw , taking 24 (7d6) poison damage on a failure, or half as much damage on a success.

Failure: As a critical failure, but saving throws are not made with disadvantage and ranged weapon attacks do not have advantage.

Success: The adventurers deactivate one of the three traps. Doing so has no effect on the Silver Archer’s Trial unless all three traps are deactivated. The magical sensor can be deactivated for 1 minute, in which case a second success permanently deactivates it. Permanently deactivating the magical sensor has no effect unless all three traps are permanently deactivated, in which case the Silver Archer’s Trial is permanently destroyed.

Critical Success: The adventurers avoid or deactivate all three traps, and can either permanently deactivate the Silver Archer’s Trial or pass it safely and leave it active for someone else to deal with.