Learn While Dying – How to Design Traps!

Need better traps for your games? Has it been too long since you bled? This video is based on a combination D&D play experience and seminar I gave at Gamehole Con in 2024 and 2025. I look at how traps have evolved in play and make recommendations for traps in any RPG. See how to add engaging, interesting, fun, and deadly traps to your games. I use the "Dungeon of Doom" adventure I wrote for Dwarven Forge, showcasing The Gauntlet room full of traps. Find the adventure here: https://dwarvenforge.com/blogs/module... Contents: 00:00 Learn While Dying! 02:05 12 Players - Oops All Rogues 04:37 D&D's First Trap? 07:34 Traps Evolve in Greyhawk 08:58 Blackmoor's Gotcha Traps 10:53 What Do We Want From Traps? 14:03 Traps in 5E D&D 17:09 Dungeon of Doom Gargoyle Room! 21:53 Player Approaches 23:41 A Humorous Door 24:09 The Gauntlet! 26:43 Doors and Pit Traps 30:52 First Landing and Flame Traps 37:20 Disabling Traps is Fun 38:43 Second Landing Sticky Spike Trap 42:52 Third Landing and Skeleton Swarm 46:48 The Door Involves the Whole Party 51:50 Final Pit Trap with Poison 53:58 Grabbing the Glyphstone! 58:37 Get Dungeon of Doom Free Support me and join our community to help shape this show (and get a copy of my Adventure, Encounter, and Monster Design Tools): https://alphastream.org/index.php/sup... You can find more RPG and D&D insights on my blog, https://alphastream.org/ Subscribe to my newsletter to receive a FREE product and get updates on new RPG products and blog posts! https://alphastream.org/index.php/sub... Follow me on Mastodon: https://dice.camp/@Alphastream Follow me on Patreon:   / alphastream   #DnD #ttrpg #tabletopgames #rpgs #dungeonsanddragons #characterdesign #characterbuilding #charactercreation #tabletoprpg