Sorcerous Scrutinies: Trials of the Trapmaster's Tomb

Trials of the Trapmaster’s Tomb

A 0-level DCC Adventure by Terry Olson

You look back at your companions through keen dwarven darkvision, nearly at the end of the winding corridor.  Parmeggiano the cheesemonger fumbles in the dark, bumping into an unlit torch.  “Finally!”  he cries, striking flint.  You shout—but too late.  Parmeggiano explodes in a flash of hubris, his charred cheesewheel rolling towards you.  Pressing on, you find a descending stairway,  each step etched with a strange runic letter.  Rufus the wainwright tugs Hamm the pig farmer forward, clutching his livestock.  Neither can read.  Rufus leans close and whispers, “Toss the pig.” 

What It Is

Trials of the Trapmaster’s Tomb (DCC #106) is a “thinking person’s funnel,” written by Terry Olson and included in Grimtooth’s Old School Traps from Goodman Games. Combat is nearly absent here—your players’ weapons will see more use as levers, wedges, or corpse hooks than as armaments in battle.

This module is a trove of inventive traps and puzzles that can easily be transplanted into your own dungeons.  The flow of the dungeon is variable, and in two runnings my players have chosen completely different paths and outcomes.  It fits neatly into a single session, even allowing time for cautious experimentation.  

That said, I wouldn’t recommend it as your first DCC funnel.  This module seems best for experienced judges, as a perfect fill-in adventure on nights when part of the party can’t make game night.

At the Table

The module offers roughly a dozen traps and puzzles, all balanced, clever and varied in their feel.  After the first two rooms, players choose among three diverging paths, all cleverly connected by a deadly chute system that ensures at least one gongfarmer’s glorious demise. This freedom lets 

players choose their poison instead of being shoved down a single deadly corridor.

Highlights from my tables:

            The Funnel Stairway (1-2): Livestock flying, peasants pole-vaulting, a wainwright surfing his wagon—pure chaotic brilliance.

The Jar Puzzle (1-9): One group engineered a halfling suspension system; another sniped the trap’s crossbow with a lucky crit, though they still lost a bold squire to the gas.

The Gelatinous Tunnel (1-12): One group fled instantly; another deciphered my tongue-clicked musical hint, correlated it to the different sized stones and solved it perfectly. Proud Judge moment.

The Vault of the Trapmaster (1-16): The final room’s treasure hoard blinds even cautious players to the inevitable tripwire “gongfarmer slicer.” One group fought Mov and triumphed; the other knelt and swore fealty for loot. Both endings felt perfect.

And if your group does bend the knee?  Make them recurring, bumbling villains in your main campaign.

Judge Takeaways

• When the first PC dies, describe their body dissolving into a black ooze slithering downward—each death inching Mov’s ritual closer to completion.  Remember that players can choose to fight these oozes before they disappear on round 2 of their initiative.

• Copy and share the handouts so everyone can engage with puzzles like the Funnel Stairway without having to peek over someone’s shoulder.

• Encourage creative problem-solving with items: the 10-foot pole will earn its legendary status here.

• Offer small, flavorful hints for successful Luck or Int checks (“Your alchemist can’t stop staring at the inch of air under the jar’s lid…”).

• Reward the bold—encourage players to sacrifice their least favorite gongfarmer for insight into the next trap.

Conclusion

Trials of the Trapmaster’s Tomb is a unique standout in the DCC canon: compact, devious, and brilliantly replayable. It’s perfect for off-weeks or smaller tables, and a masterclass in how to design puzzles that feel deadly but fair. If you want to test your players’ wits—and your own restraint as Judge—dust off Trapmaster’s Tomb and watch the peasants fly.