[Torg] Death Trap Rules

[Sam Frazier II]

‘lo,
            So I’m working on a few Nile Death Traps for this next years TORG game and would like to ask what you would consider some rules to remember when designing a Death Trap.
 
            My previous attempt at a Nile Death Trap (The Combustion Chamber explained at the end of this message) lacked the “safe” way out. I wasn’t too worried about the group as they are quite dynamically resourceful, and they did succeed in escaping, but it was pointed out later I missed that apparent rule of having a way for the denizens of a Nile Death Trap to escape unharmed if “blah” is done/this path chosen/etc. 
 
            So in order to prevent future gaming failures in the TORG game, I thought I’d see if you had thoughts on some rules, or guidelines a Nile Death Trap would hold. 
 
            No, I don’t have a specific trap in mind yet, but several ideas. 
 
            Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
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The Combustion Chamber:
 
Description of room.
-- A vertical room of small x-y dimensions, and greater height (in this case a 3m x 3m x 15m chamber)
-- Smooth walls (in this case metal)
-- A grate at the bottom of the room. (in this case welded on the floor)
-- A door/arch/etc way at the top of the shaft in question. (in this case a 1m x 1m open area)
-- A magical area over the door/arch/etc way. Items can move through this barrier, its purpose is described below. (in this case activated by runes on the opposite side of the chamber opening than the chamber itself.) 
-- A second chamber that is twice as tall, but the same dimensions as the first is full of water. It has a similar grate in the floor. Not accessible from the first room except from the welded grate.
-- A large pipe, say 2m in diameter big enough for someone to move through, connects the two grates. 
-- For resetting the trap there are two valves, a T connection, and a pump attached to the T beyond the second valve which will remove the water from the one room and put it back in the second. Use your imagination and I think you can see how this would work. I don't have the diagram of the place scanned in right now.
 
Situation:
Characters are thrown into the room, with or without equipment. Without is obviously preferred by all Evil Geniuses. Once the characters are awake, the Evil Genius, or Minion there of laughs maniacally at the fools, and then activates the magical barrier and turns the Chamber on. 
 
What happens when it is turned on:
-- Water is pump in through the grate on the floor at a steady rate. I made it rise 5 meters per round. Yes it was a big grate.
-- Characters would need to tread water. Once the chamber filled up, balancing out the two chambers, to the door/arch/etc way the magical area comes into play.
-- The bottom of the door/arch/etc way is just below the equilibrium point for the water to balance out from the two chambers.

-- Any time anything other than air (usually the water or characters) touches the magical barrier, a magical flame is produced from the entire barrier and expands into the chamber until it hits the water. The effect causes burns and forces the water back into the previous chamber.
-- On round goes by for the water to reach the barrier after it is forced back down. 
 
It cycles until turned off, or the duration of the magical barrier is reached.
 
I don't have specific stats, I think I had the fire cause 15-20 dmg, as their heads were the only think taking the heat.

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Obviously my design left out the easy/safe route out. 


One of the characters braved the barrier, sucked up the burns and destroyed the runes for the barrier and everyone else was able to float out of the chamber.
 
Oh, I forgot to mention the Nile Villain dropped a Reality Grenade  to lower the spiritual axiom of the room/and area to like 5 or something. Thus there was no Spiritual help. Since the players in my group didn’t have a mage, I didn’t have to consider counter spells. Though I don’t think that would be difficult to design in. They did have an ord innocent to keep alive too. I was feeling rather cruel that night.
 
SDF II