tice on the way down.

In such cases, victims

may take half damage or no damage at all.

Unlike most traps, city defenders activate the

Unhinged Wall rather than a mechanical or

Traps & Treachery II

magical trigger. It cannot be disabled from out-
side the walls. The simplest method of disarm-
ing it is to infiltrate the upper walls and trigger
it prematurely, when one’s allies are not on the
wall and at risk. When secrecy is required,
attacking its two weak points, the linchpins and
the hinges, can do the trick. These are only
accessible from within the inner wall and are
usually heavily guarded. Disarming the linch-
pins involves finding some way of anchoring
them in the wall. The hinges, of course, must be
likewise rendered inoperable.

Detecting the presence of an Unhinged Wall is

difficult because there are few telltale signs to
give it away. Adept observers may note that the
upper wall in this area is slightly thicker than at
other points along the wall, or that the gaps
between certain stones are a bit wider than
usual in some segments.

Cities and castles take some pains to keep the

presence of an Unhinged Wall secret to pre-
swinging; each is suspended by a chain long
serve an element of surprise, though this is dif-
enough to allow it to swing near the next disk.
ficult to manage since it must be installed in
full view of everyone. Secrecy is best achieved
Starting a disk swinging requires an initial
by installing the trap while the walls are being
Strength check (DC 15), followed by two more
built. Then it can be swathed in scaffolding and
successful Strength checks (DC 15) to swing
hanging sheets, and the trap is rare enough that
the disk far enough in either direction. Once the
it is difficult to identify it merely by viewing its
disks are swinging, a Strength check (DC 10) is
finished design. Obviously, those living near a
enough to keep them swinging for an addition-
suitably ancient Unhinged Wall may be
al two rounds. An unattended disk swings for a
unaware of its existence. This is especially true
minute before settling back to its resting posi-
in city ruins, where rusty linchpins can cause
tion. Jumping from a swinging disk to a still
an abandoned trap to collapse on unwary
disk requires a Jump or Tumble check (DC 10).
explorers.
Failure indicates the character takes 1d6 points
of subdual damage for falling, failure by 5 or

Swinging Platforms
In this challenge, four circular platforms sus-
pended over a chasm (which could be filled
with water, lava, or just be a dead drop) present
the characters their only option for crossing to
the passageway beyond. Each platform is only
5 ft. in diameter, meaning that jumping from
one to the other is beyond the ability of most
characters since they cannot take running
jumps (except from the original ledge to the
first platform). The trick is that one character
must jump to the first platform and start it
more indicates that the character has slipped off
the disk and into whatever awaits him below.
Jumping onto a swinging platform, whether
from stable ground or another swinging disk, is
a bit more difficult, requiring a Jump or
Tumble check (DC 15) to perform. Characters
still take damage for failing the check, but can
still make it onto the disk unless they fail by 5
or more, in which case they fall to the dangers
below.
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