Giant Crab Traps
Set up in clusters at narrow parts of the beach, each trap is baited with chunks of buried shark meat and is composed of multiple sets of long steel-tipped claws that flash out of the sand when triggered. The claws strike with enough force to punch through the thick shells of their prey and clamp them in place. Each trap is constructed in place and takes around an hour to set up.
Escape. If the adventurers are caught in the trap, an Athletics check allows them to free themselves. Small or smaller creatures make this check with advantage .
Trap. This trap can be detected with a passive Perception of 14 or with a Perception check to spot the tip of one of the steel points showing through the sand as the tide comes in, as well as several sticks placed as markers in an area around 20ft in radius. If the trap is not detected, it automatically triggers a Critical Failure.
Up and Away. The use of fly or similar magic (except [[levitate) to avoid the trap triggers success for that adventurer.
- As part of a group check, adventurers can make an Acrobatics check to avoid triggering the trap as they walk across the area or an Athletics check to climb past the area of the trap. Additionally, an Engineering check over the next hour can be used to examine the mechanism and identify its trigger points, giving the party advantage on Acrobatics checks.
Potential Outcomes
Critical Failure. The party takes 15 (4d6) piercing damage and becomes restrained by the mechanism’s arms. At the end of the next round 2 lance crabs exit the water and attack. If they survive the encounter but cannot free themselves, Brengad the lance crab hunter arrives a minute later, annoyed that they’re setting off his traps. He is placated by the presence of any lance crab corpses but otherwise demands recompense.
Failure. The party takes 7 (2d6) piercing damage, but they manage not to be captured by the trap. A minute later Brengad the lance crab hunter arrives to free them, annoyed that they’ve been setting off his traps and demanding recompense.
Success. The party moves through the area without triggering any of the traps.
Critical Success. As well as managing not to trigger any of the traps, the party finds something useful a short way up the beach.