Pilum Stairway

Area 2-2 – Pilum Stairway

The staircase leading down to area 2-3 is rigged with a trap activated when the pressure plate marked “T” on the map is stepped upon.

When the trap is triggered, a pilum juts out from each riser (the vertical, front face of the step) at 3, 4, and 5 steps above the pressure plate. Each pilum is 10’ in length, allowing for multiple targets due to the spacing and placement. This trap is particularly effective against parties that do not leave space between characters in the marching order.

Detection: A thief searching the stairs and succeeding on a DC 13 find trap check notices the pressure plate on the triggering step. For each point above the check result, the searcher also detects a concealed pilum launch tube (i.e., a check of 16 reveals the hiding places of all three javelins).

Trigger: Stepping on the pressure plate activates the trap. Additionally, if a DC 14 disable trap check is unsuccessful, the trap is triggered.

Effect (Instantaneous): All those standing on the pressure plate and those next in the marching order are struck by long javelins suffering 1d8 per fired pilum (DC 18 Reflex save for half damage). If the trap is not disarmed, humanoid-height victims on the step and those of any height standing lower down on the stairs suffer 2d8 damage (1d8 per pilum). Demihumans on the pressure plate will only suffer 1d8 damage.

Countermeasures: Once the pressure plate is detected, it can be removed from the step by a thief with a successful DC 14 disable trap check. Alternatively, the pilums could be thwarted by inserting appropriately sized objects or substances into the holes from with they emerge, thus blocking or gumming them up before the spiked poles can jut out.

Reset: The pilum stairway is reset via a removable crank that can be inserted at the top of the stairs that pulls the pilums back into position and resets the pressure plate back into the step.