DM-Nastics #36: It's A Trap! Then Another Trap!

Quick clarification question (because I really want to dive into this). Are we discussing ideas generally, or with a specific system/ruleset in mind. If it's the latter, what level are we talking about? This may be a newb question, but I'd rather ask than make a fool of myself here.

This is more just a cool encounter than a puzzle or trap, but what if room #5 is a giant pit full of young harpies, and there is a ledge that goes around the room, or a bridge that goes across it. As you try to cross the room, the adult harpies swoop down from the ceiling to try to knock/drag you into the nest for their children to eat. If you want to be really mean with it, you could include traps or more complicated elements such as bridges that change position, rams that swing from the ceiling--anything that might "help" the players fall into the harpy pit. There might be some kind of treasure or key in the middle of the room that needs to be retrieved, or, given the room's location in the map, it might just be one of a few alternative routes through the dungeon.

The numbering on the map is really... unusual. I'm going to declare (because I need to understand the progression of the dungeon in order to picture how it will work) that the adventurers will enter the map at the very bottom, and room 2 would be the first room they would engage.

My component would be in one of the larger rooms, and could work for an intermediate or final boss... so let's say room 3, 4, or 8. The sepulcher is being used by a tribe of [baddie that fits within the theme] who are forging weapons and armor for a larger army. The adventurers stumble into a room where giant cauldrons suspended from the ceiling contain molten metal for shaping into weapons and armor. At some point, one of the three chains supporting the cauldron is broken, so the cauldron begins swinging randomly too and fro spilling lava onto the battlefield.

Functionally, you divide the room into a number of imaginary spaces... say 6 or 8. Each round you roll to determine where the cauldron will spill its fiery liquid. Anyone in that space must make a DEX save to prevent getting seriously injured by falling molten metal. If they make the save, they're character must actually move out the space where the lava is pouring.

I think it would make sense that whatever the baddie in this room is, s/he is a master blacksmith, so s/he's got pretty awesome armor, and maybe a big hammer as a weapon.

Samuel Wise yours plays perfectly into the idea from whipstache with the additional of entry steps at the very bottom of the map by Room 2. Yours could perfectly fit as the not quite stairs leading up to the right of Room 4.
LegendOfZia (formerly DM Phil) I love the den of harpies idea. Especially if you wait until all of the players are inside of the room and having the doorways shutting, or even having a party split situation because of doorways. Would be a great way to bump up the fear the players have.
maiyrcordeth it wouldn't be a good trap filled dungeon without a good illusionary aspect at some point. I like that it still holds a very real and lethal aspect to it even if the illusion were to be seen through.
Awesome ideas so far, now I need to figure out what I would like to add in!

So room 1 is small, so why not have a gelatinous Cube drop there, but only if a trigger was activated in either room 4 or the hallway leading to room 1. It only triggers when a trap or trigger is disabled. Sort of a fail safe. But if not disarmed nothing happens. Acts as a reverse trap. When the rogue detects the pressure plate, or what ever we use, his natural reaction would be to disarm it. Maybe disarming it is what really triggers it. In doing so drops a huge Gel Cube into room 1 making it impassible.

I like this one a lot. You could have it so that there is a 25% chance that something could get through the shield for each golem that goes down. After two or three are down the group would have to decide between splitting off some of the group to try and start taking down the big bad, or just keep up on the golems. I was thinking about giving melee a chance to push through after a golem has gone down too, but there would only be the % chance of making it through and then maybe a CON based save or pass out from the transition.

Going of the golem and illusion ideas.

Room 6:

A room with a lot of statues along a coridoor where the floor has runes written down on it, the players have to walk the right set of runes to make a combination of them that turns into the right rune ( say the codeword is Steam, then the runes for fire and water would be stepped on)
Now the trick is that there are also places of pitfalls and different runes, all concealed with a illusion, step on a wrong rune at the wrong moment trigger an effect based on the rune in question (say fire would spring out and engulf the players) or the statues activate and attacks.

and also theres a trigger trap at each entrance that blocks the doors. (though this can be circumvented.

Complete the puzzle without triggering too much and a illusioned wall gets disillusioned showing a pile of treasure (magic items ahoy)