Rune of Warding (5e Trap)
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Rune of Warding[edit]
Dangerous Magical trap
The rune of warding is a dimly glowing rune that is most commonly found in ancient crypts.
The purpose of the rune of warding is to disable anyone that attempts to meddle with the warded object, without damaging the object itself or its surroundings. For this purpose the rune only attacks a creature that comes in contact with the warded object, shooting a powerful lightning bolt directly at them.
Trigger. A creature that comes into contact with the warded object, triggers the runes effect.
Effect. When triggered, the rune shoots a bolt of lightning at the triggering creature. If the creature was aware of the rune before triggering it, it can make a Dexterity saving throw to avoid the bolt, taking no damage on a successful save.
A creature hit by the lightning bolt needs to make a Constitution save, or be paralyzed for 1 minute.
The damage and saving throw DCs depend on the power of the rune. However, the damage type is always lightning.
| Rune Power | Damage | Saving Throw DC |
|---|---|---|
| Faded | 22 (4d10) | 15 |
| Faint | 55 (10d10) | 18 |
| Bright | 99 (18d10) | 20 |
Countermeasures. An active Wisdom (Perception) check against a DC of 20/16/12 (Faded/Faint/Bright) will reveal a dimly glowing rune, and a subsequent DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check will inform the creature making the check of what effect the rune has, or how it is triggered. A check result of 20 or higher will provide both the effect and the triggering condition of the rune.
A successful dispel magic, against a DC equal to the lightning bolt saving throw, cast on the rune destroys it.
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