Like other traps, haunted traps represent threats leveled toward trespassers. They originate in an area spontaneously, often resulting from overwhelming negative emotions, tragedy, or evil. Just as some terrible fates might cause a tormented individual to rise as an @Undead creature, so might supernatural evil and violent emotions manifest more generally as one or more haunted traps. Such traps provide a way to theme the dangers and monsters of a haunted place to reveal a grim history or frightening tale. When creating or using haunted traps, consider what events brought them into being and how the trap's effects suggest those origins.
Every haunted trap has an emanation, which might be as subtle as a drop in temperature or as overt as an object moving of its own accord. A haunted trap's emanation occurs before the trap takes effect. A character notices the emanation if their passive Wisdom (Perception) score equals or exceeds 10 + the trap's Haunt Bonus. A character who notices the haunted trap has until the start of their next turn to react, which might include fleeing to avoid the trap or attempting to disarm it (see the following section). Class features and spells, such as Divine Sense and Detect Evil and Good, that discern desecration also detect haunted traps.
Characters who notice a haunted trap before it activates can attempt to disarm it. Typical methods of disarming traps, such as @Thieves' Tools and the Dispel Magic spell, don't affect haunted traps. However, the Channel Divinity class feature and the Remove Curse spell can disarm a haunted trap.
To use Channel Divinity to disarm a haunted trap, a character uses an action to present their holy symbol and speak a prayer. To use Remove Curse instead, a character must cast the spell and touch an object that is part of the trap. Whichever disarming method is used, the trap itself then makes a saving throw against the character's spell save DC, adding its Haunt Bonus to the save. On a failure, the trap is disarmed for 24 hours. If the trap fails the save by 10 or more, the trap is disarmed permanently.
Depending on the haunted trap's origins, certain spells might also affect the trap. For example, a haunted trap with a @Fiendish origin might be permanently disarmed by the spell Dispel Evil and Good.
Some haunted traps might also be disarmed in nonmagical ways related to the history of a haunted area. Such methods might be as simple as wearing the clothes of a haunted house's former owner or singing a lullaby that soothes a restless spirit. Haunted traps disarmed in such ways typically remain disarmed for 24 hours.
Several haunted traps are presented here in alphabetical order. Customize them to create terrifying traps appropriate for various adventures, though make sure to come up with original ideas as well.
Haunt Bonus: +4
Detection: passive Wisdom (Perception) score equals or exceeds 14
This haunted trap affects a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on an ancient but pristine instrument. When a creature enters the area, the trap's emanation manifests as the sound of distant, mournful music. A round later, a phantom performer appears and begins playing the instrument for the next minute. While the performer plays, any creature that enters or starts its turn in the haunted trap's area must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or float 20 feet into the air and be affected by the spell Irresistible Dance. There they are joined by illusory dancers as they dance for the remainder of the performer's song. As an action, a dancing creature can repeat the saving throw to end the effect on itself, whereupon it falls 20 feet and takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage. If a creature's saving throw to resist the trap or to stop dancing is successful, the creature is immune to the haunted trap for the next 24 hours.
While the phantom performer plays, any creature within the haunted trap's area can use an action to try to convince the performer to stop playing, doing so with a successful DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) check. When the performer stops playing, all creatures affected by the haunted trap are freed from its effects and float to the ground safely.
Haunt Bonus: +2
Detection: passive Wisdom (Perception) score equals or exceeds 12
This haunted trap affects a 15-foot-cube in front of an ornate mirror hanging on a wall. When a visible creature enters the area, the trap's emanation manifests as the creature's distorted reflection in the mirror. If that creature is still in the area at the start of its next turn, it must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be blinded, deafened, and rendered unable to speak for 1 minute. Additionally, an illusion makes it appear that the creature has had its face erased. The Remove Curse spell ends this effect, as does destroying the mirror. The mirror has AC 12, 10 hit points, vulnerability to bludgeoning damage, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. After a creature fails its saving throw against the trap, the trap won't activate again for 24 hours.
Haunt Bonus: +6
Detection: passive Wisdom (Perception) score equals or exceeds 16
This haunted trap is tied to the 10-foot-radius sphere surrounding an ominous, 1-foot-tall statue of a menacing, four-winged, birdlike figure. Once per day, when a creature enters the area, the trap's emanation manifests as the sound of distant flapping wings and a rush of warm air. If that creature is still in the area at the start of its next turn, it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed and incapacitated for 1 minute. These conditions last until the creature is damaged or someone else uses an action to shake the creature. If the affected creature remains charmed for the full minute, they are then affected as per the spell Magic Jar, their soul entering the statue and being replaced by the spirit of a disembodied @Fiend. This effect ends when Dispel Evil and Good or a similar spell is cast on the affected creature, or when the statue is destroyed. The statue has AC 17, 15 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.
This haunted trap manifests as the result of a @Fiendish influence. Casting Dispel Evil and Good on the statue permanently disarms the haunted trap.
Haunt Bonus: +0
Detection: passive Wisdom (Perception) score equals or exceeds 10
A morbid memory trap presents little danger, but it proves useful in revealing important and unsettling glimpses into an area's past. This haunted trap affects a single room or 30-foot-square area. When a creature enters the area, the trap's emanation manifests as faint, disembodied whispers. If that creature is still in the area at the start of its next turn, an illusory scene plays out, repeating some terrible event that happened in the area. This vision typically lasts 1 minute. When the vision ends, all creatures in the area that saw the illusion must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of the area for the next 1d4 rounds. Frightened creatures must take the Dash action and move away from the haunted area by the safest available route on each of their turns, unless there is nowhere else to move. After the haunted trap is activated, it won't activate again for 24 hours.