Dungeon Room - solutions?

[RafeIxeian]

This is a simple room intended for possible use at the start of a low level (1st, maybe 2nd) dungeon. I'm posting it here to see what solutions people will come up with. I have a few, but I've found that my players often struggle with finding a solution to things I consider to be fairly straight forward. Here it is:


You enter the room slowly. It is clearly lit, as all the others before it have been. The room's ceiling was once supported by two strong stone pillars, but one of them has now collapsed and lays across the ground in front of you. The gate at the far end is raised, but a skeleton lies underneath....

G=Gate
P=Plate
N=Normal
W=Wall
C=Column
B=Broken column base
F=Fallen column

WWWWWGGWWWWW
WNNPPPPPPPPPPPNNW
WNNPPPPPPPPPPPNNW
WNNPPPPPPPPPPPNNW
WNNCPPPPPPPPPBNNW
WNNNNNFFFFNNNNW
WNNNFFFNNNNNNNW
WWWWWNNWWWWW

The goal, of course is to get past the gate, but as the players will soon discover, stepping on any part of the floor marked P drops the gate very hard (hence the previous tresspasser's death).
Available equipment - just the basics. Sleeping bags, water skins, food, rope, flint/steel, etc.

Any solutions?

[xaotik1]

Easiest way. . .disable a plate and go through one at a time if the gate resets itself to open after pressure is released.

Enlarge the gate itself, jamming it in it's track.

Hammer and pitons to make a set of wall mounted steps to the door without needing to touch floor.

Tie rope to area above frame or high on wall to the side, possibly with piton and hammer, and swing on it through open gate without hitting floor.

I never go anywhere without a shovel, a crowbar, a pick, etc. . .just start prying up plates to clear a path.

Tie a rope to the gate when it is closed, and tie the other end to the broken stump. Wait for reset and climb across the now suspended rope.

Similar theory, roll a large piece of column up to the closed gate and tie a short length of rope around it and the gate. Step back and wait for reset. Gate rises, gravity drags column under as it does so. Quickly set off gate trap again before it can climb to full height. Crawl under resulting gap under gate.

Theres a few off the top of my head. God knows that there are likely to be plenty more out there.

[RafeIxeian]

Thanks. I don't think you used any of the ones I'd planned, but as long as I can get responses this quick, I'll take that to mean it's ok. I don't know how many time I've stumped my players with things that seemed obvious. Anyway, thanks.

[Scorch]

I had the same idea as xaotik, as they'll soon realise the gate doesn't pose any immediate threat to them, So get a nice sized piece of broken collumn, tie rope round it well then tie it to the gate when it has fallen.

As it resets, the pillar is lifted, then set it off again. Thus you have a nice gap to crawl through.

Just a question, does the gate stay down while a plate is pressed? or does it auto reset on a timer?

[RafeIxeian]

Small flaw in using the gate to move the pillar into place - the pillar would be lying on the plates, so the gate would never be raised.

Just a question, does the gate stay down while a plate is pressed? or does it auto reset on a timer?

It would have to stay down as long as the plate was pressed, else you'd just have to stand on it long enough. That's be an interesting solution, and if my players actually do struggle I'll probably use it just to get things moving again. Also, as soon as the weight is removed from the plate, the gate rises.

In my description I didn't say it was a grate type, but that's what it's supposed to be, leading to the following (simple) solution: walk up to the gate, grab onto it, getting hand and footholds where possible. Since your weight is no longer on the ground, the gate would be raised, and you just have to shift your grip and swing through.

The way with the column was also planned, in a way. Basically tie it up as though you were intending to ram the gate, and stand in the spaces by the walls that aren't plated. Swing it under the open gate, and problem solved.

Assuming you don't have rope, the last option (though it would have weakened the building...) is to break the second column. Try to use it as a 'ramp' to help toss the other pillar over all of the plates,and into the hole. It'd take a few tries, and wouldn't be too quiet, but it could be done if you had a few strong people.

[Niko_Kaze]

Ok I play wizard types a lot so I would probably (in 3.5 at least) just use a tenser's floating disc.

A monk, rogue or barbarian could jump the 20' possibly.

A fighter or Barbarian could just try and hack through the thing (not likely but possible).

A rogue could of course use his get out of jail free card and use disable device.

Summon monster level 1 at the gate's square then cast benign transpostion a couple of times.

Finally a Conjurer wizard that takes the specialist ability in complete mage (or PHB 2? can't remember which) could just teleport to the other side of the gate.

[MindForge]

Tenser's disc wouldn't really work for a 1st or 2nd level group probably. I mean how does the warrior get across. 100 lbs. per level.

[Niko_Kaze]

strip down. Rogue first armor second fighter third wizard then cleric. Getting caster level 2 even at first level isn't too hard, 2 would give 200 Lbs which should be enough if equipment goes seperately.

Please note Tenser's disc won't work at all in 1st or 2nd edition as both those say you can't support people with it. 3.0 and 3.5 left that phrase out.

And if nothing else works just walk up to the gate (i'm thinking a portilcullis here some correct me if it's not) which is closed, then climb up it just a little. As it opens just swing into the hall beyond.