AD&D - Appendix H: Tricks, but are they harmless?

Really should be named, Appendix F for way to F with your players!

Appendix H. The lost gem buried in the back of the Dungeon Master’s Guide, a trove of twisted ingenuity just waiting to be unleashed on unsuspecting adventurers. We’re talking traps, tricks, and the kind of dungeon design that keeps players second-guessing every step they take.

Every dungeon has its share of locked doors and hidden levers, but let’s be real—players expect those. They’ve seen pit traps, tripwires, and poison needles a hundred times over. The real magic happens when the DM gets creative, when the players stop treating the dungeon like a game and start treating it like a puzzle they might not survive.

Appendix H isn’t just about dropping boulders or springing spikes—it’s about innovation. It’s about making players sweat, forcing them to think, to hesitate, to curse your name while they try to figure out how to cross a room that definitely isn’t as empty as it looks. A well-placed trick can turn a mundane dungeon crawl into a legend told for years to come.

Think about it—illusionary walls hiding nothing at all, just to mess with their heads. A treasure chest that isn’t a mimic, but the floor around it is the real threat. A bridge that looks unstable but is perfectly safe, while the real hazard is the enchanted torches along the walls. It’s not just about damage—it’s about paranoia.

Even veteran DMs can get stuck in a rut, relying on the same old bag of tricks. Appendix H is a reminder that the best dungeons don’t just test hit points—they test nerve, wit, and trust. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about being fair—it’s about being fun… and maybe making your players sweat just a little.

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