The best DnD traps are Rube Goldberg traps 

When it comes to rolling encounters, a lot of old school players also roll on a reaction table (even though packaged adventures often don't include one). In that way, rolling a dragon doesn't automatically mean death, it could mean a striking a bargain or other form of parlay. In other words, don't think of random encounters the same way as traps, because monsters don't always automatically wish to harm the adventurers (like traps do). The way that I play is one of 2 ways, depending on the adventure: 1. I make my own encounter table, and I include each monster's reaction in the random table (like I do for dungeon rooms themselves) 2. I use a table that doesn't include each monster's reaction, and I roll for reaction after rolling for the encounter That being said, if you do want an encounter to be an automatic danger for the adventurers, then yes I agree that having some kind of danger sign ahead would be a good idea. However, the players have to be able to act and make a choice after seeing the sign. If you roll and describe to the them the signs of the dragon, and then automatically have them run into the dragon later, that doesn't count. So personally, I wouldn't say that *random* enounters are a great substitute for traps, but planned enounters work fine because you can prepare alternative choices for the players. That's why traps are traps, because they have a geographical element to them: you place them on your dungeon map so that players are able to make a choice about where they explore. For example, if they heed the signs of danger, but they can't figure out how to locate or disarm the trap, they can choose to take another hallway, or not enter the trapped room, etc. I hope some of this makes sense, heh.

@RabidHobbit I didn't mean to imply that random encounters were interchangeable with traps, just that the same concept of foreshadowing danger can be applied to both. You can even apply it social situations by highlighting an exchange between NPCs. Reaction tables are great for variation, a simple d6 chat works well. I like to draw inspiration from the Adventures in Middle Earth random encounters chart, it includes social encounters by default, things like children play fighting with sticks on the edge of town. I agree the best chart is one you create yourself, tailored to your game.

@RabidHobbit I actually prefer progressive charts with multi-stage entries like the dragon example I gave earlier. Not all of the entries are like that though, many are just one offs that get removed and replaced between games after being encountered. When the players encounter signs of a difficult enemy they're free to pursue or avoid it.

Both!

I hear garbage chutes work really well.

As far as incredibly well designed adventures go, you should pick up Waking of Willowby Hall if you're a DM and love rambunctious one shots. It's brilliant.

@@connorkennedy1794 I ordered it right before that comment. I keep hearing great things about it. I'm excited to see the adventure and eager to see the design choices Ben went with for Knave.

Inventive yes; but from what I remember they were also a bunch of bullshit gotchas

@@jackcoldstone7235 old school D&D was more akin to Dwarven Fortress, you knew your character was going to die, so you kinda appreciated it being weird and memorable and not just stabbed by orcs again.

You can still get Grimtooth's books. No need to miss them!

@@jaykaye594 yeah I always preferred running things impartially, so I remember flipping through the Grimtooth book and thinking it was specifically made for an adversarial gm just out to screw with players. That might work at a con or for running oneshots but wouldn't be appropriate for an actual campaign imo.

They dont give answers, but can Help give you a theme to Work with.

I don‘t think these charts are suppost to give you a trap without additional work. If you want finished traps, then you need a list of traps. If you want to have something that kickstarts your imagination, theb these charts will be helpfull.

This is where I'd plainly state :You can always go back to the list and replace it with a thing you feel works better ...OR Create a thing that works better than the thing you don't.

The purpose of these tables ain't to give you a full fledged trap, but to help you overcome blank page syndrome, redundancy and unoriginal ideas

To each their own, certainly, but for me the problem in creativity is starting from a blank slate; so this kind of thing is really helpful for me personally.

It's not an accident...it's fate.