30 Treasure Traps

1-Exploding Gemstone

The largest, most impressive gemstone there is actually enchanted to explode in the hand of whoever picks it up, blowing his or her hand off and possibly even blinding him or her in one or both eyes with flying razor sharp gemstone shards. The owner knows this of course , but the would be thief does not, and it may mean that at least the other gemstones within the hoard are left well alone in case there are more exploding gemstones of this type.

2-Jade Girl Amulet 

When anybody except for the owner of the treasure touches this, he or she turns into a copy of the owner’s wife or daughter. If the owner is present, the magic compels the affected person to act like said wife or daughter, although he or she retains their own memories, unless someone else can Spellbreak the spell. If the owner has been killed or is not present, the affected person has their own free will but are stuck in that different and often weaker body until the spell is Spellbroken.

3-Demon Gems

Some of the gemstones turn out to be Gems of the Underworld and can have some very nasty effects on humans who handle them, weakening them in both mind and body and confounding their magic. Of course the owner knows which gemstones are safe to handle but a thief will not.

4-Veridian Gold

One of the chests of gold turns out to be full of cursed Vridian gold and will cause very unpleasant effects to the thief. The owner knows to leave that gold well alone, but a thief will not.

5-Tracer Coin

A few of the coins have a Tracer spell cast upon them, enabling law enforcement and/ or vigilantes to follow whoever steals them, for as long as the thief still has them in his or her possession, making capture likely.

6-Cursed Weapon/s

Treasure hoards often have weapons within them, and one or more of the weapons is/ are cursed. It can be something simple like a -1 sword, or a weapon that explodes into shards on a critical hit, or it might be something that explodes into shards when sunlight shines on it, or gives the bearer an uncontrollable urge to attack law enforcement officers with it. The owner will of course know which weapons are safe to carry, but the thief will not.

7-Counterfeit Money 

Most of the treasure is genuine money, but some is counterfeit, meaning that when the thief tries to spend it he or she is likely to get into serious trouble with the law, which takes a very dim view of forged currency. The owner of course knows which money is funny but a thief will not.

8-Spell of Greed

This spell makes the thief or thieves hoard the treasure instead of spending it when the heat has died down, and there are often Tracker coins in the hoard as well, meaning that the hoard remains unspent until it is located and the thieves are arrested or killed resisting arrest. Of course the owner knows how to Spellbreak the spell.

9-Spell of Spendthrift 

This spell is the exact opposite of the Spell of Greed, making the thief buy all sorts of strange things like the entire contents of a bakery, or every weapon in a weapon shop, attracting attention to him or her and making him or her at the very least quickly waste their share of the treasure. If the thief does something like buy 600 swords, the local government is going to suspect him or her of setting up a private army to overthrow it and act accordingly to deal with the threat. Of course the owner knows how to Spellbreak the spell.

10-Petrifying Spell

When anyone except the owner or owners of the treasure touch it, they turn within seconds into a lifeless golden statue of themselves  with gemstones for eyes. Very sadistic owners trap the soul in the inert statue, leaving the thief awake but unable to move or speak. Of course the owner knows how to Spellbreak the spell.

11-Attract Trouble Spell

This spell attracts trouble quickly to the thief, be it law enforcement, rival thieves, dangerous dogs, or anything else that will be a danger. Of course the owner knows how to Spellbreak the spell.

12-Turns to Chocolate 

As soon as the stolen treasure leaves the building, it turns into chocolate coins and either chocolate items. Unless the thief wants to use it to set up a sweet shop it won’t be of much value. Of course the owner knows how to Spellbreak the spell.

13-Treasure Golem

As soon as anyone apart from the owner of the treasure touches it, it forms a mighty Coin Golem and attacks with the strength of ten average men. Only magic weapons can harm it, and it will reform within a day unless packed into many small separate bags.

14-Alarmed Treasure 

As soon as anyone apart from the owner of the treasure touches it, it rings loudly with an alarm bell noise until the spell is Spellbroken.

15-Pit Trap

The owner knows that a concealed pit trap twelve feet deep lies in front of the treasure and can walk around it, but it is unlikely that a thief would know that. The pit is meant to trap rather then to kill or injure, but a bad landing could twist an ankle.

16-Animated Armour

A couple of suits of armour within the treasure leap up and draw swords to fight anybody but the owner of the treasure if the treasure is touched, and are very hard to defeat unless they can be Spellbroken which will make them inert again.

17-Invisibility Spell

The treasure is hidden by an invisibility spell that must be Spellbroken to reveal it.

18-Aging Spell

When anyone but the owner of the treasure takes it, they will age up physically by one year per coin stolen and ten years per gemstone stolen, turning him or her into a doddering old person or an aged corpse, unless the spell is Spellbroken first.

19-Complicated Safe

The treasure is trapped in a heavy metal safe which will be very hard to open, and future tech safes may have their own traps, like one that contains a debit card that is wiped a powerful magnet if the safe is broken open, making the card useless to a thief.

20-Giant Lizard

The treasure is guarded by a giant lizard larger than a Komodo Dragon. It deeply loves its owner and his or her family- they stroke it, tickle it, take it out for walks to meet other domesticated giant lizards, give it cool water and fine meat, keep it healthy and glossy and happy- but it hates thieves and will try to eat them and has a venomous bite.

21-Nightmare Curse

Until the curse is lifted by a competent magic user, thieves will have nightmares every night after their theft unless they give back what they have stolen.

22-Funeral Gold and Grave Silver

The owner of the treasure gained it illegally by robbing graves and tombs, and the treasure is made of Funeral Gold and Grave Silver which will attract the ill will of the dead and might be recognised as stolen if the grave robbing was done recently from fresh graves, getting the thieves into legal trouble when they try to sell it.

23-Tell Tale Treasure 

The treasure is enchanted so any bit of it that is spent will tell everyone around in an indignant tone about how it was stolen and who stole it. To prevent this, it can be either Spellbroken or melted down. Melted metal tells no tales.

24-Sticking Spell

The treasure is enchanted to stick together in one big block of coins and gemstones that is too heavy even for several thieves to lift until it is Spellbroken.

25-Fire, Fire !

When unauthorised hands touch the treasure it becomes extremely hot, cooling as soon as it is dropped. To steal it, it will have to be Spellbroken first.

26-Mafia Hoard

This particular treasure hoard is owned by the local Mafia of the region and they will be trying extremely hard to get it back with as much violence as is needed.

27-Loyalty Spell

The treasure has an enchantment on it that makes the thief totally loyal to the owner of the treasure or his or her heir as long as the owner is nice to the would be thief in return. Like all enchantments it can be Spellbroken.

28-Deaging Spell

The treasure is enchanted so that every coin stolen makes the thief go down in age by a year, and every gemstone stolen makes the thief go down in age by ten years. If the thieves know about this spell and are old men/ women, then by stealing a relatively small amount of treasure, they can soon be in their prime of life again, but any other thieves could end up back in babyhood.

29-Rock Trap

Unless the thief knows ( like the owner knows) how to avoid triggering the trap, a huge rock like something from an Indiana Jones film rolls down at them, crushing them to death if they can’t escape in time.

30-Immaterial Treasure

The treasure has been enchanted so that the hands of thieves pass straight through it as if it were a ghost. To steal the treasure successfully it must be Spellbroken first.