I Cast...Brainstorm issue 40!

A weekly newsletter of ideas and advice for D&D Dungeon Masters, players, and fans

Author

Dave Palmer
January 9th, 2026

In partnership with

This week — A Trap and Adventure Hooks That All Involve Colors

Thanks for reading I Cast…Brainstorm!, a weekly newsletter with ideas and advice to help make DM-ing and playing D&D (and other TTRPGs) easier and more fun.

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Let’s brainstorm some fun!

In this issue...

Happy Friday! This was a busy and BIG week for me. I finally finished the revision on the level 1 adventure for 5th edition I’m writing, and I’m really excited about it. The next step, before we begin another round of playtests, is to build out the description of the setting — a city famous (in part) for its specialized mages who craft powerful enchanted inks in a variety of colors.

That got me thinking about adventure hooks that revolve around colors, and then I stumbled on a trap as well, and, well…I hope you enjoy these “colorful” additions for your game.

Thanks for reading!


A Non-Lethal Trap

This less lethal variation of a poison spray could make for some awkward interactions around the palace.

Caught Red-Handed — An Ink Trap

The queen owns many treasures, and wishes to protect them from thieves, yet she hates the idea that poison or some other deadly deterrent would cause some ne’er-do-well to expire within her chambers. So, as an alternative, she directed her court mages to develop a less immediately deadly security system for her valuables.

Simple trap (level 1-4)
A tiny mechanism hidden in the lock of a small treasure chest.

• Trigger: Anyone attempting to pick or open the lock, or picks up the chest without turning the proper key in the lock triggers the trap, causing a cloud of permanent magical red ink to spray out from the lock in a 5’ cone.

• Effect: The triggering creature must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw to try to dodge out of the way of the ink. On a failed save, the creature is completely sprayed with the red ink on the side facing the lock. The ink dries instantly, and can’t be rubbed, scrubbed or washed off of clothing, metal or skin. On a successful save, the creature is sprayed by a small amount of red ink on their hands, (or gloves if wearing them). Once inked in this way, the ink lasts one year, then fades away. A creature can remove the ink before the year is up, with a Greater Restoration or a Wish spell.

• Countermeasures: A successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals the mechanism, but only if a character inspects the lock. A successful DC 20 Dexterity check using thieves' tools disables the mechanism or cuts off the flow of ink, and a check with a total of 10 or lower triggers the trap.




Colorful Adventure Hooks

Serious

You leave the Hopping Pig Inn early in the morning, just as the sun begins to crest the nearby hills, and you see that an infestation of hundreds of bright orange flowers has appeared all over town overnight. As you walk into the field of flowers, a ray of sunlight touches one of the flowers near the inn, and the bloom explodes in a massive fireball that destroys the front of the tavern, knocking you to the ground. You roll onto your back in the field of flowers as the sun rises higher, and you know in a few moments its rays will touch every single one of the blooms around you…

Spooky

As you pass through a crowded market, you feel a touch on your hand. A man is next to you, a man whose skin is almost completely covered in purple lesions seeping a viscous purple fluid. “I’m so sorry” he says, as the purple lesions on his skin begin to shrink smaller and smaller. As he turns and hurries away you notice a small purple lesion on your hand where he just touched you…a lesion that is slowly growing larger.

Silly

The residents of a nearby village have started to turn a shocking shade of bright green, one by one. Each time it happens, the victim hears a high-pitched voice say “Thieves thou art who did steal from me! Thief be green ‘til it returns my key!”


You probably already know about the folks below, who are real inspirations to me, but if not, do yourself a favor and check them out.

The Arcane Library — masterpiece adventures, and Shadowdark, too!
https://www.thearcanelibrary.com

The Angry DM — so angry….so many great ideas….
https://theangrygm.com/

DMDave — on point analysis of D&D rules, and a ton of fun ideas
https://bsky.app/profile/dmdave.bsky.social

RPGBot — whip smart critique and explanations of 5e rules
https://rpgbot.net/

Sly Flourish — a DM’s best friend who is also a better DM
https://www.slyflourish.com/

Treantmonk — years of helpful advice and clever ideas
https://www.youtube.com/@TreantmonksTemple

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