D&D Traps, Puzzles & Dungeons Book + Tabs Review

If this is your first time behind the DM screen, creating engaging non-combat encounters can feel straight up difficult. Enter The Game Master’s Book of Traps, Puzzles & Dungeons written by Jeff Ashworth! This book is packed with ready-to-use traps, clever puzzles, and dungeons that you can drop into almost any adventure.

Why you should use this D&D traps and puzzles book

Each trap and puzzle comes with clear mechanics and flavor, and the dungeons include encounter hooks, environmental twists, and some variants.

Oh! And the included D&D one-shot adventures come in handy when your pre-game smoke sesh runs long or you just need something structured and fast.

Why I use it:

• Instead of inventing every trap or puzzle from scratch, I can flip open this book, pick something, and drop it into my campaign. The dungeons are modular rooms, meaning I don’t have to build an entire dungeon so I just pick the rooms, connect them, and go!

• There's a good balance in the book’s traps so I can choose from different tones to find the ones that fit my campaign’s tone.

• To have in my back pocket for future sessions where my ratchet ass players will inevitably go off the rails and the only way to set them straight is a trap ...

Why the book tabs are helpful

If you're type-A(DHD) like me then think of the Book Tabs for The Game Master's Book of Traps, Puzzles and Dungeons by Bova Books LLC as the organization upgrade you need. They are laminated, durable, color-coded tabs made specifically to work with the “Traps, Puzzles & Dungeons” book. Suuuper helpful for marking key sections, jumping between chapters, and quickly finding the info you need during your session.

*book not included with book tabs

More reasons to add these book tabs to your cart:

• Instant navigation: When you’re mid-session and your players suddenly veer off course, scrambling to flip pages is a major momentum killer. These tabs provide quick access to traps, puzzles, dungeon layouts, and rules. No more “just a sec” while you search.

  
  

• Two words, 'COLOR' 'CODING': The tabs are laminated and color-coded for each different section in The Game Master's Book of Traps, Puzzles and Dungeons.

  
  

• Tab your campaign favorites: Got a dungeon you're planning to use three sessions from now? Use one of the blank tabs to get it marked NOW while you remember. Future You (who will definitely be high) will be thankful ... and high.

  
  

• Repositionable: These aren’t glued permanently, so if you need to swap your blank tabs or even need to reposition the tabs when you're placing them for the first time, you can adjust the tabs.

Installing these little guys was actually verrry easy and quick!

Seriously, it took maybe 10-15 minutes for me to attach the tabs to each of the pages. If you're short on time before your next session, you could easily knock this out before the adventure starts!

THB tips for using these together

• Pre-session prep: Find a few traps and puzzles from the book before your session and mark them with the blank tabs. Practice reading the descriptions out loud so you can deliver atmospheric flavor to your players.

  
  

• Drop-ins: Have a handful of “go-to” dungeons from the modular dungeon section ready so that if players go somewhere unexpected (those wanderers), you’re not stuck.

  
  

• Adapt to your table: If your party doesn’t love super-lethal traps, scale down the damage to your party's level or try some of the non-lethal but more “disruptive” traps.

  
  

• Use the one-shots: For your early sessions, try running one of the included adventures as a way to learn how the book’s design works in play.

  
  

• Reflect & reuse: After a session, note which traps/puzzles your players enjoyed, then tab them for future use!

Ready to checkout? 

Grab the Book Tabs for The Game Master's Book of Traps, Puzzles and Dungeons to transform that session-enhancing Game Master's Book of Traps, Puzzles and Dungeons into your ultimate quick-reference weapon. Your future high self will thank you ... if they remember :)

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