Shuddering Ceiling
This hazard is a stretch of ceiling that looks solid until pressure, noise, or vibration shakes it loose. When the stone gives way, a section of roof comes crashing down in a deafening burst of dust and shattered rock. The danger is not the impact alone, but the confusion it causes, the blocked passage, and the moment of panic while the cave keeps settling.
Shuddering Ceiling
Defenses
Detection
“A rough patch of ceiling stone hangs above a narrow passage, with hairline cracks, powdery dust, and a faint rain of pebbles whenever the floor trembles. In torchlight, the broken edges glint like teeth, and a low, shifting groan seems to come from deep in the rock.”
Standard Engagement
A creature entering the unstable area, or a strong vibration, impact, or explosion nearby.
The hazard does nothing until a creature enters the marked area, a loud impact occurs nearby, or a spell or effect shakes the stone. Then the ceiling drops in a cascade of rock and dust.
If not fully disabled, the hazard remains unstable and can trigger again after 1 hour of vibrations, loud impacts, or heavy traffic. If properly braced, it stays safe until deliberately broken loose.
When triggered, each creature in a 10-foot-by-10-foot area beneath the unstable ceiling must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d10 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success.
A creature that fails the save by 5 or more is also knocked prone and buried under rubble until it uses an action to free itself or another creature uses an action to pull it clear. While buried, the creature is restrained and has total cover only against effects originating outside the rubble at the DM's discretion.
The collapse creates difficult terrain in the affected area until the rubble is cleared. Clearing a 5-foot square takes 10 minutes of work with adequate tools, or 1 minute on a successful DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check.
Loud thunder, explosive force, or an earthquake effect automatically triggers the hazard if the unstable area is within 30 feet of the effect, even if no creature enters the area.
A character who spends an action to crouch, crawl, and move carefully through the affected space can move at half speed without triggering the hazard if it has been discovered and not yet triggered.
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