Drowning the Shamrock – St. Patrick’s Day D&D Trap

There is an Irish tradition on St. Patrick’s Day called Drowning the Shamrock. At the end of the night, you place a shamrock in a glass of Irish whiskey and consume the drink, shamrock and all. This age-old custom is said to bring you good luck.

With this in mind, I wanted to create an encounter where the characters are in a strange village inn and witness this tradition, a nightly ritual for the townsfolk, and then have to decide on whether or not they would participate. Digging further into Irish folklore I was able to add ideas that included legends of fortune-telling brazen heads, snakes, and even St. Patrick himself.

So in today’s video I want to continue to push the limits of rpg traps and trap encounters by creating a divine trap. The parameters and consequences of a divine trap are set up in a boon/bane like fashion by a fiend or deity. I explored this idea previously on my channel with the Nine Lives Trap.

So, today we will find out that sometimes triggering a trap is not what you do, but what you didn’t do. Inspired by Shamrocks, Saint Patrick, and Irish folklore, let’s take a look at: “Drowning the Shamrock”

Drowning the Shamrock – D&D Divine Trap





The Emerald Isle

Location: An Inn in a far-away or unexplored land for traveling adventurers such as a small village deep in the woods of a forest or a remote island. Everything seems perfect here. The weather is beautiful and the NPCs of the village are polite, cheerful, and above all else, healthy. This small village is littered with a few shops and many bountiful gardens of flowers, trees, fruits, and vegetables providing a luscious amount of greenery.

At night, the townsfolk gather at the Brazen Head Inn & Pub for dancing, drinking, song, and laughter. This is the only place where the adventurers could get a room for the night.

One of the walls of the Brazen Head Inn is made of brick and stone and features a large brass sculpture of a face. Vines filled with clover and shamrocks engulf the rest of the wall providing a beautiful, green decor. There are only three drinks available: whiskey, stout, or coffee.

But, at night, there is a strange ritual that takes place to honor the local deity Maewyn, god of Snakes and Good Health. Will your party participate in celebration?

Watch the video to find out how to run this encounter and what could happen if you don’t participate in Drowning the Shamrock.

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