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Post by Ynas Midgard on Oct 11, 2012 4:59:37 GMT -6
There are a lot of blog posts about megadungeons nowadays, especially concerning the problem of empty rooms and how to interpret random results in a way that proves to be interesting during play. My idea is the following: I create a small map (about 20-30 areas), upload it, and determine the basic contents with the tables provided in the second booklet of DD. Participants would have to create their own vision of the dungeon, the following criteria applied: - the map may not be altered in any way;
- every detail that has been established must be used (i.e. one can't ignore the random results);
- besides these, interpretation is up to the participants, they are completely free to establish connections, add details, etc.
So, what do you think? Are there anyone willing to participate in this little game/experiment?
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Post by Sean Michael Kelly on Oct 11, 2012 6:27:25 GMT -6
Sounds fun! I'm in!
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Post by ravenheart87 on Oct 11, 2012 6:30:40 GMT -6
Ooh, me!
Although I do my dungeons backwards: I have notes what rooms I'd like to put on the map, make a sketch where should I put them (it looks a lot like an UML diagram), then I draw the whole stuff. But I only use few and smaller dungeons, I'm not really into megadungeons.
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Post by Sean Michael Kelly on Oct 11, 2012 6:43:19 GMT -6
Ooh, me! Although I do my dungeons backwards: I have notes what rooms I'd like to put on the map, make a sketch where should I put them (it looks a lot like an UML diagram), then I draw the whole stuff. But I only use few and smaller dungeons, I'm not really into megadungeons. I often draw a dungeon/map, but then when playing it, often make adjustments with the story, then come back and edit.
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Post by Ynas Midgard on Oct 12, 2012 1:26:36 GMT -6
Okay I think I can upload a map tomorrow.
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Post by waysoftheearth on Oct 12, 2012 2:08:30 GMT -6
I often let the first few random rolls inform the dungeon design as I go, placing lairs accordingly, and narrowing random encounters to what might be plausible given the nearby lairs. Can't wait to see what comes of this
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Post by Ynas Midgard on Oct 17, 2012 9:27:28 GMT -6
I am sorry for being away for so long - I can barely keep deadlines, especially my own. Anyhow, I had problems regarding digitalising the map drawn by me. In order not to delay this exercise again, I take the liberty of using a map of Dyson Logos rpgcharacters.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/atarins-delve-keyed.jpgThe "hard-coded facts" of the dungeon, so to speak, determined by me as per Delving Deeper are the following: 1 - 16 skeletons 2 - 17 berserkers, 5 gems (100; 1,000; 10; 100; 350), 2 jewellery (2,000 and 1,800), magic item map 3 - empty 4 - 2 red dragon hatchlings 5 - poison trap, 1,000 sp, 600 gp 6 - 400 sp 7 - empty 8 - 22 skeletons 9 - spiked pit trap 10 - empty 11 - adventurers (1st Cleric, 7 bodyguards, 2 non-combatants) 12 - 3 large spiders 13 - curse, 500 sp, 1,000 gp 14 - empty 15 - empty Remember, you may not alter these facts but are free to interpret them any way you would like to, meaning that you may add history, establish connections, future plans, add further elements and colour, whatever you think may work and would be fun to play. Since I personally suck at deadlines, I intend not to establish one - just post your creations here in this thread and be amused by others' work. Game on!
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idrahil
Level 6 Magician
The Lighter The Rules, The Better The Game!
Posts: 398
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Post by idrahil on Oct 17, 2012 10:46:39 GMT -6
1 - 16 skeletons 2 - 17 berserkers, 5 gems (100; 1,000; 10; 100; 350), 2 jewellery (2,000 and 1,800), magic item map 3 - empty 4 - 2 red dragon hatchlings 5 - poison trap, 1,000 sp, 600 gp 6 - 400 sp 7 - empty 8 - 22 skeletons 9 - spiked pit trap 10 - empty 11 - adventurers (1st Cleric, 7 bodyguards, 2 non-combatants) 12 - 3 large spiders 13 - curse, 500 sp, 1,000 gp 14 - empty 15 - empty 1) I can't come up with anything for this room except that the skeletons are of the charred bone variety. 2) Magic map will seem to lead beyond area 14. Berserkers are bickering over a parchment... (This large group of men is an adventuring party and their hirelings [previously cursed] who had a treasure map but knew the treasure to be guarded by a Red Dragon) 3) Empty (except for the charred remains of skeletons) 4) Little hatchlings here ... where is mommy? 5) Skeletal remains of a dwarf adventurer. Rotted clothing and gear, his sacks of loot are nothing but tatters having spilled their contents across the floor some time ago. 6) A long abandoned game of chance on the floor. Playing cards or dice along with scattered coins. 7) Empty except for steam and a small pool of clear water fed from an underground spring. 8) Rattling might be heard coming from this room. If door is opened, the animated skeletons of 22 bodies jammed into this small room will attack. Half the skeletons will be stuck together due to ribs, femurs and hips becoming tangled with one another. 9) Got 10' Pole? 10) Empty except for "fresh" tracks in the dirt and dust. 11) Empty but after searching, the adventure party arrives (Not sure if this is acceptable for this game but I couldn't come up with a reason for the party to be here waiting.) 12) stairs wind around and up with an elevation change of 200'. Spiders will try to ambush from below and above (1 crawling up the side of the stairs and 2 dropping from above) once the part reaches the halfway point. 13) (I didn't understand the curse here. Is the treasure cursed, is there something here that will curse the players?) That said, the first room with a door contains 500 sp in 5 neat stacks of 100. The second small room with a door has 5 neat stacks of gold coins (100 pc each stack) and the 500 gp lying on the ground in the rough shape of a target. The larger room to the north with a door has holy symbols painted on the door. Anyone entering the room must make a save vs spells or spend the next 6 hours stacking all their coins into piles or making shapes on the floor with the coins. (Keep rolling for random encounters during this time) 14) Empty but there is a "fresh" trail of clawed feet and tail drag marks in the floor here. It is also becoming hotter. 15) Empty except for the 10 equally empty and smashed coffers as well as an empty armor display rack. Hope I did this right
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Post by waysoftheearth on Oct 18, 2012 5:13:46 GMT -6
Looks like fun... I'll have a go too 1. A former battleground littered with scores of dusty old skeletons with broken weapons, split helms and shattered shields. It is possible to pick a careful route between them, but if anything is disturbed 16 skeletons will reanimate to protect the rights of their fallen fellows. 2. A warband of grim-faced berserkers have put down here while Advargus (their leader) and Svinneg (his lieutenant) argue over the meaning of the treasure map they have been following -- which leads to a red dragon lair on a lower level. Their men are suspicious of the heavy warrior-statue here, and also of the dead in area 1. They will sneak into area 3 to lay in ambush if there is any disturbance. There is a treasure cache hidden in a lockbox beneath the statue containing five gems (worth 100, 1,000, 10, 100, and 350gp), and two pieces of jewellery (worth 2,000 and 1,800gp). 3. There are half a dozen rotting skeletons scattered about this cavern, but none of them are animated. 4. Snadapemust and Bietharoar, an enthusiastic pair of red dragon hatchlings, have come up from their mother's lair (on a deeper level) via the stairs at 14. Thus the double doors between 4 and 14 are opened. This vault is large enough for them to fly about, but should they see or hear the players approaching, they will perch themselves atop two of the three tall columns in the cave and hide in the darkness near the high cave-top in order to take they players by surprise, or remain hidden. 5. Neat little stacks of 1,000 silver and 600 gold coins lined up in plain sight along the rear wall of this chamber. However, the floor beneath them is pressure sensitive, and should any mass be added or removed, the door will slam shut and lock, and a deadly poison gas will belch into the room from a grate in the ceiling. The gas dissipates within a turn, at which time the door unlocks and the trap resets. 6. In the center of this room is the body of a deceased thief who managed to escape from area 5 with 400 sp before succumbing to the poison. 7. Two dark pools contain nothing but blind cave fish. In the dimness at the back is another old statue of a warrior. 8. This room appears to be a small cob-webbed library with floor to ceiling bookshelves full of tomes, journals and scrolls, and a single skeleton hanging limply in a rickety chair as if poring over an open book. In fact, it is much larger. The skeleton is real, but the shelves and books are all an illusion. Should anyone approach within an inch of the phantasmal shelves, the illusion vanishes to reveal a stark stone chamber six-times as large, and an army of 22 skeleton warriors poised to attack the interlopers by surprise. The phantasm is regenerated one hour later so long as at least one skeleton remains. 9. There is an old 10ft deep spiked pit trap here which was recently reset and covered by the company of Ecstatia Zionne (see area 11). A player falling in will suffer 1-6 points of damage for the fall, and a further 1-6 for the spikes. 10. This room appears to have been searched recently... 11. Ecstatia Zionne is a ravishing beauty with the look of innocence about her, but is in fact a cruel anti-cleric who uses her feminine wiles most effectively. Her cohort of body guards and engineers are all enamoured with her and will do anything to impress her on her search for somewhere to establish a new temple of chaos. Ecstatia's party descended through a sink hole into area 9, where they set a trap for any possible pursuit, and then proceeded to search areas 10 and 11. 12. A long, narrow stair winds its way deep down into the dungeon, while above the stair are a mass of nefarious tunnel-webs; the work of 3 large spiders will attempt to drop on the rear-most party member from above after everyone else has passed by. 13. These are a series of locked dungeon cells, each with a tiny peep trap at eye level. In the last cell is a small wooden chest of malign manufacture containing 500sp and 1,000gp. However, this treasure is cursed and anyone who contacts it contracts a slow rotting disease which will be fatal in 24 hours unless the treasure is entirely abandoned or disposed of. 14. Stairs down to the next lower level. 15. A completely looted treasury chamber. All that remains is a note left on the empty shelves under a single gold piece which says: "Beaten to the prize once again! But please do treat yourselves to a cheap ale."
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Post by Ynas Midgard on Oct 19, 2012 14:25:05 GMT -6
Excellent - both of you are exalted!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2012 6:46:25 GMT -6
The Fallen Temple of Atarin the Troublous
1. Entrance Chamber
Sounds/Smells: Harsh voices in a guttural tongue and iron hitting stone to the north/faint reptilian odour.
Randomly displayed around this area are the impaled skeletal remains of 16 individuals, dressed in tattered religious vestments. It appears something large has pushed its way through them, knocking down many in the process.
2. Shrine of a Saint
Sounds/Smells: Harsh voices in a guttural tongue/the stench of unwashed bodies
A large group of barbarous-looking warriors are milling around a statue in this shrine, having just partly destroyed the plinth on which it stands with iron tools. A map promising magical treasure has instead led them to a small hoard. Not having found what they came for, they will continue to search the complex. Unlikely to be friendly unless the party are smooth talkers.
The treasure consists of 5 gems (10, 100 x2; 350 & 1,000 gp) and two pieces of jewellery (1,800 & 2,000 gp).
Berserker Leader: F2, AC 9, MV 12", AL N, hp 10
Berserker (17): HD 1+1, AC 9, MV 12", AL N, hp 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 5, 5, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1
3. Central Cave
Sounds/Smells: Harsh voices in a guttural tongue to the west (if the party hasn’t yet encountered the Berserkers)/strong reptilian odour.
Empty.
4. Outer Temple
Sounds/Smells: Hissing and snapping noises/strong reptilian stench, overpowering.
Two red dragon hatchlings fight over the carcass of the sibling they have slain, the strong feeding on the weak. Days away from fledging, this pair is not yet able to fly. Three pillars carved with scenes of battle support the roof of the cavern.
Red Dragon Hatchling (2) HD2, AC 3, MV6", AL C, hp 8, 5
5. Acolyte’s Quarters
Sounds/Smells: None/musty.
Bunk beds line the walls, empty trunks are scattered about. Musty old clothing, bedding and worthless personal effects, shredded and smashed, are strewn across the floor. One trunk has a concealed compartment in its base, guarded by a poisoned needle. It contains 1,000 sp (carefully folded into a cloth to prevent clinking) and a gold ingot worth 600 gp.
6. Classroom/Study
Sounds/Smells: None/dusty.
Furniture suggests an ecclesiastical classroom or workspace. Iron sconces are set into the walls and close examination will reveal one to be different to the others. Under a layer of grime and soot is a silver sconce worth 400 sp.
7. Shrine of a Nameless Demi-god
Sounds/Smells: Hissing and snapping noises to the north/faint reptilian odour.
A statue of an unknown demi-god can be reached by a well-worn path between two pools. The water is potable.
8. Cell
Sounds/Smells: None/faint smell of corruption.
Anyone walking the length of this passageway will have a faint but growing sense of impending doom. Beyond an iron gate is a room filled with piles of human bones. Successfully picking the lock and opening the gate will result in the skeletons animating to seek revenge upon the living.
Skeleton (22) HD ½, AC 8, MV6", AL C, hp 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
9. Bathhouse
Sounds/Smells: Water trickling/damp.
An underground stream trickles gently down into a waist deep pool, before draining away. Benches line the walls of the passage closest to the pool. Above the benches pegs have been driven into the rock.
Some sadistic bugger has constructed a small spiked pit trap right about the point where a Peeping Tom might place his foot to look around the final corner. The trap will cause 1-2 points of damage to any unfortunate enough to trigger it.
10. Waiting Room
Sounds/Smells: None/faint smell of smoke.
Small pieces of splintered wood litter the floor, as if furniture had been smashed to pieces in this room.
11. High Priest’s Quarters
Sounds/Smells: Quiet murmur of voices/smoke.
Hiding in this suite of rooms is a young cleric and his attendants, sent hither by his superiors to spy out the temple complex and its suitability for use by the faith. Having made it this far before realising there were dragon hatchlings in residence, the party has been too afraid of meeting the parent to attempt to leave. Their supplies are fast running out.
Cleric, LVL 1, AC 5, MV 12", AL L, hp 5
Bodyguards (7) HD 1, AC 7, MV12", AL L, hp 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 2, 2
Non-combatants (2) HD ½, AC 9, MV12", AL L, hp 3, 2
12. Spider’s Lair
Sounds/Smells: None/a faint and unpleasant, musty smell.
Three large spiders have made their home in this cavern. One hides in the northern chamber, one in the room to the east, and the last up under the bridge formed by the wooden walkway running the length of the southern side of the cavern. Any encounter with one of the spiders will draw the other two. Approaching the pool will likewise attract all three.
Large Spider (3) HD 1+1, AC 8, MV6"/15", AL C, hp 6, 4, 2
13. Kitchen/Storerooms
Sounds/Smells: None/None.
The three rooms on the south side are storerooms. The Room to the north is a kitchen.
These rooms have been well and truly picked clean, that is all except the room without a door. Underneath an empty cupboard is a loose flagstone concealing a small pit. Within this pit is a small leather satchel containing 500 sp, 1,000 gp, a key and a small stone statuette of the god Atarin. The possessor of the statuette is cursed. Wandering monsters will appear on a roll of 3-6 rather than just 6, and monster reactions will always be negative. Only a Remove Curse spell can rid the victim of this item.
14. Main Shrine
Sounds/Smells: Quiet moan of moving air/none.
From the scattering of broken weapons and pieces of armour, it’s clear that a battle had been fought in this, the Shrine of Atarin. All that remains of his altar and statue are piles of rubble. Even the bas-relief that adorned the walls has been heavily defaced. The gods only know what lies down the stairs.
15. Treasure Vault
Sounds/Smells: None/very faint smell of incense.
Hidden within smashed bas-relief is a keyhole, the key to which is to be found in area 13. This room is filled with empty chests and cupboards, many of them smashed apart.
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Post by Mike on Oct 20, 2012 7:33:47 GMT -6
5-Stars Dave, love it
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Post by sulldawga on Nov 21, 2012 13:59:47 GMT -6
A little late to the game but here's my entry.
1. Deja Vu The remains of what looks like a battle fought long ago lie here, with pieces of 16 battered skeletons splayed about the room. A casual glance reveals that each skeleton wears some form of cheap copper jewelry (e.g. ring, armband, bracelet). A closer observation shows that the skeletons are slowly but surely reanimating! 10 seconds after the party enters the room, five skeletons pop up and instantly attack. Every round, another five reanimate until all 16 are engaged or destroyed.
Any destroyed skeletons will reanimate in the same fashion in 20 rounds unless the copper jewelry is removed from the corpse (something the berserkers in room 2 failed to do after they defeated the undead a short time ago). Once the adornment is removed, both skeleton and jewelry turn to dust.
2. Berserkergang! 17 mercenaries, dressed roughly the same in greasy black leathers, are crouched down and silently observing room 3. Should there be any attempt to parlay, they will listen warily but will attempt to convince the party to investigate the complex for them (they sent two of their group to scout ahead but neither have returned). They don’t know what’s inside but the barricade in room 3 has them spooked.
If the party engaged the skeletons in room 1, the mercenaries will have heard the commotion, and five of them will have hidden behind a large statue to the north. Should the party attack the mercenaries, the hidden group will emerge one round later to flank and surprise. All are berserkers and will fight to the death.
One of the mercenaries, apparently the leader, wears diamond studded leather bracers. The left bracer is missing a couple of gems, making it slightly less valuable than the other (1,800 sp vs 2,000 sp). He is also wearing a very old and worn pair of leather boots that, somewhat curiously, have brand new soles. Each of the boots has a false heel containing a total of five gems of various value (100; 1,000; 10; 100; 350, all sp). This mercenary has a map, hastily shoved into his belt, which leads to a room on the second level of the dungeon, accessible via a stairwell in room 14. The room on the map is indicated by a glowing sword.
The statue is of a naked, immensely fat woman. Who or what she represents is up to the Referee to decide.
3. Barricade There are a number of wooden barrels, chests, and boxes stacked in a straight line parallel to the entrance to room 4. The side of the barricade facing that way is charred and scorched. There are several piles of splinters lying about, as if parts of the barricade were smashed.
4. Dragon Daycare There are three pillars holding up the ceiling in this room. The top and bottom of each are finely carved and look to retain small shreds of the original paint and gold overlay. The rest is deeply scored by huge scratches, most likely made by the two red dragon hatchlings currently residing here.
They are playfully tossing around the haunch of some animal on which they were snacking (a closer examination would reveal, to one’s horror, that it’s the remains of one of the mercenary scouts) but once the party arrives, the food is forgotten and the beasts move to attack the party in earnest.
5. Unwelcome Mat Crumpled on the ground in front of this room is a corpse, dead less than an hour. It is dressed in the same manner as the mercenaries from room 2. Should anyone dare to closely examine the dead man, they may notice a small black puncture mark on its right hand. This is the only clue to the poison needle trap that protects the lock on this room’s door. Failure to save results in instant death.
The room itself is a sight to behold: finely carved furniture, handsome paintings hanging from the wall, and a lovely rug that is unfortunately ruined by the bloated and stinking corpse, dead much longer than an hour, lying atop it.
Firmly grasped in the dead man’s sausage like fingers is a key that opens a safe hidden behind one of the paintings. It contains 1,000 sp and 600 gp in two leather pouches.
6. Ransacked This room was appointed in the same fashion as room 5, except someone has smashed all of the furniture, torn down all of the paintings, and sliced the rug to ribbons in a fruitless search for more hidden valuables.
While most of the paintings were hung on cheap nails, one was supported by a solid-looking steel hook. Twisting this hook 90’ to the left will open a secret panel to the right of the hook, revealing a small obsidian carving of an immensely fat naked woman (remarkably like the statue in room 2) worth 400 sp.
7. Water Break There are two pools of water in this room, full of fresh, cool water. Both pools are safe to drink from. Behind the pools is a statue of a naked, immensely fat woman missing her head and both arms. The crumbled remnants of her extremities lay on the floor below.
8. Hanged Men Opening the door to this room reveals yet another horror: 22 skeletal figures hanging from nooses hooked to the ceiling. Once the door is opened, a loud set of clicks is heard, as if gears are turning, then a sharp *snap*. All 22 skeletons drop to the ground and attack! Due to the size of the room, no more than three skeletons can attack at any one time.
9. Stick a Fork in Them The passageway here forks, with the left side sloping down and the right climbing up.
Where the leftward path widens (right where the number ‘9’ is on the map), there’s a hidden pit trap. The trap door is not triggered until there is a total of 500 lbs atop it. Those unlucky enough to fall in take damage from the spikes below.
10. Mudroom This room is sparsely decorated, with a pair of wooden benches on either side and a number of pairs of cheap shoes and sandals underneath. The benches and footwear have a fine layer of dust and grime on them, as if they hadn’t been disturbed in years. There is evidence on the floor, however, that several people walked through here recently.
11. Interior Decorators The walls of these three connected rooms are simply bizarre. Garishly colored murals cover every wall from floor to ceiling. They display ordinary events, from farmers toiling in the fields, to children frolicking in a meadow filled with flowers, to merchants hawking their wares in a town square. On every wall, in the background of every scene, stands the same naked immensely fat woman… watching.
If the party enters quietly, they can hear a conversation in the far room, concerning redecorating the entire complex. Entering that back room, the party will encounter a priest of Thanos and seven men at arms. The priest is speaking with two dandies dressed quite foppishly. The priest and his bodyguards will move to the attack, while the dandies will scream and hide behind the warriors.
12. Baiting the Trap This corridor stretches around the corner to the right. There is a stone walkway carved out of the side of the wall, above a sand-covered room. About halfway through the corridor, the party sees a human-sized shape lying on the ground below. It looks like a cocoon, and it’s moving as if someone or something were trapped inside. Should anyone climb or jump down from the walkway, three large spiders emerge from underneath and attack.
Once the battle is finished and the party cuts open the cocoon, they will find the other unfortunate mercenary scout, having just expired from asphyxiation.
13. The Forgotten Inmate At the end of the walkway lies a guardroom and three cells. The Spartan furniture in the guardroom (table, chair) is covered with a thick layer of grime and dust. There’s no evidence that anyone has gotten past the spiders in a long time. The keys to each cell hang from a wooden peg on the wall of the guardroom.
Two of the cells are empty but the third contains a skeleton lying in the corner. The dead man here was left to starve and, with his dying breath, he cursed the next person to find the treasures he died to protect.
Buried in a corner of the cell (the floors are hard packed earth) are a dull ceremonial knife made of pure silver (500 sp) and a rectangular block of platinum (2,000 gp) carved with a low relief image of the now familiar naked immensely fat woman. Whoever first touches either of the items suffers the curse of gluttony. That person is always hungry and must consume four times as much food as normal each day, or suffer headaches and stomach pains (represented by attack and defense penalties as determined by the Referee).
14. Unarmed Armory The two side rooms are filled with wooden racks that once contained armor and weapons. Perhaps two score polearms, maces, and swords are smashed to bits on one side, with piles of leather armor and chain mail rent to shreds on the other side.
15. The Sword No Longer in the Stone Those finding the secret door to room 15 will no doubt be disappointed to discover that they are not the first to have arrived. There is a large stone dais in the center of the room, with an open steel container sitting atop it. Inside the container is the outline of a two-handed sword, but the weapon itself is missing. Perhaps there is a connection between the absent blade and the mercenaries’ map?
edit: changed the treasure in room 13 from electrum to platinum
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Post by waysoftheearth on Nov 21, 2012 20:26:17 GMT -6
Wonderful stuff Sully Have an exalt.
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Post by Sean Michael Kelly on Nov 22, 2012 8:28:38 GMT -6
Love that "curse of gluttony" which is appropriate for us here in the USofA on this Thanksgiving Day.
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Post by verhaden on Nov 22, 2012 10:23:01 GMT -6
Update: 11/29/12 - my now complete dungeon dressing.
1. Standing within this rough hewn cavern are 16 skeletons, dressed in animal hides and arranged in loose formation, facing away from the stairs descending. The two farthest skeletons, adorned with cloaks, are most peculiar. One has its arms held wide at a distance, as if they were holding something, while the other points through the empty space with a lone finger. There are several more piles of bones scattered throughout the room, and a few more which could only be described as bone meal, old as they are.
They will not become animated when the party approaches. However, once disturbed, on a case-by-case basis, they will fall to pieces.
If the party descends the stairs with relative silence, they will hear low murmuring and argument from cavern 2. However, repeated discussion on the party's part will silence such talk, as does disturbing the skeletons, since the corresponding berserker in cavern 2 falls dead from the act.
2. Within this cavern are 16 berserkers [5 gems (100 gp; 1,000 gp; 10 gp; 100 gp; 350 gp), 2 jewelry (2,000 gp and 1,800 gp)], all dressed in animal hides like the skeletons in the preceding area; two of them, in fact, are adorned with cloaks as well. If spied upon, the party will discover that the two cloaked berserkers are arguing over a yellowed piece of vellum, torn and frayed with age (magic item map). The rest of the group is bemused by the situation. There is a 2/6 chance that one of the berserkers will be on guard in the rear, looking quite bored.
When these berserkers are killed, they are cursed to rise from the dead after six turns until their skeletal avatars are destroyed, or until they find their treasure. They currently have no memory of their previous unlives, thinking they've just arrived in search of their prize.
Walking down the passageway back from the statue is another 'berserker'. Elves and other sharp sighted players will note that he's shorter than the rest, and sports dark, close cropped hair. He has a skeleton key on his person which will unlock the hidden chest in room 5.
The statue itself is that of a winged demon, hunched over a small, circular altar littered with hair wrapped around bones, human and non-human alike. The altar is cracked and worn, obviously moved here from a land far away, and is adorned with an unfamiliar sigil. Any player who decides to emulate the sacrifice will become infused with the spirit of an imp, which, exerts control over the player and acts out but once a day (at first). This affliction can be cured with a Remove Curse spell.
The odd 'berserker' has willfully succumbed to the imp and his demonic master. The imp is using the cursed war-band for protection and cover, though the curse itself angers and irritates the imp, as it hampers his own machinations towards power and wealth.
3. This cavern is empty, but stinks faintly of rotting eggs and carrion.
4. Two young red dragon hatchlings inhabit this cavern. The eldest of the two, male, is pretending to sleep in the middle of the room, content to ignore the pacing and insults of his younger sister. Both are highly susceptible to flattery, and regard comely elves above all others. The male is content to allow parties to pass through if they're polite and pay tribute, but the female easily insulted and prone to violence. Her brother will regretfully join in the fray, however, if violence is enacted. If she dies, he might be willing to call a truce, for their sake (of course), in exchange for an even larger tribute (gold, and perhaps a favor owed by a player?).
Neither currently has an existing hoard of treasure of their own--a sore point for both.
5. The doors to this room are constructed of a thick, heavy wood, old in age but new in construction. Each door bears a strange, painted red sigil (almost identical to the one carved into the altar in cavern 2).
There are numerous stores of dried food on shelves, and casks of wine on the floor (a bit sweet, but otherwise not bad). Along with food, there are collections of alchemical ingredients like preserved bird eggs, dried frogs, and the crushed up bits of hard shelled insects. On the floor, in the far back left corner, is a large chest, hidden by dusty linen cloth.
The skeleton key from the odd berserker in cavern 2 can be used to disable the poison dart trap (through a small, unmarked hole at the bottom of the chest) and open its contents. The chest contains 1,000 sp and 600 gp, but is weighed down with heavy, useless rocks at the bottom.
6. This room serves as a ramshackle bedroom and work area for the cultist berserker from cavern 2. He has a dissection table in the middle of the room with a dead, indeterminable beast splayed upon it. Inside of its yet undisturbed stomach are 400 sp in indigestible coins.
7. This cavern is empty, save for a statue almost identical to the one in cavern 2. This statue, however, has no accompanying altar, and looks to be in a much worse state of condition.
8. There are two heavy planks of wood laid across the door to this room. Inside are the remains of 22 skeletal prisoners chained together along all of the wall. They are largely intact, albeit picked clean of everything save the tattered remains of their clothing. All of them exhibit caved in skulls or other signs of bludgeoning, save one.
If two gems, taken from the berserkers in cavern 2, are placed into the eye sockets of that said skeleton, she will reanimate and provide a helpful bit advice related to a trap on one of the lower levels.
9. Deep into this passage there exists a small spring fed pond, illuminated by light shining through an opening in the cave ceiling. Delvers anxious to exit this twisting underground complex will, however, be disappointed to discover that the opening is small and, largely, inaccessible.
That is, if they don't fall into the spiked pit trap leading up to it. Around the first turn, over-eager characters will find that the ground is slumping into the trap--loose earth gets 'em every time.
10. Beyond the dead body, crumpled into the far corner and stripped clean of any valuables, there's not much to note here. The door ahead has, however, been left ajar.
11. These connected chambers appear to be long disused. At one time, they might have served as a meeting hall of sorts, with crude, faded and tattered banners hanging from the rough walls. The wooden furniture, the pieces still intact at least, are dusty and well worn.
Within the far room are one cleric, seven men-at-arms, and two non-combatant torch bearers. The cleric, zealous and rigid man by nature, is seeking to stifle the spread of the demon cult hinted at by the two statues. He's roughly familiar with the possession rites--he and his men stole and destroyed the altar in cavern 7--and will incite violence towards any he feels has been infected (see room 10).
The group has been further perturbed by the seemingly undead berserkers, which spurs them on toward their cause. The men-at-arms are not particularly devout, but fear and survival are keeping them close to the cleric. He will play upon their concerns if the player characters don't pay him the respect he feels he deserves.
12. This quiet, dark passage leads the players along an ancient highwall. The stone path appears to have been solid and well constructed once, but is now cracked and worn--large sections are missing, having fallen down into the cavern 20 ft. below.
Three spiders make their home here on this walkway, their nests in the nooks and crannies above. They're attracted to large stomping feet and loud noises, but can be scared away with fire. The unfortunate berserkers have been a repeated source of food for these creatures, though they're not apt to remember it.
13. These catacombs are home to long deceased master thieves and bandit-kings who used to make their homes in these caves. The first room on the right is filled with jars of foul smelling liquid and queer metal tools. A large stone slab, fit for a man, rests in the middle of the floor.
An embalmed corpse can be found overturned on the floor in the second room, picked apart and stripped of his jewels. The berserkers were among the first to disturb this tomb, and it is the source of the treasure map.
The third room contains a yet undisturbed embalmed corpse. Within his robes there are two jewels, each worth 250 gp per.
The fourth room appears to be far older than the other two. It's walls are roughly defined, and there's a steady drip of water leaking down from the ceiling onto the floor. A simple stone recess holds the aged skeleton of a former bandit-king. A crown made of antlers rests upon its skull, with a milky blue opal worth 1,000 gp resting in the middle.
Any player who attempts to wrest the gemstone from the crown will be cursed to wear the visage of the bandit-king as their own. Have fun.
14. Nothing much to note, save for the stairs that lead down to the next level of the dungeon.
15. This room appears to have been used as an armor and weapons cache, though it's been picked clean of anything of value.
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Post by Ynas Midgard on Nov 22, 2012 11:46:42 GMT -6
verhaden: It looks great, I'm looking forward to your finishing it.
austrodavicus and sulldawga, both of you are exalted!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2012 1:36:11 GMT -6
Thanks Ynas Midgard (and previously hogscape).
Great descriptions verhaden.
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Post by sulldawga on Nov 23, 2012 9:19:59 GMT -6
Thanks for the exalts. Glad some folks enjoyed my take on the dungeon.
verhaden, love the curse from rooms 1 and 2 in your description. Very creative. Assuming I am capable of giving exalts, you will have one from me.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2012 11:41:52 GMT -6
It would be really cool if someone pulled all these into a PDF.
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idrahil
Level 6 Magician
The Lighter The Rules, The Better The Game!
Posts: 398
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Post by idrahil on Nov 29, 2012 12:13:46 GMT -6
It would be really cool if someone pulled all these into a PDF. Something I put together during lunch, hope it's ok to do this way Attachments:
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Post by ravenheart87 on Nov 29, 2012 12:35:59 GMT -6
Good job, idrahil!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2012 13:13:08 GMT -6
Great stuff idrahil, very handy. Thanks.
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Post by Ynas Midgard on Nov 29, 2012 14:19:32 GMT -6
Absolutely okay, idrahil. tomorrow I might have time to write up my own interpretation, too. How about yours, Ravenheart?
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Post by ravenheart87 on Nov 29, 2012 14:49:58 GMT -6
I don't have time right now to continue my own campaigns. Don't worry Ynas, once I'm done with my first exams, I'm going to write my own interpretation of your dungeon.
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Post by verhaden on Nov 29, 2012 15:45:52 GMT -6
Updated the rest of the dungeon. While there are advantages to being terse, I think you can be descriptive while still leaving gaps and holes for referee's to fill.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2012 16:11:36 GMT -6
It would be really cool if someone pulled all these into a PDF. Something I put together during lunch, hope it's ok to do this way Ex-fing-alt! Now, can I have a pony?
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idrahil
Level 6 Magician
The Lighter The Rules, The Better The Game!
Posts: 398
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Post by idrahil on Nov 30, 2012 9:14:11 GMT -6
Hey Verhaden, I'll update the pdf with the rest of your dressing on Monday. I'm running around out of the office today.
vlark, alas I'm not in the pony business lol
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Post by Ynas Midgard on Apr 3, 2013 7:23:25 GMT -6
UPDATE: It has been slightly edited; more to come soon.
There has been some delay regarding the writing of my own version, but here is the first part.
1. Stairs lead down to this dark and wet cave; the floor is littered with bones and the air smells of putrefied fish and carbonised octopi. Upon trying to open the south door, sixteen skeletons which look like the remnants of fishmen and other crossbreeds between man and seafolk rise and attack (treat them as normal skeletons).
2. A group of seventeen barbarians (treat them as berserkers) are currently camping here. Their leader, Bulba the One-Eyed, is in possession of several valuable items (four gems worth 100gp, 10gp, 100gp, and 350gp; and two rings worth 2,000gp and 1,800gp), including a map of the next level of the dungeon, pointing towards some magic item.
The statue to the north depicts a belly-dancing girl with a huge snake over her shoulders. In the navel of the girl is a rather valuable gem (worth 1,000gp), but upon reaching for it the snake attacks (as a 4 HD monster with poisonous bite).
3. The walls are full of smallish holes and cracks all over the place.
4. This huge room is the lair of two red dragon hatchlings, vicious visitors from below. They have no treasure but are eager to obtain some, so they may ally with adventurers for mutual benefits (betrayal being a viable option for them, though). If attacked here, they take advantage of the columns (depicting three-headed women with fish-scales, piercings, and small tentacles), even climbing them with surprising agility so that they can leap onto their enemies.
5. There is a chest containing 1,000sp and 600gp; it is trapped, though: underneath is a pressure-slate which releases poisonous gas unless enough weight is placed upon it. Keen observers might actually notice the slate.
6. A rotting carcass of a huge worm lies here. There is 400sp in its belly.
7. There are two pools, one filled with a liquid of iridescent colours and one apparently empty; they are overseen by the statue of a huge warrior wearing a gas mask and wielding a chainsword. The pool with the liquid in it has random magical potential: if touched, tasted, or thrown at someone in a flask, it mimicks the effects of a random spell of random level. The other pool is actually not empty but filled with negative liquid, that can be used for fuelling machines that can operate in different dimensions (like a spelljammer or a drill that can dig through the ethereal plane), creating strange magic items (making most effect quite random), or counter-spell components. The statue is merely decorative; his chainsword and gas mask, however, are fully operational.
8. This small room contains the remains of many midgets/halflings. Disturbing them results in their taking revenge upon intruders: twenty-two midget-sized skeletons (just as fierce as normal skeletons, though) spring to attack, ripping off fingers and gouging eyes out.
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Post by waysoftheearth on Apr 8, 2013 8:01:00 GMT -6
Nice work Ynas; I particularly like the halfling skeletons ~! Looking forward to the second installment
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