Tunnels Beneath the Earth — Week 3 (#Dungeon23)

"The Storerooms"
Level 1 (JAN) – The Upper Works
Section 3 (1/15 – 1/21)

Scale: Ea. square = 10x10 ft.

These chambers beneath The Pile (1.1.2) serve as the lair of a tribe of norkers. 

• As spawns of evil, they spontaneously reproduce; this tribe is steadily building its forces so it can attack the nearby human town.
• The tribe numbers 30-40, but only half to two-thirds are in the lair at any time; the rest are out roaming the ruins or nearby woods.

The masonry down here is stacked and mortared stones (solid).

–Passages = 8 ft. high walls with angled stone slab ceilings (10 ft. at peak).

–Many cracks and shifted joints; the place constantly drips with moisture and puddles on the floor; cold and damp.

Encounter chance = 1:6 ea. turn to encounter 1d3* norkers.

__________

 SECTION KEY — WEEK 3 

1.3.1 The Hatch (01/15)
Stairs down to tower basement; empty except set into the floor in one corner is a thick hatch made of impervious blue metal.

–Muddy footprints up and down stairs, in and out all passages.

–The hatch features a panel of (9) buttons (3x3); each button produces a musical tone when pressed.

• If the correct sequence of tones is not entered within 30 seconds of the first button being pressed, a deadeye is magically summoned in the center of the room. Description: "shamblingly upright" humanoid pig with black rubbery hide, long tusks, milky-white dead eyes.

•  Deadeye (ATWM II – AC 2, HD 10; HP 43; AT 2 tusks, DAM 2-12/2-12; SA death gaze (as finger of death spell, 4d6 damage if save is made); SD immune to non-magic weapons, fear, charm, hold, and confusion.

• Sounds of combat in here draw 6d3* norkers to investigate.

• The deadeye remains for 10 min. after a threat retreats, guarding the room until it vanishes. Once killed outright, it will no longer appear; otherwise, it is fully-healed each time it is resummoned.

–The Crone (1.1.1e) knows the 6-note song that opens the hatch, which leads to DUNGEON LEVEL 4 (down a deep shaft with ladder).

_____

1.3.2 Barracks (01/16)
Each of these litter-strewn chambers is a filthy dwelling for 3d3 norkers.

–Bedding made of straw, animal skins, and debris. Various containers hold rancid water, maggoty rations, and bits of useless scavenge.

• Norker (FF – AC 3, HD 1+2, HP 3-10; AT 2 (bite/handaxe), DAM 1-3/1-6)
• 1-in-3 has extra axe, and will hurl it before moving in to engage.
• 1-in-6 has a minor treasure (coins, gem, jewelry, trinket) worth 2d10 gp, which it hides from the greedy chief (who takes everything for himself).

_____

1.3.3 Ape Pen (01/17)
The norker chief keeps (3) carnivorous apes here behind a cage wall (a grid of steel bars with 9-in. sq. openings). A gate door is chained and padlocked (chief has the key).

• Carnivorous Ape (AC 6, HD 5, HP 24, 28(x2); AT 3, DAM 1-4/1-4/1-8; SA mangle (+1d6 dam if both fists hit)).

• The apes obey the chief, but if he is killed, they flee the tower and return to their forest home, smashing anyone in their way.

• Anyone openly wearing the ruby pendant from 1.1.2 triggers the apes' rage; they attack immediately to recover the jewel.

_____

1.3.4 Storerooms (01/18)
Open chambers with 12-ft. high walls and 15-ft. high peaked ceilings. Muddy footprints everywhere. Roll an extra encounter check each time the party enters one of these rooms.

–(a) Empty; the norkers recently bricked up a passage on one wall that leads to a tunnel into the sewers.

–(b) Mostly collapsed; a search of the visible rubble finds a 6-in. tuning fork made of impervious blue metal.

–(c) Empty; the norkers recently built a barrier of timbers and metal panels, with a door (padlocked; chief has key). The tunnel beyond leads into the sewers and a nearby drainage shaft to the surface.

_____

1.3.5 Vaults (01/19)
The door frames of each of these chambers are made of impervious blue metal (all four sides), but no doors or obvious hardware is visible. Inside, the walls, floor, and ceilings are lined with perfectly-fit ceramic plates (2-ft. wide hexagons). Sound is dampened by 50% in the chamber.

–(a) Lined with steel cabinets; most battered open and plundered long ago; a few still contain racks of  rusting handaxes.

–(b) Empty

–(c) Empty

–(d) Empty save for a scabrous tumor (3-ft. diam.) in one corner, growing out of a tiny crack in the ceramic floor. It jiggles if prodded and bleeds if cut. While it lives, the tumor (AC 5, HP 7) pustules and bursts every 2-5 days, spawning a new, fully-grown norker.

_____

1.3.6 Leader's Room (01/20)
The norker chief holds court in area (a), sitting or standing atop a 4-ft. cube of seamless, impervious blue metal in the center of the room. His (4) bodyguards stand at the ready to defend him (but each secretly plots to overthrow him and take over). 

–1-2:6 chance that 1d3* norkers are also present.

• Norker Chief (AC 2 (shield); HD 2+3; HP 15; AT 2 (bite/axe); D 1-3/1-6+1 (due to strength)). He wears a Ring of Animal Control and has a ring of (3) keys to the padlocks in 1.3.3, 1.3.4, and 1.3.6b.

• Bodyguards (AC 2 (shields); HD 2; HP 10, 12; AT 2 (bite/axe); D 1-3/1-6+1 (due to strength))

–The bodyguards sleep on mats in (a). The chief sleeps in (b) on a pile of animal skins and bones.

• A heavy iron chest in (b) is padlocked (chief has the key); it contains 18 gold bars (100 gp ea.), a gold and sapphire bracelet (350 gp), and a cleric scroll of Remove Fear in a silver tube (50 gp).

–The cube weighs several tons. If the tuning fork (1.3.4b) is struck against it, the cube unfolds and reforms into a 3-ft. high, 4-ft. sq. table with several objects on it:

• A 2x3 in. tab of impervious blue metal, pierced with a hole and marked with a strange glyph.
• A small bag made of woven fibers of impervious blue metal; has the weight and feel of silk, but anything held inside is completely safe.
• A half-eaten meal (but still warm and fresh): mincemeat loaf, mashed orange starch, and a green paste that tastes like broccoli.

–When the table is struck with the tuning fork, it reforms into a 4-ft. cube. Anything left on the table is held inside in a timeless void.

_____

1.3.7 Secret Vault (01/21)
A 3x6 panel of impervious blue metal is set into the wall here (door height). A strange glyph is etched into the metal. If the tab (1.3.6) is touched to the glyph, the panel slides open (if the tab is touched to the vault door frames (1.3.5), those panels slide shut). Inside the room is...

–A ceramic chest (part of the floor; lid comes off) containing...

• 1,200 pp, 2,600 ep (ancient coins embossed w/images of long-forgotten king and a mighty city).
• (6) lacquered wood boxes each containing a weird piece of jewelry (gold, silver, and platinum with gems) worth 1d6 x 1,000 gp.
• A ceramic case containing (12) translucent crystal shards perfectly-cut into 1x2 in. rectangular wafers (blue x4, red x4, yellow x3, and green x1).

–A stone shelf with a sealed glass case (2x4x2 ft.) filled with opaque pink gas. If the lid is opened, the gas disperses quickly to reveal an unconscious carbuncle, which awakens 1d4 rounds later.

• Carbuncle (FF – AC 2, HD, 1, HP 4; AT nil, DAM nil; SD cause antipathy)

• The carbuncle telepathically offers its gem (currently worth 2,000 gp) to the party as a reward for its rescue, and will grow more for them (at 100 gp value per month) if the party will take it along with them. While the carbuncle is with the party, however, wandering encounter chances increase by +1 (i.e. 1:6 becomes 1-2:6). The carbuncle feeds off the strife.

_____

 

<<Previous Week

Next Week >>

Elf-bane

With all this OGL controversy, I took down my one and only stab at self-publishing: a 5e adventure for DM's Guild called "Elf-bane"—just in case. Some are claiming WotC can potentially "seize" content created under previous versions of the OGL, and I wouldn't want that to happen to anything I made. It's nothing special—I only sold 22 units for a net of $72.38 and a paid (50%) royalty of $36.89—but it's mine. 

Ironically, this adventure spun out of a submission to become a writer for Adventurer's League back in the early-early days of 5e. I was just dipping my toes back into D&D and wasn't aware how much the game had changed, sociologically, since I left it in the late 80s. Naive might be a better word for it, but I was excited by the prospects of 5th edition.

The submission instructions were...

Send back to your point-of-contact two different scenes or encounters each designed for five 3rd-level characters using all of the following design elements between both of them. You do not need to use all of the elements listed for each scene or encounter, but you may reuse elements for either one.

Each scene or encounter should be a maximum of one page. You do not have to include stat blocks for the monsters. One scene should emphasize exploration or social interaction (your choice) and the other should emphasize combat.

• Setting/environment: ruined temple
• Feature: secret door
• Feature: hidden spiked pit
• NPC: elf noble
• Monster: manticore
• Monster: orc(s)
• Monster: skeleton(s)

WotC rejected the adventure I wrote from these guidelines. My point of contact asked if I would like a critique of the adventure, but he never responded to my request for one. I have a feeling I know why: The "elf noble" in my adventure was a female ranger being tortured by "orc(s)" who intend to sacrifice her in the "ruined temple."

Yikes! I had no idea that sort of thing was frowned upon these days. I thought I was leaning too heavily into the D&D trope. I also gave them a mini-dungeon adventure with the ruined temple setting, which might have been more content than they wanted (although the original version met the one-page scene guideline).

At some point, I expanded the dungeon slightly and put the adventure up for sale on DM's Guild, but I don't really want to associate with that site anymore. I've decided to rewrite the adventure to be compatible with AD&D and post it here for anyone who wants it. (Thank you to everyone who bought the PDF.)

Here is a link to a free PDF of the new version.

__________ 

ELF-BANE

An AD&D-compatible adventure for 3-5 characters of 2nd–4th level.

Introduction
In a strip of broken, craggy hills as night begins to fall...
–Guttural sounds (shouting, cursing, etc.) echo off the steep gully walls.
–An orc camp sits in a box canyon below a 100-ft. high cliff.
–A switchback path ascends to a dark entrance in the cliff face, framed by carved pillars—the ruins of an orcish temple.

Overview
Long ago, a tribe of orcs led by Thrugg the Unyielding ruled here, before the elves and humans drove them out. Thrugg was entombed within this temple, and legends say he was buried with a fabled magic spear called Elf-bane.

In recent weeks, a band of orcs began roaming these hills searching for the temple. After finally reaching the site, the orcs have so far failed to discover the tomb's location. They are frustrated, and their current leader suspects a revolt is in the making.

Orc Camp
Three hide tents surround a modest fire in an isolated canyon protected by cliffs on three sides. The orcs feel secure in the canyon and are not very alert; (4) orcs sit around the fire cooking a fat boar, while a fifth orc snores loudly inside a tent.

• Orc (AC 6, HD 1, HP 4,5(x2),6,7; AT 1; DAM 1-8). Each carries 4d6 sp and 2d6 gp.

 –Inside his personal tent, the orc leader torments a barely-conscious wood elf captive. 

• Orc Leader (AC 5, HD 1+2, HP 8; AT 1; DAM 1-8+1). He carries double loot, plus a silk pouch containing (7) gems (worth 50 gp ea.)

Development
If the characters sneak past the camp, the orcs will enter temple area 2 in 2d3 hours with their elf captive in tow. They intend to sacrifice her before the statue and beseech the god to reveal the tomb entrance. If the secret door to area 3 is open, the orcs enter the tomb instead and use the elf to test for traps.

The wood elf ("Alwyth") requires food, water, and several days' rest to recover fully. Two days ago, she and her brother, Ulthwyn, were tracking these orcs when a manticore attacked them. It snatched up her brother and flew off. She followed the direction of the creature’s flight, but was ambushed by the orcs. Her equipment was discarded, but the silk pouch is hers (she offers the gems to the party in gratitude for her rescue).

_____

Temple Ruins
The temple is cut into the natural rock of the hillside. The stonework is rough and crudely-hewn, but well-engineered.

1) Portico
A narrow switchback path ascends 40 ft. to a darkened shelf of rock below an overhang supported by four thick pillars. The walls are carved with orcish petroglyphs. Pottery sherds and old skulls litter the floor. A rugged entrance leads inside.

2) Temple Chamber
Thick pillars carved with orcish petroglyphs support a 15-ft. high cavernous ceiling. A central altar stone is stained black from countless sacrifices. On the far wall is a raised platform and an 8-ft. high statue, crudely sculpted from a massive block of stone. A patinaed bronze brazier stands to either side of the platform.

The chiseled walls are covered with primitive cave paintings (scenes of orcish combat, hunting, the slaughter of enemies, etc.) The walls are also marked with evidence of the orcs’ fruitless excavation. Various digging tools litter the floor.

The statue depicts an orc deity with a snarling face seated on a throne. A bronze ring hangs from its wide nose. One of its clenched fists has a 2-in. diam. hole that once held a ritual spear. If a pole (spear haft, tool handle, etc.) is inserted and the bronze ring is pulled down, the statue and rear wall pivot to reveal area 3.

3) Star Chamber
Narrow steps descend from this anteroom to areas 4 and 5. Painted on the 10 ft. high ceiling is a crude mural of a star-filled sky with a dire yellow eye ringed by lightning in the center. Wall murals depict orc supplicants reaching for the eye. If the eye is struck forcefully, a clay panel behind the thin plaster breaks apart, revealing a 4-ft. sq. opening to area 8.

4) Hall of the Dead
Steep steps descend 30 ft. to a wide passage. The walls are painted with crude frescoes of orc warriors marching toward the far end of the hall. A thin layer of plaster and lattice conceals six alcoves—three to a wall—with an orc skeleton secreted in each. A panel can be discovered as a secret door, but the plaster screen must be smashed open. Doing so triggers all six skeletons to animate and burst from their alcoves.

At the end of the hall stand heavy timber doors with bronze strapping and pull rings. The doors are false; trying to open them triggers a 10-ft. deep spiked pit trap (3d6 damage). In addition, the (6) orc skeletons emerge from their hidden alcoves and attack (if they haven't already).

• Orc Skeleton (AC 7, HD 1, HP 3,4(x2),5(x2),6; AT 1 (club), DAM 1-6; SD immune to cold, sleep, charm, hold and other mental based attacks; edged weapons do half damage, piercing weapons do 1-2)

5) False Tomb
Steep steps descend 10 ft. to a crypt. The walls are carved with crude orcish glyphs praising Thrugg. Two stone sarcophagi are carved with hundreds of skull-like faces. Lifting either lid triggers a trap.

• (a) Dozens of iron darts fire from the carved skulls in every direction. Everyone in the room or at the entrance is struck by (1d4+2) darts, each of which does 1d3 damage.

• (b) Scythe blades spring from beneath the lid and strike anyone standing next to it for 1d10+2 damage. This sarcophagus has a false bottom that conceals a 4-ft. sq. shaft to area 6

Each sarcophagus holds moldering bones and jewelry worth 200 gp. One also has an ornate (non-magical) spear.

6) Trapped Hall
The shaft from area 5 drops 10 ft. into a narrow passage with a 5-ft. ceiling. A pressure plate at ‘x’ releases (2) spring-loaded iron spears from the walls (each spear attacks the same target as a 3 HD monster for 1d8+1 damage). 

Beyond the trap, the passage widens to 10-ft. with 10-ft. ceilings and turns east, sloping down to a pair of heavy timber doors with bronze strapping and pull rings. The slope descends 10 ft. over its length. At the base of the slope on the south wall is a secret door (simple hinged panel) that can be pushed open into area 7.

The doors are false; trying to open them triggers a 10-ft. deep spiked pit trap (3d6 damage). Simultaneously, trapdoors in the ceiling open at the top of the slope, depositing a gelatinous cube into the hall. It slides down the slope over (3) rounds, scooping up prey before dropping into the pit .

• Gelatinous Cube (AC 8, HD 4, HP 23; AT 1, DAM 2d4; SA paralyzing touch, surprise on 1-3; SD immune to electricity, fear, sleep, hold, paralysis, and polymorph; cold slows it but does max 1d4 damage, or no damage if save is made). The cube is centuries old, having subsisted on bugs, rodents, and rainwater seepage.
  

7) Treasure Vault
The secret chamber holds a stone coffer containing 1,200 ancient silver coins, 10 gems worth (1d6)x50 gp ea., and a Horn of Bravery—see New Magic Items.

8) Antechamber
The trapdoor from area 3 opens into a short passage to area 9. A pressure plate in the floor triggers a 10-ft. deep spiked pit trap (3d6 damage) on 1-3 in 6.

9) Chieftain’s Crypt
Thick pillars support a 20-ft. high ceiling. Orcish scrawls cover the walls, praising Thrugg the Unyielding and praying for his glorious passage to the eternal battlefield.

A jagged fracture in the stone cuts across the walls, floor, and ceiling—evidence of a past earthquake that damaged the crypt. Portions of the upper walls and ceiling in one corner have collapsed, opening a large hole and scattering rubble across the floor. 

• A manticore lurks in the darkened hole (area 10); it will investigate any noise or light in the crypt.

In the center of the room, Thrugg's mummified body sits on a crude throne made of rocks and skulls, draped with moldering animal furs. Propped against the shrouded body is an orc-crafted long spear. Dozens of skeletons—Thrugg’s sacrificed concubines and loyal followers—are laid out on straw mats surrounding the throne.

A stone chest buried beneath the throne pile contains 7,500 ancient silver coins, ten gold bars (worth 50 gp ea.), a jeweled goblet made from a rival chieftain’s skull (worth 500 gp), a wolf’s pelt mantle that acts as a Cloak of Protection, and a +1 Flint Hand Axe. The long spear in the chieftain's grasp is the orcish relic called Uulfbahn ("Elf-bane" in their tongue)—see New Magic Items.

10) Manticore Den

An earthquake opened a natural fissure here, forming a cave with a wide crack in the ceiling that exits on top of the cliff outside. A manticore lairs in the cave, coming and going via the crack. It will investigate any noise or light in area 9.

• Manticore (AC 4, HD 6+3, HP 33; AT 3, DAM 1d3/1d3/1d8; SA tail spikes)
  

Bones litter the cave floor, along with shredded leather armor and a wood elf cloak—the remains of Alwyth’s brother, Ulthwyn. Searching the bones also turns up a gold medallion embossed with the elves' family crest (worth 50 gp, but far more to Alwyth).

_____

Further Development
Alwyth and Ulthwyn are the children of an important elf lord in the forest bordering these hills. If the party rescues Alwyth, she asks the party to escort her to her forest home for a proper reward.

She also begs them to turn Elf-bane over to her father, who can arrange to “dispose” of it. She promises an even greater reward for assisting the elves in ridding the world of such a terrible weapon.

_____

New Magic Items
The following unique items can be found in the adventure.

Horn of Bravery
This item is made from a black ram’s horn and carved with images of battle. Once per day, when the horn is sounded, the user and all allies in a 60-ft. radius who can hear it become immune to fear or bad morale for 1d4+2 turns. While immune, the user's current hit points are also increased by 1 hit die + Constitution bonus (if any).

Uulfbahn <Elf-bane>
This +1 Spear is made of cold iron and inscribed with various orcish curses. It is a +3 Spear vs. Elves, Sylvan, and Faerie Creatures, and does twice the base weapon damage (2d6) to all such beings.

Tunnels Beneath the Earth — Week 2 (#Dungeon23)

"The Sewers"

Level 1 (JAN) – The Upper Works

Section 2 (1/8 – 1/14)

Scale: Ea. square = 100x100 ft.

A maze of muck-filled tunnels and cysts still twists under the city ruins, carrying surface water deep into the dungeon levels below. The sewers have collapsed in places, but the main channels and many other areas are still navigable.

–Drainage from the reservoir pond undermined the northwest sewer network, collapsing much of it. Water from the pond still drains into the sewers and dungeon.

–Water in the main channels flows into sewers via the Culvert (1.1.3)/Sluicehouse (1.2.1) and out via the drainage areas (1.2.3, 1.2.5, 1.2.7).

–Water in secondary and tertiary passages flows toward the nearest main channel.

–Flood Conditions (secondary/tertiary passages)
    Roll 2d6 for each new section entered...
                                    Disease %
    2 = submerged           90%
    3-4 = neck level         80%
    5-6 = chest level        60%
    7-8 = waist level        30%
    9-10 = knee level       10 %
    11 = puddles                0%
    12 = dry                       0%

• Conditions change frequently (reroll previously-visited areas every few days).
• Roll chance of disease ea. turn of exposure.

_____

–Sewer Encounters (1:d6 ea. turn)

• Common = [#3d3*] giant rats, gt lizards, gt. bats, galltrits (FF), sewer gas (10 ft. diam. cloud x # roll; see below)
• Uncommon = [#2d3] thieves (1.2.1), gray oozes, mudmen (MMII), green slime, gt. electric eels 
• Rare = [2d3] ghouls (1.2.4), [1] otyugh (1.2.5), [3d3*] morlocks (from level 2)
• Unique = [1] gt. boa constrictor, [1] wight (Vazimir's lieut - 1.5), [1] ghost of ancient watchman roams sewers w/spectral lantern (leads PCs toward 1.2.3, but passes through collapse in main channel).

• Sewer Gas Encounters (d6)

            1 = acidic (1d4 damage ea. round)
            2-3 = poison (save or nauseated for 10-40 min = (-4) to all rolls)
            4-5 = firedamp (cloud explodes for (1d6)d6 damage; save vs. breath for half)
            6 = sewer stench (camouflages PC's scent from critters for 2d4 hours = +1 Surprise)

_____

Sewer Key

(a) Main Channels (double-lines) = Ceramic* tile-walled passages, 30 ft. wide w/15 ft. high barrel-vaulted ceilings. Center of channel is a 10-ft. deep, 20-ft. wide watercourse w/3-ft wide walkways to either side (angled slopes down to murky water). 

(b) Secondary Passages (single-lines) = Ceramic* tile-walled passages, 10-15 ft. wide w/8-12 ft high barrel-vaulted ceilings.

(c) Tertiary Passages (dotted lines) = Formed stone tubes, 5-10 ft. in diam. (in 5-10-ft. joined sections). 

(d) Drainage Outlets = Formed stone tubes, 15-ft. in diam. (in 20-ft. joined sections); empty into river (underwater).

(e) Sewer Complexes (boxes) = Large chambers or clusters of cysts of unknown purpose. Most are "empty" (roll extra encounter check here; possibly new lair). Roll layouts from random dungeon generation tables.

(f) Access Shafts = Domed cysts (20-ft. diam., 15 ft. high) with secondary tunnel exits; 3-ft. diam. shafts in the ceiling ascend 20 ft. to surface locations marked (f). Roll extra encounter check here.

(x) Collapse = Further progress is impossible by normal means; is there something on the other side?

*The ceramic material encountered throughout the dungeon is impervious to mortal weapons, fire, acid, and lightning. Due to the ceramic's density, earth-based spells are only half as effective (area-wise). Teleport, passwall, dimension door, and other such spells have a 10% chance of failure through a ceramic barrier.

_____

SECTION KEY — WEEK 2

Scale: Ea. square = 10x10 ft.

1.2.1 Sluicehouse (01/08)
The lair of a gang of thieves, led by the desperado son of the former (deposed) lord of this land.

–He and his men aren't evil, but they are ruthless and will defend the hideout.

• "Deglen the Outcast" (F3/T2; AC 7 (+1 leather), HP 28; AT 1 (+1 short sword), DAM 1-6+1)
• Thief (T1-3; AC 8, HD 1-3d6; AT 1 (rusty daggers); DAM 1-4)

–PCs can pay the thieves 25 gp ea. to enter the Main Channel (1.2.2), but the gang is likely to rob the party when they exit (esp. if they are wounded).

Sub-Map Key 

(a) The water-filled Culvert channel (1.1.3) enters a 15-ft. high tunnel, then narrows before passing under a sluice gate made of impervious blue metal. The gap beneath the gate is 8-ft. high (2 ft. below the surface of the water). Broken steps descend the culvert slope from the plateau to a 3-ft. wide walkway running alongside the channel. At the bottom of the steps is a rusty iron gate (locked).

(b) The iron gate (-15% to pick) opens into a short passage with another iron gate (also locked, -15%) at the far end. A tripwire mid-passage triggers a crossbow trap (attacks as 2HD, 1d6+1 damage) and also rings an alarm bell in (d).

(c) On the opposite side of the sluice gate is the main sewer channel. A passage to left leads up a ramp to (d). Up ahead, a narrow bridge spans the watercourse to the opposite walkway.

(d) A steep ramp ascends to a stout (newly-built) timber door (locked and barred = -15% to pick, -2 to kick). A thief watches the area through a spyhole. Inside is the den of Deglen's (8) thieves, where the men eat, sleep, and plan their crimes.

(e) Deglen's private chamber; stout (new) timber door (locked -15% to pick). Comfortably-appointed room. Chest (locked -15% to pick/trapped w/poison needle) contains: 1,400 cp, 1,050 sp, 640 gp, gold and emerald necklace (400 gp), a gold signet ring (15 gp), and (2) vials of weak paralytic poison (+2 save or paralyzed for 1d4 hours).

(f) Storeroom full of gang's purloined loot: mostly trade supplies, food and water, tools, etc. Also some weapons, armor/shields, and tabards taken from soldiers' bodies.

(g) A ladder leads to a concealed trapdoor in the ruins, covered with a few inches of dirt (can't be found by normal scanning). This is a secret exit for the gang in case of attack.

(h) The thieves are unaware of this secret door (hinged slab slides open if pushed). Beyond is a hidden room containing the sluice gate controls (levers, chains, metal cabinet full of gears. etc.) If the master gear on Dungeon Level 6 is ever engaged, this machinery can be used to raise or lower the sluice gate. Opening it further won't have much impact on dungeon water levels, but closing it would lower water levels dramatically, exposing more areas on other levels for future exploration.

_____

1.2.2 The Valve (01/09)
The four main channels meet in the center of the sewers, where they merge and surround a steep-sloped pyramidal structure. There is an entrance on each of the pyramid's four faces, 6 ft. above the water level, but no walkway. The vaulted central chamber is 40 ft. high, and the pyramid joins the ceiling. 

–Each pyramid entrance is a ramp up to a closed portcullis gate made of impervious blue metal. No apparent way to open the gates, but the room's interior is visible.

–Beyond is a 30-ft sq. chamber with a 40-ft. high pyramidal ceiling. Embedded in the ceiling's peak is a cluster of translucent quartz crystal (6-ft. diam.) 

–Directly beneath it, a 3-ft. diam. pipe emerges from the floor, where it is capped by a valve wheel. Both pipe and wheel are made of impervious blue metal. A battered tin sign hangs from the wheel.

–The valve wheel cannot be opened by physical means (wizard-locked); a knock spell releases it, however.

• The sign reads (in a forgotten language): "DANGER – Do not open valve."
• Opening the valve releases a cloud of highly-toxic gas that fills all four central sewer channels in 1 turn (cloud moves 15"; -2 save vs. poison or die.
• Within 1 hour, the gas fills the entire sewer complex, killing every living thing down here save ooze-type creatures. 
• The gas takes 2d4 weeks to disperse; drifting toxic gas clouds now an uncommon sewer encounter.
• NOTE: The gas-filled chambers on Dungeon Level 3 are now clear and can be safely explored.

_____

1.2.3 Open Shaft (01/10)
The main channel to this area is blocked by a massive collapse. Water pools up here, but obviously still flows under the blockage. Anyone trying to swim under the collapse will become tangled in debris and likely drown.

On the other side, the channel continues on (watercourse depth = ~5 ft.). It terminates in 1.2.3, where the watercourse drains into a 20 ft. diam. shaft. 

–Heaps of debris (rotten logs, small boulders, sediment, etc.) fill the corners of the room.

–The shaft is made of formed stone tubes in 20 ft. long joined sections. It drops 50 ft. to the floor of Dungeon Level 2.1.1.

–A giant boa constrictor makes its nest among a pile of twisted roots and logs in one corner.

• Giant Boa Constrictor (AC 5, HD 6+1, HP 37; AT 2, DAM 1-4/2-8; SA constriction). Within its swollen gut is the half-digested corpse of a morlock (along with a flint knife and a glowing blue crystal on a thong around its neck).

–A skeleton is partially buried in the nest debris. It is quite old, however. A battered lantern is found among the bones, along with a handaxe inscribed with a war rune (+1 damage) and a leather pouch (52 gp, 112 sp, healing potion). 

_____

1.2.4 Ghoul Pit (01/11)
A sinkhole opened up beneath the crypts (1.4.), dumping a vault of old bodies down into a pit connected to the sewers. They were once decadent nobility who had their bodies preserved in large, brine-filled glass jars.

–Many of the jars broke open in the collapse, but more than a half-dozen remain unopened (their pickled bodies are still visible in the murky brine).

–The floor of the sinkhole is a gelatinous sludge with arcane properties that turned the pickled bodies from the broken jars into (8) ghouls and (3) ghasts.

• Ghoul (AC 6, HD 2, HP 6(x2), 8(x3), 10(x2), 12; AT 3; DAM 1-3/1-3/1-6; SA paralyzation; SD immune to sleep, charm)
• Ghast (AC 4, HD 4, HP 22, 24, 27; AT 3; DAM 1-4/1-4/1-8; SA paralyzation; SD undead immunities)

–The undead wear no clothes, but each wears various 1d3* pieces of jewelry worth 1d3*x100 gp ea. (ghasts add +1 to all d3 rolls). One ghast has an ornate gold and ivory tube (300 gp) containing a scroll of protection vs. elementals.

–The pit cannot be accessed from the Necropolis grounds (1.1.4), but the ghouls have dug a tunnel up to the cenotaph (exits to the surface).

_____

1.2.5 Cesspit (01/12)
The main channel deposits into a former drainage area, now completely blocked by muck.

–(4) lesser otyughs and (1) greater otyugh lurk in the slimy pool. One occasionally gets confused and wanders into the sewers or up into the city ruins in search of prey.

• Otyugh, Lesser (AC 3, HD 6, HP 30, 33(x2), 39; AT 3, DAM 1-8/1-8/1-4+1; SA grab, disease; SD never surprised) 
• Otyugh, Greater (AC 0, HD 10, HP 67; AT 3, DAM 1-12/1-12/1-4+1; SA grab, disease; SD never surprised)

–If a lesser otyugh is killed, the cesspit spawns a new one in 1 month; if the greater otyugh is killed, one of the lesser ones will grow to a greater form within 1d6+6 months.

_____

1.2.6 Aspis Nest (01/13)
Much of the stonework in this section of sewer is collapsed, forming a network of broken, cave-like tunnels. A hive of aspis and their giant ant servants inhabit the area.

–The nest is a winding series of tunnels (roughly 2-4-ft. diam.) Some tunnels ascend to the City Ruins (1.1.1) or descend to Dungeon Level 2 (2.3.1, 2.3.3, 2.3.7).

–The "outer" nest has many alcoves and cysts (food storage, drone cells); at the center of the nest (map) is a ring of defensive "caves" (a)—w/1-3 drones each—surrounding the egg chamber (b).

• (n#) Giant Worker Ants (MM - AC 3, HD 2; AT 1, DAM 1d6) - These are green-hued, glowing.
• (12) Aspis Drones (MMII - AC 3, HD 6, HP 24,27,29(x2),33(x2)35(x3); AT 2, DAM 1-4/1-4)
• (1) Aspis Cow (MMII - AC 7, HD 10, HP 59; AT 1, DAM 3-18; SD acidic skin (1-8))

–The aspis cow is a giant ant queen mutated by an open canister of glowing ooze. 

• She produces 2d4 eggs per day; 80% are not viable.
• Of the viable eggs, 90% are giant ants (docile unless provoked or commanded by aspis); 10% are aspis drones. While the cow remains alive, she can repopulate her hive.
  

–Anyone coming into contact with the acidic ooze (including melee combat with the cow) takes 1d8 damage and must save vs. polymorph or suffer a random mutation (2d6):

    2 = catastrophic physical defect (death in 1d4 days)

    3-9 negative physical/mental mutation (-2 to a random stat)

    10-11 positive physical/mental mutation (+2 to a random stat)

    12 = transformative physical or mental mutation (gain a random spell power 1/day)

    *could also use mutation tables from somewhere.

–The canister is made of impervious blue metal that was somehow cracked open.

______

1.2.7 Trash Whorl (01/14)
The main channel empties into a wide chamber with a narrow ledge ringing a pool of water, which swirls in a strong vortex as it drains out of the room. An island of garbage spins rapidly in the gyre.

–The debris island looks solid enough to stand on, but the gap between the ledge and the island = ~15 ft.

–The water current is powerful; anyone who falls in or tries to swim across has a 75% chance (-5% x STR damage bonus) to be sucked into the whorl and "drowned" (actually swept down to Dungeon Level 3 – 3.4.1).

–When someone reaches the island, a skeleton (ruined chain, shield, longsword) rises from the debris and attacks. If a second PC reaches the island, the pile breaks apart in 3 rounds, dragging the island and everything on it into the whorl.

• Skeleton (AC 6, HD 1, HP 8; AT 1, DAM 1-8; SD undead). Around its bony neck hangs a "key" (a notched rectangle of impervious blue metal) on a long silver chain (75 gp).

–The hidden skeleton was laying across a locked box of impervious blue metal (the keyhole is a slender slot = -60% to pick; skeleton's key opens it). The box contains rotting leather bags (473 gp, 1,230 sp, 1,811 cp), a jeweled sheath (200 gp) with +1 curved dagger, and a fine +2 arrow.

_____

<<Previous Week

Next Week>>

Tunnels Beneath the Earth — Week 1 (#Dungeon23)

First week's work is complete, and I'm relatively satisfied with what I have so far. Section 1 is the environs immediately over the dungeon. Multiple entrances lead to different levels, and some areas are deadly for low-level characters. Experienced adventurers who overcome these tougher areas can access deeper dungeon levels by skipping the upper sections.

I experienced an unusual amount of anxiety about writing in pen on paper, rather than from the safety of a keyboard. I made a few errors which I mostly managed to cover (i.e., I incorporated the mistakes into the dungeon's reality) and I dripped coffee on it—but by Day 5 I finally came to terms that I'm writing this for myself first, so mistakes don't matter...just scratch it out or make a side-note and move on.

I also need to break my habit of continuing to develop ideas once they're on paper, which is sometimes complicating the writeup if I don't have the extra space to squeeze extra material in legibly. I want these surface pieces to have a lot of expansion potential, though, because they carry so much weight in setting up the rest of the dungeon. Some of them (the Necropolis or the Colossal Head, for example) could be fleshed out into mini-adventure areas of their own if gameplay develops in that direction. I anticipate my dungeon keys being much briefer for most rooms, however.

Here is the (slightly-edited) key if my chicken scratch is too hard to read. To save valuable page space, I only statted monsters that are unique to a location; monsters without stats are written up elsewhere.

__________

 

"The Surface"

Level 1 (JAN) – The Upper Works

Section 1 (1/1 – 1/7)

NOTE: All dungeon locations are numbered by level (mo.)/section (wk.)/room (day).

ENCOUNTERS (2d6)

2 = Rare

3-4 = Uncommon

5-6 = Common

7-8 = Common

9-10 = Uncommon

11 = Rare

12 = Unique

SECTION KEY — WEEK 1

1.1.1 The Ruined City (01/01)

The site covers 100+ acres on a 60-ft. high plateau above the river. The area is cursed with perpetual rain and damp (5% chance each day that the sun comes out for 1d3* hours = NO encounter checks). The ruins are mostly buried; sections still stand in spots; old streets and building foundations partially visible.

–Encounter Chance = Roll once per 30 min. (1:d6 (day), 1-2:d6 (night))

• Common = [#3d3*] giant bats (night), giant rats, wolves
  
• Uncommon = [#2d3*] norkers, thieves, skeletons, giant ants
  
• Rare = [#1d3*] carnivorous apes, ghouls, gray ooze, aspis warriors
  
• Unique = [1]  crone (1.1.1e), otyugh (1.2.4), wight (Vazimir's lieut. - 1.1.5)
  

            * = Exploding d3's (roll 1d6/2: on '6', roll another)

City Locations

(a) The path crosses a tributary here, but it is easy to ford. (6) giant frogs (AC 7, HD 1, HP 6 ea.; AT 1, DAM 1-3; SA tongue) lurk among the reeds. A nearby dead body has a pouch (24 sp, 9 gp).

(b) Forest edge; hungry wolves (AC 7, HD 2+2, HP 5-7; AT 1, DAM 1-4+1) roam the woods.

(c) A pair of 30-ft. high eroded stone pillars. 30% chance 1d3+1 norkers (see 1.1.2) loiter here.

(d) A rivulet tumbles out of the hills into a 15-ft. deep reservoir pond, which feeds tributary to river. A side channel diverts some of that flow to The Culvert.

(e) A crone ("Yara") lives in a ramshackle hut. Monsters don't seem to bother her. She makes potions and trades for monster parts. She knows the song to open the cellar hatch in The Pile (1.1.2) and will hum it in exchange for a nice magic item out of the dungeon. She curses anyone who tries to harm her.

(f) Runoff drains (3-ft. diam. shafts that descend 20 ft. into The Sewers).

_____

 

1.1.2 The Pile (01/02)

Once a proud fortress, now just a heap of rubble. A pair of carnivorous apes inhabit the tower shell and guard a broken stair down to the cellar Storerooms (1.3.1)—the lair of a norker tribe. One ape wears a long gold chain with a ruby pendant (600 gp).

• Carnivorous Ape – AC 6, HP 19, 24; AT 3; DAM 1-4/1-4/1-8; SA mangle (+1d8 damage if both fists hit); SD only surprised on 1)

_____

 

1.1.3 The Culvert (01/03)

A stone-lined channel diverts water from the tributary into the Sewers (1.2.1)—the lair of a gang of thieves who trouble the land. The culvert is watched by (3) hidden thieves in ghillie suits. They ambush attack with blowgun darts coated with paralysis poison (weak = +2 save or paralyzed 1d4 hours). Up-close, they use rusty daggers.

• Thief (as level 1) – AC 8, HP 5,6,6; AT 1, DAM 0 or 1-4; SA paralysis poison). Each carries 3d3* sp and 2d3* gp.

_____

 

1.1.4 The Necropolis (01/04)

Rows of hundreds of broken and plundered graves, cairns, and mausoleums line a grassy hill. A central cenotaph is a 40 ft. high hollow tower with a 10-ft. diam hole in the ceiling. Inside is an entrance to the Sewers (ghoul tunnel to 1.2.7) and the Crypts (stairs to 1.4.1). In the center of the cenotaph floor is a 10-ton pyramidal slab of black hematite (8x8x8 ft.) At night, a vargouille haunts the cenotaph.

–Encounters (1:d6, night only; roll each turn)

• Common = [1d3*] skeletons, giant bats
• Uncommon = [1d3] ghouls or shadows
• Rare = [1] spectre (an ancient spirit)
• Unique = [1] vargouille, wight (Vazimir's lieut. - 1.1.5)

• Spectre – (AC 2, HD 7+3, HP 35; AT 1, DAM 1-8; SA level drain; SD +1 or better weapon req. to hit, immune to cold, poison, paralysis, sleep, charm, hold, mental control, elemental spells). It drops a magic item the first time one is killed.

• Vargouille – (MMII = AC 8, HD 1+1, HP 8, AT 1, DAM 1-4; SA bite victim must save vs. poison or bite damage is permanent). NOTE: Even if killed, the vargouille reappears each night. Cleansing the crypt well ends its haunting.

_____

1.1.5 The Colossal Head (01/05)

A 60 ft. high, 100-ft. diam. tower in the shape of a giant head with a fierce visage. On the back side, stone doors at base lead inside. The head is built of quartz and protected by spells. It is the lair of a neutral evil lich ("Vazimir") who works to plumb the dungeon depths. He is not aggressive and mostly wants to be left alone to his research. He will be curious about adventurers and might even deal with them (for trade/aid).

–(4) gargoyles perch on the rampart and harass anyone approaching; if one or more is killed, Vazimir appears on the rampart and demands to know what the PCs want.

• Gargoyle (AC 5, HD 4+4, HP 24 ea.; AT 4, DAM 1-3/1-3/1-6/1-4; SD +1 or better weapons req. to hit)
  

–1d3*+2 skeletons (chain mail, shields, longswords, longbows) regularly emerge from the tower to patrol the grounds.

–Inside the head are entrances to the Crypts (1.4.7), plus routes to dungeon levels 2, 3, and 4.

–Vazimir has (3) wight lieutenants (1.4.7) and a small army of skeletons guarding the tower.

_____

1.1.6 The Quarry (01/06)

An immense hole in the ground. Square-cut terraces and ramps descend to a pond of dark water 100 ft. below.

–On a 15-ft. square-cut mound in the pond's center stands a 6-ft. high menhir made of pale white stone (surface is perfectly smooth; impervious to blows from non-magic weapons; warm, vibrates subtly; phosphorescent). Anyone striking the stone with a magic weapon triggers a force blast = 6d6 damage + thrown 3d10 ft. off platform (save vs. paralysis for half damage).

–Giant bats dwell in hollows in the quarry walls. Each turn 2d3*+2 giant bats attack PCs on the terraces. They do NOT approach the mound/menhir.

• Giant Bat (FF = AC 8, HD 1, HP 8; AT 1; DAM 1-4; SD Attackers w/<13 DEX are (-3) to hit w/missile weapons, echolocation)
  

–A giant octopus lurks in the quarry pond, which is 100 ft. deep and littered with sacrificial bones (several dozen SKELETONS march around the muddy bottom).

• Giant Octopus (MM = AC 7, HD 8, HP 42; AT 7, DAM 1-4 (x6)/2-12; SA constriction)
  

–Caves in the lower quarry wall (at pond/octopus level) lead to tunnels into dungeon levels 3 (3.3.1) and 4 (4.3.1).

__________

 

1.1.7 The Metal Cave (01/07)

A diamond-shaped cave mouth is cut into the hillside; the frame is made of impervious blue metal. Beyond, a 20w x 20h x 100-ft. long tunnel descends to a 120-ft. wide, diamond-shaped chamber with an 80-ft. ceiling, all made of same metal.

–In the middle of the floor is a perfectly round, 40-ft. diam. smooth-walled shaft of incredible depth (leads to dungeon level 6).

–Entering the room magically summons a full-strength* thessalhydra to repel intruders. It remains for 10 minutes after a threat retreats, patrolling the room until it vanishes.

• Thessalhydra (AC 0, HD 12 (body), HP 85; AT up to 10, DAM 1-6 (x8)/1-12/1-20; SA acid saliva/spit attack; SD immune to acid).

*Once killed outright, the thessalhydra will no longer appear; otherwise, it is fully-healed/regenerated each time it is re-summoned.

–The thessalhydra has no treasure hoard, as it swallows all victims and the acid in its gut destroys even magical items. Found in its gullet, however, are 12 diamonds (5k gp ea.) and a shield made of incredibly-tough ceramic plate (acts as a +3 shield that is impervious to acid; its bearer automatically takes half damage from any acid attack, or no damage with a successful save).

 _____

Next Week>>

Law and Chaos in the Badlands — Part 4

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

This final part is somewhat superfluous as the religion of Lahr plays no direct role in the central conflict of the Badlands campaign. If a PC decides to be a Lahrist, however, they would find plenty here to motivate them to join the fight. I'm only including the information in this series to be a completist on the topic of the major human religions in my Remedios campaign.

The following section details the Order of Lahr—once the predominant human faith, now a shadow of its former glory.

__________

The Order of Lahr declined precipitously within a century of the founding of the merchant empire and the establishment of the Solis faith. As the empire spread, the open practice of the Lahr faith became forbidden in many lands, in deference to the new religion of the sun-god. The Khossites seemed to vanish completely, slipping into the annals of infamy and shadowy legend. Both these ancient religions still exist, of course, and their hidden war rages on.

The Grand Temple of Lahr in the City of Remedios

Lahrists are devoted to law, order, and justice in the service of human civilization. Forthright and often unforgiving in their methods, Lahrists are not necessarily “good,” but will fight for the greater good by punishing evil and injustice. Their tenets emphasize maintaining a reasoned neutrality in the interest of "blind justice," until one's guilt has been established. Once an offender's guilt is known, however, Lahrist punishment can be quite brutal.

Most human-folk in Remedios belong to the Solis faith, but the old order of Lahr was once strong in this part of the world and maintains many faithful among the population who still believe in the "old ways." 

One of only three remaining Lahr temples in the world stands in the capital city, from which its supreme leader—the Most-Holy of Lahr—guides the faith. An order of zealous paladins called the Sworn-Hands of Lahr protects the temples, and its members travel the world looking for signs of Khossite activity.

The Lahrist Creed

“A Lahrist is a seeker..."

"A Lahrist seeks balance, weighted against those with evil hearts.”

“A Lahrist seeks order in the face of entropic chaos, to drive back the forces of disorder and ruin.”

"A Lahrist seeks purity through struggle, sacrifice, and selflessness.”

“A Lahrist seeks holiness through austerity, and serenity through benevolence.”

“A Lahrist seeks to maintain the rule of law, and where there is none, to impose it.”

“A Lahrist seeks to protect the helpless and avenge the wronged.”

“Above all, a Lahrist seeks to SERVE, and in so doing, to OBEY without question.”

#Dungeon23 — Tunnels Beneath the Earth (Day 1)

Below is the first day's work for my Dungeon23 project: Tunnels Beneath the Earth. I don't intend to post every day, but I wanted to get the initial progress posted. Day 1 consists of an unscaled map of the surface ruins and seven numerically keyed locations (which will be my daily pieces). The first piece is the city ruins, which is mostly an open area for the party to encounter wandering monsters on their way to one of the many entrances to the dungeon proper. I cheated a little and added six alphabetically-keyed locations to define the important areas of the main site. 

The remaining six numeric locations comprise the first weekly section (one-quarter of the 1st level). The other three sections for January will detail several areas just below the surface, each accessed via one of the keyed locations in section 1. All together, these four sections will comprise level 1, titled: The Upper Works. The numbered locations are...

1. The Ruined City
2. The Pile
3. The Culvert
4. The Necropolis
5. The Colossal Head
6. The Quarry
7. The Metal Cave
   

My numbering scheme is based on level/section/room (area), so The Ruined City is keyed at 1.1.1, The Pile is 1.1.2, The Culvert is 1.1.3, etc. Other that that, I don't exactly have a strategy for how I will format the sections (which I think is kind of the point...to not have one), but my initial thought was to have a section map on the left page, with the key on the right page. 

I knew the initial descriptions for the ruins were a little beefy, since this is a lot of establishing material, but it's pretty clear I won't get all seven surface locations on these two pages. I'm not too worried about that...I believe I can accomplish that for later levels, but I definitely need to work on my editing and keep the dungeon room descriptions as brief as possible.

It's also been challenging not to think too far ahead. The organizer in me wants to get everything mapped out and tidied up, but I think that's where a lot of my projects fail to launch. I'm trying to keep this process organic and free-form, without a lot of preconceived ideas about where it will all go. That said, I laid down quite a few threads for future dungeon development in the first set of keyed areas.

I feel good about the start of this project, so far. I'm even lining up a group to start playtesting it in a few months once I get a couple of levels complete. I will likely post the first completed section this coming weekend, but I may have another post or two about the process if I have any interesting insights.