D&D General #Dungeon23

Had a few days to catch up on.


33. This 20’ x 30’ chamber is empty.

36. This 10’ x 20’ room is occupied by a werewolf: Annallee.


34. This 20’ x 30’ chamber is the lair of a giant beetle which is growing mold, slime, and fungal cultures for food on various forms of decaying organic matter. Among the wastes are the bodies of some adventurers who were carrying a total of 667 cp, 95 sp, and a piece of jewelry worth 190 gp.


35. This 30’ x 40’ room is empty.

So what's the "big picture" and story of everyone's megadungeons? Do you have one yet, or are you just adding rooms and building things up slowly? What sorts of factions (if any) are the major players?

Malmuria said:

So what's the "big picture" and story of everyone's megadungeons? Do you have one yet, or are you just adding rooms and building things up slowly? What sorts of factions (if any) are the major players?

Click to expand...

Mine was clear out of the gate – The Argent Palace (in the Abyss) of the demon lord Graz'zt, aiming for a baroque noir-ish feel with bits of weirdness / dark whimsy, aimed at mostly high level adventurers.

Prior to starting Dungeon23 I mapped out / outlined the 66 towers - which roughly correspond to mini-dungeons of 4-6 rooms each. Each cluster (i.e. tower) has a specific theme, such as "the mirrored self" or "tormenting a captive demon with false promises of escape."

Malmuria said:

So what's the "big picture" and story of everyone's megadungeons? Do you have one yet, or are you just adding rooms and building things up slowly? What sorts of factions (if any) are the major players?

Click to expand...

Ha. I wish.

I'm just sort of seeing where things take me.

Malmuria said:

So what's the "big picture" and story of everyone's megadungeons? Do you have one yet, or are you just adding rooms and building things up slowly? What sorts of factions (if any) are the major players?

Click to expand...

I had the big idea in my head... but it took a while before I got it typed down.


Each of the four levels (one for each three months) will have one piece of the remaining parts of the BBEG to deal with. I have several main things on the first level mentally sketched out too... I just need to get the time to spiff it up and finalize it.

RURAL
12. Foyer - The front-line of the kobold's conflict. Broken glass and the detritus of fighting have been swept to a corner.
13. Cliff Face - The drop off is steep and unyielding. Phosphorescent plants highlight the extent of the fall. Cracked brickwork on the ground shows the cavern was not always this large.
14. Applechin's Corner - Applechin dozes here, sword on the ground beside him. The satyr does not startle or wake easily, though he will remember to ring the alarm after a short while.
15. Wolf Kennel - Three well cared for wolves are kept here. They are well trained, but do not start hostile to strangers.
16. The Den of Iniquity - Dice and card games are a constant presence. The atmosphere is friendly and danger-tinged.
17. Fementation Room/Distillery - Alcohol in varied forms ages here. Several high quality bottles line the walls.
18. The Pumpkin Room - This room contains 434 pumpkins. There is hardly room to navigate. The pumpkins do not rot.

Cadence said:

Room 17 - Wizards Academy

It's hard to say what's worse. All the locking spells. All the torch spells. Actually hoping the things, any of them, try coming up again so they can be stopped and at least break the monotony. Worrying about letting everyone down. Worrying about the sabotage. Failing to train the kids enough. Wondering what happened to the ones trained before. Would it be bad if the things weren't stopped? Missing my Arelle. Dammit. No, nothings wrong child, just my arthritis and watery eyes. You're doing well!

In addition to the elderly human Wizard Branwyn, this 20'x20' room is the home of her four apprentices (the dwarven pre-teen Hekhihilda, the human pre-teen Aloysius, the half-orc teen Mirabeele, and the elvish young adult Elyon), and the middle-aged human housekeeper/cook Fritz.

The south wall of the room has a bed (for Branwyn), two foldable cots (for Elyon and Fritz), and bedrolls for the rest. For training there is a folding table with stools and a large thick carpet in the middle. Against the west wall there is a narrow table with shelves underneath holding food and pots and pans, and two heating rocks (one smaller and one larger). And against the north wall are built in shelves holding books, components, compartments for chamber pots, and drawers for cloths. The room is well lit by four continual flame lanterns.

Branwyn has transitioned Elyon to most of the teaching and has begun writing poetry. Elyon isn't quite sure what she thinks of this. And Fritz might be the glue that holds it together.

Hekhihilda and Aloysius are as Apprentice Wizards but 5 hit points and only 1 spell per day. Mirabeele is as an Apprentice Wizard but with 22 hit points, magic missile once per day and can cast a choice of two of continual flame, arcane lock, magic mouth, and enlarge/reduce. Branwyn is as a Mage, but only 35 hit points the 2nd level spells are chosen from the list Mirabeele has, and no 4th or 5th level spells. Fritz is as a Noble who is very good at cooking and housekeeping (and the breastplate and rapier are on a shelf).

Elvish and Dwarvish name courtesy of https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/

View attachment 275947

Click to expand...

Room 88 - The Graduate

It's so damp Why was she so mean. Why didn't I listen. I'll make her miss me yet. Why did I listen - what was its name. Who's that? What is my name. I wonder what they'd say if they knew I protected them. Lights out. I miss Fritz's dinner. Fritz? Shh...

The two tunnel entrances to this small (10' diameter) cave are too small for many of the predators by the lake - and are a squeeze for its resident. The wizard locked doors keep the unintelligent smaller things out (STR 18 check to open when the spell is intact, 8 otherwise). A straw filled blanket serves as a mattress, with three stolen blankets for extra padding, another three for warmth, and a borrowed small stuffed toy dog (Rex). The chamber pot, small warming stone, and various sets of clothes (most far too large) are of similar provenance. Her spell book hides in a leather pouch in a ceiling crevice, not visible but reachable by a small enough arm.

This is the home of the gnome who used to know she was the journeyman wizard Priqys. She snuck past the things in the place across from the wolf who thought it was Grandma and realized her mistake just a bit too late (#64 and 70). Now she's a child who has run away, waiting for her mother (or master anyway - see #17) to realize how much she's missed and to see how much she's grown. So she sneaks in to listen and sometimes cancel one of the lights or locks or borrow something. And every new day is only about the 3rd she's been away - no matter how many years it's been.

Priqys is as a Mage but only 35 hit points with Arcana +2, Perception +5, Stealth +5, Survival +3 instead of the usual skill list, and Cantrips: Chill Touch, Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, and Prestidigitation; 1st level: Disguise Self, Expeditious Retreat, Fog Cloud, Magic Missile; 2nd level: Invisibility (x2), Misty Step; 3rd Level: Dispel Magic, Nondetection. Her Int/Wis/Chr are 15/10/9.

A remove curse would allow her a DC 12 WIS save to break the mind effect and restore her memory. A greater restoration would break it. Neither would not restore the degradation to her mental stats.

Name courtesy of: Fantasy name generators. Names for all your fantasy characters.



The next room created (#53) is in post #615 D&D General - #Dungeon23 .

Malmuria said:

So what's the "big picture" and story of everyone's megadungeons? Do you have one yet, or are you just adding rooms and building things up slowly? What sorts of factions (if any) are the major players?

Click to expand...

Mine will be the lost city of Kyrthar Tahlketh. A thousand years ago the city was overrun by demons and devils, so a sorcerer sealed it and trapped everything that was inside. So for factions we have:
• The new demon and devil Lords who rule over their new kingdom, that nobody, even themselves, can't leave. Even the souls are trapped inside. There is a lot of onfig6betqeet the two sub-factions:
○ The Demons
§ The Cult of the Unbroken Circle: This faction is made up of a group of sorcerers who practice dark magic and worship ancient demons. They seek to break the seal and unleash their demonic masters upon the world.
○ And the Devils.
• The humanoid slaves. The descendents of the citizens of the city.
• The collaborators: humanoid descendents, while slaves themselves, have a higher status who keep the other slaves in check.
• The ghostly Court: the Ghosts and Spirits of the Royal Court of the Kyrtharian Empire, who one day hope to rise to power again. Living in the haunted Palace, on of the few places in the city outside of the controll of the Demon-Devil Lords
• The Guardians: mechanical and magical beings, that were created by the Kyrtharian Empire to protect the city from invaders, most were destroyed during the initial stages of the invasion, but some remained. They are quite inflexible and can't leave the areas they protect, but that areas are Demon and Devil Free.
• Mutants: Descendents of Citizens and Demons, who were warped by the magical warfare. They are solitary, unstable and unpredictable, getting chunned or killed on sight, when possible, by most other factions.
• The resistance: a group of descendents of the inhabitants of the city who consists of freed slaves, who are fighting the demon overlords and trying to break their power. Secretly they are lead by a devil, who lost a power struggle against other demons and devils.
• The forgotten: Freed slaves, who hide in the ruins and stay in protected areas, that don't have the desire to fight the devils and demons. They are wary of outsiders and will only work with adventurers if they are convinced that doing so will benefit their own survival.
• Scavangers: similiar to the forgotten, but they prey on everything they think is weaker then them.
• The Cult of the Sealed One: This faction reveres the sorcerer who sealed the city and views them as a divine figure. They believe that the seal must never be broken, and they work to prevent anyone from attempting to break it.
• The Enclave: This faction is made up of a small group of individuals who were not originally from the city but found themselves trapped inside it when the seal was activated. They have managed to carve out a relatively safe haven for themselves and have become quite self-sufficient, but they are always on guard against attacks from the demon and devil lords.
• The Glimmering Collective: This faction is composed of mutants who have developed strange powers or abilities as a result of exposure to the magical energies of the city. They have banded together for protection and to share knowledge of their abilities, but they are often shunned by other factions because of their strange appearance and unpredictable nature.
• Some powerful individuals:
○ The mage Kenza Icesoul: a powerful mage who was trapped inside the city when it was sealed and survived. She could hide from the devils and demons and uses the situation to continue her inhuman experiments, now without any form of proper oversight. Even the demons and devils avoid her.
○ The Keeper: A humanoid who has taken it upon themselves to guard a valuable artifact or location within the city. They are fiercely protective of their charge and will stop at nothing to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
○ The Trickster: A mischievous and unpredictable imp who enjoys causing chaos and confusion. He may be willing to assist the adventurers if it suits his own purposes, but he cannot be trusted.
○ The Collector: A devil who has a penchant for collecting rare and valuable items. He may be willing to trade with the adventurers, but his prices are steep and his loyalty is always questionable.
○ The Prophet: A humanoid who has visions of the future, including the possible end of the seal that binds the city. He is gathering a following among the slaves and freed people.

Factions outside the sealed city:
• The City of Freehaven
• Rival adventurers group and the patrons who hired them
• The academy: the patron of the adventurerers group
• The Gnoll Tribes: native tribes in the area around the sealed city

Thats so far all I have in the Faction front.

Malmuria said:

So what's the "big picture" and story of everyone's megadungeons? Do you have one yet, or are you just adding rooms and building things up slowly? What sorts of factions (if any) are the major players?

Click to expand...

I'm still adding to Level 1 and don't have any idea of what's below Level 2. So far, the only thing really resembling a faction on Level 1 seems to be a group of orcs. Some of them guard the entrance to the dungeon while the rest of them can be found in a large room which serves as their lair. The guards at the front seem to keep a giant toad nearby as a pet of sorts. I have a hunch the orcs are working for the sorcerer, Zebras, who can be found just below them on Level 2. He is guarded by a giant weasel.

Other encounters present on Level 1 are a group of kobolds (perhaps a second faction), a werewolf named Annallee, and a couple of giant beasts (another toad and a beetle) that can be found in their lairs on the level.

Down on Level 2, a superhero (which is something like an 8th-level fighter) named Linota the Wolf seems to be imprisoned at the bottom of an elevator room trap. I have a feeling that she and Zebras are enemies or rivals of sorts and that she entered the dungeon to confront Zebras but fell victim to the trap somehow.

Another elevator trap is present on Level 1 that goes down to Level 3 and is, so far, the only entrance to that level, but I won't know what's down there until March.

Malmuria said:

So what's the "big picture" and story of everyone's megadungeons? Do you have one yet, or are you just adding rooms and building things up slowly? What sorts of factions (if any) are the major players?

Click to expand...

I had a big picture going in, building a huge tower of ~360sq mile hexes stacked one on top of another. At the end I'm aiming for a bunch of tools for other GMs to create their own tower of similar bent.

In my particular tower, my current thinking is I've got phaerimms created the thing and were running it for a long time. I haven't decided if they are still in charge; or if there's the potential for some sort of power grab. Again, I am leaning towards creating some sort of random table to help a GM determine what exactly is going on in their tower - what type of power do the "overseers" have; what is their motivation; their current involvement level; and any other details about the "overseers"

There's a network of gates that lead up the tower; but there are also gates that go down the tower, and some hexes are trade hubs between other hexes; and others are desolate wastes.

I'm considering creating some sort of faction table for groups that are pro-current power structure; anti; and neutral (just trying to get along in this tough old world)...

Part of my creation that I haven't done yet, but maybe I'll start this week (week 8!!) is a set of 2-4 questions about each hex to help guide possible background political or plot currents for when/if any adventurers actually arrived in a hex

I'm looking forward to a couple of weeks from now when I'll start rolling to see if there is a "branch" that extends away from the tower in some way - and what that's going to look like...

Here are my notes so far on the high-level overview