D&D General #Dungeon23

38. This 20’ x 40’ room is empty.

I've been stuck today. Have to do several days in advance of a camping trip and feeling blocked. Committing here will work on them in the next 3 hours...

Cadence said:

Room 53 - The Fountain

This roughly 40'x 50' room's solid stone and brick walls are covered in a high quality white stucco. Its light colored flag stone floor shows scattered chippings that might be from horse hooves (a DC 18 check - DC 12 after seeing the painting in the South Fey Hall- would reveal it is only three hooves). The ceiling seems out of place, about 19' up from the ground floor - or 11' up from the balcony - there is rough unfinished solid stone, that the up stairs on the balcony run into. One could imagine the room having a huge chandelier somewhere higher up at some point if it continued. For now it is lit by lanterns with continual flame that leave the very middle of the room and much of the ceiling somewhat dim.

The room is dominated by a 15' diameter marble fountain with the statue of a Kelpie on pedestal in the middle (someone making the unfortunate decision to use a greater restoration on it will restore it to flesh). The ring of the fountain is a bench, and clean towels are kept on the east edge, with a small basket on the ground next to them (see room 62).

The north and south walls are apparently missing doors that opened into halls (#54 and 63). The west wall looks similar... except a few feet down the hall it turns into a 10' diameter tunnel through stone (the same stone as the ceiling). To the east there are two sets of stairs going up to a railed balcony, with a set of stairs in the middle going down. The balcony is about 8 feet above the fountain level. The door to the east of the balcony opens to a 10' diameter tunnel matching the one to the west.

Going down there are three dark oak doors, the center of which opens into stone matching the ceiling and tunnels to the east and west.

There are four small garden areas with a variety of flowers, small flowering shrubs, and colorful mushrooms. Each is edged with a marble bench similar to the pool. Each of the garden areas is maintained by an Ellyll that will generally hide from anyone except another of their kind.


View attachment 276133

The Ellyll (CR 1, Tiny Fey) and Kelpie (CR 5, Large Monstrosity) are from Izegrim Creations's "Twilight Fables". See D&D 5E - Twilight Fables Now Publicly Available! or contact @Sacrosanct to get a copy.

Click to expand...

Room 52 - East Worm Way

This 100 foot long hallway matches 78 to the west of the Fey Suite (and the missing Dwarvish Hall in ____ below). The hallway originated as the 10' diameter passage of a great purple worm or one of its kin. The floor was then widened by the Dwarves who lived where the Fey Suite to the east now is.

The west end of the hall has parts of a crumbled brick wall where there was once a gate that has long since been missing (A on the map) and then connects with the balcony doorway to the Fountain Room (53) of the Fey Suite.

The east end has an easily opened and easily secured portcullis and guard, and two heavy and easily barred steel doors with arrow holes sealable (all opening, barring, securing, and guarding from the other side; see #13). With Berghildr's presence providing much security from things further west, the doors are generally open of late and passage through the portcullis is easily granted to those who can be identified.




The next room created (#18) is in post #630 D&D General - #Dungeon23 .

Day 52

Ruins keep appearing at the edge of the river. Abandoned and overgrown, they stand there as a reminder that nature can take everything back, that civilisation is only a fragile construct that can collapse at any time.

Time for the weekly update!

Week 3: South Quarter & Imperial Tomb
Risks and rewards.

15: Pottery Room

• A square room cluttered with pots and amphorae. A sort of stone ladder with carved hand-holds leads 10’ up to another level.
• (?) The larger urns are open and empty, except for a few copper coins on one; the 6 smaller ones are sealed with wax and bear runes of warning on their lids.
• (!) The sealed pots contain stardust, a potent pharmacological agent that, when inhaled, causes disorientation and sickness (1 failed save) unconsciousness (2 failed saves) or death (3 failed saves).
• (!) Breaking a pot fills the room with golden stardust. When anyone falls into the room from the hall of coins, roll 1d6 for each poison pot in their path (all 6 begin in the path). Each 1 rolled means a poison pot breaks.

16: Skull Tholos

• A beehive room tiled with human skulls. Their eye sockets glitter in the torchlight. A rune is carved into each forehead.
• (!) Blackdamp threat emanates from here.
• (!) A cursed place – magic and machines may malfunction; gems bring bad luck.
• (?) Each eye holds a polished moonstone worth 1 coin, cemented in place. Can be pried out, but it takes time.
• (??) The runes are all curses and accusations of treason.

17: False Tomb

• A beehive tomb with a sarcophagus. The lid is carved in the form of an armoured warrior holding a sword. Their grotesque war mask has staring, coin-sized eyes. A dead end.
• (?) Sarcophagus is solid and cannot open. There is no trap.
• (?) Secret door to the bridge is unlocked by placing coins in the eyes of the sarcophagus.
• (??) The eyes of the lid are exactly the size of two copper coins.
• (??) Also, there is the faintest, door-shaped seam in the west wall, through which a damp draught can be felt.

18: Feast of the Dead

• A broad hall with a high vaulted ceiling. A long marble table is laid out in the centre, piled with gold plate and painted pottery. 4 armoured figures wearing large swords and bronze masks stand with their backs to the walls.
• (!) Figures are skeleton warriors, waiting for intruders to meddle.
• (!) Disturbing the table by increasing or decreasing its weight in any way causes a heavy clunking sound, followed by the partial collapse of the roof. Anyone standing around the table must save vs. damage from falling masonry. A troupe of skeletons falls down after the stones to join the fight.
• (??) Their is a slightly raised stone under each table leg, and some of the stones in the ceiling vault are loose and uneven.

19: Stair

• Broad stone stair, descending to the west quarter. A faint, damp draught rises.

20: General’s Tomb

• A duplicate of the false tomb (#17).
• A portal leads to a bone bridge that spans the sump, connecting to the emperor’s stair.
• (!) The sarcophagus has an armed poison trap, and is not empty; it contains an elite skeleton warrior in full panoply, wearing general’s insignia and holding a battle standard in the shape of a wolf’s head.
• (?) A bronze lever in the wall opens the secret door.

Area: Imperial Tomb

21: Emperor’s Stair

• A broad stair made of solid stone slabs, rising in a tightening spiral. Exposed to the great cavern.
• (!) The section that leads down to the sump from the bridge has crumbled away, leading to a 20’ drop. Only a few slippery handholds remain.

I'm going to be traveling the next few days (if the forecasted blizzard doesn't keep me from getting over the mountains to the airport) so posting this now:


(Realizing I shouldn't have drawn on a left-handed page. You can see the previous map through the paper. Lesson learned.)

Upper Mines​

Dwarf ghouls move slower than regular ghouls, but have more health.

Attracting attention: during combat, nearby enemies might hear and come investigate:

1. At the end of the first round of combat, if any combatant (friend or foe) is within 12 squares of an undisturbed enemy, roll a d12.
2. If the result is equal to or greater than the distance (in squares), the creature hears. Roll initiative for the creature, and on their turn have it take the Dash action.
3. If the party is being especially quiet, use a d8. If they are being excessively loud, use a d20.

"G": possible ghoul(s). Roll 1d6:


2.18 Supply Room

• The Dwarves stored mining equipment here: tools, carts, etc.
• 3 dwarf ghouls, plus 2 ghouls

2.19 to 2.23 Chambers

• 1-4 dwarf ghouls, plus 1-2 ghouls
• 2/6 chance of a ghast

2.24 Bone Pile

• First Glance:
  • Huge pile of bones, with creatures moving around on it
• Closer Look:
  • Ghast Lord (extra strong, spellcasting)
  • 1 Ghast
  • 1-6 Dwarf Ghouls
  • 1-6 Ghouls
• Secrets:
  • Buried in the bone pile is one of the "keys" missing from Area 1.22

39. This 20’ x 20’ room is empty.

FYI I am in full prep for a con mode, so I am going to end up really behind. I'll make it up after the upcoming weekend, though.

I am feeling a little ambivalent about March, though, and have to find some motivation.

Yay, progress.

Spent a couple hours tonight drawing out a map of the continent I put the dungeon on and finishing an overview of the place's entire history.
Decided I didn't need a map of Wickerman's Stables and Horse Farm, but wrote up a description anyway and populated it with the owner, his wife, their two adult sons and the sons' wives and children, as well as half a dozen unspecified employees and a non-specific number of horses ("around 30")...

No, I didn't name all the horses, lol.

(I didn't even name any of the eight kids - damn I'm such a rebel, ain't I?)

There used to be a wizard's tower where the town is now although it was basically in ruins before the town started, and although it's essentially unrelated to the dungeon itself there are a couple people in town in the current day who still have a somewhat sinister plot connection to the tower...
Yet I still have no freakin' idea who the hell the wizard was...
I'm debating just leaving that question unanswered.
On the other hand, I may decide to put a sage in the town, an alchemist researching some of the local fauna, and there's a chance that he might be the tower wizard returned (except nobody knows it, not even the two people who have a previous connection to him)...

Cadence said:

Room 52 - East Worm Way

This 100 foot long hallway matches 78 to the west of the Fey Suite (and the missing Dwarvish Hall in ____ below). The hallway originated as the 10' diameter passage of a great purple worm or one of its kin. The floor was then widened by the Dwarves who lived where the Fey Suite to the east now is.

The west end of the hall has parts of a crumbled brick wall where there was once a gate that has long since been missing (A on the map) and then connects with the balcony doorway to the Fountain Room (53) of the Fey Suite.

The east end has an easily opened and easily secured portcullis and guard, and two heavy and easily barred steel doors with arrow holes sealable (all opening, barring, securing, and guarding from the other side; see #13). With Berghildr's presence providing much security from things further west, the doors are generally open of late and passage through the portcullis is easily granted to those who can be identified.

View attachment 276225

Click to expand...

Room 18 - The Baths

The door to this 20'x20' room has two double sided signs on a single hook that can be used to rotate between "Closed", "Knock", "Occupied", and "Open". It can be barred from inside to avoid accidental intrusions, but is only DC 16 Str to open. The room serves as the residence for Warnikke and Ragvis as well as community storage space, and bath house (for the majority who aren't brave enough to regularly use the Fey Fountain in room #53 and/or Laundry in #62).

Warnikke is the middle aged human father of Estik (#23) and Aloysius (#17). Formerly a guard, he lost his left leg shortly after his wife Talcke passed away a bit over five years ago. For the past three years he has lived with the comparatively young half-Shadar-Kai Ragvis who fled her family below. She has no interest in returning to them, but could provide some information on what was between here and there four years ago, even if she wouldn't be the one to broach the subject.

Aloysius is emphatically opposed to this relationship, or the thought of anyone replacing his mother. Estik on the other hand is happy for his dad even if he is a bit befuddled why someone closer to his own age would go for someone like his dad.

Ragvis was impressed by Warnikke's patient helping, understated humor, and complete obliviousness to her charms. The brightness of the archon (#11) grates on her, she doesn't know what to make of Berghildr (#57), has lately become interested in the Valley (beyond #51), and has refined her pestering of the priest __ (#_) with questions. Much to the chagrin of several others, she quickly picked up on Warnikke's instruction in playing cards, and it is now impossible for them to both get in a game at the same time.

In addition to maintaining the baths and keeping an eye on the stored items, they also sometimes repair armor, sharpen weapons, and fletch for the guards.

Their private furnishings include the bed, dresser that doubles as a desk, rug, chest that doubles as a table, and two stools. The three tubs (two smaller - one with wheels and a handle - and one larger) are separated by a folding screen from the private area. A single heating stone can be moved from under one tub to the other to keep the water at least tepid for either bathing or clothes washing. The south side of the room is filled with boxes, barrels, and crates containing a wide variety of gear, weapons, and not-too-valuables for the residents and community as a whole (there is a fairly good chance most common and uncommon items) as well as some currently unneeded furniture.

Warnikke's stats could be based off of a guard, but with HP 24 (4d8+4), INT 13 (+1) , WIS 12 (+1), CHA 14 (+2), Survival +2, and Short Sword +4 to hit for 4 (1d6 +1). His movement rate is 20' and he uses a crutch. He doesn't usually wear the armor unless away from the main cooridor.

Ragvis's stats could be based off of a bandit, but with INT 13 (+1), WIS 14 (+2), and CHA 14 (+2), Religion +2, Darkvision, and Fey Ancestry, and a short sword instead of Scimitar. She doesn't usually wear armor unless away from the main cooridor.

Shadar-Kai name courtesy of https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/ .



The next room created (#25) is in post #634 D&D General - #Dungeon23 .