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Shieldhaven

Explorer
I frankly think that your idea is brilliant, Piratecat. With your permission, I'd be very happy to include that character (and his incredibly squalid situation) in my own plans for the room.

If you'd prefer I didn't, just say so.

Haven
 


Elephant

First Post
Room: 7

Traps: None

Boxed Text:
As you reach the top of this incline, the tunnel widens into a broader cavern, roughly 20' by 30' across. The smell of decay assaults your nostrils, and you see a pile of bones scattered haphazardly across the jagged stone floor. A gleam of metal in the flickering light from your torch catches your eye. The uneven floor pokes uncomfortably at your boots as you step forward.

Room Notes: While the jagged floor is uncomfortable to walk on, it does not have any mechanical effects on movement. It does, however, increase falling damage by 1d6 (falling 10 feet causes 2d6 damage, etc). The roof of the cavern is 20' up near the edges of the room, but there is one "chimney" about 10' in diameter leading up 90' to the top (though the PCs will probably only be able to see up 60'). The chimney may be reached with a DC 25 Climb check from any point in the cavern due to the irregular structure of the rocks in this chamber.

Even if the PCs have Darkvision, Ghzzdit has a good enough ambush position that he remains hidden. It takes a DC 30 Spot check to notice him before he attacks the party.

On the flip side, if the PCs are bearing lights, Ghzzdit automatically follows their progress through the room. He will only need to roll Spot and Listen checks if they are scouting in complete darkness.

Encounter EL 11:

Ghzzdit, Advanced Choker, Sor 4
Medium Aberration
Hit Dice 12d8+48+4d4+16 (120 hp)
Initiative +6
Speed 30 ft, Climb 10 ft.
AC 17 (+3 Dex, +4 Natural), touch 13, flat-footed 14
BAB/Grapple +11/+22
Attack Tentacle +18 melee (1d6+6, 19-20/x2)
....or Tentacle +13 melee (1d6+11, 19-20/x2, 5 point Power Attack)
Full Attack 2 Tentacles +18 melee (1d6+6, 19-20/x2)
....or 2 Tentacles +13 melee (1d6+11, 19-20/x2, 5 point Power Attack)
Space/Reach 5ft/10ft
Special Attacks Improved Grab, Constrict 1d6+6
Special Qualities Darkvision 60ft, Quickness
Saves Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +13
Abilities Str 22, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 4, Wis 10, Cha 14
Skills Climb +14, Hide +20, Listen +0, Move Silently +5, Spot +6
Feats Forlorn Flaw (no familiar), Improved Initiative (Bonus), Eschew Materials, Improved Natural Attack, Improved Critical (Tentacle), Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Hide), Stealthy, Weapon Focus (Tentacle)
Spells (6/7/4)
0: Resistance, Acid Splash, Ray of Frost, Touch of Fatigue, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand
1: Mage Armor, True Strike, Ray of Enfeeblement
2: Bull's Strength

Ghzzdit lurks above the entrance to this chamber, 10 ft above the cave floor. He Takes 10 on his Hide check for a total of 30 in order to better ambush his prey. Once he hears the sounds of combat in Area 6, Ghzzdit casts the following buffing spells and waits for prey to wander beneath him: Mage Armor, Bull's Strength, and Resistance. The effects of these spells (except for Resistance) are shown in the statblock below.

Ghzzdit, Advanced Choker, Sor 4
Medium Aberration
Hit Dice 12d8+48+4d4+16 (120 hp)
Initiative +6
Speed 30 ft, Climb 10 ft.
AC 21 (+3 Dex, +4 Natural), touch 13, flat-footed 14
BAB/Grapple +11/+22
Attack Tentacle +20 melee (1d6+8, 19-20/x2)
....or Tentacle +15 melee (1d6+13, 19-20/x2, 5 point Power Attack)
....or Tentacle +9 melee (1d6+19, 19-20/x2, 11 point Power Attack)
Full Attack 2 Tentacles +21 melee (1d6+8, 19-20/x2)
....or 2 Tentacles +16 melee (1d6+13, 19-20/x2, 5 point Power Attack)
....or 2 Tentacles +9 melee (1d6+19, 19-20/x2, 11 point Power Attack)
Space/Reach 5ft/10ft
Special Attacks Improved Grab, Constrict 1d6+8
Special Qualities Darkvision 60ft, Quickness
Saves Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +13
Abilities Str 26, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 4, Wis 10, Cha 14
Skills Climb +16, Hide +20, Listen +0, Move Silently +5, Spot +6
Feats Forlorn Flaw (no familiar), Improved Initiative (Bonus), Eschew Materials, Improved Natural Attack, Improved Critical (Tentacle), Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Hide), Stealthy, Weapon Focus (Tentacle)
Spells (6/7/4)
0: Resistance, Acid Splash, Ray of Frost, Touch of Fatigue, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand
1: Mage Armor, True Strike, Ray of Enfeeblement
2: Bull's Strength

Surprise round: He casts True Strike, then lashes out using full Power Attack and Improved Grab (taking -20 to not be considered grappling). If he succeeds in the grapple, he establishes a hold and constricts.
Round 1: If he missed his attack, in the surprise round, he casts True Strike and attacks using only 5 points of Power Attack.
If he failed in his grapple attempt, he casts Ray of Enfeeblement on his victim before attacking again.
If he succeeded in his grapple attempt, he starts climbing while choking his victim. While climbing, he tries to use Touch of Fatigue to weaken his victim.
Round 3 and beyond: Once a victim falls unconscious due to several rounds of Constrict damage and tentacle attacks, Ghzzdit retreats into a sheltered alcove near the top of the cavern to feast.

DM's Notes: PCs with reach weapons may attack Ghzzdit normally. Otherwise, a DC 20 Jump check will allow any PC to get close enough to strike once.

Alternatively, a DC 25 Climb check will allow a PC to climb up onto Ghzzdit's ambush shelf.

Treasure: A rusty dagger, a tattered pair of hard-soled red leather shoes and a gold ring (225gp) are all that can be found amongst the bones. If Mending or Make Whole is cast on the shoes, they become worth 25gp.

Background Note: The dragon's slaves regularly sweep the chamber for treasure; all the gear of Ghzzdit's past victims now lies in the dragon's treasure pile, except for the items noted above.

Scaling the Encounter:
To increase the difficulty of this encounter, add a second choker identical to Ghzzdit.
To decrease the difficulty, reduce Ghzzdit's HP to 100 and his AC to 17. Ignoring his Sor spells in combat will also make for an easier encounter.

Contributor: Brian "the Elephant" Thompson
 
Last edited:

Elephant

First Post
I'd also like to contribute some nasty traps to the tunnels between Rooms 2, 3, 5, and 6. I'll call it "2a" for now.

Failing that, I could do an encounter for Room 5.
 

Scribble

First Post
Ok... here's what I got! ;) (I'll add more later when I have a chance)

If anyone notices any issues with it, or wants me to rework anything lemme know!

Room 2:

An Occurrence at Dragon Creek bridge...

The cavern you enter spans farther then a mere torch can illuminate. Despite it’s size the air feels close, almost palpable, causing sound to be strangely muffled. A slight lapping of water against rock can be heard from the pool to the west…

Room Notes:

The Chasm in this room is roughly 400 feet deep. It is made of generally smooth natural rock, which can be climbed (DC 25) if taken carefully and slowly. Roughly 40 feet down on a small ledge appears to be the remains of some unfortunate soul.

There isn’t much left of the body on the ledge. Mostly bone and some tattered remains of clothing. Beneath the tatters can be found a few gold pieces. In the skeletal “hand” of the body is a paintbrush.


On the north wall of the cavern, near the pool of water leading from room 1 is a painting, painted directly on the wall, depicting the cavern itself, with a few additions.

Boxed:

The painting on the wall before you depicts the cavern in almost startling detail, albeit a few minor differences. Spanning the cavern in the painting is a partially finished rope bridge. The ropes are connected at each end to stone posts, but the wooden slats cover only about a quarter of the distance, as if the artist stopped painting before finishing his project. On the ledge opposite the eastern side, seated atop the stone posts are two of the most ugly statues you’ve ever seen, depicting hunched over winged humanoids. A bright light from above shines down illuminating the entire painted cavern. There is no trace of paints or any sort of painting tools.

A search (DC 20) of the floor around the painting, however, will locate a hidden cache of paints, but not the brushes. The brushes are located with the body mentioned above.

The paints come in a variety of colors, (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, white, brown, and black) and are worth roughly 2gp.

Characters can attempt to make a Craft, Paint (DC 10) check in order to finish the bridge. If they do, a physical version of the bridge, statues, and light in the painting will appear spanning the chasm.

As you finish the last brush stroke, a brilliant white light fills the cavern from above. Suddenly you see the bridge before you, but this time actually crossing the chasm… The ugly humanoid statues, however, appear to be spinning…

The statues will begin to turn from the moment characters finish the painting. It takes them 7 full rounds before they complete a full rotation and the bridge disappears. The scene can be painted again, causing the bridge to appear again, but there is only enough paint for three tries.


When you arrive at the bridge you see it looks very unstable. It will be slow going to cross the bridge safely.

Crossing the bridge:

The bridge itself is 60 feet wide. Crossing the bridge requires a Balance (DC 15) check, with normal balance rules applying.

If characters do not make it across in time, the bridge will disappear sending them falling into the chasm.

Crossing without the Bridge

Crossing the chasm without the bridge will be somewhat difficult for non flying characters. It is possible, while slow, to climb (dc25) across the side walls to get to the other ledge.





At the bottom

The bottom of the chasm contains a gate to room 10. It is built directly into the floor, and not visible from above. (It appears as natural rock.) Leaping from a certain point on the cliff (DM discretion) will send a character through the gate and onto the island in room 10. The character, unless possessing some means of slowing his/her descent will still take full falling damage as if falling the whole 400 feet.
 
Last edited:

Conaill

First Post
der_kluge said:
Gimme a few - I'll make some changes to it. I'm going to add a ceiling passage from 12 to 8 as suggested. I'm going to make area 4 sort of below area 3, and I'll widen some of the passageways, and fill the depression in area 12 with water.
You may also want to make a side view to illustrate the alitude changes, ceiling height (important for flight!), water levels, etc. Have a look at some depictions of real-world cave complexes.
 

Whizbang Dustyboots

Gnometown Hero
der_kluge said:
A kobold what? Major domo?
Yes. :)
Wikipedia said:
A majordomo is the head (major) person of a domestic staff (domo), one who acts on behalf of a usually absent owner of a typically large residence. Similar terms include castellan, chamberlain, seneschal, maître d', and steward. The etymology is from mayordomo (Spanish) and major domus (Latin).

Ranking above the butler, the majordomo is responsible for all managerial and financial affairs concerning his employer's households. This term, now seldom used, was common in Europe until the early 20th century. Significantly, the French term now used as equivalent to butler still is majordome.

See Mayor of the Palace for medieval title and office.
This is how the kobold sees his role. The dragon likely sees him as a janitor/guard. He'd have some class levels and some lower level flunkies and patrol a small area of the complex, cleaning up portions of bodies, help with the accounting (and reaccounting and re-reaccounting) of loot and go into the outside world to do any tasks the dragon (or dragons) need done.
 

der_kluge

Adventurer
Piratecat said:
He's yours with my blessing! Have fun with the little guy. I'm honored you want to include him.


Are there enough fish in there to sustain him? Maybe albino cave catfish? Or, some sort of chad, or maybe crawdads?

You could always just give him a ring of sustenance. That'd solve the problem regardless.
 

Scribble

First Post
der_kluge said:
Are there enough fish in there to sustain him? Maybe albino cave catfish? Or, some sort of chad, or maybe crawdads?

You could always just give him a ring of sustenance. That'd solve the problem regardless.


A ring of sustenance that only produces the sense of having eaten an albino catfish. Just to piss the litrle halfling off. ;)
 

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