D&D General #Dungeon23

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

There's an important aphorism among writers: You can't fix a blank page.

Doing something is better than nothing, creatively, even if all you create is a mistake to learn from. But most of the time, you'll have something you can work with and edit into being something better. And that, in turn, will be something you can return to in a month or six months or a year and maybe make into something great.

 

[Quickleaf]

Are folks doing wandering monster tables? I'm thinking about making a 2d6 distribution chart for each section of the dungeon (above ground, dungeon levels 1-3, dungeon levels 4-7, dungeon levels 8-11), so that I can cluster common stuff in the middle and rarer things (visitors from other levels, significant NPCs) at either end of the bell curve.

I'm just pondering how long I'd want to have a wandering monster roll. The OSR/old school method of rolling all the damned time is too much for me (it was too much for me back in 1979, before anyone busts out any "kids these days" stuff), but I don't want it to never be used.

Any thoughts?

Yeah, eventually I probably will.

I like clustering rooms into zones, and then rolling on encounter tables whenever PCs enter a new zone or disrupt the ecology/politics of their current zone. While there are lots of benefits to time tracking in big dungeons, I've found this approach to be functional if me or my players just aren't into the logistics side that day.

My Littfun Dot Grid 320-page journal – https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07SNRJNMT?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details – just arrived, and going to head down to post office to pick it up. I've got a little catch up to do, but have loved watching what everyone is working on so far!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I like clustering rooms into zones, and then rolling on encounter tables whenever PCs enter a new zone or disrupt the ecology/politics of their current zone. While there are lots of benefits to time tracking in big dungeons, I've found this approach to be functional if me or my players just aren't into the logistics side that day.

That's a good moment to do so, for sure.

 

[Quickleaf]

That's a good moment to do so, for sure.

One of the aspects I like about "roll when moving btwn zones / disrupting zones" is that you might, when the party moves from Above Ground to Uppermost Dungeon Levels, roll on both your Above Ground table and your Uppermost Dungeon Levels table, and see if anything sparks in your imagination for how those two encounters might be interacting. This can help give a nice sense of "ecotones", territorial edge-zones, or political boundaries to your dungeon.

 

[uzirath]

1/3 — Fountain Shrine

Description: This circular room lies near the middle of the Chasm Arcade (1/2) on the side opposite the chasm. The entrance is an archway between two pillars of the blind arcade. Gurgling water can be heard, and a party without bright light sources will see flickering multicolored light emanating from the arch.

The room is 7 yards in diameter. In the middle is a 3-yard pool of clear water with a thick rim—more of a narrow bench—rising two feet above the floor around it. The interior of the pool is lined with a bewildering array of glowing tiles in myriad hues. This creates a prismatic effect with colored light refracting on the walls and domed ceiling. In the center of the pool, water emerges from a sculpture shaped like a cluster of tentacles rising from the water.

The edge of the room is a 2-yard walkway around the pool. There are bits of broken ceramic jars here and there on the floor. The curving walls and dome above are covered with carvings in a wide variety of styles. They depict scenes of water (mostly subterranean) and various gods and spirits of water, including some that would be recognizable to surface dwellers.

The water is remarkably clear with no algae or other growth. It is fresh and untainted—entirely safe to drink. It drains beneath the floor toward the arcade, eventually spilling into the chasm beyond.

Vision: -3 (glow)
Hearing: -3 (wind in the arcade and splashing water in the pool)
Exits: 2-yard wide arched entrance from the arcade
Nature’s Strength: +1 (effectively a level of primeval wilderness due to the elemental nature of the shrine)

 

[hedgeknight]

Here is my room for today; yesterday I created an interactive item (the fishing pole); today is a room. The room beyond the waterfall, complete with a fire ring, sleeping pallets, and footprints leading out into a "T" intersection. Tomorrow I'm going to do an inhabitant/NPC related to this small chamber.
And I realize I forgot to erase my pencil marks :/

 

[Cadence]

On the road coming home from vacation, and don't have time to do room 2 in the detail I wanted so this is out of order...

Room 9:

A 5'x5' room with a 10' ceiling and the holes to the toilet above in room 5. The bottom 5' of the north and south walls clearly seem like they should move, and 20 Str check can forcibly slide them up against some resistance (with something able to support 100 pounds weight being enough to easily keep them propped open at whatever height they are lifted to; they will slowly shut once that is removed). The north wall door opens at 12 and 4 (both am and pm; goes to room 8) and the south wall door opens at 6 and 10 (both am and pm; goes to room 10). From 4-6 and 10-12 there is a medium gelatinous cube doing cleaning duties (5'x5'x5' with 5' pseudopod reach 48hp; it doesn't carry inorganic material in itself from room to room ). At other times during the day there is a 50% chance the room is clean (exceedingly clean, except for the part of the toilet above ceiling level), and a 50% chance someone has done their business. At night the chances are 80% and 20%. At present there is a small crystal globe lying on the floor as well as 4 gp, 7sp, and 2cp. The crystal globe has a crack in it, but radiates illusion magic. When rubbed an image appears inside showing what is apparently a dwarvish lovestory with the words they are saying appearing in small dwarvish text (anyone familiar with such things will recognize it as a pretty famous one; when suitably engrossed the crack could probably be ignored, but is still annoying). It belonged to one of the now deceased dwarves.


View attachment 271113

Finally home from the winter travels, but too wiped out to get to room 2 yet, so...

Room 6 - Toilet

This 5'x5' room with a 10' ceiling has a 17" tall seat with a hinged wooden lid on it against the east wall (opening to room 9 below). The ceiling has continual flame cast on it. The door has a sliding lock on the inside that could be easily picked from the outside and would fail on an 18 Str check. On south wall there is a small stand with a metallic bowl (suitable for washing hands in), a 1 gallon water jug, and a vase with several very fragrant flowers on top, and a shelf below that with a stack of several layers of soft moss. If there has been no commotion outside, there is a 2% chance during the day and negligible chance at night that someone is using the room and it is locked.

The next room created (#10) is in post #195 D&D General - #Dungeon23 .

 

[Xamnam]

I'm gonna start tomorrow, I promise.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I’m loving this thread.

Figure I should I enjoy it now, before it devolves into acrimony over metagaming or martials vs casters.

 

[Reynard]

01.03: Carriage House and Stable

Accesses: The wide door on the southwest wall still hangs on its rusted hinges (it swings out against the manor wall). A heavy chain promises to lock it shut but the door itself if badly damaged with large areas where the elements, pests and worse can enter. Inside a still sturdy but unlocked door leads north to the coachman’s room.

Description: The Carriage House and Stable is a dark, decrepit structure. While sun and moonlight filter through the many holes in the ceiling, a hay loft and multiple stalls keep much of the interior in shadow. The carriage, once well crafted and utilitarian if not fine, is a rotting heap.

Many Mouths to Feed: In the most northeastern stall is the bloated, putrescent form of a massive flying bloodworm queen. While it is itself harmless, its brood of flying bloodworm hatchlings are not. Once the carriage house is disturbed, 2d4 hatchlings fly out to meet the intruders. If any taste blood, they screech their find and the whole swarm of 32 descend on the unlucky interlopers. If all the hatchlings are killed they can no longer bring blood to their queen and she dies in 1d3 days.

Treasure: As stated, the carriage is a ruin. However, it was adorned with small silver Alastairn family crests (an abstract symbol that brings mind to smoke rising from water). A total of fours can be recovered from the wreckage requiring 1d6x10 minutes work total, and each is worth 50 gp if sold to a collector or 10 gp if sold for their metal alone.