Cooperative Dungeon IV: Update

[Adrienne]

Room 19 - The Hall of Celebrants (Adrienne Traxler "Adrienne")

Door: Echoing the style of the smaller portal across the hall, these double doors are made of copper and covered with ancient bas reliefs. The decorations show women and children strewing flowers over a path that leads to an empty throne. By the throne crouch men holding up pitchers of wine and baskets of bread and fruit. The unlocked doors (break DC 25, hardness 8, HP 50) are bowed outward slightly towards the bottom, and faint but detectable noise issues from them (see Features, below).

This long, broad room is lined with statues made of reddish granite. The two flanking the door are musicians with curved trumpets held high. Along the sides of the room are men with cattle and women with baskets of fruit. Other men and women bear graceful jars and armloads of grain. Children with garlands of flowers are interspersed in a stylized frozen dance. The four statues at the end of the hall represent kneeling men with bowed heads. Their uplifted arms hold empty stone bowls. All of the statues face the center of the room--but among the figures, several are knocked askew or broken into pieces. A slight odor of spices pervades the air, and dust thickly coats the floor.

Features: Before the group opens the doors, they may hear the occupant of the hall muttering to itself. The Listen DC is 25 (base 15, +5 for the door and +5 for distance). A successful listener hears a confused mass of whispering voices, some urgent and some soothing. If the result is sufficiently high to make out the words of whispered conversation, the listener hears only snatches, for example: "When is he coming?" "Soon." "Hail Toth Nekamek!" "Murderer." "Ssshh." The sounds cease when the door is opened.

A DC 15 Spot check reveals that the disturbed statues stand over cavities roughly three feet by four feet in size, with a depth of about three feet. With a Spot result of 22 or better (DC 18, -4 to check because of distance), the spotter notices that several overturned statues at the far end of the room have some sort of oily sheen at their bases.


Encounter: The shine around the statues at the end of the room is actually a gibbering mouther, currently lying in the shadows of those tumbled stone figures. It will make no move or sound until it sees someone pass more than half of the length of the room towards it, at which point it will commence gibbering and surge forward to feed. Regardless of what happens, the mouther will not voluntarily leave the room. It formed from the influence of Chaos on the bodies buried in this chamber, and some dim recollection of its once-human parts keeps it anchored here. Once it is stirred, it will attack intruders until they leave the hall or it is killed--being tied here, it has no avenue of retreat.

Gibbering Mouther: CR 5; Medium aberration; HD 4d8+24; hp 42; Init +1; Spd 10 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18; Base Atk +3; Grp +3; Atk +4 melee (1, bite) or +4 ranged touch (1d4 acid plus blindness, spittle); Full Atk +4/+4/+4/+4/+4/+4 melee (1, bite) and +4 ranged touch (1d4 acid plus blindness, spittle); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA gibbering, spittle, improved grab, blood drain, engulf, ground manipulation; SQ amorphous, damage reduction 5/bludgeoning, darkvision 60 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 22, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Listen +4, Spot +9 Swim +8; Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Finesse.

Gibbering (Su): As soon as the mouther spots anyone who has more than halfway down the length of the room, it begins a constant gibbering as a free action. All creatures (other than mouthers) within a 60-foot spread must succeed on a DC 13 Will save or be affected as though by a confusion spell for 1d2 rounds. This is a sonic mind-affecting compulsion effect. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected by the same gibbering mouther's gibbering for 24 hours.

Spittle (Ex): As a free action every round, a gibbering mouther fires a stream of spittle at one opponent within 30 feet. The mouther makes a ranged touch attack; if it hits, it deals 1d4 points of acid damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 18 Fortitude save or be blinded for 1d4 rounds. Eyeless creatures are immune to the blinding effect, but are still subject to the acid damage.

Improved Grab (Ex):To use this ability, a gibbering mouther must hit with a bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.

Blood Drain (Ex): On a successful grapple check after grabbing, that mouth attaches to the opponent. It automatically deals bite damage and drains blood, dealing 1 point of Constitution damage each round. A mouth can be ripped off (dealing 1 point of damage) with a DC 12 Strength check or severed by a successful sunder attempt (the mouth has 2 hit points).
A severed mouth continues to bite and drain blood for 1d4 rounds after such an attack. A creature whose Constitution is reduced to 0 is killed.

Engulf (Ex): A gibbering mouther can try to engulf a Medium or smaller opponent grabbed by three or more mouths. The opponent must succeed on a DC 14 Reflex save or fall and be engulfed. In the next round, the mouther makes twelve bite attacks instead of six (each with a +4 attack bonus). An engulfed creature cannot attack the mouther from within. The previously attached mouths are now free to attack others.

Ground Manipulation (Su): At will, as a standard action, a gibbering mouther can cause stone and earth in all adjacent squares to become a morass akin to quicksand. Softening earth, sand, or the like takes 1 round, while stone takes 2 rounds. Anyone other than the mouther in that area must take a move-equivalent action to avoid becoming mired (treat as being pinned).

Amorphous (Ex): A gibbering mouther is not subject to critical hits. It cannot be flanked.


Other Features: The cavities below the disturbed statues are not merely empty, but scoured clean by some rough abrasion that resembles tooth marks. Moving any other statues requires a DC 20 Strength check for each. All of the statues stand over identical holes, and release a dusty scent of decay if disturbed by the party. Inside the freshly-uncovered holes are mummified bodies, each corresponding in size to the statue that stood above. Behind the row of statues, murals once decorated the walls, but now only occasional smudges remain.


Notes: The people buried in this room were meant to welcome the king to the afterlife with gifts and praise. Many of them did not die willingly, and the unholy energies that gathered around Toth Nekamek have fused several of the corpses into a hungry new life. The stone bowls held by the kneeling statues at the far end of the room once held gems and adornments for the risen king, but those have long since been stolen.

 

[Elephant]

Based on the rooms detailed so far, I'm assuming that we need a total of 24 Gnoll redshirts in the complex, in addition to the named Gnolls statted in various rooms. What follows is an attempt at describing the organization and lifestyle of this Gnoll band.

Some of the rooms feature dead Gnolls. I'll assume that these are all recent enough casualties that they have not been replaced.

In Room 4, 12 Gnolls sleep during the day, double-bunking in four of the beds (it used to be 16 before the losses mentioned in the room descriptions). 8 more sleep during the evening (they pull guard and patrol duty during the day). At night, 4 of the Gnolls will be drinking and dicing.

In Room 5, the dead Shaman from Room 14 used to share the bed with Nazgra from Room 7. He was the extra-jealous type and didn't want anyone scoring some of his booty, so he maintained the trap to punish any Gnoll foolish enough to trespass.

In Room 6, the named Gnolls have beds to themselves(this includes some of the dead Gnolls), where they sleep during the day. During the evening, when Room 4 is occupied by sleepers, 4 Gnolls will be drinking and dicing there. At night, a single named Gnoll (TBA) will occupy this room, plotting ways to gain the attentions of Nazgra and the demise of his chief rivals.

At all times, four Gnolls are on guard duty (Rooms 1 and 2), and four more are on patrol duty. The patrols (2 Gnolls each) will encounter the party as they pass through Rooms 1 and 2 for the second time.

During the night, two hunting bands of four Gnolls each roam the lands around the tomb. Each band has a 50% chance of encountering the party if they are within 5 miles of the tomb.

The following table accounts for all the remaining Gnoll redshirts. Gnolls 1-4 are the dead ones, and the named ones have important places to be

Bunk	Gnoll	8-4p		4-12a		12-8a
A	5	sleep		Guard 1		Patrol 1
B	6	sleep		Guard 1		Patrol 1
B	7	sleep		Guard 2		Patrol 2
C	8	sleep		Guard 2		Patrol 2
C	9	sleep		Dicing 6	Guard 1
D	10	sleep		Dicing 6	Guard 1
E	11	sleep		Dicing 6	Guard 2
F	12	sleep		Dicing 6	Guard 2
F	13	sleep		Patrol 1	Dicing 4
G	14	sleep		Patrol 1	Dicing 4
H	15	sleep		Patrol 2	Dicing 4
H	16	sleep		Patrol 2	Dicing 4
A	17	Guard 1		sleep		Hunting
B	18	Guard 1		sleep		Hunting
C	19	Guard 2		sleep		Hunting
D	20	Guard 2		sleep		Hunting
E	21	Patrol 1	sleep		Hunting
F	22	Patrol 1	sleep		Hunting
G	23	Patrol 2	sleep		Hunting
H	24	Patrol 2	sleep		Hunting

What does everyone think of this? I tried to set up a reasonable, functioning Gnoll band without completely overpowering the party or having Gnolls just disappear for large sections of the day.

 

[Mark]

What an F-ing TEAM! You folks are rockin' major!

Can I just interject (although I usually stand aside and leave other then legal issues to Trainz) that I have been continually impressed by the team spirit and cooperative nature of the CD-xx threads?

I'm loving the way that those with a bit more time this time, and those with a bit more time previous times, all step up and take on a more supervisory role as the need arises and as particular ideas strike them. Nothing can make these CD-xx projects better than a willingness to look at what the full project has to offer, thinking about how the whole can benefit from a well placed bit of advice, and speaking up when it strikes you.

Keep kicking butt, everyone, and I'll just keep being proud to be the one who gets to publish them as you folks wrangle them into form!

THANKS!

 

[Creamsteak]

When Trainz or whoever does it finalizes the thread and puts everything into word, can someone send me the RAW material? I'd like to get to work on stat-blocks as early as possible so that I can be thorough.

 

[Conaill]

Room 20 - Yinepu's Vigil (Patrik "Conaill" D'haeseleer)

Door: A double bronze door, inlaid with gold, blackened silver and lapis lazuli depicting scenes from the Book of the Dead (which can be found among the Chronicles of Toth Nekamek in room #13). The bronze door (hardness 8, hp 40) is barred from the inside with an ancient wooden beam (break DC 22). Anyone who has examined the Book of the Dead for more than three rounds may recognize the scenes on an Int check DC 12. The corresponding passage in the book contains a passphrase (Decipher Script DC 20) which will disintegrate the beam. The center of the door is covered with a clay seal, with the following warning in both hieratic script and hieroglyphics (Decipher Script DC 18, because both versions are present): "They who enter this sacred tomb shall swift be visited by wings of death." Prying the gold, silver and lapis lazuli out of the door nets a total of 20 gp, but as a piece of art, the doors would be worth much more as a whole.

As you open the door, you see the glint of gold in the dark antechamber in front of you. The layer of dust covering everything indicates nobody has entered here for a long, long time. The center of the room is dominated by what seems to be a life-sized statue of a black jackal, sitting on top of a 2ft. high golden shrine with long carrying poles attached to it. Its eyes and ears are outlined in gold, and it seems to be wearing a golden sash around its neck. The walls of this antechamber are filled with hieroglyphics and more scenes from the Book of the Dead. All along the walls, richly decorated furniture and artworks are stacked up, along with numerous small painted funeral figurines. On the wall directly opposite is another, very elaborate double door, flanked by two more standing half-jackal statues.

The jackal on top of the shrine is not a statue, but the Awakened jackal cleric Yinepu in his Eternal Vigil (see below, Spot DC 25 to notice the statue looks a little too real). The funeral figurines are animated objects, but will not move unless ordered so by Yinepu (or until Yinepu's death).

The furniture and art objects around the room are worth a pretty penny (say, 5000 gp intact), but mostly made of gilded, ancient, and dried out wood. None of the furniture will bear more than 40 lb of weight, and would need to be carried out very carefully.
Alternatively, the PCs could spend 20 minutes (20 rounds per square along the walls) to smash and pry out 200 gp in lapis lazuli and other semi-precious stones. In addition, there are several finely wrought alabaster plaques (100 gp and 100 lb total). The shrine in the middle is likewise made of gilded wood and covered in hieroglyphics (worth 1000 gp intact). The carrying poles are too fragile to lift the shrine.

The top plank of the shrine slides off, revealing a number of compartments, containing two fine alabaster cups (10 gp each), a MW but heavily corroded (-1) cold iron ceremonial dagger, a bone crocodile figurine (A tiny crocodile sculpted from bone with a circular base one inch in diameter. The word “Afa” is etched on the base and it appears that it was made to attach to something). [ can use some more creative loot here ]

Some of the murals and hieroglyphics function as scrolls, which can be activated when standing directly in front of them:
- Both doors contain an inscription for Hold Portal (Sor/Wiz1)
- The northern wall (directly above the number 20 on the map) contains a mural of archers. Upon reading the inscription, one archer will fire a Magic Missile (Sor/Wiz1) at any desired target.
- The southern wall (directly below the number 20 on the map) contains a mural of servants removing a suit of armor from Toth Nekamek's body before mummification. Upon reading the inscription, the servants will reach out and put a ghostly Mage Armor on the caster.
- The top of the shrine, directly in front of the jackal, contains an inscription for Bestow Curse (Clr3). If anyone but Yinepu activates this inscription, the curse is cast on the reader instead.

Encounter: (EL 5) Five foot into the room, there is a low step down. As soon as anyone crosses this line, Yinepu's Vigil is broken and he speaks: "It is I who hinder the sand from choking the secret chambers. I am for the protection of the deceased, and I will kill all those who cross this threshold into the sacred precincts of the Royal King who lives forever."

Yinepu, Awakened Jackal Clr3: CR 4; Small Magical Beast (Augmented Animal); HD 6d8+6; hp 33; Init +3; Spd 40 ft; AC 15 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +1 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 12; Base Atk +4; Grp +1; Atk Bite +7 melee (1d4+2); Full Atk Bite +7 melee (1d4+2); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA -; SQ Darkvision 60ft., Low-light vision, Scent, Ageless Vigil; AL LN; SV Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +8; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 18, Cha 12.
Languages: Ancient Common, Abyssal?
Skills and Feats: Concentration +8, Jump +6, Knowledge (Religion) +4, Listen +4, Move Silently +7, Spot +4, Survival +4; Combat Casting, Eschew Materials, Track
Domains: Death, Magic
lvl 0: Guidance, Mending, Resistance (x2)
lvl 1: Bane, Sanctuary, Summon Monster I, Cause Fear (Death)
lvl 2: Darkness, Summon Monster II, Death Knell (Death)
Ageless Vigil (Su): An elaborate magical ritual has enabled Yinepu to assume a trance-like state as long as he stands vigil guarding his master's tomb. In this state, Yinepu does not move, breathe, eat, sleep or age.
Combat: Yinepu will typically try to cast Sanctuary first, then call upon the funeral figurines (free action, "Shawabti, defend your Lord in this life as in the afterlife!"), and cast Darkness. Next he will likely read the Bestow Curse inscription, cast Summon Monster II, or read the Mage Armor inscription (make this a higher priority if Darkness has been negated, because of the cool visuals).

SHAWABTI SWARM
Tiny Construct (Swarm)
Hit Dice: 3d10 (16 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/--
Attack: Swarm (1d6 plus disease)
Full Attack: Swarm (1d6 plus disease)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Disease, distraction
Special Qualities: Half damage from slashing and piercing, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, swarm traits, construct traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will -4
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 14, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: --
Feats: --
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: None
Level Adjustment: --

Shawabti (or Ushabti) are small funeral figurines, typically made from ceramic or wood. They respresent servants that will tend to the deceased's needs and fields in the afterlife.

Combat
A Shawabti swarm seeks to surround and attack any intruders it encounters. A swarm deals 1d6 points of damage to any creature whose space it occupies at the end of its move.

Disease (Ex): Filth fever—swarm attack, Fortitude DC 11, incubation period 1d3 days, damage 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con.

Distraction (Ex): Any intruder that begins its turn with a swarm in its square must succeed on a DC 12 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round.


Optional Elements: After defeating Yinepu, the DM may decide to let very fine sand start seeping into all the hidden chambers (#15-20 or 21) from cracks in the ceiling ("It is I who hinder the sand from choking the secret chambers."), reducing movement by half after 10 minutes, and filling up the rooms completely after 1/2 an hour. This may raise the Encounter Level of #21 by 1 because of the time pressure.

Alternatively, after defeating the demon in #21, the party may encounter Yinepu's ghost (EL 6) when they come back through #20. Yinepu's ghost can only be fully dismissed if the party manages to persuade him that Toth Nekamek turned into a demon.

 

[Trainz]

A link to a thread you've just created will end in something like "showthread.php?p=1561997#post1561997". By itself, "showthread.php?p=1561997" will just give you the page of the thread where post # 1561997 is located. the "#post1561997" at the end makes it jump straight to the post itself.

I don't know a quick shortcut to get this url for threads that others have created, but you can see the post number for example by looking at the url of the Reply button for a post. I just did a little copy-and-paste

Thanks, it worked. I did it in the first post. I know that Shallown will LOVE these links in the first post, he's the one that compiles the thing from the thread. Should make his life much easier !

And thanks for submitting your room even in scratch form.

And very big thanks to Mark for the awesome support !

 

[Trainz]

When Trainz or whoever does it finalizes the thread and puts everything into word, can someone send me the RAW material? I'd like to get to work on stat-blocks as early as possible so that I can be thorough.

Well, Shallown is compiling CD3 at the moment. As soon as I have it, I will do my thang (which will take a day or two) and then you'll have it.

If you really want to start working on the critters of CD4 right away, I have posted the links to all the rooms in the first post (thanks Conaill), so it would be easy to get all the critter stat blocks (I can compile just the critters for you if you ask me).

That said, I think we'll wait, because contributors are still tweaking the whole thing, so stat blocks and critters will change.

I'm not sure what you want me to do. Could you enlighten me ?

 

[Elephant]

Room 6 - Elite Gnoll Barracks (Brian Thompson)

Door: A Good Wooden Door, Unlocked, opens inward. (Break DC 16, Hardness 5, 15hp) Use the same random Room State result as Room 4.

Room: Refer to the table below for the appropriate description.
Night:

You are standing in the middle of a row of four filthy, unmade beds. As you look around, you are disgusted by how dingy everything is. There are three beds against the far wall, along with a dented wooden dresser containing three drawers. You notice a large, dirty Gnoll sitting on the bed against the wall to your right, muttering to himself.

Day:

You are standing in the middle of a row of four filthy, unmade beds. Peering into the gloom, you can make out three more beds against the far wall, along with a dented wooden dresser containing three drawers. Slumbering Gnolls fill four of the seven beds.

Evening:

You are standing in the middle of a row of four filthy, unmade beds. As you look around, you are disgusted by how dingy everything is. There are three beds against the far wall, along with a dented wooden dresser containing three drawers. Four angry Gnolls look up in from a dice game in shock, hissing viciously.

Traps: The bottom dresser drawer is trapped with an Inflict Light Wounds Trap: CR 2; magic device; touch trigger; automatic reset; spell effect (inflict light wounds, 1st-level cleric, 1d8+1, DC 11 Will save half damage); Search DC 26; Disable Device DC 26.

Features: Seven wooden beds lie along opposite walls. The beds have not been made, and they smell like wet dog. A dented wooden dresser sits in the corner. Symbols of Hrauk have been painted in blood on the walls.

Encounter:

Room State:
Night(EL 4): Hintag the Bloodthirsty sits on the bed in the right corner, muttering to himself.
Day(EL 4): Hintag the Bloodthirsty is sleeping soundly in the bed to the right of the door. The three beds against the far wall are filled with Gnolls, but the remaining beds are empty.
Evening(EL 4): Four Gnolls are drinking heavily between rolls of a dice game. Their grumbling and arguing can be heard from the hallway with a DC 5 Listen check.

In combat, Hintag will head straight into melee and fight to the death, screaming for reinforcements. Make a Listen check at DC 5 (no modifiers on the roll). If successful, have two Gnolls enter combat 1d4+1 rounds later. This represents a random Gnoll patrol hearing the battle from the hallway past Room 2.

Otherwise, the Gnolls will try to swarm around the party, hoping to bring them down through weight of numbers.

Hintag the Bloodthirsty, Medium Humanoid (Gnoll) Ftr1; CR 2; HD 2d8+2+1d10+2; hp 20; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; AC 15 (+1 natural, +2 leather armor, +2 heavy steel shield), touch 10, flat-footed 15; Base Atk +2; Grp +4; Atk Battleaxe +5 melee (1d8+2/x3), or shortbow +3 ranged (1d6/x3); Full Atk (same); SA -; SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; AL neutral evil; SV Fort +6, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 8
Skills and Feats: Listen +2, Spot +3, Power Attack, Cleave, Weapon Focus (Greataxe)
Possessions: MW battleaxe, Leather Armor, 3gp, 8sp, shortbow, arrows (40).

Gnolls: CR 1; LA +1; Medium humanoid; HD 2d8+2; hp 11; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (+1 natural, +2 leather armor, +2 heavy steel shield), touch 10, flat-footed 15; Base Atk +1; Grp +3; Atk Battleaxe +3 melee (1d8+2/x3) or shortbow +1 ranged (1d6/x3); Full Atk (same); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA -; SQ darkvision 60 ft.; AL (Usually) CE; SV Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 8.
Languages: Gnoll
Skills and Feats: Listen +2, Spot +3; Power Attack.
Possessions: battleaxe, leather armor, heavy steel shield, shortbow, arrows (40).


Other Features: In or under each bed, 2d10x10 sp and 1d8 gp can be found. 1d6 Short Swords may be found about the room, as well. A search of the dresser reveals the following:
Top Drawer: 2d4 gp, hidden underneath various clothes
Middle Drawer: Nothing but clothes
Bottom Drawer(trapped): Amulet of Natural Armor +1 and 1d10x100 gp

Notes: If combat starts in Room 2 or 4, the Gnolls in this room will make Listen checks (DC 0, with the Gnolls taking a –17 penalty on their rolls if sleeping and –12 if gambling for hearing combat in Room 2; -15/-10 for Room 4). If gambling Gnolls make their Listen check, one of them must also make a DC 15 Wisdom check or ignore the noises outside. In all cases, the Gnolls will ignore all sound from Room 5; they are used to hearing their shaman (recently dead in Room 14) and Nazgra in there.

Hintag the Bloodthirsty is quite used to hearing brawls in Room 4 because of the dicing. If he makes his Listen check (-5 at night), he will walk to his door, open it, and yell for the brawlers to settle down. He will then close the door and return to his corner seat for 1d4+1 rounds. If the sounds of combat have not disappeared by this time, he will stomp down the hall, yelling about punishments for the dicing miscreants. Once in Room 4, he will be flat-footed in surprise for one round, then roll initiative as normal.

If he hears combat in Room 2 (-5 Listen modifier at night), he will immediately go to investigate, weapon in hand.

Hintag goes hunting outside the tomb in the evening.

 

[Mark]

When Trainz or whoever does it finalizes the thread and puts everything into word, can someone send me the RAW material? I'd like to get to work on stat-blocks as early as possible so that I can be thorough.

Register on my site. As part of the team you have a couple of helpful tools coming but it requires your registration first.

 

[The Forsaken One]

I thought I could use the stuff from the WotC website? Mark posted as such a few pages back. So Wycen why can't I? I thought I could..