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Cooperative Dungeon IV: Update
- Thread starter Trainz
- Start date
Briefly, here's my idea for the hidden passage:
1) Permanencied Gust of Wind in the first 60' of the straight part of the tunnel, set off whenever anyone goes past 30' into it.
2) Spikes on the back wall (hidden by some crumbly plaster covered with paintings) for those getting blown away by the wind
3) *sand* on the floor, turning the Gust of Wind into a sandstorm (–4 penalty on Listen, Search, and Spot)
4) a trap about halfway the tunnel (i.e. 10' before the Gust of Wind ends)
Follow that up with either an animated statue with a ram's head and Ring of the Ram (to knock people back into the sandstorm
), or a Medium air elemental (in the remaining 40' of the straight passage unaffected by the sandstorm).
What do you think, nasty enough?
The sandstorm by itself is only an annoyance for Medium-size PC's. But it does give them a -4 to spot the trap, and it has the potential to split (or at least spread out) the party once they have to deal with the statue or air elemental in the last part of the tunnel.
Entirely coincidentally, it turns out that the Egyptian god Amon is god of the wind, hidden secrets, and often depicted with a ram's head- found that out *after* I came up with the Gust of Wind and the ram's head statue! I wanted to do something with a reasonably low-level Permanency effect, the sandstorm seemed right for the egyptian tomb theme, and pushing people back into it using Ring of the Ram seemed a logical next step. Only then did I get curious who the original egyptian god of the wind was!
Seems rather propitious, no?
1) Permanencied Gust of Wind in the first 60' of the straight part of the tunnel, set off whenever anyone goes past 30' into it.
2) Spikes on the back wall (hidden by some crumbly plaster covered with paintings) for those getting blown away by the wind
3) *sand* on the floor, turning the Gust of Wind into a sandstorm (–4 penalty on Listen, Search, and Spot)
4) a trap about halfway the tunnel (i.e. 10' before the Gust of Wind ends)
Follow that up with either an animated statue with a ram's head and Ring of the Ram (to knock people back into the sandstorm
), or a Medium air elemental (in the remaining 40' of the straight passage unaffected by the sandstorm).What do you think, nasty enough?
The sandstorm by itself is only an annoyance for Medium-size PC's. But it does give them a -4 to spot the trap, and it has the potential to split (or at least spread out) the party once they have to deal with the statue or air elemental in the last part of the tunnel.Entirely coincidentally, it turns out that the Egyptian god Amon is god of the wind, hidden secrets, and often depicted with a ram's head- found that out *after* I came up with the Gust of Wind and the ram's head statue! I wanted to do something with a reasonably low-level Permanency effect, the sandstorm seemed right for the egyptian tomb theme, and pushing people back into it using Ring of the Ram seemed a logical next step. Only then did I get curious who the original egyptian god of the wind was!
Seems rather propitious, no?
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Ok, I already half-posted it anyway, I might as well put in the effort to clean it up now. Still looking for suggestions to improve the secret entrance...
Hidden passage from #14 to #15 - The Howling Winds (Patrik "Conaill" D'haeseleer)
Door: UP FOR DISCUSSION The secret entrance to this passage is covered over with plaster and painted with frescoes depicting funeral rites, as is the rest of the corridor leading to #12 and #14 (Search DC 25, treat as 1/2 ft masonry wall: Break DC 25, hardness 8, 45 hp). The painting over the entrance itself is a life-size image of Toth Nekamek's sarcophagus standing upright, showing the jackal face painted on the lid. Anyone passing by the secret entrance carrying an unprotected flame (torch, candle, etc) gets a DC 25 Spot check to notice a slight draft coming from a seam at the top of the wall.
Features: At the corner, the wall opposite the entrance contains a fresco of the same knight as in #14, pointing down the long dark corridor to your right. On the wall facing the long corridor there is a painting of what seems to be a goddess of pain and torture, wearing a vulture's head (Search DC 18 to discover that the crumbly plaster on which this frescoe is painted hides a set of horizontal spikes). Past the corner, the walls are smooth unpainted sandstone, very finely joined. If anyone can see that far, the long dark corridor ends 100 ft further with a right hand turn and another statue, this one sporting a ram's head.
Encounter: (EL 3)Anyone entering more than 30 ft past the corner into the long corridor will set off a Permanent Gust of Wind spell (Search DC 30, Disable Device DC 30, both Rogue only), creating a Severe wind blowing west to east, covering the first 60 ft of the long corridor (up to the near corner). The sand in the corridor turns this into the equivalent of a sand storm: visibility is reduced to 1d10x5 feet and provides a -4 penalty on Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
Fort save DC 15 (each round) to negate: A Tiny or smaller creature on the ground is knocked down and rolled 1d4x10 feet, taking 1d4 points of nonlethal damage per 10 feet. If flying, a Tiny or smaller creature is blown back 2d6x10 feet and takes 2d6 points of nonlethal damage due to battering and buffeting. Small creatures are knocked prone by the force of the wind, or if flying are blown back 1d6x10 feet. Medium creatures are unable to move forward against the force of the wind, or if flying are blown back 1d6x5 feet. Large or larger creatures may move normally within a gust of wind effect.
Any creature, regardless of size, takes a -4 penalty on ranged attacks in the area of a gust of wind.
The force of the gust automatically extinguishes candles, torches, and similar unprotected flames. It causes protected flames, such as those of lanterns, to dance wildly and has a 50% chance to extinguish those lights.
Any creature rolled or blown back against the wall facing the corridor will destroy the fresco of the goddess of pain and may take damage from the spikes behind it (Atk +10 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d4+2 each).
The howling wind is audible throughout much of the rest of the tomb complex and may cause other inhabitants to come investigate: Listen DC 10 in #9-#14, DC 15 in #2-#5, DC 20 elsewhere.
Stepping on the 5' square halfway down the corridor (10' before the end of the Gust of Wind effect) sets off a Scything Blade Trap (see below). Anyone attempting to Jump across the trap counts as "flying" for purposes of the wind effects above. Climb DC 25 to climb across along the walls. The trap resets automatically after one round.
Scything Blade Trap: mechanical; location trigger; automatic reset; Atk +8 melee (1d8/x3); Search DC 21 (remember to include the -4 Search penalty for the sand storm); Disable Device DC 20.
Encounter: (EL 4)The Large ram's headed statue animates as soon as someone steps out of the area where the Gust of Wind is in effect. It is armed with a granite Ring of the Ram. Because of the cramped quarters, it only moves at half speed (note that the Speed, AC and Attack penalties for Squeezing in a narrow area are already included in the stats below!).
Ram's head statue: CR 3; Animated Object, Large Construct; HD 4d10+30; 52 hp; Init +0; Spd 15 ft; AC 10 (-1 size, +5 natural, -4 squeezing), touch 5, flat-footed 10; Base Atk -1; Grp +6; Atk Slam +1 melee (1d8+4); Full Atk 2 Slams +1 melee (1d8+4); Space/Reach 10 ft./10 ft. (tall); SA -; SQ Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, hardness 8; AL N; SV Fort +1, Ref +1, Will -4; Str 16, Dex 10, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1.
Granite Ring of the Ram: As normal Ring of the Ram, except it seems to be made out of a dark and very hard granite, contains only 10 charges, and can be activated as a standard action by squeezing the hand into a fist (so it can be activated by a mindless construct). Market price is 200 gp times the number of remaining charges.
Tactics: the statue will try to push opponents back into the sand storm using the Ring of the Ram, attacking the nearest person standing between it and the sand storm. If its charges run out, it may attempt to Bull Rush, possibly using a Charge (moving up to 30 ft). If anyone gets within its 10 ft reach, it will attack using its Slam attack instead.
The Gust of Wind trap can be reset by inserting the Ring of the Ram into a small indentation high up in the far corner (Search DC 20). If the party retreats after awakening Yinepu in #20, he may reset the trap and possibly make repairs to the statue. The statue will not attack anyone with a jackal's head or wearing a jackal mask (such as Yinepu (from #20), the high priest, or Toth himself).
Hidden passage from #14 to #15 - The Howling Winds (Patrik "Conaill" D'haeseleer)
Door: UP FOR DISCUSSION The secret entrance to this passage is covered over with plaster and painted with frescoes depicting funeral rites, as is the rest of the corridor leading to #12 and #14 (Search DC 25, treat as 1/2 ft masonry wall: Break DC 25, hardness 8, 45 hp). The painting over the entrance itself is a life-size image of Toth Nekamek's sarcophagus standing upright, showing the jackal face painted on the lid. Anyone passing by the secret entrance carrying an unprotected flame (torch, candle, etc) gets a DC 25 Spot check to notice a slight draft coming from a seam at the top of the wall.
Features: At the corner, the wall opposite the entrance contains a fresco of the same knight as in #14, pointing down the long dark corridor to your right. On the wall facing the long corridor there is a painting of what seems to be a goddess of pain and torture, wearing a vulture's head (Search DC 18 to discover that the crumbly plaster on which this frescoe is painted hides a set of horizontal spikes). Past the corner, the walls are smooth unpainted sandstone, very finely joined. If anyone can see that far, the long dark corridor ends 100 ft further with a right hand turn and another statue, this one sporting a ram's head.
Encounter: (EL 3)Anyone entering more than 30 ft past the corner into the long corridor will set off a Permanent Gust of Wind spell (Search DC 30, Disable Device DC 30, both Rogue only), creating a Severe wind blowing west to east, covering the first 60 ft of the long corridor (up to the near corner). The sand in the corridor turns this into the equivalent of a sand storm: visibility is reduced to 1d10x5 feet and provides a -4 penalty on Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
Fort save DC 15 (each round) to negate: A Tiny or smaller creature on the ground is knocked down and rolled 1d4x10 feet, taking 1d4 points of nonlethal damage per 10 feet. If flying, a Tiny or smaller creature is blown back 2d6x10 feet and takes 2d6 points of nonlethal damage due to battering and buffeting. Small creatures are knocked prone by the force of the wind, or if flying are blown back 1d6x10 feet. Medium creatures are unable to move forward against the force of the wind, or if flying are blown back 1d6x5 feet. Large or larger creatures may move normally within a gust of wind effect.
Any creature, regardless of size, takes a -4 penalty on ranged attacks in the area of a gust of wind.
The force of the gust automatically extinguishes candles, torches, and similar unprotected flames. It causes protected flames, such as those of lanterns, to dance wildly and has a 50% chance to extinguish those lights.
Any creature rolled or blown back against the wall facing the corridor will destroy the fresco of the goddess of pain and may take damage from the spikes behind it (Atk +10 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d4+2 each).
The howling wind is audible throughout much of the rest of the tomb complex and may cause other inhabitants to come investigate: Listen DC 10 in #9-#14, DC 15 in #2-#5, DC 20 elsewhere.
Stepping on the 5' square halfway down the corridor (10' before the end of the Gust of Wind effect) sets off a Scything Blade Trap (see below). Anyone attempting to Jump across the trap counts as "flying" for purposes of the wind effects above. Climb DC 25 to climb across along the walls. The trap resets automatically after one round.
Scything Blade Trap: mechanical; location trigger; automatic reset; Atk +8 melee (1d8/x3); Search DC 21 (remember to include the -4 Search penalty for the sand storm); Disable Device DC 20.
Encounter: (EL 4)The Large ram's headed statue animates as soon as someone steps out of the area where the Gust of Wind is in effect. It is armed with a granite Ring of the Ram. Because of the cramped quarters, it only moves at half speed (note that the Speed, AC and Attack penalties for Squeezing in a narrow area are already included in the stats below!).
Ram's head statue: CR 3; Animated Object, Large Construct; HD 4d10+30; 52 hp; Init +0; Spd 15 ft; AC 10 (-1 size, +5 natural, -4 squeezing), touch 5, flat-footed 10; Base Atk -1; Grp +6; Atk Slam +1 melee (1d8+4); Full Atk 2 Slams +1 melee (1d8+4); Space/Reach 10 ft./10 ft. (tall); SA -; SQ Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, hardness 8; AL N; SV Fort +1, Ref +1, Will -4; Str 16, Dex 10, Con --, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1.
Granite Ring of the Ram: As normal Ring of the Ram, except it seems to be made out of a dark and very hard granite, contains only 10 charges, and can be activated as a standard action by squeezing the hand into a fist (so it can be activated by a mindless construct). Market price is 200 gp times the number of remaining charges.
Tactics: the statue will try to push opponents back into the sand storm using the Ring of the Ram, attacking the nearest person standing between it and the sand storm. If its charges run out, it may attempt to Bull Rush, possibly using a Charge (moving up to 30 ft). If anyone gets within its 10 ft reach, it will attack using its Slam attack instead.
The Gust of Wind trap can be reset by inserting the Ring of the Ram into a small indentation high up in the far corner (Search DC 20). If the party retreats after awakening Yinepu in #20, he may reset the trap and possibly make repairs to the statue. The statue will not attack anyone with a jackal's head or wearing a jackal mask (such as Yinepu (from #20), the high priest, or Toth himself).
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Feel free to discuss.
I particularly enjoy the Ring of the Ram -> Bull Rush -> counts as "flying" in Gust of Wind -> Scything Blade trap combo. At least the Scything Blade trap doesn't go off if you fly *over* the trigger plate. That would just be mean.
Edit: the hardness 8 of the statue may be a major problem to overcome for the party (hardness on animated object uses the rules on pg 165 in the PHB, as per the D&D FAQ). Maybe we should put in a adamatine-tipped miner's pick somewhere. Would come in handy if the party wants to break through from #14 to #16 as well.
I particularly enjoy the Ring of the Ram -> Bull Rush -> counts as "flying" in Gust of Wind -> Scything Blade trap combo. At least the Scything Blade trap doesn't go off if you fly *over* the trigger plate. That would just be mean.
Edit: the hardness 8 of the statue may be a major problem to overcome for the party (hardness on animated object uses the rules on pg 165 in the PHB, as per the D&D FAQ). Maybe we should put in a adamatine-tipped miner's pick somewhere. Would come in handy if the party wants to break through from #14 to #16 as well.
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Hm, I think that's only true for your room, #15, but I don't mind working with that. Sorry for overlooking it.tarchon said:
I do *not* want the average party to be able to just "switch off" the encounter though. Guess we could leave the Gust of Wind and scythe trap as-is. If you know it's there, it's not too hard to avoid (put a mattress in front of the goddess of pain, either Dispel Magic or use a grappling hook to counteract the wind, and disable or climb across the trap).
That just leaves the statue... how about it will not attack anyone wearing a jackal head? I doubt anyone in the party will be wearing one, and even if *one* person does, its not clear they'll figure it out, because the statue will still attack the other party members...
Do you think that would be sufficient?
Ferret
Explorer
Conaill said:I may be going blind (or senile
Me said:
I'm not sure if thats enough or you want me to mention the phrase. I'm quite sure I should have made it more obvious it was the book of the dead.
Re-edited it again naming the book.
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tarchon
First Post
Conaill said:
The door to 21 has a lock with a key and the traps have disarming mechanisms too. If you don't intend for anyone to open a door ever, you don't make keys and you certainly don't leave them lying around hither and yon. Presumably Yinepu in 20 would admit authorized parties, Toth himself or high priests etc. When I wrote 15, and I hope it's fairly obvious, the idea was that a high priest or some such would enter on the day of Toth's resurrection.
Ah, I thought you already had that one in there before. Problem is it doesn't really stick out very much, so I doubt the party would bother to take it with them once they've deciphered the "things do not bode well" phrase. Also, purely OOC we need to identify - at least for the DM, if nobody else - what book exactly I'm referring to in #20. Here's what I would suggest:Ferret said:
1) Definitely call it the "Book of the Dead" to avoid any confusion
2) Give it some value, so they're likely to take it with them. Could be my earlier gold-encrusted idea, or...
3) Now that we have the hidden chambers more or less finished, it would be nice to give some subtle and prophetic hints. Things that could perhaps give them a very slight edge if they make excellent guesses, but mainly stuff that only becomes clear in retrospect. Stuf like ...
"In sarcophagus behind sarcophagus he waits to be reborn" (entrance to the secret passage is behind the image of his sarcophagus on the wall)
"The desert itself will protect him" (sand storm in the secret passage, possibly sand filling up the secret chambers after Yinepu's death)
"The animals will flock to him and welcome him back into the world" (animal keys for the door to #21)
"Yea, verily, the Ram and the Horse await his coming, and the Jackal lays at his feet" (ram statue in passage, horse in #15, Yinepu in #20)
"While the two traitors suffer in eternal torment, his six loyal guards will rise with him" (royal guards in #18)
"And on that day, he will reclaim his throne in the hall of celebrants, and the people will feast his return with songs and laughter" (Hall of Celebrants, #19)
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