D&D General #Dungeon23

[Cadence]

You can take a break and catch up later. Or switch to another level or section of the dungeon with a different theme.

Switching around has been what's saving me!

 

[Reynard]

0X.13: Resonant Cave

Form: The inside of an immense geode.

Illumination: Unlit but even the dimmest light causes the chamber to be brightly lit as the crystals bounce the light all around.

At First Glance: This cave is roughly spherical and approximately 100 feet in diameter with the entrance two-thirds of the way up the north wall. It is dominated by massive crystals of all colors and different shapes and sizes. They point mostly inward toward the center of the cave. The room is, in effect, the inside of a massive geode.

On Further Inspection: The resonant cave can be explored, though the going is treacherous with so many sharp crystals at odd angles. If a character slips and falls or otherwise strikes a crystal, it vibrates with a unique pitch for a few moments.

Secrets: This chamber is excessively dangerous to the clumsy and curious. If more than one crystal is caused to vibrate as described above and they are within a few yards of each other, their tones match frequency shortly and begin to grow. Then other crystals near them start to vibrate at the same frequency. The effect spreads until the entire chamber is vibrating. Then, the crystals all explode, filling the chamber with razor sharp shards of crystal flying at furious speed.

Treasure: A fist sized chunk of crystal from this cave could fetch a fine price -- high enough to tempt characters into hammering off a few pieces…

Connections: There are no exits from the cave besides the one leading to the Helgate Chasm (0X.07).

 

[M_Natas]

Time for some empty rooms

Beginning…to lose…motivation…

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Also struggling a bit. Missed yesterday, can't blame the SuperBowl, I had all morning to work on it and just... didn't

Anyway, here's last week

Week 6 - an entirely water hex, punctuated by underwater volcanoes being mined by minotaurs. The ocean that surrounds it is a vast sargasso with kelp forests hundreds of meters tall from the sea bed to the surface. A community of Symic hybrids created for underwater life tend the forests and fish farms, while also keeping an ongoing incursion of aberrations at bay

 

[Cadence]

Room 80 - Fishing Shack

The entrance to the end of this short 10-foot wide test passage has water-proofing (tar) covered locked double-doors that is sealed with an arcane lock (DC 15 to pick or break open without the arcane lock, DC 25 with it).

If they aren't currently being used, it holds the gear of the fishing crew in ____ for use in the lake (#86): three partially disassembled tripod mounted harpoon ballista (without the trigger mechanisms or torsion springs), the harpoons, several 200' silk ropes, two large strong nets, and four ten foot polls to help carry them. Two tripods and one net are typically used at a time.

View attachment 275412

81 - Bat Cave!

The entrance to this massive 150' x 100' cavern from the mine shaft is sealed with a thick metal grate that is barred from the mine-side. The air coming from it is heavy with the smell of decay and guano. In spite of that it appears to be in fairly good shape and was likely opened not to long ago (a month or two?).

The other side is dimly lit by the 6" to 5' tall bioluminescent purple mushrooms growing all over the cave floor. The entry hole drops down to a ledge with only a 5' clearance. A 10' drop brings it to a ledge surrounding a large central area that has another 10' to the ground.

The ceiling of the cave is covered with 100s of Bats that feed on the various insects living off of the fungus. The Bats will ignore those in the cave unless intentionally antagonized. Three Cave Fisher's have currently webbed the west corner of the cave to catch the bats. It looks like there are remnants of Cave Fisher filaments on the south-east ledge and some of the marks on the wall make it appear that something might have been hunting them.

There is what appears to be a decaying small wooden hut near the north side of the bottom pit. Looking closer shows the door is only loosely on its hinges. It radiates very, very faint transmutation magic (that is no longer effective).

Partially buried under guano and fungus outside the door appears to be the headless skeleton of a dwarf in chainmail with some thin sharp wire in a circle near where the neck used to be. The head shattered when it was sprung and the pieces are long since covered completely. A falling-apart portion of a 10' pole is also lying near the hut, with a piece of wire around the break in it.

The hut has one remaining razor wire trap in it - that can be sprung safely using a pole or the like to prod the hut entrance. If the door is moved in person (and not prodded from at least 6' away) it is a DC 18 DEX save to avoid the 15 (3d10) slashing damage. A natural 1 indicates the wire has wrapped around the character and is constricting them for an additional 5 (d10) damage per round until it is removed. A helper can do that easily, it takes a DC 11 DEX check for the trapped person to deal with it without taking an additional 5 (d10) damage.

The inside of the hut hasn't been disturbed except by the insects who stripped the corpses of the two apparently human sized rats. There are two Extra-Duration Potions of Diminution that last 3+d4 hours, a regular short sword, a brass key, and a Lesser Pipes of the Sewer that have only 1 charge each day. A bit more looking finds the remnants of a light cross-bow, clothing, and a bag that have been worked on by the insects.

Much searching would reveal a very slow trickling spring on the south side of the bottom.

Edit: Renumbered 81 to make it fit better.

The next room created (#79) is in post #569 D&D General - #Dungeon23 .

 

[M_Natas]

Day 44 - the crew quarters

The Star of the North's crew quarters were underwater. I made a quick dive to see if there was anything useful left to discover. But apart from debris, abandoned hammocks and an unusable kitchen, there were only fish and other small sea creatures that had already made this part of the ship their new home. There is no trace of the crew here either. But the hole in the hull is huge. What could have caused the ship to break apart so easily?View attachment 275421

Day 45

I recklessly plunged into the depths of the Star of the North's cargo hold, never imagining the horrors that awaited me. To my dismay, I discovered what remained of the crew - their once proud and graceful elven bodies now fused and corrupted by a monstrous entity. This abomination had taken root in the hull of the ship, using the sailors as hosts to breed and propagate its kind.

Trembling with fear, I tried to keep my distance, but I could feel its dark presence bearing down on me. Its tendrils and vines crept closer and closer, as if sensing my presence. I knew I had to act quickly, before it was too late.

In a flash, my fears were realized as I witnessed a fish being dragged away into the shadows by tendrils I couldn't even see. That was all the impetus I needed to make my escape. I knew that I must find a way to destroy the horror, before it could spread any further. I would need to find a powerful magical flame, one that could penetrate the depths of the sea and burn even the darkest parts of the ship to ashes. Only then could I ensure that this evil would never again threaten the world above.

 

[gorice]

Time for my weekly update. So far, so good. We're still in the necropolis: the path bifurcates from the carved room into a labyrinth and a one-way door followed by a trap hall. Both paths lead down to the next section; neither is a pleasant path. I'd be twirling my moustache, if I had one.

8: Stone Stair

• A broad flight of stairs, reaching down 20’ into the East quarter from the North. Dry and silent.

9: Bridge

• A decrepit bridge of bone held together with loops of brass wire, spanning a dark and echoing space. A faint draught of damp air from below(?) 40’ above the sump.
• (?) The bridge grinds and creaks when disturbed.
• (!) The bridge is safe if people pass one at a time, but excessive loads may cause a collapse.

10: Carved Room

• A cavernous beehive room, stone walls and floor carved with winged people. A blackened metal door blocks one wall; a blood-blackened altar stone against the other. 6 great red urns cluster around the altar.
• (?) The urns are sealed with wax, stamped with runes of command.
• (!) Breaking the urns or desecrating the altar wakes the sword-wielding skeletons within.
• (?!) The door is unlocked. However, it is one-way: it opens outward, with resistance, and will close on its own. There is no handle on the other side.

11: Maze

• Desolate tangle of identical winding pathways.
• (!) Danger of fear and disorientation in the suffocating dark.

12: Sealed Room

• Heavy metal doors, barred from the outside by a bronze rod with a snarling mouth on either end.
• A plain stone tholos ringed by skeletons in foetal position. Bronze wire once bound their hands and feet. Beside each is a ruined bronze tool: mallet, pick, chisel, etc.
• A narrow stair leads down to the South Quarter.

13: Tomb with a View

• A tholos tomb overlooking the great chamber, identical to #6.
• (?) The skeleton wears imperishable robes of gold thread and spider silk, and holds a curved dagger with gold inlay, enamel, and pattern-welded bladed. Each is worth 100 coins.

14: Hall of Coins

• A broad passage of gleaming limestone. The floor is smooth and inclines steeply to the south. A mass of uncanny stone faces glares from the walls and ceiling.
• Halfway down, a scatter of copper coins.
• (!) The floor is polished and slippery. Characters who run or fall must save or slide down the hall, over the edge and 10’ down into the poison jar room in the South Quarter.
• (!) A large pressure plate (slightly depressed stone) under the coins releases a torrent of copper coins from the mouth of the face directly above. Anyone directly under the initial spill must save vs. damage; anyone walking on the copper-strewn path must save or slide down the hall.
• (??) A face directly above the scattered coins has a stone stopper in its yawning mouth.

 

[Hriston]

13. This roughly 900 sq. ft. trapezoidal room is empty.

That's it for level two. Now back to level one!


32. This 20’ x 20’ room is empty. The difficulty of finding the secret door connecting this room to room 31 is hard.

 

[Cadence]

81 - Bat Cave!

The entrance to this massive 150' x 100' cavern from the mine shaft is sealed with a thick metal grate that is barred from the mine-side. The air coming from it is heavy with the smell of decay and guano. In spite of that it appears to be in fairly good shape and was likely opened not to long ago (a month or two?).

The other side is dimly lit by the 6" to 5' tall bioluminescent purple mushrooms growing all over the cave floor. The entry hole drops down to a ledge with only a 5' clearance. A 10' drop brings it to a ledge surrounding a large central area that has another 10' to the ground.

The ceiling of the cave is covered with 100s of Bats that feed on the various insects living off of the fungus. The Bats will ignore those in the cave unless intentionally antagonized. Three Cave Fisher's have currently webbed the west corner of the cave to catch the bats. It looks like there are remnants of Cave Fisher filaments on the south-east ledge and some of the marks on the wall make it appear that something might have been hunting them.

There is what appears to be a decaying small wooden hut near the north side of the bottom pit. Looking closer shows the door is only loosely on its hinges. It radiates very, very faint transmutation magic (that is no longer effective).

Partially buried under guano and fungus outside the door appears to be the headless skeleton of a dwarf in chainmail with some thin sharp wire in a circle near where the neck used to be. The head shattered when it was sprung and the pieces are long since covered completely. A falling-apart portion of a 10' pole is also lying near the hut, with a piece of wire around the break in it.

The hut has one remaining razor wire trap in it - that can be sprung safely using a pole or the like to prod the hut entrance. If the door is moved in person (and not prodded from at least 6' away) it is a DC 18 DEX save to avoid the 15 (3d10) slashing damage. A natural 1 indicates the wire has wrapped around the character and is constricting them for an additional 5 (d10) damage per round until it is removed. A helper can do that easily, it takes a DC 11 DEX check for the trapped person to deal with it without taking an additional 5 (d10) damage.

The inside of the hut hasn't been disturbed except by the insects who stripped the corpses of the two apparently human sized rats. There are two Extra-Duration Potions of Diminution that last 3+d4 hours, a regular short sword, a brass key, and a Lesser Pipes of the Sewer that have only 1 charge each day. A bit more looking finds the remnants of a light cross-bow, clothing, and a bag that have been worked on by the insects.

Much searching would reveal a very slow trickling spring on the south side of the bottom.

View attachment 275521

Edit: Renumbered 81 to make it fit better.

Room 79 - The North Mining Tunnel

This 300' long tunnel with side passages has been mined by many over the years, including before it was absorbed by the Vault. The current experts (Hjuldhor, Gostraen, and Thulgrami - in room #55) have decided it is mostly played out and moved their activities to the South Mining Tunnel (#82). Averaging 10' wide with 7' ceilings, there are hooks every 30' that could be used to hold a lantern.

The passages to A, D, and E still show signs of regular traverse. The entire length of the main hallway to D has Dwarven footprints and wheeled tracks. Those to A and E show drag marks (maybe a triangular stretcher being pulled?) and a variety of footprint sizes. The passages to B and C have accumulations of undisturbed dust.

A - This short 10' wide spur ends in tar covered double doors that are locked. (See #80 for more).

B - This spur ends in a cave that drops 35'down. There is a stone ladder carved into the side for anyone who would like to climb down, and a currently ropeless pulley in the ceiling. It seems as if no one has been in this part for quite some time, but that the sides were actively mined in the past.

C - This tunnel slopes up 5' along its length before opening into a 15' tall cave that was expanded through mining in the past. Like B, the dust indicates it hasn't been visited recently.

D - This cave was once quite deep, but has been used to dump much of the rubble into and now only goes down 10' below the passage, with the ceiling 15' higher than the passage floor. Some of the rubble piled in it looks fresh.

E - This natural cavern also appears to have regular foot traffic - and it smells of decay and guano. The odor comes from a thick metal grate in the floor that is heavily barred from the top. (See #81 for more).

The next room created (#82) is in post #579 D&D General - #Dungeon23 .

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I did myself a favor this week - when I finally got around to building out my hex (yesterday, Sunday was my first blown day) I was in a creative state so I noted 6 of the 7 areas I wanted to detail later in the week

I may do that every week going forward

 

[Bill Zebub]

2.13 & 2.14 Foreman's Office & Quarters

• First Glance
  • The outer door is spiked shut from the outside.
  • The interior of 2.13 is a former office; 2.14 is a living chamber
• Closer Look
  • A mining pick, strangely rust-free after all these years, can be found in the debris
• Secrets
  • A crazed undead dwarf (the foreman) is trapped in here. Attacks until destroyed.
  • The mining pick does extra damage against stone and metal

 

[Cadence]

View attachment 275592

I really like the way your maps look!

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I really like the way your maps look!

I think it's the cross hatching @Bill Zebub is using - I also really like how it looks

 

[Bill Zebub]

I really like the way your maps look!

I really, really appreciate that. Thank you.

 

[M_Natas]

Day 45

I recklessly plunged into the depths of the Star of the North's cargo hold, never imagining the horrors that awaited me. To my dismay, I discovered what remained of the crew - their once proud and graceful elven bodies now fused and corrupted by a monstrous entity. This abomination had taken root in the hull of the ship, using the sailors as hosts to breed and propagate its kind.

Trembling with fear, I tried to keep my distance, but I could feel its dark presence bearing down on me. Its tendrils and vines crept closer and closer, as if sensing my presence. I knew I had to act quickly, before it was too late.

In a flash, my fears were realized as I witnessed a fish being dragged away into the shadows by tendrils I couldn't even see. That was all the impetus I needed to make my escape. I knew that I must find a way to destroy the horror, before it could spread any further. I would need to find a powerful magical flame, one that could penetrate the depths of the sea and burn even the darkest parts of the ship to ashes. Only then could I ensure that this evil would never again threaten the world above.
View attachment 275525

Day 46 - the main deck

The main deck of the Star of the North. The ship I need to get away from and hopefully burn to the ground. The poor souls of the sailors...

 

[Mad_Jack]

Damn you, verisimilitude!

In drawing up a headquarters for a company of mercenary caravan guards in the town, I realized they'd also need stables for their horses...

And I'd also need a local boarding house for members of caravans coming through town...

But all those travelers need someplace to eat and drink...
So now the town has another tavern...
(Which required a brewery...)
And a public eating house...
And a brothel...
And someone has to wash the linens from the boarding house, so now there's a laundry...

And then something else occurred to me, and I had to go back and redesign three or four of the previous buildings to include privies*...

Aaaargh!




*(Personally, I blame Marvel Comics for that one.)

 

[Cadence]

Damn you, verisimilitude!

In drawing up a headquarters for a company of mercenary caravan guards in the town, I realized they'd also need stables for their horses...

And I'd also need a local boarding house for members of caravans coming through town...

But all those travelers need someplace to eat and drink...
So now the town has another tavern...
(Which required a brewery...)
And a public eating house...
And a brothel...
And someone has to wash the linens from the boarding house, so now there's a laundry...

And then something else occurred to me, and I had to go back and redesign three or four of the previous buildings to include privies*...

Aaaargh!




*(Personally, I blame Marvel Comics for that one.)

Which reminds me, I haven't thought about where all the chamber pots came from yet...

 

[gorice]

Damn you, verisimilitude!

In drawing up a headquarters for a company of mercenary caravan guards in the town, I realized they'd also need stables for their horses...

And I'd also need a local boarding house for members of caravans coming through town...

But all those travelers need someplace to eat and drink...
So now the town has another tavern...
(Which required a brewery...)
And a public eating house...
And a brothel...
And someone has to wash the linens from the boarding house, so now there's a laundry...

And then something else occurred to me, and I had to go back and redesign three or four of the previous buildings to include privies*...

Aaaargh!




*(Personally, I blame Marvel Comics for that one.)

This one's easy. Just make the entry: "A small town."

 

[Cadence]

Room 79 - The North Mining Tunnel

This 300' long tunnel with side passages has been mined by many over the years, including before it was absorbed by the Vault. The current experts (Hjuldhor, Gostraen, and Thulgrami - in room #55) have decided it is mostly played out and moved their activities to the South Mining Tunnel (#82). Averaging 10' wide with 7' ceilings, there are hooks every 30' that could be used to hold a lantern.

The passages to A, D, and E still show signs of regular traverse. The entire length of the main hallway to D has Dwarven footprints and wheeled tracks. Those to A and E show drag marks (maybe a triangular stretcher being pulled?) and a variety of footprint sizes. The passages to B and C have accumulations of undisturbed dust.

A - This short 10' wide spur ends in tar covered double doors that are locked. (See #80 for more).

B - This spur ends in a cave that drops 35'down. There is a stone ladder carved into the side for anyone who would like to climb down, and a currently ropeless pulley in the ceiling. It seems as if no one has been in this part for quite some time, but that the sides were actively mined in the past.

C - This tunnel slopes up 5' along its length before opening into a 15' tall cave that was expanded through mining in the past. Like B, the dust indicates it hasn't been visited recently.

D - This cave was once quite deep, but has been used to dump much of the rubble into and now only goes down 10' below the passage, with the ceiling 15' higher than the passage floor. Some of the rubble piled in it looks fresh.

E - This natural cavern also appears to have regular foot traffic - and it smells of decay and guano. The odor comes from a thick metal grate in the floor that is heavily barred from the top. (See #81 for more).

View attachment 275591

Room 82 - The South Mining Tunnel

This 100' long tunnel with side passages is much shorter (in height and length) and newer than the North Mining Tunnel (#79). Averaging 7' across with 6' ceilings it shows obvious signs of regular passage by the three current miners (Hjuldhor, Gostraen, and Thulgrami - in room #55). As with the north tunnel, every thirty feet there is a the metal hook in the wall where a lantern could be hung. There are also the obvious signs of wheel marks from a cart of some sort.

F - This passage has nothing notable by visual inspection. The hollow sound pounding on the wall will clearly indicate something (G) is on the other side.

G - If the wall in F is broken through it opens into a decent sized cave, going 20' down and up from the tunnel level. The cave has a sizeable amount of rose quartz and over five thousand gold pieces worth of amethyst that could eventually be extracted (assuming it didn't crash the market when it was finally brought to some place that did have a market). The three dwarves are aware a cave is there and are guessing it has gems -- but they are currently chasing metals.

H - If the three Dwarves aren't around, then a metal wheeled metal cart sits leaning wheels up against the back wall. It is used to take rubble to the "pit" in the northern tunnel (part D in #79). Two of the wheels of the cart have a thick metal chain with a lock securing it. Either one could be pounded through with many minutes of effort -- but it would be quite loud. Behind the cart are signs of a high quality silver vein. The trio is convinced that there is mithril nearby as well.

The next room created (#20) in in post #588 D&D General - #Dungeon23 .

 

[Bill Zebub]

2.15 Miners' Barracks

• First Glance:
  • Packed with dwarf-sized triple-decker bunk-beds and chests, many destroyed
  • Lots of dwarf skeletons. Signs there was a big battle here
• Closer Look:
  • A few coins may be found, but this place was looted long ago