D&D General #Dungeon23

[M_Natas]

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.)

In German there is a saying, its called "Mut zur Lücke" - Courage for leaving gaps would be a rough translation. You don’t have to create all the stuff that in real life would be there. You can leave things out. For Versimilitude you just need enough stuff that it feels real but you don't need to make a 100% perfect.

 

[M_Natas]

Day 47 - the office if the governess of Freehaven

As we were summoned to the Office of the Governor of Freehaven, I couldn't help but wonder why. Had we somehow drawn her wrath? Sure, we got into a bar brawl, but that was just another day in Freehaven.
The Governor's office was surprisingly utilitarian. Two towering bookcases, a desk, a few chairs, two plants, and a painting - hardly what one would expect from the former pirate queen Ronya Redbeard, Hauntress of the 13 seas, Tormentress of Trade, slayer of the dragon turtle.
Now retired, she seeks to reform Freehaven into a civilized city. But don't be fooled by her age or title - Ronya Redbeard is still a force to be reckoned with. Her long, shining red beard with white streaks and piercing green eyes reveal a powerful dwarf who can still crush skulls with her bare hands. It's no wonder she can command the respect of pirates, smugglers, outcasts, and other scum that call this city home. Just meeting her gaze is enough to send chills down your spine.

 

[Reynard]

Running a couple days behind...
---------
0X.14: Undertown Gate

Form: A narrower cavern tunnel dominated by a wall and gate.

Illumination: Intentionally cultivated bioluminescent fungi create a well lit area in front of the gate.

At First Glance: Beyond the chasm, the cavern narrows into a wide tunnel and about a quarter mile beyond there is a wall of worked stone across the tunnel with a massive fungal wood, stone and iron gate at its center.

On Further Inspection: The wall and gate are manned by veteran soldiers from Undertown. They are armed with individual bolt throwers and there are four hurlers loaded with deathspore pods ready to fire. They challenge anyone who comes within range of the gate.

Secrets: The commander of the Undetown gate is a Baelishite dwarf named Lenja Furaskat. Her two dozen troops are half dwarfish but the rest represent all kinds, including a couple garklings. She is charged with securing Undertown from threats, whether an army of Godecho cultists, a rampaging monster, or insidious visitors. The characters must convince her that they mean no harm before she will let them pass. If they previously aided the garklings, word has reached her of this and she is predisposed to trust them.
If Furaskat allows the characters entry, the massive main gate does not open. Rather a secret stair built into the wall extends out with metallic whirring and stone grinding. The characters take the stair to the top of the wall and then the stair grinds back into the wall leaving no trace of its existence.

Treasure: If the characters are low on basic supplies and made a good impression, Furaskat can replenish food, water, torches and ammunition.

Connections: Beyond the wall lies Undertown (0X.15).

 

[Reynard]

0X.15: Undertown

This is going to take some extra effort to detail fully so I am going to leave it for now.

0X.16: Lair of the Blasphelemental

NOTE: I don’t know right this second where I am going to place this. I have to sketch out the “dungeon” half of the underrealm, where the power of the Godecho reigns.

Form: A stinking, fetid cavern that serves as a gateway deeper into the underrealm of the Godecho.

Illumination: The same bouncing light, like reflections off a pond, as found in the echo chamber (0X.10) provides inconsistent dim light.

At First Glance: As the characters approach this cavern they begin to hear whispers. If they take time to stop and listen they can’t make out much, but the words that are discernable are the vilest, most blasphemous curses they have ever heard.

On Closer Inspection: Entering the cavern reveals a place of filth and gore. Stone and fungi are covered in offal and the air is thick with putrescent miasma and buzzing insects. At the far end of the cavern, perhaps one hundred yards away, they can see a cave mouth leading out. The whispers here are louder and sharper and angrier and intrude on even the most self controlled mind.

Secrets: The blasphemelemental is a formless monster. It is the miasma and the insects. It is the composite hate of the Godecho, that unknowable thing’s wrath at whatever gods disgorged it from heaven. It is literally blasphemous malevolence given life. It can drive creatures mad with its whispers, cause them to kill their most beloved friends and companions, and turn them against their patron gods. It can also simply strip the flesh from one’s bones or turn their flesh inside out. It can’t be permanently defeated while the Godecho exists, but it can be driven off with holy light, unspoiled love or selfless sacrifice.
Deaf creatures are immune to the power of the whispers but may still be devoured or exploded.

Treasure: Many creatures, travelers and explorers have succumbed in this cavern. Anyone who dares spend the time to search through the offal here rolls for a random treasure.

Connections: Beyond this cavern, Godecho’s power is more prominent and tangible. See 0X.xx.

 

[Malmuria]

Just found out that Caverns of Thracia has 117 keyed locations, or about 1/3 the number of a completed #dungeon23 project...

 

[M_Natas]

Just found out that Caverns of Thracia has 117 keyed locations, or about 1/3 the number of a completed #dungeon23 project...

For comparison: Wave Echo Cave has 20 (and should have 30 - for navigational purposes, all intersections and turns should count as rooms, too).

 

[Reynard]

I am considering, just for a change of pace, using a random dungeon and GM emulator for March. Does anyone have any suggestions for good ones?

 

[Cadence]

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.

View attachment 275689

Room 24 - The Dump

The doorway to this 10'x10' chamber with a 5' thick outer wall has been heavily secured. The right and left sides of the doorway have metal beams that fit into the floor and ceiling, each with two notches. The notches hold 2" thick metal poles to keep the door secured from the outside. With the addition of the arcane lock it is essentially unopenable from the inside. A metal slot in the door can be slid aside to give access to a small glass-steel window to see inside.

Inside there is an arcane-locked thick metal hatch that can be unscrewed up. When partially opened the slots around the edge allow for boiling oil, acid, holy water, or other liquids to be poured down. Like the door it has a slide that can be moved to reveal a piece of glass-steel to see down.

The other side of the hole is a 3 to 5' diameter rough shaft that falls over 100' to room 300 below.

The room is used to dispose of waste, and the extra security is due to very bad past experiences of things coming up. The new precautions have worked. So far.

The next room created (#17) is in post #599 D&D General - #Dungeon23 .

 

[Malmuria]

I am considering, just for a change of pace, using a random dungeon and GM emulator for March. Does anyone have any suggestions for good ones?

Try this one: Elegant Fantasy Dungeon Generator

 

[Bill Zebub]

Boy do I wish I still had the mega-dungeon I drew on my father's drafting table (he was an architect) in 1983.

Anyway...

2.16 Marie Kondo's Room

• First Glance:
  • This room is empty.
• Closer Look:
  • And spotlessly clean. Eerily so.
• Secrets:
  • The 5-second rule for dropped food doesn't have a time limit here.

Drawing lessons learned: to draw tapering staircases, pencil in guidelines then erase them.