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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BookTenTiger" data-source="post: 8847509" data-attributes="member: 6685541">Structure for the DungeonHere's where things get crazy. I'm interested to find out if this Fractal Adventure Design will survive being used to fill out the details of a Dungeon. For the dungeon, I'm using the always on-point 5 Room Dungeon ethos.In this post I'm going to focus on the overall theme and design of the dungeon. In later posts I will flesh out each "room."Here's the structure I came up with for the dungeon as a whole. You can see I've already randomly assigned characters to each blank.The DungeonThis dungeon was once occupied by (class / background / users of a tool - Danara) who were masters of (skill / class ability - Croto) and had the ideal (ideal - Arkmenos), but fell because of a flaw (flaw - Bug).The dungeon is divided into five zones:<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Descent</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Maze</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Atrium</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Lair</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Antechamber</li> </ol>There are three major threats to be found throughout the dungeon.The Big Bad, to be encountered in the lair and antechamber, is a threat related to (class / skill / language - Croto). It is resistant to (class ability - Arkmenos) and vulnerable to (class ability - Danara). It will attempt to take advantage of a character’s flaw (flaw - Bug). The Big Bad has been orchestrating harm against the major organization of the town through use of its subordinate threats, the Goon and the Minion. Its goal is antithetical to the ideal of the major organization.The Goon, to be encountered in the Atrium, Maze, and Lair, is a threat related to (class / skill / language - Bug). It is resistant to (class ability - Croto) and vulnerable to (class ability - Arkmenos). Its defeat is connected to a character’s bond (bond - Danara). The Goon has been working with a major NPC in the town.The Minion, to be encountered in the Descent, Atrium, and Maze, is a threat related to (class / skill / language - Bug). It is resistant to (class ability - Danara) and vulnerable to (class ability - Croto). Its behavior or goals are antithetical to a character’s ideal (ideal - Arkmenos). The Minion has been working with the rival organization in town.Rolling and Filling in the DetailsI went through and rolled up all the details. Some of this is pretty... interesting!The DungeonThis dungeon was once occupied by (users of greatsword) who were masters of insight and had the ideal of no limits: nothing should fetter the infinite possibility inherent in all existence (Chaotic), but fell because of a flaw: gold seems like a lot of money to me, and I’ll do anything to get more of it.The dungeon is divided into five zones:<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Descent</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Maze</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Atrium</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Lair</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Antechamber</li> </ol>There are three major threats to be found throughout the dungeon.The Big Bad, to be encountered in the lair and antechamber, is a threat related to giant. It is resistant to awakened mind (telepathy) and vulnerable to rage. It will attempt to take advantage of a character’s flaw: gold seems like a lot of money to me and I’ll do anything to get more of it. The Big Bad has been orchestrating harm against the major organization of the town through use of its subordinate threats, the Goon and the Minion. Its goal is antithetical to the ideal of the major organization.The Goon, to be encountered in the Atrium, Maze, and Lair, is a threat related to sleight of hand. It is resistant to light and vulnerable to unseen servant. Its defeat is connected to a character’s bond: my house’s alliance with another noble family must be sustained at all costs. The Goon has been working with a major NPC in the town.The Minion, to be encountered in the Descent, Atrium, and Maze, is a threat related to Halfling. It is resistant to tavern brawler and vulnerable to word of radiance. Its behavior or goals are antithetical to a character’s ideal: no limits: nothing should fetter the infinite possibility inherent in all existence. The Minion has been working with the rival organization in town.Fleshing It OutOkay, this wound up being a on of fun! Some surprises: the Big Bad is a Stone Giant Mind Flayer! Halfling undead thieves! Grimlocks!Here's the writeup I created:...The DungeonThe dungeon is an abandoned fortress built into the side of the mountain. It was once occupied by a famed group of mercenaries known as the Stone Swords. They were legendary warriors who had learned the patience and insight of the Stone Giants. Their fighting style, called the Way of Stone’s Wisdom, involved carefully observing an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses before delivering a single, fatal blow. Unfortunately, the group fell to infighting when two rival tyrants tried to buy out the mercenary band with egregious sums of gold. The short civil war ended in the death or exile of almost all the mercenaries.The Bastion of the Stone Swords has been taken over by Valhaxron, a Stone Giant Mind Flayer (stats of a mind flayer, but Huge, and Tentacles reach 10 feet). Valhaxron, as well as the other Stone Giants who once lived in a great cathedral inside the mountain, journeyed from the realm in a search of further knowledge and wisdom. Unfortunately, he traveled too far, and fatefully encountered a cluster of mind flayers. The illithids brought Valhaxron to an elder brain, and he was transformed and forced to join the collective. Valhaxron still has the height and stature of a Stone Giant, but his skin is a translucent purple, beneath which one can see his pumping organs and other strange, squirming forms. The top of his bald head swells into a brain-like crown, and ten-foot tentacles hang from his face like a slimy, writhing beard. He wears breastplate beaten from the metals of asteroids, draped with heavy black fabrics.Valhaxron is forming an army here in the Bastion of the Stone Swords, in order to take over the Giant’s Chain and prepare its people for the arrival of the elder brain. He has spread rumors of a great fortune hidden within the Bastion. When greedy townsfolk come to claim the treasure, Valhaxron takes over their minds and sends them back home. There, they attempt to take over their towns, dismantling any defenses that could stand in the way of the elder brain.Unfortunately, the Greenfolk Council always shows up and fights the attempted takeover. Thus, Valhaxron has turned his attention to Greenmount. He has made an alliance with the Hands of Fire, promising them untold arcane power should they destroy the Greenfolk Council. Meanwhile, he builds his army piece by piece, preparing for the arrival of his own master.Valhaxron brought long a band of grimlocks he uses as enforcers for his army. When he feasts on the brains of his victims, the giant mind flayer will give the corpse to the grimlocks. In return, they worship him as a god. The grimlocks, with their blindsight and keen hearing, make natural guards in the empty stone hallways of the Bastion of the Stone Sword. They are always listening and smelling for objects of power to bring to their master, and will attempt to steal magic weapons, wands, and even potions from adventurers. However, the grimlocks are not the most intelligent sentinels, and can be easily tricked by false footsteps or other distracting noises.When Vyra Foxfoot, the braggart thief of the Mystic Market, followed rumors of gold to the Bastion of the Stone Sword, she was captured by the grimlocks. She earned her freedom by promising to spread rumors herself, and has been doing so in Greenmount. Every week or so a grimlock will make its way into her home at night and leave a bag of bloody coins.Danara will recognize grimlocks as the foe of the Fernvale Family, a noble house allied with her own. When Vernon Fernvale, a far-traveling prince, brought back a strange black magic orb from one of his journeys, the noble house was invaded by a band of grimlocks who ended many lives before reclaiming the magic object. Could this be the same clan?The rest of Valhaxron’s army is made up of those tempted by his rumors of gold: thieves, bandits, and urchins. A large group of halfling thieves has taken up residency in the outer halls of the Bastion of the Stone Sword. Few of them have ever met the giant Mind Flayer who rewards them with treasures taken from his victims. However, Valhaxron slowly feeds on their thoughts, memories, and dreams at night. Half of the thieves have become undead without the others realizing it, though soon they will all share this fate.Valhaxron has used the halflings as liaisons between himself and the Hands of Fire. He has already gifted the Eldritch Knights with a few magic items of immeasurable power, and the halflings have promised to bring more if the Greenfolk Council is dismantled.The halfling thieves have the stats of a Bandit (but are Small, and have the skill Acrobatics +3. They also have the following ability: Hollow Soul: When a Halfling Bandit is reduced to 0 Hit Points, it rises as a zombie. The Bandit gains 1d8+1 hit points, changes its creature type to Undead, and gains Vulnerability to Radiant damage. Its Intelligence score is reduced to 3.)ReflectionThis worked incredibly well. I never would have come up with the idea of a Stone Giant Mind Flayer without rolling what I did. The armies of grimlocks and halfling soon-to-be-zombies, the thief spreading rumors in the market square, the empty halls of a giant stone fortress... it all adds up to a nice, creepy atmosphere. I love it!Next up I'll start fleshing out the dungeon itself. I'm using the <a href="https://www.roleplayingtips.com/5-room-dungeons/" target="_blank">Five Room Dungeon</a> as inspiration. Should be fun!</blockquote>

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