Help me design a room in my dungeon

[Beholder Bob]

Setting – room is 2nd part of a barrier that prevents people walking into a treasure room and holy of holies for a dead civilization (an Egyptian-Incas mix). Only the priesthood and the royal family supposed to be able to pass through area. Room has a sphinx-like creature and stands before a raised archway. The arch is filled with roiling darkness with hints of blue and purple. Per the description below, I may change it to 4 arches on the ground floor instead.

Of importance: to enter this section of the dungeon, PCs had to enter into the ‘land of the dead’. Symbolically the PCs are considered dead. They are at the gate to a symbolic heaven/hell (a room). This room decides where those who wish passage end up.

My original plan called for the PC to place items appropriate to themselves on one end of the huge scale and stand on the other end. If the answer was correct, the scale lifted the PC up to the level of the passageway. Another thought was a unique riddle for each player (include 10 riddles with room….) but it seemed… well… overdone. The final option was to have 4 archways at ground level, each had a title above it. Entry is one way

Now – there is a rather large room on the other side of this room – 3 of the 4 archways would lead to a very-bad place. If entry is through a single doorway – a passwall at one of 4 angles would lead/drop the PC into the correct section of the room. If I went with the scale & lifting up to the portal – you go to a bad place unless you gave the correct answer (per the passwall). If you kill the sphinx, it always leads to the bad region.

What I am looking for from you folks: which method sounds best. If based on the scale, I’m trying to think of the proper items to place on the other side. If by riddle, any good suggestions?

Final note: I’m trying not to have too much magic in this dungeon – the greatest power available at the time this dungeon was created was 7th level arcane and divine spells. Feedback, suggestions, criticisms, donations, any and all welcome.

BB

 

[Beholder Bob]

...Bump.












Hello......anybody out there?......just nod if you can hear me......is anybody home?

 

[Beholder Bob]

Last desperate bump.







Nobody home?



Have I grabbed the imagination of Enworld (and strangled it)?

 

[Kalendraf]

Only the priesthood and the royal family supposed to be able to pass through area.

I'd start with this and develop it. If only priests and royal family were supposed to pass thru, perhaps they added magical wards that looked for a specific holy symbol and/or family crest. There might not be an exact spell in the PHB to do this, but since you're in charge here, you can say they developed a custom spell to do this. The family crest/holy symbol could be lying around elsewhere in the tomb, perhaps even be part of the artwork in one of the rooms. All the party needs to do is obtain it somehow, and that will enable them to eventually get thru the archway successfully.

Room has a sphinx-like creature and stands before a raised archway.

You could have the sphinx be a real sphinx or a construct that awaits presentation of the symbol/crest mentioned above. When displayed, the sphinx turns to reveal a hidden passage or a hidden mechanism to disable the trap on arch. Otherwise, the sphinx sits there doing nothing, and happily lets people go thru the arch to their doom. The sphinx could babble a clue, not necessarily a riddle that tips off the party that something is up. For example,

"Past the arch lies your tomb, thieves be sent to eternal doom.
Holy men and royalty, hold the key for all to see."

Another thought was a unique riddle for each player (include 10 riddles with room….) but it seemed… well… overdone.

Why would there be riddles keyed for each player. Was the coming of the party foretold in some ancient augury? Suggest skipping the riddles approach.

Now – there is a rather large room on the other side of this room – 3 of the 4 archways would lead to a very-bad place.

By default, the arch leads to this "very-bad place". Only by displaying the proper symbol or crest, can the magical trap be disarmed.

I hope that's kind of what you were looking for...

 

[Beholder Bob]

Kalendraf: "I hope that's kind of what you were looking for..."

Yep! Cool - feedback! I like the idea of the sphinx blocking the true passage - I may just steal that. It reduces the amount of magic needed to make this room work.


The multiple riddle would be a set of riddles all based on the theology of the dead culture - a set of questions/riddles that the clergy/royals would have been able to answer. Each person gets a different one for their own passage so no one could sneak in with a group or force another to let you in.

The scale idea was to have multiple items on a table in the room, the trick is balancing the correct items on the scale so that the portal leads to the correct room. In this way I could slip in holy or royal seals. Perhaps a riddle suggesting those who are weighed go to hell, but those who display/wear/use the crest pass to heaven (but not so obvious).

The hell that is the other room has 3 grades - very difficult/near impossible to escape w/out outside help (hell of worms, razors, and of ennui). The hell you are sent to depends on how bad you screw up the answer. I like the idea of multiple 'hells' in the trap. Perhaps I should just drop it down to one hell...?

BB

 

[Kugar]

A couple of things come to mind.

1) There was a "puzzel sphinx" somewhere that might work in this dungeon. If I can remember where I saw it I'll get mor info. I'm thinking Malhavok Press.

2) If you really like the balance setpeice try this:
Set up:
A large scale sits in the room out of balance. A large pan rests on the floor, while it's mate sits 20' in the air. 20' above the lowered pan is a doorway with a set of latches that seem to match protrusions on the pan. At the centerpoint of the balance stands a table filled with an assortment of religoius items.
Behind the scene:
In the items is a set of 10 cerimonial knives. These knives are enchanted with a version of a slightly altered "enlarge person" spell. When they are bathed in blood, they gain just weight such that each knife weighs about 200 pounds. The party may now think that they can tip the scale and send the "down" pan up to a portal. This portal leads to their doom. The real trick is to place a little over 2000 ponds on the "down" pan which is enough to move the counter weight and the "down" pan sinks into the floor, showing a stairwell leading further down.
The floor seams would be well hidden (Search DC: Party level +15)
It could be noticed that the scale is not initially at full travel (Knowledge Arch&Engr DC: 20)
The machanism may be jury rigged either way (Disable Device DC: 20)
I would also put a cryptic warning somewhere in the dungeon like
"Woe unto those unclean who seek to defile this scared area. A pox unto you and your lofty goals."
"Alight the alter of judgemnet and rise to meet the gaze of the gods"
And the all popular: "Do not cross the threashhold of the dead as only the true pharoh is worthy" (i.e. - I told you so)

 

[Beholder Bob]

Kugar: Excellent! And it 'scales' nicely too (couldn't resist the pun - sorry about the heavy handed humor)! Your idea is rather sneaky - I like that.

BB