How to build a dungeon?

[Uvenelei]

My group has recently begun a Reverse Dungeon style game, where the players run a dungeon and wait for foolish adventurers to fall prey to our traps. However, rather than being given a dungeon to defend, we were given a cave to expand into a dungeon in addition to being required to defend it once built.

We all like the idea, but we were a bit stumped as to what the rules were for carving rooms out of solid rock. We looked throughout the DMG, but didn't find anything definitive. In the end, we worked out a system in which we hire peons to hit the cave walls with heavy picks over and over again until a 10' by 10' square loses all of its 900 hit points. When the wall 'dies', we get a 10' square cleared out, and begin again.

The system works, but I wanted to know if there were any better core rules for dungeon building on our scale, or if anyone had recomendations for how to go about it.

 

[IcyCool]

Stoneshape, Transmute Rock to Mud, ummm... Disintegrate?

 

[Uvenelei]

Stoneshape, Transmute Rock to Mud, ummm... Disintegrate?

I forgot to mention: we are 3 3rd level characters, and we have only 10k gold, so magic isn't going to be our solution just yet.

 

[IcyCool]

Well, Soften Earth and Stone is a second level spell that a 3rd level druid or 3rd level cleric (with the earth domain) can cast. It turns 3 10ft. squares (up to 4ft. deep) of stone into clay.

 

[domino]

Then three 3rd level characters with only 30K gold between the two of them have no business actually making a dungeon.

 

[ajanders]

Sigh

Not in the core rules. You can hire people with Profession: Miner and have them make skill checks each week, but the SRD doesn't have any prices for the traditional 10 foot square room with a locked door, orc, and pie.
Traps have come into the SRD, so you have rules for building those with Craft:trapsmith, but after that, I'm afraid you'll need the Stronghold Builder's Guide.
It's not great, but it's about the best out there.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

The 1E Dungeoneer's Survival Guide had rules for mining. I think the 2E Complete Guide to Dwarves did as well. Not sure about 3E, but maybe The Stronghold Builder's Guidebook? Or maybe Races of Stone?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

From the 3.5 SRD:

Stone: Hardness 8; 15 HP / Inch

These hit points are for a 5' by 5' section. So, a 5' by 5' by 5' cube of stone has 900 hitpoints.

Buy a couple adamantine picks, and you'll be on your way through raw stone in no time.

 

[Stalker0]

Although if you notice, a normal miner (str 10) with a heavy pick can't even hurt stone

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Although if you notice, a normal miner (str 10) with a heavy pick can't even hurt stone

Of course not.

A heavy pick isn't a mining tool, it's an instrument of war - and a one-handed one, at that.

A miner's pick would be something more like:

Two-handed Improvised Weapon; 1d10 / 1d12 / x2; 12 lbs.; Piercing