D&D 5E How Would You Design This Adventure

[Zardnaar]

I have a concept for a mid to high level D&D adventure (level 10-15).

I want the Dungeon to be in an exotic locale. An enigmatic fortess or castle of illusion type place. Inspiration from some older adventures is also fine I would be looking at Tomb of Horrors, Labyrinth of Madnees or Our of the Ashes (Dungeon 17).

It doesn't have to be as deadly as Tomb of Horrors but if PCs get thunder waved into lava it happens. Death and risk is fine, automatic death (or a large chance of it happening) not so much. One encounter idea would be in a habitable part of the plane of fire perhaps on an obsidian plane with some hot spots (lava) to fall into.

Big bad would be an illusionist perhaps a Lich perhaps a unique Mummy and the dungeon could be perhaps 4 pyramids linked together with skywalks etc. Lots of intelligence saves can be used, illusions covering pit traps that have PCs fall off skywalks etc.

A limited time to get everything done as well perhaps a planar portal that is only open for 24 hours or the fortress appears for a couple of days every 100 years or something. Enemies can include simulacrums and refluffed MM NPCs

 

[Nevvur]

Sounds like you've already got the skeleton assembled. What exactly were you hoping the public could contribute?

 

[Quickleaf]

I have a concept for a mid to high level D&D adventure (level 10-15).

I want the Dungeon to be in an exotic locale. An enigmatic fortess or castle of illusion type place. Inspiration from some older adventures is also fine I would be looking at Tomb of Horrors, Labyrinth of Madnees or Our of the Ashes (Dungeon 17).

It doesn't have to be as deadly as Tomb of Horrors but if PCs get thunder waved into lava it happens. Death and risk is fine, automatic death (or a large chance of it happening) not so much. One encounter idea would be in a habitable part of the plane of fire perhaps on an obsidian plane with some hot spots (lava) to fall into.

Big bad would be an illusionist perhaps a Lich perhaps a unique Mummy and the dungeon could be perhaps 4 pyramids linked together with skywalks etc. Lots of intelligence saves can be used, illusions covering pit traps that have PCs fall off skywalks etc.

A limited time to get everything done as well perhaps a planar portal that is only open for 24 hours or the fortress appears for a couple of days every 100 years or something. Enemies can include simulacrums and refluffed MM NPCs

I'm currently designing an adventure for 15th-16th level both for home play & for publication, so taking a break to offer my approach given your concept...

(1) Clarify if this is for home play / Adventurer's League / publication? It makes a difference, especially when designing adventure hooks & maturity "rating" & determining page/word count.

(2) Assemble your adventure design "bible" – this should include points of design philosophy (I tend to link to blogs that inspire me), notes about dungeon design, flavor & brief history/background of dungeon, your area description format preference, a couple traps/tricks you're considering (only need 1-3 for a normal-sized dungeon, maybe 5-6 for a really big dungeon), a list of monsters that fit your theme, etc.

(4) Hone the adventure's story to a poignant 1 or 2 paragraph clear synopsis. Refer back to this (and your adventure "bible") when you get stuck.

(4) Create a rough map. Sounds like you have a clear idea: 4 pyramids linked with skywalks. Your map will help you clarify how everything connects, which pyramids (if any) have multiple levels, if there are vertical changes, and if any areas are "gated" by requiring a key gathered from other area(s).

(5) Consider including a rakshasa; that would fit your dungeon of illusions theme nicely.

(6) Ask yourself "why skywalks?" Typically, skywalks are used to connect non-sloped buildings & are in urban environments to allow movement between structures to avoid going to the street level with its traffic – for pedestrian convenience and safety. So if you have skywalks being used in a relatively non-populous area...is there something dangerous at ground level that the skywalks were installed to avoid? Were they used ceremonially by evil high priests making sacrifices by tossing slaves off the skywalks? Were they constructed primarily to channel geomantic energies, rather than people, and the old magic still courses through them like a particle collider?

(6) Design the dungeon! Iterate your design! Playtest (if possible)!

 

[Zardnaar]

Sounds like you've already got the skeleton assembled. What exactly were you hoping the public could contribute?

Good ideas

Quickleaf it's for personal used and I have considered gated progression like Labyrinth of Madness. The Rakshasa idea is good thanks

 

[Quickleaf]

Good ideas

Quickleaf it's for personal used and I have considered gated progression like Labyrinth of Madness. The Rakshasa idea is good thanks

So...would you consider placing the pyramid complex on another plane? That would suit your time limit...you could have a shifting portal that gives PCs limited window to do the adventure before they're stranded on planes. Gehenna or the Ethereal springs to mind. Gehenna because rakshasa & magma are a natural fit. Ethereal because AD&D books had a chance of illusions becoming real in the Ethereal. Just a thought.

 

[Zardnaar]

So...would you consider placing the pyramid complex on another plane? That would suit your time limit...you could have a shifting portal that gives PCs limited window to do the adventure before they're stranded on planes. Gehenna or the Ethereal springs to mind. Gehenna because rakshasa & magma are a natural fit. Ethereal because AD&D books had a chance of illusions becoming real in the Ethereal. Just a thought.

Yes or even the Dungeon appearing for a limited amount of time on the prime. I have a level 6 3pp adventure that does that with the adventure being set in giant eggs with electricty zapping through them but its only for level 6 PCs and we have done it before.

 

[Eltab]

So if you have skywalks being used in a relatively non-populous area...is there something dangerous at ground level that the skywalks were installed to avoid?

The lava is not dangerous enough? You wouldn't want to cross say two or three floors up, to avoid the worst of the heat?

Place the dungeon atop an active volcano, probably Kilauea style, but Mt Etna or Mt. Vesuvius could lead to a thrilling episodic hazard.
Or along both sides of a tectonic fault - the magical power absorbers inside incidentally are preventing an earthquake; the PCs might accidentally damage something and...

I'd also place a permanent Guards and Wards effect (temporarily Dispel- or suppress-able) in the 'entrance chamber' building