Let's make a dungeon

[Trainz]

I have a little experiment in mind...

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I did a generic dungeon map, using Interactive Dunegon (http://www.geocities.com/trainz_ca/ID). I propose to all put our dungeon designing minds together and create this dungeon together. Everyone that feels like it can take a dungeon room number and design it. There is no big plot, so that any DM can plug it into his campaign with little or no preparation. Here are the guidelines:

- The main antagonists of this dungeon are Demons. There can also be other evil antagonists, under demonic control.
- Only the core 3.5 rules can be used. Only the Monster Manual.
- The dungeon is a level 14 adventure.
- The scale is 1 square = 5 feet
- The final room is room 29, in which is the BBEG (Big Bad Evil Girl), a Marilith named Blasphemy.
- The main pieces of furniture that can be used are: Small table, Large table, Wall torch, Columns (large and small), altars (large and small), crates, cupboards, chairs, barrels, chests, bed (small and large), monolith, coffin, bookcase, statues, well (or pool), small pedestal, bag, pile of coins. I will insert these features on the map later according to your descriptions. I will start with the first "room", and you can follow suit...

1- Cave entrance
2- Entry Hall
3- Great Corridor
4- Scriptorium of the damned
5- Forge
6- Waiting Room
7- Meeting Room
8- Hall of the Sword
9- Gate Room
10- Infested Larder
11- Quarters of Khargal the Defiler
12- Entertainment Lounge
13- Summoning Room
14- The Last Boudoir of Ghusk-Haleg the Dapper
15- Bruntel's Quarters
16- Fiendish minotaur-rogue Vlask's quarters
17- Guest quarters
18- Spy bolthole
19- Scrying Room
20- Lorantus’s Quarters
21- Abyssal Privy
22- Kallandrys’s Chamber
23- Shrine of the Incarnate Sorrow
24- Storage for gaming equipment
25- Trophy Display Area
26- Game court
27- Visitor team room
28- Home team room
29- Infernal Sanctuary (Blasphemy resides here)
30- Treasure Room

ROOM 1: The PC's are in a rough granite wall cave. A liquid that behaves like water is sliding down the walls in rivulets. Close inspection will reveal that it's actually blood. If the PC's come within 5 feet of it, after 4 seconds the blood will burst in flames, the rivulets feeding the flames. It is non-threatening (unless touched), but the walls are continuously covered in waves of fire, forming an almost hypnotical pattern. If touched the PC's catch on fire, no save. At the end of the cavern is a big plain ebony double-door. Flanking it on both sides are statues of women cradling a baby in their cupped arms. Close inspection will reveal that the women have sharp teeth and an evil grin. Close inspection of the baby's faces will show revulsion and horror.

The doors are locked (DC 30 to unlock) and hard to break through (Strength check DC 27).

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'll take 17 and 18.

17. Guest Quarters
An extravagantly-curtained four-poster bed takes up the northeast corner of the room; three cots line the rest of the eastern wall, and a large table occupies the centre. The room is richly furnished, the cold stone of walls and floor softened with thick rugs and tapestries depicting nightmarish scenes.

The guest quarters are currently occupied by a human sorcerer and his two bodyguards, here to treat with Blasphemy.

The negotiations are presently stalled; Multifarious feels no particular obligation to assist Blasphemy in a defence of the complex. If attacked, the trio will defend themselves, but if given the option, they will elect to remain as bystanders in any conflict... unless one side or the other can make it worth their while to participate.

Multifarious is a very smooth talker, but has an unfortunate habit of twirling his black moustache when he is undertaking anything devious.

Farn and Ston generally stand around and glare a lot; Multifarious tends to treat them more as mobile decorations than people anyway, so they're used to not doing much talking.

Definite D. Multifarious: Male human sorcerer 12; CR 12; Medium humanoid (human); HD 12d4+12; hp 49; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10; Base Atk +6; Atk +6 melee (1d6-1, masterwork cold iron shod staff); Full Atk +6/+1 melee (1d6-1, masterwork cold iron shod staff); AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +9; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 18 (20).

Skills and Feats: Concentration +16, Bluff +19, Spellcraft +15; Empower Spell, Extend Spell, Spell Focus (Conjuration), Greater Spell Focus (Conjuration), Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Penetration

1st: Charm Person, Enlarge Person, Grease, Mage Armor, Magic Missile;
2nd: False Life, Glitterdust, Invisibility, Scorching Ray, Web;
3rd: Dispel Magic, Fly, Greater Magic Weapon, Lightning Bolt;
4th: Black Tentacles, Dimensional Anchor, Enervation;
5th: Teleport, Wall of Force;
6th: Acid Fog

Possessions: Staff of Fire, Vest of Resistance +3, Cloak of Charisma +2

Farn and Ston: Male human fighter 9; CR 9; Medium humanoid (human); HD 9d10+18; hp 72; Init +5; Spd 20 ft.; AC 23, touch 11, flat-footed 22; Base Atk +9, Atk +15 melee (1d10+5 17-20/x2, masterwork cold iron bastard sword); Full Atk +15/+10 melee (1d10+5, 17-20/x2, masterwork cold iron bastard sword); AL CE; SV Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +4; Str 17, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Jump +15, Climb +15, Intimidate +11; Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Weapon Focus (bastard sword), Weapon Specialization (bastard sword), Greater Weapon Focus (bastard sword), Improved Critical (bastard sword), Power Attack, Cleave, Improved Initiative, Quick Draw

Possessions: +2 full plate, masterwork large steel shield, masterwork cold iron bastard sword, 2x Bead of Force

18. Spy Bolthole
A pair of unidentifiable carcasses hang from hooks in the southwest corner; large chunks have been hacked or gnawed away. A table and several chairs take up much of the space in the room. Dozens of small stone tiles bearing stylised designs are scattered on the table's surface.

Blasphemy keeps her guests under surveillance via the secret passage linking this room to the Guest Quarters. Between two and four Vrocks can generally be found here, coming and going via Greater Teleport. Whenever the guests are in their room, at least one of the Vrocks will be stationed behind the secret door.

-Hyp.

 

[Phineas Crow]

4. Scriptorium of the Damned

The entrance is a locked and trapped iron door. Scratched into the door’s surface are numerous intricate runes which appear to have been meticulously clawed into the door by some nefarious beast. The runes are in Abyssal and looks to be a list of assorted vile rites and the times that they are to be performed each day.

Locked iron door:2 in thick; Hardness 10; hp 60; Break (DC 28); Open Lock (DC 30).
Horrid Wilting Trap:CR 9; magical device; touch trigger (alarm); automatic reset; spell effect (Horrid Wilting, 15th-level wizard, 15d6 damage, DC 24 Fortitude save half); Search DC 32; Disable Device DC 34.

A foul mixture of the smells of parchment and demonic sweat fills the air. Along the eastern and western walls are rows of small tables and tiny stools. Piles of parchment paper, bottles of ink, and an assortment of pens litter the tops of the tables. Against the northern wall is a pair of crudely built shelves choked with bundles of scrolls. Another table, this one bigger than the others rests against the southern wall near the door. Unlike the other tables this one is orderly with a neat stack of parchment and a row of different colored bottles. Pulled up to the table is an ornate chair made with a black polished wood with crimson cushions.

This room is used by one of Blasphemy’s lieutenants as a workshop to scribe demonic literature and the occasional magical scroll. The head scribe is Lorantus a dark elf wiz13 and its his job to keep the 6 lowly quasit scribes in line.
A portion of the room’s ceiling is actually an Illusionary Wall that leads to a 20 foot by 20 foot cubic space where a Retriever is stationed. If combat occurs in the room, on the following round the retriever will drop out of the ceiling to help defend the scriptorium.


Lorantus, male drow, Wiz13:CR 14; SZ M Humanoid (Elf); HD 13d4; hp 34; Init +7; Spd 30 ft; AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +6; Grp +6; Atk +2 dagger +8 melee (1d4+2 /19-20); Full Atk +2 dagger +8/+3 melee (1d4+2 /19-20); SQ darkvision 120 ft, drow traits, spell-like abilities; SR 24; AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +9; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 8, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 14.

Skills: Concentration +15, Craft (Alchemy) +10, Decipher Script +16, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (Arcana) +14, Knowledge (History) +10, Knowledge (The Planes) +8, Listen +5, Search +6, Spellcraft +14, Spot +8.

Feats: Dodge, Empower Spell, Greater Spell Focus (Evoc), Improved Initiative, Quicken Spell, Spell Focus (Evoc), Toughness

Spells prepared (4/5/5/5/5/3/2/1; save DC 14 + spell level, or DC 16 + spell level for Evocation spells): 0 -- daze, detect magic, mage hand, mending; 1st -- burning hands, chill touch, color spray, mage armor, magic missile; 2nd -- blur, cat’s grace, ghoul touch, hideous laughter, shatter; 3rd -- dispel magic (2), Empower ray of enfeeblement, fireball, haste, protection from energy; 4th -- dimension door, ice storm, stoneskin, summon monster IV; 5th -- Quicken magic missile, passwall, wall of stone; 6th -- Quicken mirror image, true seeing; 7th -- mage’s sword.

Possessions:dagger +2, amulet of natural armor +2, bracers of armor +4, potion of cure moderate wounds (2), arcane scroll of true seeing, spellbook, 35sp, 28gp, 51pp, bloodstone gem (50gp).

Description:Lorantus is a wizened drow of insurmountable age which has yet to slow the dark elf down. He always wears his dark ink-stained robes which hang loosely on his gaunt frame and he keeps his long white hair braided in an ponytail.

Motives:The drow knows most of his life is behind him and unlike many of his brothers of the dark arts, he doesn’t relish the thought of becoming an unliving pile of bones to cheat death. Instead he made a demonic pact, for his help in running the Scriptorium, the demons give him a supply of a magical drug that stops the aging process. While he spends his free time grumbling about doing petty scribe work, secretly he enjoys the work. Its a lot better than being back in the underdark and under the bootheels of the drow maidens.


Quasit (6): CR 2; SZ T Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Evil); HD 3d8; hp 13; Init +7; Spd 20 ft, fly 50 ft; AC 18 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 15; Base Atk +3; Grp -6; Atk Claw +8 melee (1d3-1 plus poison) and bite +3 melee (1d4-1); Full Atk 2 claws +8 melee (1d3-1 plus poison) and bite +3 melee (1d4-1); SA Poison, spell-like abilities; SQ Alternate form, damage reduction 5/cold iron or good, darkvision 60 ft, fast healing 2, immunity to poison, resistance to fire 10; AL CE; SV Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +4; Str 8, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10.

Skills:Bluff +6, Diplomacy +2, Disguise +0 (+2 acting), Hide +17, Intimidate +2, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Search +6, Spellcraft +6, Spot +6

Feats:Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse

SA -- Poison (Ex):Injury, Fortitude DC 13, initial damage 1d4 Dex, secondary damage 2d4 Dex. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

SA -- Spell-Like Abilities:At will—detect good, detect magic, and invisibility (self only); 1/day—cause fear (as the spell, except that its area is a 30-foot radius from the quasit, save DC 11). Caster level 6th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Once per week a quasit can use commune to ask six questions. The ability otherwise works as the spell (caster level 12th).

SQ -- Alternate Form (Su):A quasit can assume other forms at will as a standard action. This ability functions as a polymorph spell cast on itself (caster level 12th), except that a quasit does not regain hit points for changing form, and any individual quasit can assume only one or two forms no larger than Medium. Common forms include bat, monstrous centipede, toad, and wolf. A quasit in alternate form loses its poison attack.


Retriever:CR 11; SZ H Construct (extraplanar); HD 10d10+80; hp 135; Init +3; Spd 50 ft (10 sq); AC 21 (-2 size, +3 Dex, +10 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 18; Base Atk +7; Grp +25; Atk claw +15 melee (2d6+10) and eye ray +8 ranged touch; Full Atk 4 claws +15 melee (2d6+10) and bite +10 melee (1d8+5) and eye ray +8 ranged touch; Reach 10 ft; SA Eye rays, find target, improved grab; SQ Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 5, low-light vision; AL CE; SV Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +3; Str 31, Dex 17, Con --, Int --, Wis 11, Cha 1.

SA -- Eye Rays (Su):A retriever’s eyes can produce four different magical rays with a range of 100 feet. Each round, it can fire one ray as a free action. A particular ray is usable only once every 4 rounds. A retriever can fire an eye ray in the same round that it makes physical attacks. The save DC for all rays is 18. The save DC is Dexterity-based.
The four eye effects are:
Fire: Deals 12d6 points of fire damage to the target (Reflex half ).
Cold: Deals 12d6 points of cold damage to the target (Reflex half ).
Electricity: Deals 12d6 points of electricity damage to the target (Reflex half ).
Petrification: The target must succeed on a Fortitude save or turn to stone permanently.


Tactics:If Lorantus or the Quasits are alerted to the PCs, the quasits will go invisible and Lorantus will start casting buff spells in the following order: haste, mage armor, stoneskin, and cat’s grace.
Lorantus is willing to talk if the PCs don’t act hostile, but he is quite aware that as a dark elf in a demon lair he doesn’t give the greatest of impressions to goodly adventurer types. If the PCs do strike up a conversation with Lorantus he will claim to be just an old scribe working on copying an endless supply of texts, which is pretty much the truth. The quasits, if invisible will try to sneak past the PCs and take up positions behind them, possibly near any obvious spellcasters, two will fly off and try to find some backup. If the quasits are visible and the PCs are still willing to talk then the quasits will sit at their tables and try to act non-threatening by chewing on their pens, shuffling papers, and pretending to be asleep.
If battle erupts Lorantus will first use his spell-like ability to create a sphere of darkness to conceal the room and then move away from the PCs.The quasits, if not already invisible, will go invisible and surround any obvious spellcasters in an attempt to disrupt spellcasting. The retriever in the hidden ceiling space will wait till the room is cloaked in darkness then will drop down into the magical darkness and guard the drow wizard. In the following rounds Lorantus will cast haste if not already hasted, then will use his scroll of true seeing.
The drow is very aware of his severe physical weakness and will try to keep the retriever between him and any tough looking PCs. While the demons are fearless and will fight to the death, Lorantus is deeply afraid of death and if things go badly will try to escape, hiding in one of the other occupied rooms.


Treasure: The scrolls on the northern shelves are all mundane in nature and are written in Abyssal. They mostly deal with demonic worship and are worthless. However a search check (DC 24) will uncover 5 manuscripts written in Abyssal that could be important.

Manuscript #1: The History of Forbidden Magic
A crumbling heap of parchment paper bound together with rough twine.
Clarity: The text is unclear due to significant damage and missing parts. (Int check DC15 to understand)
Appraisal: DC 24. If someone makes an effort to read it, they will find it has a lot of useful information.
Reading Time: 2 weeks (provided the Int check succeeded)
Reading Benefit: The text contains spell formulas for the spells enervation, finger of death, and symbol of pain.
Value: 450gp

Manuscript #2: Chronicles of the Blood War
Looks to be an unfinished work that is written on some pieces of parchment and stored in a bone case.
Clarity: The text is very clear.
Appraisal: DC 15. It’s easy to determine that the manuscript has no useful information.
Reading Time: 2 days
Reading Benefit: None, but the text is fairly interesting.
Value: 625gp

Manuscript #3: Theology of the Unbound Demon
Several pages of parchment rolled up and held by a cord made from the sinew of some creature.
Clarity: The text is hard to understand (Int check DC 10).
Appraisal: DC 25. With some work, a person can make sense of the book, which will reveal it is reasonably useful.
Reading Time: 1d6 days (provided the Int check succeeded)
Reading Benefit: At the cost of 400xp the reader gains +2 to Knowledge (Religion) skill checks.
Value: 100gp

Manuscript #4: Common Superstitions Regarding Demons
A damaged, but still readable scroll which details various myths about Demons.
Clarity: The text is of average clarity.
Appraisal: DC 20. A small study will show that the text contains no useful information and is factually wrong.
Reading Time: Immediate, mostly because there is apparently nothing to study.
Reading Benefit: None, and the writing is bad and uninteresting.
Value: 5gp

Manuscript #5: The Complete Guide to the Abyss
This appears to be only a torn page from a book which features a crude map of the 586th layer of the Abyss with some writing on the reverse side.
Clarity: The text is nearly unintelligible due to having an author that was apparently suffering from mental illness (Int check DC 25).
Appraisal: DC 28. If someone somehow manages to make sense of it, they will find it reasonably useful.
Reading Time: 1d4 months (provided the Int check succeeded)
Reading Benefit: At the cost of 300xp the reader gains +4 to Knowledge (The Planes) skill checks.
Value: 750gp

 

[MerakSpielman]

...Close inspection of the baby's faces will show revulsion and horror....

I'm very familiar with that expression! Feed a baby some spinach, and you can see it, too...

I'll wait and take one of the later rooms.

(pssst... I think you guys are supposed to be creating the rooms in order. So somebody posts a description of room 2, then somebody posts a description of room 3... that way, the dungeon stays semi-coherent all the way through. It might not work out right if you work on a room before you know what's in the rooms before it.)

 

[Hypersmurf]

(pssst... I think you guys are supposed to be creating the rooms in order.)

Not stated in the RAW! "Take a dungeon room number" was all he said!

-Hyp.

 

[der_kluge]

8,9,10,11,12,13, and 14 all need to be tied together somehow. Otherwise, PCs won't have any incentive to open those rooms. They'll be like, "screw this, we're going home."

 

[Hypersmurf]

8,9,10,11,12,13, and 14 all need to be tied together somehow. Otherwise, PCs won't have any incentive to open those rooms. They'll be like, "screw this, we're going home."

Give that area a theme and some guidelines, then

-Hyp.

 

[der_kluge]

One other thing - there needs to be an additional secret door in the hallway between rooms #7 and #23. Otherwise, PCs will walk down the hallway to the right from room #7, and go "huh, dead end. Let's search for a secret door." I would suggest putting a secret door right at the intersection so that it's not obvious.

 

[der_kluge]

Give that area a theme and some guidelines, then

-Hyp.

Very well. I'll take the area "encapsulating" rooms 8-14, and I'll take rooms 15 and 16. Will have to think on those....

Probably post something tomorrow since it's 1 am now.

 

[Hypersmurf]

One other thing - there needs to be an additional secret door in the hallway between rooms #7 and #23. Otherwise, PCs will walk down the hallway to the right from room #7, and go "huh, dead end. Let's search for a secret door." I would suggest putting a secret door right at the intersection so that it's not obvious.

I disagree that it's necessary. Rooms 7 and 23 are "public"; the corridor is "backstage". The doors are secret from the east/south, but if you're on the Room 24 side, it's assumed you already know they're there.

The secret doors are designed to prevent people getting to room 24, not to prevent traffic between 7 and 23.

-Hyp.