Let's make a dungeon

[Trainz]

Absolutely.

The doors that you guys want locked are DC 30 to unlock and hard to break through, strength check DC 27.

Keep in mind that open locks can be done with a take 20, so a 4th level rogue with 7 ranks and 16 dex can achieve it all the time (which is why I thought DC 15 was too low). As for breaking through, once again this can be achieved with a take 20, so if there's at least one party member with a Strength 20, DC 27 can also be achieved all the time (with a ram, crowbar, or assistance).

 

[Hypersmurf]

I recommend room 30 to contain Blasphemy's treasure (and probably the treasure of other critters as well... we can assume Blasphemy will amass their share, beeing the leader and all).

That's why I didn't give the Vrocks in 18 any treasure - I figured it would either be in their barracks or in a treasure room.

You know, it's mean, and very Nethacky, but I'm almost inclined to remove the corridor between 29 and 30.

Blasphemy and any of her lieutenants who'd be authorised to go into the treasure room can all Greater Teleport at will. You might want guests to be able to enter your throne room, so the passages between 7/23 and 24 make sense. But why would you make it easy for intruders to reach your treasure room?

I figure if the PCs want to get there, they should either need to bully a demon into giving up the teleport coordinates, or require a Scroll of Magic Mapping and a Wand of Digging.

-Hyp.

 

[Phineas Crow]

Here is room 20 and 21.


20. Lorantus’s Quarters

Locked strong wooden door:2 in thick; Hardness 5; hp 20; Break (DC 25); Open Lock (DC 28).

The room is under the effects of a desecrate and unhallow (bane) spell cast by a 15th level cleric.

The door opens to a fairly unexceptional bedroom. In the SW corner is a small bed consisting of a lumpy mattress draped in old blankets and supported on a stone dias. Hanging east of the bed on the south wall is a large faded tapestry depicting an immense cavern with countless narrow waterfalls cascading from the walls and ceiling into a large underground lake which is surrounded by a forest of brightly colored fungus and lichen. Against the western wall is an old dresser with its black paint cracked and peeling. A small table and chair occupy the NE corner. A dirty bowl, a bottle of wine, and an assortment of clutter rests on the table top.

This is Lorantus the dark elf scribe’s room, though he rarely is here. Hiding in the walls of the room is a swarm of 8 spectres which will attack any non-evil beings that enter the room. The spectres were once a group of drow sent to capture Lorantus after he escaped his home. They were wiped out by Lorantus’s new friends and were created into undead minions for his amusement.


Advanced Spectre (8): CR 8; SZ M Undead (Incorporeal); HD 11d12; hp 84 Init +7; Spd 40 ft, fly 80 ft (perfect); AC 15 (+3 Dex, +2 deflection), touch 15, flat-footed 13; Base Atk +5; Grp --; Atk incorporeal touch +8 melee (1d8 plus energy drain); Full Atk 2 incorporeal touch +8 melee (1d8 plus energy drain); SA Energy drain, create spawn; SQ Darkvision 60 ft, incorporeal traits, +2 turn resistance, sunlight powerlessness, undead traits, unnatural aura; AL LE; SV Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +9; Str --, Dex 16, Con --, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 15.

Skills:Hide +18, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (Religion) +12, Listen +20, Search +15, Spot +16, Survival +2 (+4 following tracks).

Feats: Ability Focus (Energy Drain), Alertness, Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative.

SA -- Energy Drain (Su):Living creatures hit by a spectre’s incorporeal touch attack gain two negative levels. The DC is 15 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based. For each such negative level bestowed, the spectre gains 5 temporary hit points.

SA -- Create Spawn (Su):Any humanoid slain by a spectre becomes a spectre in 1d4 rounds. Spawn are under the command of the spectre that created them and remain enslaved until its death. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.

SQ -- Sunlight Powerlessness (Ex):Spectres are powerless in natural sunlight (not merely a daylight spell) and flee from it. A spectre caught in sunlight cannot attack and can take only a single move or attack action in a round.

SQ -- Unnatural Aura (Su):Animals, whether wild or domesticated, can sense the unnatural presence of a spectre at a distance of 30 feet. They do not willingly approach nearer than that and panic if forced to do so; they remain panicked as long as they are within that range.

Tactics:The spectres will wait for the PCs to fully enter the room before attacking. They know they are more powerful while under the the room’s desecrate and unhallow spells and they will try to trap the PCs in the room to keep this advantage.


Dresser: The drawers are packed with clothing. A search (DC 26) will turn up a hidden compartment in one of the drawers. Inside is a silver brooch in the shape of a spider with black pearl eyes (2000gp) wrapped in a black silk cloth.

Table: The bottle of wine is drow in origin (appraisal DC 24) and worth 800gp to a wine merchant. Also on the table is a large iron key with several small glowing runes etched on its surface. This key opens the door to room 4 and bypasses the magical trap on the door.

Tapestry: The tapestry is a beautiful work of art created by deep gnomes (appraisal DC 28) that is worth 6000gp and weighs 30lb.

Secret Door: Search DC 28 or DC 18 if tapestry is pulled back or removed. Located behind the tapestry is a secret door that leads to a small 5 by 10 ft. compartment which contains a locked and trapped wooden chest.

Strong Wooden Chest;Hardness 5; hp 20; Break (DC 20); Open Lock (DC 25).
Acid Arrow Trap:CR 6; magical device; touch trigger (alarm); automatic reset; multiple traps (two simultaneous acid arrow traps); Atk +9 ranged touch and +9 ranged touch; spell effect (Acid Arrow, 13th-level wizard, 2d4 damage for 5 rounds); Search DC 27; Disable Device DC 27. Note: this is really two CR 4 acid arrow traps that fire simultaneously, using the same trigger and reset.

Inside the chest is a spellbook and a sack that contains 400pp.

Spellbook:0 -- arcane mark, detect magic, mage hand, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic; 1st -- alarm, burning hands, comprehend languages, identify, mage armor, ray of enfeeblement; 2nd -- acid arrow, blur, cat’s grace, ghoul touch, hideous laughter, shatter; 3rd -- blink, dispel magic, fireball, illusionary script, haste, protection from energy; 4th -- confusion, dimension door, illusionary wall, shout, stoneskin; 5th -- dismissal, feeblemind, passwall, wall of stone; 6th -- forceful hand, symbol of fear, true seeing; 7th -- mage’s sword, spell turning; 8th -- polar ray.



21. Abyssal Privy

Entrance is through an unlocked wooden door. On the door, scrawled in blood, is a series of strange runes. The message is in Abyssal and reads “keep door closed... or I’ll rip out your entrails.”

A horrendously foul odor lingers in the air here and the large pit in the SW corner seems to be the source of the reeking stench. Besides the streaks of blood, gore, and other filth that cover all the surfaces, the stone chamber seems to be bare. A pair of squat pale humanoid creatures occupy the room, one of which is busy trying to sweep up the filth on the floor with a broom, the other is emptying a bucket of gore into the pit.

This is where all the waste in the dungeon goes, where it is unceremoniously tossed into the pit. The two creatures in the room are dretch workers who will, at any sign of violence, waddle around the room flailing their arms in a weak attempt to escape.

The pit is 50 ft. deep, but most of it is filled by a massive fiendish black pudding that has been thriving on the organic waste it’s been fed. Any sounds of combat in the room draws the black pudding out from the pit.


Dretch (2): CR 2; SZ S Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Evil); HD 2d8+4; hp 13; Init +0; Spd 20 ft; AC 16 (+1 size, +5 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +2; Grp -1; Atk claw +4 melee (1d6+1); Full Atk 2 claws +4 melee (1d6+1) and bite +2 melee (1d4); SA Spell-like abilities, summon demon; SQ Damage reduction 5/cold iron or good, darkvision 60 ft, immunity to electricity and poison, resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10, telepathy 100 ft; AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +3; Str 12, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 5, Wis 11, Cha 11.

Skills:Hide +9, Listen +5, Move Silently +5, Spot +5, Search +2, Survival +0 (+2 following tracks).

Feats:Multiattack.

SA -- Spell-Like Abilities:1/day—scare (DC 12), stinking cloud (DC 13). Caster level 2nd. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

SA -- Summon Demon (Sp):Once per day a dretch can attempt to summon another dretch with a 35% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 1st-level spell.

SQ -- Telepathy (Su)retches can communicate telepathically with creatures within 100 feet that speak Abyssal.


Opcis, Advanced Fiendish Black Pudding: CR 12; SZ G Ooze (Extraplanar); HD 20d10+160; hp 265; Init -2; Spd 20 ft, climb 20 ft; AC 9 (-4 size, -2 Dex, +5 natural), touch 3, flat-footed 9; Base Atk +15; Grp +34; Atk slam +18 melee (4d6+11 plus 2d6 acid); Full Atk slam +18 melee (4d6+11 plus 2d6 acid); Reach 10 ft; SA Acid, constrict 3d6+4 plus 2d6 acid, improved grab, smite good; SQ Blindsight 60 ft, damage reduction 10/magic, split, ooze traits, resistance to cold 10 and fire 10; SR 25; AL NE; SV Fort +14, Ref +4, Will +1; Str 25, Dex 6, Con 26, Int 3, Wis 1, Cha 1.

Skills:Climb +16, Search +5, Spot +10. Note: a Black pudding has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.

Feats: Awesome Blow, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Natural Armor, Improved Natural Attack, Power Attack.

SA -- Acid (Ex): The creature secretes a digestive acid that dissolves organic material and metal quickly, but does not affect stone. Any melee hit or constrict attack deals acid damage, and the opponent’s armor and clothing dissolve and become useless immediately unless they succeed on DC 21 Reflex saves. A metal or wooden weapon that strikes a black pudding also dissolves immediately unless it succeeds on a DC 21 Reflex save. The save DCs are Constitution-based.
The pudding’s acidic touch deals 28 points of damage per round to wooden or metal objects, but the ooze must remain in contact with the object for 1 full round to deal this damage.

SA -- Constrict (Ex): A black pudding deals automatic slam and acid damage with a successful grapple check. The opponent’s clothing and armor take a –4 penalty on Reflex saves against the acid.

SA -- Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a black pudding must hit with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

SA -- Smite Good (Su): Once per day the creature can make a normal melee attack to deal extra damage equal to its HD total (maximum of +20) against a good foe.

SQ -- Split (Ex): Slashing and piercing weapons deal no damage to a black pudding. Instead the creature splits into two identical puddings, each with half of the original’s current hit points (round down). A pudding with 10 hit points or less cannot be further split and dies if reduced to 0 hit points.


Treasure: The pit floor is buried in dirt, stones, and other debris the black pudding’s acid can’t dissolve. A search (DC 26) will uncover an emerald gemstone (1000gp) obscured by the dirt.

 

[der_kluge]

I updated my placeholder post for the "area around rooms 8-14". For whoever works on those rooms, I indicated that the doors to all of them are locked. So, you'll want to keep that in mind. Anyway, that's a CR 17 blinking, invisible, fiendish minotaur rogue for you. Nasty stuff.

I'll work up rooms 15/16 later.

 

[tarchon]

That's why I didn't give the Vrocks in 18 any treasure - I figured it would either be in their barracks or in a treasure room.

You know, it's mean, and very Nethacky, but I'm almost inclined to remove the corridor between 29 and 30.

Blasphemy and any of her lieutenants who'd be authorised to go into the treasure room can all Greater Teleport at will. You might want guests to be able to enter your throne room, so the passages between 7/23 and 24 make sense. But why would you make it easy for intruders to reach your treasure room?

Contrary to the design of a typical computer game dungeon, it makes more sense to put thronerooms near the entrance. It's generally not a good idea to have to escort visitors through 80% of whatever evil it is you're up to unless you choose to give them the full tour. Since presumably the complex wasn't built by demons, they've had to adapt to what was there, so I'm 99% sure that the corridor to the secret treasure room is present but would be sealed up with something. Packed with the bones of their victims, rocks, big plug of lead, a huge bloated immobile monster of some sort, etc.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Contrary to the design of a typical computer game dungeon, it makes more sense to put thronerooms near the entrance. It's generally not a good idea to have to escort visitors through 80% of whatever evil it is you're up to unless you choose to give them the full tour.

That's why I'd assume Blasphemy would do her "entertaining" in Room 7, with 29 being her personal sanctum.

With, perhaps, jmuchiello's "fake Blasphemy" occupying Room 7 when Blashpemy isn't using it, Amidala-style.

-Hyp.

 

[Matafuego]

Contrary to the design of a typical computer game dungeon, it makes more sense to put thronerooms near the entrance. It's generally not a good idea to have to escort visitors through 80% of whatever evil it is you're up to unless you choose to give them the full tour.

I guess that's what room 7 is all about. You have the "visitors" escorted there for a little chit chat, but the real deal takes place elsewhere...

Since presumably the complex wasn't built by demons, they've had to adapt to what was there, so I'm 99% sure that the corridor to the secret treasure room is present but would be sealed up with something. Packed with the bones of their victims, rocks, big plug of lead, a huge bloated immobile monster of some sort, etc.

And that's something that has to be decided yet... why is there a dungeon?

 

[eryndel]

Let me take 22 and 23. I'd like to make 23 a temple devoted to dark powers. Specifically, Blasphemy likes to maintain a cult of worthless primes to deal with the small stuff. Maybe this is why the guest room is on this side on the complex, so any visitors can see the pure obeisance that is deserved to her. I'll get something up tomorrow.

Werner

 

[Trainz]

You know, it's mean, and very Nethacky, but I'm almost inclined to remove the corridor between 29 and 30.

Blasphemy and any of her lieutenants who'd be authorised to go into the treasure room can all Greater Teleport at will.

I did that in an epic game, and the PC's never found it.

It is quite devious p) but this dungeon is on it's way to be one hard mofo. Let's reward the PC's after we have stripped them of sanity and humanity.

 

[Trainz]

Now that room 4 is finally done, I'll work on rooms 20 and 21.

Can I request a 5x10 ft secret compartment in room 20?

Sure. Look at the map, it's done (refresh the page [Ctrl-F5] if you don't see it).