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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Imaculata" data-source="post: 7820714" data-attributes="member: 6801286">Jumping the cagesIn a tall room several steel cages hang from the ceiling, filled with the corpses of former prisoners. A staircase leads up to a higher level of the room, making it possible for the players to easily leap onto one of the cages (which happens to be empty). The cages form a perfect path to the other side, giving the players access to another balcony on the other side of the room, and there by to a different level of the dungeon that would otherwise be unreachable. There is a catch however. As soon as the players are halfway, the corpses in the cages spring to life and start going crazy. They scream and rattle in their cages, making jumping across the cages a bit more difficult (increase the DC of jumping from cage to cage accordingly). For added difficulty, you can have some of the corpses escape their cages and drop to the room below, and attack any players that stayed behind.Sewer exitA small square room descends into a deep pit, with a vile stench emanating from below. A strong jet of brown water exits from a stone pipe that is about 15 ft. high in the wall and dropping down into the murky pit below. On the other side of the room is a doorway leading further into the dungeon. A thin ledge surrounds the room which is level with the floor. The players can attempt to leap the 20 ft. gap. Alternatively, they can attempt to shimmy along the small ledge to reach the other side. But the floor is quite wet and slippery, so they may struggle to keep their balance on the ledge. The ceiling of the room is quite high, about 40 ft. above from where the players are standing. Should the players fall into the pit, they'll drop 40 ft. down and land in the sewer water below, where they must make fortitude saves or risk exposure to a disease/poison. A rusty pipe along the side of the pit allows them to climb back out.The KennelThe players find a rectangular room filled with rectangular cages that line two of its walls. In the cages are about 12 angry dire wolves, snarling, drooling and howling. Another dire wolf is chained to the back wall, with a ring of keys hanging next to it from the same wall. The keys open doors elsewhere in the dungeon. The players can use their skill at animal handling to safely grab the keys. They can also kill the wolf or attempt to distract it, so another player can quickly grab the keys. Alternatively, the players may be able to pacify the wolf with some tasty meat, if they happen to carry some on their person. The wolf's chain has a length of 10ft. The wolves in the other cages are just to scare the players and aren't actually any threat. The noise of the wolves may attract the attention of nearby guards though.The Dividing DaiseIn a lone round room is a round raised platform. In the centre of this platform is a stone pillar, with 4 (or more) dragon heads with open gaping maws. Below each maw a circle has been edged into the daise, as if marking a location for a person to stand. Inside each maw is a heavy copper ring that can be pulled to activate an internal mechanism. However, in order to do so a person must reach inside a maw to pull it. The moment a person pulls a ring, the maw closes around their hand, and they descend into a room below, effectively separating them from their party, where upon they are released again. The maw does not come back up, so the player is on his own. This set up is perfect for setting the party up for challenges that they must complete on their own. Alternatively, you could have multiple rooms, each with only one dragon head, if you want to separate the players even more and want to avoid trickery.Murder HolesThe players enter a short corridor (which is actually a disguised gatehouse) with a 15 ft. high curved ceiling, leading into another room (room B). In the ceiling of this corridor they can see two wooden portcullises that can close off the gatehouse on both sides. They may also spot the murder holes in the ceiling, allowing its defenders to shoot down on any intruders (such as the players). The moment the players step inside the gatehouse, both portcullises drop down, locking the players inside. Crossbow men will start firing down at the players, who are difficult to hit due to their cover. To make this encounter even more difficult, the attackers could also pour boiling oil down on the players. Players struck by the oil take 4d6 damage and catch fire. To escape the gatehouse a player must climb up to the murder holes and operate the winch that raises the portcullises. A staircase from this upper level leads back down to the next room (room B). It may be possible for a player to try and dash past the portcullises as they drop. To rule on this, simply make an attack as the portcullis with a +10 bonus. The portcullis deals 3d6 melee damage if it hits and then pins the player underneath it. Lifting the portcullis requires a high strength check.The sliding block puzzleThis puzzle is best introduced by starting off simple, and then having it reappear in subsequent rooms. Basically all the players need to do, is slide stone blocks (about 5ft. high) across a track on the floor of the room.  Each room contains a number of these blocks and each block has part of a geometric shape on its top side. When blocks are pushed together, they form a complete shape. The catch is however, that as soon as a block is pushed, it slides all the way along the track until it either reaches the end of the track, or hits another block. A lever on the wall resets the puzzle, so it is important for the DM to make note of the starting positions and orientation of the blocks. The players cannot rotate the blocks, so they must work with the starting orientation of each block. For this puzzle it is essential to illustrate it to your players. There are a couple of different blocks:-Block with a dot on top: This block can't be pushed at all, and merely serves as a means to stop the other blocks from moving.-Two blocks that form a line: This combination is best used as an introduction to the puzzle.-Three blocks that form a triangle: This is a more advanced shape for later versions of the puzzle.-Four blocks that form a rectangle: This is best used for the highest difficulty version of the puzzle.The tracks on the floor basically cover a complete square, and allows the blocks to move either up, down left or right. Diagonal movements are not allowed. If the players attempt to obstruct the path of a block as it moves, the block deals 4d6 crushing damage to whatever obstructs it. The puzzle will then reset automatically. As soon as all shapes are completed, the puzzle opens a door. This puzzle system can be used to create very complicated puzzles, or very simple ones. But the DM should make sure that the block configuration can be completed.Sacred Rite PuzzleThe players find a stone carving somewhere in the dungeon that shows how this ritual is performed. The players must then memorize it to solve the puzzle when they encounter it. In a small shrine the players find an altar on which there is a copper bowl in which something must be burned, a copper cup which must be filled with something, and a mortar and pestle in which something must be crushed. The players must complete the rite correctly, to open a secret tunnel underneath the altar. The components for the puzzle can be found throughout the dungeon.</blockquote>

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