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Message: <blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 5772675" data-attributes="member: 92511">What everyone else has said (I really need to look at these threads sooner. All the good stuff is taken! haha).Anyway: As others have said Monsters.The evil ones -either weak creatures or lone caught off guard ones are unlikely to want to take on 5-7 heavily armed individuals (I'm thinking humanoids of various caliber, but no reason an intelligent and/or powerful one might be interested in a chat about "the world outside".The neutral ones -whether negotiations can be formed to benefit the party or not s one way to go about it. The other is, they simply don't care that the PCs are there. "You want the Treasure Trove of Awhsum? It's two levels down that way. Might want to watch out for Dum-dum, though. Cyclopses can get so cranky when they have pink-eye."The good ones -for when the characters really DO need a respite. Depends on the type of dungeon (natural caves/caverns or a constructed edifice) but I'm thinking of the old trope of a party low on resources and water, they enter a natural chamber that is refreshingly cool and glowing from lunimnous fungi, crystals, whatever to see a scantily clad beautiful women (nymph, nixie, lone elf maiden doing some inda meditation, what have you) sitting upon a broad flat stone in the pool of water in the corner. I don't know of too many parties that would charge in blades blazing to attack a meek-looking unarmed beautiful woman.Then there are the "prisoners", "victims" et al, who might easily be "monsters" of good alignment being round up by the forces of evil (though in underground adventures, I tend to veer away from flying/winged creatures).Also...the environment itself. Through in a galeb-duhr or just a section of rock wall that comes "alive"/aware and can chat.I know the "magic mouth" spell is supposed to be a pre-set "recorded" message, but long ago, I homebrewed a variation of the spell that did afford a degree of independent thought...so those lips above the archway can actually carry on a conversation....might have some useful info...might not...might try to actively deceive the party or was placed there by a former adventurer to help/guide others...And one more thing...Items!Whence the talking swords of yore (or daggers or battle axes or...)? Enchanted singing harps? Cowardly shields that scream and cry when they go into battle/get struck? Argumentative magic mirrors? After a pitched battle with deadly foes, the party eagerly picks through the trove of treasure only to be interrupted in their revery by a "Hey! Watch yer hands, there sweetheart!" or "Thank the gods. I'm saved!" or "It's about bloody time! Do you have any idea how long it has been since I've had the pleasure of a mortal's touch? Take me up and let's kick some orc arse!"Maybe even, just something that was discarded for being annoying. ("You find a beautifully crafted longsword just lying on the floor of the corridor. When you pick it up, a face forms from the metal and jewels of the hilt and starts thanking you in a demeaning fashion." <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />Items crafted/enchanted with intelligence or persons/creatures trapped or cursed within them (potential new quest on the "to do" list: Free the sorceror, Talkytiv, from his mirror prison. Whether Talkytiv is the kindly gentle "wronged" soul he presents himself to be is a matter for you to decide when/if he is actually freed <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devil.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":devil:" title="Devil    :devil:" data-shortname=":devil:" />They can be helpful, informative, dry, emotional, condescending, complimentary...subversive...go nuts!That's about all I have for this.But have fun with it! and good luck with the new group. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />--Steel Dragons</blockquote>

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