I took a week off from mapping to spend a little time with the family, but now we are back! Map #3 for collaboration! Now, get to work ladies and germs, flesh this puppy out!
Legalese: Matt Jackson allows free and unrestricted use, with attribution, of the above images even in commercial usage so long as they contribute to the CollaboDungeon effort by posting their creative work in the comments to this post, or link to them in the comments. "Their creative work" means you make up something for this dungeon. Failing to comply with the sharing of creative work will release Baby Yoda's wrath upon thee.
Section 1 (and outside) Gilmore Farmhouse is located in a nondescript field several miles outside of town. No one in town can remember seeing old man Gilmore or his wife in a very long time. If asked, the owner of the dry goods store says it has been at least a decade since he saw either of them. The store owner will also remember both of their sons left to join the military about the same time. He'll also comment "I'm not sure how such weirdos who were into such dubious magics, raised such good men." If there's a post office in the town, the postmaster will say "I have several letters from the sons to Old Man Gilmore, but I ain't going near that place they're too creepy." The postmaster will offer some small compensation of the players will deliver the letters.
ReplyDeleteFrom the outside the house and field will look unoccupied and unattended for years. The well will be almost impossible to see without standing almost on top of it.
The door from outside to Section 1 will be a sturdy locked door, but a strong character will probably be able to force it open. Investigating the area will find the key to the door under the frayed and worn doormat.
Section 1 will look like your normal inside of a farmhouse, although obviously not lived in for several years. Looking around there will be two letters on the desk, one addressed to Private 1st Class Anderson Gilmore at the Royal Army Barracks in Capitol City and one addressed to Petty Officer 3rd Class Josiah Gilmore on H.M.S. Kelpeater. The table will have some random bowles as well as the stove by the fireplace.
Investigating further, there is a key under the mattress of one of the beds. It is marked in a strange language and opens the cellar door. A very thorough investigation of the sink reveals a wedding ring lodged in the drain. One will have to be very strong to free the ring or will have to cut the drain pipe. Sifting through the ashes in the fireplace reveals the remains of an amulet heavily damaged by fire and a partially melted silver coin. The table and chairs are unremarkable.
The door to Section 2 is similar to the front door and is unlocked.
I'm going to stop there because I have no idea what section 2 is.
Nice! Great back story, I lvoe it!
Delete12. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
ReplyDeleteThree magical pit traps run down the center of this hallway. The traps can be detected and avoided via the normal means. Each pit trap is 10 feet deep. When a living creature touches the floor of a pit trap, a saving throw is required. If the save fails, the creature teleports to the ceiling above the one of the other two pit traps (determine which one at random).
The trapdoors hiding the pits reset 1 minute after being opened, doing so by means of a hidden, complicated system of counterweights.
LOL Damn, that would totally suck!
DeleteWhat about this: The falling character will continue to teleport, fall, and teleport until the traps are reset. Prior to this happening, other characters may attempt to snag the falling character and pull him or her from their fall. However, doing so also puts the person attempting the rescue at risk of falling in and joining their friend in the fall. If falling persons are not rescued prior to the trap being reset, when the doors close, all falling characters will smack into the doors, taking 1 point of damage for every teleport (and subsequent fall) they fell victim to. A round after the traps are reset, and the characters suffers the smack, the trap doors will open again, and the process will start all over again.
Area 6: The Den of the Beni.
ReplyDeleteIf the players enter this area in spring or during a heavy rainfall, they will note that the east edge of the room is flooded. A series of iron and chain stanchions blocks access to the water. The chain is easily removed, as it has clips.
In the event that the DM has not mentioned rain or spring, roll a die:
1 – The room is dry, but there is a white salt like rime on the floor around the chain and stanchions.
2 – The room is dry, but there is a rime on the floor near the stanchions.
3 – The room is flooded all the way to the bottom stair. Cool, crisp and clean water runs from the south-side of the room to the drain on the north side.
4 – The room is flooded to the stanchions and the water is white and torpid.
5 or 6 – There is a white rime on the floor all the way to the bottom stair and white torpid water laps the bottom of the stanchions.
This is the home of the Beni, an extremophile life form.
The white rime is the microscopic shells cast off by the creatures. This material has several unusual properties. It will stick to non-living matter but not living things. It is also very slippery. Anyone who steps on the rime will tumble down to the east side of the room. The slope is gentle and most will victims will only suffer damage to their pride by falling. Running into the room is another matter. Serious injury will result.
If the soles of shoes are coated in the rime, they will be slippery for days. Walking in them is nearly impossible. If a character becomes coated in the rime by falling or rolling in it, they will find that they can’t find purchase to stand unless they remove their shoes and socks. Barefooted creatures can’t slip in the rime. Being coated in the rime will grant the character a bonus to all saving throws vs. magic until they wash it off or change clothes. They cannot be grabbed, grappled or enveloped if the attacker has hands covered with a non-living substance (gloves, hard callouses, hooves, claws, etc.).
The Beni is alive, but doesn’t have any hit points as it is a slime like creature that lives in the water. Running water is the only thing that will remove it. It is impervious to blows, fire, cold, acid, lightning, etc. but can be easily washed off, but not in the water where the colony lives in.
If a character ingests the water while it is clear and running, the Beni will heal 1d4 hit points of damage. If placed in a container, the water will become white and torpid looking in a day, as the Beni will die in still water. This negates the benefits of drinking it. Drinking the water while it is torpid will cause the few still living Beni to crystallize in the drinker’s mouth. They will violently burst through the drinker’s lips and flee back to the water. This cause no damage, but may cause disgust.
Both the rime and the living Beni are highly valuable prizes to sorcerers as they are the components to a great number of magical potions, lotions and dusts. A Beni may be transported in a closed container safely by continuously keeping the container in motion. Characters will have to feed it a pea sized amount of sugary substances every day to keep it alive.
Throwing Beni dust on the floor is a very expensive way to throw off pursuit. The dust can be gathered on a cloth, rinsed into a basin for evaporation. A cloth covered in Beni dust is as dangerous as 3 standard banana peels.
4. Cellar: Opening the door reveals a typical larder with supplies laid up for winter or lean times. The southern walls are lined with crates of pickled vegetables, casks of dried fruit and meat, and bags of grain and flour. Stashed behind the bags in the southeast corner is a small chest containing 42 gp, 2 potions of healing, a vial of poison, and a silver dagger.
ReplyDeleteA passageway in the north wall is partially collapsed, the result of recent earth tremors. Someone has recently re-excavated a rough tunnel northward. Worked stone glimpsed in the floor and walls indicated that it roughly follows the original passage before veering northeast into less resistant soils. There is a 1 in 6 chance of a collapse per turn that explorers spend in the tunnel (save or 1d6 damage, requires one turn be dug out).
As always, good stuff Vance.
Delete9. Necromancer's Study: Bolazar Sanguis, a 5th level necromancer (16 hp; AC 8/11; poisoned dagger, +1 ring of protection; Spells: 1st level: Cause light wounds, command dead, preserve dead, scare; 2nd level: Choke, Summon vermin; 3rd level: hold person) has occupied this room. It is well appointed and cozy, with two comfortable reading chairs and a bench, dark wood bookshelves with numerous tomes, a large bearskin rug, and a fireplace with an enchanted flame (light and heat, but no smoke). In the corners stand the former Private and Petty Officers Gilmore, now zombie servitors. They will not move unless commanded to attack. Sanguis is charming, if not with a bit of gallows humor. He's somewhat apologetic about the Gilmores' current condition, but they weren't aware of a prior access agreement with the landlord of the house. He has a familiarity with the complex, but will not divulge secret doors, traps or significant hazards. After all, what's the fun in that? If attacked, he will command the former Gilmores to protect him. After the second round, he will shout a command word to reanimate the bear rug (As zombie, except: 3HD, atk: 2 claws (1d4 ea), if both hit, hug (smother) for 1d6 additional damage). If captured or coerced into leading the PCs into the complex, he will hang back and attempt to lure them into tripping some hazard, and then attempt to escape.
ReplyDeleteHoly cow, that is awesome, I totally love the bear rug zombie!
Delete3. The Forgotten Pup: At the bottom of the stairs are the skeletal remains of a dog. This was the Gilmore's family pet, Chester. Old man Gilmore locked Chester in the basement because he kept barking at something outside. He and his wife were killed that night. Chester remained in the basement until he eventually died from lack of food and water.
ReplyDelete5. Collapsed Tunnels: This section of the complex has heavily damaged tunnels from the recent tremors. Chunks of masonry and dirt fall from the ceiling. At the end of the corridor is a vaulted alcove. It's arched construction seems to have saved it from collapsing. Within the alcove is a gruesome statuette of a skeletal woman standing with her arms outstretch with her palms up as skeletal hands reach up to her. A depiction of Astovi. Mother of Death. Depictions of her were often found in the cellars, dungeons, or any underground space to appease the goddess. This tradition has fallen out of fashion.
You killed the dog? Dammit man, now we cannot be friends!
DeleteThis is too fun not to join in on.
ReplyDeleteArea 8. The Little Deaths.
The statues along the hallway show the three followers of Astovi, their names carved in Darktongue on the low daises on which they rest. Sorrow and Pain face each other across the entrance to area 8, Void is the statue to the south, facing out to area 10.
Sorrow (NW) is a statue of kneeling serving woman, eyes closed and face in the throes of crying. She is leaning forward with a hand held out towards Pain. Any item placed in her palm crumbles to dust. Real tears begin to flow down the her cheeks. The tears when placed on the tongue will gift an exquisitely sharp memory of a departed loved one.
Pain is depicted as a bandaged warrior, sitting crosslegged with bandaged hands on his knees and head slumped. A weapon placed across his hands will darken in colour, and any metal in it will dull. A survivor of any wound caused by that weapon will feel the wound ache as the sun dips below the horizon each day.
The Void is depicted as a terrified young peasant girl looking back over her shoulder with an empty candle holder held aloft as she flees towards area 10. Any lit candle placed in the holder will flicker wildly for a half minute, sending light and shadows dancing across the walls of 8 and the water in area 10 before extinguishing. A second later every light in the dungeon goes out and anyone in areas 8 and 10 will be plunged into darkness. For a minute, there will be no sound, no light and the the only sensation will be that of falling slowly. After that minute is up, the candle will relight and those present will find themselves where they were when the lights went out.
Thanks for joining! 'Darktongue', I like that....stolen for use in my game, thanks!
DeleteAnd holy cow, those are freaking cool ideas for the statues, excellent!
10a/10b: The air in the room is warm and moist. Water languidly bubbles up from the western pool. Glowing glyphs on the hall's walls depict fish among seaweed. The room exudes calm. after one turn, a popping and whistling is heard, as several large koi surface and beg for food. feeding them rations will sate them (one day's worth), however, pulling the lever north of 10b will release blessed fish food, and the koi will grant the PCs the equivalent of a bless spell for 1d6+1 turns. this effect works once.
ReplyDelete