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Froogleyboy
2010-05-26, 07:26 PM
Okay, After reading Dungeonscape, I was wondering if you guys had any ideas for dungeons/crawls. My adventures are usually of the urban kind, but I'm starting a campaign with my normal 2-man group and 2 newcomers who've never played before but would like to learn. This time I'd like it where the characters are adventures for hire. Does anyone have any ideas for some dungeon crawls for this campaign? I've always wanted a dungeon crawling campaign, but the closest I've done is the sewers

Greenish
2010-05-26, 07:37 PM
A caravan carrying the priceless artifact of the local church was robbed. The survivors claim that the ambush was set by surprisingly well-organized kobolds.


Just remember to play the kobolds like the crafty lil' bastards they are. :smallamused:

mobdrazhar
2010-05-26, 07:39 PM
An archological(sp?) dig site always works.

Dragero
2010-05-26, 08:11 PM
While walking in a **INSERT ENVIROMENT HERE** the cleric falls in a realy deep hole (45ft?). The party goes in to save him, and find they have no way out (The rope breaks). They notice a small crawl space and enter......

I recomend:

Explosive runes
Puzzels
Illusions. Illusions of illusions. Illusions of illusions casting illusions against illusions.
A trip to another plane
Dopplegangers
Explosive runes
Pits full of acid
Suicide bombers (Krazy Kobolds!)
A lich at the end. (Not a dragon)


Idea for a trap:

They enter a long rectangular room. On the other side of the corridor is a button above a door. Suddenly the ceiling grows spikes and begins to come closer to them. They have 4 rounds. The trap can be stopped and door opened by pressing the button. VERY few people press the button.

Hyudra
2010-05-26, 08:16 PM
A dungeon crawl taking place inside a titanic aberration called a Xyleth. Crawling through intestinal tracts, chest cavity, over and into a porous brain. Traps would be biological - sphincters that close like blades, chambers that fill with acid, toxic gasses and areas they have to hold their breath. The goal? To free a creature that was trapped within the Xyleth, who is fated by prophecy to devour the Xyleth before the next full moon. Nobody's quite sure what happens if the creature within the Xyleth consumes the Xyleth, but it's paradoxial and scholars are concerned enough to offer the PCs a tidy sum to prevent it.
The players are given a key (with a promise of a cut of the proceeds) that opens the inner chambers of an ancient storm giant castle - one built into a bank of solid clouds. The castle is long vacated and lies mostly in ruins, with chunks of solid cloud (and fortifications) slowly breaking away. The players have to get up there, get past the savage band of avian drow that have taken up residence, and make their way into the inner chamber, where there's a vast treasure hold. If that wasn't difficult enough, the cloud is only going to be in the region for a half day, and the terrain is particularly hazardous, with chunks of castle breaking away and holes in the floor with a long, long drop to the ground.

"Oh, big deal. Feather fall, overland movement, summoned mounts..." Yeah, don't get cocky, because the key the PCs need to open the castle interior contains the spirit of a trapped Djinn, who doesn't tolerate such shenanigans. Once he's on his home turf, the Djinn will act on his original duties and prevent magical flight and buoyance.
A malconvoker wishes to obtain a text that will allow him to bind an Erinyes warlord and her squadron so that he may wield her as a tool against evil. To these ends, he opens a portal for the PCs that leads into a massive library complex in Baator. This is a library unlike any other, labyrinthine and built like a dungeon, but composed of innumerable (perhaps infinite) bookshelves. It's a classic needle in a haystack problem, complete with fiendish traps, devils and lawful evil souls seeking to kill or trap the PCs.
A rich man has incurred the wrath of an Inevitable. He's already stopped one, but they just sent another, bigger Inevitable, and he's getting frantic. He's offering a pick of any five items from his personal vaults and the marriageable hand of his youngest daughter if the PCs are willing to go into Mechanus and take his writ of permission to one of the councils. The journey is perilous, because the way there is a dungeon of gears, clockwork terrain and engines of all sorts. Challenges might include combat while fighting on giant gears that rotate, carrying the PCs on them, pendulums and rooms that reconfigure depending on the time of day.

I like time limits being built into dungeons. It keeps players from falling back on the '15 minute workday'.

Don't think that these challenges are inappropriate for low level PCs. Even in Hell, PCs can go up against lower CR devils and humans with class levels.

poisonoustea
2010-05-26, 08:31 PM
I always loved the Sunken Abbey from Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver.
It is quite self-explanatory. Throw in a bit of religious clues, an artifact to retrieve, some lore, and substitute vampires with Zombie/Evil Locathahs (or some other undead template if you're not starting at lvl1). Combat may involve water, ambushes, terrain (slippery!), swim checks to reach certain areas. You can make it quite big, too. Very, very fun.

There is a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppqMiRQAFIY) which should explain the "feel" of the setting. It's very easy (with a bit of work) to transpose this beautiful area in D&D. Bridges or ledges will do.

With mid-high level players you can use vampires and ghosts very effectively, and keep all those big leaps and climbs.

Serpentine
2010-05-26, 11:06 PM
I've been told I'm good at dungeon crawls. This is good, because I'm not good at much else.

I've got a labyrinth I can give you the stuff for if you're interested. It's set in a South American-type area, but the Minotaur in it is from a Greek-type area. It has been built for him by a tribe of kobolds. It was mostly designed to weed out weaker transgressors and mess with the heads of stronger ones destined to be a nice challenge for the Minotaur.

I can also show you my Temple of the Trickster God when it's done.

Other random stuff:
A long-abandoned Raptoran aerie. May have an opening to the Underdark.
A neglected temple to a Good deity that has become overgrown.
Something based on the underground rivers of the Amazon - openings into open-air pools that were used as places for sacrifice and ritual, globby acidic bacteria hanging from the roof, claustrophobic tunnels...
An enormous hollow tree.

CockroachTeaParty
2010-05-26, 11:19 PM
Soul Reaver Sweetness


Ah, the Drowned Abbey. Probably the coolest area of the game. Awesome music, too.

Dumah's palace would also be a cool dungeon. A giant palace, filled with the corpses of long dead [monster, default vampires]. No threats exist in the ruins themselves, but puzzles need to be solved by traveling to the ethereal plane, where the feral souls of the dead vampires have waited, and evolved into horrid wraiths...

Froogleyboy
2010-05-27, 06:27 AM
I've been told I'm good at dungeon crawls. This is good, because I'm not good at much else.

I've got a labyrinth I can give you the stuff for if you're interested. It's set in a South American-type area, but the Minotaur in it is from a Greek-type area. It has been built for him by a tribe of kobolds. It was mostly designed to weed out weaker transgressors and mess with the heads of stronger ones destined to be a nice challenge for the Minotaur.

I can also show you my Temple of the Trickster God when it's done.

Other random stuff:
A long-abandoned Raptoran aerie. May have an opening to the Underdark.
A neglected temple to a Good deity that has become overgrown.
Something based on the underground rivers of the Amazon - openings into open-air pools that were used as places for sacrifice and ritual, globby acidic bacteria hanging from the roof, claustrophobic tunnels...
An enormous hollow tree.

that would be awesome!

Serpentine
2010-05-27, 08:02 AM
Which one? :smallconfused:

edit: If it's Morndrax's Labyrinth you're keen on, there's a problem. I thought I had it all on my computer, but it looks like I don't have much at all. I should have hard copies, though, so I can still scan them if you want it.

Froogleyboy
2010-05-27, 11:45 AM
Which one? :smallconfused:

edit: If it's Morndrax's Labyrinth you're keen on, there's a problem. I thought I had it all on my computer, but it looks like I don't have much at all. I should have hard copies, though, so I can still scan them if you want it.

I was referring to the labyrinth, yes :smallbiggrin:

JohnnyCancer
2010-05-27, 01:15 PM
I'm designing an adventure that takes place on top of and within the chitinous shell of a titanic stag beetle. Not enough dungeons inside of gigantic critters.

jiriku
2010-05-27, 01:28 PM
Explore the hidden chambers within an ancient pyramid.
Climb the White Tower, an abandoned death giant citadel on the plane of nightmares, now inhabited by evil fey and nightmarish constructs, and defeat the guardian at its top to retrieve a long-lost treasure.
Kobold warren (http://www.tuckerskobolds.com/).

Froogleyboy
2010-05-27, 01:45 PM
Forgot to mention, the characters are 1st level
EDIT: If it matters

Serpentine
2010-05-27, 11:29 PM
Ahhh... Morndrax' Labyrinth was designed for ~level 10. I can still scan it all and give it to you, though. It'll just need some very heavy modification for low levels. Also, what challenge rating is a basic Minotaur? I suppose you could be invading to get something while he's away, anyway...

Froogleyboy
2010-05-27, 11:38 PM
Ahhh... Morndrax' Labyrinth was designed for ~level 10. I can still scan it all and give it to you, though. It'll just need some very heavy modification for low levels. Also, what challenge rating is a basic Minotaur? I suppose you could be invading to get something while he's away, anyway...

I won't mind the modification, I'd actually enjoy it. I love to do the work of a GM, stating stuff out, etc. I'm just lost for ideas

Serpentine
2010-05-27, 11:40 PM
Rightio then. I'll try to do it when I get home.
I really, really hope I do have it all in hard copy... :smalleek: :smallfrown:

Froogleyboy
2010-05-27, 11:52 PM
Okay, guys, I've thought of how I'm gonna start the campaign. Okay, they start in a tavern (yeah, I know it's cliche but my first game didn't start in a tavern but after that the players decided that they wanted to start in one every other time because it's easier to find people who will pay them) Well, these to guys get in a fight (more of a drunken brawl) and, knowing our rogue, he'll jump in. Usually, the rest of the time the rest of the guys jump in. After the fight is over one of the guys thanks the party. He tells them that he can repay them for the valor with riches beyond their wildest dreams. When someone inquires to how they are going to get this payment, he explains that he has a map that should lead them to some famous treasure or something (I haven't completely thought all of this through) He explains that he cannot do this alone and needs help in getting the treasure, and that they seem like the perfect group to help him. Now, this is all my way of getting the party together. Well, when they reach the end of the map, it turns out to be a tomb, maze, etc. and, thus, they begin their first dungeon crawl.

Okay, I simply thought this up in five minutes so don't tell me that it's cliche or anything like that, because it's not finished. Also, if you had anything to add to it, that'd be awesome

Serpentine
2010-05-27, 11:56 PM
When I ran this, it coincided with one of the players, who happened to be playing a Gnome Cleric of Glittergold, being absent. So, I had his character kidnapped by the kobolds for some nefarious reason. The party went into the labyrinth looking for her, and he got to have a solo adventure. Which I screwed up in, what with not checking how many of her spells required material components, which were taken off her... But that's another story.

Froogleyboy
2010-05-28, 12:00 AM
I like that idea :)

hawkingbird
2010-05-28, 12:10 AM
A circus has come to town and sometimes people don't return. i.e. circus folk kidnap people and sacrifice them to a demon or something. ringleader is a sorcerer or warlock, tough guy is a barbarian with epic fort saves, etc...

I ran a pretty successful bandit mission, and the king sent a pally and fighter along with them. the party ditched them as soon as possible, which is what i wanted coz the fighter is evil and runs the whole banditry. kills the pally and shows up to the bandit house just as PCs enter final room. my LAWFUL GOOD players then went and found the pally, stole his gear and waltzed back into town wearing it, proclaiming themselves as heroes... but that's a different story

have a lord's son get kidnapped and the PCs have to go save him. that's a pretty standard one, and works pretty well for low level PCs.

I like to have a twist in all of my quests, and when the PCs come to expect there to be a twist, I don't put one in and they spend ages trying to find the twist. hilarious stuff i tell ya

Serpentine
2010-05-28, 06:29 AM
Hooooooorkay. Here's everything I've got from Morndrax's Labyrinth. You will almost certainly have to ask for clarification on my handwriting.

Morndrax's Labyrinth
Map
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h287/serpentine16/morndrax_0005.jpg
Morndrax
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h287/serpentine16/morndrax_0001.jpg
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h287/serpentine16/morndrax_0002.jpg
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h287/serpentine16/morndrax_0003.jpg
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h287/serpentine16/morndrax_0004.jpg
Kobold Bard
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h287/serpentine16/Ceuixl.jpg

Kobold Cleric
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h287/serpentine16/Shemeka.jpg

Labyrinth Contents1. Entrance: You pass through the 30 foot high vine-covered stone walls into an open courtyard about 50 feet square. The delicate floral reliefs decorating the walls are largely hidden behind dense vegetation. In the centre of the flagstone floor is a pool of clear water with four lesser pools radiating out. There are two highly decorated stone benches in each of the four crooks of the lesser pools. On the far wall is an opening around 10 feet wide and 15 feet high. Darkness seems to well out of it.
Creature: A number of birds nest in the vegetation and lizards bask on the sunwarmed stone.
Treasure: Several herbs growing here are antidotes to various poisons (+4 Fort vs Poison)

1. a) Corridors: The corridor is clean and dry, with a faint animal scent. The floral design continues along the walls. Every now and then you think you spot some twisted beast or malevolent eyes carved in the stone, but on closer inspection you see nothing but vines, leaves, flowers and fruits. Luminescent fungi set in niches at regular intervals about 10 feet apart and 4 feet off the ground cast a dim bluish light – enough to navigate by, but not much else.
Effect: Shadowy illumination (Concealment(20% miss), Hide possible), patches of darkness.
Treasure: The fungi can be taken and, with care, cultivated. DC 15 Survival/Dungeoneering to know proper care, DC 10 Survival every day to keep alive while travelling.
Traps: Many. See Labyrinth Traps.

2. Spider Nest: There is a door apparently made out of copper or a similar metal covered in carvings of what seem to be vines. It is stiff, but opens abruptly when shoved. Clear threads hang everywhere in this room. Tightly-weaved cocoons huddle in the corners. You can make out the shape of a door through a sticky curtain or threads.
Creature: 2 Large, 4 Medium & 10 swarms advanced fiendish spiders (4 swarms in cocoons, attack only when disturbed). EL 9, exp: 11 138, 10 188.
Traps: In corridor that loops around. Summon Monster V Trap: CR 6; magical device; proximity trigger (alarm); no reset (reset 1d4 hours later by kobolds); spell effect (Summon Monster V, 9th-lvl Cleric), Search DC 30; Disable Device DC 30. Summons Large Earth Elemental.
Treasure: cp: 500, gp: 48, sp: 69, wand of Tongues. Search DC 25 (cocoons & webbing)
{table]|Adv. F. Spider Swarm x10|Adv. F. Monstrous Spider, Medium x4|Adv. F. Monstrous Spider, Large x2
Size/Type:|Diminutive Vermin (Swarm, Magical Beast)|Medium Vermin (Magical Beast)|Large Vermin (Magical Beast)
Hit Dice:|2d8 (9 hp each)|3d8+3 (19, 13, 14 hp)|7d8+10 (50, 34 hp)
Initiative:|+3|+3|+3
Speed:|20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft.|30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft.|30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft.
Armor Class:|17 (+4 size, +3 Dex), touch 17, flat-footed 14|14 (+3 Dex, +1 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 11|14 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +2 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple:|+1/—|+1/+1|+5/+14
Attack:|Swarm (1d6 plus poison)|Bite +4 melee (1d6 plus poison)|Bite +9 melee (1d8+5 plus poison)
Full Attack:|Swarm (1d6 plus poison)|Bite +4 melee (1d6 plus poison)|Bite +9 melee (1d8+5 plus poison)
Space/Reach:|10 ft./0 ft.|5 ft./5 ft.|10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks:Distraction, poison, Smite Good 1/day (+2 dmg)|Poison, web, Smite Good 1/day (+3 dmg)|Poison, web, Smite Good 1/day (+7 dmg)
Special Qualities:|Darkvision 60 ft., immune to weapon damage, swarm traits, tremorsense 30 ft., vermin traits, Cold & Fire resistance 5, SR 7|Darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., vermin traits, Cold & Fire resistance 5, SR 8|Darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., vermin traits, Dmg reduction 5/magic, Cold & Fire resistance 5, SR 12
Saves:|Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +0|Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1|Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Abilities:|Str 1, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 2|Str 11, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 2|Str 19, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 4
Skills:|Climb +11, Listen +4, Spot +4|Climb +11, Hide +15*, Move Silently +8, Jump +0*, Spot +4*|Climb +13, Hide +3*, Jump +2*, Spot +4*
Feats:||Weapon FinesseB|—
Environment:|Warm forests|Temperate forests|Temperate forests
Organization:|Solitary, tangle (2-4 swarms), or colony (7-12 swarms)|Solitary or colony (2-5)|Solitary or colony (2-5)
Challenge Rating:|1|1|4
Treasure:|None|1/10 coins; 50% goods; 50% items|1/10 coins; 50% goods; 50% items[/table]
Monstrous Spider
Poison (Ex)
Poisonous bite. The save DCs are Constitution-based. The indicated damage is initial and secondary damage.
Monstrous Spider Poison
{table]Size|Fort DC|Damage
Tiny|10|1d2 Str
Medium|12|1d4 Str
Large|13|1d6 Str[/table]
Web (Ex)
A single strand is strong enough to support the spider and one creature of the same size. Throw a web 8/day. Similar to attack with net but max. range 50 feet, range increment of 10 feet, effective against targets up to one size category larger than the spider. Entangled creature Escape Artist or Strength check = standard actions. The check DCs are Constitution-based, and the Strength check DC includes a +4 racial bonus.
{table]Size|Escape Artist DC|Break DC|Hit Points
Tiny|10|14|2
Medium|12|16|6
Large|13|17|12[/table]
A monstrous spider can move across its own web at its climb speed and can pinpoint the location of any creature touching its web.
Tremorsense (Ex)
A monstrous spider can detect and pinpoint any creature or object within 60 feet in contact with the ground, or within any range in contact with the spider’s webs.

Swarm
Distraction (Ex)
Any living creature that begins its turn with a spider swarm in its space must succeed on a DC 11 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Poison (Ex)
Injury, Fortitude DC 11, initial and secondary damage 1d3 Str. The save DC is Constitution-based.

3. Door-no door: This room looks like just a bulge in the tunnel, but full of debris and rubbish. There is a space on the left-hand wall (as you enter) where the carvings fade to nothing. As you turn to look the way you came, the doorway seems to have disappeared, with only a patch of wall bare of carvings to suggest where it was.
Secret: A certain door-sized plank must be put before a space and opened like a door to leave. Opening it the wrong way triggers a trap.
Trap: Toad Arrow Trap: CR 6; mechanical; touch trigger (when door opened wrong way); manual reset; Atk +14 ranged (1d8 plus poison, arrow); poison toad poison, DC 17 Fortitude save resists, 2d6 Wis/2d6 Wis; search DC 20; Disable Device DC 16.
Creature: 2 Junk Golems (Dragon 341 p. 41) lurk amongst the piled refuse. HP: 68, 72.

4. Statue Room: 4 beautifully carved statues of larger-than-life women stand at each side of the room. Though at first they appear to be of ordinary women, something about them catches your eye, and you notice that their white skin has been carved with intricate scale patterns and the thick locks of hair are made up of twining serpents. In the centre of the floor is a mosaic of a coiled snake.
Creatures: The statue on the bottom wall (as on map) is actually a stone golem ordered to remain still until anyone touches the mosaic.
Treasure: The mosaic includes 500gp worth of semiprecious stones.

Stone Golem
Size/Type: Large Construct
Hit Dice: 14d10+30 (107 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 26 (-1 size, -1 Dex, +18 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 26
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+23
Attack: Slam +18 melee (2d10+9)
Full Attack: 2 slams +18 melee (2d10+9)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Slow
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction 10/adamantine, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to magic, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +4
Abilities: Str 29, Dex 9, Con Ø, Int Ø, Wis 11, Cha 1
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or gang (2-4)
Challenge Rating: 11

5. Uncomfortable floor: Including the one by which you entered, there are 4 doors in this room. At the far end stands a statue of a woman with reptilian features and hair of serpents. One of her hands seems to hold something close that glints, and the other beckons.
Trap: Hobbling Trap: CR 6; mechanical device; location trigger; automatic reset; floor spikes (Atk +16 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d4+4 each; hobbling barbs (creatures damaged by spikes are pinned and must make Strength check, DC 20+1/spike that damaged it, to pull free; damaged creatures are hobbled as by caltrops); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 20. Spikes disappear 4 rounds after appearing – while up, as caltrops.
Treasure: The statue holds an Incandescent blue Sphere Ioun Stone (+2 Wis).

6. Fake Compacting Room: This room is little more than a widening of the corridor, but you can see a door at the other end. (On closer inspection, it appears the door is merely carved into the stone)
Traps: Fake Compacting Room: CR 10?; mechanical; location trigger (floor); automatic-reset; wall advances, stops 2 feet from wall; Search DC 20; Disable Device 25.

7. Misdirection Room: An intricately carved stone door stands at the end of this short corridor. A large stone knob, evidently intended to be pushed, sits in the centre (Trap: CR 3 or 4?;Poison needle trap; mechanical; touch trigger; repair reset (4 hours); Atk +17 melee (1 + poison, needle); poison (toad, DC 15 Fort resists (poison only), 1d6 Wis/hallucination (Will DC 15 to disbelieve, -4 Spot, Listen, Search); Search DC 25; Disable device DC 20)… (After the knob is pushed) You enter a large circular room with doors at the four corners. The floor, ceiling and wall are all plain, dusky black stone, no seams between blocks visible.
Trap: Room Turner: mechanical; proximity trigger; no reset needed; DC 20 Wisdom check to notice; room turns 90o Clockwise; Search DC 25; Disable Device 30.

8. Fake Entrance 1: You pass through into an open courtyard about 50 feet square. The delicate floral reliefs decorating the walls are largely hidden behind dense vegetation. In the centre of the flagstone floor is a pool of clear water with four lesser pools radiating out. There are two highly decorated stone benches in each of the four crooks of the lesser pools. The far wall is bare of vegetation.
Creature: The 8 stone benches are actually Mimics (MM1 p. 186). “As you take a seat, one end of it rises up into a pseudopod and tries to slam you. You find yourself glued down.

Mimic
Size/Type: Large Aberration (Shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 7d8+21 (52 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +5 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+13
Attack: Slam +9 melee (1d8+4)
Full Attack: 2 slams +9 melee (1d8+4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Adhesive, crush
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to acid, mimic shape
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +6
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +9, Disguise +13, Listen +8, Spot +8
Feats: Alertness, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (slam)
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: 1/10th coins; 50% goods; 50% items
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 8-10 HD (Large); 11-21 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
Combat
A mimic often surprises an unsuspecting adventurer, lashing out with a heavy pseudopod. The creature does not necessarily fight to the death if it can succeed in extorting treasure or food from a party.
Adhesive (Ex)
A mimic exudes a thick slime that acts as a powerful adhesive, holding fast any creatures or items that touch it. An adhesive-covered mimic automatically grapples any creature it hits with its slam attack. Opponents so grappled cannot get free while the mimic is alive without removing the adhesive first.
A weapon that strikes an adhesive-coated mimic is stuck fast unless the wielder succeeds on a DC 16 Reflex save. A successful DC 16 Strength check is needed to pry it off.
Strong alcohol dissolves the adhesive, but the mimic still can grapple normally. A mimic can dissolve its adhesive at will, and the substance breaks down 5 rounds after the creature dies.
Crush (Ex)
A mimic deals 1d8+4 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
Mimic Shape (Ex)
A mimic can assume the general shape of any object that fills roughly 150 cubic feet (5 feet by 5 feet by 6 feet), such as a massive chest, a stout bed, or a wide door frame. The creature cannot substantially alter its size, though. A mimic’s body is hard and has a rough texture, no matter what appearance it might present. Anyone who examines the mimic can detect the ruse with a successful Spot check opposed by the mimic’s Disguise check. Of course, by this time it is generally far too late.

9. Fake Entrance 2: You pass through into an open courtyard about 50 feet square. The delicate floral reliefs decorating the walls are largely hidden behind dense vegetation. In the centre of the flagstone floor is a pool of clear water with four lesser pools radiating out. There are two highly decorated stone benches in each of the four crooks of the lesser pools. The far wall is bare of vegetation.
Creature: Two Lesser Flame Snakes (FF p. 74) lurk in the undergrowth.

Lesser Flame Snake
Size/Type: Medium Magical Beast (Fire)
Hit Dice: 8d10+16 (54, 56)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 40ft, climb 20ft
Armor Class: 21 (+4 Dex, +7 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+10
Attack: Bite +13 melee (1d8+2 + 2d6 fire + poison) or magma spit +12 ranged touch (2d6 fire)
Full Attack: Bite +13 melee (1d8+2+2d6 fire +poison) and tail spike +9 melee (1d6+1+2d6 fire), or magma spit +12 ranged touch (2d6 fire)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Constrict 2d6+3+2d6 fire, fiery poison, heat, magma spit
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft, fast healing 3, fire subtype, low-light vision, scent, uncanny dodge
Saves: Fort 8, Ref +10, Will +4
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 13
Skills: Climb +10, Hide +7, Listen =5, Move Silently +7, Spot +4
Feats: Multiattack, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (bite)
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Treasure: 140gp-worth (sp), obsidian (4d4), 2 bloodstones (2d4x10), red spinel (4d4x10), 3 yellow topaz (2d4x100), fire opal (4d4x100)
Challenge Rating: 7, EL 9
Use magma spit at every opportunity.
Constrict
Successful grapple, 2d6+3 bludgeoning + 2d6 fire.
Fiery Poison
Fort DC 16 negates, 1d4Str/1d4Str. If save fails, burns victim from inside: max 10 rounds, 2 fire damage, incl. round bitten.
Magma Spit
1/1d4 rounds, launch sticky glob of fiery spittle, range 30ft, 3d6 fire, Reflex DC 16 or catch on fire.
Fast Healing
Heals 3HP/round.
Uncanny Dodge
Retain Dex bonus to AC even when flat-footed or struck by invisible attacker.

10. Slippery Snakepit: A number of statues of medusas emerge from the walls of this room. In the centre of the room is a long, rectangular hole, from which emanate soft, slithery sounds. There are three exits from the room, including this one.
Trap: The floor within 5ft of the hole is trapped to tilt upwards, tipping anyone coming near into the pit (Reflex DC 20 to avoid, Search DC 25, Disable Device DC 15, 40ft deep, 4d6 fall).
Creature: 6 Viper Swarms (Fiend Folio p. 172) writhe at the bottom of the hole.

11. Trick room: This room is approximately 20 by 60 feet long. Something large, red and sparkly can be seen at the other end of the room.
Secret: 10 seconds after getting half-way across the room, the door closes behind (proximity trigger). Behind a clear stone panel next to the large ruby, which can obviously be pushed into the wall, stone slabs count down from 20. When/if the countdown ends, the door will open again. Every time the ruby is pushed a secret door opens. Opening the door triggers an Air Summoning Trap from within the room.
Trap: Air summoning trap (small) x 4: CR 6?; magical and mechanical device; touch trigger; manual reset (1d4 hours); multiple targets (insanity mist, DC15, 1d4 Wis/2d6 Wis, billows 5ft cube/round for 2 rounds, settles 5ft/round (min 2.5 ft high), dissipates 4 rounds) and spell effect (1 summoned Small air elemental after one round, stay for 10 rounds); Search DC 30; Disable Device 30
Air summoning trap (large) x 1: CR 9?; magical and mechanical device; touch trigger; manual reset (1d4 hours); multiple targets (insanity mist, DC 15, 1d4 Wis/2d6 Wis, billows 5ft cube/round for 4 rounds, settles 5ft/round (min 5 ft high), dissipates 8 rounds) and spell effect (1 summoned Large air elemental after one round, stay for 10 rounds); Search DC 30; Disable Device 30
Treasure: Ruby (worth ~ 2000gp) can be removed with appropriate tools and a DC 15 Strength or Disable Device check.

12. Naga Den: You enter a large rectangular room. There is a second door to the (left/right) and a ramp leading up to a ledge 10ft above the floor. As you enter the room, there is a faint “clang” from somewhere above the ledge. A moment later, stone slabs slam into place over the two doors. It speaks in the local common (if noone understands, it tries in Infernal): “What can you offffffer me for your releasssse?”
- will accept only powerful magical items worth 1,000gp or more, otherwise will decide to “take it all off your corpssssessss”.
Creature: Dark Naga (MM1 p. 191) lurks in the shadows of the ledge. It has a lever in its lair which can open or close the doors. Fights to the death.
Treasure: The Naga remains in place on the condition it can acquire and keep treasure as it can. 1100sp, black pearl, potion Endure Elements, 4oz Stone Salve, wand Colour Spray, spell-stone True Strike CL1.

13. Run, but not too fast: This room is about 40ft square. There is a doorway directly opposite to you.
Trap: When a creature approaches the centre of the room (20ft square) it triggers both the traps. Crushing Room (CR 10; mechanical; location trigger; automatic reset; walls move together [16d6 crush]; multiple targets [all targets in room]; never miss; Search DC 22; Disable Device DC 20) and Hobbling Trap (CR 6; mechanical device; location trigger; automatic reset; floor spikes [Atk +16 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d4+4 each]; hobbling barbs [creatures damaged by spikes are pinned and must make Strength check, DC 20+1/spike that damaged it, to pull free; damaged creatures are hobbled as by caltrops]; Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 20; either the trigger must be disabled, or every 5ft square of spikes must be disabled).

14. Fake Entrance 3: You pass through into an open courtyard about 50 feet square. The delicate floral reliefs decorating the walls are largely hidden behind dense vegetation. In the centre of the flagstone floor is a pool of clear water with four lesser pools radiating out. There are two highly decorated stone benches in each of the four crooks of the lesser pools. The far wall is bare of vegetation.
Treasure: An Elysian Thrush Cage (Summon Elysian Thrush 2/day, currently activated when someone enters room) is hidden under the undergrowth (Search DC 15).

15. Ooze Room: This room is approximately 50ft square. Including this one, four passages lead off from it. In the very centre of the room is a tall, slender statue of a medusa with her hands outstretched. She is made out of glass or some clear stone, and some things, brightly coloured and sparkling, can be seen within it.
Trap: Falling Cubes CR 8; mechanical; location trigger (5ft square containing statue); manual reset (wizard, 2d4 hours, 2d10 days if cubes destroyed); drops gelatinous cubes over statue and before each entrance; DC 25 Ref to avoid if beneath; Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 22.
Ceiling Pendulum (x8 in upper right 20ftx20ft): CR 3; mechanical; location trigger; automatic reset; Atk +15 melee (1d12+8/x3, greataxe); Search DC 15; Disable Device DC 27.
Treasure: 800sp-worth, solid gold idol (800gp), sapphire pendant on gold chain (1600gp), potion of jump, Elixir of Truth, +2 atlatl.

16. Pit/no pit: This room is a little over 30ft by 20ft. To the right a 10ft-wide pit stretches across the floor. On the other side, however, is a 10ft-wide ledge and on the wall behind is a beautiful mural of a flying horse made with a great many precious stones.
Trap: Pit trap (CR 4; open; no reset; DC 25 Reflex to stop fall; 60ft deep (6d6, fall);Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 20) against wall, concealed by Illusory wall (Will disbelief (if interacted with) DC 18), apparent pit trap actually Silent Image (Will disbelief (if interacted with) DC 15) over ordinary floor.
Treasure: ~500gp gems

17. Morndrax’s Meeting Room: This is a huge, largely empty, room. The walls are carved with plant life, goat-men, scantily-clad women, strange beasts, medusae and revelry (Knowledge(religion) or (local) DC 15: Common Peninsulai motifs of mythologies). The far wall is carved in the form of the mouth to a cavern. Large arches indicate the presence of 4 other rooms. Various potted plants hang from the ceiling, which is about 25ft high. A large, ornate stone seat is built into the centre of the floor, and movable lounges line the walls. On the central seat is relaxing what appears to be a giant with the head of a massive bull. Silver sheaths adorn its impressive horns and a golden crown inset with a single ruby perches upon its brow. Similar jewellery decorates its throat, nose and ears. Around its shoulders is draped a cloak that appears to have been woven of gold. A muscled breastplate protects its bulging chest. A wicked-looking greataxe, flickering with tongues of flame, lies across its lap.

18. Morndrax’s Sleeping Room: A huge ornate carved bed stands in one corner of this relatively plain room. A number of hooks and shelves line the walls, several holding various items of clothing.

19. Morndrax’s Treasure Room: Large stone sarcophagus-like boxes are neatly stacked in this room.
Treasure: DC 14 Str to open boxes. 15,000 sp, earthsilk rope (RoS), stone of weight, 4 doses bladeshimmer oil (CS), Dancing Lantern (D), Earth Elemental gem, Helm of Understanding, Robe of useful items.

20. Morndrax’s Private Meeting/Eating Room: A large stone table is carved from the rock at the centre of this modestly carved room. Gold tableware is all set out, and at the far wall are several cupboards and shelves laden with various foodstuffs as well as a large fireplace in which hangs a massive stone pot on a hook and a spit.

21. Morndrax’s Bathroom: In one corner water runs down a furrow in the wall into a large basin carved in shell-like forms. Nasty smells emanate from a pit carved into the other corner.

Traps (think I gave up on the last few) Labyrinth Traps


a) Fusillade of Poisoned Darts: CR7; mechanical; location trigger; manual reset (1 hour); Atk +18 ranged (1d4+1 + poison, dart); poison (toad poison, DC 15 Fort resists, 1d6 Wis/hallucination (Will DC 15 to disbelieve, -4 Spot, Listen, Search)).

b) Swinging Scythes: CR3?; mechanical; location trigger; automatic reset; Atk +15 melee (1d12/x3 greataxe); Search DC 15; Disable Device DC 27; Series down corridor, each patch of ground sets of different pendulum.

c) Tanglefoot bag + Summon Monster V (3 Howlers MMI 154)

d) Pit trap: CR2; mechanical, location trigger; manual reset; DC 20 Reflex avoids; 40ft deep (4d6, fall); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 20)

e) Double pit trap: CR?; mechanical, location trigger, delay onset (centre, 1 round); manual reset; DC 25 Reflex avoids; 40ft deep (4d6, fall); Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 20.

f) Pittrap filling with water: CR?; mechanical; location trigger; manual reset (water, 4 hours); DC 20 Reflex avoids; 40ft deep (4d6, fall), fills with water over 5 rounds, lid closes after 4 rounds & opens after 5; Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 25.

g) Swinging block trap: CR1; mechanical; touch trigger; manual reset; Atk +5 melee (4d6, stone block); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 20.

h) Stone Blocks from ceiling: CR 3?; mechanical; location trigger; automatic reset; Atk +10 melee (4d6, stone blocks); Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 20. Series of blocks fall then raised back up.

i) Annoyance: CR v. low; magical; alarm trigger; automatic reset; Buzzing Bee as spell (-10 Move Silently, -4 Listen (added), DC Conc. Checks = spell DC (14 + spell being cast, 10 minutes); Search DC 25; Disable Device 15

j) Divide and conquer: CR ~8; mechanical; location trigger; manual reset (4 hours, 1d5 days for new snakes); sliding wall (DC 20 Reflex for adjacent creature to jump to other side), blades (Atk +10 melee, 1d4 blades/target 1d4+2 each), releases dire snake (MM2 p. 76) from hidden compartment on each side; Search DC 25; Disable Device 25.

k) Bugslide: CR ~7-10?; mechanical; location trigger; manual reset (2 hours); dust of dryness pellet falls from roof, breaks, causes rush of water ((DC 25 Reflex to catch pellet if in adjacent square, DC 15 Balance/strength check or fall prone, be carried with water) and 40ft deep pit trap (4d6, fall, DC 18 Reflex to stop fall) opens, water rushes into pit (1ft deep, as Shallow Bog (DMG p. 88) ½ movement, +2 DC Tumble checks), triggers release of 1d4 swamp-strider swarms (MM3 p. 171); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC

l) Seesaw: CR 6; mechanical; location trigger; automatic reset; floor tilts back and forth (DC 20 Balance check each round or fall to side, after success DC 14 Tumble or Jump to get clear or Balance check again next round), spiked walls (Atk +15 melee, 1d4+1 spikes per target for 1d4+5 each); Search DC 25; Disable Device 20.

m) Poison Wall Spikes: CR 5; mechanical; location trigger; automatic reset; Atk +16 melee (1d8+4 plus poison, spike), multiple targets (1st in each of two adjacent 5ft squares); poison (toad poison, DC 15 Fort resists, 1d6 Wis/hallucination (Will DC 15 to disbelieve, -4 Spot, Listen, Search); Search DC 17; Disable Device DC 24.

n)
o)
p)
The map and Morndrax himself are still uploading to Photobucket. It'll take a while... I'll post them when they're done.
edit: Crap. I thought those kobolds were somewhere online. Dagnabbit, I'll have to either scan them or copy them over... Blegh.
edit mk. 2: Wait, we have a "helm of understanding"? :smallconfused: Well why the bajeebus haven't we been using it?!
edit mk 3: For that matter, what did we do with that flame snake egg we found? :smallconfused: Ooooh yeah, we gave it to a Couatl to raise... I should do something with that sometime.
edit mk. 4: Okay, I've posted them, but the internet's too slow to edit them so they're both huge and sideways.

Froogleyboy
2010-05-28, 12:02 PM
Oh. My. GOSH! That is made of pure, uncut, awesomesauce Serpy! I love it! I thought you were just going to post a map, but then you posted all this and you blew my mind. This is just so cool! Thanks bunches!

WorstDMEver
2010-05-28, 12:16 PM
I like to have everyone respond to posters offering a reward, or start them as prisoners somewhere (captured in a kobold raid on a caravan, prisoners fighting in an arena, stuff like that). Sometimes I just make them all childhood friends or aquaintences who have to band together to save their village - and then go on to become great adventurers. Sometimes that last one starts in a tavern....

I'd have to say that the cliche actually makes sense. You're alone, trying to start your adventuring career, so you go to the tavern to see if you can find a job or maybe hear some rumors that will point you to wealth, fame and success. But it is old and worn out.

Froogleyboy
2010-05-28, 12:24 PM
I'd have to say that the cliche actually makes sense. You're alone, trying to start your adventuring career, so you go to the tavern to see if you can find a job or maybe hear some rumors that will point you to wealth, fame and success. But it is old and worn out.

It's cliche for a reason :P

hawkingbird
2010-05-28, 07:52 PM
Oh. My. GOSH! That is made of pure, uncut, awesomesauce Serpy! I love it!

Agreed, that's a pretty sweet dungeon.


It's cliche for a reason :P

Yeah, the cliche always works, but it's nice to see a game where the DM has come up with a new interesting way of starting the game

Serpentine
2010-05-29, 06:01 AM
Yay! Thanks ^_^
Gotta say, I'm pretty fond of my "falling gelatinous cubes" trap... And I like Morndrax so much, I'm intending to bring him back in undead form at some point. Although the party burnt his corpse (and that of my DMPC, who he chopped in half vertically), so it could be a touch tricky...

I have another one that just involves following a dire rat into a maze-like (mm...) sewer to retrieve an old man's ring that I could scan for you, but I think I've lost all the contents type stuff for it.

By the bye, the campaign before mine (from which mine continues) started in Montgomery Snake's Elevated Academy for Adventurers. Trite, but useful. My campaign began with a stranger on a lonely road one dark and stormy night...
Nothin' wrong with cliches when they're done right.

Gamerlord
2010-05-29, 06:02 AM
A wizard has offered the PCs a job, when they go to his mansion they find the door blown in and undead corpses everywhere.

Froogleyboy
2010-05-29, 02:41 PM
I'm loving the ideas, guys, keep 'em coming

Randel
2010-05-29, 04:13 PM
Kobolds or other digging races are digging a network of tunnels that spread all across the countryside (Kind of like a prairie dog den or an ants nest with multiple entry/exit points) they do this to put the exit points underneath otherwise secure locations like cities, buildings, or the like.

The adventurers have to search the countryside for all the entry/exit points, get inside the tunnels and stop the kobolds from digging underneath the cities and such. For added bonus, there are other groups who want to use those tunnels to bypass walls and fortifications. So the players may find themselves running into kobold workers and soldiers, goblin workers and raiders (basically teaming up with the kobolds to help them keep track of everything), orc muscle and soldiers who are using the tunnels, and various bandits, monsters, and smugglers who are using the tunnels as a way to get past guards and soldiers on the surface.

There are some traps, but they are mostly barriers to keep people from wandering into places they shouldn't be or alarms to alert guards. The majority of traps would be concentrated around the entry/exit points to keep invaders from getting into the tunnels at all.


On the surface, the holes can be obvious or hidden. Obvious ones include the holes the kobolds use to dump the excavated dirt from, and the hidden ones are usually made by digging upward from beneath the surface.

The main mission would be to collapse the tunnels (possibly with some kind of explosives) or otherwise make them unusable by the enemy.

Lord Vukodlak
2010-05-29, 04:47 PM
Here's one from my old campaign.
Diggers in a mine have uncovered demonic looking door upon its discovery they mine was quickly overrun by undead and survivors tell their tail.

After battling through the dead they come to the door, its sealed tight embedded inside like a key is a black sword. If touched by most anyone they suffer severe damage and it attracts more undead.

Upon the door is ancient writing which when translated.
"Sealed here for all time the enemy of Hiraxus Blackhand, may he float through the void for all eternity" [date here]
Now Hiraxus is the god of tyranny[feel free to insert your own deity here]. But the date on the door puts it when he was simply a demi-god.

The door seems to be indestructible as is the sword used to lock it. Now if someone of good alignment and a truly pure heart touches the sword they suffer no ill effects such a person could remove it.

Now my party assumed whatever was sealed away by evil must be good. Completely ignoring that the sword reacted badly to anyone evil trying to touch it. Including the undead infesting the mines.

The end result was they unleashed a horribly evil and powerful ancient vampire who had long sense evolved past such petty weaknesses such as sunlight, water or turning.

I actually intended another adventure where they try and stop someone from opening the door. But they did it for me!

Serpentine
2010-05-29, 11:17 PM
A giant ant nest! In my game, a verminlord was controlling a giant queen ant and was raiding all the towns in the area. It assaulted a fort the party fortified, and we only just got away with most of the civilians through a tunnel. We then had to track the verminlord to the giant ant nest, get past all the guards and things, get to the queen, kill her/smash off the thing the verminlord was using to control her, and then defeat the vermin lord.

Coidzor
2010-05-29, 11:36 PM
Paranoid religious/ethnic zealots from the dwarves have secretly constructed an artificial volcano in their self-ghettoized undercity, and are readying themselves to burn away the unclean and enlightened.

So, a bit of a dwarven fortress underneath the sewers and full of traps, crazy dwarves, alcohol, fire, and magma.

And phenomenal power over nature. Wieldable from a lever. Or a shiny red button... :smallamused: Will your chaotic PCsPlayers be able to resist the shiny?

Sort of a mix of the dwarven purists from THUD! and Dwarf Fortress.

Serpentine
2010-05-30, 04:14 AM
Horly carp, I've very nearly finished my Temple of the Trickster God! =O Just working on props now, unless some smartarse can find some mistake/s in it.

Temple of the Trickster God
Maphttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h287/serpentine16/TempleOTTricksterGodOut.gif
Map - Large Viewhttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h287/serpentine16/TempleOTTricksterGodZoom.gif
Contentshttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h287/serpentine16/TempleOTTricksterGodContent.gif
Note: the interenet's still really slow, so this may not have worked properly.

Volthawk
2010-05-30, 06:51 AM
Have a dungeon filled with rats. All kinds of rat, since there are:

Rats
Dire Rats
Horrid Rats
Ash Rats
Were-rats
Anthropomorphic Rats
Awakened Rats
Rat Swarms
Bone Rat Swarms
Corpse Rat Swarms

And of course, any of those templated.

SlyGuyMcFly
2010-05-30, 07:01 AM
Have a dungeon filled with rats. All kinds of rat, since there are:

Rats
Dire Rats
Horrid Rats
Ash Rats
Were-rats
Anthropomorphic Rats
Awakened Rats
Rat Swarms
Bone Rat Swarms
Corpse Rat Swarms

And of course, any of those templated.

That would be a good place to put Silus (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55087)

hawkingbird
2010-05-31, 07:46 PM
Amazing temple serp. Haven't quite read all of it, but looks wicked.

Where did your players enter? And what hook did you use to get them to go there? Oh, and what the the red squares in rooms 24-29 represent?

And if you're ever stuck for an adventure, go here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20030530b&page=1) for published adventures from wizards. just be sure to change enough so that any other DMs in your group won't recognise the dungeon. it's a bit unimaginative, but they're good for 1st time DMs and DMs who are good at taking other quests and putting their spin on it.

Irreverent Fool
2010-05-31, 08:21 PM
That would be a good place to put Silus (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55087)

Thank you so much for linking that. I read it when it was originally posted and I had been trying to find it lately to no avail!

Lycanthromancer
2010-05-31, 08:35 PM
This. Just...this. (http://www.megavideo.com/?v=98U7VI1Q)

That is all.



PS: you may wish to sign in, or sign up and sign in, if you want to watch the whole thing.

Serpentine
2010-05-31, 11:57 PM
Amazing temple serp. Haven't quite read all of it, but looks wicked.Thanks :smallbiggrin:

Where did your players enter?They enter in one of the fake spinning blade trap rooms (#18). The roof will fall in as they're walking over it. I have to note in it that one of them has crumbled away leaving the blade useless and the mosaic undiscernable, for anyone going into it a different way.

And what hook did you use to get them to go there?Short version: A Catfolk mage sent us looking for his (boy)friend who went off to explore this temple but never came back.
Long version: The party is trapped on a whole different continent with no obvious way back. An oracle (Air Weird) gave them this advice: "South, a birdman sits in his cage. North, a catman seeks out a mage." They chose to go north. They found the catfolk mage, who told them about his mage friend. The mage came to this continent from the one they're from, and has a map of the Underdark route by which he travelled, and with which they can return home. So, they go looking for him at his last known destination...

Oh, and what the the red squares in rooms 24-29 represent?They're the panels for the wall and roof spikes and so on, but they don't really matter.
Almost finished the props for it. Once that's done, I'll start an Encounter Thread, unless someone beats me to it.

Froogleyboy
2010-06-01, 09:14 AM
That is truly awesome Serp! Thank you oh-so-much! I love it!

Froogleyboy
2010-06-01, 05:09 PM
Have a dungeon filled with rats. All kinds of rat, since there are:

Rats
Dire Rats
Horrid Rats
Ash Rats
Were-rats
Anthropomorphic Rats
Awakened Rats
Rat Swarms
Bone Rat Swarms
Corpse Rat Swarms

And of course, any of those templated.
Just noticed this and it seems like a great adventure since were first level and all. It'd actually be a great way to mess with their heads
Player 1: Guys, their just rats
player 2: Yeah, I mean - OH CRAP!

Lycanthromancer
2010-06-01, 05:50 PM
Just noticed this and it seems like a great adventure since were first level and all. It'd actually be a great way to mess with their heads
Player 1: Guys, their just rats
player 2: Yeah, I mean - OH CRAP!Even better if the water in the dungeon is laced with elixir of love, but all the rats swimming around in it have altered it so that it works ON rats, but not TOWARD rats...

'Oh crap' indeed.

I'd say that the rats should induce the sickened condition, much like a swarm.

...but for an entirely different reason altogether.

hawkingbird
2010-06-01, 06:45 PM
Make the water contaminated with Blinding Sickness. Then when they exit the dungeon for a respite (which at 1st level is guarenteed, unless your PCs are way over-powered), one or two of them get hit with it. And at 1st level they won't have the cash to pay for a remove blindness spell. really hurts them when the rogue gets hit with it coz they won't be able to find many traps... maybe i'm just being cruel, but if you play with someone who hates anything going against him then it's a great way to mess with them!

Froogleyboy
2010-06-01, 09:39 PM
I wonder how many type of rat creatures are out there

Lycanthromancer
2010-06-01, 11:35 PM
I wonder how many type of rat creatures are out thereDepends on how many creatures you can convince to eat a McDonald's hamburger.

You are what you eat, y'know.

Zellic Solis
2010-06-01, 11:46 PM
One of the first games I ever played in started in a tavern. Fairly normal set up. Then there was an earthquake and the entire tavern fell into a cavern through a sink hole that collapsed soon afterward. The players then had to work together to escape from the nasties and discovered the tavern was actually built over a forsaken temple of an earth outsider. The fight ended there with them killing the outsider and helping the npc survivors escape. The collapsed inn acted as a sort of base of operations. There was a dwarf merchant who's wagon of goods fell in and he actually acted as a merchant to buy their look. There was a mystic woman to cast identify to spare us pearls. It was pretty nice. took us 3 play sessions and we left at level 3.

mabriss lethe
2010-06-01, 11:51 PM
The Cavern of the Black Sun.

History: A few centuries ago, a goblin army led by a surprisingly skilled warlord rampaged over the land and secured the seeds of a new goblin empire. It didn't last, though. The inhabitants fought back and with the help of legendary heroes of the day, slew the warlord and broke the might of his army. This wasn't a happily-ever-after story. The goblins, leaderless, remain a problem to this day. After the warlord's demise, a faction of goblin spellcasters spirited his body away with promises of his eventual return to lead the goblin people. They interred his body along with his trappings of rulership in a tomb located in his now abandoned seat of his empire. The City of the Black Sun. There, they attempted a ritual to bring him back from the dead, but it failed and the spellcasters paid with their lives.

Now the goblins are back, with a new leader, and they're scouring the countryside looking for some magic artifact supposedly buried with the old Warlord. The kingdom is no longer prosperous and the poorly equipped military hasn't been able to do more than slow the goblins down. In the meantime, the king wants to use this power to bolster his failing kingdom, or at least use it as a bargaining chip to get the goblins to leave. Records of the old war give a pretty good account of the City's location (and acquiring them could be an adventure in its own right.)

Cavern/City of the Black Sun.

The It's a underground goblin town that looks to have been abandoned for centuries. the caverns leading to the village are twisting things laced with vicious (if not 100% lethal) traps. These were the city gates, you know. the traps were originally designed to hinder intruders so that goblin warriors could pick them off in a defensive withdrawal. Spike or blade traps snap up from the floor to hobble opponents. They've also grown rusty and dirty with disuse, so an appropriate poison or disease could be added that does some sort of mild damage.

Create a few traps that are loaded with blanks to keep them on edge. An arrow trap that's out of ammo, or a swinging blade that gets stuck before it drops. Maybe some sort of spell trap that fizzles out.

The outer caverns are also home to things like Dire rats and moderately threatening animals, but for some reason, they shy away from going deeper into the caverns.

You get through the traps and make it to the village proper. There's nice fresh water still flowing from an underground stream. The ruins of sleeping and storage rooms, maybe a handful of useful mundane items still survive. But haunting the place are a small band of Allips, all that remains of the casters that sought to revive the goblin warlord. They're tough and you may want to nerf them a bit for the encounter, giving them half the normal HD and converting wis drain into wis damage. Alternately, you could have a full fledged allip and a handful of goblin zombies to represent the fallen spellcasters.

The Tomb:
The tomb is fairly simply laid out. Tomb really isn't the right word. It was once the warlord's palace, carved into the side of the main cavern. There are some decrepit skeleton guards set in place with orders to protect the tomb. they're the reanimated corpses of the warlord's fallen troops, posted here to keep things safe while the army marched to war. Traps here are in a little better repair, being slightly newer and better preserved. Some of them are even magic. Color spray traps in a room with skeleton archers could be rather deadly. the warlord's resting place is a simple room with a hastily scratched magic circle still on the floor and a crudely carved jet or obsidian idol resting in the center. (depending on what choice of allip/zombie you used earlier) there will be the remains of one or more of the fallen spellcasters. Backed against the wall is a carved stone bier that holds the warlord's remains. There's a magical barrier that prevents the contents of the bier from being touched.

The idol has a faint aura of magic, but no discernible use, until touched. Whomever touches the idol, if not already a goblin is transformed into one. (as described in the curse section in the SRD concerning magic items.) The idol is a flawed attempt at creating a phylactery of sorts to hold the essence of the old warlord's soul. It's supposed to have been crafted so that only a goblin can wield it. That is technically true, I suppose. It's more a mcguffin than anything else.

Of course, a goblin in the party, either created or natural in origin can raid the bier but doing so will awaken the ghost of the old warlord.

Pronounceable
2010-06-02, 01:30 AM
An abomination beyond understanding descended upon the world: a vast block of flesh, a nightmarish jellyfishlike putrid mass, bigger than a whole kingdom, apparently made up of fused bodies of still living creatures. You can see the ones making up the entity's surface writhing and struggling in pain. It crawls on earth, any living being that it touches is drawn inside with an irresistable force. It will surely devour all life.

And it's already too late for our intrepid heroes. They were among the first to be consumed, the doomed inhabitants of the kingdom that the thing crashed upon.

But as horrible as the inside of the monstrosity is (we're talking about walking on a floor of wriggling tongues that have animal fangs jutting out of them horrible), they're still alive. There are a lot of spaces inside the vast being, where writhing walls (not to mention floors and ceilings) are made of still living flesh. There are cavities, rooms, tunnels and shafts riddling the abomination. And there are other survivors, one of which is very fortitutiously a raving maniac who claims to be a member of the cult that summoned the entity to this world. He claims the unholy vastness of flesh is but a cocoon, and the unholy thing itself can be easily killed if only they could reach its center. And he can find the way, if only there were others to help and protect him. Obviously it's not gonna be easy, as there are weird abominations made of fused flesh of random creatures, wandering randomly around the tunnels and cavities, attacking anything they encounter.

There's nothing else to do but to trust the words of the raving madman. After all, worst has already happened. It can't possibly get worse...I'll accept that this last one is poorly conceived. But with work it can become awesome. I'm sure of that.
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Mayhaps this one isn't suitable to everyone. Oh well, it is unorthodox, which is something.
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The Kingdom of insert name here put a fat bounty on insert guy here with a suitably appropriate reason to be wanted dead. Problem is, he's already been captured by Empire of insert another name here and put in the legendary maximum security prison of insert really cool name here. Now they have to infiltrate the prison by entering from the undead infested catacombs riddled with traps beneath it, somehow find where their quarry is being held, reach and kill him, and escape with proof of their deed.

Or... give up and go find easier work. Which would be infinitely more sensible than trying such crazy hijinks.