Dungeon Ventilation

[Doughnut Master]

Seems like it would be an important thing. Are there any sources to design a ventilation system so that whatever lies 10 levels down won't suffocate?

[FMArthur]

Bottle of air, 7250 gp

[Heatwizard]

Shovel, 2 gp.

[The Glyphstone]

Populating the lower levels of your dungeon with undead and constructs and using the lack of ventilation for security, Priceless.

[Cruiser1]

Lack of ventilation is a feature, not a problem! :smalltongue: Wear a Necklace of Adaptation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#necklaceofAdaptation) while constructing your dungeon. Populate the lower levels with creatures that don't need to breathe, such as constructs, elementals, and undead. When pesky adventurers try to raid it, they'll pass out from lack of air as they approach your inner sanctum, and be easy fodder. :smallwink:

[AngelisBlack]

Perhaps an Air elemental or two living down there would provide some of it. But for the rest, vent holes are easy to make and easily consealable enough to hide around the dungeon and might even provide smart PCs with an alternate route in with some magical abilities.

Other things that might help would be something that I've featured a few times, the ceiling enchanted with a sunlight spell, and plants growing on the floor. Might even slip a roper or two in there.

[Yora]

If it's a mountainous area, have small passages that lead down to the base of the mountain, and some further up. In Persia they ran giant freezer buildings on cold air coming through an underground tunnel from mountains hundreds of miles away. I think running water was involved to keep the air flowing, but natural streams are found in almost all natural caves.

In Anatolia, there are underground cities that had a couple of large ventilation shafts that reached up to the surface, with lots of windows connecting to the rooms and passages nearby. This does leaves open potentially weaknesses in your defenses, though. Under normal conditions, that wouldn't be a problem, but fliyng enemies would be able to reach ventilation opening high up in very steep cliffs.

[Malimar]

I generally justify it with "tiny permanent portal to the Plane of Air" (Or, in the case of one major under-a-mountain-under-an-ocean city, "massive permanent portal to the Plane of Air, giant fans, and sophisticated central ventilation system"). My setting is riddled with vents and punctures between the planes. "Small permanent portal to the Plane of Water" is usually where underground streams and lakes come from. I haven't done much with the other planes, but it occurs to me that I should.

(Incidentally, when my setting was completely flooded and 95+% of plant life was dead? I justified the continued presence of oxygen with "hey, the world still overlaps with the Plane of Air just as much as it always did" (or, uh, I would have done, had any of my players had the presence of mind to wonder about it). Nuts to the catgirls!)

[Doughnut Master]

Heheh. Thanks for the tips guys. Perhaps one day when I'm feeling more sadistic, I'll use the CO2 filled dungeon populated by constructs idea. At the moment, I'm working on designing an underground complex that the government uses to do its more clandestine works.

I like the idea of tying it into an underground water system to provide circulation. This could also prove to be a clever way for my pc's to get inside and avoid a lot of the nasty things they would otherwise face using a more direct route.

[Kefkafreak]

I like the Air Elemental idea. The PCs will attack them on sight and suffocate when the air runs out.

[Ravens_cry]

I like the Air Elemental idea. The PCs will attack them on sight and suffocate when the air runs out.Well, assuming there is no other sources of Carbon Dioxide and the size of the caves, it will take some time. It does impose a pretty strict time limit though. No 15 minute day adventures, now you got to go on and keep going on unless there is another means of getting air available.

[Doughnut Master]

All those torches for ambient lighting could prove a problem in that case.

[Ravens_cry]

All those torches for ambient lighting could prove a problem in that case.

Eh, they are probably continual flames (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/continualFlame.htm).

[Doughnut Master]

These dang energy efficient alternative lighting sources. Where's the warmth? Where's the intimacy? *Sigh* Maybe I'm just nostalgic for the old days.

[Divide by Zero]

Here's an interesting fact: you're not breathing real air. It's too expensive to pump this far down. We just take carbon dioxide out of a room, freshen it up a little, and pump it back in. So you'll be breathing the same room full of air for the rest of your life. I thought that was interesting.

[Captain Caveman]

Whenever, someone dares call in engineering or physics of a D&D world I revert back to the golden rule. Wizard did it.

[Curmudgeon]

You don't suffocate as long as you have air in D&D. There's no CO2 in the game. :smallamused:

[lianightdemon]

Dungeon augmented with Chamber of comfort so it has continuous magical air and is always a comfortable 70F. 7500gp per stronghold space.

look a wizard did do it

[Seharvepernfan]

You could have tiny hidden ventilation shafts if the dungeons inhabitants are living. They could be covered with illusions and maybe even nystuls magic aura (if that would even work). IF discovered, the pcs could use them if they have the capability, which as a DM I would be perfectly fine with.

This gives me an idea for a spell that creates walls that block matter from outside and light from inside. Cheesy, but what mage wouldn't try to create something like that?

[BlueInc]

Here's an interesting fact: you're not breathing real air. It's too expensive to pump this far down. We just take carbon dioxide out of a room, freshen it up a little, and pump it back in. So you'll be breathing the same room full of air for the rest of your life. I thought that was interesting.

What is that from? It sounds so familiar.

My gut says Portal or Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

[Seerow]

What is that from? It sounds so familiar.

My gut says Portal or Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

It's from Portal.

[The Glyphstone]

So many c-c-c-combo breaker, so disappointing...

[Grommen]

What air? Now I have to put air in my dungeon?

What next, your gonna want portable water?

[The Glyphstone]

Most water is portable, even if you've frozen or evaporated it...