[3.5] Building a Mine

[PetterTomBos]

Hi

I'm working on a dungeon, it is supposed to be a mine, where the BBEG digs up some gems he needs to get a ritual going.

Plot is: ages ago the world split itself in two. The evil empire had allmost started exploiting the good guys like europe-africa. The good empire's share of the xorvintaal dragons sealed of the continent, with magical and more mundane means (kill anything that tries to pass.)

A red dragon is trying to reverse it, one of the players lost him the book that explains how to reverse the seal. They are trying to get it back, he has a mine, getting some weird gems..

That's most of what I've got. Anyone got any ideas on what to include in the mine? Any sources of inspiration out there? :)

[flabort]

sounds like an excuse to have a lot of kobolds....
Dragon has them helping mine out the gems, some of the kobolds happen to be dragonwrought or half-dragon, all of the red variety.

And when there's an excuse to use kobolds, that's an excuse to use traps. Lots and lots of traps. Trap the traps (Should the jaws trap activate, it causes a massive hammer to swing), and then trap those traps (The hammer hits a pressure plate, flooding the room). And use multi-stage traps (One soaks with oil, one sparks this oil), and trap the various stages of those traps (Poison the oil, when there's enough heat near the igniter stage, it shoots arrows), and trap those traps (The poison happens to smell really tasty to the hydra in the next room, The arrows are poisoned too).
And the kobolds should always use clever tactics, like hit and run, shooting through murder holes, using their lighter weight to pass over a plate that the PCs activate, etc.

Such tactics are known as Tucker's Kobolds (You've probably heard of them already), and since kobolds are often serving dragons, having a dragon BBEG is an excuse for kobolds, and kobolds are an excuse for Tucker's Kobolds.

[Yitzi]

sounds like an excuse to have a lot of kobolds....
Dragon has them helping mine out the gems, some of the kobolds happen to be dragonwrought or half-dragon, all of the red variety.

And when there's an excuse to use kobolds, that's an excuse to use traps. Lots and lots of traps. Trap the traps (Should the jaws trap activate, it causes a massive hammer to swing), and then trap those traps (The hammer hits a pressure plate, flooding the room). And use multi-stage traps (One soaks with oil, one sparks this oil), and trap the various stages of those traps (Poison the oil, when there's enough heat near the igniter stage, it shoots arrows), and trap those traps (The poison happens to smell really tasty to the hydra in the next room, The arrows are poisoned too).
And the kobolds should always use clever tactics, like hit and run, shooting through murder holes, using their lighter weight to pass over a plate that the PCs activate, etc.

Such tactics are known as Tucker's Kobolds (You've probably heard of them already), and since kobolds are often serving dragons, having a dragon BBEG is an excuse for kobolds, and kobolds are an excuse for Tucker's Kobolds.

Kobolds aren't an excuse for Tucker's Kobolds; default kobolds (played straight out of the MM, with the tactics described in the MM) are Tucker's Kobolds.

That said, I think the OP is looking more for scenery than how to give the PCs the challenge of their life. So I'd say: Have tunnels. A lot of tunnels, twisting around and often splitting or ending for no reason other than where the minerals were. The mines should have tailings lying around, and maybe some occasional mining equipment, but other than that nothing special. If you want, it can open up into a natural dungeon complex or creature tunnel, giving opportunities for native creatures to wander around the mines.

[drakir_nosslin]

1: Draw a big mine
2: Use minecarts to move around
3: Have a minecart chase
4: ??
5: Profit!

Also relevant: this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvmXmIHjQ2E#t=0m4s)

[flabort]

Oh.
Make some of the walls/floors look charred/glassy, where the dragon melted out the rock, don't forget to have supports liberally sprinkled about so the mine doesn't collapse (Good tactical considerations), really deep you could put a semi-forge thing that melts down metals before shipping them up, but isn't for the crafting of arms. I believe it's called a smelter.
Don't forget to have a couple places where the Mines did collapse, and alternate routes leading around (But not as fast as digging through? or faster, depending on whether or not you want the PCs to head that way sooner) the rubble, so that there's several ways to get to the bottom. And I agree with having hundred and thousands of tunnels and side tunnels, some which split/end/rejoin, or whatever. Have "Crossroads", put tables in these larger caverns, and other signs that the miners eat there. Or whatever. Have small covered up mounds of dirt that were once holes used as latrines, or however you wish to describe that.
Don't forget, the miners are people too (even if their kobolds), and need places to do everyday things. Only a jerk DM doesn't give his NPCs bathroom breaks. Only a really jerk DM doesn't give his actual players bathroom breaks, or insists their characters have to at the same time (If he suggests the latter, that's what a nice DM would do).

[Cieyrin]

Zombie miners need no breaks, the foremen directing them may have to, though...Incidentally, Races of the Dragon has mining rules, as well as explosives to help the mining process.

Mine's take the path of least resistance (don't dig what you don't have to, there's no profit in it) and attempt to follow resources where they go. Natural caves are a good place to start a mine, due to the water that was there or still is making an entrance for you, so you have to be wary of other caves that you can breach into, possibly flooding you in. Many dangers in mining, just have to ensure the money is worthwhile or you threaten your subordinates enough to get you what you want. :smallbiggrin:

[PetterTomBos]

Sorry for a late answer, I've been really busy with school and D&D :)

I led the players to a bunch of kobolds, the players approached around midnight, and found them sleeping. They blindsided the guards and slaughtered (:smalleek:) half of them, before they managed to get up and out! But,, They have the heavily trapped corridor(s) to the tome left..

The plan is to have it heavily trapped, and really tight. So tight that I may make every corridor, passage blocked by stone, etc. on A4 pages to be put on the table :)

[gooddragon1]

Zombie miners need no breaks, the foremen directing them may have to, though...Incidentally, Races of the Dragon has mining rules, as well as explosives to help the mining process.

Mine's take the path of least resistance (don't dig what you don't have to, there's no profit in it) and attempt to follow resources where they go. Natural caves are a good place to start a mine, due to the water that was there or still is making an entrance for you, so you have to be wary of other caves that you can breach into, possibly flooding you in. Many dangers in mining, just have to ensure the money is worthwhile or you threaten your subordinates enough to get you what you want. :smallbiggrin:

That's no mine... that's a tomb. :D

[PetterTomBos]

sounds like an excuse to have a lot of kobolds....
Dragon has them helping mine out the gems, some of the kobolds happen to be dragonwrought or half-dragon, all of the red variety.

And when there's an excuse to use kobolds, that's an excuse to use traps. Lots and lots of traps. Trap the traps (Should the jaws trap activate, it causes a massive hammer to swing), and then trap those traps (The hammer hits a pressure plate, flooding the room). And use multi-stage traps (One soaks with oil, one sparks this oil), and trap the various stages of those traps (Poison the oil, when there's enough heat near the igniter stage, it shoots arrows), and trap those traps (The poison happens to smell really tasty to the hydra in the next room, The arrows are poisoned too).
And the kobolds should always use clever tactics, like hit and run, shooting through murder holes, using their lighter weight to pass over a plate that the PCs activate, etc.

Such tactics are known as Tucker's Kobolds (You've probably heard of them already), and since kobolds are often serving dragons, having a dragon BBEG is an excuse for kobolds, and kobolds are an excuse for Tucker's Kobolds.

Thanks for introducing me to Tuckers kobolds :) (And DAMN paladins can get Fortitiude saves!)

[Cieyrin]

Thanks for introducing me to Tuckers kobolds :) (And DAMN paladins can get Fortitiude saves!)

That happens when you apply one stat to all your saves. :smallwink:

[Cicciograna]

Hi

I'm working on a dungeon, it is supposed to be a mine, where the BBEG digs up some gems he needs to get a ritual going.

Plot is: ages ago the world split itself in two. The evil empire had allmost started exploiting the good guys like europe-africa. The good empire's share of the xorvintaal dragons sealed of the continent, with magical and more mundane means (kill anything that tries to pass.)

A red dragon is trying to reverse it, one of the players lost him the book that explains how to reverse the seal. They are trying to get it back, he has a mine, getting some weird gems..

That's most of what I've got. Anyone got any ideas on what to include in the mine? Any sources of inspiration out there? :)

It took me three readings before realizing you were talking about this (http://www.collectorfinejewelry.com/Images/tourmaline_queen_mine.jpg), and not about this (http://chanarchive.org/content/63_x/3128475/1259938377400.jpg)...