Best Citizens for a Artificial Town

[Demonic_Spoon]

Hi. Say I want to make use of the traps of Winding Alleys in a dungeon, the spell requires that it be cast in a urban environment of at least small town size. The DMG gives the minimum inhabitants of a small town as 901. What would be the best creature to use as citizens for my artificial town in a dungeon?

Constructs have the obvious attraction of not needing to eat or sleep, but perhaps bound ghosts would work better for the creepiness factor? I don't intend for the "civilians" to fight any dungeon crashers, in fact I'd probably but up faux houses and shops build into the walls of the labyrinth dungeon to add verisimilitude, clueless "citizens" wandering around aimlessly as the adventurers inadvertently trigger a trap.

Any suggestions for what I should use?

[Red Fel]

Hi. Say I want to make use of the traps of Winding Alleys in a dungeon, the spell requires that it be cast in a urban environment of at least small town size. The DMG gives the minimum inhabitants of a small town as 901. What would be the best creature to use as citizens for my artificial town in a dungeon?

Constructs have the obvious attraction of not needing to eat or sleep, but perhaps bound ghosts would work better for the creepiness factor? I don't intend for the "civilians" to fight any dungeon crashers, in fact I'd probably but up faux houses and shops build into the walls of the labyrinth dungeon to add verisimilitude, clueless "citizens" wandering around aimlessly as the adventurers inadvertently trigger a trap.

Any suggestions for what I should use?

It depends on the feel you want for your dungeon.

An undead-infested dungeon offers many opportunities. You could have a community of ghosts who aren't quite aware that they're dead; they go through their lives, are relatively inoffensive and unlikely to fight, but are nonetheless creepy and a bit sad. A community of intelligent undead, such as some mummies, maybe some vampires and necropolitans, might be very interesting and disconcerting for a party of PCs.

In the alternative, you could go with the idea of constructs, who might be completely oblivious to the presence of players, simply undertaking the same tasks over and over, marching infinitely through their microcosm. This fits well into a dungeon involving some kind of craftsman or artificer.

Yet another alternative is a kobold settlement. They are more likely to be aggressive and territorial, and less likely to have a proper town with buildings and streets and such, but they are also likely to be involved if you're using some kind of magical trap. That is, after all, a kobold's bailiwick.

What flavor were you aiming for?

[Demonic_Spoon]

I'm aiming for a maze themed dungeon. The constructs seem like they would fit best currently. Perhaps umbral spies?

[Red Fel]

I'm aiming for a maze themed dungeon. The constructs seem like they would fit best currently. Perhaps umbral spies?

"Maze themed?" What does that mean? What kind of maze?

Is it the ancient, labyrinthine ruins of some long-forgotten temple to some horrific deity beyond time and space? If so, I would expect undead, maybe aberrations.

Or a dark, prison-like labyrinth designed to restrain some terrible beast caged in the center? Monstrous humanoids, probably minotaur, along with a few undead once-adventurers.

Or simply the once-home of a society that sought to seal itself off from the rest of the world through construction of an elaborate defense? Humanoids, perhaps monstrous humanoids, likely xenophobic.

The kind of dungeon will (or should) determine the kind of creatures you find within.

[Demonic_Spoon]

"Maze themed?" What does that mean? What kind of maze?

Is it the ancient, labyrinthine ruins of some long-forgotten temple to some horrific deity beyond time and space? If so, I would expect undead, maybe aberrations.

Or a dark, prison-like labyrinth designed to restrain some terrible beast caged in the center? Monstrous humanoids, probably minotaur, along with a few undead once-adventurers.

Or simply the once-home of a society that sought to seal itself off from the rest of the world through construction of an elaborate defense? Humanoids, perhaps monstrous humanoids, likely xenophobic.

The kind of dungeon will (or should) determine the kind of creatures you find within.

A little from column A, a little from Column C. Actual monsters will be minimal but would largely consist of aberrations and constructs. There's be one way portals to the Endless Maze disguised as doorways, illusionary terrain and fake traps, a conventional maze, teleport cage over the entire dungeon so that trying to teleport just makes you more lost. "Maze" spell traps, Shadow Well traps, various traps of disorienting spells, scourgifying effects or cleaning constructs to get rid of marks adventurers make on the walls, Probably a few traps and spell clocks that shift walls around, dispelling force walls, making new force walls, wall of x spells, stone to mud, etc.

I can't really think of any maze themed monsters apart from the minotaur and will-o-the-wisps so help on that front would also be appreciated. Maybe some gelatinous cubes?

Aimed at party in the low teens(11-13), so true seeing and mindblank aren't omnipresent yet.

[Red Fel]

A little from column A, a little from Column C. Actual monsters will be minimal but would largely consist of aberrations and constructs. There's be one way portals to the Endless Maze disguised as doorways, illusionary terrain and fake traps, a conventional maze, teleport cage over the entire dungeon so that trying to teleport just makes you more lost. "Maze" spell traps, Shadow Well traps, various traps of disorienting spells, scourgifying effects or cleaning constructs to get rid of marks adventurers make on the walls, Probably a few traps and spell clocks that shift walls around, dispelling force walls, making new force walls, wall of x spells, stone to mud, etc.

I can't really think of any maze themed monsters apart from the minotaur and will-o-the-wisps so help on that front would also be appreciated. Maybe some gelatinous cubes?

Aimed at party in the low teens(11-13), so true seeing and mindblank aren't omnipresent yet.

Hmm... What is the genesis of the maze? Was it created by a mortal wizard, is it the remains of a lost civilization, did a deity create it for some purpose? That might lend well to an understanding of what may be found within.

[Demonic_Spoon]

Remains of a lost civilization, built partly to defend their mythical city of treasures, especially it's great library, partly to honour their dark god of twisting thoughts and twisting space.

[Winds of Nagual]

There was a Lovecraft story about someone trapped in an invisible maze. Can't remember the title... Getting old. Can undead minotaurs live in your maze? And for an urban maze - check out the film - Dark City. If the city is orderly, it could be run by devils conducting an experiment or a bet. Random thought city over here.

[CTrees]

First thought was Modrons. Because I love modrons.

Shadows would be interesting. The maze would not hinder them.

Perhaps a town of small, awakened oozes? Think the slimes from Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest.

[Red Fel]

Remains of a lost civilization, built partly to defend their mythical city of treasures, especially it's great library, partly to honour their dark god of twisting thoughts and twisting space.

Ahh, now we have something.

Constructs and aberrations are definitely what you want.

If you're going for a creepy abandoned feeling, punctuated by sudden hideous monstrosities lunging from the shadows, a construct-populated city is perfect. Have the constructs mostly mindless, simply going about their tasks, completely oblivious to the presence of interlopers. It takes the natural creepiness of a ghost town and ratchets it up.

If you want disturbing in a different way, have a town full of aberrations who are "playing at" human. For fun. They wear poor semblances of human clothing, engage in bizarre mockeries of human interactions, and so forth. When the PCs arrive, do things that disturb and alarm, but not things which come across as aggressive. Indeed, the inhabitants should be friendly. They should invite the PCs to join them for tea, or at the tavern, or something. Make the experience as bizarre as you like. ("But tea always starts with the traditional snack of kittens. Are you going to eat yours?") And if the players try to correct them? One of two reactions - either hostility ("How DARE you tell us how to serve tea?!") or excitement. ("You can stay and teach us! Stay with us FOREVER!") Either way, be willing to unnerve the crap out of your players.

[Telonius]

Maybe I've been watching too much TV with my daughter recently, but my brain went right to "Discord's Maze." :smalleek:

[Captnq]

Oh, just make the whole thing a manifestation of the shadow plane intruding into the real world.

[Demonic_Spoon]

Ahh, now we have something.

Constructs and aberrations are definitely what you want.

If you're going for a creepy abandoned feeling, punctuated by sudden hideous monstrosities lunging from the shadows, a construct-populated city is perfect. Have the constructs mostly mindless, simply going about their tasks, completely oblivious to the presence of interlopers. It takes the natural creepiness of a ghost town and ratchets it up.

If you want disturbing in a different way, have a town full of aberrations who are "playing at" human. For fun. They wear poor semblances of human clothing, engage in bizarre mockeries of human interactions, and so forth. When the PCs arrive, do things that disturb and alarm, but not things which come across as aggressive. Indeed, the inhabitants should be friendly. They should invite the PCs to join them for tea, or at the tavern, or something. Make the experience as bizarre as you like. ("But tea always starts with the traditional snack of kittens. Are you going to eat yours?") And if the players try to correct them? One of two reactions - either hostility ("How DARE you tell us how to serve tea?!") or excitement. ("You can stay and teach us! Stay with us FOREVER!") Either way, be willing to unnerve the crap out of your players.

That's some great advice right there. Thanks.


Maybe I've been watching too much TV with my daughter recently, but my brain went right to "Discord's Maze." :smalleek:
I lost respect for Discord when he made lame morality traps in his maze


Oh, just make the whole thing a manifestation of the shadow plane intruding into the real world.
What purpose would this serve?

Also "guests" already get trips to the shadow plane with Shadow Well traps that trap them in a shadow version of the maze.

[Coidzor]

Gnomes. But not normal gnomes. Gnomes who have been re-shaped mentally(but perhaps not perfectly, if you're familiar with the Discworld, I'm thinking something like what happened in Witches Abroad when they encountered the Fairy Godmother's "practice" runs) to act like storybook gnomes rather than the gnomes that exist in the setting as a real culture.

Or kobolds. That have been given a veneer of civilization and just act like they're a random town, living their lives like any other race. Preferably wearing lederhosen and dirndl dresses and little wigs.

Or just take anything and give them the "It's a Small World" treatment. Just far too happy and carefree and innocent. For bonus points, just have it entirely populated by Modrons performing "It's A Small World After All," at regular intervals, so the players have extra incentive to try to rush through, lest they suffer through hearing that song too many times.

[ArqArturo]

Inevitables, always Inevitables.

All kidding aside, there was a template you could add to animals in Complete Arcane, that turned them into clockwork automatons. Constructs have no intelligence, so maybe tweaking it here and there, you could add some intelligence. Or... Add no intelligence at all, and let them all behave in a pre-written set of rules and ways to do things; anything that falls outside of that... They go berserk and try to destroy that 'flaw'.