Dungeon design

[Smorgonoffz]

It's my first time as a Dm and a dungeon designer, my pc Monk, Sorcerer, warlock(level3) plus their npc Kobold sorcerer(3), Halfling spellthief(3) accepted a mission to explore a wizard's tower.
I've already thought about traps,secret doors etc, what i need is some appropiate challenge monsters for them that can be found in a wizards tower(constructs, elementals, undead)

The tower is 5 stories tall.

Loot: the pcs hope to find magic items (i wont allow them to get any +1 magic items until later on).
What are some useful magic items without any combat use?

[Aergoth]

Assuming 3.5: Wands or scrolls might be interesting. Stuff like the hat of disguise, bags of tricks, feather tokens or an efficient quiver are all fairly mundane bits of magic that a wizard might have lying about. When in doubt, potions!

[Crake]

peruse through the magic item compendium and have a look through all the really cheap magic items (can be found by using the tables at the start of each section). There are a huge assortment of useful, cheap magic items in there, ranging from fun, to useful, to amazing.

[Ferronach]

Welcome to the wonderful world of being a DM! I wish you much luck and fun :)


I've already thought about traps,secret doors etc, what i need is some appropiate challenge monsters for them that can be found in a wizards tower(constructs, elementals, undead)

I usually have some animated objects floating around the wizard's tower. They can be doing mundane chores but will attack if provoked/if the party comes too close.
You could have a very low CR Outsider (or similar) trapped by the wizard. The party can choose to free it, igrone it or fight it.
A mind controlled servant would not be out of place. (just tweek a human or other to be a little less dextrous but more intelligent)
Rats/dire rats/giant rats in the basement along with some big ugly arachnids.
A weak mimic is always fun *evil grin*

Remember not to go overboard with encounters. A wizard will rely more on magical defenses (traps, illusions, etc.) than physical.


Loot: the pcs hope to find magic items (i wont allow them to get any +1 magic items until later on).
What are some useful magic items without any combat use?

Depending on how powerful the wizard is (I am assumin he isnt that powerful if lvl 3s are getting into his tower and are supposed to get back out) you could have weakly imbuned gear. Say a ring of +1 dex that has a 50% chance of working and requires a D% at the beginning of every morning.

I second the scrolls/potions comments. With the wands I would have most of them be almost depleated so that the party can only use them a few times.

Necklace of fireballs in the DMG can give you the mechanics for some marbles the party finds lying on a work table. (use only the weakest 2)

Some masterwork items would not be out of place either.

If you want to be sneaky, get some of the stuff ouf of the Shax's haversacks. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?148101-3-x-Shax-s-Indispensible-Haversack-(Equipment-Handbook)&p=8235865#post8235865) They will probably walk right past the stuff and then when they complain about no loot, show them your notes and point out how they walked past the loot hahaha.

[Seto]

I usually have some animated objects floating around the wizard's tower. They can be doing mundane chores but will attack if provoked/if the party comes too close.

I second this. Animated objects are fun. Last Dungeon I made (lvl 1), there was an animated chair who'd stay still and suddenly run to its master to warn him if the PCs came too close. Having four legs, it had a nifty speed bonus that made it able to outrun any PC. But, as the PCs discovered the secret back door, they were able to block the chair's way by jumping on it and savagely grappling it (which might be best described as a rodeo). It was the best part of the dungeon by general agreement :smallsmile:

[Ferronach]

I second this. Animated objects are fun. Last Dungeon I made (lvl 1), there was an animated chair who'd stay still and suddenly run to its master to warn him if the PCs came too close. Having four legs, it had a nifty speed bonus that made it able to outrun any PC. But, as the PCs discovered the secret back door, they were able to block the chair's way by jumping on it and savagely grappling it (which might be best described as a rodeo). It was the best part of the dungeon by general agreement :smallsmile:

Perfect!!! I laughed so hard at the immage of a burly barbarian bear hugging a chair that kept kicking him in the ghoulies hahaha
I used a lantern in the library which put the books/scrolls away when it's master was done with them. Yay fly speed :P It also threw books and other objects at the party.

[Smorgonoffz]

having animated objects kicking the pc in the ghoulies is a really good idea XD.

Also the tower is owned by a high level mage who abandoned it, so it might be slightly more dead...dangerous than usual.

Since the group is mande mostly by ranged touch attacks, i used 3 combat encounters slightly stronger than them (Cr+1 or Cr+2), i think they will survive what do you forumgoers think?

[Inevitability]

Since the group is mande mostly by ranged touch attacks, i used 3 combat encounters slightly stronger than them (Cr+1 or Cr+2), i think they will survive what do you forumgoers think?

I think we'd be best able to judge that if we knew:

1. How optimized the PC's are.
2. What monsters the encounter consists of.
3. Any other things that would tilt the encounter to one side's advantage.

[Smorgonoffz]

The 1nemies they should encounter are:


1) Pc:

The Sorcerer(human) is a highly optimized DD( will go into thief, spellthief and then spell warp sniper with arcane fusion etc)

The warlock (dwarf) half optimized , he takes what looks cool

The monk Goliath ( to avoid a party wide argument i conceded that his unarmed attack are considered a category bigger)

Npc:

Meep: Dragonwrought kobold, not optimized basically the group mascot

Reginald a spellthief whow was hired for the job



2) the encounters:

In the courtyard : 4 zombie wolves

mini boss( less hp than normal) Bloodhulk fighter

1st floor: 2 zombie + a carnex

2nd floor : corruptor of fate (weakened by restraints)

3) -they'll have plenty of occasions to abort the mission and go back
- healing potions will be around
- small but useful items will be around( alchemist fire, scrolls etc)