Create a Dungeon 001: The Savage Passages of Elequarian

[NewDM]

Here's how it works. Each post details the next room in sequence. Once all rooms are detailed, we post another level and repeat. Map generated by http://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/dungeon/

Each level of the dungeon will be for 2 levels of advancement for the party. So level 1 will be for a 1st-2nd level party, level 2 will be for a 3rd-4th level party and on and on and on. Assume 4 characters of a standard makeup of 1 martial (Fighter, Barbarian, Paladin), 1 divine (Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Bard), 1 arcane (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard, Bard), and 1 stealth (ranger, rogue, or bard). Try to follow the encounter building guidelines. Custom monsters and NPCs welcome.

http://i.imgur.com/1L1VtJn.jpg

I'll go first:

Area 1: Entryway

The players enter this area by rope through the ceiling which drops them down into a large pile of old gray bones.

Read Aloud:

You stand in a wide open room whose walls go beyond the edges of your light and the light from the hole in the ceiling where you entered. You hear the crunch of bones as you set foot from the rope you were climbing. Looking down you see that you stand in a pile of skeletal remains, mostly humanoid, all very old. Among the bones you can pick out rotted and unreadable spell books, armor and weapons rusted beyond use, and a few broken and worthless holy symbols. A chill spreads across your body as you realize something is watching you.

If examined with a DC 12 nature check the bones are revealed to be Elves, Humans, Dwarves, Halflings, Half-Orcs, Dragon Born, Gnomes, and Tieflings. Their gear is completely useless but reveals that they were once adventurers and explorers.

Out beyond the edge of the light several Jackals led by a Hyena are preparing to ambush the next group of 'food' that comes along. They wait on the edge of the light for characters to either exit the light or start attacking. They will each choose a target to attack and move around them to gain pack tactics until their target falls before moving onto the next one. If half the Jackals are killed and their leader is slain, they will flee to different rooms (possibly being killed with a loud yelp) and attempt to harry the players' characters while they are distracted.

Terrain: The floor is covered with bits of bones and canine offal. Any roll of a 1 on a skill check or attack roll causes the character or creature to fall prone.

Medium Difficulty Encounter for 4 level 2 characters.
5 Jackals
1 Hyena

After the players take care of the Jackals and Hyena they can search the room and find various things lying about on the floor.

Treasure
Dagger +1, vibrates softly when outsiders are near, the handle is shaped like an angel with the wings making the cross guard.
2x potions of healing
1x antitoxin
1x 10' wooden pole
1x Chain Shirt

[Ninja_Prawn]

Area 2: Anteroom

When coming from area 1: scraps of decaying wood cling to the rusted hinges of an empty doorway. Stepping through, the players enter a small chamber.
When coming from area 12: the players open a heavy, stone door to reveal a small chamber.

Read Aloud:

You crowd into a tiny chamber, lined with ruined and partially-collapsed bookshelves. It appears to be an anteroom of some kind. There are many books and scrolls piled haphazardly on the shelves, but a cursory glance indicates that most, if not all, are rotten to the point of disintegration. There are two exits: an open doorway to the southeast, and a stone door to the northwest.

An investigation of the shelves reveals that most of the documents are completely ruined. Among those that aren't, only snippets remain legible, mostly in the Abyssal and Draconic languages. Characters who can read these languages discover that the texts mostly sound like prayers, litanies or descriptions of rituals. An Intelligence (Investigation) check of 13 or higher uncovers two additional objects of interest: an ancient-looking kobold skull (worth 10gp to an antique dealer) and a single book that is untouched by any dust or decay.

This heavy tome is bound in crimson leather that came from an unidentifiable, scaly creature. It is written in Abyssal. The title, picked out in brass lettering, is The Red Lexicon. It contains a nonsensical, raving, stream of consciousness account of an experience of being tortured by demons. At several points, it mentions the name of the torturer, Othaurot, though the victim (and presumably, author) is never named.

The book takes one hour to read, and any character that reads it becomes cursed. The curse causes them to radiate dim, flickering red light in a 5 foot radius* and can be removed via a Remove Curse spell.

*It may also interact with other objects/locations elsewhere in the Savage Passages.
Terrain: stone tiles, dusty and cracked. No special bonuses/penalties.

The door to area 12 is locked. The mechanism is rusted but serviceable, and can be opened using thieves' tools. The DC is 15, which may be performed passively if the character spends 1 minute working on the lock.

[NewDM]

So no one is interested in coming up with clever encounters in a dungeon and creating a community mega dungeon?

[Ninja_Prawn]

So no one is interested in coming up with clever encounters in a dungeon and creating a community mega dungeon?

It takes a very specific person to enjoy designing dungeons. Maybe there aren't enough of them here?

After all, the GitP 5e community is not that big; it couldn't sustain either of the "regulars as" threads for more than a few weeks, and recent homebrew contests have not had many entrants. If you want this to work, you'll probably have to do every other room yourself.

[NewDM]

It takes a very specific person to enjoy designing dungeons. Maybe there aren't enough of them here?

After all, the GitP 5e community is not that big; it couldn't sustain either of the "regulars as" threads for more than a few weeks, and recent homebrew contests have not had many entrants. If you want this to work, you'll probably have to do every other room yourself.

That sucks. Oh well. I'll try to keep it going for a bit anyway.

[Gastronomie]

One problem could be that dungeons should generally have a basic "theme" to them, instead of having each room be extremely random. A fortress of kobolds would have a vastly different impression from the lair of an Aboleth, and so on. Most of the time, the players enjoy the "theme" of the dungeon more than its complex mechanics (of course, having a lot of fluff is good, but it's especially good when it suppliments the "theme" anyways).

I don't think many people will go together to create a dungeon with each room having nothing to do with each other (each room being random and stuff like that).

[Ninja_Prawn]

One problem could be that dungeons should generally have a basic "theme" to them, instead of having each room be extremely random. A fortress of kobolds would have a vastly different impression from the lair of an Aboleth, and so on. Most of the time, the players enjoy the "theme" of the dungeon more than its complex mechanics (of course, having a lot of fluff is good, but it's especially good when it suppliments the "theme" anyways).

I don't think many people will go together to create a dungeon with each room having nothing to do with each other (each room being random and stuff like that).

To me, that's the point of the exercise. It's like consequences (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consequences_%28game%29), but for dungeon design!

The theme of the dungeon is whatever emerges naturally from the forum hive mind.

[KorvinStarmast]

To me, that's the point of the exercise. It's like consequences (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consequences_%28game%29), but for dungeon design!

The theme of the dungeon is whatever emerges naturally from the forum hive mind.I can contribute a bit this weekend, but at the moment somewhat constrained.

[Notafish]

I want to play, too, but I'm at work for the rest of the day.

One question -- Are we expecting that an adventuring party would be exploring the rooms in rough numeric order or should we try to have each room number be a discrete encounter? I ask because Room 4 is not directly connected to Room 3, and Room 5 is not connected to Room 3, 4, or 6.

[Ninja_Prawn]

I want to play, too, but I'm at work for the rest of the day.

One question -- Are we expecting that an adventuring party would be exploring the rooms in rough numeric order or should we try to have each room number be a discrete encounter? I ask because Room 4 is not directly connected to Room 3, and Room 5 is not connected to Room 3, 4, or 6.

I was operating under the assumption that the players move between rooms using the doors and passageways that connect them, thus meaning they will not be going in numerical order. What do you think, NewDM?

[NewDM]

I want to play, too, but I'm at work for the rest of the day.

One question -- Are we expecting that an adventuring party would be exploring the rooms in rough numeric order or should we try to have each room number be a discrete encounter? I ask because Room 4 is not directly connected to Room 3, and Room 5 is not connected to Room 3, 4, or 6.


I was operating under the assumption that the players move between rooms using the doors and passageways that connect them, thus meaning they will not be going in numerical order. What do you think, NewDM?

Yep, nothings in order when you have players involved. At best they'll probably use the doors and hallways, probably.

[Democratus]

Area 3: Meditation Chamber

When coming from area 1 or area 8: the entry into this room is a heavy stone door. Oddly, a faint light can be seen coming from beneath the door.

Read Aloud:

This room has a domed ceiling with the remnants of painted clouds and sky. In the eastern part of the dome is a bronze depiction of the sun which emits a soft, yellow light. Along the walls are bass reliefs depicting laborers gathering a harvest in the fields, builders creating walls, shepherds leaving the pen with sheep, and other depictions of work projects just beginning. In the center of the floor is a plain grey robe and several bones.

A perception check (DC 15) detects faintly mumbling voices murmuring in the room. Long ago this sound was a strong chant that repeated to assist meditation. But over the centuries the magic has faded and now it is little more than a maddening murmur.

Likewise, the bronze sun disk originally emitted light like the morning sun. But now it is a faint shadow of its former self. If removed from the ceiling, the magic is broken and the disk ceases to emit light.

The ragged bones will assemble themselves into a skeleton if disturbed - still wearing the robes. The skeleton will not attack unless attacked first - it's last energies came from someone meditating till they died. If someone tries to take the robes out of the room then the skeleton will fight to reclaim it.

The robe is faintly magical. Once per day it can cast Calm Emotions upon whomever wears it.

[NewDM]

If you need a theme for the first level, think of it as things that can exist in separate rooms without interfering with each other like animal like predators whose territory only extends to a single decent sized room. Things that don't need to eat like skeletons and zombies are also usable. Traps, hazards, terrain types, are all welcome as they don't need to move from room to room. Constructs could also be here since they can be told to guard an area (room) and not leave. We can talk about the theme for the next level while we create the dungeon.

[NewDM]

Area 4: Old Kings Throne Room

Two passages lead to this room. the lower passage has doors that open inward, the upper passage has doors that open outward. The doors cannot be opened from the wrong side. The doors are rotted wood and stuck DC 8 Strength check to open.

Read Aloud:

The doors to this room are rotted and worm eaten wood. Flecks of purple, blue, red, and gold paint are all that remain over the decorative carvings that depict some nearly unreadable royal crest. Inside the passage bits of trash, ripped cloth, and rubbish are pushed into the edges and corners. The center of the floor remains relatively clear and clean. Entering the main room you can see a large throne decorated with jewels, a ripped and torn purple cushion and a backing of gold and silver paint over the same crest you saw earlier.

Startlingly, you see several skeletal forms in armor standing on either side of the throne room. You also see a robed skeleton to the side of the door which seems to be gesticulating in grandiose motions and you hear as if from a deep deep well "Explorers from distant lands to see your majesty. The splendorous, extravagant, generous, stern, master of the lands, King Elequarian the 32nd, who in his wisdom bade us serve him for eternity because we failed to serve him in life."

If attacked the skeletons will defend themselves, but if the players follow 'court protocol' they can approach the throne and kneel in front of it. If they do so they can try to take some jewels worth 20gp with a DC 16 Sleight of Hand check from the throne. If killed the skeletons rise up again in 24 hours and resume their eternal servitude.

Terrain: The floor is mostly clean, only a bit of trash is crammed into the edges. There are a few broken floor tiles, no special effects/terrain.

Medium Difficulty Encounter for 4 level 2 characters.
2 Skeletons
1 Skeleton Mage


Skeleton Mage
Medium undead, lawful evil
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 18 (3d8 + 4)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) 5 (-3)
Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
Senses dark vision 60ft., passive Perception 9
Languages Common
Challenge 1 (100 XP)

Spell Casting. The Skeleton Mage is a 4th level wizard caster with a save DC of 12 and access to the following spells in their spell book which is on them:
Cantrips: Fire Bolt, Prestidigitation, Minor Image, and Mage Hand.
1st (4 spell slots): Magic Missile, Unseen Servant, Charm Person, Fog Cloud, and Mage Armor.
2nd (3 spell slots): Enlarge/Reduce, Hold Person, and Web.

Fire bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit, range 120 ft ., one target.
Hit: 6 (1d10) fire damage.


If the players kill all the skeletons they can find the following treasure. King Elequarian is also notified via a contingency spell.

Treasure
2x Short Swords
2x Short Bows
20x Arrows
1x dagger
1x spell book (with the skeleton mages spells)
8x 20gp gems and jewels that take a DC 14 Dexterity check each to remove without damaging.
1x Crest of King Elequarian

[JellyPooga]

OK, so I'm all on board for the whole "community designed mega-dungeon" thing; I think it's a cool idea. However...I don't like the map. I appreciate that it may have been randomly created, but the map is just bad. I mean, it took me five minutes of searching just to find Room 1. Then there's that weird t-shaped pointless corridor between room 12 and 7 when there's a shorter and more direct corridor linking those two rooms, not to mention the needless multiple corridors between rooms 1 and 12 or the dead-end corridor leading off to nowhere from room 9.

Bad map = bad dungeon. That's coming from someone who enjoys playing rogue-likes. Good dungeon design starts with a purpose;

- Why are the adventurers adventuring there? Is it to kill the "foo"? If so, what is the "foo"? Is it bestial or uncivilised, like a troll (maybe a tribe of them) or is it something or someone from a more civilised race, like a Drow Wizard? A tribe of trolls would be more than happy to shack up in a natural cave system, whilst a Drow Wizard would likely balk at the idea. Even such a simple difference of "is it a troll or an elf we're looking for" can change the dungeon design dramatically.

- Who are the defenders and what sort of lengths have they gone to defend the place? Kobolds are notorious for their traps. A kobold settlement or mine will have a very different feel to a troll habitation or a drow outpost and all of those will feel different again to a dragons lair.

- What can the adventurers expect to find there? In the tower of a powerful Wizard, they might expect scrolls and magical items galore, but in a rat-infested goblin village, they'd be lucky to find a decent length of rope that won't break the first time they try to use it.

Don't get me wrong, the "random dungeon" can be entertaining as a one-player dungeon-delve where it's you vs. the computer, but when you're roleplaying, you need a purpose to get the most out of it. Things need to make sense; they need to have a purpose. You can't just have a +1 Sword of Doom sitting in a goblins closet without at least putting the corpse of the previous owner in that goblins pantry or something.

In short, seemingly disconnected rooms in a random map doesn't make for a thought exercise worth considering. Give a little more purpose and direction and you may find more people willing to respond and contribute.

[NewDM]

OK, so I'm all on board for the whole "community designed mega-dungeon" thing; I think it's a cool idea. However...I don't like the map. I appreciate that it may have been randomly created, but the map is just bad. I mean, it took me five minutes of searching just to find Room 1. Then there's that weird t-shaped pointless corridor between room 12 and 7 when there's a shorter and more direct corridor linking those two rooms, not to mention the needless multiple corridors between rooms 1 and 12 or the dead-end corridor leading off to nowhere from room 9.

Bad map = bad dungeon. That's coming from someone who enjoys playing rogue-likes. Good dungeon design starts with a purpose;

To start the map is randomly created. The 'theme' for the first level is that its just the top layer of a massive multi-level complex. Think a mega dungeon below a city. The top layer is just a buffer between the various layers. Each level of the dungeon has different inhabitants and a different 'theme'.


- Why are the adventurers adventuring there? Is it to kill the "foo"? If so, what is the "foo"? Is it bestial or uncivilised, like a troll (maybe a tribe of them) or is it something or someone from a more civilised race, like a Drow Wizard? A tribe of trolls would be more than happy to shack up in a natural cave system, whilst a Drow Wizard would likely balk at the idea. Even such a simple difference of "is it a troll or an elf we're looking for" can change the dungeon design dramatically.

I supposed its to kill the mad king Elequarian who is a level 20 Wizard that has permanently polymorphed himself into a half-red dragon Gold Dragon (spell casting variant) with a contingency spell to cast Dispel Magic on himself if he ever reaches 0 hit points, he also has 7 clones in 7 separate safe rooms within the dungeon each with certain magical equipment to be equipped and used in the event of death. On each level of the dungeon (except the first) we find one of his Simulacrum (from his near infinite simulacrum chain), ruling that level. See they've each gotten a little less friendly toward him, but cannot directly oppose him, but they certainly won't defy him because they have each been told (through a long and drawn out process of passing the message on) to protect the original and never betray him. Each level can have different inhabitants ruled over by a simulacrum. If a simulacrum runs out of spells, the last simulacrum casts Simulacrum on the original to replace it with its Wish spell.


- Who are the defenders and what sort of lengths have they gone to defend the place? Kobolds are notorious for their traps. A kobold settlement or mine will have a very different feel to a troll habitation or a drow outpost and all of those will feel different again to a dragons lair.

Each layer other than the first has its own defenders kept in order by the Simulacrum ruling that level.


- What can the adventurers expect to find there? In the tower of a powerful Wizard, they might expect scrolls and magical items galore, but in a rat-infested goblin village, they'd be lucky to find a decent length of rope that won't break the first time they try to use it.

Depends on the level. The first is going to be low on magic items, but each progressing level can have slightly more or whatever makes sense for that level.


Don't get me wrong, the "random dungeon" can be entertaining as a one-player dungeon-delve where it's you vs. the computer, but when you're roleplaying, you need a purpose to get the most out of it. Things need to make sense; they need to have a purpose. You can't just have a +1 Sword of Doom sitting in a goblins closet without at least putting the corpse of the previous owner in that goblins pantry or something.

In short, seemingly disconnected rooms in a random map doesn't make for a thought exercise worth considering. Give a little more purpose and direction and you may find more people willing to respond and contribute.

Many people find random dungeons enjoyable, in D&D. In fact most mega-dungeons are pretty random.