Improving The Oozing Temple (OotA Spoilers)

[Goober4473]

My party is getting close to finishing up with Gracklstugh, and have been to Nerverlight Grove already, and I've waiting to use the Oozing Temple for their trek to Blingdenstone, since it's ooze themed and I didn't want the players to deal with having Glabbagool with them as they crossed the Darklake or walked around a city.

Now, I love the theme of this place, but I feel like it has some serious design problems.

The lack of air and the rising water level feel like they should be some kind of real pressure, but the temple is a tiny dungeon that could easily be completed in a matter of minutes. Plus, do we really need both limited air and rising water? One should be sufficient. My plan here is to leave the water to its slow pace, but increase the air loss problem to a matter of minutes. Perhaps fumes are choking out the air, which is not getting refreshed.

The larger issue though is that besides fighting a few oozes, and of course encountering Glabbagool, there's nothing very compelling about the dungeon, which is mostly full of Gotchas like statues that attack if touched and pit traps full of oozes.

What I'd like to do is combine the time limit with some kind of puzzle that has to be solved in order to get out. I'm thinking the ceiling is too tough for them to break further on their own, but something in the temple can turn stone into gray oozes. They'll have to make enemies out of blockages in order to progress. The device that does it takes time to recharge, but can be set to create more oozes at once, so they could spawn just a few enemies at a time, but that would require more waiting, or they could go for broke and spawn a ton at once, but that makes for a harder fight, with more rushing water to deal with.

With that in mind, I'd also like to have one more good encounter, to get the Ooozifier device, probably involving Black Puddings. A straight combat might be okay, but does anyone have any better ideas? My PCs will be 6th level at this point, so things need to be tough.

Also, any better ideas than "gas leak" that air could be limited to ~10 minutes?

[Uneasy Goat]

I've always been a fan of the Lost-themed "Countdown Clock" and if you were to incorporate a means of "refreshing the air" but it means you're still trapped, it could give them time to solve a puzzle.

Example: Enter "puzzle room" and they find a lever that allows air into the room, but re-seals itself when they let it go. The puzzle could be the door or in the next room, but they have to choose to move forward and accept that they're losing air to solve the puzzle. This can give them an opportunity to catch a breath (mind the pun) and not feel rushed through this temple.

I am also playing OotA and I've been researching all I can about these encounters to take them from the cookie-cutter or "hack-and-slash" and make them into memorable events. I'm looking to run Oozing Temple in the next few weeks, so I look forward to seeing what other people's suggestions are.

[mgshamster]

I ignored the air issue with this side quest. I also made the temple much larger, as I attached it to a bigger temple that belonged to one of my players. In addition, I lengthened the size of the hallways, just to make it seem bigger.

Since I ran this temple when my players were only level 3, I replaced the stronger oozes with weaker ones, so it wouldn't kill them with one hit (only the oozes in the pit traps).

After it flooded, I hinted strongly at the idea that they could go up. At first, then sent Glabagool up (he could go through the cracks in the ceiling) to scout, and he returned with information that it led up to a slow moving river with a shore they could reach. After that, they collapsed the ceiling and flooded the temple to swim up.

I used the following rules for them to swim up:

Those with athletics proficiency and light/no armor auto succeeded. Those without proficiency and medium/heavy armor auto failed (unless they had help). Everyone else had to roll. I don't remember what DC I gave.

[ad_hoc]

Don't underestimate the unknown and thrill of discovery.

The players know there is a ticking clock and they quickly find out that there are hazards in the dungeon.

It takes time to both be safe and to find the treasure. The way out isn't exactly obvious either as it could kill them.

I ran it as is and the party had a great time. They ran from Glabbagool but eventually befriended them. They found the cavern that would eventually be the exist then doubled back to inspect the passages. They triggered the black pudding trap, one character almost died. Then they got Glabbagool to trap the pudding. They explored the treasure room. Then, as the waters were rising and air was thin they decided to risk the cave in as they had exhausted other ideas on how to escape.

It was a great little dungeon. Sometimes less is more.

[Uneasy Goat]

Don't underestimate the unknown and thrill of discovery.

The players know there is a ticking clock and they quickly find out that there are hazards in the dungeon.

It takes time to both be safe and to find the treasure. The way out isn't exactly obvious either as it could kill them.

I ran it as is and the party had a great time. They ran from Glabbagool but eventually befriended them. They found the cavern that would eventually be the exist then doubled back to inspect the passages. They triggered the black pudding trap, one character almost died. Then they got Glabbagool to trap the pudding. They explored the treasure room. Then, as the waters were rising and air was thin they decided to risk the cave in as they had exhausted other ideas on how to escape.

It was a great little dungeon. Sometimes less is more.

Personally, fear of the unknown is what triggers some of the best (and most memorable) experiences in a game. Without adequate planning, a dungeon where you're only fighting a few enemies can be overwhelming, but not necessarily in a bad way. A bard who uses all of his/her "Bardic Inspiration" dice on a single fight can learn the hard way that sometimes it's good to have patience. A group who runs in to get through something fast can learn the folly of not taking in surroundings.

I love the idea for this dungeon, and I love even more that my players will have no real idea what's going on behind the scenes. I quoted this because I feel much the same way, meta-gaming can ruin a really fun experience because players will transition to playing "the game" rather than playing their characters.

[Goober4473]

The temple is okay as is, but I don't like the traps that the players have no way to know about, and I don't like that the "time limit" is hours to explore just a few rooms.

Here's what I've come up with instead:

1. Boxed In

The players notice a hissing sound too late as a gas pocket explodes in fire. Each character must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much of a successful one.

The blast is immediately followed by a rumbling sound as the cave collapses behind them. Up ahead, it is clear their path has been blocked as well. A side passage remains clear, but air becomes limited. After 5 minutes, all characters suffer disadvantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks. After 10 minutes, they begin to suffocate as if they had run out of breath.

2. Rooms

The cave to the right is the source of the gas leak; not enough to cause another explosion for many hours. There is no encounter here.

To the left is the first temple chamber, which contains 2 Black Puddings. The upper chamber is empty.

The holy symbol of Ghaunadaur, a purple eye on purple, violet, and black circles, appears on the temple walls.

3. Glabbagool

The Gelatinous Cube contains 14 gp, and the mace requires no action to ignite. (I don't like ep, and I wanted the mace to be a little more useful.)

4. Room and Hallway

Replace this area with an empty room and hallway. The four hallway are unnecessary and are just "Gotcha!" traps.

5. Shrine To Ghaunadaur

A half-ruined statue of Ghaunadaur, a large slug-like creature, rests atop the fountain. All six niches contain statues, though they do not come to life, even when touched.

In front of the fountain is a shrine, atop which is a slimy rod. The first character that removes the rod from the shrine immediately learns its function, but must make a DC 10 Intelligence saving throw or gain a level of madness.

Treasure: In the fountain are 112 sp, 41 gp, and a drow +1 dagger with a spider web hilt design, as normal.

The slimy rod is a Rod of Ghaunadaur. While within the temple, once per minute, anyone holding the rod can turn up to ten 5-foot cubes of stone within 30 feet into a living Psychic Gray Ooze. The ooze is not loyal to the creator, and returns to stone form after one hour.

Once removed from the temple, the rod can be used only once per day on one 5-foot cube, and only by an attuned wielder.

6. Water Chamber

To get enough water into the chamber to escape, the player must carve a 100-foot long hole up to the riverbed.

I'm thinking Glabbagool will know the distance to the river, so they can make proper choices about how many oozes they want to bring in all at once.

[ad_hoc]

The temple is okay as is, but I don't like the traps that the players have no way to know about, and I don't like that the "time limit" is hours to explore just a few rooms.


The traps aren't gotchas. They are in special hallways that scream to be investigated. PCs can search the walls and floors for traps. They can also try to read the glyphs/writings to get clues.

The time limit is reasonable too. It sounds like in your game everyone just rushes through. That is typically a good way to get yourself killed.

Black Puddings are also CR 4 each. Is that a typical pacing structure you use? Just have the party nova, then get some treasure?

Whatever works for your game. I just think you are having a serious case of group think which is changing your perspective on the dungeon. It is well written as is.

[Goober4473]

The traps aren't gotchas. They are in special hallways that scream to be investigated. PCs can search the walls and floors for traps. They can also try to read the glyphs/writings to get clues.

The time limit is reasonable too. It sounds like in your game everyone just rushes through. That is typically a good way to get yourself killed.

Black Puddings are also CR 4 each. Is that a typical pacing structure you use? Just have the party nova, then get some treasure?

Whatever works for your game. I just think you are having a serious case of group think which is changing your perspective on the dungeon. It is well written as is.

My party doesn't usually rush, but setting a time limit of hours is meaningless. Making it 10 minutes means they have to rush, thus changing the situation into something different from normal.

My PCs will be level 6 at this point, so a fight with 2 CR 4 monsters is not that big. Later, they will need to convert a large amount of stone into oozes to break the ceiling, adding additional combats paced as they choose.