(3.5) Cool stuff to put in a dungeon

[Biggus]

I'm soon going to start DMing my first full-length dungeon crawl, I'd like suggestions for interesting traps/ monsters/ features to put in it. It's a solo campaign and the player is relatively new to D&D, so I'm more looking for "cool and fun" than "fiendishly difficult".

Some details, in case it matters:

PC is a melee-focused good-aligned Drow starting at Rogue 3/ Fighter 2/ Barbarian 1, probably going to take mostly or all Rogue levels thereafter. ECL 7 (I used the reduced LA suggested on the LA assignment thread). UMD for magic needs. Leadership for cohort.

Cohort: Aasimar Marshal 5. Mostly a flanking partner and support character (Cha for UMD, Dex for initiative, damage bonus when flanking). Will be largely defence-focused for survivability (full plate, sword and board).

Campaign probably going to go up to about ECL 17.

Thanks for any ideas :smallsmile:

[SnugUndies]

You know what doesn't get enough credit in dungeon settings? Slimes and molds. Yellow mold sounds like a joke to a mid-level adventurer, but contact with it can deal as much as 3d6 points of Constitution damage. A particularly nasty use I remember is an old AD&D adventure that involved invisible trolls with glass spheres affixed to the end of 10-foot poles. Inside the spheres was a bunch of green slime, meaning a successful hit against a PC would immediately subject them to the Constitution damage.

Maybe you wouldn't want to subject a solo adventurer to something so insidious, but something similar could certainly spice up a dungeon encounter. A pit trap that dumps the player into a nest of brown mold? A narrow passage that a kobold could easily slip through, but a Medium-size adventurer squeezing through would come into contact with the green slime on the ceiling and walls? Just some ideas.

[Saintheart]

I am a recent convert to browsing the inexhaustible font of lists produced by the guy who runs Elfmaids and Octopi (http://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_27.html). He may not have completely worked-through mechanics, but his lists are always inspiring if not great to outright steal from. Look for his Redbrick Dungeon Zone section in particular.

Anyway, on topic I did find at his site the Little Guys (http://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2012/12/dungeon-dwellers-little-guys.html) list which is dungeon-themed. Someone even statted out his suggestions from that list and put them here (http://aeonsnaugauries.blogspot.com/2013/10/low-life-encounter-table-version-1.html).

Good grief, if nothing else consider just reading his list of potential things that happen when you camp in a dungeon (http://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2013/04/sleepy-time-in-dungeon.html).

[DwarvenWarCorgi]

My DM recently had a dungeon that was less than straightforward. Instead of doors and tunnels, just colored portals. Blue was free to use, other colors required an attuned gem. (Yes a little keycard video game-y) but it was different and therefore engaging in tabletop, also after we portalled into a vacuum, we started showing a lot more caution. Definitely a memorable session.

[Biggus]

You know what doesn't get enough credit in dungeon settings? Slimes and molds.

I had forgotten about slimes and molds. Thank you, I'll put some in.


I am a recent convert to browsing the inexhaustible font of lists produced by the guy who runs Elfmaids and Octopi (http://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_27.html). He may not have completely worked-through mechanics, but his lists are always inspiring if not great to outright steal from. Look for his Redbrick Dungeon Zone section in particular.

Anyway, on topic I did find at his site the Little Guys (http://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2012/12/dungeon-dwellers-little-guys.html) list which is dungeon-themed. Someone even statted out his suggestions from that list and put them here (http://aeonsnaugauries.blogspot.com/2013/10/low-life-encounter-table-version-1.html).

Good grief, if nothing else consider just reading his list of potential things that happen when you camp in a dungeon (http://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2013/04/sleepy-time-in-dungeon.html).

Wow, that site is amazing! Exactly the kind of thing I was looking for :smallbiggrin:

[Unavenger]

A dragon, of course!

[Psyren]

The Mimic is a classic. Sneaky aberrations in general make for great dungeon dwellers - ropers, cloakers, chokers etc.

You also can't go wrong with undead, especially failed prior adventurers - good source of gear, challenge, and pathos

[Tvtyrant]

Artifact: Healing Fountain. 19ft angelic statue that transforms water from the pool to a golden healing potion of cure major wounds. The artifact can be removed but the water can only be consumed straight from the attached pool/basin (looks like a giant clamshell.)

Inside the pool is a parasite ridden dungeonbred Kraken. The party thus has the options of ridding the Kraken of parasites (bunch of Tsochari's that attack the party), in which case it gives them several Pearls of Power. Or they can kill it and loot the artifact (requiring them to dig the basin out of the floor and drag it off to their base.)

[SnugUndies]

Also, I was reminded of something quite intriguing I saw in an adventure once. There were a number of 'scrolls' - that, is spell completion items - that were carved into a stone pillar in a dungeon. The players could cast the spells from them whenever they liked, but of course they were forced to use them in the room where they were found (there was also the caveat that they would break apart and be useless if anyone tried to chip them out of the stone to be carried elsewhere.) I really liked this idea - it provides a bit of magic healing or whatever in the dungeon, but the party can't just turn around and sell the effect instead or stockpile it for later. It's interesting what having the 'use it or lose it' mentality applied does to how they approach the rest of the dungeon.

[daremetoidareyo]

Mimics. Oodles of em