Help please! I need fresh ideas for royal tomb dungeon.

[lord of bats]

Hello.

I'm slowly putting together a D&D 5E dungeon where a party of adventurers will explore an ancient royal tomb. I'm now on my second re-write because I've realized that the whole concept was top heavy with over-complicated ideas which would bore my players, rather than interest and intrigue them.

So, I'm putting out a general call to everyone in GITP for some new ideas to me pump some fresh life into the game. Obviously I can't reveal too much because its quite possible that some of the players in question might be members of this forum. But if I describe some of the background details and themes, that might be enough to stimulate some ideas in the imaginations of the gamers reading this message.

Here goes...

The tomb is located right on the coast because the dead king buried within it once ruled over a coastal kingdom. He lead his people to many notable naval victories. He also completed several long voyages of exploration, taking a squadron of his ships to various exotic locations. The wealth of his kingdom was bound up with the sea because the land he ruled over was relatively resource poor. Expeditions to hunt for fabulous and dangerous sea monsters were another of his maritime activities.

This kingdom is now a desolate wasteland, having been destroyed long ago by a series of natural disasters. Even though legends tell of the riches and might of this nation, it is shunned by all as a place cursed by the gods. A formidable series of natural obstacles keep it effectively sealed off from the rest of the world and almost everyone considers it to be inaccessible. Obviously the players will have discovered a means of gaining entry to this deserted kingdom.

Ok, I think that's all I can safely reveal here.

Thank you one and all for taking the time to read this. I'd be very grateful for any help given and any new ideas that come my way.

All the best,

The Lord of Bats.

[Emongnome777]

A few scattered thoughts:

A tomb has traps to keep pilfering adventurers from getting to the wealth, so those are still around.

Parts of it can be below water to change things up.

Eldritch horrors / Cthulhu themes should be prevalent (tentacles!).

If they captured exotic creatures, have the hollowed-out remains of things like aboleths and a kracken to explore, as well as large vessels (magical submarines?).

(Re)watch The Goonies.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Sounds a lot like Winterhold and Yngol Barrow in Skyrim.

What's the terrain like? Is it a frozen wasteland? A desert? Was there a massive earthquake that split the land asunder, caused a volcanic eruption that buried one half in molten rock, and a tsunami that washed the other half down the ravine created by the earthquake? Was there a magical calamity that infused the land with the elements of air, earth, fire, and water, causing one area to be flooded, one to be upturned and the ruins are now in caverns underground, one portion is still burning, and the last is a few islands suspended in a howling void of torrential winds? And the areas in between those have overlapping elements and are dominated by magma, smoke, ice, and ooze, and all the areas are now inhabited by monsters with affinities for those elements?

Assuming this wasteland still has some sort of ruins, likely inhabited by the crazed descendants of stragglers, undead, orcs or goblins or similar, giant vermin, etc., there should be multiple smaller adventures throughout the ancient kingdom to first find clues that reveal the location of the fabled tomb. Perhaps even clues or a mcguffin required to gain entry, and even more clues that will aid in solving the puzzles within.

You honestly haven't given out anything close to enough details to work with here.

[lord of bats]

Sounds a lot like Winterhold and Yngol Barrow in Skyrim.

What's the terrain like? Is it a frozen wasteland? A desert? Was there a massive earthquake that split the land asunder, caused a volcanic eruption that buried one half in molten rock, and a tsunami that washed the other half down the ravine created by the earthquake? Was there a magical calamity that infused the land with the elements of air, earth, fire, and water, causing one area to be flooded, one to be upturned and the ruins are now in caverns underground, one portion is still burning, and the last is a few islands suspended in a howling void of torrential winds? And the areas in between those have overlapping elements and are dominated by magma, smoke, ice, and ooze, and all the areas are now inhabited by monsters with affinities for those elements?

Assuming this wasteland still has some sort of ruins, likely inhabited by the crazed descendants of stragglers, undead, orcs or goblins or similar, giant vermin, etc., there should be multiple smaller adventures throughout the ancient kingdom to first find clues that reveal the location of the fabled tomb. Perhaps even clues or a mcguffin required to gain entry, and even more clues that will aid in solving the puzzles within.

You honestly haven't given out anything close to enough details to work with here.



I realize that Biff.

But my hands are tied by circumstances.

I've already stated that the group who will play this dungeon could also be members GITP, but using names that I'm not familiar with.

So, if I go into much more detail I'm running the risk of giving too much away to them.

I'd like to post my e-mail address to allow a line of communication that would sidestep this problem, but the rules of GITP won't allow me.

Before I can do that I must have a total of 10 forum posts under my belt.

And this one is my second.

You see the bind I'm in?

Sorry.

Lord of Bats.

[lord of bats]

A few scattered thoughts:

A tomb has traps to keep pilfering adventurers from getting to the wealth, so those are still around.

Parts of it can be below water to change things up.

Eldritch horrors / Cthulhu themes should be prevalent (tentacles!).

If they captured exotic creatures, have the hollowed-out remains of things like aboleths and a kracken to explore, as well as large vessels (magical submarines?).

(Re)watch The Goonies.

Thank you Emongnome.

I appreciate your input.

Lord of Bats.

[Unoriginal]

What if the King was actualy a druid and they're now one with the land their tomb is built on?

And they're fine with people braving their tomb, as they use it as a test to see who is worth getting [X item of interest they had in life] or who they can trust to do [Y task they want to see done]. Those who fail the test are harmlessly removed from the perimeter and it's arranged that they don't find the tomb again.

[Cyclops08]

After the party has encountered and learned respect mummies, give then a long corridor with a brass door at the end and 20 corpses wrapped in linens along the walls (10 to q side). The door is a trapped/poison needle. opening it does two things. It reveals nothing but a stone wall on the other side (fake door), AND it unleashes a wave of necrotic energy down the hall.

~~the 20 corpses animate advancing upon the party. They are just zombies but the look like mummies. the lethal part of the trap is the point blank fireball the party will inevitably chose to take. even if they make their saves the zombies fall, dead again.

If the party is higher level. give the real mummies levels/abilities as well. One is a warlock, another a monk with a chance at mummy rot with every (flurry of) blow that lands. increase the XP rewards as well if you do this. Like I said, the party needs to respect mummies before they hit the corridor trap.

[Battlebooze]

Some ideas, many borrowed from real tombs.

Magic traps circumvented by knowing information about the long dead royal family. "To pass this gate, name the noble crown prince who turned back the horde of the black wastes!" Make it A difficult history check or equally if not worse disarm traps roll.

A clay army, mostly for decoration, but perhaps some are either golums or animated armor. The clay soldiers might let people through as long as they are dressed in the royal colors of the dead kingdom. You could put some outfits in an earlier treasure, so the players might have access if they are smart enough to wear the colors.

A giant game of some kind, like Wizards chess, that the dead royalty liked to play. Perhaps there is a real game, perhaps all you have to do is defeat a string of monsters that match the playing pieces of the game.

A room that is a "condensed" version of the afterlife they royals hoped they would be going to and a hell for their enemies. This room could be trapped, or have real but miniature demons in a "hell" that will attack if disturbed.

A fake treasury full of glass gems, fake gold, and so on, and deadly mimics.

[Cyclops08]

Some ideas, many borrowed from real tombs.

Magic traps circumvented by knowing information about the long dead royal family. "To pass this gate, name the noble crown prince who turned back the horde of the black wastes!" Make it A difficult history check or equally if not worse disarm traps roll.


A fake treasury full of glass gems, fake gold, and so on, and deadly mimics.

I really like these two ideas. Worth stealing in my opinion!

[lord of bats]

Battlebooze, I think that Cyclops08 is right, you're onto something. Thank you. :smallsmile:

How about this as a way of letting the players glean some knowledge about the history of this king?

I'm British and every year since 1919 there have been memorial services held to remember those who gave their lives for king (queen) and country. The whole nation used to come to halt on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, with everyone observing a minute of silence, out of respect for the fallen. Wreathes are laid by prominent people, military bands play patriotic tunes and solemn parades of servicemen and women march past, saluting their commanders and royal rulers.

So, what if this royal tomb isn't a place that's been sealed-for-all-time, but is in fact, opened every jubilee year (7 year intervals?) for similar activities? Maybe there are parades, ceremonies and offerings made to honour the memory of this king? Perhaps there is a huge amphitheatre underground where actors re-enact the life and times of the king, where epic poems are read, where dances take place and where his victories and exploits are remembered?

I reckon these ceremonial areas would have to be separate from the inner sanctum, where the body of the king actually lies. But it should be possible to place clues and hints in these areas that can help the players figure out how to delve deeper into the tomb complex.

I'm thinking of chambers and galleries where the captured banners, ship's figureheads and weapons are displayed, not unlike the ancient Greek tradition of proudly displaying the bronze rams from the bows of captured biremes and triremes. There might even be the underground equivalent of a dry-dock where entire enemy ships can be found. Not unlike the ancient Egyptian tradition of burying the pharaoh's funeral barge.

The treasure chambers could be arranged in chronological order, showing off the coins and bullion taken in early, ship-to-ship skirmishes, going on through the plunder taken from voyages of conquest to his later voyages of exploration to exotic islands and strange lands. There could be murals, frescoes and paintings depicting all of these adventures and perhaps talking and singing statues who's function it is to tell these great tales and stories.

So, rather than the tomb being a cold and silent place of the dead (or the undead) it might come alive every seven years with ceremonial music and song.

What do you think?

LoB

[Telwar]

Two words: Water trap.

Specifically, in the latter part of Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon, in late WW2 Philippines, Japanese engineers build a cache to hide their looted war gold. One of the features is a lake next to it that supplies water for traps, including an obviously fake wall that practically invites pickaxes that, when hit, collapses and destroys the looters.

To be fair, that's probably not a fun trap for players. But like a 300' shaft full of water, with summoned monsters every 100' (except the last one, it's at 280') could be amusing.

[jojosskul]

Battlebooze, I think that Cyclops08 is right, you're onto something. Thank you. :smallsmile:

How about this as a way of letting the players glean some knowledge about the history of this king?

I'm British and every year since 1919 there have been memorial services held to remember those who gave their lives for king (queen) and country. The whole nation used to come to halt on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, with everyone observing a minute of silence, out of respect for the fallen. Wreathes are laid by prominent people, military bands play patriotic tunes and solemn parades of servicemen and women march past, saluting their commanders and royal rulers.

So, what if this royal tomb isn't a place that's been sealed-for-all-time, but is in fact, opened every jubilee year (7 year intervals?) for similar activities? Maybe there are parades, ceremonies and offerings made to honour the memory of this king? Perhaps there is a huge amphitheatre underground where actors re-enact the life and times of the king, where epic poems are read, where dances take place and where his victories and exploits are remembered?

I reckon these ceremonial areas would have to be separate from the inner sanctum, where the body of the king actually lies. But it should be possible to place clues and hints in these areas that can help the players figure out how to delve deeper into the tomb complex.

I'm thinking of chambers and galleries where the captured banners, ship's figureheads and weapons are displayed, not unlike the ancient Greek tradition of proudly displaying the bronze rams from the bows of captured biremes and triremes. There might even be the underground equivalent of a dry-dock where entire enemy ships can be found. Not unlike the ancient Egyptian tradition of burying the pharaoh's funeral barge.

The treasure chambers could be arranged in chronological order, showing off the coins and bullion taken in early, ship-to-ship skirmishes, going on through the plunder taken from voyages of conquest to his later voyages of exploration to exotic islands and strange lands. There could be murals, frescoes and paintings depicting all of these adventures and perhaps talking and singing statues who's function it is to tell these great tales and stories.

So, rather than the tomb being a cold and silent place of the dead (or the undead) it might come alive every seven years with ceremonial music and song.

What do you think?

LoB

I like the idea that some of the earlier levels of the tomb are like this. Depending on how powerful the kingdom was back when the tomb was created, magic wise, one of the areas could be a natural history museumish area, with programmed illusions of famous scenes from the kings life with a series of magic mouths describing the event/history. This lets them get the info for later history riddles without having ot make this part of the tomb a place where people actively go.

These more accessible areas could have local monsters actually lair in them, using them to their advantage. In the aforementioned museum area, some illusions would be in disrepair, and some sort of monster uses the ones that work to hide themselves to ambush those who come by. Could make it shadows/spectres/ghosts of previous members of the kingdom, or anything else local.

I like the idea of the ampitheatre area having been completely submerged since the tomb is on the coast (the main tomb once past this area could be sealed off well enough that most of the water doesn't get in, and it helps explain why it's difficult to access. Have maritime monster encounter of your choice here. Sahuagin, merrow, a small kraken cult (Is the kraken home? Better hope not.)

Just some thoughts, hope this helps.

[Sorinth]

Generally speaking there should be two primary areas an accessible "public" area where people would go to pay their respects, this is true even if the tomb is not open to the general public. And then a more private area that is either hidden, protected by traps, or both where the real stuff resides. You'll also have to decide whether a royal tomb is for the royal line and have many people buried or whether it's just a single tomb.

For a nautical theme I would for sure want 2 entrances the normal one on land and one that is only accessible by the sea. The sea access would be used so that nautical allies/love interests, etc... could visit the tomb.

In terms of traps/hidden areas they probably should be water based such as there being a hidden passageway in a pool of water that needs to be used to access a treasure room, water traps that flood a room and drown anyone who triggers the trap, etc...

It could also be cool if the tomb served an actual purpose. Something like having a lighthouse built on top of the tomb. A lighthouse ties in well with the being inaccessible part as lighthouses were used to highlight dangerous areas of a coast.

[lord of bats]

I like the idea that some of the earlier levels of the tomb are like this. Depending on how powerful the kingdom was back when the tomb was created, magic wise, one of the areas could be a natural history museumish area, with programmed illusions of famous scenes from the kings life with a series of magic mouths describing the event/history. This lets them get the info for later history riddles without having ot make this part of the tomb a place where people actively go.

These more accessible areas could have local monsters actually lair in them, using them to their advantage. In the aforementioned museum area, some illusions would be in disrepair, and some sort of monster uses the ones that work to hide themselves to ambush those who come by. Could make it shadows/spectres/ghosts of previous members of the kingdom, or anything else local.

I like the idea of the ampitheatre area having been completely submerged since the tomb is on the coast (the main tomb once past this area could be sealed off well enough that most of the water doesn't get in, and it helps explain why it's difficult to access. Have maritime monster encounter of your choice here. Sahuagin, merrow, a small kraken cult (Is the kraken home? Better hope not.)

Just some thoughts, hope this helps.

Yes thanks Jojosskul.

Some great ideas that I can work with.

:smallsmile:

[lord of bats]

Generally speaking there should be two primary areas an accessible "public" area where people would go to pay their respects, this is true even if the tomb is not open to the general public. And then a more private area that is either hidden, protected by traps, or both where the real stuff resides. You'll also have to decide whether a royal tomb is for the royal line and have many people buried or whether it's just a single tomb.

For a nautical theme I would for sure want 2 entrances the normal one on land and one that is only accessible by the sea. The sea access would be used so that nautical allies/love interests, etc... could visit the tomb.

In terms of traps/hidden areas they probably should be water based such as there being a hidden passageway in a pool of water that needs to be used to access a treasure room, water traps that flood a room and drown anyone who triggers the trap, etc...

It could also be cool if the tomb served an actual purpose. Something like having a lighthouse built on top of the tomb. A lighthouse ties in well with the being inaccessible part as lighthouses were used to highlight dangerous areas of a coast.

I like it, Sorinth. :smallsmile:

What you describe is not unlike the way the temple in ancient Jerusalem was organised. The outer courtyard was for anyone, gentiles or Jews. The inner courtyard was for Jews only. Beyond that you had the inner sanctum, where only the priests could enter. And finally, there was the Holy of Holies, which contained the Ark of the Covenant. Only the High Priest could enter into the very presence of god and even then only after strict rituals of cleansing and purification. In case even the tiniest error had been made and the High Priest was ritually unclean a rope was tied to his ankle. This was because if he were unclean, being in the holy presence of god would instantly kill him. Should that happen the other priests could then pull his corpse out of the Holy of Holies without having to enter into that place themselves.

I'll think some more about your other ideas.

Anyway, thanks again.

LoB.

[Cyclops08]

Building on these ideas, the upper part of the tomb is like a tourist area with a fee to enter. It is actually a holy site where pilgrims travel to. Fees maintain the tomb complex. This upper level is false and has no actual connection to the tomb proper...it in fact is a trap where sloppy players can actually get arrested. The door that leads to the 'true tomb" is an alarm and opens only to a stone wall.

I saw a movie from the 60's where an Egyptian king died. his royal guards, his queen and concubines were all given a royal feast inside the tomb and were sealed in to serve the king in the afterlife. The guards had poison to drink. The queen was totally surprised by this.
~~Imagine a banshee or high level undead has taken over the tomb. This is the queen resentful of her helpless death and now she plots to ruin the king's afterlife and kill the priests of the temple complex at the entrance to the valley of the kings...The PCs could unleash a terrible evil upon the world...

[lord of bats]

Building on these ideas, the upper part of the tomb is like a tourist area with a fee to enter. It is actually a holy site where pilgrims travel to. Fees maintain the tomb complex. This upper level is false and has no actual connection to the tomb proper...it in fact is a trap where sloppy players can actually get arrested. The door that leads to the 'true tomb" is an alarm and opens only to a stone wall.

I saw a movie from the 60's where an Egyptian king died. his royal guards, his queen and concubines were all given a royal feast inside the tomb and were sealed in to serve the king in the afterlife. The guards had poison to drink. The queen was totally surprised by this.
~~Imagine a banshee or high level undead has taken over the tomb. This is the queen resentful of her helpless death and now she plots to ruin the king's afterlife and kill the priests of the temple complex at the entrance to the valley of the kings...The PCs could unleash a terrible evil upon the world...

Good work there, Cyclops08. :smallsmile:

Dividing the tomb complex into public and non-public areas is something I'm going to go with.

Btw, that movie was Land of the Pharaohs. Sorry, but I can't post any links to it because my posts need to exceed 10 and I'm only on 6.

The Pharaoh's treacherous wife thought she was entering the pyramid for some sort of funeral rite for her dead husband, after which she'd leave and then claim the throne of Egypt. But, the Pharaoh's faithful servants triggered a device placed in the pyramid by it's architect. Huge stone blocks quickly descended, sealing each level off, leaving the queen to die a miserable death alone.

So Yes, a vengeful banshee sealed into the inner sanctum of the tomb complex is definitely an option.

Thanks again, Cyclops08. Great ideas! Keep 'em coming.

LoB.