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chronoplasm
2008-09-11, 01:28 PM
OK, so I want to make a dungeon themed around steam.
It would have both ancient machinery and natural steam vents.

General Puzzle Ideas:
Opening/Closing Pipes and Valves
Wheels Turned by Steam
Pressure buildup to make things launch/explode

General Hazard Ideas:
Burning Hot Pipes
Pools of Boiling Water
Blasts of Scalding Steam
Pressure buildup makes things launch/explode

Other:
Sulfur can be collected from the natural steam vents. Combined with charcoal and saltpetre this makes gun powder.


Do you guys have any ideas?

Fako
2008-09-11, 02:27 PM
I have a few ideas...

Visiblity: In areas with lots of steam (maybe the whole dungeon), limit how far ahead the party can see "clearly". You can simply treat it as a Fog Cloud or Solid Fog spell dependent on the amount of steam in the area.

Exhaustion: If the steam is a constant in the dungeon, the party will obviously be sweating. Unless they have Fire Resistance or have an Endure Elements spell on, they could get fatigued/exhausted in an hour or so simply from walking around... I know I'd get sweaty and tired if I tried to wear a suit of armor in a sauna...

Monsters: Obviously, Air Elementals and Steam Mephits are good choices for the area...

Puzzles: The 'keys' of the dungeon (if you use them) could be replaced by spare bits of machinery that have to be collected to repair steam-powered door systems...

chronoplasm
2008-09-11, 03:08 PM
Great ideas, thanks!

To tweak your steam-powered door systems idea:

Perhaps instead of having to find parts to repair each individual door, players can work their way down to the main mechanism and repair it to allow all doors in the place to open. Then the players must backtrack.

For the exhaustion idea, I was thinking that players could remove armor to reduce exhaustion. Since armor is gimped, I'm thinking that most of the enemies in the dungeon should be spell casters attacking reflex, fortitude, and will instead of AC.
The visibility idea means I can have lots of lurkers in the dungeon.
So for monsters, I might want to use a lot of stealthy monsters, spellcasters, and stealthy spellcasters.

Thanks :)

arguskos
2008-09-11, 03:12 PM
So for monsters, I might want to use a lot of stealthy monsters, spellcasters, and stealthy spellcasters.
You forgot stealthy spellcasting monsters. :smallwink:

Also, steam-powered stuff is excellent. I figure you are playing in 4e, based on your comment about "attacking" Fort, Ref, and Will, but in any case, you should take a look at Iron Kingdoms (3.x third party stuff). It's got some steam-punk stuff that was pretty awesome (golems powered by steam engines, stuff like that).

Also, I just had an idea for an animated suit of armor that, when hit, sprays people with scalding water from it's joints.

-argus

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 03:16 PM
Random 'escaped' fire and water elementals that used to power the place as the churned out immense volumes of steam. LARGE PISTONS! lots of traps based on maintaining a certain balance. Steam Golems?:smalleek:

chronoplasm
2008-09-11, 03:27 PM
Steam-Powered Warforged could work too for lower-leveled enemies.
Oh, and yes, I am doing 4E.

I'll check out Iron Kingdoms.

Maybe I can homebrew some Sulfur Elementals as low-level minions.

Traps based on balancing things? That sounds pretty good actually.
Maybe there can be a puzzle where players have to get a bunch of guages to match up to make a machine work properly.

streakster
2008-09-11, 03:29 PM
A vault. The door slams shut behind them. It's massive, too - too big to lift. The answer to the puzzle is to use a fire spell on the boiler to get it working, which will open the door. Why was this boiler sealed in a vault, though? That's right! It's possessed, and they've reawakened it! I'd use an animated object for the boiler, with the fire and evil subtypes added. Also, give it some spells - off the top of my head - Summon steam mephit, Incendiary cloud, Fog Cloud (rename to Steam Cloud), Fire Ball, Fire Storm, Pyrotechnics, and Fire Shield.

Garbage system: A conveyor belt leading to a compacting room. The twist? While they'll easily stop the walls (they're old, and have broken down) the next step after compacting is... incineration!

Steam-powered Magic Missile Turrets: Can be shut off by using ice spells, freezing the pipes. Bonus points for including a scrap of paper as a clue to the fact that turrets lie hidden ahead - "I wasn't aware that boiled water could form allegiances..."

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 03:33 PM
Worse yet this all being ran by malevolent entity that though once a mere man has through gross body manipulation BUILT himself into the very steam dungeon. I'll let you decide where to go with that one:smallwink:
Also for mid to high level. Big Daddies anyone?

arguskos
2008-09-11, 04:06 PM
Steam-powered Magic Missile Turrets: Can be shut off by using ice spells, freezing the pipes. Bonus points for including a scrap of paper as a clue to the fact that turrets lie hidden ahead - "I wasn't aware that boiled water could form allegiances..."
Oh hi XKCD, how're you doing?

-argus

BRC
2008-09-11, 04:10 PM
You can use the Steam Mephit's breath weapon as a base for alot of stuff.

The entire thing should be powered by abunch of decanters of endless water and a room full of Permanancied Walls of Fire.

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 04:20 PM
I still trapped and POed elementals would be more fun but that's fairly safe route. Heck even a ton of produce flame spells in place.

chronoplasm
2008-09-11, 04:26 PM
Black Dragoon: What if the fire and water elemental idea were combined with the big daddy idea?

The big daddy is actually a fire elemental piloting a walking furnace. It stands guard over a bunch of minor water elementals in bottle-suits that wander around and do simple maintenance work. You can pick up the water elementals and throw them at the big daddy elemental for maximum damage.

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 04:34 PM
that could get painful rapid cooling cracks metal. If you cooled this thing down enough and fast enough it could explode. Congrats you now have a walking bomb.:smallbiggrin:

chronoplasm
2008-09-11, 05:00 PM
that could get painful rapid cooling cracks metal. If you cooled this thing down enough and fast enough it could explode. Congrats you now have a walking bomb.:smallbiggrin:

Sweet! That could make for some interesting battles.

As for the final boss, this malevolent entity that used to be a man, I'm thinking maybe it should stray from the theme of steam quite a bit in such a way that punctuates the whole experience. I guess a big underlying theme in this dungeon, beyond just steam, is opposites and contradiction.

The boss of this dungeon is powered by the steam work machinery, but is themed around the union of flesh and metal.
The magic missile turrets are his eyes placed throughout the dungeon to monitor the operation of the machinery.
The boss could attack with electricity. Perhaps breaking the pipes can flood the room with water so that the boss damages himself with his own attacks?

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 05:10 PM
I like the idea of integrating flesh and steam but I wouldn't give the big bad at the end such a glaring fault. make it more subtle. Besides he built the place he knows water is bad for him. Make it something more logical like if he keeps belching out fire ball like explosion he will overheat and needs to run and hide for a second. Also Try the wonder trope one winged angel with this guy. He IS the dungeon. make so that they beat down a real easy form only to have the room begin fill with laughter as they find out that He is still alive and more than happy to end their lives. Make it so that to finish this guy off they need finish off the steel heart of the dungeon or something having to fight through traps really nasty baddies and all sorts of fun stuff and face down the real BBEG a giant super steam powered monstrosity that houses this guys soul or heart and that by killing him they can bring down the house. Literally if you really feel mean.

Now I want to do this!:smallfrown:

streakster
2008-09-11, 05:25 PM
Oh hi XKCD, how're you doing?

-argus

I was channeling Yahtzee...is there some XKCD on the same topic I haven't seen?

chronoplasm
2008-09-11, 05:25 PM
"Wait! That was a load-bearing boss!"

Hmmm... If he is the dungeon, then heres an idea.

When you get into the boss room, you feel the room start shaking as it is hoisted up by cables pulled by cranes. When you look down from the door, you see the entire dungeon you just journeyed through from a birds eye view. You can repel from cables to get to drop down. When you do so, you see that the room you were just in was a massive head with a mechanical hand attached at the neck. The thing moves along the ceiling and drops down to try and grab you. If you can snap the cables, the thing will fall down, but continue to crawl around on its fingers.

arguskos
2008-09-11, 05:31 PM
Wait... I failed. I was confused. :smallsigh:

Thanks for setting me right.

-argus

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 05:32 PM
Oh no.:smalleek:
The dungeon begins to shake as they beat down the 'big bad' as the heroes escape to the entrance they watch as the entire complex rises from the ground revealing it to a massive humanoid shape comprised of the dungeon. From deep within they hear a thunderous voice like metal grinding against metal.
"I HAVE AWOKEN!" The players must now find a way to reach the dungeon now moving towards City X to crush it and it's people and destroy it's 'brain' all the while dodging traps and other what nots. Again.

streakster
2008-09-11, 05:42 PM
And then, after all that, we cross the Bishonen Line (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BishonenLine). All the elementals and mephits rush into the Big Bad, and he becomes an ordinary shaped humanoid with brass clockwork wings, who casts electric spells. Add sparking eyes, steam rushing from his mouth, and ominous latin chanting (from a phonograph!) for effect.

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 05:44 PM
Sarcasm?:smallconfused:
I'm just saying how I'd pull off the dungeon is all. My players love the epic multi tiered battle at the end. It makes the kill that much more satisfying.

streakster
2008-09-11, 05:47 PM
Sarcasm?:smallconfused:
I'm just saying how I'd pull off the dungeon is all. My players love the epic multi tiered battle at the end. It makes the kill that much more satisfying.

No, no sarcasm. I'm saying what I'd pull off, that's all. Maybe a little silly, but no offense meant.

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 05:50 PM
It's alright I can't tell what's intended without a tone of voice or a face is all. I honestly enjoy over the top battles like that. And I'm sure the group would love to go Shadow of the Collosus on this guy. If his brain was the aforementioned phonographic angel They'd just die of awesome.:smallbiggrin:

chronoplasm
2008-09-11, 06:05 PM
The entire dungeon rising up would be cool, but it doesn't work within my setting exactly since this dungeon is actually a sub-dungeon which comprises part of a larger super-dungeon. Each sub-dungeon requires the completion of a side-quest outside of the super-dungeon to open (for example, retrieving two keys which are actually swords lost in battle in another land, or burying the remains of a fallen adventurer to get the ghost to lower a draw bridge, etc.)

It goes...

Ice Dungeon
Water Dungeon
Steam Dungeon
Fire Dungeon
Magnetic Dungeon
Forest in a Dome Dungeon
Lost City Dungeon
Portal Dungeon
Time Dungeon
The End of Everything Dungeon

The whole thing is actually a gigantic machine built by The Ancients.

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 06:07 PM
darn. Then I guess skip to the phonograph angel...I really should run this sometime. My players would just love this until they died.

chronoplasm
2008-09-11, 06:11 PM
I'm not saying I won't using the idea, but it will have to wait until later when players reach the very end of the super-dungeon.

Also, I'm thinking this merged-with-the dungeon guy could make for an interesting recurring enemy. After you beat him the first time, his head could continue to pop up in the lower levels of the dungeon that he couldn't access before.

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 06:25 PM
Better yet he's just part of a greater group of nutjobs that serve the end of dungeon's head in a jar. each was powerful mage or whatnot that opted to obtain immortality through this method of merging with dungeon turning it into effectively their personal little worlds where they can play god.

AetherFox
2008-09-11, 06:27 PM
I don't remember where I saw them, maybe in a monster manual, but there are steam elementals. Their either a mixture of fire and water, or water and air. I forget which.

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 06:29 PM
paraelementals they are from the manual of the planes google planewalker for a site that has a PDF called denizens of the Inner Planes. They should be in it. thanks for striking up my memory.

chronoplasm
2008-09-11, 06:47 PM
paraelementals they are from the manual of the planes google planewalker for a site that has a PDF called denizens of the Inner Planes. They should be in it. thanks for striking up my memory.

They are also in the 4E MM which, oddly, has only paraelementals.
Like, no straight up water and fire elementals. :smalleek:

Good idea dragoon. The bosses in each part of the dungeon could be the 'overseers' created by the Ancients to maintain that particular section. All things succumb to entropy however, and over time the dungeon fell into disrepair despite the best efforts of the overseers.
I'm thinking though that maybe not all of the overseers are nutjobs. Perhaps it's only the overseer of the steam section that goes insane. The rest are only trying to do their jobs.

When you first find the overseers of the ice and water sections, they are asleep.
When you find the overseer of the fire section, he is quite distressed because the fire is out of control. He lost contact with the overseers of ice and water, so he sends you to go wake them up so they can come down and help put the fires out.

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 06:52 PM
That could work it's all one big system that has fallen apart at the seems/. But, what was it's original purpose?

Kazasu
2008-09-11, 06:54 PM
0.0 I want to participate in this dungeon. Oh if they beat the actual boss.. Perhaps make it lead to a pathway deeper into the earth, where they learn there is a earth threatening organization opting to destroy and using the boss to protect themselves. They got him to participate by promising him immortality. Just a idea of how I would do it, but thats because I enjoy exhausting people with endless amounts of monsters.

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 07:01 PM
Perhaps it was supposed to a last refuge from...
something...
The Super-dungeon is a sorta guardian that was designed to save the last of the ancients.

chronoplasm
2008-09-11, 07:18 PM
The story is that the Dungeons are great machines that collect up chaotic energy and process it to make it more stable.
Chaotic magic snares dreams and thoughts from mortal minds and coagulates in the dungeons to form monsters.
When monsters are killed, and their remains disenchanted, they produce a magical substance called marrow which is used as a spell component and as a means to make people more powerful.
When marrow is mixed into a solution and injected into an adult, that adult can gain great powers but often at the price of their sanity. If that person is pregnant with child however, that child will be born with even more incredible powers and strange characteristics.

People believe that the Ancients created the dungeons to produce marrow but were eventually wiped out in some kind of war.

The truth is, there was never any war. The Ancients purposefully rebooted their civilization to cleanse themselves of impurities and make themselves stronger.
They created the Dungeons to accelerate their growth and so that they could one day realize their true potential...

...The Ancients are the ancestors of all the creatures of the world from Elves to Dwarves down to the lowliest fly.
The Dungeons are their evolution machines.

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 07:29 PM
Literal Dues Ex Machina. This could get scary. This super dungeon has gone rouge. IT wants to restart evolution again on it's own terms. The players must stop it before it does so.

chronoplasm
2008-09-11, 07:35 PM
That could be cool.

Perhaps by defeating the final boss of the campaign, you symbolize the Ancients and their great reboot. You spent the entire campaign exploring, repairing, and fighting against machinery so that you could grow stronger. Over time the challenges have compounded upon one another to become this greater obstacle that you must overcome.
This enemy calls itself Stagnation. It represents power that has grown to a point that it can grow no farther, and now it must fall.
When you kill it, it leaves you with these final words:
"Strength grows from opposition."

Perhaps the monsters of the steam dungeon have the greatest reverence not for the boss of the dungeon, or for the Ancients, but for the microbes that live in the steam vents and produce the sulfur.
The fact that natural beings could live in such harsh conditions without the aid of magic is seen as a testament to the power of flesh. Even dragons are left in awe by this.

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 08:23 PM
A new idea for sure. I was thinking more along the lines of the building playing god but that could work just as well.

chronoplasm
2008-09-11, 08:26 PM
Maybe the dungeon is also trying to do that, too?

Fri
2008-09-11, 08:30 PM
Or maybe, you know.

The ancients were just bored?

I want to use that as a reason for anything involving ancients in my stories.

Why did ancients left all those nifty gadget all over the galaxy? Well, they were bored. You would be bored to if you're the only sentient species in the galaxy.

Why did the ancient built all those ruins? They're bored. With nothing to do, and power as great as them, I think you'd also spent your time building strange dungeons. Like lego, only bigger.

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 08:30 PM
That could get very odd. I just had the image of third imapct:smalleek:
Oh God! Oh please not that! The dungeon is trying to unify the collective souls of the world into a single entity with it at the core....third impact :smalleek:

chronoplasm
2008-09-11, 08:48 PM
To flesh out the steam dungeon a little more though, someone on another forum helped me figure out a puzzle.

High up on one wall theres a platform you need to get to.
That room has a huge machine.
The machine has a wheel on one end thats being turned by steam from a geothermal vent. You can ride the wheel to get on top of the machine.
On top of the machine, you see a treasure chest all the way at the end of the machine, but between you and that chest theres a bunch of pistons moving up and down. You have to run past the pistons and make a bunch of skill checks and saves to avoid getting crushed.
You can ride the pistons to get up to that platform on the wall.

black dragoon
2008-09-11, 08:54 PM
That could be an amzing death trap. Let's see here....
Aha!
The party enter into a long hallway that has various valves jutting from it. At a timed interval each valve let's off searingly hot steam burst. The players must figure out how to get by either by stopping them which will trigger backpressure and make the hallway explode if they plug to many or they can get through by guessing the rhythm of the releases.

PersonMan
2008-10-04, 08:52 PM
I skimmed the second page, so forgive me if this has already been said...I was thinking that each of the dungeon sector-things could be a part of a huge, humanoid thing. So the party'd fight a burning hand, maybe a foot of icy pipes with the leg of pipes filled with water, and the steam section in between the fire and water sections...But it depends on the uber-dungeon's layout. Are the dungeon sectors like floors on a huge building, or...?

Prometheus
2008-10-04, 09:00 PM
The PCs enter a room, and that they find that hot steam has filled the room and is continuing to fill the room from a broken pipe. Fortunately, only a little bit in there is a wheel that controls a large fan that wafts the steam out of the room, pretty effectively. Unfortunately, that pisses of some kind of steam monster (or they are attacked on an unrelated note). So now the PCs have to have someone constantly turning the wheel or they will have to fight these monsters in a room of increasingly hot and concealing steam. If the monsters or the PCs damage any more pipes, not the PCs have to do their task faster.

Also, Dragon Turtle (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dragonTurtle.htm) has a steam based breath weapon.