Taking a stab at Gygax 75: The Martian Dungeon, part 3

    Wow, slightly over a week later and I can say this was the biggest week so far. Didn't help that I was apartment hunting and travelling while doing it, but I do have the first three levels of the starter dungeon to present! I haven't completed the dungeon as much as I would like, particularly levels 2 and 3, but it is once again enough that I could probably run a session or two with it.

    For the curious, all mapping was done in dungeon scrawl, which is a nice free dungeon mapping software that runs online!

Back to part two

Week 3: The Dungeon

The entrance to this dungeon is a sunken hole in the ground, leaking cool air from below.

Level 1

    This level is themed as a buried temple, though it ended up being pretty small. Still, it should provide some interesting adventures, particularly on repeat visits. The Statue in 05 can very easily become a recurring problem/feature of the level depending on how it is handled.

1. The entrance to the dungeon is a hole, above a loose pile of dirt/sand (anyone on it has a 2-in-6 chance of slipping and sliding to the bottom). Stone room, partially covered by dirt is an inscription on the floor that reads: "The penitent man crawls before the sun, moon, and spirits." Progress in the room is blocked by a series of half-slabs blocking the upper part of the room. The first has a large sun carved on it. The second has a large crescent moon. The third is missing, but anyone attempting to walk through where it would be must Save vs Death or take 2d6 damage as a scything blade goes for their head (crawlers don't need to save). Buried within the pile of dirt are a number of historical ritual implements, worth 200 sp.
   
2. Empty
3. Enormous underground amphitheater. The stage at the bottom has 4 bandits playing dice. There are 350 sp in coins all together among them.
4. Preparatory chamber, which is currently overtaken by yellow mold. A small winding path exists in the room, but is difficult to spot. Within a small chest covered in the yellow mold are 100 gp.
5. North part of this room used to be a common area of sorts. In the north alcove, is an enormous shaft going from the surface down to level 3. It provides some natural light to this room. In the southern alcove is a humanoid statue of a woman on a plinth. It is covered in sealing ropes and charms, but they are all ancient and clearly in poor condition. Touching the ropes causes them to snap, destroying all of the other seals in the process. (Humanoid statues are taboo due to the fear that spirits will possess them and cause problems)
6. The library. Ancient stone shelves with crumbling remains of clay tablets (1,000 sp as decorative pieces, potentially more to the right scholar).. There is an upper level, but it is empty. A secret door is hidden on the wall north of the eastern pillars. A group of 3 vipers have made their nest on one of the shelves, and they will defend their home fiercely but will not easily leave it.
7. Empty
8. Secret chamber, with stairs that proceed down to level 3. The south wall has a secret passage to the library, the other secret passages are easily visible while inside. Two green lizards nest here, on opposite sides of the room. The east wall has a bust of a former high priest, along with a ritual vulture mask, filigreed with gold and set with a pearl for a third eye. It is worth 1,200 sp on its own, in addition to the uses of a vulture mask.
9. Empty
10. Empty
11. Prayer rooms arranged circularly. The floor is set with a sun mosaic. No monsters. Each prayer room (a-e) has a pearl set in the wall, opposite the door, worth 20 sp each.

Level 2

    This level was themed as a Labyrinthine Catacomb, with lots of dead and a truly horrifying number of real fake doors. Real doors are stuck on a 2-in-6 chance, while fake doors are always stuck. Fake doors which are forced are 50-50 destroyed or just opened and can be closed again. Notice that there is intentionally no direct way into the Vault (117)

1. Empty
2. White lizards
3. Empty
4. Empty
5. Empty
6. Staff of Gems (+1 staff, obviously made of purple and blue crystal/gemstone, 5,000 sp if sold) holding up ceiling, secret room with 1,000 sp worth of stone figurines as well
7. Empty
8. White Lizards, waiting on the ceiling above 6 gems (5 tiger eyes worth 50 sp e, with 1 larger and more brilliant tiger eye worth 140 sp)
9. Scavengers, setting up a toll (pay in pearls). Approximately 400 sp in hunks of stainless metal and pearls decorate the outpost.
10. Zombies, 400 sp in ancient copper jewelry
11. Pool of Iron to Quartz (Iron is transformed into quartz on contact with water that is in the pool). Quartz is not especially valuable, but then neither is iron.
12. Empty
13. Empty
14. Empty
15. Zombies, the shaft
16. Empty
17. The vault, special hoard, TBD

Level 3

    This level is themed as a flooded complex, and is the first level really hinting at the technological levels hidden below. It is filled with both water, and rusting pieces of metal from collapsed structures. Every 10 minutes there is a 1-in-6 chance someone cuts themselves on something metallic for 1 point of damage, and must Save vs Disease, which will only take effect after a couple days on a failed save.

The key for this level is incomplete, but here is what exists so far:

1. Gray Ooze, Treasure
2. Daddy long legs, Treasure
3. Waist deep water, giant toads
4. Scavengers, Treasure
5. Rust monsters, Treasure
6. The lake with a variety of monsters, Treasure
7. More lake
8. Salamander nest
9. More lake
10. More lake
11. More lake
12. More lake

Wondrous Treasures and Where to Find Them

    Because the maps and keys for them have been in such flux, I have decided that it would be for the best to separate out the wondrous items that I have decided to include. Some details are in the keys, but not for all of them.

The Vulture Mask

    Hidden within the secret room 08, is a bust of a priest of the forgotten temple, wearing a filigreed and inlaid vulture mask. Vulture masks come off of the vultures, which could be described as van sized flying monstrosities which are able to walk with their wings. Their terrifying bone masks are widely recognized, by intelligent and un-intelligent life alike. The instinctive fear response of many to a vulture mask can be quite potent.

The Staff of Gems

    This seven foot staff is made up of eye catching blue and purple crystal. It is a naturally formed and naturally magical item, working as a +1 staff. It is also, incredibly distinctive and obviously valuable. Expect regular attempts at theft.

    It is located in room 16, where it is wedged between a small dais and the ceiling. Removal of the staff will cause the ceiling to immediately fall unless something similarly sturdy is positioned to keep the ceiling up.

The Looking Hexagon

    An ancient piece of technology or magic, which will never be replicated, it holds several interesting properties:

1. Grants automatic translation of others speech on command (not the users)
2. Reveals invisible creatures when gazed through
3. Paralyze a creature for 1 hour (as Hold Person) on command, once per day
4. All non-sentient mammals within 30 feet of the user are hostile to them
5. Item has no effect on daddy-long-legs (and their derivatives) and will attempt to compel the user to destroy them whenever the user sees one
6. Grants user premonitions of their death, granting advantage on all Saves vs Death, optionally may instead warn user if no save would be granted (ex: fist-fighting a dragon at level 1)
7. On paralyzing a creature or making use of the premonition, user must Save against a fear effect from the Hexagon. 1-in-6 chance that every creature within 20 ft must also save.

    This item is located within the Vault (117), along with ancient tablets which secretly contain the commands to use the Looking Hexagon to its fullest potential. Potentially, more esoteric commands exist and further powers could be unlocked.

Thoughts

    Well, I was definitely right about this week being the most work. I didn't really finish levels 2 and 3, though I do have a pretty solid idea of how they would play out. I didn't end up making wandering monster tables and much too late to quickly change it, I have discovered that my method of numbering rooms is not particularly good. Still, I have gameable content and I am very satisfied with these bones for a more complete dungeon. 

    In particular, I am getting a much better sense of the world. One of the things that I have really grown to appreciate is the ways that I can intertwine spirits into the world, making them active participants instead of just boring lore that players never read about. Further, I have managed to determine that the science/magic deep in the earth is all focused on hexagons. Perhaps I will eventually make a magical map that works in hexagons? Make hex-maps how people actually do mapping? Could be an interesting little experiment.

    Looking forward, I can finally get to work on the main town, which I expect will be more relaxed. It is also the week that I will probably be finally deciding how I want things to sound and how I will go about naming them. Also, I may have to really break out my personal artistic skills because I don't really know how I would go about mapping a city built into the side of a canyon with the tools I currently have. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Continue to part four