#Dungeon23 Megadungeon Challenge

[ericthered]

May 8

Description: a 10 yard by 15 yard natural cave in a general oval shape. five beds of coals 2 yard by 3 yards are strewn about its sides, flames creeping up from them. The air smells of smoke, which lightly impedes vision, though the flames give a little light. The heat is strong. Naturalist, Expert (Natural Philosophy), Thaumatology, or Hidden Lore (Elementals) will identify the beds as being outlouts for the wildly strong magic here. A light stream of water falls from the ceiling to a hole in the floor at one end of the cave.

Vision: -7 (coal beds), -1 per 2 yards due to the smoke.
Mana: Very High (Only for Fire)

Heat: This room is hot. like 100 F. DF (basic set p434) and DFRPG (exploits p70) have slightly different rules here, but characters might be down some FP.

Treasure: 4 burning stones ($250, 1lb each), identifiable by merchant, prospecting, Hidden Lore (Natural History), Hidden Lore (magic items), alchemy, or hazardous Materials (Magical).

Exits: The sinkhole 2 yards wide from Mar 17 ends here, and immediately under it, another 20 yard deep 2 yard wide sinkhole starts. climbing either is at no penalty: abundant but wet handholds. Two natural tunnels split off of the other end of the room, each with similar vision, heat, and mana to this room.

[ericthered]

May 9

Description: A 7 yard by 7 yard room. The walls, floor, and ceiling are covered in a mosiacs, depicting various scenes involving dwarves and divine beings. In the center is an altar.

A theology roll can identify the scenes as depicting Miralthia, a goddess of Ilusions, Metals, and Invention. The mosaics seem to celebrate various stories in which she tests followers and then rewards them.

Sanctity: Very High
Lighting: -10 (no light)

Monsters: A Blinding Turret (see Mar 29). It will attack those who attack it, who damage the room, or who fight in the room without first paying religious respects at the altar.

Treasure: There are 25 mosaics that would be saleable. Removing them is difficult, requiring a prospecting roll to remove (useful magic like shape earth may provide up to +4). Failure ruins the mosaic. Each is six square feet, weighs 20lbs, and is worth $2400. Its also quite fragile. If you can find enough buyers, and if you don't offend the buyer by the fact that it was looted from a holy site. There is also the remnants from the Blinding Turret if it is destroyed: two cornecopia crossbow bolt magazines worth $2,010 and weighing .5 lbs each, and 500lbs of scrap.

Exits: Three average wooden doors, without engaged locks

[ericthered]

May 10

Description: A lavishly furnished 4 yard by 4 yard room, with a rug, mirror, bed, and two cabinets

Monster: The Faceless Fool: Undead theif and master of disguise. The faceless fool is a con-woman bound in undead to polriket with magic. She has the skills and equipement to walk among the living pretending to be mortal. If the PC's alert the undead in this area of the dungeon to their activities, she may start trying to gather a cult to bring her master back to life or to cause trouble for the PC's in town. She is only a moderate fighter, and will flee if possible. She delights in tricking people, especially dangerous ones. She is likely to be encountered well before the players get to this room.

She has a variety of names and disguises, such as:

• Felicia Stronep, collector of oddities
• Tali Youse, seductress
• Janile Bogworth, professional theif
• Balantha Irdan, Cult Leader
• Hammal Tramson, farmer
• Yoruk Potter, Crazy old Man

In life, the faceless fool went by the name "Samni", and her adventuring companions (like Vancilia Requalion) have a 50% chance of recognizing any specific disguise she uses. Her origins are unknown, but she died 136 years ago.

ST    11    HP 11    speed 6.00
DX    15    Will 13    Move 7
IQ     13    Per 14 
HT     11    FP NA    SM: 0

Dodge 10 Parry 12 DR 2

Rapier (16) 1d6+1 cut or 1d6 imp
Staff (16) 1d6+3 cr or 1d6+1 cr thr
Dagger (16) 1d6-2 imp

Skills: Acrobatics-14, Rapier-16, Staff-16, Cloak-14, forced entry-15, Climbing -18, stealth -18, escape-16, pickpocket -15, Lockpicking-14, Traps -14, Sleight of Hand -14, Holdout-13, Shadowing -13, Smuggling -13, Streetwise -13, Search-14, Urban Survival -14, mimicry -14, disguise -14

Traits: Perfect Balance, Catfall, Ambidexterity, Trickster,Cannot Float, Doesn't Eat, Drink, Sleep, or Breath. No Blood, Brain, or Vitals. Immunity to metabolic hazards, No Sense of Smell/taste, Skinny, Temeprature tolerance, Unliving, Vulnerability (crushing x2),
Treasure: 10x10 square foot rug ($4,500, 100 lbs, DF8 p24) Tall Mirror ($125, 10 lbs, DF1 p26). Mattress ($850, 30lbs, DF8 p15), Table ($120, 18 lbs, DF8 p15), couch ($600, 140lbs, DF8 p15), Cabinet ($150, 30 lbs), Compartmentalized Cabinet ($200, 32lbs, DF8 p20), 3 Disguise Kits ($800, 10 lbs), an oil lantern($2, 1lb), rapier ($1000, 3lb), and a massive collection of clothing worth $3,000* and weighing 90 lbs. The clothing has clothing in male and female fashions and represents a bewildering number of walks of life, but for the same size, of a shorter human. 9 small wigs in various hair colors ($75, 1 lb each) and 2 Large Wigs ($500, 6 lbs each Brilliant red and shiny black). A very expensive Brilliant Blue Skilk Winter Gown with extensive lace and embroidery. This has +24 CF, and is worth $2800 and weighs 1.2 lbs.

The Faceless Fool often carries a ring of keys similar to those found in May 23

Samni's body is not worth anything to anybody: all the bounties on her head are expired.

*One of each item from DF8 page 17, with classic items like belts, shoes, cloaks, and hose having five items each. I'm not going to write it down; if you have the book, use that. If you don't, it likely has one of any clothing item you want, unembelished.

Lighting: -10 (no light)

Entrance: A strong ironbound door (DR 15 HP 39) with a heavy lock ( DR 9, HP 18, pick at -5). The key is generally hidden in the body of the faceless fool.

[ericthered]

11 May etr

Description: A 5 yard by 10 yard hall, lined with fitted stones.

Monsters: 8 ogre skeletons and skeleton with a bronzed skull (The Lower Greeter)

Ogre skeletons have the traits of ogres, plus the following additional traits:
Cannot Float, Doesn't Eat, Drink, Sleep, or Breath. No Blood, Brain, Eyes, or Vitals. Immunity to metabolic hazards, No Sense of Smell/taste, Skinny, Temeprature tolerance, Unliving, Vulnerability (crushing x2)

The lower greeter has the same stats as the falling greeter (may 4), but without the horn, and with tactics-12. He will fight fearlessly, and constantly shout tactical advice at the ogres, who will try to follow it as well as they can (the ogres remain as stupid as ogres). The Lower Greeter orders the ogres to attack pretty much anyone not escorted by someone he knows, and demands that such ignorant fools leave at once! He will constantly use the word "ignorant" on both the intruders and the ogre skeletons. If intruders leave, he will generally let them.

Visibility: -10 (no light)

Entrance: A grand archway.
Exit: Heavy Ironbound double doors (DR 15 HP 39), barred from the other side with an extra heavy bar (DR4 HP23)

[ericthered]

12 May etr

Description: A 5 yard by 10 yard room with a glowing portal at one end. A set of mine cart rails leads through the room and through the portal. Runes have been carved into the stone walls, and two iron dragon heads are mounted trophy style on either side of the portal.

The Runes: The Runes are written in Reptillian, Dwarven, Ancient, and Elder Tongue. The message is the same: "Beware! Certain Death Lies Ahead"

Monsters: The Iron Dragon heads are magical constructs that will attack anything that moves within 5 yards. They can turn their necks to target 180 degrees in front of them.

ST    10    HP 20    speed 6.00
DX    12    Will 11    Move 0
IQ     8    Per 14 
HT     12    FP NA    SM: -2

Dodge NA Parry NA DR 15

Flame Breath (14): 2d6+2 burn, 1/2D 5, max 10

Traits: Automaton, Cannot Learn, Doesn't Eat, Drink, Sleep, or Breath, Sessile, No Manipulators, Immune to Metabolic Hazards, Reprogramable, Unhealing (total), Injury Tolerance (Homogenous), Darkvision

Notes: While the heads are quite robust, their mounts are not: A quick contest of Strength vs 13 can pull them off the wall, as can doing 6 damage to the right spot (-6) on their wooden (2 DR) mounts. This tactic is not immediately obvious, and requires inspecting the heads (hopefully at a distance) to find the right spot.

Treasure: Each head weighs 100 lbs. and if destroyed, may be sold as that much scrap. If they have been disenchanted but are in good shape, they are worth $400 each as sculptures. If they are intact, they can fetch $3,000 each as guardians (they have no password, which limits their utility)


Entrance: A stone archway with the minecart tracks running through it.


Portal: A simple Green Glowing Portal.

[ericthered]

15 May etr

Description: A 5 yard by 10 yard room with a glowing portal at one end. An extra heavy cage (DR18 HP35, weight 2,000 lbs, ST 36) has been build 2 yards around the portal. A set of mine cart rails goes into the room but has been torn out by someone or something.

Monsters: 4 Iron Dragon Heads (May 12) mounted on the wall with a great angle of crossfire, and 4 obsidian dragons (Apr 5). They will attack anything in the room.

Entrance: A stone archway filled with 10 tons of rubble. the impression of torn up minecart tracks run under it.

Portal: A simple Green Glowing Portal with an extra heavy cage around it. This goes to May 12. When you get 8 different streams of fire on you after going through the portal, this is what was meant by "certain death"

Vision: -10 (no light) unless the constructs are breathing fire, in which case its -2 (unconstant fire everywhere)

[ericthered]

16 May etr


Description: A 4 yard by 8 yard room lined with masonry, and filled with rotting scraps of cloth and wood.


The Sprouts: Sprouting out of the ground are seven stands of strange "plants". Each stand has a half dozen or so shoots from two to five feet tall coming up from the floor, and each of the shoots has one or three articulated joins and ends in an eyeball, mouth, claw, foot, or hand. the shoots are covered in black hide and the animals the bodyparts belong to run the gammut of the animal kingdom. Alchemy can reveal that these "hand and eye sprouts" are not aggressive and are fairly valuable to alchemists, and which items are valuable. Hidden Lore (Elder things) reveals all this, plus that "hand and eye sprouts" only grow when cultivated by black servitors, and will scream loudly when damaged (for example when harvested). If the sprouts scream, roll a wandering monster check


Treasure: The sprouts will yield 2d6 lbs of product, worth $50 a lb. These grow back gradually if black servitors are tending them, with 1d6 growing back after the first week and a full crop ready after the second


Lighting: -10 (none)

Entrance: a door frame, with a missing door.

[ericthered]

17 May etr

Description: a 5 yard by 7 yard roundish natural stone cavern, running northeast to southwest. The 3 yards most southwest are filled with a bed of coals, as in May 8. The air is heavy with smoke, and this room smells especially of brimstone.

Monsters: Two lava lizards (DF Monsters 3 p12) live here, spending most of their time in the coal bed.

Vision: -7 (coal beds), -1 per 2 yards due to the smoke.
Mana: Very High (Only for Fire)

Heat: This room is hot. like 100 F. DF (basic set p434) and DFRPG (exploits p70) have slightly different rules here, but characters might be down some FP.

Treasure: 100 lbs of sulfur, worth $500 ($5 a lb). A prospecting or alchemy roll at +4 can identify it.

Entrances: A natural passageway leading out at each end.

If anyone can get me a good ballpark figure for the value of sulfur, that would be very helpful. Its decent treasure for the fire level.
EDIT: Seems that sulfur isn't that valuable, considering its role in gunpowder and the prices Gurps gives there. Its still very flavorful though!

[Dalin]

Originally Posted by ericthered

If anyone can get me a good ballpark figure for the value of sulfur, that would be very helpful. Its decent treasure for the fire level.

GURPS DF 8: Treasure Tables includes cinnabar (mercury sulfide) at $18/oz (p. 13). Barring any better ideas, I would start with that as a ballpark figure.

[ericthered]

May 18 etr

Description: A 50 yard Hall 3 yards across with nine doors on each side, roughly evenly spaced. The door at the front of the hall has a thick wicker mat full of arrows hanging on it.

Monster: Pallis Dead-Eye, A deadly (and undead) catfolk scout. Pallis is usually here, but will respond organically to player invasions of this area, and is likely to fight either in Feb 28 or Apr 21, or even both. If the PC's have alerted the area to their presence, Dead-Eye will act as a wandering monster in parts of the dungeon connected to the undead hall and other parts of polriket's test area

Pallis Dead-Eye is using his old name: its just more ironic now. He was a member of Dylan Ferlack's Party, and has been dead for 82 years now. He can be identified by Heraldry. He is not talkative, and responds to attempts to engage in conversation with arrows at the speaker or by fading back into darkness.

ST    12    HP 12    speed 7.00
DX    15    Will 11    Move 7
IQ     11    Per 13 
HT     12    FP NA    SM: 0

Dodge 11 Parry 13 DR 2

Bow (19) 1d6+3 imp
Arrow Stab (15) 1d6 imp
Broadsword (18) 1d6+3 cut or 1d6 imp

skills: Stealth -14, Camouflage-14, Fast draw (arrow) -15, Observation-14, tracking-16, Climbing -14, Shadowing-12, Traps -12, Navigation -12, Survival (Woods) -15, Armory -12, knife -15

Traits: Heroic Archer, Combat Reflexes, Weapon Master(bow), Cannot Float, Doesn't Eat, Drink, Sleep, or Breath. No Blood, Brain, or Vitals. Immunity to metabolic hazards, No Sense of Smell/taste, Skinny, Temeprature tolerance, Unliving, Vulnerability (crushing x2)

Treasure: Cornecopia quiver ($2,000 1 lbs), 50 Meteoric Iron Arrows ($2,000, 5 lbs), Composite Bow ($900). Pallis Dead-Eye's family fell on hard times a while ago, and will not give a reward for his body. If revived somehow, he will attempt to make it up to the PC's, mostly in oddly timed payments of odd sums between $100 and $500, every one to three months. Which is to say abut $1,800 a year: he might pay back resurrection costs in 9 years. If they didn't foot his resurrection bill, he will still send those random sums of money for two years. Pallis usually has a set of keys similar to those in May 23

Entrances: The Front of the passage comes from Mar 1: the Heavy Ironbound door with a -4 to pick lock. From this side no key is needed. The back of the passage is an archway leading to Apr 21. There are of course 18 doors along the hall, all strong ironbound doors (DR 15 HP 39) with heavy locks ( DR 9, HP 18, pick at -5)