Locations In Raven Hill

The Castle On Raven Hill

In The Real World

There is an actual hill in Raven Hill, confusingly also called Raven Hill. Atop this mound is a castle, once home to a local lord, but now long since abandoned. Sometimes teens explore the crumbling ruins, and legend has it that the ghosts of the castle's old guard still haunt its halls.

In The Fogworld

For the most part, the castle in the Fogworld is nearly identical to its real world counterpart, but there are a few key differences. For one, while its relatively easy to reach the castle in the real world, in the Fogworld there are countless obstacles preventing access, though these all can be broken through with effort. The second difference is the bell in the highest tower of the castle. In the real world, the bell has long since been removed and melted down, but in the Fogworld it still hangs, and tolls whenever the Fogworld transitions to the Otherworld and vice versa.

In The Otherworld

The castle is the center of the supernatural force that encompasses Raven Hill, and it shows in the Otherworld. What is a crumbling ruin in the Fogworld and the real world becomes a massive, intact structure of stone, iron, and flesh. The corridors of the castle change and twist as one travels through them, metamorphosing to torment intruders. At the center of the castle is the ultimate, final horror, the physical manifestation of guilt and regret. If it can be defeated, the town will let you go.


(Bran Castle, AKA the "real" Castle Dracula)

Lake Tacet

In The Real World
Lake Tacet is overlooked by Raven Hill, and fishing in the lake is a popular pastime for residents of the town. It is unusually misty, like most of the town, but there is nothing particularly odd about it. According to legend, there is some kind of serpent that dwells in the lake, called the Lake Tacet Dragon, but there has never been any proof of its existence.

In The Fogworld
The fogginess of the lake is amplified here, making it impossible to see very far ahead. Sometimes the lights of boats can be seen through the mist. There is something lurking in the water, something snake-like and monstrous, though what it is may change depending on who confronts it, to better inspire fear and guilt.

In The Otherworld
The lake is oily and black, less watery and more viscous. The ooze is corrosive, and constantly leaks a blackish smoke. Wretched piscoid things drag themselves from the muck, slowly melting as they approach their victims. Lights can still be seen in the smoke, but the vague outlines of the ships seem unnatural and impossible.



Corvum Prison

In The Real World
Raven Hill is a small town, so there isn't much need for a large prison. As a result, the prison is fairly small, and not particularly well equipped. There is an unusually high rate of prisoners escaping compared to other towns, but the locals don't fear, the escaped convicts never come back...

In The Fogworld
The prison is one of the most densely populated areas in the Fogworld, though that isn't saying much. It is profound guilt that draws people into the Fogworld, and as a result, prisoners are easy prey for the town. There tends to be at least a couple prisoners left alive in the prison, and there are many more corpses. Time can work differently in Raven Hill, so often the prisoners may have been trapped for years, despite only being arrested and "escaping" a few months ago. The prison is much larger on the inside in the Fogworld, becoming a maze of corridors, cells, and torture chambers.

In The Otherworld
When the bell tolls, Corvum Prison becomes a living hell. The walls become painful-looking masses of iron and barbed wire, rust and blood coats everything, and horrific monsters wander the halls. Many inhabitants simply hide when this change occurs, being too afraid to fight back.


(Image from Amnesia: The Dark Descent)

Other Locations In Raven Hill

Raven Hill's layout is purposefully left vague, especially in the Fogworld, where the town changes itself to best torment its victims, creating new places and deleting others. In the real world, it should remain relatively constant. For the town's regular inhabitants, nothing seems wrong at all. Sure, its a little more foggy than it should be, and convicts tend to escape a lot, but there's nothing paranormal going on. Generally, locations in the Fogworld should be subtly unnerving and wrong, but still recognizable as a possible real location, though it may bend the laws of physics a bit. However, the Otherworld is supposed to be completely hellish and alien, it should be difficult to tell what the place the player characters are exploring used to be.


(Image via Rebrn.com)

NEXT TIME: I hopefully actually write a usable dungeon for this setting.

Dungeon Crawls In Raven Hill

Below is an explanation of how I would go about running Dungeon Crawls in Raven Hill, my psychological horror mini-setting inspired by Ravenloft and Silent Hill, and first detailed in this post. I hope you enjoy!


(From Bloodborne)

Reasons For Exploring Such A Terrible Place
Exploring an adventure site in most areas is done for the purpose of finding gold, or perhaps a magical artifact. In the cursed town of Raven Hill, however, entering a "dungeon" is usually done for very different reasons.

Reason 1: Escaping The Town
Most of the time, people enter Raven Hill's Fogworld by accident, and have no desire to stay there. Thus, exploring dungeons is usually done to find some kind of way out. The town's Fogworld version is generally impossible to escape through natural means, with  roads leading off into a void, endless forests that loop back around to where one started, and giant walls of iron. Finding a way to escape the town usually involves performing some kind of ritual, usually with very specific components that are scattered about various locations. Thus, a party must explore the twisted depths of their own subconscious as Raven Hill tries its best to stop them from escaping, or kill them.

Reason 2: Confronting The Source Of Guilt
Sometimes, visitors to Raven Hill have nothing left to fear in life, and just want to face their guilt and be cleansed of sin. Such individuals who enter the town may not want to get out, but instead desire to reach the very heart of the haunted place, and face their worst fears. Those that take this path may die in the process, but if they survive the ordeal, and defeat the physical manifestation of their remorse, then they can be reborn as a stronger person, and the town will let them free.


(Barovia as depicted in Neverwinter)

Unnatural Architecture
Any dungeon should be a departure from the ordinary, but this goes doubly so with those in Raven Hill. The layout should seem subtly off, and traveling through a dungeon's corridors should be disconcerting. Doors could lead to the same room one just left, stairs leading down connect to a room on the same level, and vast open spaces may exist where none could be possible.

Sparse On Treasure, High On Tools
Gold coins, magic weapons, and other treasure should be rare, if included at all. When one delves into the unknown in Raven Hill, it is to find some form of key to unlock another location, eldritch knowledge to help one escape, or a way to the heart of the town to confront one's guilt. Due to this, gold is not a priority.

However, this isn't to say there shouldn't be anything to find. Cryptic notes, odd statues, keys that don't seem to fit anywhere yet, and improvised weapons may be found. Treasure in Raven Hill should help the party survive and progress, not just fill their pockets.

Using The Otherworld
Each room in a Raven Hill dungeon should have two versions; the Fogworld and the Otherworld. When the castle's bell tolls, the world changes, trading gray for red, and fog for rusted chains and grates. Doors that were previously locked are now opened, things that were once corpses become monsters, and keys that are needed to progress are found. The tolling of the bell could be random, say, occurring on a 1 in 6 chance each time the party enters a room, or it could only occur when a specific trigger is activated, such as picking up an item or defeating a monster. Generally, the Otherworld version of a dungeon should hold more enemies and traps that its Fogworld equivalent.


(From Silent Hill: Book of Memories)

NPCs Are Rare And Strange
Usually, I recommend having 1 NPC for every 10 dungeon rooms. In Raven Hill, decrease that to 1 NPC for every 20 or 30 dungeon rooms. Replace places that would normally have NPCs with cryptic notes, a corpse, or something else that fulfills a similar purpose to an NPC. The party should feel isolated and alone.

What NPCs are found should be very odd indeed. Anyone in Raven Hill is plagued by guilt, and is understandably under a lot of stress due to their environment. How people react, however, will vary from person to person. The individuals the party encounters should not be very emotionally stable, and conversations could rapidly turn to confrontations if one's words aren't chosen carefully.

Raven Hill: Guilty Conscience Generator

The innocent are not drawn to the fog-shrouded streets of Raven Hill, and even if they did chance upon it, the land would appear normal. No, the evil town craves only the souls of those who are consumed by guilt and remorse.

It is not necessarily "evil" that causes people to wander into town, for Raven Hill does not judge its visitors. A man who killed hundreds and believes his victims deserved what they got would never set foot in the Fogworld, but a man who failed to save his best friend's life and blames himself for their death would. It is guilt that the town craves, not sin.


(From Silent Hill 4: The Room)

Below are 4 random tables, intended for use by players while making characters to explore Raven Hill.

What is your sin? (d6)
1. You murdered somebody
2. Through your mistake, you let someone die
3. You betrayed someone close to you
4. You caused the corruption of something innocent
5. You disappointed the one you love most
6. You hid while something terrible happened, letting others suffer when you could have helped

How do you deal with the guilt? (d6)
1. You try your best to ignore it, you attempt to live a normal life
2. You indulge in decadent hedonism to distract from the pain
3. You are always on the move, never staying in one place for long
4. You turned to religion, and pray constantly for forgiveness
5. You've mostly blocked out the memory, though it comes to you sometimes in dreams
6. You constantly punish yourself in small, easy to hide ways

What is your reaction when confronted with the source of your guilt? (d6)
1. Rage
2. Numbness
3. Terror
4. Denial
5. Gallows humor
6. Anguish

Why did you come to Raven Hill? (d6)
1. You don't know, you simply woke up here
2. You've seen it in dreams
3. You're here on unrelated business
4. The source of your guilt happened here, long ago, and you've arrived to atone
5. Any road you take leads here, as if the universe is forcing you to confront your past
6. You've heard the town can wash away the guilt of sin


(From Silent Hill 3)

Goblins In The Holy Empire

(Image taken from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)

Goblins are not native to Urth, they arrived on this planet with the coming of the faeries. They are creatures made from fey magic, born of slime and blood, specially created for the invasion of Urth after demons invaded the faeries' home plane. After this invasion failed, and that faeries were driven into the forests of Urth, the goblins escaped their servitude, and have become the dungeon-dwelling creatures we know today.

Faeries are long lived and powerful, but don't have large populations. Even before the demonic invasion, the faerie population was quite small compared to humanity, and after their world was destroyed, their numbers dwindled even further. As a result of this, the foot soldiers of the faerie were made to reproduce quickly, trading quality of soldiers for quantity.

All goblins are capable of giving birth, and do so without any form of sexual reproduction. Goblins are born in large litters, and are capable of reproducing from as soon as they reach adulthood until their death. Their numbers usually do not grow too large however, for goblins are inherently violent creatures, and will war among themselves if there is no enemy to unite them.

Goblin lifespans vary wildly from strain to strain, with some specimens living a couple decades at most while others live for centuries. This is due, in part, to the extremely unstable genetics of goblins, resulting in wild mutations. These mutations are what created the other subspecies of goblins, also called goblinoids.

A typical, non-mutant goblin is a human-like creature standing at around 3 to 4 feet high, with red eyes, pointed ears, sharp teeth, and sharp nails. Most goblins are bald, but some have strands of wispy hair. Goblin clothing, armor, and weapons are either stolen, or made from whatever they can scavenge.

The following mutations/sub-species are documented and most well-known, but there are many more varieties lurking out in the wilderness:

Bugbears/Bogeymen
Unlike the typical goblin, bugbears are very large, and covered with thick hair, which is usually black, brown, or green. They are uncannily silent, and are known for sneaking into towns at night and killing and eating the settlement's sleeping inhabitants. In addition to their silence, bugbears are extremely agile and flexible, allowing them to squeeze into tight places a similarly sized creature would not be able to, leading to the legends of bogeymen underneath beds.



Kobolds
While most goblins live underground to some extent, kobolds are a subspecies which has adapted almost perfectly for life below the surface. Kobolds have extremely sensitive eyes, allowing them to see almost perfectly in the dark, and are even smaller than common goblins, allowing them to squeeze through even the smallest of cave entrances. They are very pale, and have a slightly scaly appearance.


(Kobolds as depicted in TSR's 1993 box set; Dragon Mountain)

Hobgoblins
Hobgoblins may, at first, simply seem to be extraordinarily tall goblins, with some specimens reaching nearly 6 feet in height. However, beyond simple physical differences, hobgoblins are also intellectually different from their smaller cousins. While not necessarily any smarter, hobgoblins have more restraint and patience, resulting in much less infighting and more cooperation. As a result, hobgoblins tend to be better organized and tactically aware than other goblins, leading devastating raids upon human villages.


(Hobgoblins as depicted in the 1977 Monster Manual)

Grindylows
Resembling frog-like goblins with long arms like gibbons, grindylows are an amphibious species of goblins that typically live in bogs and lakes. They are more animalistic than their brethren, and tend to spend most of their time lurking beneath the water, waiting for something (or someone) to approach the water so they can drag them down and drown them with their long arms.


(Image from the Ranklin Bass adaptation of the Hobbit)

Survival Horror OSR House Rules V.01

Horror is probably my favorite genre of fiction (as shown by my blog), and so I knew eventually I'd have to write up some form of system to do it justice. This system still needs some playtesting, but it seems okay so far.

Here is the very early version of my survival horror house rules, I'd love feedback!

Lucius's Tomb: A 5e Dungeon Delve

Designed for 4 1st level characters.

Around a century ago, the great Barbarian warlord, Lucius Gelt, began to die of a strange wasting disease. In his final days, he instructed his followers to build a tomb for him in the hills, to contain his corpse and his gold. Gelt's tomb was trapped to prevent intruders from stealing his ill-gotten loot, and his warband's wizard created monstrous guardians, to ensure his eternal slumber is not disturbed.



1. The Scarecrow
Standing outside of the entrance of the tomb is a crude scarecrow, with beady button eyes and sharp pieces of wood sticking out of its sleeves.

The scarecrow is animate, and will attack as soon as the party turns their back on it.

Scarecrow
AC 11
HP 36
ATK 2 claws  (+3)
DMG 2d4+1 + DC 11 WIS save or be frightened until end of next turn
200 XP

Immune to poison
Resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical weapons
Vulnerable to fire

Terrifying Glare (alternative attack)
One target within 30 ft must make a DC 11 WIS saving throw or be frightened and paralyzed until the end of the scarecrow's next turn


2. Pit Trap
The room stinks of mold and decay, but appears empty, aside from some fungus growing on the walls.

In front of the western exit is a pit trap, carefully covered over with loose bricks (DC 15 WIS check to spot). If stepped on, characters must make a DC 11 DEX save or fall down the pit, taking 1d10 damage.

3. Weapon Rack
There is an empty wood weapon-rack against the wall, along with 3 stands for armor.

The empty armor stands and weapon-racks are empty due to the skeletons in room 8 using the weapons and wearing the armor.

4. Hanorath the "Demi-Lich"
The room is bare, but there is a single skull lying in the corner. You can hear whispering emanating from it.

The skull will begin to speak louder when approached, loudly proclaiming itself to be "Hanorath the Demi-Lich", and threatening to vaporize the intruders. It has no real power, but can make itself glow faintly. The skull believes itself to be a 1 million year old immortal wizard. In actuality it is a very confused minor spirit that is possessing a skull.

5. Pile of Bones
A headless skeletal corpse lies on the ground here.

This is the rest of Hanorath's body.

6. Crawling Claws
An urn sits atop a small dais. It is decorated with pictures of severed hands.

If the urn is opened, 10 crawling claws scuttle out and attempt to kill and sever the hands of whoever released them.

Crawling Claw
AC 12
HP 2
ATK 1 claw (+3)
DMG 1d4+1
10 XP

Immune to poison and being turned

7. Battle Standards
The captured battle standards of many barbarian warbands are stored here. Most appear to be of old groups that no longer exist, but at least one of these flags seem familiar.

One or more of these battle standards belong to a barbarian clan that still exists, they would be very grateful if the flag was returned to them.

8. Skeleton Warriors
3 chattering skeletal warriors stand in this room, fidgeting. They immediately seem to see you, despite their lack of eyes, and rush towards you!

Skeleton
AC 13
HP 13
ATK 1 shortsword or shortbow (+4)
DMG 1d6+2
50 XP

Immune to poison
Vulnerable to bludgeoning

9. A Hellish Vision
As soon as you enter the room, the smell of brimstone fills your nostrils. The walls melt away, as does the corridor behind you, until you are standing on a vast plain of ash, the sky covered by thick clouds of black smoke. In the distance, you see a tall figure clad in impossibly heavy iron platemail. You can see his glowing red eyes through the visor. Then, just as suddenly, the room is empty.

There is nothing anyone can do to cause the vision to occur again. What the figure is and what the vision means is up to the game master (or just listen to the players' theories and spin off of them).

10. Lucius's Sarcophagus
A chest lies against the wall, overflowing with glittering coins and other treasures, but the most impressive feature of the room is a large, stone sarcophagus. It is said that within the coffin is the body of Lucius Gelt, along with the magical items he carried in life.

Anyone who tries to open the sarcophagus will attacked by a spear trap that is hidden in the ceiling (DC 15 WIS check to spot). If it is activated, the spear attacks with a +6 to hit, and deals 2d10 damage. Lucius's corpse is wearing a Hat of Disguise, clutches a +1 Greataxe, and has a Stone of Good Luck resting on its forehead. The chest against the wall contains five 50 gp gems, 2200 cp, 1000 sp, and 60 gp.

My House Rules V.01.1

Here is the newest version of my House Rules. If you don't care about the minor tweaks and just want the solo rules, they are copied below.

Optional Rules for Solo Play

Rolling Stats

Roll 4d6 and drop the lowest result for each stat, and arrange as desired.

Rolling Damage
Damage is rolled as follows:

1-5: 1 point
6-7: 2 points
8+: 3 points

Healing is rolled the same, just with “backwards” damage


Fray Dice
All PCs have a fray die they can roll once per round, automatically hitting enemies that have HD less
than or equal to their level. Fighters have a d6 fray die, all others have a d3.

Hit Points
Monsters have hit points equal to their hit dice. Damage spills over to nearby enemies (both with fray
dice and normal attacks).

Death and Dying
If a character is reduced to 0 HP, they are on Death’s Door, and every time they take damage they must make a saving throw or die.

Three Enemies From Dark Souls 3

NOTE: The lore of the monsters, as described by me, is modified to be more setting neutral, and is not indicative of the actual backstory of these creatures in Dark Souls 3. All images are taken from the Dark Souls 3 and Dark Souls Fandom wikis.

Man Grub
HD 1
AC unarmored
ATK 1 scratch
DMG 1d3
HDE 1

There are some who obsess over their every imperfection until the very sight of their face drives them to rage. Some of these few become so desperate as to require rebirth, engaging in foul rituals to change their forms and be, quite literally, born again from the womb of a witch. However, this process sometimes goes wrong, and the resulting creatures are hideous and in constant pain.



Ghru
HD 2
AC unarmored or by armor worn
ATK 2 claws or 1 weapon
DMG 1d3 each or by weapon
HDE 3
Special: Due to their corrupted and poisonous nature, any attack by a Ghru requires the victim to make a saving throw or take an additional 1d3 damage per attack.

They say they were men, once, but after spending too much time isolated in the poisonous bog, something in them snapped. And when their minds went, so too did their bodies, becoming the hideous goat-like beings you now see. Their very touch brings corruption and decay.



Cage Spider
HD 4
AC heavy
ATK 3 claws
DMG 1d6 each
HDE 4
Special: The cage spider cannot be sneaked up on, as the corpses that compose its limbs can see in multiple directions.

Some necromancers lock up 4 corpses in a small cage, and animate them all as one entity. The resulting being is called a Cage Spider, and is a relatively cheap but effective guardian of blasphemous laboratories and dungeons.

The Dungeon Beneath Castle Whately

The following dungeon is designed for 4-5 2nd level adventurers

Background

The castle above the dungeon was once home to the demon worshiper Baron Whately, who was burned at the stake, his castle destroyed with gunpowder. However, his dungeon was left intact, and the few who tried to plant gunpowder within to destroy it never came back. The site was deemed unholy by the church. However, for some reason or another, the PCs are in need of a foul book, known simply as the Art of Flesh. It is rumored that one of the few remaining copies of this vile tome lies waiting in the dungeons of Castle Whately...

Room Key

1. 

Piled up near the stairs are several barrels, with fuses connecting them all.
Barrels full of gunpowder rigged to blow if lit, sealing off the dungeon.

2. 

8 clattering skeletons stand here, armed with swords and wielding shields. The shields are emblazoned with the Whately family seal.

8 Skeletons, they attack when party enters the room.

3. 

There are 8 cells in this room, sealed with steel bars. In one of the cells is an inanimate skeleton, with a pouch near it.

The pouch near the skeleton contains hallucinogenic drugs worth 1000 coins.

4. 

A crude operating room is set up here, with a variety of bizarre surgical tools in good condition.
The surgical tools could be worth 250 coins if sold to the right person.

5. 

Dozens of corpses are stuffed and posed, stitched together from multiple parts. Some are horribly deformed, with extra heads, and limbs, with bones sticking out.
One of the taxidermy corpses has 3 red gemstones for eyes, worth 250 coins each.

6. 

Standing among a pile of bones before you stands a hulking abomination, a living patchwork mass of rotting flesh and crude surgery. It roars as it charges towards you.
A sewn-together zombies attacks the party.

7. 

Fleshy tendrils extend into the walls, floor and ceiling, emanating from a vaguely humanoid mass of reddish tissue. A human face, sticking out from the central mass, cries out "Help me!"
The fleshy tree thing is named Evie, and doesn't know how long she has been down here. She used to be a servant of Baron Whately.

8. 

There are dozens of rabbit hole-like openings all over the floor, and there are remnants of old pieces of furniture, but other than that this the room is empty.

Spears of bone extend from the floor when the holes are stepped on, dealing 1d6+1 damage unless a saving throw is made.

9. 

A bubbling metal vat is in the center of the room, filled with a glowing green goo. 

Anyone who is dipped into the vat must make a saving throw each round. If they succeed, they gain a favorable mutation, if they fail, an unfavorable mutation occurs. If the mutation would be one they already have, pick the next closest result.

Favorable Mutation Table

1. Extra limb (Gain an extra attack)
2. Sharp teeth (Bite attack deals 1d6 damage)
3. Acid blood (Anyone who damages you in melee takes 1d3 damage)
4. Exoskeleton (Armor class raises by 1 step)
5. Gecko Paws (You can climb on sheer surfaces)
6. Green Skin (You can photosynthesize, and don't need to eat as long as you get 8 hours of sunlight exposure each day)

Unfavorable Mutation Table

1. Hair, teeth, and fingernails dissolve (can't eat solid food)
2. Acid blood, but you aren't resistant to your own acid (die instantly, no saving throw)
3. Gills (sounds cool, but it replaces your lungs, so now you can't breath air)
4. Eyes fall out (you no longer can see, and take a -4 penalty to hit)
5. Fingers fall off (You can't use your hands to grasp things anymore)
6. Grow an extra head, but all it does is scream constantly (You can never be quiet until you surgically remove the head)

10. 

The room is hazy with purple mist, emanating from reddish, fleshy growths that have rooted themselves into the walls.

The growths emit a poison gas, causing anyone who breaths it in to make a saving throw or take 1d6+1 damage each round, blood pouring from their mouth, nose, and ears.

11. 

There are 4 tables in this room, and on each one there are 3 jars, each containing a preserved human internal organ.
Each jar is worth 100 coins to anyone interested in medicine.

12. 

As soon as you step into the room, there is a spurting sound, followed by an intense burning sensation as some liquid begins to spray from the ceiling. The bones lying on the floor make it clear that it is acid.
Acid is sprayed from nozzles in the ceiling, dealing 1d6 damage per round spent in the room. Among the bones, one can find a blue gem worth 1250 coins.

13.  

The floor is covered in a disgusting leather carpet, evidently made from dozens of human corpses. 

If one steps in the middle of the room, the human skin carpet gives way, causing them to fall into a pit, taking 2d6 from the fall unless they make a saving throw to grab hold of the edge.

14. 

2 animate corpses stumble about blindly, wandering towards you with claws outstretched as they lazily prepare to attack.
The animate corpses are actually Regenerators.

15. 

5 Shuffling corpses mill about, 1 of which is bashing its head against the wall.

The corpses are zombies, the 1 bashing its head against the wall is wearing a necklace worth 750 coins.

16. 

There are a multitude of urns in this room, decorated with images of skulls and skeletons.
If one searches through the urns, they will find ashes, but eventually they will find both an urn filled with 3000 coins, and 1 containing a Boneless. As soon as the first Boneless is found, 3 others will burst out of their jars to attack.

17. 

4 feral looking undead humans, frothing at the mouth, moan incoherently and charge towards you as you enter. In the corner there is a table, on which there are 2 vials of a glowing green liquid.
4 Re-animated zombies, and on the table are 6 doses worth of Re-Animation Reagent, contained in 2 vials (1 has 5 doses, 1 has 1 dose).

18. 

The room is full of old book-cases, all of which are empty or filled only with rotting paper. In the corner is an odd nest, made from books that have been torn to pieces and repurposed as building material.
A head with spider-like limbs who has gone feral over the years, only capable of hissing and grunting. He has a little nest made from old paper and leather. If somehow restored to rational thought, he will reveal his name is Enoch, and he was a former friend of the baron, who was betrayed and turned into a monster.

19. 

A large furnace dominates the room, and from the pile of ash within it and the rust coating the surface, it is clear it has not been used in many years.
If one searches through the ash, they will find 800 coins worth of gold nuggets (once jewelry, but it melted).

20. 

On the wall hangs a portrait of the vile Baron Whately. As you look as it, the image slowly degernates into that of a horrific demon, only to be restored back to its original state as soon as you look away or blink. A small, leather-bound book sits on a lectern nearby.
The book on the lectern is The Art Of Flesh, which requires time outside the dungeon to peruse through. Exactly what kind of eldritch knowledge is contained in the pamphlet is up to the game master. The Art Of Flesh is detailed more here.

Bestiary

Re-Animated Zombie
HD 2
AC Unarmored
ATK 2 unarmed attacks
DMG 1d6
HDE 2

Boneless (Zombie)
HD 2
AC light
ATK 1 constrict
DMG 1d3
HDE 2

Anyone hit by a Boneless must make a saving throw, otherwise the creature has wrapped itself around its victim, and begins constricting it. The victim then takes 1d6 damage each round they are being constricted, each round being given the opportunity to make a saving throw to escape the creature's clutches. Anyone who tries to attack the Boneless while it is constricting its victim deals any damage dealt to the Boneless to the victim as well.

The Boneless can easily slip under doors and hide in extremely tight spaces, such as urns, chests, and cracks in walls.

Regenerator

HD 2

AC light

ATK 1 punch

DMG 1d6

HDE 4

Regenerators regain 1d3 HP each round, even if reduced to 0 HP. Each time the Regenerator regains HP, roll a d6 and apply the mutation from the table below:

1-2. New Limb: Gains an additional attack that deals 1d6 damage.

3. Carapace: The Regenerator's AC goes up by one category (light -> light with shield, light with shield -> medium, etc.)

4. Cancerous Mass: The Regenerator's maximum HP is increased by 1d6.

5-6. Poisonous Gas: Anyone near the Regenerator as it regenerates this round must make a saving throw or take 1d6 damage.

Regenerators can only be killed/damaged without regenerating by burning them or dissolving them in acid.

Zombies

HD 2

AC light

ATK 1 punch

DMG 1d6

HDE 2

Skeletons

HD 1

AC light

ATK 1 sword

DMG 1d6

HDE 1

Sewn-Together Zombie

HD 8

AC light

ATK 4 claws

DMG 1d6+2

HDE 8

The Re-Animation Reagent

When injected into living tissue, it revitalizes and rejuvenates the user, causing them to regain 1d6+1 hit points and not need to sleep or eat for 24 hours. However, it is highly addictive, and after a week of consistent use, one must make a saving throw each day they do not take the reagent or take 1d3 damage and a -2 penalty to attack rolls for the day. This withdrawal lasts 1d3 weeks. However, the primary effect of the drug occurs when injected into corpses.

When a single dose is injected into dead tissue, it re-animates the corpse, though the effects vary dramatically from creature to creature, and is affected by how long the animal/person has been dead. Determine the freshness of the corpse, and then roll a d6 on the corresponding table.

Less than an hour dead
1. The creature rises up, makes a terrible noise, and then expires
2-3. The creature comes back as a mindless zombie, intent only on killing
4-5. The creature comes back aggressive and violent, but does retain some memories from life, and may not attack creatures that it had emotional connection to in life, and may even obey simple commands
6. The creature comes back to life with all its mental abilities intact

Dead for a day
1-2. The creature rises up, makes a terrible noise, and then expires
3-5. The creature comes back as a mindless zombie, intent only on killing
6. The creature comes back aggressive and violent, but does retain some memories from life, and may not attack creatures that it had emotional connection to in life, and may even obey simple commands

Dead for more than a day
1. Nothing happens
2-3. The creature rises up, makes a terrible noise, and then expires
4-6. The creature comes back as a mindless zombie, intent only on killing

Dead for over a week1-3. Nothing happens
4-5. The creature rises up, makes a terrible noise, and then expires
6. The creature comes back as a mindless zombie, intent only on killing

Overdose!
If more than one dose is injected into a subject within 24 hours, living or dead, the body will begin to rapidly mutate and fall apart into 2d6 body parts, each with 1d3 HP, AC unarmored, and 1 attack dealing 1d3 damage. In the case of living subjects, a saving throw can be made to avoid this effect, instead simply regaining an additional 1d6+1 HP.

Some Spells I Took From Pathfinder

[NOTE: Just a quick little post for today, tomorrow I might write up a dungeon!]

So, Pathfinder has this thing where the spells are really long, so in order to make them easier to reference they have a list of spells with a 1 sentence summary of the effect. Using only those summaries, I converted the following spells from Pathfinder to my own house rules.

Spells are taken from Ultimate Magic or the Advanced Player's Guide.

1st level

Decompose Corpse
The flesh of a corpse the caster touches dissolves, leaving behind a clean skeleton.

Restore Corpse
A skeleton or decomposing corpse the caster touches is restored to the state it was in immediately after death.

Sanctify Corpse
A corpse the caster touches cannot be raised as an undead creature.

Bungle
A target within line of sight must make a saving throw or fail whatever attack/action they make next.

2nd level

Disfiguring Touch
A creature the caster touches must make a saving throw or become hideously ugly, effectively reducing their CHA to 3.

Blood Biography
The caster learns the entire history of a creature's life if they drink some of its blood, however, the information fades fast. They may ask 2d6 questions about the creature, which the game master must answer truthfully.

Countless Eyes
The caster grows eyes on stalks all over their head, allowing them to see in all directions simultaneously. This effect lasts for 1 day.

3rd level

Anthropomorphic Animal
An unintelligent, mundane animal touched by the caster is now intelligent as a human, can walk upright on two legs if it couldn't already, and has opposable thumbs. In addition, it can speak one language that the caster can.

Vision of Hell
3d6 HD worth of creatures within line of sight of the caster must make saving throws or see visions of Hell, causing them to be stunned for 1d3 rounds. In addition, they must make saving throws or attempt to claw their own eyes out (if they have any), taking 1d6 damage.

Vampiric Touch
A creature the caster touches takes 3d6 damage, and the caster regains HP equal to the damage the creature takes.

Session Report 11/11/18

Unfortunately since the last session, my datemate lost is character sheet, so now e made a new character, and we switched to my house rule system; JABOM. I came up with some solo dungeoneering rules based on the Solo Heroes rules by Sine Nomine.

The character e came up with was Grumbus, an orcish bard (wizard with some flavor changes), who has a small goblin as a familiar that e keeps on a string and uses as a grappling hook. Grumbus also has a large stick with nails in it that e insists is a wand.

I decided orcs get +2 to STR and -2 to CHA, and this is the final character sheet for the character:

Grumbus
Class: Level 1 Wizard (bardic singing wizard)
Species: Orc
HP 4
AC Medium
1 Mana
Familiar is a really small goblin on a string
(used as a grappling hook)
STR 14 (+1)
DEX 10
CON 10
INT 8 (-1)
WIS 10
CHA 12
Languages: common
85 coins
Gold colored scale armor (40 coins)
Big fuckin club with nails in it thats also a wand
(heavy melee weapon, 1d6+3 damage, also its a wand, no
mechanical effects though)
Backpack (5 coins)

Orcs get +2 STR -2 CHA
Knows the following spells:
Level 1
Magic Missile
Target within line of sight takes 1d6+1 damage.
Create Fire
A candle-sized fire is created on any object
or location the caster can see.
Charm
Target within sight must make a
saving throw or believe the caster is their friend.

I read off some adventures I had prepared, and e immediately gravitated to the House on Hell Road, a "haunted" house adventure in the Book of Delves. Here is what happened:

• Grumbus arrives at the house, not wishing for gold, but merely wanting to see a ghost for funsies.
• Upon reaching the boarded up door, e removed some nails from it and added them to is "wand" (for, and I quote "additional tetanus damage").
• After entering the house, e found some stuffed heads, and took two gems from one of the head's eye sockets.
• E went up stairs to find a fake ghost silhouette and a lantern full of green faerie fire, which e took.
• When Grumbus walked down a corridor, darts fired at im, and e threw the faerie fire at the wall where the darts came from, burning the attackers alive (though the fire went out quickly, due to its magical nature). E determined from the corpses they were goblins.
• E found some spectacles on a wooden display, and used is goblin familiar as a grappling hook to grab it without needing to touch it, finding that the spectacles serve as infrared goggles.
• Moving on, e disarms a trap, after finding some warm footprints with is infrared glasses that helped reveal a tripwire. Grumbus took the axe from the pendulum trap.
• Following the footprints, Grumbus meets and intimidates Derek, a brownie who lives in a cupboard and is obsessed with shoes. (My datemate claimed that the brownie is me, since he wears jingly jangly jester clothes and I am a fool)
• Derek tells Grumbus that there are no ghosts in the house, and it was just made up by an ogre named Olaf and his goblin servants to keep people away. Grumbus demands Derek takes im to Olaf.
• Grumbus goes into a room with a magical boiling cauldron that can make small, unintelligent clones of any creature that is dipped into it, along with some gems in a pouch. Grumbus takes the gems and then goes hogwild, making many many increasingly smaller clones of is goblin familiar, followed by cloning imself once.
• Derek leads Grumbus on, and they encounter 2 "ghosts" which turn out to be goblins stacked on top of each other, wearing sheets and affected by an illusion spell. (This is discovered after Grumbus beats the shit out of them with is "wand"). Grumbus promptly eats the goblins after killing them.
• Grumbus finally encounters Olaf, lounging on a pile of coins, promptly casting charm and convincing the ogre that e is an old friend, and that Olaf owes im money from gambling. Olaf is convinced, and gives Grumbus the coins, stating that e is welcome to come back any time. When offered rotten meat by one of Olaf's servants, Grumbus chowed down, stating "I'm an orc! I eat it!"

Treasure Taken

Two gemstone eyes worth 1000 coins each

Magical infrared spectacles

An axe from a pendulum trap

500 coins worth of gems in a pouch

Several clones of Grumbus's goblin familiar and is own clone

1500 coins

Enemies Killed

9 goblins

NPCs met

Derek, a shoe obsessed brownie

Olaf, an ogre who pretends the home he lives in is haunted to drive away intruders, and is convinced Grumbus is an old friend

House Rules V.01 PDF and 2 Characters

The PDF

Here is a link to the current version of my house rules, feel free to steal and mess with as you will, preferably giving credit to me.

Characters

So, one of the main things I wanted to accomplish with my house rules was extremely fast character creation, something that I deem essential to a high mortality game. I stripped down as much as I could, while still leaving enough to allow for some player choice (admittedly, fighters kind of get the short end of the stick here, but they're powerful enough that that doesn't really matter).

Characters in my house rules can be made in about 5-10 minutes, and here are two that I made for funsies.

Heinrich the Norseman

Species: Human
Class: Fighter
Level: 1

HP 8
AC Unarmored (Light Armor, -2 from DEX)

STR 16 (+2)
DEX 5 (-2)
CON 9
INT 11
WIS 11
CHA 12

Attack(s)
Greatsword, +3 to hit, 1d6+4 damage

Inventory
Leather armor
Greatsword
Backpack
Lantern
3 oil flasks
7 coins

Backstory
-Left his village in the frigid North to find adventure, gold, and warmth
-Hates shoes, preferring his own calloused feet
-Has a strong accent, and difficulty speaking, but is in no way stupid


Elizabeth Blake

Species: Elf
Class: Rogue
Level: 1

HP: 6
AC: Medium armor + shield (Medium armor +1 from DEX)

STR 9
DEX 13 (+1)
CON 10
INT 10
WIS 11
CHA 12

Skills
Disguise 4 in 6
Lockpicking 2 in 6

Sneak Attack
+4 to attack and double damage when attacking an unaware target

Attacks
Shortsword, +0 to hit, 1d6 damage
Pistol, +1 to hit, 1d6+1 damage

Inventory
50 coins
Plate breastplate (medium armor)
Shortsword (1 handed melee weapon)
Pistol (1 handed ranged weapon)
10 bullets
Backpack
Notebook
Crowbar
Lantern
4 oil flasks

Backstory
-Adopted by wealthy human parents
-Learned how to disguise herself in order to hide her Elfish heritage from bigoted relatives
-Set out into the world following her parents' death, after their money was given to a cousin instead of her
-Wants to regain the life of luxury she came from

The Re-Animation Reagent

I recently rewatched the excellent Stuart Gordon film Re-Animator (a loose adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's "Herbert West - Reanimator"), and I immediately found myself wanting to write up the re-animation solution from the film as an item for OSR games. So here it is!


(Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West)

West's Reagent
The re-animation solution created by Dr. Herbert West has a consistency similar to milk, and glows bright green. It is typically found in small, plastic or glass containers, holding 1d6 doses each.

When injected into living tissue, it revitalizes and rejuvenates the user, causing them to regain 1d6+1 hit points and not need to sleep or eat for 24 hours. However, it is highly addictive, and after a week of consistent use, one must make a saving throw each day they do not take the reagent or take 1d3 damage and a -2 penalty to attack rolls for the day. This withdrawal lasts 1d3 weeks. However, the primary effect of the drug occurs when injected into corpses.

When a single dose is injected into dead tissue, it re-animates the corpse, though the effects vary dramatically from creature to creature, and is affected by how long the animal/person has been dead. Determine the freshness of the corpse, and then roll a d6 on the corresponding table.

Less than an hour dead
1. The creature rises up, makes a terrible noise, and then expires
2-3. The creature comes back as a mindless zombie, intent only on killing
4-5. The creature comes back aggressive and violent, but does retain some memories from life, and may not attack creatures that it had emotional connection to in life, and may even obey simple commands
6. The creature comes back to life with all its mental abilities intact

Dead for a day
1-2. The creature rises up, makes a terrible noise, and then expires
3-5. The creature comes back as a mindless zombie, intent only on killing
6. The creature comes back aggressive and violent, but does retain some memories from life, and may not attack creatures that it had emotional connection to in life, and may even obey simple commands

Dead for more than a day
1. Nothing happens
2-3. The creature rises up, makes a terrible noise, and then expires
4-6. The creature comes back as a mindless zombie, intent only on killing

Dead for over a week
1-3. Nothing happens
4-5. The creature rises up, makes a terrible noise, and then expires
6. The creature comes back as a mindless zombie, intent only on killing

(Taken from Re-Animator)

Overdose!

If more than one dose is injected into a subject within 24 hours, living or dead, the body will begin to rapidly mutate and fall apart into 2d6 body parts, each with 1d3 HP, AC unarmored, and 1 attack dealing 1d3 damage. In the case of living subjects, a saving throw can be made to avoid this effect, instead simply regaining an additional 1d6+1 HP.

Zombies made as a result of West's Reagent have the following statistics, and move as fast or faster than they did in life:

Re-Animated Zombie
HD As in life +1
AC Unarmored or by armor worn
ATK 2 unarmed attacks
DMG 1d6
HDE as hit dice


(Taken from Re-Animator)

Porting The Reagent To A Fantasy Setting

• The goo drips from a rare flower in the South, and is used by a death cult
• A meteor crashed into the woods, composed of small crystals full of the green fluid
• An alchemist by the name of Helibert Westen created the substance in an attempt to create the philosopher's stone
• It is a venom extracted from a demonic spider
• Pre-human serpent-folk created the formula, and it once allowed them to live forever, but over the aeons it has become the unstable chemical that is found today
• It is refined ectoplasm, harvested from ghosts and altered through unholy rituals

The Brain Eaters (My Take On Mind Flayers)

A hunched over, bearded figure in a brown cloak stumbles towards you in the dark, pitiful and weak looking. You sigh, wishing not to attack such a humble creature. He probably is just an old beggar, lost and cold. If you had your way, you'd let him into your master's house, but your orders are specific.

"Halt!", you shout, "Turn back please, Master Smith is not accepting visitors at the moment".

At this, the cloaked man stops his stumbling, and looks up at you. Though you can't see his face, you feel fear, as though the ragged old man in front of you is gazing into your very soul. Then, before your eyes, he begins to change. 

He, no, it, begins to stand up, unfolding from its hunched position. As it straightens, the thing you once thought was only 5 feet tall at the most now stands nearly 7 feet in height. The worn, brown cloth gives way to hideous, wet looking black leather. The gray beard morphs into a mass of writhing, purple tendrils, dripping with mucus, and long, clawed talons extend from the sleeves of the now ebony cloak.

Before you can draw your sword, you hear a horrific screeching noise, as blood begins to drip from your nose. You are paralyzed, completely unable to move as the monstrous abomination strides towards you. You can see its eyes now, they are white, like a boiled fish. It grabs your head with its talons, and the last thing you feel before everything fades to black is the burning sensation of acid melting through your skull.


(Image taken from Monstrous Arcana: The Illithiad, and run through Waifu2x to remove some jpeg artifacts)

Brain Eaters are inhuman creatures from another plane of existence that (as their name suggests) derive sustenance from the brains of sentient beings. They dwell in otherworldly cities miles beneath the earth, coming up from time to time to gather information, slaves, and brains to eat. They do not have a language, instead communicating directly into the brains of others through telepathy, which is why they don't have a proper name, since translating a concept into words from a species that has no idea of language is difficult. The mind of a Brain Eater is completely alien to human psychology, it is cold, calculating, and ruthless in the extreme. It is unknown what the Brain Eaters want with our world, but legend has it that they are merely advance scouts for a great invasion force that shall arrive when the stars are right.

Brain Eaters are 6 to 7 foot tall purple-skinned humanoids with a head resembling that of a 4 armed cephalopod. They have pure white eyes, and their skin is covered in a thin layer of mucus. Brain Eater clothing usually consists of black leather robes and cloaks.

Brain Eater
HD 9
AC Medium
ATK 1 tentacle grab
DMG 1d6+1 + special
HDE 12

Anyone struck by the Brain Eater's tentacles is grabbed by the monster, as it attempts to burrow into their brain using powerful digestive enzymes. Each round, the victim may make a saving throw to attempt to escape. If the victim does not escape in 1d3 rounds, the brain eater reaches the victim's brain, killing them instantly.

Brain Eaters have an exceptionally strong intellect, which allows them to enforce their unholy will upon the world around them using nothing but their mind. A Brain Eater has 1d3 of the following abilities:

Mind Blast
1d6 targets within line of sight of the Brain Eater must make a saving throw or be paralyzed for 2d6+1 rounds.

Dominate
A target within line of sight of the Brain Eater must make a saving throw or become a mindless puppet to the Brain Eater's will, controlled by the GM. This lasts until the Brain Eater chooses to end the effect, or it dies.

Disguise
The Brain Eater appears, to all observers, to be a harmless humanoid creature of average size and height. Anyone who sees the Brain Eater and is suspicious of the creature being not what it appears may make a saving throw (the GM rolls in secret). If the saving throw is made, the character may see through the disguise (the Brain Eater does not know this).

Brain Scan
The Brain Eater rummages through the mind of a target within line of sight, reading their thoughts and memories. The Brain Eater learns 1d6 pieces of information that it wants to know. If a saving throw is made, the Brain Eater only learns 1d3 pieces of information.

Inflict Terror
1d6 targets within line of sight of the Brain Eater must make a saving throw or become supernaturally terrified, doing anything in their power to get away for 2d6+1 rounds.

Boil Brain
A target within line of sight of the Brain Eater must make a saving throw or take 2d6 damage and lose 1d3 points of INT, WIS, and CHA as their brain boils in their skull. If a saving throw is made, the damage is halved, and the target does not lose any INT, WIS, or CHA.

Greyhawk Ruins Condensed Key: Tower of War 4

NOTE: The following key requires the use of WGR1: Greyhawk Ruins to be used properly. In order to avoid infringing upon copyright and merely making a helpful tool for a game master, monster statistics and the map for the dungeon level have been purposefully omitted. The module can be purchased here

ANOTHER NOTE: This series of posts is going to be put on hiatus for a bit, as its starting to become a little tiring and monotonous to me. I am going to be coming back to this in time, but for now I'm going to be taking a little break. However, I might start work on my own megadungeon soon enough...

(A hook horror, as drawn by Tony Diterlizzi)

THE TOWER OF WAR (LEVEL 4)

W401

• Wooden semicircular domes beneath shafts leading upwards
• Rubble litters the floor

W402

• Corpses of 10 ogrillion and 12 orog, shredded by talons and teeth
• 250 coins in golden items and 120 coins lying around

W403

• Scrapes and scorch marks all over the walls, floor, and ceiling

W404

• Corridor blocked by cave in, claw marks in wall
• Debris can be cleared in 4 hours

W405

• Chapel with 6 pillars holding up the ceiling, one of which as collapsed
• On an altar to the death god Nerull is a service set made from copper and malachite (green semi-precious gemstone) worth 500 coins

W406

• Dining hall with a reddish stone altar to the death god Nerull
• If altar is touched by a cleric, it will produce food and water (up to 12 times a day)

W407

• Dying and starving owlbear with only 2 HP left
• Will act as a guard to anyone who feeds it and nurses it back to health until it gets back to the surface

W408

• Chunk of stone blocks corridor
• A smaller PC could squeeze around it

W409

• 3 wights
• Under a bed is a +2 mace
• Each room has a gold spittoon (250 coins) and a copper and malachite service set (120 coins)
• In a desk is a diary of one of the priests of Nerull that became a wight, talking of how spells to Nerulls began to fail and an avatar of Vaprak killed much of the underworld

W410

• Collapsed rubble fills the hall and blocks the path
• Rubble can be removed in an hour

W411

• Locked door
• Male dwarf impaled on spikes projecting from door, clutching keys to all doors and cells in W412

W412

• Torture chamber, with a large rack
• Bones on the floor, ogrillion corpse with a knife in his belly against the wall
• Under one bed is a large amount of torture equipment, including an injectable poison that does 3d6 damage (7 doses yet), a suit if chain mail, some adventuring gear, and 2 long swords

W413

• Stone wall blocks the hall, middle of the wall seems recently rebuilt
• Middle can be dismantled in an hour

W414

• Rubble covers the floor

W415

• 4 troglodytes carry a golden end table (450 coins) towards a pile of gold coins (350 coins) and 5 barrels
• A winch elevator is in the center of the room
• Troglodytes will defend themselves if attacked, but would rather run away

W416

• 2 troglodytes, each holding a gold candelabra worth 75 coins

W417

• 10 troglodytes sleeping on mats,, but they are very light sleepers
• 2 clay pots of troglodyte oil nearby
• Door can be barred and locked

W418

• Empty dining hall
• Chopping can be heard from W419

W419

• 2 friendly duergar chefs preparing a meal
• Will tell party that a meeting is being held in W420, and that they want to escape servitiude to W500

W420

• Room is locked
• A level 5 half-ogre cleric, in conversation with 5 orogs, and 2 ogrillions
• The half-ogre has a potion of fire resistance, ogrillions each have a 15 coin nose ring, orogs each have 4 coin ear rings
• 3 dark tapestries worth 125 coins, one depicting a pyramid on a spiral staircase, one depicting 5 ogre magi, and one depicting a line of slaves

W421

• Each room has a bed in them, 2 rooms have one sleeping duergar in each

W422

• Doors locked at both ends of the hallway, with a secret door

W423

• Burning fireplace, 4 ogrillion and 2 orog spring up from chairs and attack when party enters room
• Each orog has an armband worth 45 coins, each ogrillion has a 12 coin nose ring

W424

• 2 elite orog guards sleep in their private room, with paralytic poisoned blades, each with a gold neck band worth 70 coins
• Closet contains some weapons

W425

• Peepholes looking in on W417
• Paralyzing gas in barrels in the adjoining room

W426

• Statue of a troll/ogre in the center of the room, which can be opened to reveal a ladder leading down
• 2 elite orog guards disguised as statues on 2 dais
• Each orog has a gold neck band worth 70 coins, as well as paralytic poisoned blades, with a a vial of paralytic poison each

W427

• 2 hook horrors chained to the wall
  

W428

• Religious symbols on wall pegs
• A desk contains scrolls detailing unimportant religious information
• Closet contains 25 coins worth of night gowns, a fur coat worth 150 coins, and 35 coins worth of perfume and rubbing oils
• Bed has silk linen worth 100 coins

W429

• Bedroom with a sleeping human woman (level 4 thief), sleeping on the bed
• The woman is the concubine of an evil priest, and wants help to escape to the surface, though she claims to be treated well
• She wears a silk gown worth 35 coins, and her bed sheets are worth 60 coins
• On the table is a gold brush (15 coins), and golden jewelry (120 coins)

W430

• Damp barrels line the walls, some empty, some full of water

W431

• Winch leading down
• Bulette will burst through wall and attack

W432

• Caves covered with lichen and moss
• 33 hook horrors in the cave, with 22 coins, 12 gold neck bands (50 coins each), 2 gold neck bands (70 coins), and 8 gold nose rings (35 coins)
• Hatchery was destroyed by the bulette from W431

W433

• 12 skeletons and 12 zombies, which will only attack if party enters from the northeast
• Bones and rotting corpses on the floor

W434

• 11 hungry giant frogs

W435

• A black pudding on the ceiling

W436

• Underground river with 8 giant pike
• River connects to the 4^th level of the Tower of Zagig

Greyhawk Ruins Condensed Key: Tower of War 3

NOTE: The following key requires the use of WGR1: Greyhawk Ruins to be used properly. In order to avoid infringing upon copyright and merely making a helpful tool for a game master, monster statistics and the map for the dungeon level have been purposefully omitted. The module can be purchased here

THE TOWER OF WAR (LEVEL 3)

W301

• 4 ogrillions

W302

• Large table with parchment, quills, and ink
• The parchment on the table is an inventory of all the gold placed in this room
• A small chest, covered in dust and full of 16 crawling claws
• 1110 coins worth of gold items scattered about the room

W303

• Statue of the ogre demi-god Vaprak in the center of the room
• 5 orogs (15 coins each), 2 ogrillions (2 coins each), and 1 half-ogre cleric (level 5)
• Half-ogre carries a scroll of cure serious wounds, a key to W305, and 35 coins
• 4 barrels containing troglodyte sweat, anyone coated must save vs. poison or lose 1d12 STR for 12 rounds, and everyone in surrounding area must save or lose 1d6 STR for 10 rounds (the monsters have nose plugs to block out smell)

W304

• 4 troglodytes leap from ledge near ceiling and attack
• Troglodytes have scarred up brands of a scythe and skull, with new brands of a taloned hand

W305

• Locked door

W306

• 5 orogs, each with 40 coins and nose plugs
• 1 orog has a key to W305

W307

• 8 troglodyte slaves, branded with taloned hands
• They are hungry and not immediately hostile
• Sealed clay pot nearby contains troglodyte sweat

W308

• 4 duergar resting on cots, floor is covered in wax from used nose plugs

W309

• 3 stone chairs near the wall, as well as a shelf containing golden items
• 3 golden headed axes (40 coins each), 3 unmounted axe heads (40 coins each), 4 gold mugs (25 coins each), a gold spider (120 coins), and golden nose plugs (10 coins)
• Written in Dwarven on the shelf is “The secret chamber of the six”, signed with 5 red marks and the word “Gundo”

W310

• Secret door opens upwards, and falls down after 1 round, dealing 1d12 damage to anyone caught as it closes, with a +10 to hit

W311

• An orog hidden in the wall behind an arrow slit, with 20 arrows and a bow
• In the hidden chamber is a chest that is locked containing 245 coins

W312

• Treasure trove of 5000 coins worth of gold items, as well as a golden statue of a dwarf worth 1750 coins
• 10 troglodytes and 2 duergar, which are neutral at first and even friendly, but will attack if given a chance

W313

• Empty room with golden marks on the wall and floor
• One flagstone is a loose trapdoor

W314

• 4 ogrillions lifting a platform with 250 coins worth of gold items and 2 troglodytes with a winch
• The shaft the platform is lifted out of is 15 feet deep

W315

• A feast hall, with 5 troglodytes, 3 orogs, and 4 ogrillions eating here
• If the ogrillions or orogs are attacked, the troglodytes will assist the party
• Each orog has gold nose rings worth 85 coins and the ogrillions have 5 coins worth gold nuggets each

W316

• Locked room, floor is covered with dry blood, with a guillotine near a prison cell
• In the cell are 2 male humans (3^rd level fighter and a multiclassed 3^rd level fighter/thief) and 1 female elf (4^th level wizard), all nude
• If the elf is taken to Greyhawk City, her betrothed will pay the adventurers 300 coins and give them a suit of chain mail
• If noise is made, duergar from W317 will attack

W317

• 4 duergar cooks, some cooking equipment, and 4 cots
• One duergar has keys to the cell in W316 and the doors to W326

W318

• Locked room, containing cooking supplies like salted meat and water barrels

W319

• A bench winds around the edge of the room, and there are bones and grime on the floor

W320

• 2 owlbears, chained up, but only one is visible, as the other is hiding

W321

• Shelves containing blank iron covered tomes (total worth 2500 coins) and a desk with a gold quill (25 coins)
• In a hidden compartment in the desk are 3 scrolls, detailing tactical plans of the underworlders for leaving the underworld and invading the surface, with maps and battle plans to invade Greyhawk City

W322

• Large cavern, held up by 6 pillars held together with giant chains
• Large stage in the center of the room, with doors and curtains on the edges of the room
• 5 orogs and 4 ogrillions armed with spears on the stage in the center
• A 30 foot deep pit is in the center of the stage, and the stage is 15 feet high
• The pit contains three 3^rd level dwarf fighters and a 3^rd level gnome wizard

W323

• 2 tables with tree stumps for chairs, 3 barrels, and many sleeping mats
• 4 ogrillions sleep on the mats, each with 10 coins
• The barrels have water in them, and there are dice on the tables

W324

• Many cots fill the room
• 4 ogrillions discuss how dwarves taste, and each one has 20 coins and a 60 coin gold neck band
• Broken weapons on the floor, as well as a functional broadsword and 2 spears

W325

• An archway, guarded by 4 orogs armed with poisoned blades (cause paralysis for 12 rounds) and wearing platemail

W326

• Ruined, red skeletal statue of the death god Nerull
• Beneath statue are 4 gold arm bands (50 coins each), 85 coins, and a vial of paralytic poison (can be used to coat 20 blades)

W327

• Locked room, containing 2 beds, desks, and chairs
• Hidden alcove contains a gold coated statue of the ogre demi-god Vaprak which is worth 1500 coins, and a scroll comparing the death god Nerull unfavorably to Vaprak
• A half-ogre 5^th level cleric sleeps in a bed
• On the desks are notes on rituals to Vaprak and also notes on other underworlders

W328

• 3 beds, a table, and chairs

W329

• Weapons, armor, and backpacks fill the room
• Any who enter must save or be affected by a runic symbol inscribed upon the wall that causes them to be paralyzed for 1d4 hours
• Supplies are from prisoners in W316 and W322, there are also 2 black bound booklets on a shelf that cause any good aligned creatures that touch them to take 1d4 x the victim’s level damage
• The booklets are the holy books of the death god Nerull, and are worth 600 coins

W330

• 3 half ogre level 5 clerics, 8 orogs and 9 ogrillions are eating a meal of human flesh, served by 3 duergar which will run to W333 if battle takes place
• Each ogrillion has 9 coins, and each orog has 20 coins and a 60 coin arm band
• The half ogre has a phylactery of long year, which allows him to live longer than he ought to

W331

• Locked room containing 4 bunk beds and kitchen equipment

W332

• Barrels of water and cuts of meat, as well as some butcher knives

W333

• Kitchen with 5 duergar chefs
• The duergar will only attack if threatened, otherwise will try to befriend the party and convince them to free the dwarves in W307 and W312

W334

• 3 elevators and stairs leading down
• The stairs are covered with slippery moss, and requires 3 DEX checks or anyone using them falls down the stairs