Monday, December 3, 2018

The Basement (A Level 3 Raven Hill Dungeon)



Background

It is assumed that the party is trying to get out of Raven Hill. Somehow, they have figured out that in order to escape the cursed town, they need to drink an odd potion. After much other exploring, they discovered that the location of this potion is the basement of a crumbling old house. If the house is explored, it is bare and empty, with nothing interesting save for some claw marks and blood stains. There are stairs leading down into the basement, where the true adventure begins.

The Fogworld/Otherworld

When the party first finds the key in room 8, the world rapidly transforms from the Fogworld to the Otherworld. It only will change back after they grab the potion in room 10's Otherworld.

Dungeon Key (Fogworld)

1. Basement Entrance
Creaky wooden stairs lead down into a dirty, damp room. There are some sacks lying on the floor.
The sacks are filled with crude stuffed animals, all without eyes.

2. Wine Casks
A half dozen sealed barrels of wine lie in the southeast corner of the room.
The wine tastes sour, and has a blackish coloration. Anyone who drinks any of it, even a taste, must make a saving throw or take 3d6 damage due to the poison.

3. Wine Casks, Continued
More barrels lie in this room, but these ones are empty and unsealed, except for one.
The sealed barrel contains the corpse of a Satyr (see bestiary).

4. Jars Of Preserved Food
Shelves line the eastern wall, covered with murky jars. They seem to contain fruit preserves.
Wet footprints lead north.

5. Sleeping Quarters
A couple beds lie against the walls in this room, but the more pressing feature of this room are the 4 headless monsters standing stock-still in the room's center.
4 satyrs (see bestiary) are here, and will attack as soon as the party enters.

6. Corpses In Sacks
There is a pile of canvas sacks in the room's center, with unpleasantly humanoid outlines.
If an attempt is made to cut the sacks open (there doesn't seem to be any way to untie the sacks), blood will leak out, and the sack will begin wiggling and making faint squeaking noises.

7. Cesspit
A stinking pit full of old human waste is the main feature of the room. There is a wooden walkway that leads across the pit, or one could walk along the side of it to reach the door at the end of the room.
If one tries to walk along the side of the pit, they must make a saving throw or fall in. This isn't dangerous, just smelly, unless the person who falls in is carrying a torch, in which case everyone in the room immediately takes 2d6 damage from the ensuing fireball caused by the pit's noxious gases.

8. Empty Cages
Cages of all kinds hang from the ceiling and rest on the floor. 2 of the cages appear to be large enough for humans. 
In one of the hanging cages is a silver key. If picked up, the dungeon transitions into its Otherworld form.

9. Storage Crates
Boxes are piled high, some nearly touching the ceiling. The room is practically a maze of wooden cubes.
A note can be found among the boxes, reading; "Don't look away from them, I've cut out my eyelids so they can't hurt me, but they're starting to dry out, please forgive me". 

10. Well
[Note: Both entrances to this room are locked and require the key from room 8]
There is a well in the room's center, crumbling and old. It appears to be long since dried up.
There is an inscription on the well that reads "The caged key unlocks the truth of the well".

Dungeon Key (Otherworld)

1. No Stairs
The stairs to the outside world have ceased to exist. It is clear the Otherworld doesn't want you to leave.
The stairs are gone, ad won't reappear until the party are out of the Otherworld.

2. Scattered Wood And 4 Armed Men
2 bizarre, headless humanoids with 4 arms are frozen in place, their forms in a parody of dance. Pieces of wood and sawdust cover the floor.
Two 4 armed men (see bestiary) attack when the party enters.

3. Giant Centipede
You see something slither in the darkness, and hear a sound like tap dancing. Whatever it is, it appears to be hiding behind some barrels.
The giant centipede (see bestiary) hides behind some wine casks, waiting for prey to move closer.

4. Crumbling Floor And Writhing Things In Jars
The floor is made up of rusted grates, and below is nothing but a black void. Some jars on shelves on the eastern wall contain writhing, malformed fetuses.
Crossing the floor requires a saving throw, otherwise the floor gives way. An additional saving throw is allowed to catch oneself and avoid falling. If this saving throw is failed, the player character is never seen again, lost to the void.

5. Satyrs And A 4 Armed Man
Lying on the beds in this room are 3 headless humanoids, one of which has 4 arms.
2 satyrs and a 4 armed man (see bestiary) pretend to sleep in this room, waiting for characters to get close so they can strike.

6. Satyrs In Sacks
A pile of sacks is in the center of the room, 4 of them writhe as if alive.
4 satyrs are in the cloth sacks, visibly moving since they cannot be directly seen beneath the canvas. They will break out and attack in 1d3 rounds after the party enters.

7. Spiked Pit
A deep pit full of rusted, blood-covered spikes dominates the room. The door out is at the other end of the pit.
If one wants to skirt around the edge of the pit to get out of the room, they must make a saving throw to avoid falling down. Anyone who falls into the pit will take 3d6 damage.

8. Occupied Cages
[Note: the door leading south becomes locked as soon as the dungeon transitions to the Otherworld]
Two 4 armed, headless creatures are now in the human-sized cages. They don't appear to move.
The two 4 armed men (see bestiary) will open their cages and attack as soon as the party doesn't think they are a threat, or they are attacked.

9. Lidless Corpse
Piles of blood covered boxes fill the room. Among the wooden crates is a corpse, horribly clawed, with shredded clothing and exposed bones.
If the corpse is examined, one can tell it has no eyelids.

10. Well With Potion (empty)
[Note: Both entrances to this room are locked and require the key from room 8]
There is a well in the room's center, filled with dirt. On top of the dirt is a wine bottle, full of a red fluid.
The potion contains enough for the whole party to have a dose. Drinking the potion removes all guilt and remorse from the person, forever. They will never be able to feel bad about what they do. This breaks Raven Hill's hold on them, and returns them to the real world, where they can escape.

Bestiary


Satyrs
HD 3
AC Light + Shield
ATK 1 claw attack
DMG 1d6
HDE 3

The "satyrs" are headless, rubbery humanoids with goat-like legs. Their bodies are covered with disgusting pustules, which pop instantly when struck. It never seems to move, it just suddenly is somewhere else, your eyes seeming to look away from it against your will. They make no sounds, even as you cut them down, all you hear is the ringing in your ears.

4 Armed Men 
HD 6
AC Light + Shield
ATK 2 claw attacks
DMG 1d6+1
HDE 6

These creatures, like the satyrs, are rubbery humanoids that lack heads. They have an extra set of arms extending from their shoulders in addition to the first, and their bodies are covered in wet lips, out of which continuously slither long, serpent-like tongues. The sound of an infant crying fills the air near these creatures, along with the ringing that all of Raven Hill's monsters emit. Like the satyrs, they don't seem to move, you just involuntarily look away and suddenly they're somewhere else.

Giant Centipede
HD 8
AC Medium + Shield
ATK 1 "bite"
DMG 1d6+2 + saving throw or take 3d6 additional damage due to venom
HDE 12

The giant centipede regenerates 1d3 HP each turn unless burned.

This giant centipede has rubbery human-like flesh, and its legs end in bleeding stumps. Infantile human hands grow from the beast's back, twitching and grasping at nothing. Despite its horrifically disfigured limbs, it moves like a ballerina, dancing and spiraling gracefully. It has no mouth, yet somehow it manages to bite, making a wet slapping sound as it does so.

3 comments:

  1. A bit too strong on some body horror things for me to run as is, but a nice idea. I quite like your simple dungeons. Certainly good for a few sessions of play (at the rate me & my group get through things, anyway).

    You don’t seem to be posting to other groups on G+ — are you trying to encourgage people who find you there to comment on the blog itself?

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! And yeah, unfortunately I do tend to go a bit overboard with body horror at times. I think I haven't been posting to google+ as often due to it shutting down next October, but to be honest that is a silly reason for me not to post there. I probably will go back to posting there soonish, either on the D&D google+ or on an OSR google+ page if there is a new one!

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    2. Michael Bacon set up an OSR workshop group just for old school gaming stuff. There is also the Honourable OSR. IF you don’t post their but just do as you have been then I’ll comment on the blog like i just have.

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