Sunday, 5 February 2023

#Dungeon23 Weekly Update Five

The caves sub level is finished. Giant Fish and Troglodytes are going to be the main opponents here but I also need to start thinking about some treasure placement to make sure the PCs are hitting the levels required to make it up the tower. Once the final layout is done I'll probably need to tweak these numbers as I'm aiming to get the PCs to level 8-10 by the time they reach the top. I also need to make sure they get a chance to find new spellbooks so they can increase their spell lists as they level too. 

Here is the full sub level map.



Sunday, 29 January 2023

#dungeon23 Weekly Roundup 4

Another week another level. This one is going to be based around a series of caverns occupied by troglodytes and similar creatures. I'm trying to make sure that the bad guys have multiple ways of getting around to surprise the PC's and limit the small 5 ft. wide corridors that normally result in just 1 PC versus 1 bad guy fights.  



Sunday, 22 January 2023

#dungeon23 Weekly Roundup 3


I still have a few room descriptions missing but I plan on revisiting this area once I decide on how much the portals will take the players from one level until another. 



Room Thirteen

TBD


Room Fourteen

TBD


Room Fifteen

TBD


Room Sixteen

This 20 foot by 40 foot room is dominated by another archway. One symbol is glowing.

 

Development

·        ► This portal takes creatures moving through it to level three room xx.

 

Room Seventeen

 

Room Eighteen

This 10 foot by 15 foot room contains four barrels with their lids lying beside them. A hammer and nails lies in the corner. Chains are attached to the barrels sides.

 

Development

These barrels could be used to transport water from the underground river (19) and take is down to room XX.

 

Room Nineteen

This small door leads to a large cavern with a river running through it before exiting as a waterfall on the right hand side of the room.

 

Development

► The river passes through small holes in the stone as it enters the room and past similar sized holes before exiting as a waterfall. The holes are too small for even a small creature to pass through.

► Drinking water could be gathered here and taken by barrel to room 13.

 

Room Twenty

A Three-foot-wide hole in the floor is covered by two small trap doors. A block and tackle hangs over it on the ceiling with a thick rope attached.

 

Development

The barrels from room 18 are lowered through this floor using the block and tackle and the chains on the barrels before being taken to room 13.

 

Room Twenty One

TBD


Room Twenty Two

TBD


Room Twenty Three

Another archway stands against the wall of this room one of the symbols is glowing.

 

Development

►Touching the glowing symbol activates the portal as normal. Any creature venturing through is transported to level three, room one. 

Sunday, 15 January 2023

#Dungeon23 weekly roundup 2

So there's been a LOT going on in the OGL sphere this week which I wont go into here, but it's meant that my room descriptions have fallen behind my map. I've finally come up with a idea of just how the rooms are going to tie together and more importantly how they are going to tie into the other levels of the megadungeon. My original intention was to have stats for monsters here too but until OGL 1.0a is sorted that will have to wait, but they will get some kind of write up if this does go to print.



Room Nine

TBD

 

Room Ten

This 10 foot by 20 foot room is accessed by an archway rather than a door with two other archways leading to the left and to the right. Opposite the entrance a log wooden bench runs the length of the wall and a set of wooden hooks hang a few feet above it. Four tattered black cloaks hang from some of the hooks, each one severely damaged in different ways. One is scorched and burnt, one is covered in mud, one is wet and the last is covered in a green plant spores.

 

Development

·         ► Each of the cloaks is a hint as to the environments found on later levels of the tower.

 

Room Eleven

This irregular shaped room contains eight basic wooden beds, essentially a frame with a blanket covered straw mattress.

 

Room Twelve

Eight wooden chests, some with worn and tattered boots standing next to them, are spaced fairly evenly around the edge of this 15 foot by 20 foot room. None appear to have any locks.

 

Development

·       ► Each chest contains fairly mundane items such as blankets, clothing etc. all of it mundane. Each one also contains 2d6gp, sometimes in a small purse, sometimes just sitting at the bottom of the chest. 




Sunday, 8 January 2023

#dungeon23 Weekly roundup.


Here are all of the rooms I've created this week for the #dungeon23 challenge. Check back each week for more updates. 


Level One

Room One: Entrance

A set of 12-foot–tall stone doors easily open up to reveal a huge wedge shaped room. The floor ids made from black stone decorated with gold inlaid patterns. Eight stone pillars run parallel with the walls reaching 40 feet to the ceiling above, an impossible height given the height of the tower outside.

Blue flames light the room from several mounted sconces affixed to each pillar. Three steps lead up to a raised area at the back of the room where a large archway sits. Around the arch are 12 different symbols spaced out evenly across it. The first symbol glows with a pale blue colour.

 

Development

·           ► Touching the blue symbol causes a swirling blue portal to form in the archway. Stepping through the portal takes the creature to level two, room one. The portal continues to swirl for 1 minute before shutting down. Touching the symbol re-opens the portal.

·           ► The blue flames are magical a keyed to the sconces. Removing them from the wall causes the magic to fail but each sconce is worth 15 gp.


Level Two

Features
·     All walls, ceilings and floors are constructed from dark grey stone.
►      ► Ceilings are 10 ft. high.
·        ► Doors are made of wood (AC 10 [11] 10hp).
·        ► No light sources are present.
 
Room One
The portal exits into a 20 feet by 40 feet room with dark grey stone walls, ceiling and floors, a single 5 foot wide corridor leads out.
 
Development
·        ► The portal remains open for 1 minute. Before shutting off the same 12 symbols that decorate the archway can be seen before the glowing one’s light begins to fade to darkness, shutting off completely when the portal close.
·        ► When the portal closes the room is put into pitch darkness.
 
Room Two
The door to this room is locked.
The wooden door to this room is reinforced by steel bands, A sliding metal plate is set into it at around head height.

Once the door is open:

This small 10 foot by 10 foot room contains nothing of note except a small wooden table and chair sitting in the center of the room and three levers, one on each wall, all set into the “up” position.
 
Development
·         ► The sliding metal plate allows someone inside the room to look into the corridor.
·         ► Pulling the levers in the room have the following effect:
·         A:  Pulling this lever raises the gate (a) in room three. Returning it to its original position nosily drops it back into place.
·         B: Pulling this lever drops the gate (b) in room three. Returning it to its original position nosily raises it back into place.
·         C: Pulling this lever does nothing until the trap in room three has been set off. Returning it to its original position nosily raises gate c back into place.
 
Room Three
This large room is 35 feet by 10 feet with two 10 foot wide corridors leading off of it opposite the 5 foot wide entry way.  One of the corridors is blocked by a metal gate (a) about 10 feet down. A loud noise can be heard coming for the end of both corridors.
 
Development
·         ► The gates are controlled by the levers in room two.
 
Trap
·         ► If gate b is still in its raised position the PCs may walk down the corridor possibly standing on the pressure plate hidden on the floor bringing both gates b and c crashing down to the ground trapping them inside.
·         ► Spotting the trap is possible on a successful find traps roll.
·         ► Spotting the holes in the ceiling for the gates is possible on a 1-in-6.
·         ► When the gates fall anyone inside can make a save versus breath. On a successful roll the pc can decide which direction they jump to.
·         ► Lifting a fallen gate requires a Strength check at -4 due to the gearing system above.
·         ► Blunt weapons can be used to damage the gate. Each bar id AC 10 [11] 25hp.
·         ► Setting of the trap also activates room four.
 
Room Four
This room is hidden behind a secret door that opens once the trap in room three is set off. Even is the door is found it can only be opened if the trap is set off.
 
Trap
·         ► Inside the room are enough bones for 9 skeletons.
·         ► When the trap in room three is set off an animate dead spell is cast into the room animating the skeletons that pick up some of the 12 wooden spears stored here. The secret door opens and the skeletons attack any intruders.
·         ► Creatures trapped behind the gates in room three can only attack through them with spears or similar weapons without penalty. All other weapons are -2 to hit or cannot be used at all at the GMs discretion.
 
Room Five
This 20 foot by 20 foot room is empty and shows no sign of the thunderous noise that could be heard earlier. Two 10 foot wide corridors lead off to the sides of the room; one slanted upwards, one slanted downwards. Across the other side of the room there is a circular hole about 2 feet across and about 2 feet from the floor.
A few seconds later the incredible noise returns and a huge iron ball runs down the slope and across the room before slamming into a wall and moving around a corner. A few feet later the ball drops down a 10 foot wide pit and out of sight.
 
Development
·         ► Crawling through the hole in the wall takes a creature to a small 5 foot wide corridor that runs parallel with the main corridor. See the tap entry for more details.
·         ► The pit teleports anything falling into it into a 20 foot chimney at the top of the slope but with a 1d6 round delay, Any creature falling through the portal takes 2d6 damage from the fall.
 
Trap
·         ► The iron ball rolling down the corridor is nearly 10 feet across. Anyone struck by it takes 4d6 damage as the ball rolls over them.
·         ► The ball moves the entire length of the corridor in one round.
·         ► A creature in the adjoining corridor can see small alcoves with a barred iron window that looks into another dark alcove. On the left hand wall is a handle set into a stone circle with a wedge shaped protrusion. Pulling the handle brings the stone out of the wall and can then be turned 180 degrees before the stone protrusion can be dropped into another recess.
·         ► Moving the lock opens the secret alcove allowing a creature to avoid being hit by the iron ball but also releases a blast of gas that causes 1d4 damage each round the stone is in its second position. Any creature in either alcove is affected but can make a save versus poison for half.
·         ► Detected the gas jets is possible through a successful find traps roll.
·         ► After a creature making its way up the main corridor can see a lever that opens a secret door into the second corridor allowing creatures to pass through and avoid the iron ball.
 
Room Six
This corridor is flanked by two sets of stone statues. The first set contains a male and female human on one side and a male and female elf on the other side. The second set of statues has a male and female halfing in one side and a male and female dwarf on another. Each of the statues is wearing identical leather armour and has a hood that conceals their face. Each one holds out an oversized key of different design between their two hands.
Two other 5 foot wide corridors lead off between the two groups of statues.
 
Development
·         ► The faces of the statues are not sculpted, just the hoods around them.
·         ► The key from the elf female can be used to open the door in room XX.





Monday, 2 January 2023

#dungeon23: Let's make a megadungeon

So I will be attempting to take part in the dungeon23 event that's been buzzing around the internet for the last few weeks. Each day you draw a room or cluster of rooms and each month start a new level to create a complete mega dungeon. I'll be writing mine using the Old School Essentials rules from Necrotic Gnome and posting updates (probably weekly) and daily post on my Instagram of the sketches and room descriptions. Hopefully be this time next year I'll have a nice megadungeon to publish. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm1qq6-tvtb/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=



Wednesday, 1 September 2021

Available now: Spell & Blade OSR Retainers




PCs need some help?

Need to know who is at the inn?

Spell & Blade OSR Retainers has 100 printable 1st Level characters each with full stats, a brief appearance, personality and a quirk for you to add to your OSR games and fill out the ranks of your player's party.

Please Note: These NPC may have stats slightly higher than those usually found in OSR games. This is intentional; in order to make the retainers useful to the PCs as well as reflect the characters back story and quirks certain modifications were made. The GM is of course free to alter any aspects of the cards in order to suite their own campaigns.

Contains:

15 Clerics

10 Dwarves

10 Elves

20 Fighters

10 Halflings

15 Magic-Users

20 Thieves


Available here:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/254142/Spell-and-Blade-OSR-Retainers?src=newest_since