Dungeon23: Temple of the Snake Cult - Level 1

 

This map is created under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Area Links

• Area A (Rooms 1-7)
• Area B (Rooms 8-14)
• Area C (Rooms 15-21)
• Area D (Rooms 22-28)
   

 The First Room

I agonized a little about what to place in the first room of the dungeon, as it is the player's first impression of the place.  After researching some of the classics, I think B1 In Search of the Unknown has one of the best first rooms.  Here's why:

• The entrance hallway leads to a central intersection, and has two secret doors, which gives the players multiple potential vectors for exploration.
• The scene with the bodies of adventurers and berserkers serves as a clue as to some of the dangers players will encounter inside.  It also shows that the dungeon is a dynamic place and they aren't the first people to explore it.
  
• The option of placing a monster (and treasure) here can serve as a combat tutorial for new players or a warmup for more experienced ones.
• Finally, the magic mouths - yes, they're cheesy now, but in a good way.
  

I tried to keep these things in mind when populating the entrance and first room.  Shrewd observers will also notice I adapted one of the starting locations from the random dungeon generation appendix in the AD&D Dungeon Master Guide.  True confessions: I like to use lots of books with random tables and generators to spur creativity.  Who doesn't?

Treasure

The amount of treasure in the first level seems a little poor, but surprisingly enough, it is much more than the aforementioned B1 has in its ENTIRE treasure parcel list (with the exception of magic items thus far.)  Go figure!  I'll leave it as is, but with reservations, since it is just barely enough for four fighter class types to level up (BX rules,) and that's after clearing out the entire level! 

The Symbol of the Cult

There are several places where I mention the Cult's holy symbol, here is my interpretation of it:

 

 

I already have an idea that I want to make the Temple more than "just another snake cult," with subsequent levels slowly revealing that the Snake God of the Cult is actually a pseudo-Lovecraftian Elder being.

 

Wandering Monster Table

Last, but not least, what dungeon level is complete without a wandering monster table?  Here you go (2d6 roll:)

2 - The Wicker Goddess of the Gobb-men (Room 5,) actually a harpy (from Level 4) coming to or leaving from collecting her offerings
3 - 1d4+1 oor-men fighting a baern-man (from Level 3)
4 - A baern-man searching for something (or someone) good to eat
5 - 1d4 oor-men patrolling (Area B) or hunting (other areas) with a pox-cur (Room 10) on a chain leash
6 - 1d4+1 oor-men patrol (Area B) or war party (other areas)
7 - 2d6 kobb-men patrol (in Area D east) or skirmish group (other areas)
8 - 2d6 gobb-men patrol (Area C) or scouts (other areas)
9 - An oor-goliath (Room 13) under attack by 1d4 vampiric snakes (Room 2)
10 - An oor-goliath on the hunt
11 - A baern-man with a zombie on a leather leash
12 - NPC adventurers (equal in number and classes to the player characters)