Dungeon23: Week 30

 Level 6, Area B: Palace Living Areas

This map is released under terms of the  CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Room 8: Servants' Kitchen

This room serves as a central hub and kitchen for the snake-men Noble’s servants on this level.  The hearth is seldom used except for guests’ meals. This is because the Nobles, being closer to their ophidian ancestors, prefer their food raw.  Instead the servants, under the direction of eunshiel chefs, prepare the Noble’s meals cold in decorative ways such as eggs surrounded by lotus “flowers” whose petals are raw slices of (often sentient) meat.  The meals are served with fermented sauces made from Underwild mushrooms.

There are currently 2d4 normal human servants here (1-in-6 demihuman.)  The servants know of, and use the secret doors in this area, but are highly conditioned and fearful of their masters.  They will only help player characters (PCs) on a 1-in-6 chance.  Otherwise, they will cower before them, or on a successful morale check, pretend to help them while leading them into an ambush at the first opportunity.

There is a 10% chance an eunshiel chef with 1d4+6 HD (spells as elf of the same level) is here, directing a feast (see Room 11.)

At Snaketon Abbey, the servants are wretched and the cuisine macabre (AI image courtesy of NightCafe.)

Room 9: Courtyard Lounge

This a central courtyard that leads to the living and dining areas of the snake-men Nobles in the Palace level, as well as their guests.  Carved, serpentine columns surround a gathering space adorned with plush furnishings around a shallow pool with blind fish and a unique variant of underground lotus.

There is a Noble lounging here (HP 27 with camouflaging, shedding scales and snake arms,) with an Emissary advisor (HP 22 with snake eyes,) and a Myrmidon bodyguard (HP 25 with ophidian lower limbs and shedding scales; armed with sword and shield.)   The Noble is conversing with an ambassador from the fire salamander kingdom southeast of the snake-men’s City.  The fire salamander (HP 41) sits on a stone chair a safe distance away from the hosts.  However, the edge of the pool near it is boiling, with a dead fish and incinerated lotus blooms floating by.

A snake-man Noble (right) and Emissary advisor (AI image courtesy of NightCafe.)

 

The Noble carries a wand of fear, and wears jewelry worth 120 gp.  Some of the scales on the fire salamander’s body have been replaced with various decorative gems worth 1,000 gp total.

A secret door to the southeast leads to spiral stairs connected to Room 15 in Level 5.

 

Room 10: Guest Quarters

This chamber has multiple, luxurious rooms used to house visitors and dignitaries from the City and the Underwilds beyond.  Most have gilded, fungal wood doors except for two rooms in the northwest, which have doors made of stone.  These are for guests with special needs, such as the fire salamander in Room 9.

The room is guarded by two (2) minotaurs (HP 30, 17; armed with polearms.)  Guests can never be sure whether the guards are here for their benefit, or the snake-men’s.

A secret hallway on the northwest wall is used by servants to tend to the rooms.

 

Room 11: Banquet Hall

This grand hall is where the snake-men Nobles hold their elaborate feasts.  The  Nobles do not need to eat as often as humans or demihumans – about once every two to three weeks.  Therefore, the hall is often empty.  A feast however, is an equal parts grotesque and amazing sight to behold.  The hall comes alive with resplendent décor and exotic delicacies on the square table layout.  The center area often features entertainments, from eunshiel blade dancers (with hapless surface-dwellers carved up piece-by-piece as both entertainment and meal,) to long, sibilant recitations of epic poems and histories glorifying the snake-men.

A feast celebrating the birth of a Noble egg features the bearer as the centerpiece of the meal.  Their now empty body cavity is stuffed with exotic, Underwild mushrooms, and small, freshly-slain demihumans and fey, such a gnomes, halflings, and sprites.  Special, eunshiel chefs are brought in to prepare these elaborate meals.

There is a 10% chance one of such feasts is in progress, with the maximum number of Nobles, Myrmidon guards, Emissary advisors, and 1-in-6 chance of guests/dignitaries.  Treasure, in the form of table finery and the possessions of the snake-men and their guests, is available in these cases.

A secret door to the southwest is a servant’s entrance from the hallway between areas A and B.

 

Room 12: Noble’s Chambers

This room has a number of private, lavish apartments reserved for the snake-men Nobles of the True Temple.

Each room is elegantly furnished, with gilded doors and opulent décor.  Inside are personal effects and valuables (trinkets, jewelry, coins, and gems) worth 2d6x100 gp (10x weight.)  Each is protected by a trap.  Although the Nobles have little to fear from thieves, they trap their effects to foil servants, intriguers, or just for plain sadistic pleasure (roll 1d8):

1.       A pet viper (HP 13) rests hidden among the valuables or inside their container.

2.       A dart shoots from the front of a container where the valuables are stored (save against wands to avoid.)  The dart causes 1d4 damage and is poisoned (save or die.)

3.       There is a bronze-grated, 100-ft. deep oubliette on the floor in front of the tables where valuables are stored.  Removing the valuables from their weighted holding area causes the grate to open as a trap door  (save against breath to avoid.)

4.       A magical warding glyph on a coffer explodes with a sonic burst in a 5-ft. radius for 6d6 damage (save against spells for half.)

5.       Opening a gilded storage chest on the floor chest without pressing a latch hidden within the intricate patterns causes a hydraulic cylinder from the ceiling to smash down on the opener for 6d6 damage (save against paralysis to avoid.)

6.       Blades scythe from the wall behind the valuables at multiple angles, including at about head level.  1d6 blades hit for 1d8 damage each (save against breath to avoid.)  Human-sized characters reduced to 0 hp are decapitated, and smaller ones may be scalped.

7.       Opening a container with valuables releases toxic spores that cause 1d6 damage to everyone in a 10-ft. radius every round for seven (7) rounds unless they succeed in a saving throw against poison.

8.       The shiny valuables are coated in the Noble’s own contact venom.  The venom causes 6d6 damage immediately if touched with bare hands or gloves made of porous material such as cloth (save against poison for half.)

A secret room and passageway to the southeast is used by servants tending to the Noble’s rooms.

 

Room 13: Nursery

Chambers are set aside for snake-men Noble young, which are raised in the Palace level among their own caste.  The chambers are currently empty; awaiting a new clutch of Nobles (see Level 5, Room 7.)

However, a trap is still active in the adjoining hall.  Stepping into the hall causes the twin doors to close and lock, trapping creatures inside.  Spikes protrude from holes in the ceiling before it abruptly drops on victims for 5d6+3 damage.  Victims who save against breath are able to drop low to the ground and avoid most spikes for half damage.  A hidden control panel on the northeaster wall of Room 12 before the first door disables and resets the trap.

 

Room 14: Statue Garden

This is a walled area, 80-ft. high, built outside the cyclopean rock formation that makes up the True Temple.  The area appears to be a misty garden of Underwild flora with several statues of various, snake-men Nobles.

What may not be directly apparent to PCs is that the “garden” is a form of crypt where previous rulers of the City are buried and encased inside the base of their very own statue.  Intruders that spend a turn or more in the area will invoke the departed rulers’ ire.  Two specters (HP 33, 24) will appear and attack the intruders. 

Defeating the specters does not eliminate the danger in this area permanently.  1d4 spectres will appear every time PCs return.

 

The outer garden crypt honors past rulers of the City, but their dangerous spirits remain (AI image courtesy of NightCafe.)

 

This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.

Dungeon23: Week 29

 Level 6: Palace of the Nobles

 

Features

 Light: Most of the rooms in the palace are dimly lit by colored glass globes with bioluminescent fungus inside.  A few rooms may be illuminated by torches or oil lamps.  These are noted in the room description.

Walls and Corridors: The outer stairs of the structure are a spiral tunnel with carved steps about 20’ wide and 20’ tall.  Inside, corridors are 10’ wide and 10-20’ tall.  Taller room features are noted in their individual descriptions.

Doors: Most doors are made of fungal wood and gilded with serpentine designs.  Some larger doors are made of stone and are noted in the room description.

 

Level 6, Area A: Arcaneum

 

This map is released under terms of the  CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Room 1: Ledger Hall

This room contains shelves of preserved scrolls and ledgers in the snake-men script.  The writings are mundane records concerning palace business.  This room makes a relatively safe place for characters to rest and recuperate from Level 5.

 A secret door behind a shelf leads to Room 2.

Room 2: Chamber of Serpentcraft

This room is an arcane laboratory for the Noble’s research as well as snake-men sorcerous training.  There are multiple, specialized apparatuses, diagrams, components, and alchemical ingredients on several tables and shelves.

Three (3) guard basilisks (HP 31, 36, 29) roam the chamber when not in use.

The entire arcane lab is worth 5,000 gp, but would require carts or similar conveyance to transport the entirety of it.  The alchemical ingredients and arcane components are worth 4,000 gp in total (5x weight.)

A secret, locked door leads to Room 3.           

 

The foundation of all snake-men's sorcerous knowledge begins in the Chamber of Serpencraft (AI image courtesy of NightCafe.)

Room 3: Secret Hall

This hidden room contains some of the more valuable arcane tomes, grimoires and components of the Noble’s arcaneum, stored in alcoves on the north and south walls.  Entering the center of the room without first deactivating a switch hidden under a north alcove closest to the entrance activates a trap.  The east and west walls begin to compact towards the center, crushing anyone inside for 9d8 damage.  The walls take four (4) rounds to meet in the center, and retract at the same rate afterward.

Most of the writings are either common knowledge to magic-users, or unique to snake-men sorcery methods and unusable.  However, one of the tomes features magical writing which a magic-user can glean spell knowledge from: 1^st - protection from evil, detect evil, disguise self (see below); 2^nd – blur (see below,) phantasmal forces; 3^rd – haste, lightning bolt; 4^th - charm (monster.)

A few ritual objects and foci, while non-magical themselves, are ornately crafted and valuable: a silver rod with semi-precious stones worth 500 gp, a golden scale decorated with opals worth 800 gp, a gold and silver tesseract model with pearls at the junctions worth 1,300 gp, a silver dorje in the style of intertwining snakes with rubies worth 1,200gp, and a golden, serpentine diadem with magnetized pieces of hematite worth 1,000 gp.

 

Blur

2^nd-level magic-user spell

Range: Self (0)

Duration: three (3) rounds plus one (1) per level of experience

The magic-user’s body takes on a blurred appearance, shifting and wavering to all who can see.  For the duration, the first melee or missile attack against the magic user has a -4 penalty to hit.  Further attacks suffer a -2 penalty.  The magic-user also enjoys a +1 bonus to saving throws against magical attacks directed at them.

Attackers that don’t rely on sight, or have a spell or ability to see through illusions, are unaffected by this spell.

 

Disguise (Change) Self

1^st-level magic-user spell

Range: Self (0)

Duration: 2d6 rounds plus two (2) per level of experience

For the duration of this spell, a magic-user can change their appearance to a different, (but not specific) person, including clothing, armor, weapons, and other belongings worn or carried. The magic user can seem 1 foot shorter or taller and can appear thin, fat, or in between.  They can’t change their general body type, so they must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs.  Otherwise, the extent of the illusion is up to them.

Since the changes wrought by this spell are illusory, they fail to hold up to physical inspection. For example, if the magic-user adds a hat to their outfit, objects will pass through it, and anyone who touches it would feel nothing but the head of the caster. If the magic-user takes on a thinner appearance, the hand of someone who reaches out to touch them would bump into them while it was seemingly still in midair.  In such cases, or if the magic-user acts in a manner inconsistent with their appearance, witnesses may attempt a saving throw against spells to disbelieve the illusion.

 

Room 4: Cobra Hall

This hallway is lined with alcoves where volumes of written works, maps and scrolls used in the tutelage of snake-men of all castes are stored.  The hall ends in a four-way intersection with includes three doors to other rooms in the area.

Eight (8) guardian trolls (HP 28, 30, 32, 36, 37, 29, 31, 23) watch the hall and the entrances to the intersecting rooms.

 

Room 5: Python Hall

This room has wood, amphitheater-like seating, and a table, with strategic maps and models.  The room is used for training snake-men Myrmidon officers in advanced tactics.  At other times, it is also used to train the Emissary flesh-crafters in anatomy and surgery.  The room is currently empty.  A button under the table opens a secret door on the western wall.

 

Room 6: Viper Hall

This room is designed to appear like a noble’s hall or salon with modular samples of human and demihuman furniture.  Emissary training in languages, heraldry, and etiquette of the various “lesser” races of the outside world occurs here.

Training is currently in session.  There are seven aristocratic humans around a table in conversation, served by four (4) normal humans, and watched by two guards in livery.  The “diners” and the guards are actually snake-men under the effects of disguise (change) self spells (see above.)  If the snake-men are not surprised (or have been forewarned by loud fighting in the outside hall,) they will keep up the facade to fool intruders, going as far as inviting them to dinner.  The “diners” are:

·         The head of the noble household, his wife, and daughter, which are actually three (3) snake-men Nobles (HP 28 snake pheromones, snake arms, and venomous blood; 32 with extendable hood, heat-sensing pits, and snake arms; 28 with ophidian lower limbs, thick scales, and venomous blood.)

·         The guards, which are two (2) snake-men Myrmidons (HP 21, and 31; both have distendable jaws and fangs, and thick scales; armed with polearms.)

·         The other three (3) diners are not disguised in illusions, but are snake-men Emissaries dressed to hide their ophidian features and blend in with humans (HP 16 with snake arms; 19 with ophidian lower limbs; 17 with snake eyes.)

The finery and silverware on the table is worth 660 gp (10x weight.)   The "head of the household," Lo-Khufu (32 hp,) carries a staff of charming (19 charges, see below), and is the headmaster of Emissary training.   

Lo-Khufu is rather depraved (by snake-men standards.)  He enjoys using disguise (change) self (which he can cast once per day) to take on the appearance of a foppish, human nobleman with long, curly locks, mustache, and goatee.  Other Nobles tolerate him, but it is widely known that he is a xenophile of “lesser” human culture and rumored that he even becomes intimate with them – something they find utterly disgusting and fit only for Emissaries in the execution of their duties.  Lo-Khufu was recently involved in intrigues against the ruling faction of the True Temple and City of the Snake-Men, but managed to deflect suspicion by giving up Xa-Bis’ role in the plot (see Level 5.)

Lo-Khufu is amenable to parlaying with player characters (PC) if things don’t go his way, and characters with high Charisma scores (male or female) may attract his favor (and depraved predilections.)  However, he can never be fully trusted.

Lo-Khufu (in disguised and true form) is a connoisseur of human and demihuman cultures (adapted from AI images courtesy of NightCafe.)

 

 Staff of Charming: When held, this ornate staff can be used to cast charm person, command (see below,) or comprehend languages (see below.)  If the bearer of this staff fails a saving throw against a charm or sleep type spell, they can expend a charge to succeed at their save.  Alternatively, the bearer can reflect such spells back on the caster if they succeed their save without using the staff’s power.  This use also expends a charge.

 

Command

1^st-level cleric spell

Range: 90 feet

Duration: 1 round

The cleric can compel a creature they can see within range to obey a one-word command for one round unless its succeeds a saving thrown against spells.  For example, a command to “approach” will cause a creature to move towards the cleric via the most direct route.  A command to “flee” will cause the target to spend the round moving away from the cleric by the fastest available means.  The Game Master (GM) determines how the target will react to a particular command.  The spell fails if the command is directly harmful to the creature, such as a command to “jump” while in front of a ledge.  A command to “die” however would cause the target to fall on the ground and feign death for one round.

This spell cannot affect undead or creatures that don’t understand the cleric’s language.

 

Comprehend Languages

1st-level magic-user spell

Range: Caster (0)
Duration: 5 rounds per level of the caster

For the duration of the spell, a magic-user can understand the literal meaning of any spoken language that they hear.  This spell does not confer understanding of written languages or codes (which requires a read languages spell)

The reversed version of this spell (confuse language,) can turn the speech of a creature the magic-user touches into incomprehensible babbling.  The victim may save against spells to avoid this effect.

 

There is a secret door on the northwester wall section, which used by the servants.

 

Room 7: Planetarium of the Eternal Ouroboros

This room is dominated by a large, central orrery, which is the same as the small model in the Oracle’s chambers (see Room 6 in Level 5, Area A) on top of a mosaic of a snake eating its own tail.  A bronze panel in front has a button that activates the orrery.  When activated, the room is covered in magical darkness, with the exception of projected stars (or possibly the Astral Plane) on the domed ceiling.  The orrery begins to spin slowly along with the images of the cosmos or multiverse.  Pressing the button again ends the effect.  However, doing this without placing a special key in a slot under the panel activates a trap.  The orrery instead spins with blurring speed.  Blades extend from the orrery to slice randomly at up to three persons or creatures standing in one of the cardinal locations around it.  Roll 1d8 three times (reroll a repeated result): 1 - N, 2 - NE, 3 - E, 4 - SE, 5 - S, 6 - SW, 7 - W, 8 - NW.

Victims must save against paralysis at -1 to avoid the blades, which cause 1d6+2 damage and are coated with poison (save against poison or die.)  The orrery trap spins and slices for one round before stopping.  Pressing the button again while the trap is in motion does not stop it, but pressing it again after it has finished reactivates it.

The majesty of the cosmic multiverse may be the last thing characters see (AI image courtesy of NightCafe.)

  This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.

Dungeon23: Temple of the Snake Cult (The True Temple) - Level 5

 

This map is released under terms of 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)

 

Wandering Monster Table (2d6):

 

2 – A snake-man Noble (it’s either a VIP touring or 3-in-6 chance it is Xa-Bis from Room 20 on business) with 1d4 Myrmidons

3-6 – See the appropriate Area Table below

7 – 1d4 normal human servants (1-in-6 demihuman.)  They will betray the PCs to the snake-men on a 5-in-6 chance.

8 – A lone, snake-man Myrmidon

9-11 – 1d4 snake-men Myrmidons with 1d4 Emissaries.

12 – A snake-man Noble (a VIP) with 1d4 Myrmidons, 1d4 Emissaries, and 1d4 normal human servants.

 

Area A

3 – The Oracle and her entourage from Room 6

4 – 1d6 minotaur guards with spears

5 – 1d4 Emissaries and one 1 Myrmidon escorting a pregnant bearer (normal human, or 1-in-6 demihuman.)

6 – A snake-man child (4-in-6 Emissary w/ 1HD, otherwise Myrmidon with 2HD) has escaped from the nursemaids in Room 2.  A nursemaid will arrive in 1d10 rounds to this location. 

 

Area B

3 – The Warmaster, Tsun-Tep (see Room 13) and 1d4 Myrmidons inspecting the area.

4 – 1d4 young, snake-men Myrmidons (-1HD) in training with 1d3 (full HD) Myrmidon drill sergeants

5 – 1d4 young, snake-men Myrmidons (-1HD) in training

6 – 2d4 ennan or eunshiel (2-in-6 chance) deep fey on business in this area.

 

Area C

3 – The Warmaster, Tsun-Tep (see Room 13) and 1d4 Myrmidons going or leaving from a conference in either Room 15 or 20

4 – 1d8 troll guards with spears

5 – 1d6 minotaur guards with polearms

6 – 1d4 snake-men Myrmidon officers

 

Area D

3 – A party of NPC adventurers with equal numbers, classes, and levels to the player characters (preferably long-time rivals.)  They are currently employed as mercenaries for the snake-men Myrmidons.

4 – 1d4 snake-men Myrmidon officers with 1d4 Emissaries

5 – 1d4 snake-men Myrmidon officers

6 – 2d6 ennan going to or coming from Room 27.

 

 

Commentary

 

Min/Maxing

In the last level’s post, I mentioned that I had more focused ideas for the True Temple.  Sadly, this focus on the snake-men and new creatures like the deep fey meant I neglected other monsters that may exist in your typical, 5^th-level dungeon.  For example, I forgot to use any undead for clerics to turn, which may disappoint such players.  Then again, avoiding the energy drain of more powerful undead might be a blessing for player characters as a whole.  Overall, I found the list of level 4-5 monsters didn’t really fit my conception for this level, so if there’s not enough of these monsters for your tastes, well…sorry/not sorry.

 

Inspiration

This level’s pseudo-Asian motif was somewhat inspired by a little module I have called Rage of the Rakasta.  The module was part the Challenger series of products that began with the 1991 edition of Basic D&D (“black box”,) which is the version I started my RPG journey with, the Rules Cyclopedia.  Years later, when I contracted grogcanthropy and became interested in Old School D&D again, I bought another copy of this set from eBay (having lost the original long ago.)  Lo and behold, not only was the box complete and in great condition, it had two of the Challenger series of modules inside, which included the aforementioned Rage and The Knight of Newts!  These modules are not as good as, say some of the classic dungeon modules of B/X and AD&D, but they fit nicely as lair-like locations in a sandbox.

As for the Chaotic ninja elves with magic missile batarangs?  I’m a child of the 80s, what can I say!?

Fun Fact: this may or may not have been required reading in 80s elementary schools

 

Dungeon23: Week 28

 Level 5, Area D: Bailey

 

This map is released under terms of the  CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Room 22: Hall of Champions

The eastern portion of the hallway from the Sentry Hall (Room 8) narrows due to lined, half columns forming seven alcoves in between.  The alcoves are lit by glowing fungus globes and perfumed with incense burners.  Each has a statue of a different snake-men Myrmidon posing with weapons.  These are the Great Champions of the Myrmidon caste.  Their names are etched in the Chaotic script of the snake-men at their base: Ji-Tep the Lightning Fang, Ya-Munet of the Poison Countenance, the Viper Twins Me-Hap and Mei-Hap, Lu-Sekh of the Ouroboros Spear, Ra-Jahng the Iron Constrictor, and The Winding Strategist, Nefer-Le.  Standing before a statue and uttering their name out loud in supplication may have an effect (Roll 2d6):

2-3          The statue comes to life (as an animated stone statue) and attacks.

4-5          The statue spews green slime from its mouth onto the petitioner.

6-8          No effect.

9-10       The statue comes to life (as above) and serves the petitioner as if it was under the effects of a charm person spell for one day.  It then returns to its alcove. 

11-12     The statue produces a vial from one of its snake-like mouths.  It is a potion of heroism.

 A statue can be petitioned only once by a character.  Further petitions by the same character have a negative result (roll 1d6: 1-3 animation and attack, 4-6 green slime.)

 

Room 23: War Shrine

Ornate double doors lead to a shrine that features an altar with seven, golden statuettes of the Seven Champions standing at the ready to defend or fight for the carved stone image of the Snake God above.  The altar has multiple offerings placed like the spoils of war for the statue “army”.  Attentive PCs, especially dwarves, notice that the image of the Snake God was carved from a previous, defaced statue of a dragon-like being.  The central eye is a dark hole. The shrine glows with bioluminescent light and is perfumed by hanging censers, same as the adjoining hall.

Each golden statue is worth 150 gp, and there are valuables among the offerings worth 140 gp in total (10x weight.)  The Snake God’s outer eyes (ten in number) are precious stones, worth 120 gp each.  However, handling anything in the altar or the Snake God carving causes an ochre jelly (HP 25) to ooze forth from the central eye hole.

 

Room 24: Spawning Courtyard

This chamber appears to be a dry garden of raked sand around ovoid stones, with a small pond in a corner.  Stone paths lead to fungal wood decks at the sliding door entrances and exits, as well as the pond.

The ovoid stones are actually giant rattlesnake eggs.  Disturbing the sand within 10 feet of a “stone” egg causes it to crack open and spill 2d4 infant, giant rattlesnakes, which attack.  Their bite is weaker than a fully-grown, giant rattlesnake, but their poison is just as deadly (save against poison or die.)

Infant giant rattlesnakes: AC 6 [13]; HD 1-1; MV 90 ft. (30 ft.); ATK 1 HP + poison (bite); SV fighter 1; ML 8; AL N; XP 30 (or HD + one special)

The pond is empty except for blind fish which feed the infant rattlesnakes.

 

"Guys, I don't think this is actually a garden..." (AI image courtesy of NightCafe.)

Room 25: Trophy Chamber

This chamber is filled with displays of relics taken from the Myrmidon’s conquered foes.  Some of the more famous relics among these include:

a.       The golden, fire opal-studded crown of Dunran Stronghelm IV, dwarven Thane of the Magma House, resting on a plinth.

b.      The broken sword of Emperor Traxianos Alamedos.  It still bears his engraved seal of a two-headed roc.  A battered shield with the same symbol below it belonged to a member of the lost, Roc Legion – the fallen Emperor’s personal guard.  Both items are hung on a wall.  Prisoners from this ill-fated force were used to sire quite a few famous Myrmidons.  

c.       The tattered Banner of the Order of Steadfast Radiance with a pair of rusted, acid-pocked gauntlets above it, hanging from the wall.  The Order was an elite brotherhood of renowned paladins of Mythras.  No living member of this order remains, although descendants might exist.

d.      A defaced statue of Mythras that once graced the underground cathedral of St. Pelinar of Narateas.  It is resting on a pedestal.

e.       The broken Horn of the Herald of Erevan, the fabled elven City of Silver Song, resting on a plinth.

f.        Shards from the shattered, Focusing Moonstone of Xazegi – a companion piece to the Lens of Egizax that once controlled the intensity of its powerful beam.  They are resting on a cloth of silk in a glass case.

g.       The broken remains of the Staff of Nysara – the Archdruidess of Eldertree Grove.  The Archdruidess had the horrific “honor” of birthing a revered, Noble's egg before she was sacrificed.   The pieces are resting on a plinth.

These relics have lost any magical power they might have once had.  However, each is potentially worth 4d100 gp to a knowledgeable collector, or possibly more to appropriate individuals or organizations with ties to the item (GM’s discretion.)  Each item is also protected by a fire-spewing trap that activates when one removes the item from its carefully-weighted display or wall hook. The origin of the gout of fire varies; roll 1d6: 1-2 display, 3-4 floor, 5-6 ceiling.  The flames cause 2d6 damage to everyone within five (5) feet from the point of origin (save against breath for half damage.)  The flames are angled to avoid harming the displays.

 

Emperor Traxianos' last charge against the denizens of the Underworld (AI image courtesy of NightCafe.)

Room 26: War Gallery

This chamber is a gallery with bas reliefs, sculptures, and paintings in fungal papyrus scrolls depicting legendary Myrmidons triumphing over lesser beings; most are horrific in theme to anyone other than the snake-men.  The floor features a large mosaic of a winding, two-headed snake, with each head pointing to the entrances/exits of the chamber.  The mosaic winds in such a way as to walk the individual through the exhibits in a chronological order from south to north.  Images of smaller snakes orbit around the larger mosaic.

Stepping in floor areas away from the mosaic causes pressure plates to activate spikes that thrust upward from the floor in multiple, angled directions from holes in the smaller snakes’ mouths (save against breath at -2 to avoid.)  The spikes deal 2d8 damage and are poisoned.  The poison deals 1d6 damage per turn for five (5) turns.  A successful saving throw against poison ends the effect.  In addition, the poisoned character moves at half speed and suffers a -1 to hit and damage for the duration.

 

Room 27: Weapons Range

Characters approaching this large chamber are met with random explosive or cacophonous sounds.  There are three (3) snake-men Myrmidons observing a weapons demonstration (HP 29 with ophidian lower limbs, extendable hood, sword and shield; 16 with thick scales, venomous blood, and polearm; 21 with venomous blood, snake arms, and polearm.)  Before them them are two, bizarre siege engines, each with two (2) ennan engineers manning them (HP 11, 9, 9, 12; armed with serrated hand axes and short swords.)  On the other end of the chamber are mock up walls and other obstacles, some with unfortunate test subjects chained in place as targets for the siege engines (2d4 normal humans; 1-in-6 are demihumans.)  A few have already perished from the testing onslaught.

The first siege engine (“a”) is a massive, mobile ballista constructed from fungal wood, reinforced with bronze and steel.  Its quadruple "bow" is in the shape of snake coiled in a figure eight, with the mouth expelling a hollow-headed, ballista bolt packed with a wad of explosive, alchemical powder inside.  The ballista bolt causes 2d6 damage on a direct hit and explodes as a fireball (5d6 damage.)

The second siege engine (“b”) is a small, mobile catapult made of the same materials as the first siege engine.  The arm and bucket are carved in the form of a hooded cobra, and fires a round, ceramic jar that cause 2d6 damage on a direct hit.  The jar shatters to release a cloud of poisonous, fungal spores (treat as a cloudkill spell.)

It takes three (3) rounds to reload a siege engine with two operators, or twice as long with only one.  Each siege engine can fire twice before ammunition is expended (they were mostly used up in the demonstration.)

In combat, the ennan will turn the siege engines towards the PCs, even in the direction of the snake-men Myrmidons.  However, they will only fire into a melee if they fail a Morale check (the ennan sometimes become a little exuberant with their creations.)

A secret door from Room 26 leads to the back of the chamber, in the middle of the firing line.  While the obstacles can provide cover, characters may still be in danger from the area effects of the weapons.

One of the obstacles off to the side is large shield made from giant snake scales that radiates magic.  This pavis of warding scales provides a +3 bonus to Armor Class against missile and ranged attacks when placed on the ground and grants resistance to energy (fire, cold, lightning, etc.)  The person behind it enjoys a +2 to saving throws against these attacks, which deal one less point of damage per die.

 

Room 28: Great Hall of War

This grand, columned hall is the entrance and drilling area for the Myrmidon garrison.  The columns are painted with hieroglyphs of snake-men at war, and feature banners with the Myrmidon symbol above.  While the hall is empty, traffic to and from is somewhat frequent.  Wandering monster encounters in this area are 2-in-6.

The Great Hall is a staging area for Myrmidon forces in the True Temple (AI image courtesy of NightCafe.)

 

The hall exits south to a cyclopean stairway that leads to the Palace of the Nobles (Level 6) below.

 

 

This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.

Dungeon23: Week 27

 Level 5, Area C: Officers' Halls

 

This map is released under terms of the  CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

 Room 15: Briefing Room

This room has smooth, polished walls, with glowing fungus globes that reveal hieroglyphic engravings of snake-men Myrmidons engaged in battle.  The centerpiece of the room is a large, rectangular table crafted from dark, fungal “wood”, intricately carved with serpentine patterns and symbols.  High-backed chairs surround the table, crafted with snake-like motifs coiling around the legs and armrests.

The table radiates magic, and at the head (with the largest chair to the north) are 10 bronze buttons in a recess under the lip of the table.  Pressing a button has a random effect (1d20):

1.       A center compartment opens to reveal a crystal, half-hemisphere.  It projects an illusory map of an unknown, underground wilderness (the Underwilds beyond the City of the Snake-Men in Level 8.)

2.       A secret compartment opens near the head of the table.  It has a gold, jeweled Myrmidon Commander's medallion inside worth 700 gp.

3.       The carved, serpent-shaped glyphs on the table illuminate in seemingly random patterns then stop.  Nothing else happens.

4.       A loud, gong-like sound reverberates through the room and halls.  Random encounters are now 2-in-6, and for the next hour, monsters encountered (randomly or in rooms) cannot only be surprised on a 1-in-6 chance.

5.       A section of the northwestern wall slides open, revealing a hidden, spiral stairway to Level 6 (Room 15)

6.       A small, retractable needle pricks the finger of the character that pressed the button; save against poison or become paralyzed as a hold person spell.

7.       As result 1, but the map shows an approximately 50-60 mile radius around the Temple of the Snake Cult, including the city of Alkastra and other major areas of human, and demihuman habitation.

8.       Colored lights embedded in the table's surface flash rapidly, affecting those in close proximity.  Treat as a color spray spell (see below.)

9.       A hidden panel on one side slides opens to reveal a small coffer with 600 gp inside.

10.   The table emits a sudden, whining burst of sound.  Everyone’s voice around the table is amplified, and speaking triggers a random encounter check.

11.   The table disappears!  It is actually invisible.

12.   A burst of confetti, colorful streamers, and bioluminescent, fungal dust sticks to characters around the table.  It affects their ability to surprise opponents by 1-in-6, and any thieves have a -20% penalty to hide in shadows until the material is washed off.

13.   As result 1, but the crystal projects an image of some battle or event involving snake-men.  Is it historical, or in real-time?

14.   The table emits a thick cloud of sulfurous smoke that fills the room, obscuring vision.

15.   A hidden drawer opens with scrolls inside that discuss battle strategies and intelligence reports.  One is a magic scroll with a fog cloud spell (see below.)

16.   The table plays a haunting melody with a sound like a zither.  The resonating sound triggers a random encounter.

17.   As result 1, but the table projects an image of the City of the Snake Men (Level 7.)

18.   Anyone near the table experiences a brief sensation of time slowing down or speeding up (roll 1d6: odd – speeds up, even – slows down.)  Time spent in the room is doubled (speed) or halved (slow.)

19.   A small, hidden compartment opens with a potion of enlarge (growth) inside.

20.   The table's surface becomes dark, mirror-like, and hazy.  The distorted reflection reveals writhing masses of snakes surrounding multiple eyes that pop in and out of view, with a large, central eye remaining constant.  The characters not so much hear as feel an impatient voice in their head in the Chaotic language demanding to know what they want.  This acts like a commune spell (with the Snake God!)  However, there is a 2-in-6 chance an answer is deliberately false, or a misdirection.

 

Color Spray

1^st-level magic-user spell

Range: 15-ft. cone

Duration: instant

A dazzling array of flashing, colored light springs forth in a 15-foot cone from the magic-user’s hand.  The cone affects up to 1d6 creatures in order of distance from the magic user (nearest first.)  Creatures with six (6) or more levels or Hit Dice (HD) or higher than the magic-user are allowed a saving throw.  Similarly, the color spray’s effect varies depending on the creature’s level or HD:

• HD or levels equal or higher than the magic-user: victim(s) falls unconscious for 1d4 rounds
• HD or levels lower than the magic-user: victim(s) becomes blind for 1d4 rounds
• HD or levels higher by three (3) or more: victim(s) become stunned (unable to act) for one (1) round

Blind or eyeless creatures are unaffected by this spell.

 

Fog Cloud

2^nd-level magic-user spell

Range: 30 feet

Duration: 4 rounds + 1 per level

The magic-user creates a 20-foot radius cloud of dense fog centered anywhere within the range of the spell.  The cloud’s shape is semi-spherical and can spread around corners.  The fog obscures all vision (including infravision,) past two (2) feet.

The fog cloud lasts for the duration of the spell.  However, strong breezes or winds of moderate or greater speed (of least 10 miles per hour) can disperse it, lowering its duration by half.

 

A heavy, fungal wood door to the northwest is carved with intricate dragons with the appearance of winged serpents.  A central dragon’s eye is a peep hole that opens from inside the room.  The door leads to the War Room (Room 16) and is locked.

The Briefing Room table was built by the ennan and has unpredictable features (AI image courtesy of NightCafe.)

 

Room 16: War Room

The walls of this secure room are adorned with intricate reliefs depicting snake-men Myrmidons at war.  In the center is a round, black granite table with maps and miniature figures that symbolize military units or strategic assets.  There are additional scrolls with maps and military intelligence reports (in Chaotic script) on shelves in the north and south walls.

Prominently displayed on the northwestern wall is the battle standard of the Myrmidons – coiled serpents encircling a central spear or polearm.  The standard radiates magic.  Once per day, the standard can be held prominently aloft, or attached to a warrior’s back on a pole, and grants a +1 bonus to attack rolls, morale, and saving throws against fear to all allies in a 10-foot radius per level of the bearer.  The effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the level of the bearer, but it ends abruptly if the standard is lowered, the bearer falls prone, and/or drops it.

Changing the embroidered image on the standard without destroying the enchantment requires an expert tailor specialized in magical garments.

The door has a latch to lock it from the inside, making the room a relatively safe place for player character’s (PCs) to rest and recuperate.

 

Room 17: Meditation Room

The entrance to this room is through a sliding door decorated with intertwined snakes and lotus blossoms.  The inside is bathed in a soft, ethereal glow emanating from a large, bioluminescent fungus orb suspended from the ceiling which reflects on a pool below, surrounded by low, wide cushions.  The walls are adorned with tapestries of both outer and underworld wilderness scenes. 

There are three unique features to this room.  First, the feeling of time is slightly suspended in the room, so that every two turns spent inside is only one outside.  Second, the color of the light in the orb changes depending on the mood of the majority of the people in the room: anger (red,) fear (orange,) wonder/surprise (yellow,) happiness/contentment (green,) sadness (blue,) anxiety (purple.)

Finally, anyone sitting on a cushion and concentrating can make a Wisdom check.  Success allows them to communicate telepathically with another person that succeeded at Wisdom check.  However, every round spent conversing telepathically has a 1-in-6 chance that they will be psychically overheard, triggering a random encounter.

Under one of the cushions is a neatly-folded robe made from a large, silky snake skin.  The serpent skin robe is magical and grants the wearer a +1 bonus to Dexterity, and a +1 to saving throws against the spells and abilities of snake-men, and other ophidian creatures (such as nagas or medusae; GM's discretion.)  It also grants the ability to understand the secret language of snakes (and snake-men) as a comprehend languages spell.

 

Room 18: Myrmidon’s Arsenal

The door to this room is made of stone and locked (the key is in Room 19.)  This is where the snake-men Myrmidons keep their personal weapons and other armaments for defending the garrison.  Inside are a series of racks and display stands, showcasing an assortment of weapons and armor, some crafted to fit the snake-men’s unique physiology: curved and sickle-shaped swords, glaive and halberd-like polearms, and polished shields.  There are a few other types of weapons, which are used by the snake-men’s monstrous guards, such as the minotaurs in Room 8.  A well-organized storage area houses spare weapon parts, tools, and oil for maintenance and repair.

While the weapons and armor are well-made by ennan smiths, most of them are mundane.  However, there is a 1-in-6 chance a unique magical weapon is currently stored here (roll 1d4):

1.       Fangblade: this +1 short sword is made from the entire fang of a giant serpent with carved, jagged edges and a scrimshawed handle.  The edge is alchemically treated so that a wounded victim must save against poison or become weakened, suffering a -1 penalty to hit and damage for 10 rounds (1 turn.)  The alchemical poison currently has 17 uses remaining.

2.       Snake God’s Aegis: this round, +1 shield is embossed in the image of the Snake God, with writhing serpents around a central eye. When held, the shield grants a +1 bonus to save against spells and poisons.

3.       Viperstrike Glaive: the blade of this +1 polearm is shaped like a striking snake.  The wielder of the glaive can attack a withdrawing enemy 3-5 feet away longer than a polearm’s normal reach.  The blade animates into a snake that strikes for 1d6 damage.  The victim must save against poison or become slowed (as a reversed haste spell) for 1 turn (60 rounds.)

4.       Asp Knight's Rainment: this suit of +1 scale armor is made from the hard scales of a giant asp.  Despite their hardness, the armor is quite supple and provides a +1 to saving throws against poison and attacks or hazards that require agility to dodge (GM’s discretion.)  Additionally, the wearer gains the ability to move silently (as a thief) with a 20% chance.

 

Room 19: Officers' Quarters

A winding passageway leads to apartments for the snake-men Myrmidon officers.  However, the entrance is enchanted with an illusory trap.  The south wall opposite of the entrance (“a”) has a bas relief of the Snake God.  If a character does not walk backwards into the room (facing the Snake God) the passageway continues as if entered from the beginning (“b”.)  This creates the illusion of an infinite passageway, giving snake-men defenders time to intercept invaders before they reach the quarters.  A clue to this trap is in the poetry of Tsun-Tep in Room 14.

 The room features a common area with furniture such as low tables and divans to relax in, and window openings to the northeast, which show the gardens behind base of the True Temple below.  To the west are multiple apartments (“c”) with sliding doors.  Roll once on the following table for each apartment if searched (1d12):

1.       An ornate, serpent-headed spear in gold and gems is hung in the wall.  It is  worth 160 gp

2.       Unlike the bedding in the other apartments (flat, silken bedrolls,) this one has a luxurious four-poster bed with intricately-carved serpentine designs, silken drapes, and soft pillows.  Under a pillow is a key to the Myrmidon's Arsenal (Room 18)

3.       An intricately-carved, serpentine pendant made of jade is hung on the wall above a silk bedroll and worth 120 gp.

4.       This apartment has a well-crafted wooden desk adorned with serpentine motifs.

5.       A fine cloak with delicate silver embroidery in serpentine patterns is hung on a peg. It is worth 80 gp

6.       This apartment features a small shrine dedicated to the Snake God, featuring an intricately carved symbol of the deity and incense burners.  The burners are made of silver with precious stones and worth 100 gp each.

7.       A semi-concealed drawer under a small table has a pair of serpent-inlaid, bracers of defense (AC 7 [12].)

8.       This apartment has a glass display case with a collection of curious artifacts and mementoes: an ancient, ceremonial bronze dagger, a carved stone serpent idol, and a collection of large snake scales.

9.       Under the silken bedroll is a serpentbite ring adorned with a coiled snake motif.  Once per day, a wearer can present the serpentbite ring with a closed fist and speak a command word (engraved in the Chaotic dialect of snake-men inside).  This causes the snake design to come to life and strike at an opponent for (attack as a 2HD monster) for 1d4 damage.  The victim must and save against poison or suffer an additional 1d8 damage per round for two rounds after a successful bite.

10.   This apartment features a reinforced case with a ceremonial sickle-sword, finely-crafted shield, and a set of polished polearms.

11.   A set of ceremonial, bronze scale armor with precious, and semi-precious stones is worth 180 gp

12.   A snake-skin tapestry displays a mesmerizing scene of snake-men Myrmidons in battle.  It is worth 130 gp to a collector of exotic art.

 

The way to the Myrmidon's Quarters is trapped to become unreachable to assassins (AI image courtesy of NightCafe.)

 Room 20: Council Hall

This chamber is used for meetings and audiences between the three castes of snake-men in the True Temple.  It features three levels to separate the attending snake-men by caste: Nobles on the western dais, Myrmidons at the center, and Emissaries at the base.  The hall has a 30-foot, vaulted ceiling, and is dimly lit by glowing fungal globes on the walls and braziers on the dais.  There are three banners hanging in the western wall that represent the three castes plus one for the Snake God over them.  The sibilant sounds of the snake-man dialect can be heard in the hallways leading into this chamber.

Xa-Bis, a snake-man Noble (HP 25, with snake eyes, snake tongue, and ophidian lower limbs,) who is the current Lady Seneschal of the Myrmidon Garrison, is holding audience.  There are also three (3) Myrmidons (HP 25, ophidian lower limbs, thick scales; 27, distendable jaws and fangs, venomous blood; 27, extendable hood, snake tongue; swords and shields,) and two (2) Emissaries (HP 23, snake pheromones; 18, snake arms) present, with five (5) normal human (1-in-6 demihuman) servants about.

The Lady Seneschal despises her current position, which she considers beneath her, but she was on the losing side of intrigues between Nobles vying for the favor of the Snake God.  She is currently seeking ways to return to the halls of power in the Palace of the Nobles (Level 6) below, perhaps by uncovering treason among the Myrmidons (such as Thet-Zuh’s desire to ascend to the Noble caste.)

 

The Lady Seneschal is eager to reascend to her previous position (adapted from AI images courtesy of NightCafe.)

Room 21: Archive

This octagonal room has three levels of book and scroll shelves approximately 35 feet high, with stairs connecting each level.  The books and scrolls are written in the Chaotic script of the snake-men dialect.  Roll on the following table for the contents of a book or scroll (1d20):

1.        The Serpentine Codex: An archive of the snake-men castes and genetic variants, complete with anatomical drawings, and documentation of their behaviors and esoteric qualities; heavily biased from a Noble’s perspective.  

2.       The Art of Myconic Alchemy: A collection of botanical knowledge about mushrooms of the Underwilds, their properties, and their practical applications.

3.       The Book of Tau-Lat: not really a spellbook, but a textbook on basic, sorcerous knowledge practiced by the snake-men.  PCs can learn about the basic spells the three castes of snake-men can cast.

4.       Python’s Wisdom - The Way of the Oracle: an ancient scroll describing the prophetic visions and divinatory practices associated with the Oracles; written in the form of snake-themed parables.

5.       The Slithering Labyrinth:  The classical snake-men guide to deception and intrigue.  Required reading for all castes, but especially used by Emissaries in the world above.

6.       Serpent's Tongue - The Book of Speaking: A “rosetta stone” detailing the snake-men language, its Chaotic script, and similarities to the languages of dragons and lizardmen.  A PC could learn the snake-men language with this over time, but humans and demihumans tend to lack the vocal anatomy to communicate with snakes.

7.       Ascendancy: A pseudo-scholarly treatise on the snake-men’s history in 42 volumes.  It is largely snake-supremacist fiction.

8.       The Book of Vipers: A compendium of venomous snakes from around the world, detailing their habitats, habits, and the unique properties of their venoms.

9.       The Balanced Scale: A textbook covering the fundamentals of flesh-crafting.

10.   The Ouroboros Spiral: A cryptic tome detailing the arcane theories of chronomancy.

11.   Testament of the Eye:  The main, religious text of the snake-men and their Snake God.  Passages from it may be recognizable to those who have read the unholy works of the Snake Cult.

12.   The Serpent's Maze: A mystical book of logic and arcane puzzles designed to test and enhance the snake-men’s problem-solving skills and magical aptitude.

13.   The Eternal Cycle: The “old testament” holy book of the snake-men, focused on their serpentine aspect of Tiama’at.  This book is old and dusty, as if it has not been touched for a long time.

14.   The Scrolls of Ka-do-Xa: An ancient healing and medical manual of the snake-men.  Considered essential reading for novice flesh-crafters before they are ready to move on to The Balanced Scale.

15.   Time of Fang and Venom: The seminal snake-men manual on war strategy and tactics.

16.  The Myrmidon Seven:  Stories about the seven great Champions of the Myrmidon snake-men.  It mentions the practice of petitioning them for fortune in battle (a clue to the statues in Room 22.)

17.   Scroll with an architectural schematic of Level 4

18.   Scroll with an architectural schematic of Level 5

19.   Scroll with an unlabeled map of the City of the Snake-Men (Level 7)

20.   Scroll with an incomplete map of the Underwilds in the vicinity of the City of the Snake-Men (Level 8)                                

The bookcase on the lower western wall can open to reveal a secret passage that leads to another secret door beside the Meditation Room (17.)

 

 

This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.