Dungeon23: Week 46

 Area B: Administration and Security

 

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

Room 8: Containment Trap

The walls of this section of hallway are lined with semispherical protrusions about a foot in diameter.  Stepping into a 10-foot section in either direction causes the protrusions to glow with energy.  There is a 2-in-6 chance a trap activates at this point, increasing by one as creatures advance to the next 10-foot section (the last section is automatic.)

The trap is a mesh of multiple lines of burning light that connect the protrusions suddenly, like a lightning flash.  Creatures caught in the area suffer 18d6 damage (save against breath for half,) as they are cut by the burning lines multiple times.  Creatures at 0 HP or less are cut into several geometric pieces of flesh.

Once triggered, the trap will reactivate every other round until all creatures are slain or leave the area.

 

The hallway of burning light (AI image courtesy of Bing Image Creator.)

Room 9: Security Office

This room includes a metal desk and opposing bench next to the entrance, while a second bench opposite a storage enclosure on the opposite end.  The far wall has four (4) spindly, metal men similar to the one in Room 2, each in their own alcove.  These are inactive, unless the power is turned back on or they are attacked, at which point they come to life with an illusory projection of burly men in one piece outfits with the symbol of the atrium sculpture and the word “SECURITY” on their chests.  They will utter phrases like “You are in violation of directive…” followed by numbers and letters, “You are under arrest,” and “do not resist.”  PCs that are subdued (or surrender to) the metal men are stripped of belongings (which are placed in the EVIDENCE enclosure) and taken to the brig (Room 10.)

Security Metal Men: AC 3 [16]; HD 9 (HP 38, 48, 41, 39); MV 120 ft. (40 ft.); ATK 3d8 (shock mace); SV fighter 9; ML 12; AL N; XP 1,500 (or by HD)

Shock mace: The security metal men attack with maces that produce an electric shock when they hit. Victims brought to 0 or less hit points due to mace strikes fall unconscious for 2d6 turns, regaining 75% of the damage taken (round down) when they wake up.  These are inert without the metal man holding them, and function as normal maces.

Shield deployment: If attacked by projectiles or spells, the security metal man deploys a field of force that functions as a shield spell, granting it AC 2 [17] against missile attacks.

The southern enclosure is locked with a Red access door and is inactive unless power is turned back on.  The controls come to life with the illusory word “EVIDENCE/CONTRABAND.”  The enclosure has multiple, mundane items, some makeshift weapons (daggers, clubs, spears,) and a few other items of interest:

·         Sword of burning light: This is a sword-like weapon without an edge.  When a button is pressed on the hilt, the edge comes to life with burning light.  It functions as a +1 sword, which increases to +2 against living creatures of flesh and +3 against plant-like creatures or undead.  This counts as fire damage for purposes of weaknesses, immunities, or features like a troll’s regeneration ability.

·         Another mirror of sending (see Room 6.)

·         Harness of floating: These are plasti-steel discs connected by straps of plasti-canvas, which can be worn as a harness.  When a button on the central disc is pressed, the other discs hum to life and allow the wearer to either levitate, or fly.  The effect lasts 2d6 turns.  Before the last turn, the harness will warn the wearer with a sound and a flashing, red light.  It will cease functioning and drop the wearer to the ground after the duration.  A power cell in the central disc must be replaced to reuse the harness.  There is a second power cell next to the harness here.

·         Six (6) javelins with blunt heads similar to the maces the security metal men use.  When thrown, these emit a shock like the maces.  They only deal damage as a club to living beings, but are quite effective against the metal men and similar creatures, who suffer 3d6 damage.  Each javelin can only be used once.

If power is turned on, the southern desk also comes alive with illusory controls and images of rooms on this level.  These can be cycled through by swiping with a hand:  The PCs may do this for 1d6 rounds, at which point an image of the religious figure appears, requesting help (see Rooms 2 and 3): “…must…activate….main power…”  The illusion is dispelled and the desk crackles with electricity, rendering it inoperable.

 

Room 10: Firing Range and Brig

The eastern end of this room has a shelved alcove with a number of metal wands and rods.  If power is turned on, the alcove wall comes alive with an illusion of a distanced hall with humanoid silhouettes at various ranges.  One can use the metal wands and rods to “shoot” at the silhouettes as if they were targets.  The weapons are harmless against living beings, however.

The western end has a Yellow access door.  Inside are two platforms, 10 feet in diameter.  If power is turned on, an illusory control panel on the north wall can activate impenetrable energy fields (as a wall of force) that turn each platform into a secure enclosure.

If the PCs are subdued by the security metal men in Room 9, they are brought here and placed inside one or both of the enclosures.  They will languish here for 2d6 hours before the enclosures are mysteriously deactivated, and the exit door opens without explanation.

 

Room 11: Armory

This room features racks with a number of metal wands and rods, fist-size spheres, plasti-steel plate armor, and power cylinders.  At the northeastern end is a large, headless metal statue with a blocky, semi-humanoid appearance.  If power is turned on, or it is attacked, this metal goliath comes to life.  In the first round, it will utter “Unauthorized personnel present, please leave the area.”  It will not attack this round unless attacked.  If attacked, or on the second round (if PCs do not leave,) it will utter “… rioting is a violation of directive…” followed by numbers and letters, and “…disperse at once…” then use its caustic gas attack.  At this point, its melee attacks will be partly subdual damage, the same as the security metal men’s shock maces (see Room 9.)  If the PCs continue to stay or attack on the third round, the metal goliath will utter “lethal force authorized” and employ fully lethal melee attacks and burning light barrages until the PCs are unconscious or slain.

Metal Goliath: AC 0 [19]; HD 18 (HP 80); MV 60 ft. (15 ft.); ATK 4d10 (arms); SV fighter 18; ML 12; AL N; XP 18,000 (or HD plus three specials)

Caustic gas: The metal goliath projects a 20-foot cloud of caustic, but nonlethal gas up to 30 feet away that blinds and disrupts living creatures.  Creatures in the cloud must save against poison or be unable attack due to tearing and coughing from respiratory irritation.  The effect lasts 1d6 rounds after they leave the cloud.  Creatures that save are unaffected, but must save each round while in the cloud.  The cloud lasts three turns.

Burning light barrage: The metal goliath fires a barrage of burning light from its arms in a 10-foot wide line, dealing damage equal to its remaining hit points (save against breath for half.)  It may do this at will, but cannot attack in melee while attacking with the barrage.

Immunities: The metal goliath’s metal alloy body can only by hit by +1 or better weapons, wands of burning light, or rods of blasting.  Electrical damage spells such as lightning bolt cause the metal goliath to move at half speed and be only able to attack every other round.  It is immune to all other magical attacks and spells save for magic missile.

 

The metal goliath (AI image courtesy of Bing Image Creator.)

The racks feature the following items:

·         Two (2) wands of burning light (see Room 5) with 8 and 10 (10 max) uses respectively.

·         Horn of the banshee: This rod produces a beam of high-frequency sound that is disruptive to the auditory organs of creatures subjected to it.  The target must save against wands or become stunned and unable to act for one (1) round.  A second application of the rod to a stunned target deals 2d6 damage and continues to stun unless they make a successful saving throw.  Targets brought to 0 HP or fall unconscious for 2d6 turns, regaining 75% of the damage taken (round down) when they awaken.  The horn has 11 uses (15 max) before its power cylinder needs to be replaced.

·         Three (3) rods of blasting with 7, 9, and 10 charges respectively (15 max.)  These function like the wands of burning light, but must be held with both hands.  They fire more powerful pulses of burning light that deal 2d6 damage and have a missile range of 50/100/200.

·         Apples of woe: These metal spheres feature a gem-like button under a flip covering to avoid inadvertently pressing the button.  When the button is pressed, the spheres flash briefly with light before exploding, releasing energy, or caustic gas, depending on their label.  Four (4) of them are labeled “FRAG” and explode as a fireball for 3d6 damage, another four (4) are labeled “EMP” and function similarly to the “FRAG” apples, but cause 1d4 damage to organic creatures and 3d6 against metal men and similar creatures.  Finally, there are two (2) labeled “TG” that dispense caustic gas as the metal goliath above.

·         Two (2) suits of plasti-steel plate mail with helmets.  These offer AC 1 [18] protection.  The helmets have clear visors that display information such as the wearer’s health status on a wavy line based on percentage of HP left (up to 100-80% - Green, 79-21% – Yellow, 20% or less – Red, with a flat line at 0%,) the number of charges left on a held, wand of burning light or rod of blasting, compass direction, and the health status of others wearing these suits in a 60-foot radius, with the addition of being able to communicate with them as a mirror of sending.

·         Seven (7) power cylinders.  These can recharge the wands of burning light, rods of blasting, and other devices (see description.)

 

Room 12: Administration Offices

This room has several featureless, plasti-steel desks and chairs.  The walls have several patches of corruption from the Ovoid, which converge on a Yellow access door to the southwest.  The door was once barricaded by a couple of upturned desks and chairs that have been tossed aside.

If power is turned on, the desks (eight in number) have illusory images on their surfaces of geometric shapes, images, words, and/or numbers. Each desk may contain items if searched (roll 2d6):

2. A krigg (see Room 5) nesting under the desk.

3. A stim ampoule (see Room #, TBD) with iridescent liquid inside. Injecting with this one results in unpredictable reactions, such as mild hallucinations and enhanced sensations (treat as a confusion spell; save against poison to resist.)  The effect lasts 2d6 rounds.

4. A stim ampoule with light green liquid.  Injecting this one cures 1d8+1 hit points.

5. a uni-tool (see Room 4)

6. 1d6 power cylinders.  These can recharge the wands of burning light, rods of blasting, and other devices (see description.)

7.  Strange, or mundane personal items of no real interest.

8. A Green access card

9. A Yellow access card

10. a wand of burning light (see Room 5) with 9/10 charges left

11. a mirror of sending (see Room 6)

12. A Red access card.

Every turn spent rummaging through this room has a 2-in-6 chance of alerting the monster in Room 13.

 

Room 13: Administrator’s Office

This room was once an office that blended rich, wooden furnishings with stark, antiseptic surroundings.  All this is marred by the organic corruption of the ovoid, with patches on the walls converging on a mass of organic bodies appear to be melded together, resting on the remains of a mahogany desk and other debris.  The mass comes to life if has been awakened (see Room 12,) or if the PCs intrude upon this room.  It rises to form a large, humanoid shape that attacks.

Corrupt Amalgamation: AC 3 [16]; HD 14+3 (HP 64); MV 180 ft. (60 ft.); ATK 2d6+3/2d6+3/2d6+3*(arms);  SV fighter 14; ML 10; AL C; XP 8,000 (or HD plus one special)

*Extra arm: If attacked from a flank or from behind, the corrupt amalgamation grows a third arm to attack.

Amalgamation: A creatures brought to 0 HP or less is absorbed into the corrupt amalgamation.  The amalgamation gains half of the slain creature’s HD (1 minimum.)

A button under the desk opens the northeast wall panel to reveal a Red access door.  It leads to the administrator’s panic room (Room 14.)

 

The corrupt amalgamation grows with additional victims (AI image courtesy of Bing Image Creator.)

Room 14: Panic Room

The wall of opposite to the door has an expletive followed by “HAHAHA!” written in blood.  The entrance has a trip wire connected to a small, cylindrical device.  Tripping the wire causes the object to activate briefly with flashing lights before it explodes.  Everyone in a 20-foot radius from the door suffers 10d6 damage (save against breath for half.)

Inside are skeletal remains surrounded by empty, silvery foil packets, empty,  plasti-steel water flasks, a hand axe with a sharp, crystalline edge (treat as a +1 hand axe,) and a mirror of sending (see Room 6.)   The remains are wearing a tattered outfit with a belt of plasti-canvas and plasti-steel disks.  Anyone wearing the belt can press a button on the buckle to project a personal force shield.  However, this one is malfunctioning so that the shield’s polarity is reversed.  The wearer suffers a -1 penalty to AC and projectiles meant for characters within a 10-foot radius of the wearer hit them instead.

The remains also have a Red access card inside of a pocket. 

 

 

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.