Dungeon23: Week 45

Level 10 – The Wondrous Halls of the Wyrld-Makers

The Wondrous Halls appear to be the ancient redoubt of a people whose level of technology is far beyond anything imaginable by the denizens of the Northern Marklands.  The Halls are dangerous, with strange, lethal defenses and metal creatures, alongside corruptions from the Ovoid, wandering about.

Illumination: Most passages of the halls and some rooms are lit dimly by flickering, emergency lighting, while others are pitch dark (see room description.)  If main power is turned back on, all rooms and passages are lit by bright, blue-white light that gradates to a warm red-orange in a cycling, 24-hour period.

Walls: Walls and flooring are made of solid metal, with tendril like connections and pipes covered by solid or grated pasti-steel plating.  Parts of the walls are coated in organic patches similar to the inside of the Ovoid (Level 9,) which are especially concentrated in areas where monsters and mutations are present. 

Doors: Doors within the Halls have colored banding that denotes their access level: General (Charcoal,) Green, Yellow, and Red.  General access doors can be opened by anyone touching an illusory button over a control panel next to the door.  Green, Yellow, and Red doors require flashing the proper, plasti-steel access card before the control panel to open them.  Higher access cards can also open lower access doors (Red>Yellow>Green.)  Doors slide open and close shortly after all creatures pass through them.  General and Green access doors are made mostly of plasti-steel and can be destroyed with 30 hit points of damage or forced open physically (roll to open doors at -1.)  Yellow and Red doors are made of thick blast steel and are impervious to brute force or magical attack.  A knock spell can open any door, but it closes after being used (potentially trapping characters.)  Metal creatures (robots) in the Halls can open any door.
Maintenance Hatches: Most rooms and hallways are interconnects by narrow maintenance tunnels with hatch openings that spider-like robots can easily access to conduct repairs.  Characters have a 3-in-6 chance of finsing a maintenance hatch in any room or every 60 feet of hallway.  These can only be opened by a special type of uni-tool that can be found in several locations.  Spider bots can automatically open any hatch.

The hatches are narrow enough for a halfling-sized character to crawl through and still maneuver or turn around, while dwarves and human-sized characters can barely squeeze through and must crawl backwards to return.  All characters move at half speed and may encounter wandering monsters inside(!)  In such a case, human-sized characters fight at -2 to hit and suffer a -1 penalty to armor class (AC) while in a tunnel.  

To simulate the tunnels, the GM should roll a d6 every 60 feet end use the shape of the number as the tunnel's layout.  Where a tunnel logically meets a wall or floor, there is likely a maintenance hatch (GM's discretion.)  The  GM should make notes of these tunnels and hatches on their map once they are found.  The following rooms do not have maintenance hatch exits (but may have tunnels running through them): 11, 14, 18, 26, and 28.

Area A: Common Areas

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

Room 1: Atrium

The cavern exiting the Ovoid (Level 9) dumps the player characters (PCs) into a domed atrium 30 feet below.  The atrium is dimly lit by flickering lights along the walls.  The center of the atrium features a metal sculpture of spheres connected by both straight and curved connections, like an orrery that does not move.   Indeed, it bears a stark resemblance to the orrery and its smaller model in the True Temple of the Snake-Men (Levels 5-6.)

Faded frescoes can be seen all along the walls, partly covered by corruption from the Ovoid.  These depict idyllic scenes of animals in the countryside as well as people in strange clothes living happily among spired buildings of silvery white.  Other people, dressed in either white robes, or tight-fitting, one piece tunic and breeches seem to labor below them in underground, metal houses. The central fresco in the dome above depicts a starry sky with one, very bright star, creating the feeling that the central sculpture is flying towards it.  Where the dome meets the wall is the phrase: “To Alpha Centauri!  Working today for the future of humanity tomorrow.”  Despite their age, the frescoes are of high, artistic quality, rivaling even the work of great masters that grace the temples of the Holy Civitas of Law in the southern continent.

There are five exits from the atrium.  Each has one or more words in a strange dialect of Common on the wall beside them.

A: Recreation, Berthing
B: Administration, Security
C: Medical, Biolab
D: Maintenance, Servers
E: Galley, Monorail

Above each exit is a protrusion of dark metal made up of many cylinders.  These are dormant unless main power is turned back on.  In this case, the dark protrusions come alive each with a single, glowing eye when PCs come within 20 feet of the exits inside the atrium.  The protrusions fire barrages of burning light into the area every round for 2d6 damage (save against breath for half) until characters either perish or leave the area.  Even if they leave, the protrusions continue to watch them with their glowing eyes, pivoting in their direction.  They become dormant again if no living creature approaches the area for one turn.  Each protrusion has an AC of 0 [19] and can suffer 12 HP of damage before being destroyed in a shower of sparks.

Room 2: Gymnasium

This room is littered with strange machines, steel staves and rods of various lengths that end in one or more discs of dark iron, as well as bedrolls, spheres, and other shapes made of a soft, rubbery material.  Parts of the floor are also rubbery.  There is a spindly, metal man or statue leaning off to one side.

If main power is turned back on, the metal man comes to life, and will approach the PCs and ask them to “P…P…Please ch…ch…choose your trainer.” It projects an illusion that changes its outward appearance into an athletic, human woman that says “Hi!  I’m your trainer, Gina.  Ready to work out?”  Then, it quickly changes to a muscular, human male that says: “Hey, bro!  I’m your trainer, Mark.  Ready to give it 110% today?”  The metal man remains in the visage of the muscular man, smiling brightly, and waiting for a response.

"Ready to work out, bro?" (AI image courtesy of Bing Image Creator.)

If the PCs choose by uttering the specific name, the metal man remains in, or changes to the desired visage, then directs them in various forms of stretches, calisthenics, and other exercises using the objects and machines in the room, giving them tough, but cheerful words of encouragement as they do so.  The “training” lasts one hour and leaves the PCs exhausted unless they rest for one turn afterward.  However, there is a 2-in-6 chance that the “trainer” becomes unreasonably demanding, requiring Strength or Constitution checks from the PCs to keep up.  If they stop, or refuse, the “trainer” attempts to force them to do the exercises physically, while smiling the whole time (combat ensues.)   The metal man is unusually strong for its size and build (see below).  It will strike the closest ones with its limbs or hurl heavy exercise equipment at those who try to flee.  

If at any point the PCs tell the metal man that they are lost or need help, it projects the appearance of a friendly-looking man or woman in a tight, one-piece outfit with the image of the atrium sculpture on their left breast.  They will answer questions or direct them to any area with General or Green access.  Questions about Yellow or Red access areas will be met with the same response: “I’m sorry, that area is restricted.  Please display the proper access card to continue.” It will direct to or answer questions about those areas only if they show the proper access card.  There is also a 2-in-6 chance the metal man inexplicably turns on the PCs and attacks them during this time as well.

In either case, and before it attacks, the metal man briefly takes on the blurry visage of a religious figure such as the hero-god of Law, Mythras, the Great One of the Far West (his face blurred by light,) or Woaden of the Northmen, depending on the characters’ cultural background.  The religious figure briefly asks for help before the metal man dispels the illusion and attacks.

Metal man: AC 4 [15]; HD 9 (HP 38); MV 120 ft. (40 ft.); ATK 3d8 (strike or hurl objects); SV fighter 9; ML 12; AL N; XP 1,500 (or by HD)

Hurl objects: the metal man can lift heavy objects and throw them with great force, dealing 3d8 damage.

Room 3: Lounge

This area appears to be a salon of sorts, featuring comfortable seating and tables.  One end has two small box-like shrines similar to the ones in Room 6 (see below).  Another end has curtained alcoves with comfortable, reclining chairs inside.  Each chair has a strange, crystal chandelier or lamp about a foot above head level.

If power is restored to this room, the box shrines come to life the same as the ones in Room 6, with illusory labels like “DRINKS” with an image of a teacup, and “SNACKS” with what may be images of food items.  After choosing one from a menu of mostly unfamiliar words, the shrines create a food item seemingly out of thin air (as create food and/or drink spells.)  Each shrine can do this 2d6 times before the words “MATERIAL REFILL REQUIRED” scroll across the illusory displays in red.

The chandeliers above the alcove chairs also come to life with illusory images.  Characters sitting on a reclining chair can see that the chandelier image is a menu with a number of titles.  Touching one of the titles produces a themed, hallucinatory terrain around the character.

• Donjons and Dragonslayers: the illusion is a strange and colorful mockery of the PCs world.  They are harnessed in unusually large and/or spiky armor and weapons.  A horde of vicious oor-men stands before them, brandishing nasty weapons as a dragon circles the sky.
• Master and Commander of the Seven Seas: the PC is standing on some sort of advanced, wooden ship in the middle of the sea, dressed in colorful clothes and tricorn hat and surrounded by working sailors.
• Call of the Supernatural: the PC stands before an ominous, old manor on a misty, wooded hill.  They are dressed in a light brown coat with a brimmed hat, holding a magical, light-projecting torch.
• Omega World: the PCs takes on the appearance of some sort of combination humanoid and plant creature with a metal arm, standing among strange ruins in a blasted wilderness.
• Amores Mortales: the PC is inside some villa, standing before a beautiful woman or handsome man (the chandelier knows their preference.) The person is emoting and speaking dramatically in a language similar to that spoken by the people of the Torraskan Isles.
• Trek to the Border Stars: the PC is dressed in tight, combination breeches and tunic of black and royal blue, sitting on a throne at the center of a room with a wide window to the night sky.  Other people are sitting or standing around dressed in similar clothing, and look to the PC as if they are awaiting orders.

Any illusion is quickly interrupted by a distorted image of the religious figure (as in Room 2) that says: “require…assistance…MYTHRAS…corruption…must…repair.”  The illusion ends abruptly and the chandelier bursts with smoke and sparks.  That chandelier is no longer usable.

One of the chairs has a Green access card buried between the seat and back cushions.

Room 4: General Berthing

This chamber features separate apartments, each with two simple, but comfortable beds separated by a privacy barrier, and small, adjoining tables and lockers.  A single, Green access card can open only one of the apartments (roll randomly.)  Otherwise, attempting to force a door open causes a shrill alarm to sound, which alerts the creature(s) in Room 5.  They try to break through that room’s door barricade in 1d4+1 rounds to get at the source of the noise.

The apartments contain interesting, but otherwise mundane item such as clothes or personal effects.  Contents of note are detailed below:

a. The lockers here have been opened and are empty.  There is a small set of discarded, high quality tools, that a thief could use and gain a +10% bonus to open locks and disarm small traps.

b. The apartment has been partly destroyed and useless items are scattered about.  There is a hammer and some spikes on the floor.

c. One of the lockers has a strange kind of mask or visor.  When worn, it allows the character to see in the dark in black and white, and can magnify faraway images like a spyglass, negating long range missile penalties by one.

d. This room has a human-sized, padded suit with a helmet next to it.  The helmet has a solid, glass visor.  If donned, several lights, shapes and words play across the inside of the glass visor.  The visor warns the wearer with red words when they are hurt, deploying a gel-like substance that quickly solidifies to seal punctures and tears in the suit, providing AC 2 [17] protection.  The suit also provides a +2 bonus to save against fire and cold.  The suit is lightweight, and may be used by anyone that can wear leather armor.  It is worth 2,000 gp for purposes of calculating XP from treasure.

e. This apartment has an ancient skeleton in a torn, one-piece outfit.  Next to it is a Green access card as well as some sort of metal object with several protrusions.  This uni-tool can be used to open maintenance hatches.

f. Someone has camped in this apartment, as evidenced by the cold remains of a small cook fire with scattered bones and pieces of flint and steel nearby.

g. A glossy, plasti-sheet lying on a side table has instructions labeled in the same, strange dialect of Common, stating that the words below are “decoded and transliterated from the emanations of the xenovessel,” and when read aloud, can provide a temporary, protective effect against the “extranormal radiations of some xenoforms.”  Below these instructions is writing in the language of magic (requiring a read magic spell.)  This functions as a scroll of protection from magic.

h. Under one of the bed’s pillows is a knife with a crystalline blade that is incredibly sharp.  The knife functions as a +1 dagger.  It can also provide neon light in a 5-foot radius when a button on the hilt is pressed.

Two rooms at the end of the hall are labeled “lavatories.”  Each has a number of ceramic basins with mirrors above and enclosed areas with garderobe-like seats filled with polluted water.  Completely tiled areas at the ends have multiple metal protrusions on the walls.  If main power is turned back on, the ceramic basins can dispense water with a touch on an illusory display, which also allow the person to change the water’s temperature with a sliding icon.  The tiled area with the metal protrusions has similar, illusory controls, which cause them to dispense rain-like showers of water.  The garderobe seats swallow the polluted water and refill with clean water automatically.

Room 5: Administrator and Scientist Suites

This area requires a Green access card to enter.  However, the door is partly open and surrounded by corruption from the Ovoid as well as barricaded with large pieces of junk and debris.

There are five apartments like in Room 4, each requiring a singular, Yellow access card to open (roll randomly.)  However, the doors are made of the same material as Green access doors.  Opening them does not trigger an alarm (it does trigger an alert in the Security area, but there are no living personnel to respond.)

This area is infested with 10 creatures that are dormant and blended into the organic patches on the walls and ceiling unless the PCs awakened them by triggering the alarm in Room 4, or clearing the barricade to enter this area.   The creatures are strange mutations with possible human origins.  Their limbless torsos barely resemble anything human, and several tendrils protrude from their shoulders, which allow them to propel themselves and climb along walls with frightening speed to attack prey, pulling them towards a humanoid head with a maw of needle-sharp teeth.

Krigg: AC 4 [16]; HD 2 (HP 8, 4, 11, 5, 7, 12, 4, 13, 6, 11); MV 60 ft. (20 ft.), climb 40 ft. (10 ft.); ATK 1d6/1d6 (tendrils); SV fighter 2; ML 10; AL C; XP 50 (or by HD)

Camouflage: The krigg’s flesh can change coloration to blend with their surroundings, surprising opponents on a 4-in-6.
Feeding: If a krigg hits a single victim with two tendrils, it pulls them into its maw for a bite attack that deals 1d4 damage each round the victim is held.

The krigg are human mutations somehow connected to the Ovoid (AI image courtesy of Bing Image Creator.)

Each suite has one large bed and nicer furniture than those in Room 4, including their own ceramic garderobe and tiled area with protruding water sprayer.  Like the apartments, the suites have unique, but otherwise mundane, personal effects.  Item of note in each suite are below:

a. This suite has had its furniture upturned and the walls have been painted with what may be dried blood with symbols and nonsensical ramblings like: “MAKE THE NOISE STOP”, “SURRENDER TO HIS CALL,” and “DON’T TRUST THE DIAMOND.”

b. A disc on a table near the bed projects illusory images in continuous succession of a man sitting at a desk, the same man with other individuals in similar white robes, and finally, with a woman and two children outside of a silvery-white building.  A medallion in the shape of the atrium sculpture is next to it.  This item is a medallion of understanding, which allows the wearer to communicate in any language with 80% accuracy.  The medallion does this by repeating words in a language the wearer understands and translating their own spoken words.  The medallion is worth 1,000 gp for purposes of calculating XP from treasure.

c. The door to this suite is partially open.  Inside is a skeleton in a torn outfit and white robe with a Yellow access card inside a breast pocket.

d. Under the bed is a backpack made of plasti-canvas.  Inside is a set of clothes, a uni-tool (see Room 4,) a water flask that can turn even polluted water into drinkable water, three packets of what appears to be food bars that are still edible (each bar counts as 1 days’ rations,) and a small, cylindrical wand with two buttons: one that that can shed a beam of light to illuminate 90 feet ahead, and another that makes the head glow like a candle in a 5-foot radius, with small, extendable legs that can prop it upright.

e.   A desk opposite the bed has a crystal decanter half-filled with caramel-colored alcohol (whiskey) and two cups.  The decanter is of a craftsmanship unavailable to people in the Northern Marklands without sorcery, and easily worth 1,500 gp to the right buyer.  A drawer in the desk has a curved, silvery metal wand of burning light that can fire harmful beams of light when a button is pressed.  The wand has a missile range of 20/50/100 feet and deals 2d4 damage.  It can be fired 6/10 times before it is expended, ejecting a cylindrical object.  The wand is worth is worth 800 gp for purposes of calculating XP from treasure.

Room 6: Galley   

This room has multiple, steel benches and seats, some which have been upturned.  One end of the room has stacks of metal trays, glass-like cups that do not break easily, and silverware which is not actually silver, but steel.  Some of these items are also scattered around the floor.  Next to them are multiple box-like shrines like in Room 3.  If power is turned back on, these have illusory images of what appear to be food items, with words like: PROTEIN, VEGETABLES, CARBOHYDRATES, and DRINKS.  Each display also has the words “MATERIAL REFILL REQUIRED” scrolling across them in red.

There are also two cylindrical, metal statues with multiple arms/legs at opposite corners of the room.  These come to life if main power is turned back on and begin to tidy up the area.  If active statues detect the PCs, they stop what they are doing and utter: “raw materials detected” along with pointing out  percentages of “protein”, “fat”, and “water,” for each character,  followed by “commencing to recycle,” before rolling  towards the PCs on a number of arms/legs with wheels and claws to attack.

Metal Statues of Recycling: AC 0 [19]; HD 7+3 (HP 37,38); MV 120 ft. (40 ft); ATK 2d4/2d4/2d4/2d4 (claw arms); SV fighter 7; ML 11; AL N; XP 4,000 (or HD plus one special)

Recycle: A metal statue that hits a single creature with two of their arms will grasp and blast them with a central beam that disintegrates them (as the spell.)  It will then spend one round suctioning the disintegrated remains into itself, oblivious to any attacks.

Geostabilizers: the metal statue of recycling can immediately use its multiple arms/legs to right itself after it is knocked down or has its legs tripped from under it.

RECYCLE...RECYCLE  (AI image courtesy of Bing Image Creator.)

Beneath a pile of the debris is a Green access card, as well as a palm-sized, square object of rounded glass that comes to life with small words and geometric lights when held.  Characters holding this mirror of sending can, upon command, communicate and see another person that possesses another mirror.  It is worth 800 gp for purposes of calculating XP.

Room 7: Monorail Station

The entrance to this room is General access.  However, the doors are made of blast steel the same as Yellow and Red access doors.  When characters enter and press the second door’s control button, the door behind them shuts and a disembodied voice says “STAND BY FOR DECONTAMINATION.” A cool mist then sprays on them before the second door opens.  This mist functions as a spell that cures diseases.

The inside is a platform with benches before a wide,  perpendicular tunnel.  Arrows on the far wall point to each end of the tunnel with the words: “WT028” on the left and “WR030” on the right.  Each end of the tunnel is sealed by large steel doors with yellow and black banding that are beyond the PCs capabilities to open.

The monorail station is under quarantine and inactive (AI image courtesy of Bing Image Creator.)

 On the south end of the platform is a Yellow access door that leads to a small room.  There are two seats and desks and windows that can see into the tunnel and platform.  If the main power is turned on, the desk and windows come to life with myriad geometric shapes, numbers, and letters.  The scrolling word “QUARANTINED” in red can be seen scrolling over these displays, as well as in illusory signs above the platforms.

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.