I made a blank map...

DangerousPuhson

Should be playing D&D instead

As promised, I invite anyone and everyone to have at it.

The quality is not up to my usual standard of design, but I think it's a good effort for an hour's work - besides, it's just for you few folk in here anyway. Twenty rooms ought to be enough to play with, yeah?

Best write-up (as voted) gets special bonus prize (forum cred)!

Let's see what you guys can do!
 

Grützi

Should be playing D&D instead
Awesome map. 20 rooms is plenty to go wild ;)
I will see if I manage something in a reasonable time.
 

Malrex

So ... slow work day? Every day?
Cool map!
Ohh..thought it was going to be a collaboration, but it's a competition??
*pushes Grutzi out of the way and steals his pencils*

When's the deadline? I'm pretty tied the next few weeks. Any rules (we using monster stat blocks or just saying what type?)
 

Grützi

Should be playing D&D instead
*pushes Grutzi out of the way and steals his pencils*
This treachery shall not be forgotten!

But seriously a collaboration could be fun too ... If we can agree on someoutline or foundation ;)

When's the deadline? I'm pretty tied the next few weeks. Any rules (we using monster stat blocks or just saying what type?)
Give us rules master, so we may forge you a dungeon worthy of the most insane murderhobos.
 

DangerousPuhson

Should be playing D&D instead
I'm of the mind that the more competition/entries to read, the more entertainment we all get.

Collaborative work could be for something a little more formal, maybe stick all our names on it and start distributing - if that's what people want to do, I'd personally prefer to spend a little more time on a polished map product (with input from collaborators).

So this particular piece is COMPETITIVE. CRUSH, KILL, MAIM!

Deadline - ohhh, let's give it three weeks until JUDGEMENT DAY - FRIDAY MAY 17! That is, for anyone who wants to take this seriously. Obviously entries can be submitted after the fact - BUT ONLY BY THE WEAK AND SLOW! BWAHAHAHA!

PS: I'll be making my own submission. *steals the pencils from Malrex and breaks them* GAME ON!
 
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Malrex

So ... slow work day? Every day?
I believe @Slick said he liked people to make their own art for their adventures......perhaps this is an opportunity to show-off my impressive and amazing stick-person artistic ability!!
 

Grützi

Should be playing D&D instead
Just to clarify and in the sake of fairness (I know, I know ... I'm just too nice ;) are we doing only the dungeon or is it fair game to add a hexmap of the surroundings, random encounters in the wild, a little town? Expand the whole thing a bit so to speak.
I've got a few ideas about that but don't want to waste my time doing it if it's not fair game ;)
 

DangerousPuhson

Should be playing D&D instead
If you want it to be judged as part of the contest, then so long as it's in before the deadline (May 17), I'd reckon it's fair game to add whatever you want.
 

Malrex

So ... slow work day? Every day?
Who is judging this...?
And no Grutzi..you can't..cause I stole your pencils...duh..!!And then they were broken...so we are all screwed anyways.
 

Malrex

So ... slow work day? Every day?
Once this is done...do you mind if I share my result with your map on my Patreon as a freebie and put it on my blog? Happy to give credit for the map if you want to throw me a name. I thought I could bust it out this weekend, but apparently I need to help my step-son move...its going to be a rush to the finish......There's only 3 of us doing this contest? What a bunch of pansies out there......:)
 

DangerousPuhson

Should be playing D&D instead
Here's my entry, totally not balanced or playtested in any way! For a party of level 3-ish...

Treasure Vault of the Corux

This adventure takes place after some recent ground tremors. I leave the overland stuff and the getting to the site to the DM. Whispers start going on around town that somebody has found an interesting archaeological find, something about a "Corux tomb", whatever that is....

Rumors

“Y'all dun heard they dug up some kinda fancy tomb round here!? I reckon those types had some neat stuff buried with em! Always good pickens so long as nobody dun been messin' with nothin' Prolly some booby traps though... gotta outsmart that stuff!”

“The Corux... names I've not heard in some time. Heavenly beings they were – legend holds that they stowed away the secret to immortality with the few that couldn't be brought along back to paradise with them before they left our realm for good”

“Careful finding your fortunes 'round these parts. My cousin is a guardsman, and the way he tells it, there's these weird black monsters crawling up from the ground. Might have had to do with that last earthquake he had, but I ain't exactly no geologist or nothin'”

“My brother Billy had a bad dream last night and wet his pants. He says a little demon baby trapped in a hand wanted his help. Scared him real bad! Scared of a baby! Ha ha! Billy is a pee-pants!”

Random Encounters

Roll 1d6 for each hour spent here; on a 1, there is a random encounter with a Chaos Hatchling (a creature with a random, unnatural form). Chaos Hatchlings have darkvision out to 60', and understand no languages. Assume they add no modifiers to skill checks, ability checks, or saving throws. Examples of these can be found in Areas 13, 16, 17,19 or 20, or you can use this template:

Chaos Hatchling – AC 12, HP 40, weak to radiant, bite +5 melee (2d6 + 2 piercing) or 2x scything attacks +5 melee (1d6 + 2 slashing) or poison spit +5 15' ranged/1 target (DC 12 CON save or poisoned for 1 minute)

Key

1
- The columns supporting the vaulted ceiling of this white marble hall are carved to resemble pairs of dancing animal-headed people; two of each owl-heads, fox-heads, goat-heads, tiger-heads and cobra-heads square off as partners, and when not looked-at, change poses randomly in dance until looked at again. Marble bricks are scattered across the ground in front of the 10' tall hole in the east wall, having been burst outward from the other side.

2 - The water pool that dominates this room is only an inch deep, but looks as though it stretches downward into oblivion. Thirty feet above, a lattice-caged bridge bisects the room, forming a tunnel between two similarly caged spheroid rooms cut into the opposite walls. From the underside, the rooms and bridge are carved with a scene of a playful battle between two groups of cherubic wizards.

Treasure: Embedded gemstone flecks (100gp total) add a colorful shimmer to the spell effects in the carving. Prying them all out takes an hour, and the ability to reach them 30' up.

Encounter: From the lattice caged areas above, a solitary figure robed in shadowy vines takes potshots at those below using a blowgun (see Area 8). Attacking this creature requires a successful attack against an of AC 18 – hitting it three times (no matter the damage) causes it to retreat from sight.

Boon: If a creature lies down in the pool and washes themselves, they recover one hit point for each minute spent bathing.

Trap: If a creature bathes in the pool more than once per day, the depth of the water drops away into infinity, and a vortex forms to pull all bathers down to a watery death (DC 12 to fight the current and escape the pool).

3 - The twelve marble statues here are paired figures with animal heads, matching those in Area 1, except they all war a scornful look and their eyes move to follow creatures moving down the hall. The second pair are pig-headed people not found in Area 1; behind the male, a secret door can be opened by pressing two buttons in the statue's nose (DC 15 to spot).

Trap: If anyone tries to pass between the cobra-headed pair of statues (the northernmost pair), they can notice a subtle movement of the mouths (DC 12). Creatures that see this are allowed a DEX save (DC 12) to avoid a venomous spit attacks from each of the pair (+5 to hit, 2d6 poison each).

Exits: The door to Area 4 is a bronze disk with a valve wheel in the middle - opening it requires a combined STR of 30; only two individuals can attempt simultaneously. The room beyond is pressurized, hissing when opened.

4 - The mahogany statue in the middle of this room depicts a pair of dryads dancing naked around a maypole. Living garland strings from the top of the maypole to the walls, where they grow further into knotted tangles of flowering vines, covering almost every surface in the room. The delicate flowers on the vines crumble at the slightest touch.

Treasure: a DC 15 Nature check (or equivalent) identifies some of the plant species as having been extinct for thousands of years – 50gp worth of rare seeds can be collected for each half-hour spent sifting through the detritus (max 250gp worth).

Trap: Each half-hour spent here requires a CON saving throw (DC 10); failure means the player has contracted a formally-extinct disease (details left to DM, highly visible symptoms, not easily treated, rightfully shunned by society).

5 - A 20' tall forearm of volcanic glass, capped with a loosely-clenched fist, appears as though it has burst upward through the floor. Around its base, a roiling pool of magma churns from within a sinkhole-like depression.

Trap: The magma causes 3d6 fire damage each round to any who touch it, and 1d4 fire damage each round to any creature starting their turn within 5 feet of it.

Encounter: Caged in the closed fingers of the fist is a small, human-like baby with deep violet skin and stubby black horns. It is immune to fire, and speaks in the voice of a wizened, worldly man – this is a demon banished to the mortal realm, trapped for eternity in the body of an infant. It asks only to be freed, promising great reward - a single attack dealing at least 15 hp damage to the fist breaks him free. It will deliver on its promise – the password to open the safe in “the brass room” is “Corux Voosh”.

6 - This dome-shaped room is carved with constellations whose stars are made of dime-sized crystals. DC10 to notice the crystals are worthless glass, and there are subtle air currents hissing from behind each one.

Trap: Attempting to pry out any of the crystals causes the air jets behind them to shoot them all simultaneously outwards at high speeds, striking everyone in the room with enough force to cause 2d8 piercing damage.

Treasure: The crystals shatter into dust which can be collected and used as a dose of itching powder (DC 10 WIS save or lose turn to uncontrollable scratching, 3 round duration).

7 - In the center of this dome-shaped room is a solid 8' tall, 4' wide rectangular block of pure white marble, with not a single imperfection to be found. Carved into the floor and ceiling is a single, extremely wordy, run-on sentence describing the entire life of a mortal-turned-angel named “Virgil of Corux”.

Treasure: Reading the entirety of the text from start to finish takes an hour; if it is read aloud, the marble block warps and crushes itself down into a fist-sized chunk shaped like an angelic figure (Virgil) – this figure still weighs as much as the original block (1 ton), but can be called upon to summon Virgil, who will do the summoner one favor before vanishing in a puff of smoke.
 
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DangerousPuhson

Should be playing D&D instead
8 - The eastern half of this domed-room has a lattice cage of bronze rather than a solid wall, and opens to a similarly-caged tunnel bridge which stretches above the pool in Area 2 into an identical domed room on the other side. The floors are polished perfectly to a mirrored shine.

Trap: The floors are so slickly polished that any movement made at faster than half-speed risks slipping and falling prone (DC 12 check to keep footing).

Encounter: Floating an inch above the ground, a shadowy, faceless humanoid form made of writhing black vines stands in defiance of passage. It attacks with a blowgun from range, and uses shadow vines in melee combat. It does not speak, nor does it attack the unarmed.

Spectral Vine Guardian – AC 14, HP 50, immune to non-magical, non-silvered weapons, blowgun +5 100' ranged/1 target (1 piercing, DC 14 CON save or 2d6 poison damage + poisoned for 1 minute) or 2x shadow vine attack +5 melee (2d4 necrotic).

Treasure: If the Spectral Vine Guardian is killed, it leaves behind a baseball-sized black seed that, when planted and tended for a month, grows into an identical creature that cannot stray more than 50' from it's planted location, but otherwise obeys it's new master to the best of it's ability. The seed is worth 500gp to a knowing buyer.

9 - This room is identical to Area 8, except without the guardian creature.

Exit: The door to Area 10 is made of 2'-thick stainless steel, and covered in dozens of keyholes, combination dials, reinforcing bars, and other detriments to entry. A DC 15 check made by a thief, engineer, or locksmith reveals that only one of these keyholes actually belongs to a genuine locking mechanism – it can be picked (DC 15) or unlocked with the key in Area 15 to open the door.

10 - The room is plated entirely in brass, except along the north wall where something has seemingly burst through and knocked some of the plating away. A marble figure of a robed, winged, angelic woman stands 20' tall and holds aloft a sphere made from a lattice of bronze – within, a magical flame bathes the room in indigo light. Set into the chest of the statue is a 2' cubic steel block. If the passwordCorux Voosh” is uttered, a door manifests on the block that allows it to be opened like a safe.

Treasure: Inside the safe is a thick golden ring, six inches in diameter. This is an angel's halo – if put on the head, it floats a few inches above the scalp. If the wearer of the halo suffers a deathblow, the halo instead shatters and the wearer is restored to full health. This halo is worth 1000gp.

Trap: Touching the safe without having uttered the password trigger a trap – the caged sphere held by the statue burst into a violent conflagration of indigo flame and drops to the ground. On the next round, the orb begins to roll at a speed of 20', pushing through the west door and rolling down the ramps all the way to Area 6. Each creature starting a turn within 5 feet of the sphere must make a DC 12 DEX save of suffer 2d6 points of fire damage as indigo flames jet out towards them.

11 - The surfaces of this hall are coated with frost, and the air is very cold. A faint blue glow emanates through the mildly-translucent quartz floor (dim light). An excavated hole in the north wall is partially blocked by the frozen carcass of a dog-sized creature resembling a headless black beetle possessing scythed legs and a lamprey-like mouth on its stomach. The doors on the east wall are made of the same translucent quartz; the door to Area 15 is secured with crossed bronze chains and a chunky padlock shaped like a heart (DC 15 to pick; the key is in Area 17).

Encounter: A jet of cool air and wisps of crystalline ice shift around at the south end of the hall: this is an invisible ice spirit which attacks only if provoked or if anyone tries to get into Area 15 without a the key.

Ice Spirit – AC 16, HP 40, permanently invisible, weak to fire, chilling wound +5 melee (3d6 cold) or freezing touch melee (DC 14 CON save each round or paralyzed until successful).

12 - This cubic room is empty save for two large holes tunnelled through the north and east walls, and a smashed-open marble sarcophagus depicting a bird-headed man.

13 - This quartz-lined cubic room has a hole bored through its eastern wall.

Encounter: A white marble sarcophagus carved in the likeness of a tiger-headed woman is in the process of being ransacked by a three-legged, three-armed creature with a single red eye in the middle of it's torso and a drooling maw of teeth where it's buttocks should be.

Tripod Chaos Hatchling – AC 12, HP 40, weak to radiant, bite +5 melee (2d6 piercing) or 3x claws +5 melee (1d4+1).

Treasure: The body in the sarcophagus has been pulled apart beyond recognition, but a severed hand within clutches a silvered longsword (50gp value).
 

DangerousPuhson

Should be playing D&D instead
14 - This room is empty save for a white marble sarcophagus resembling a fox-headed woman. The sarcophagus contains the skeletal remains of a humanoid with a perfectly spherical skull and red-feathered wings.

Bane: Clutched to the skeleton's chest is an iron reliquary filled with blood. It radiates unholy/necrotic magic. If drank, the drinker must succeed on a DC 15 CON save - failure means they are cursed to never reap the benefits of healing magic. While cursed in this way, the afflicted weeps blood – if a week's worth of blood tears are collected, the curse is lifted.

Treasure: Around the skeleton's neck is a platinum necklace shaped like a ouroboros (150gp).

15 - This room has a black marble sarcophagus carved to resemble a man with the head of a cobra. Inside, a skeleton with a spherical skull and faded grey wings has been painstakingly reconstructed after each bone had been gilded in silver.

Treasure: The gilded bones of the skeleton are weighted with 100lbs of pure silver (500gp). The skeleton's right index finger has been carved into a very obvious key – the key to the Area D9/D10 door.

16 - This raw-earth cavern has been excavated by deep gouges and frenzied scratchings. A slimy black residue pools in crevasses and is smeared along the walls. The dead-end passages that branch off this cave terminate at cave-ins.

Encounter: Unless stealthy (DC 12), movement here threatens to draw a Chaos Hatchling from a side tunnel. The slick, black-skinned creature looks like a tail-less dog with two upside-down heads, sharing a single red eye.

Dog Chaos Hatchling – AC 12, HP 40, weak to radiant, bite +5 melee (2d6 piercing) or ichor vomit +5 15' ranged/1 target (DC 12 CON save or poisoned for 1 minute).

17 - Viscous black slime drips from the ceiling, while shallow puddles of the same dot the floor; small bones and skeletal limbs are stuck into denser concentrations of the sludge 15' overhead.

Treasure: Clutched in a skeletal hand affixed to the ceiling dangles a chain of bronze with a key shaped like a heart - the key to the Area 11/15 door.

Encounter: A Chaos Hatchling emerges from a side tunnel one round after the player's arrival. The beast resembles a man-sized black scorpion, except instead of claws it bears two scything arms, and in lieu of a singer, it has a slobbering lamprey-like mouth affixed to the end of its tail.

Scorpion Chaos Hatchling – AC 12, HP 40, weak to radiant, bite +5 10'ranged/1 target (2d6 piercing) or 2x scything arms +5 melee (1d6 + 2 slashing).

18 - This natural cavern is absolutely coated with translucent black slime. Four man-sized mounds of the slime hanging from the ceiling contain thousands of gelatinous egg sacks – if cut open, each mound also holds a incubating Chaos Hatchling (dead).

Encounter: Prowling the mounds is a Chaos Spawning Queen, a great lumbering creature that looks like an enormous flea with a single, bulbous red eye and no mouth to speak of. The Queen is unable to defend herself (AC 17, 100hp); however attacking it has a 50% chance per round of combat to cause a random Chaos Hatchling (see Areas 13, 16, 17,19 or 20) to emerge from deeper in the tunnel network to fight in its defense.

Treasure: Deep inside the gut of the Chaos Queen is a malformed pearl of darkest black. It is worth 1,000gp as an alchemical reagent. If cracked like an egg, the pearl holds a liquid that gives it's drinker permanent darkvision out to 60' (enough for two doses); this incites mild madness, causing periodic hallucinations.

19 - Black pools of mucus-like fluids pool around this dirt cavern – within, clusters of fungus grow misshapen and twisted, curling upon themselves and sprouting stalks of small red eyes.

Encounter: Among the fungi, two strange creatures lurk – one resembles a black serpent with a single red eye in the middle of its back and a long bladed tail; the other looks like a deformed bat with two different pairs of wings, a bulbous red eyeball where it's head should be, and a drooling lamprey-like mouth on its stomach.

Serpent Chaos Hatchling – AC 12, HP 40, weak to radiant, bite +5 melee (1d4 piercing, DC 14 CON save or 2d6 poison damage + poisoned for 1 minute) or scything tail +5 10'ranged/1target (1d8 slashing).

Bat Chaos Hatchling – AC 12, HP 40, weak to radiant, fly 20', bite +5 melee (2d4 piercing) or sonic screech 10' cone (1d6 + 2 thunder, DC 12 DEX save for half).

20 - The natural cavern is slicked with black mucous puddles, blending the dirt underfoot into a viscous soupy mess. A glint of gold can be seen in a central puddle. Sleeping in this cavern is what resembles a hairless black bear.

Treasure:
The gold is a dented necklace shaped like an ouroboros (75gp)

Encounter: The black bear is in fact a Chaos Hatchling. In place of a head, there is a gaping, toothy maw. It will be awakened on a failed DC 12 Stealth check.

Bear Chaos Hatchling – AC 12, HP 60, weak to radiant, bite +5 melee (3d6 +3 piercing).
 

DangerousPuhson

Should be playing D&D instead
One week till the deadline, folks. A little disheartening that in an Adventure Writing forum, there are only 3 apparent "Adventure Writers" (or at least, aspiring ones).

As a sidenote, I think we ought to have Bryce judge the entries - he is the expert, after all.
 

Grützi

Should be playing D&D instead
Yeah, seems a little off ... but people got lives too I guess :p

I've never really written a classic dungeonmodule for other people before ... always only for my own games ... harder than I tought.

DangerousPuhson said:
As a sidenote, I think we ought to have Bryce judge the entries - he is the expert, after all.
I've got no problem with that.
 

Malrex

So ... slow work day? Every day?
If Bryce is up for it, that's cool with me. I'd be fine with each of us critiquing each other's adventures as well....we could roleplay being reviewers. I got 5 rooms to go and some tidbits I want to finish up.
 
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