Step into the Green Hell: A Jackson Joint

Second scenario that I've wrested from my scribbled notes and made presentable. There are plenty more lurking, waiting to be transcribed between real work, exercise, appointments, remembering to eat, walking the dogs...

Anyhow. A good looping space with a significant amount of green.

Interesting. 

What would be growing down there in the dark? I scribbled a bit before some random firing of a brain neuron reminded me that I'd written up a model for a spreading, aggressive invader. No, not kudzu.

So, an ooze that has gained some sort of decentralized, alien intelligence has taken over a shrine. And not only may the PCs want to clear it out, but one of the individuals interred there certainly wants it out of their space.

Watch where you step.

Download me here

 

"Brother Odom's Crypt" - An Encounter Area From Our Campaign

Last session, our band of miscreants came upon a tomb inhabited by an undead knight of an old order. They have encountered such undead warriors before, so delved in to see if they could recruit said knight to their cause. The knight, although handicapped, was willing to join. However, the party found that his soldiers had been corrupted by other organisms, and a fight was had. 

So sharing a slightly revised version of the quick encounter area that I sketched up for the party. 

As clearly shown...

The original map was drawn by prolific creator u/Raznag. I have a handful of his pieces, and this is the first one that got scribbled on. So we have a small, linear crypt with a mushroom-filled cavern. Perfect for a resting crusader and his corrupted colleagues.

Original map here

I made a quick "finished" dungeon from the session map. Elements of the scenario (deity, relic, and faction) are obviously from our campaign, but could be adjusted for your play. The "fungal wraiths" are co-opted from my "Banshee's Tower" adventure, which two of the players have helped to clear. Enjoy.

Welcome to Brother Odom's Crypt

Campaign Journal: The Road to Chirath

The curtain rises on our heroes:

• Fulvus: halfling
• Slick: Thief
• Jax: Barbarian
• Orzu: Gnome (returning after a hiatus)

After the return to Neuforde, the party refitted and hired up a few new horse-guards and drovers. And, of course, they asked Hugo what he might have in stock. The gnome alchemist has a couple of his special healing potions available, as well as an "explosive paste" that Slick took interest in. Hugo also gave the party a crock of "caustic sludge" (alchemical waste) that they may find uses for.

Some catch-up of events and discussion, as Orzu's player has been on walkabout for a couple of months. The decision was made to head to the city of Chirath, regional capital for the Hougon Duchy, since a number of potential resources were rumored in the city and surrounds.

Bright and early the next morning, the party rolled out. A long day of travel, and no untoward events, brought the party to the gates of the town of Laford, located at a 'Y' in the trade road. The guards were roused and reluctantly opened the town gates. They grumpily pointed the party toward the town's inn ("The Half-Full Cup") and went back to their guard-house. 

The halfling proprietor took a look at the party and their retainers, did some quick mental calculations, and said, "Wait a moment." Some commotion and noise was heard from upstairs, and he returned. "A room has just opened up..." The local beer-seller was happy to talk shop with Fulvus, and essentially shared the family recipe. Everyone had lodging and a good stew to close the night. Slick stole a hat (pointy, indigo).

The next morning, the party was greeted with pastries from a local shop and sent on their way with well wishes. Some time after noon, the party crossed a river ford. Buzzards were spotted in the sky. Slick dismounted, went invisible, and scouted ahead.

Always a good sign

Finding a forgotten project.

Was cleaning up my writing files a few days back and considering expanding on a prior project when I noticed a rogue document with an April date. Looks like I started working on infesting one of Jackson's map, then dropped it when work got crazy. Appropriately - it looks like one of his "CoronaCon" maps. Forgot where I found it. Welcome to my brain.

So I revisited the map and started revising. Shifted a couple of features about and set up to finalize. And then I noticed three more rooms. Welcome to my brain.

That said, I'd started down a 'four elements' path, so better shoehorn in Air and Fire, since I'd already addressed Earth and Water.  And there's a totally unrelated statue of a jolly fat guy in a red suit... I'm sure it all makes sense...

Original

And of course there are mushrooms.

One Page Dungeon 2020 - Eggs for Breznac

So, the 2020 One Page Dungeon contest. An annual context of creative brevity. And with many things this year, the deadline was postponed (July 15 for your last-minute creativity). It had slipped my mind until I checked the site, and then, as a repeat offender, I got a reminder email from organizer Aaron Frost...

Dammit.

Not going to lie - Like many folks this spring and summer has been highly disruptive and emotionally taxing. I have been fortunate to be working straight through. Although I've been stretched with typically >40 hour weeks (construction-adjacent roles). So my brain is not in a creative space.

But I had a few notes. And a scribble in a notebook. So that's what we are going with this year. 

I swiped a simple graphical map style that I utilized a couple years ago, and tried to work out a somewhat faction-based adventure with multiple pathways. I like the idea of a low-level adventure where the protagonists have no chance against the "big-bad" of the scenario. 

And John Large of Red Dice Diaries recently said something to the tune of  "an adventure isn't old school if there isn't a random fungus table." I can abide with that...

And did I mention that the PCs are goblins?

So have at it. There's eggs to be swiped. 

7/11/20: Entry updated based on some reader comments - thanks for the suggestions, hopefully decreased the suck. I appreciate it!

The Sea Caves of Gara, or where did these mushrooms come from?

Happy viral endtimes!

Like many folks in Seattle, I'm working at home if I'm not out in the field. Likewise, the wife is teaching her university classes remotely, so I hear the dulcet strains of her cursing technology now and then... The commutes have been speedy, and surprisingly, my local grocery has not been stripped of toilet paper. While the PNB performance we were to attend this weekend is cancelled, my improv performance on Tuesday night is (so far) still on.

So, taking a break from staring at construction workplans, and making the brain be creative. Daniel Walthall posted up this evocative sea cave map with a few interesting objects and details, so I wrote a brief scenario using only his illustrations as prompts (with one exception).

Download this fungal fantasy

...and as John Large says, it's not old school if there aren't random mushrooms.

laccaria amethystina
A serendipitous find posted by Greg Gorgonmilk

Come on in, the spores are fine!

Matt released his "Lair of the Mushroom Baron" out into the wild.

Wild mushroom hunting... hmm.

So there are rumors or discoveries of oddly-synthesized or rare potions associated with a local forest. Who is this mysterious alchemist that is cooking up these oddball concoctions contained in gourd containers?

Maybe we'd better take a look, and see if they are the amicable type... click below...

Welcome to the Lair

(statted out generally using Swords & Wizardry and/or a few things ganked from 1e).

Four Views of Zorus Island!

So yeah, as soon as +Dyson Logos posted up a work-in-progress pic of an unnamed island on G+, I started making a few notes.  A bit of island real estate with 3-4 encounter areas - what's not to love?

Welcome to lovely Zorus Island, home to four different haunts...

Fungal Zombieland: Dyson's original post suggested an undead-overrun island.  Yeah, we got a bad case of zombies here, folks.

Mutineers and Smugglers:  Something is afoot with the island guards.  Best to clandestinely investigate.

Sheeping:  All the Doulough family wanted to do was raise sheep in peace.  And now something is mucking that up....

Caretakers and Were-takers: Where'd that damned goat come from, and why won't it go away?!?

Under-druids

U is for Under-druids, distorted, subterranean versions of their more familiar, arboraceous brethren.

Tied to the dark and stone, rather than the moon and forests, the under-druids draw power from the stone, and twist it to their needs.

source

Under-druids (spec'ed here for S&W, with some add-ons borrowed from 3.5) share many characteristics with druids, modified for their subterranean environs. Deviations and modifications are noted below:

Prime Attribute: Wisdom and Constitution, both 13+ (a druid character gains a +5% experience bonus only if both their Wisdom and Constitution are 13 or higher.)

Hit Dice: 1d6/level (Gains 1 hp/level after 9th.)

Armor/Shield Permitted: Leather or bone armor and wooden shields only.

Weapons Permitted: Dagger, hammer, spear, sling, oil. Stone or stone-bladed weapons, if wielded by an under-druids may be treated as magical weapons.

Race: Any humanoids may become Under-druids.

Alignment - Any chaotic

Because of their disconnection from the world above, an under-druid does not require mistletoe as a spell/powers component. Instead, they utilize a variety of fungi, many of a hallucinogenic nature. In fact, they are likely addicted to them, resulting in a somewhat addled nature.  However, this also increases their sensitivity to the currents of the world around them, and they may cast an augury (as per 3.5) once per day.

Under-druids gain a +2 saving throw bonus against petrification.

Under-druids share most elements of the druidic spell list, except as noted below:
They do not have access to any weather-related spells, and plant-centered spells are substituted with either fungus/oozes, or stone.

Level 1

• Detect Magic
• Detect Snares & Pits
• Faerie Fire
• Locate Animals
• Predict Weather
• Magic Stone (as per 3.5 spell)
• Purify Water
• Stone Fists (as per 3.5 spell)

Level 2

• Call Stone (as per 3.5 spell)
• Create Water
• Cure Light Wounds
• Heat Metal
• Locate Plants Fungus
• Obscuring Mist
• Produce Flame
• Speak with Animals
• Warp Wood 

Level 3

• Call Lightning
• Cure Disease
• Hold Animal
• Neutralize Poison
• Plant Fungal Growth
• Protection Against Fire Petrification 
• Pyrotechnics
• Stone Shape (as per 3.5 spell)
• Water Breathing

Level 4

• Animal Summoning I (summoned animals limited to subterranean types)
• Control Temperature 10-ft. Radius
• Cure Serious Wounds
• Dispel Magic
• Hallucinatory Forest Stones
• Insect Vermin Plague (calls creeping, flying, scuttling mass of cave vermin)
• Plant Stone Doorway (created passage through stone wall, only accessible by caster)
• Produce Fire
• Protection from Lightning
• Speak with Plants Fungus and Oozes (may communicate with fungus, as well as oozes/slimes/jellies up to under-druid's HD)

Level 5

• Animal Growth
• Animal Summoning II
• Anti-Plant Fungal and Ooze Ward (Protects caster from fungal attacks, as well as oozes/slimes/jellies, 10' radius)
• Commune with Nature
• Control Winds
• Hold Plant Fungus and Oozes
• Transmute Rock to Mud
• Passplantwall (as 5th level MU spell)
• Sticks to SnakesStones to Spiders caster may turn as many as 2d6 normal stones into large (1HD) spiders (lethal poison, +2 save).
• Wall of Fire Stone (as per 3.5 spell)

Level 6

• Animal Summoning III
• Anti-Animal Ward
• Conjuration of Fire Earth Elementals
• Feeblemind
• Finger of Death
• Repel Wood Fungus and Oozes
• Transport via Plants Stones
• Weather Summoning Stone to Flesh (as per 3.5 spell)

Level 7

• Animate Rock
• Confusion
• Conjuration of Earth Elementals
• Control Weather
• Creeping Doom
• Fire Storm Meteor storm (as 9th level MU spell)
• Reincarnation
• Transmute Metal to Wood Earth (transmutation of metal to soil in a 10x10 area

Update: Gavin Norman commented on G+ that he'd made up some spells specifically for a druid such as this.  Here, here, and here. Thanks!

Myconid colony

M: Myconids shamble among the luminous fungus of their lair.

A Myconid colony (ganked the OG Dungeons of the Slave Lords mushroom-men) inhabits a hive-like series of caverns deep in the dungeon complex.  Reclusive and contemplative, they distrust outsiders, avoiding them and considering them to be disruptive, if not downright destructive. There will be 25 individuals present - 5 'circles' with one each of 1 to 5 HD, plus a 'Sovereign' (6HD). If the leader is killed or dies, the strongest of the 5HD fungus-men will replace it.

In addition to their native spore-generating powers, these myconids recruit mycelium to communicate and amplify their powers. 2-5 fungoids will touch and meld via the mycelium fibers over a period of 10 rounds (1 minute).  The group's composite HD will allow them to release higher-level spores (up to 5HD equivalent), and penalize saves by 1 point for each fungoid in the collective.

slimy

The entrance is 'guarded' by pet slime-molds - the slimes are attuned to the myconids,and will not attack them.  Intruders will be attacked be slimes dropping upon them (2 brown slimes, HD 2+1, AC 9, Move 0 (drops), attack clings to victim and turns to slime in 1d4 rounds, immunities: acid/electricity, 1/2 damage from fire).  There will also be 2d4 fungal zombies of 1/2 to 2 HD in the colony at any time.

The walls of the colony are luminescent with fungus, and the colony has several chambers.  The 'circles' inhabit the outer chambers, and the central chambers are used for their fungus garden. Many varieties are grown here, most benign, some beneficial, some hazardous:

a) Purple gnome-cap – Highly poisonous (Save or die if ingested). Dried and powdered gnome-cap is used by discerning poisoners;
b) Red Antler – strong hallucinogen lasting 1d4 turns, Save or: 1-2 - catatonic, 3-6 - helpless giggling, 7-9 - violent rage, 10-11 - blinded (1 day), 12 – prescient vision (1-3 days in future);
c) Yellow-ribbed morel – Delicious, nutty flavor, and high in calories. Nicknamed 'cave-pemmican';
d) Stinky pixie-seat – Odorous shelf fungus. Save or nausea 1d4 turns;
e) Blackcap – black, withered mushroom. Cures 1d6 HP upon ingestion;
f) Orc-dong – purplish-green, quite phallic. Fresh and dried specimens bring high prices among epicures.
g) Braveheart toadstool - +2 morale, dying blow – 1 final attack roll upon reaching 0 HP, regardless of turn.
(borrowed these from my myconid colony: Variation 1, here)

The Sovereign lives alone in the smallest chamber.  There will be 1d4+1 potions available at any time (pick 1st-3rd level magic-user potions and/or 1st-2nd level divine potions).

The mushroom-men are not interested in trade, but may parlay a few mushrooms or potions to an appropriately amiable individual or group. They are more likely to retreat and rely on their slimes and zombies to keep intruders at bay.

(I get more use out of Richard LeBlanc's Blob Generator.  If you have a chance, purchase his D30 Sandbox Companion and/or D30 DM Companion - HERE. You will not be disappointed.)

Owen's Mine - Four visions.

So I proselytized some time back on the geology of mines and how their geometry might influence the creation of an underground environment or lair. I used Dyson Logos' Owen's Mine as what I considered a good example of a small mine environment. Since I'd suggested the influence and environment, I figured that I should come up with a few examples. This has been a slow-burn project behind work and life and such.

And I've already bollixed up one of Dyson's maps before, have four interpretations of Owen's Mine...

Owen's Mine

Download

General notes: Tunnels are between 5 and 8 feet high, occasionally requiring stooping and affecting the mobility of taller characters. Measured from the crane elevator, vertical distances are: 30 feet to the first tunnel, 60 feet to the secret door, 100 feet to the right-hand lower tunnel, and 110 feet to the left-hand lower tunnel. The four scenes are statted using Swords & Wizardry, but are generic enough for any system.

Variation 1 - A small abandoned dwarven mine has been re-colonized by new tenants.

Variation 2 - The 'Temple of the Well' was a pilgrim site, with adherents coming from throughout the kingdom to be lowered to the sacred pool at the base of the well, with the hope of receiving a boon.  However, the area was overrun by barbarians, who pillaged, desecrated, and moved on. The well is still occupied, and worshiped in its own right by its new occupants.

Variation 3 - An alleged 'holy man' has been preaching along the roadside. However, goods and money have been disappearing, as well. He is suspected to be hiding in the abandoned mine. Another party of adventurers tried to root him out, but has not been seen since.

Variation 4 - Deep within an abandoned mine beneath an old temple is a unique bridge, possibly composed of powerful relics. Beware its guardian, though...

Have fun and comments welcome.  Thanks again to Dyson for his ongoing creativity and content.

Update: Thanks, Dyson, for the shout-out!  I really appreciate it!
And, I realized that I uploaded a draft of Variation 4, not my final version - So here's Variation 4a, with a different, more sinister, guardian,....

Update #2: A combined and reformatted version of the scenarios is available here, with broken links removed and stats made generic.