A common question In the tities of earth removed and carted walls of even the most powerful
minds of many Dungeon Masters away. Further, money must be al- concentric castle \-vill be of little or
and players is "why do dungeons located for the special equiplnent no use in stopping the fiery breath
exist?" In this section) we'll con- which is used to pump out flooded of a red dragon as it races over-
sider this question and then dis- areas or keep air circulating so head. Brave watTiors \\/ho stand
cuss some of the most common that workers can survive. Further, ready on the battlements will sud-
settings for dungeon based games sections of tunnels which might denly find themselves exposed to
as well as giving you a few hints on collapse must be shored up and attack with only their own atmor
ways to make some very unusual steps must be taken to counter the for protection
dungeons that your players are myriad other hazards unique to
sure to reLnember for a long time to dungeon excavation. An underground fortification,
come. however, is shielded from such
Worker Safety aerial bombardments. If built under
The Disadvantages of a traditional castle, it provides the
Dungeons Working un- defenders of the structure with a
derground is very hazardous. As place to withdraw to in the event of
There are a such, accidents are common a catastrophic failure of their
number of problems associated enough and workers are frequently surface defenses. In short, the
with the construction of the vast injured, disabled, or even killed. added expense and time required
underground complexes required Persuading people to work in such to equip a castle with an under-
in a dungeon based campaign. At an unsafe environment is not easy ground section may be well worth
fu"St glance, each of them seems to and often requires a considerable it if it means holding out against
be more than adequate justifica- outlay of cash. The time lost to an airborne foe who might other-
tion for the abandonment of the vvorker injuries and the cost of wise overwhelm your defenses.
dungeon setting as wholly imprac- securing laborers for above
tical. Consider the fo Ilo\\/ing: ground construction projects is far Magic Spells
less than it is for underground
Construction Time ones. Another aspect
of the AD&D game world which
As you might Advantages of Dungeon was, sadly, lacking from our own
imagine, building a dungeon of Construction medieval period is magic. A powerfuI
any significant size is a very time stone wall which might otherwise
consuming process. If hvo struc- On the other hold off armies for months can
tures of equal size are comlnis- hand, the unique environment of instantly be eliminated by a volley
sioned, one built on the surface an AD&D® game worIeL a place iX>P- of fransmute rock fo mud spells.
and one underground, the surface ulated with powerful monsters and Other spells, those affecting the
construction "vill almost certainly spell casting wizards, makes these weather or unleashing similar
be completed first The reasons for disadvantages not only tolerable, wide scale devastation can easily
this are manifold~ but center pri- but utterly insignificant. Again, shatter the stelnest of stone fortifi-
marily on the difficulty of working consider the following factors: cations.
beneath the surface of the earth.
Aerial Attacks An underground fortification,
Expenses while not wholly immune to such
In OUf own his- attacks, is much better able to de-
Just as under- tory, the concept of aerial attacks fend itself against them. While
ground construction is a time con- has on ly recently become a prob- spells like earthquake and trans-
suming process, so too is it an lem for military engineers. In the mute rock to mud are still able to
expensive one. rn addition to the middle ages, it \\'as unheard of. In wreck havoc on dungeons and cat-
nonnal costs for an above ground the AD&D game world, however, acombs' it js tnuch harder to direct
structure, cOlnplexes built below flying creatures or warriors pose and target your attacks when the
the surface must have large quan- an ongoing threat to security. The structure you are firing on is hid-
den beneath the surface.
101
Defensibility of potential weapons and strate- construction of underground com-
gies for use in assailing castles and plexes beneath the traditional Eu-
Castles, and similar structures. These weap- ropean castle. If your castle
ons, or siege engines, include the defenses fail you, either due to tra-
other above ground structures, ram (for battering down doors, ditional tactics and weapons or to
gates, and walls), the catapult (for spells and monsters, an under-
can, as a rule, be attacked from a hurling projectiles over the walls ground complex gives you a place
of a-castle), and the siege tower (a to retreat to. Here, in the safety of
number of sides. Even structures mobile structure which allows at- your dungeons, you can sally forth
tackers to scale the walls of a cas- to harass the attackers or simply
which are built on lakes, beside tle). The tactics employed ranged hold your own and wait for the cav-
from undermining (a slow, but ef- alry to anive.
mountains, or in other secluded or fective process of removing the
earth that supports a wall and us- Other Underground Structures
protected areas are not wholly in- ing explosives to bring it down) to
storming (an all out assault on the Ofcourse, not
accessible. As such, the defenders defenders). all dungeons are designed and
built as lnilitary complexes. In
are forced to split their forces along In attempting to tackle an un- fact, many of them are not de-
derground complex, nearly all of signed and built at all. There are
evety possible exposed surface lest the traditional tactics and weap- numerous examples of natural
ons fail utterly or are, at least, re- caves and cavern formations
the attackers overwhelm their de- duced to minimal effectiveness. which can serve as dungeon set-
Rams, while they might allow you tings.
fenses in some area. to break through a gate on the sur-
face, leave you faced with the prob- Mines
Underground structures, even lem of charging headlong into a
well defended, and possibly Nearly every
those with more than one en- trapped, corridor to reach the for- intelligent race conducts some
tress beyond. Catapults and siege fonn of mining operation to obtain
trance, can sti11 expect attacks to towers, while excellent at over- metals, gems, or important miner-
coming high stone walls, are ut- als. Some of the more sophisti-
come from only one direction: terly useless against underground cated races and cultures have even
complexes.- Storming an under- been known to drill for oil using a
above. The net result is that fewer ground structure requires that you variety of techniques which are
attempt to fight your way into it amazingly advanced.
defenders are required to keep an through the few, heavily defended,
entrances; an action certain to cost Mines can easily be converted
area secure. tOo nmtahien toatihne rt hhea nsda~ief you dearly in troops. And mining, into settings for dungeon adven-
you choose which is still effective as a means tures. In many cases the mines
of gaining entry into a dungeon, will have been abandoned by their
number of defenders, you can simply creates another entrance creators, while in others they are
which, after the initial surprise has still operated and the characters
greatly increase their effective- worn off, can be as well defended must assume the role of tres-
as any of the others. passers or hired trouble-shooters
ness. Underground fortifications who have been called in to deal
Refuge with a problem in the shafts.
require a would-be attacker to ex-
Even if the Mines might be abandoned for a
pend far more troops in any at- above thinking is discounted, number of reasons. The are they
there is yet another reason for the were built to exploit may have run
tempt to overrun a defending out or been depleted to the point
where the mine is no longer profit-
force.
Some may point out that there
are a number of burrowing crea-
tures, like xorns or purp Ie worms,
which pose threats to all sides of a
catacomb complex. While this is
true, it is important to remember
that these creatures are, fortu-
nately, few and far between. Fur-
ther, they are a sceoldheorme~t if ever
marshaled into fighting
force. In fact, even if this was not
the case and someone managed to
assemble an army of xorn war-
riors, they would be just as danger-
0us (if not more so) to an above
ground fortification.
Traditional Siege Tactics
Years of experi-
ence in the field has provided mili-
tary comlnanders with a number
102
able. Of course, the mine may still search of food and prey. When vern is easy enough to under-
have exploitable ores in it or un- these creatures pass through an stand. Limestone is a very soft
tapped veins which are just beg- area, they leave behind them a net- type of rock which is easily eroded
ging to be found by adventurers. If work of tunnels and, on occasion, and altered by rulU1ing water. In
this is the case, the original owner chambers. addition, rain water (which is more
of a mine is more than likely to pop acidic than ground water) can rap-
up again and demand his fair (or While many races, dwarves in idly break down areas of limestone
unfair) share of the take. particular, are too proud to make which it comes into contact with.
use of caverns which they did not Over the course of centuries, the
Some mines may have been manufacture themselves, others ongoing action of the local water
abandoned while still profitable. A (like goblins and kobolds) will ea- supply simply carves its way into
complex which constantly floods gerly seek out these "ready made" the heart of the bedrock.
despite all efforts to prevent or dungeons and move right in. Of
cope with it may well be consid- course, from time to time they find Limestone caverns are often dif-
ered too dangerous or too much themselves claiming sections ficult to explore, having narrow
trouble to work. A mine which ac- which have not been wholly aban- passages, steep inclines, and areas
cidentally breaks into the lair of an doned by the creatures who fash- which have been blocked by cave
underground creature (a nest of ioned them. In these instances, ins. Entrance to such complexes
carrion crawlers, for example) they are forced to either abandon can often be gained through the in-
might well be shut down tempo- the complex (possibly returning to lets which have been carved by
rarily until a group of heroes or claim it at a later time) or attempt running water (often a tight fit) or
members of the local military can to drive off or slay the monster. As a by descending into a large cham-
be sent in to deal with the problem. rule, they will opt for the fonner ber whose ceiling has collapsed to
tactic unless special circumstances create a sinkhole in the surface
While it is important to remem- dictate otherwise. above it.
ber that mines in the feudal period
which most AD&D® games take Natural Caverns Over a period of time, the water
place in are far more sophisticated which formed a limestone cavern
than the average person would ex- There are nu- may dry up as the climate
pect' they can quickly degrade and merous types of caverns and cave changes. In such cases it is not un-
become dangerous when unmain- complexes created by nature with- common to find sma] I streams,
tained. If systems which once kept out the aid of living things. These springs, and pools within caves
air circulating no longer function, are found around the world, in a which are in otherwise dry regions
the depths of the mine may variety of environments, and pro- of the world. In addition to under-
quickly become Iowan oxygen or vide easily available housing to ground pools, streams, and rivers,
even fill with toxic or explosive any number of intelligent and un- limestone caverns are noted for
gases. Without continual pump- intelligent races. Many creatures, numerous other distinctive fea-
ing, many mine complexes like the piercer, have evolved in tures, most of which are fonned, in
quickly fill with ground water to this type of an environment and one way or another, by the action
the point where they are impass- are utterly helpless outside of it. of natural water.
able to those unable to breathe un-
derwater. Limestone Caverns are one of Stalactites and stalagmites, the
the more common types of natural most well known type of forma-
Animal Burrows dungeon complexes which adven- tion, are conical pillars of mineral
turers will encounter. Limestone deposits formed by dripping water.
Another artifi- caverns are found in areas where As the water evaporates, it leaves
cial type of cavern is the animal the bedrock is composed of lime- behind foreign matter which has
lair or burrow. Many creatures in stone, dolomite, or marble, and dissolved in it. As the centuries
the AD&D game universe, like the where there is abundant ground- pass, these traces add up to form
xorn, purple worm, or umber hulk, water or rainfall. large projections. The color of
spend most of their lives burrow- these features is dependent wholly
ing through earth and rock in The formation ofa limestone ca- on the type of lninerals which com-
pose them, but can range from
103
gray to brown or even to red or simple enough, the repeated of molten rock, a circumstance
white in unusual cases. crashing of the surf and tidal which is certain to be instantly fatal.
action of the sea has worn down In fact, even sections of rock
Other features common to a the rough surface of the rocks in which have cooled enough to sup-
limestone caverns include draper- the cave and prevents any unusual port an adventurer's weight may
ies, flowstone, and the rare, but rock fonnations from evolving. sti11 be hot enough to cause severe
fabulous, gypsum flowers. Draperies bums. Rocks formed by volcanic
are fonned when a sheet of running Lava Caves are, perhaps, the action may require several days to
water evaporates, leaving behind most unusual type of cavern found cool completely.
a rock fonnation that resembles a by the average explorer. Located
ruffled curtain. Flow-stone is a only in regions of current or past Faulting is a process which,
fOImation which has the volcanic activity, lava caves are while it does not create whole cave
appearance of a terraced stream of created by the flowing and cooling complexes, can open up some very
oozing sludge. The last, and most of magma which rises up from large chambers in the earth's
beautiful of these formations, is deep within the earth. Because of crust. Faulting is caused when one
the gypsum flower. Delicate and the unusual way in which they are section of rock breaks away from
crystaline, these rare structures fonned, many lava caves are com- another. Caverns fanned in this
give every cave explorer pause to pletely cut off from the surface manner can be quite large, but sel-
wonder at the elegance of nature's world. They will be discovered dom have any other chambers or
handiwork. only by a deliberate excavation to tunnels associated with them (un-
search for such chambers or by an less they have been expanded by
Sea Caves are another common accident which breaks into them. artificial means).
fonn of natural cavern complex.
Sea caves are found in coastal re- As a rule, lava caves will not Cavities of this nature make
gions where the action of the have the unusual features good camp sites for a band of
pounding surf has broken away associated with limestone caverns, travelers, but also serve as
sections of a cliff face. As a nile, sea but will more closely resemble comfortable homes for many
caves are much smaller than lime- the smooth interiors of sea caves. varieties of monsters and animals.
stone caverns since the energy of This is due to the fact that the
the surf which fonns them dissi- lava which fonns the cave in the Unusual Dungeons
pates rapidly as the cavern grows. first place is molten and tends to
settle and cool without forming The examples
It is not uncommon for sea caves sharp edges or large presented above are intended to
to be partially filled with salt water outcroppings. In fact, one of the provide a dungeon master who is
as the ocean actually reaches right more common features in a lava planning to run an underground
into them. In fact, more than one cave is the "tube", which is formed campaign with a variety of set-
adventurer has been caught and when the outside of a stream of tings which will be more or less fa-
drowned in a sea cave when the magma cools into a shell and fonns miliar to the players. One
coming of high tide brought water a pipeline for the lava within it. In drawback to such dungeons, how-
surging into the cave, flooding it many cases, long sections of the ever, is that they can becOlne trite.
completely. As a rule, however, tube wil1 end up empty, creating a After all, characters who spend
tidal surges come on gradually smooth passage which is very most of their time in sea caves and
enough for the typical explorer to circular in shape. limestone caverns will probably
anticipate them and leave the sea long for a change of scenery from
cave before being placed in any Persons exploring lava caves time to time. The following section
great danger. must be very careful to take pre- is meant to provide a referee with
cautions against potential expo- some ideas for a change of pace.
Unlike limestone caverns, sea sure to magma or freshly cooled
caves are not marked with any rocks. In many cases, pools of lava The basic premise which we
great natural fonnations. In fact, are hidden beneath thin shells of have followed so far assumes that a
they are very smooth and often cool rock. Those trusting the rocky dungeon complex is fOImed either
seem almost artificial in their con- crust with their weight will soon by man, nature, or animals as an
struction. The reason for this is find themselves bathing in a pool
104
underground structure. But what sheets of lava boiling across a re- into an otherwise fairly common
happens if we take a building gion, instantly covering it in rock medieval setting. Just as magic
which was intended to stand on the as it cools. In addition to lava, of can make many common things
surface, and then tum it into a course, volcanoes are known to wondrous, so too can it make ordi-
dungeon? Here are a number of unleash rivers of mud which, nary settings into exciting
ways in which otherwise nonnal when it dries, can also encase cities dungeons to test the metal of yOill'
buildings can be converted into or villages in stone or hard earth. bravest knights and most pious
subterranean complexes just beg- Even volcanic ash, powdered priests.
ging to be explored by adventurers. stone created by the mighty living
mountain, can entomb whole Powerful magicks can be used to
Sand Storms: In the myths and cities. Over the years, it too will create dungeons of unusual nature
legends of many cultures dwelling harden into stone. or serve to guard them with unnat-
near or amid the sands of a great ural defenders. Of course, the mag-
desert, there are tales of mighty Perhaps the most well known ical powers of priests and druids
sandstorms. In regions of the exmnple of volcanic entombment should not be discounted here.
world where the desert is particu- is the buried city ofPompeii. Consider, for example, the section
larly prone to such tempests whole on overgrown jungles above and
cities have been known to vanish Overgrowing: Far less dramatic then imagine a druid's hand in the
from the face ofthe earth. than volcanism, overgrowing is a background. What was once a simple
natural process found in Inany patch of brambles might grow into
The cultures in and around the parts of the world. It takes place a deadly labyrinth guarding some
Sahara Desert in North Africa are when a building or village. in a ancient druidic secret.
filled with stories of cities "swal- heavy forest or jungle region is
lowed up" by the blowing sands. abandoned by its owners for some Above Ground Dungeons: While
reason. Over the years, the jungle this may seem to be a contradic-
Silting: On the opposite end of vines and plants, which were kept tion in tenns to the novice referee
the spectrum, we have silting. In at bay only by the actions of the in- or player, it is not. In our own his-
order to have a dungeon created habitants, return to the area. In a tory there are numerous struc-
by silting, a region Inust be flooded fairly short period oftime, the jungle tures which make excellent
by rising waters and left sub- may become so thick that it is dungeon settings just as they are.
merged for an extended period of almost impossible to pass through For example, we don't need magic
time. As the years pass, sediment it. Dungeons fonned in this man- or volcanic eruptions to tum the
carned in the water begins to co1- ner are still above the surface of Great Pyramids of Egypt into
lect around the structures and, the earth, but are so cloaked in dungeons. The myriad tunnels
eventually, they will be completely vegetation as to be unreachable by and chambers built within these
covered by mud and debris. Then, all but a few means. Once inside a ancient structures are as challenging
as the climate changes or is al- structure which has been over- to explore as any underground
tered, the water recedes or is grown, adventurers will find them- complex.
drawn away. If enough time has selves able to exit only by those
passed, the silt covered buildings few openings which remain in the There are other examples from
will look like nothing more than foliage around the building. our own history which might be
mounds of earth. Anyone who classed as dungeons. The pueblo
takes the time to dig a little deeper, Examples of overgrown struc- cities of many American Indian
however, will learn the truth. tures in our own history which tribes might make good dungeons,
might make superb dungeons are as would any number of monas-
Volcanism: Volcanism is a won- the Aztec and Mayan cities found teries or similar structures built
derful tool for transfonning above in South and Central America. for isolation.
ground structures into under-
ground dungeons. Perhaps the Magic: Of course, the thing which
mightiest natural force known to makes the AD&D® game world
man, a volcanic eruption can send more than just a history lesson IS
the introduction of magic
105
gray to brown or even to red or simple enough, the repeated of molten rock, a circumstance
white in unusual cases. crashing of the surf and tidal which is certain to be instantly fatal.
action of the sea has worn down In fact, even sections of rock
Other features common to a the rough surface of the rocks in which have cooled enough to sup-
limestone caverns include draper- the cave and prevents any unusual port an adventurer's weight may
ies, flowstone, and the rare, but rock fonnations from evolving. sti11 be hot enough to cause severe
fabulous, gypsum flowers. Draperies bums. Rocks formed by volcanic
are fonned when a sheet of running Lava Caves are, perhaps, the action may require several days to
water evaporates, leaving behind most unusual type of cavern found cool completely.
a rock fonnation that resembles a by the average explorer. Located
ruffled curtain. Flow-stone is a only in regions of current or past Faulting is a process which,
fOImation which has the volcanic activity, lava caves are while it does not create whole cave
appearance of a terraced stream of created by the flowing and cooling complexes, can open up some very
oozing sludge. The last, and most of magma which rises up from large chambers in the earth's
beautiful of these formations, is deep within the earth. Because of crust. Faulting is caused when one
the gypsum flower. Delicate and the unusual way in which they are section of rock breaks away from
crystaline, these rare structures fonned, many lava caves are com- another. Caverns fanned in this
give every cave explorer pause to pletely cut off from the surface manner can be quite large, but sel-
wonder at the elegance of nature's world. They will be discovered dom have any other chambers or
handiwork. only by a deliberate excavation to tunnels associated with them (un-
search for such chambers or by an less they have been expanded by
Sea Caves are another common accident which breaks into them. artificial means).
fonn of natural cavern complex.
Sea caves are found in coastal re- As a rule, lava caves will not Cavities of this nature make
gions where the action of the have the unusual features good camp sites for a band of
pounding surf has broken away associated with limestone caverns, travelers, but also serve as
sections of a cliff face. As a nile, sea but will more closely resemble comfortable homes for many
caves are much smaller than lime- the smooth interiors of sea caves. varieties of monsters and animals.
stone caverns since the energy of This is due to the fact that the
the surf which fonns them dissi- lava which fonns the cave in the Unusual Dungeons
pates rapidly as the cavern grows. first place is molten and tends to
settle and cool without forming The examples
It is not uncommon for sea caves sharp edges or large presented above are intended to
to be partially filled with salt water outcroppings. In fact, one of the provide a dungeon master who is
as the ocean actually reaches right more common features in a lava planning to run an underground
into them. In fact, more than one cave is the "tube", which is formed campaign with a variety of set-
adventurer has been caught and when the outside of a stream of tings which will be more or less fa-
drowned in a sea cave when the magma cools into a shell and fonns miliar to the players. One
coming of high tide brought water a pipeline for the lava within it. In drawback to such dungeons, how-
surging into the cave, flooding it many cases, long sections of the ever, is that they can becOlne trite.
completely. As a rule, however, tube wil1 end up empty, creating a After all, characters who spend
tidal surges come on gradually smooth passage which is very most of their time in sea caves and
enough for the typical explorer to circular in shape. limestone caverns will probably
anticipate them and leave the sea long for a change of scenery from
cave before being placed in any Persons exploring lava caves time to time. The following section
great danger. must be very careful to take pre- is meant to provide a referee with
cautions against potential expo- some ideas for a change of pace.
Unlike limestone caverns, sea sure to magma or freshly cooled
caves are not marked with any rocks. In many cases, pools of lava The basic premise which we
great natural fonnations. In fact, are hidden beneath thin shells of have followed so far assumes that a
they are very smooth and often cool rock. Those trusting the rocky dungeon complex is fOImed either
seem almost artificial in their con- crust with their weight will soon by man, nature, or animals as an
struction. The reason for this is find themselves bathing in a pool
106
Alienation you, like the twisting tunnels of a The Home Field Advantage
dungeon, it is all but impossible for
Another aspect the .average person to keep track of This is a term
of the dungeon style adventure is theIr compass points. Of course, which we can use to describe the
the fact that it forces the charac- there are means by which this can culmination of a party's sense of
ters to confront an environment be overcome (a magnetic compass, is~lation and alienation. In short, it
which is quite alien to them. There for example) but these can be boIls down to this: the monsters
are numerous hazards which exist fooled or destroyed. and inhabitants of the dungeon
underground and not on the sur- know every passage and crawlway
face world. Although any of these Other traditional means for de- in their subterranean mazes, but
hazards might be easily dealt with termining p.osition and heading, you don't. Even races of otherwise
and discounted in a more familiar such as takIng a bearing on the i~significant creatures, like gob-
s~tting, the fact that they all exist sun, moon, or stars, fail when far hns or kobolds, can employ this
sImultaneously in the vast reaches beneath the surface. knowledge to misdirect explorers,
of the underground can be quite set up deadly ambushes or lure
overwhelming to a character. Obviously, being forced to resort their enemies into lethal tr;ps.
to "seat of the pants" mapping can
Examples of the ways in which force the party to make "best Perhaps the best way to use this
an unfamiliar environment can guessII maps which mayor Inay in a game is to arrange for a party
disorient or confuse a character not be accurate enough to save of explorers to stumble into am-
are unending, but here are a few of their lives when everything hits bush after mnbush as they travel
the most conunon ones: the fan. It's this kind of uncer- through a dungeon. At each turn
tainty that has resulted in more a volley of darts or arrows flies at
Keeping Track of Time is very than one party of dungeon delvers them to inflict minor damage.
difficult in a dungeon. On the sur- de~eloping an acute case of para- When they rush to the counter at-
face, in their homes, characters nOIa tack, however, they find nothing
could depend on a faithful grandfa- left to fight. The fiends have used
ther clock or hourglass to mark the their skills and knowledge of the
passing of the day. While Ininiatur-
ized watches might be available
from the finest dwarven crafts-
men, they are not common by any
means. Waterclocks or hour-
glasses, while they will keep excel-
lent track of time if left undis-
turbed, do not function jfcarried in a
backpack or subjected to numerous
shocks. Even the ages old skill of
knowing the time based on the
elevation of the sun fails you when
the sun is hidden from view by half
a mile ofbedrock.
The inabi lity of the p layers to
keep track of time with any degree
of accuracy can be a very useful
plot device; especially if they are
on a mission where time is of the
essence.
Sense of Direction is another
easily disrupted thing which most
of us ~e for granted every day. In
an enVIronment which is new to
107
tunnels to evade their attackers. cmnpaign. In a dungeon, where Man made structures, on the
Another possibility is the suicide the choice of actions is usually far other hand, are more dependent
more lilnited, they may feel more on regular safety checks and up-
squad. Here, a slnall group draws in control of the situation and better keep. Without such close atten-
the party's attention and then understand what is going on in the tion, they can quickly become
flees, hoping to lure the characters game. unsafe to travel in.
into a hot pursuit. After numerous
twists and turns, during which the The Physical Environment If the referee decides that an area
dungeon delvers almost overtake is generally safe to travel in, con-
their foes on several occasions, the Now that we sideration must be given to the
players find that they have been have examined a number of factors possible actions of the party. For
tricked. They have followed the which can contribute to making a example, a length of an abandoned
bait and are now in a very danger- dungeon exploration game mysteri- dwarvish mine might normal1y be
ous situation. Perhaps they now ous and memorable, lets look at the fairly ruggecL but how will it stand
face an army of creatures who sur- physical hazards which a party of up to a wizard's chain lightning
round them on all sides or they adventurers is likely to encounter spell?
have been lured right into the lair beneath the surface of the earth. Al-
of a very powerful monster. What- though each of these could be incor- Of course, cave-ins can also be
ever the end result, they have been porated into every single dungeon engineered by adventurers or
tricked because they did not know adventure which you referee, it's dungeon denizens as a means of
the area nearly as well as the crea- probably better to hold off on them attack. This can be direct (drop-
tures who inhabit it. and use each one only when it's ap- ping the roof on the victims) or in-
propriate for the plot or setting. For direct (dropping it behind them to
Controllability example, if you have decided that cut off escape routes), depending
portions of your Haunted Mine are upon the goals of the ambushing
This is another going to be filled with explosive gas, party. Such traps must be rigged
factor which desexves to be men- then there's no need to also have it with great care, however, as there
tioned at this time as it is one of the subject to violent geologicaJ tremors is always the chance that an artifi-
best "selling points" for a dungeon and earthquakes. Save the other un- cial cave-in may get out of hand
based campaign. In short, the usual features for a game in which and bring down whole sections of
point we need to make is that the they are better suited to the environ- the complex, possibly even killing
dungeon master has a great deal of ment. those who set up the trap.
control over the actions of his players
in an underground campaign. In a Cave-Ins Darkness
campaign set above groill1cL in a city
for example, the players can opt to Perhaps the By the far the
move in any direction and pursue most familiar of all the hazards most common and easily coun-
courses of action wholly which characters are likely to tered hazard in the typical
unplanned for by the referee. encounter as they explore the dungeon is simply that fact that
While this is not totally eliminated depths of the earth, cave-ins can it's pretty dark down there. Most
in a dungeon setting, it is greatly be very dangerous. In most re- referees don't go out of their way to
reduced. gions of the average dungeon, remind players of this fact, and it's
cave-ins will be rare. This is due generally ignored in the average
Of course, this feature of a prilnarily to the fact that older sub- game. But let's take a moment ~o
dungeon campaign not only makes terranean structures of a natural consider how we can use thIS
the referee's job a little easier, it also origin tend be fairly stable. Those dreadful darkness to our advan-
makes things easier for a new player that are not collapse early on in tage in brightening up our adven-
to lU1derstand. A novice gamer can their development and are, thus, tures.
often be left confused and not usually around long enough to
overwhelmed by the multitude of tum into dungeons. The first thing to consider is sim-
choices available to him or her in ply this; we know it's dark in a
a city or wilderness dungeon, and that's why charac-
ters will have torches or lanterns
108
with them. A very wise thing to do, the most dangerous aspect of introduce a raging fIre or magical
of course, but there are inherent dungeon flooding is simply the spell to deplete the oxygen in an
problems with torches, lanterns, fact that there is no way to escape area. In fact, it may not even be
and other forms of light. The most the water. In such a confined necessary to use such drastic
obvious of these is the fact that space, every alcove and hiding means to place the characters in a
light in a dungeon draws attention place will be filled by the rising low oxygen environment. If an
the way it draws moths in the wil- tides. Characters unfortunate area is poorly ventilated, the rapid
derness. There is no better way to enough to be caught in such a haz- exertion of a combat with some
advertise your presence to the in- ardous situation may find them- monster may force their bodies to
habitants of a subterranean realm selves fighting for their lives attempt to metabolize more oxy-
than by casting bright light about against the merciless elements. gen than is available.
for all to see. And make no mis-
take, while the light may only pro- Oxygen In most natu-
vide you with good vision for a few ral dungeon complexes there are
yards, it can be seen at much As everyone few, if any, sources of combustible
greater distances. To a great many knows, the vast majority of living materials and, thus, fIre is not very
lTIOnsters, a light in the distance is creatures require oxygen to sur- probable. In the majority of man
like a beacon that says "free food - vive. Sadly, the dungeon environ- made dungeons, however, there
all you can eat - come and get it". A ment is often lacking in this very are often wooden supports and
good way to remind characters of element. As such, travel into re- similar items which can ignite. In
just how dark it really is in a gions in which there is little or no fact, the danger of combustion in a
dungeon is to extinguish their oxygen available can be quickly fatal coal mine is one hazard that must
lights every so often. This can be to the average team of adven- be carefully considered before en-
done with a cloud of steam from a turers. tering into such a region.
geothermal hot spring or a gust of
wind racing along the corridor Of course, not all regions of an The greatest danger presented
from some mysterious region up underground complex will be in by fires in a dungeon is not the
ahead. As often as not, in fact, it this condition. In fact, the vast ma- flame itself, but the fact that it rap-
can be accomplished with a simple jority of underground realms are idly consumes oxygen. The larger
darkness spell cast by some magic venti lated enough to allow air for the fire, the faster it burns off the
using monster. respiration as long as unusual cir- oxygen, and the more dangerous it
cumstances (such as a fire) do not is to adventurers. Of course, when
Flooding deplete it in a rapid manner. the oxygen is gone, the fIre will be
extinguished.
Many under- Dungeon Masters should use ox-
ground chambers, especially ygen starvation carefully, as it re- Another dangerous by-product of
those created by water, like sea quires that the party be in a region an underground fire is the smoke
caves or limestone caverns, often with no access to fresh air. Since that it can create. In areas of poor
have standing water in them. In they have almost certainly gotten ventilation it can quickly fill entire
some cases, it may be only a trickle into the area by walking, there is chambers. Because of its heavy car-
or a stream while in others it may obviously an open passage to the bon dioxide content, smoke can be
be a raging river. In addition, the surface which will allow some air just as deadly as any poison gas un-
level of water in a cave can leashed by an enemy.
change with the passing of time. flow.
Sea caves, for example, may be Noxious Gases
regularly flooded by the rising tide In order for the lack of oxygen in
while the river running through a an area to become life threatening, Many subter-
limestone cavern may overflow its this connection with the surface ranean regions, especially man
banks every spring with the thaw- world must be severed. This can made complexes like sewers, are
ing of a near by glacier. Perhaps be done with a cave-in or similar filled with noxious gases. While
physical barrier which actually these are not actually deadly, they
blocks off the air supply. If this
does not fit in well with the plot of
the game, the referee may wish to
109
can be quite overpowenng and Explosive Gases them due to hypothennia (a dan-
make breathing difficult and dis- gerous reduction in body tempera-
tasteful to adventurers. Even more ture).
dangerous, perhaps, than toxic
Dungeon masters can introduce gases, explosive ones can lurk un- The dungeon master can use the
noxious vapors from a wide variety detected until a party of adventurers exceptionally cold waters of the
of sources. Rotting garbage, for wanders in with an open flame. typical dungeon setting to great
example, can produce a stench Once ignited, they release vast advantage by forcing characters to
which is so overpowering to the av- amounts of heat, light, and energy pass through deep stre.ams or punt
erage human as to induce gagging in a sudden violent chemical their way across a WIde lake, all
or even vomiting. The stinking reaction-that is, they explode. the while struggling to avoid the ill
cloud spell is another classic ex- effects of immersion in cold water.
ample of this type of gas, this can Tb make matters worse, many In many cases, numerous water
be introduced by the characters to explosive gases are toxic or nox- crossings may be required to reach
battle their foes or even released ious' compounding the dange.r of a party's objective, each of which
by a party of monsters lead by a encountering them. In regIons presents fresh hazards to the al-
spell caster. A third fine examp.le of a where coal or oil is comInon, ex- ready chilly explorers.
source of noxious vapors IS the plorers are prone to encounter
troglodyte lair. As these vile crea- pockets of methane ~natural gas) Attempts to counter the cold, by
tures often secrete a very offensive which is toxic, explOSIve, odorless, warming oneself before a camp fIre or
smelling oil, the caverns which and colorless. A more lethal com- the like are all well and good, but have
they dwell in is apt to be thick with bination would be hard to image! the disadvantages of aerating a light
its scent. A modem example of (thus announcing your firkin presence to
noxious vapors would be tear gas. Referees should use all fonns of everything in the area) and using oxygen
gases (toxic, noxious, and explo- to feed the fIre (thus making your own
Toxic Gases sive) sparingly. If they are too fre- breathing supply more limited). The
quently encountered, players will players will have to weigh the risks and
Far more dan- no longer be shocked by their ef- benefits of this course on their own.
fects. Remember, the most impor-
gerous than their noxious co~~ins, tant thing In any game is High Temperature
excitement and entertainment,
toxic gases are able to cause illJLUY both of which are diminished if On the other end of the spectrum,
gimmicks are overused or predict- there are subterranean realms, in
and harm to those who breathe able. which cold air and water are not
likely to become problems. One
them. In many cases, toxic gases Low Temperature seldom catches a chill, for example,
from attempting to wade through a
will carry a distinct odor which Many dungeons pool of water which has been heated
are prone to being both cold, be- to near boiling temperatures by
may allow characters to detect cause they are shielded from the geothermal activity. On the other
sun's rays, and damp, because hand, anyone in such a situation is
them before they reach dangerous they have vast quantities of water certain to be badly burned.
in them. Although this condition
concentrations. In other instances, lnay not immediately become an Geothermal heat is found in
obvious threat to the lives of the many forms. Most commonly it
however, they may be utterly characters, it can make them quite manifests itself in hot springs and
uncomfortable an~ if left uncoun- geysers of steam. In more exotic
odorless and colorless. In the latter tere~ can prove fatal. locales, it may be found in the form
of a steam of molten lava or a
case, the party may be overcome by The rivers and streams found boiling lake of magma. In the latter
underground are notoriously col?,
the fumes before they are able to often just warm enough to aVOId
freezing, and can quickly disable
react to them. anyone forced to spend time in
Of course, the most common
means of detecting odorless toxic
(~7oansgebsirids with the aid of a ~smlaell
in a cage. As these.
~reatures are far more senSItIve to
toxic gases than hwnans or demi-
humans, they can act as early
warning devices. In short, if the
bird dies, get out of the area
=tllickly!
110
case, the air is apt to be thick with with the dead scout. Just as the ko- confused and often wholly incor-
brimstone, a noxious (or even balds release a second volley, one rect maps. As a rule, such occur-
toxic) vapor. of the players looks around and ances are more of an annoyance
says "something's happened to than a physical hazard.
Dungeon masters can use geo- our scout! "-Famous last words.
thennal heat sources in much the In extreme cases, dungeon mas-
same way that they use pools of Loadstone ters may decide to place a large
bone-chilling water. A party may quantity of very powerful load-
have to find some way around a Some areas of stone in a dlll1geon. The most obvi-
stream of bubbling lava or through a the underground may hold de- 0us effect of this is that its
plume of superheated steam in posits of magnetic are known as Inagnetic field is so strong that it
order to reach the climax of the ad- loadstone. Although such areas can immobilize characters in
venture. are nonnally safe to travel metal armor or with metal weap-
through, large outcroppings of ons. Any alloy which is subject to
Line of Sight such ore can be dangerous. The Inagnetic attraction may be
mining of loadstone, however, can yanked from the adventurer's
Because ofthe be very profitable and will often grasp and pinned to the surface of
tWIstIng nature of the passages cause numerous mines to spring the deposit. Encounters with load-
which make up many dungeon up in areas where it is discovered. stone veins of such intensity
complexes, it is often easy to lose The ITIOst common use of magnetic should be very rare indeed.
sight of other party members. In ores in a dungeon setting is as a
fact, it is easy to lose sight of al- hindrance to mappers. In gaInes
most everything. Remember that which allow characters to
there is usually no light beyond purchase or acquire magnetic
that which you have brought with compasses, even a small deposit of
you and the area just around the loadstone will be enough to cause
next comer is shrouded in abso- dungeon delvers to produce very
lute darkness.
The inability to keep sight of
party members who leave the
main group makes the job of scout-
ing very dangerous. As soon as
you are out of sight, youIre on your
own. With luck, you'll be able to
call for help if something attacks
you, but you can never be sure.
A skillful dungeon master can
use this factor the same way many
television shows use actors with-
out speaking parts. For example,
10hndar the Thief is sent ahead of
the part to watch for traps and act
as a scout. Because he is elvish, the
players decide that his infravision
will be useful once he is far enough
ahead of the party to avoid the
glare of their torches and lanterns.
Sadly, 10hndar is cut down by a
volley of arrows from a hidden
grotto full of kobolds. A few sec-
onds later, the party catches up
111
In the section that follows, we In addition, we have not "aged" plored the caves, they also took
have provided you, the dungeon the dungeons. We have left out any care to clean out anything danger-
master, with an assortment of un- mention of the monsters which 0us which might have been living
have now lnoved into them or the there, like giant rats or spiders. In
usual dungeons. Each of these is spirits which roam their halls in the encL the caves belonged to the
presented in a standard fonnat search of living spirits to feed on. goblins.
and is intended to make your job Each dungeon master win be able
easier. After all, if there's one thing to set up his own unique encoun- Over the years, the goblins came
a DM never seems to have enough ters when he uses the generic com- to love their new homes. It seems
of, it's preparation time. plexes we have provided here. that they have everything they
Thus, even if two dungeon master's need to survive and prosper. The
Dungeon Descriptions make use of, say, the great pyramid water is fresh and full of fish, :fim-
Each generic dungeon is pre- map, you can bet that their gus grows easily in the dark, damp
dungeons will be greatly different corridors, and there are a number
sented in a forced perspective view of human towns in the woods near
which allows the dtmgeon master to It's up to you now... by to act as targets for raids. All in
get a better feel for the area than he What do you need to do to get a all, it sounds like goblin paradise.
would with a standard top view
map. In this format, you can better dungeon ready for use? Well, first Now, how will we get the adven-
judge the relationships of objects in you'll have to decide how it fits turers to go there? That's pretty
three dimensions and provide your into your campaign and think easy to figure out if you just take
J:?layers with more vivid descrip- about its history for a little bit. the information you already have
tons ofthe areas they are exploring.
Let's assume that you have de- and follow it through to its logical
The fIrst section of each generic cided to use the limestone cavern conclusions.
dungeon's description is its origin. for a game.The secret of its evolu-
Here, we give you a little bit of back- tion may seem to be quite obvious: The local farmers, fed up with
ground about the dungeon and tell it was carved by a river. Okay, we having the goblins raid their
you why or how it was built or could add more details about the homes every two or three months,
formed in the :first place. Obviously, history of the river or its origins, have offered a reward to anyone
this infonnation is fairly open so but let's also assume that these who can rid them of this evil curse.
that you should have no trouble will have little if any bearing on It may be that friends or relatives
fInding a way to fit the dungeons your game. Thus, we have decided of the pes live in one of the neigh-
into your own campaign. that the text provided in the ge- boring towns and have been hurt
neric dungeon description is killed, or captured by the fiendish
After that comes the section en- enough background for the physical humanoids. One way or another,
titled transformation. In here, we cavern itself there is plenty of motivation for
present you with a possible means the player's to move against the
for converting a structure which What about the monsters, traps, tiny tyrants.
Inight not seem like a dungeon and treasures? Once again, think . As for the goblins, one can unag-
(such as the primitive temple) into about the past. Suppose that a Ine that they won't take too kindly
an underground complex. Once fairy good sized community of to being driven out of their new
again, these descriptions are not goblins lived upriver from the home. In fact, they've probably
specific so that you should have no twisting mazes of the limestone ca- learned a great deal from their past
trouble finding a place in your vern. Some 25 years ago, however, a experiences and taken steps to
caInpaign world into which you family of ogres moved into the thwart intruders.
can fit them. area which they had called home
for generations and they were Well I'll be, it looks like things
The final section of the dungeon forced to leave. Boarding crude are shaping up real nicely for this
description is the map key. Here, rafts, they set out on the river. adventure. All we have to do now
we go into some detail about the is to insert a few sub-plots and play
dungeon's original construction Eventually, they came to the ca- up the supernatural fear with
and uses. None of the chambers verns. Imagine their delight at which the villagers regard the
are described in great detail, so finding so perfect home with so little "horrid little beast-men" who ter-
you can add or delete anything effort. As one might expect, they rorize them and before you know
you like without worrying about moved right in. As they ex- it, we'll have a challenging, memo-
upsetting the balance ofplay. rable adventure.
113
Origin 3. Funeral Temple: The only and were entombed in the pyr-
Perhaps the greatest tri butes to outside entrance to the pyra- amid with their king. These
mid is through this chamber. rooms are ornate temples in
the engineering skills of the an- The door to the outside world their own right, having many
cient world were the mighty pyra- is well conceaJed to protect the valuable items used in the
mids of Egypt. For our first generic king's final resting place from practice of their religious be-
dungeon we have taken them as a grave robbers and vandals. liefs.
model. The Great Pyramid was This temple is lavishly deco- 8. Funeral Barge: The last
built as tomb for the ruler of a pow- rated and contains much that room before the main burial
erful empire. It is no surprise that is of great monetary value- chamber, this area houses Q.
so awesome a structure should go everything from gold idols to most unusual thing for a
down in history as one of the won- ornate figures and valuable in- dungeon-a boat. Intended to
ders of the world. cense. act as the king's vessel on his
voyage to the next life, it is
Transformation 4. Corridor: The inner halls rich with the trappings of no-
While the other above ground and stairwells in the pyramid bility and carries everything
are very low and cramped. On that the king will need to sur-
structures which we will present the average, they have a ceil- vive in the next world In addi-
in this section lnust be modified or ing height of only four feet and tion to money and weapons,
altered in some way to Inake them are about a yard wide. While the boat is likely to carry food
into dungeons, the majestic pyra- dwarves, Halflings, and and other provisions.
mids can be used just as they are. gnomes may not find that this 9. Grand Hallway: Unlike the
presents them with too great a other passages in the Great
Map Key problem, other races will find Pyramid which require ex-
1. Mastabas: The Great Pyra- moving from room to room to plorers to walk bent over (un-
be very uncomfortable. less they are Half1ings or some
mid is surrounded by a small similar race), this corridor has
city of lesser tombs known as 5. First Burial Chamber: The a high arched ceiling. It is
Mastabas. These low, flat first part of the pyramid to be painted in bright colors and
structures served to house the built, this chamber is actually has numerous images en-
bodies of the workers who located below the surface of graved on its walls. As this is
built the pyramid. More often the earth in the foundation of the final entry way into the
than not, these were slaves or the building. If the pharaoh main burial chamber, referee's
prisoners of war. Because they died before the completion of may want to consider the use
knew the secrets of the pyra- the second burial chamber, his of a wide array of deadly traps
mid's internal layout, they body would be placed here. being set here as a last line of
were ritually slaughtered after defense against intruders.
it was completed. The 6. Second Burial Chamber: 10. Main Burial Chamber: This
Mastabas might make Like the ftrst burial chamber, is the last resting place of the
excellent locations for this was meant to house the pharaoh. The entire chamber
encounters with low level body of the king in the event is lavishly decorated and ap-
undead creatures. that he should die before the pointed with items so valuable
2. Lesser Pyramids: A number as to be beyond the belief of
of lesser pyramids were also completion of the main burial even the greediest of thieves.
built adjacent to the main chamber. There are usually The sarcophagus which holds
structure. These served as some trappings here of rea- the body of the departed king
tombs for the officials who sonable value. is often made of a valuable
oversaw the construction of 7. Crypts: Once the priests who metal like gold or silver. The
the pyramid. Once the slaves had overseen the assembly of trappings of this chatnber are
were killed, so too were their the pyramid and performed worth more than the treasuries
task masters. Like the the religious rites required to of many small countries.
Mastabas, these areas make make it pleasing to the gods
excellent locations for had completed their tasks,
encounters with undead, they too were slain. Unlike the
although they are likely to be workers, however, they
more powerful than those committed ritual suicide
found in the former area,
115
Origin 2. Temple of Earth: The first torch in each hand. Of course,
The primitive temple was built by the time the temple is un-
shrine which those entering covered and explored, all of
by a race which had not yet devel- the temple encountered was these fires will have long since
oped advanced architecture or this one. It was devoted to a burned out-unless the
metal working. It may be that primitive earth spirit which dungeon Inaster has some-
early men built it in their quests to was symbolized by a figure of thing unusual up ills sleeve.
satisfy their need to worship their a large, pregnant goddess. 7. Temple of War: This chamber
simple deities. If this is the case, Carvings and paintings in this was a temple sacred to the god
then the structure is incredibly an- room celebrated the earth as a of war. The deity himself had
cient and few of its interior furnish- source of life and power. an almost animalistic look,
Ings have survived. Another 3. Storage: This chamber was conveying an impression of
option for the referee is to use the used to keep various items re-
temple for some contemporary, quired for religious services in savage fury. The walls were
but primitive, race like the lizard the temple. It contained a decorated with a variety of
men. number of bowls and pots weapons. Engravings in this
which would have been filled chamber depicted battles and
Transformation with herbs, berries, and similar fights, often showing the god
The primitive temple can be con- materials. If the chamber has himself as leading the faithful
not been used in a long time, into combat.
verted into a dungeon in any num- many of the organIC items 8. Temple of Water: Just as
ber of ways. For our purposes, stored in here will have these primitive people recog-
however, let us assume that it was decayed totally. nized the earth and soil as vital
built on the slopes of a towering 4. Gallery: The center of the to life, so too did they
volcano. During a major eruption, temple is an open area with a understand the importance of
the mountain of fire sent forth a number of benches scattered water. A number of ornate bar-
cloud of ash which feU like gray around it for the faithful to sit rels or cisterns once adorned
snow upon everything around it. on as they awaited the begin- this room, each of which
Caught beneath the plume of the ning of a service. The walls, would have been filled with
eruption, the temple was buried- floors, and ceilings were cov- fresh water. Depending on the
but not before those who built it ered in engravings which de- wishes of the dungeon master,
couJd seal it up and protect the in- pict the vanous important this mayor may not have been
terior from the insidious ash. events and beliefs of the my- holy water. In any event, the
thology ofthe temple builders. engravings and paintings in
Over the years, the ash has hard- 5. Temple of the Dead: The this chamber depicted water
ened into stone and the temple has statue in this room is gaunt in its many fonns: rain, a lake, a
become solidly trapped beneath and skeletal, looking much gentle stream, a raging river,
the newly fonned surface. Only like some fonn of undead crea-
the mighty statues built outside its ture. The walls are covered and so on.
entrance are visible above ground, with bones and similar trap- 9. Temple of the Sky: The sky
and it is these objects which can be pings ofthe grave.
used to provide a party of adven- and weather are vel)' impor-
turers with their first clues about 6. Temple of Fire: Stone bra- tant to a primitive culture. If
the existence of the primitive tem- ziers with burning coals and the gods frown on the actions
ple. oil lamps celebrated the value of a people, they may withhold
of fIfe to a primitive culture in the rain or send deadly stonns
Map Key this temple. The engravings to destroy them. In either
1. Courtyard: Just outside the on the walls showed fire being case, the end result is often the
used to make the life of the utter destruction of a people.
archway which admits the tribe better: a cooking flIe, a In order to keep the gods of the
faithful to the temple was an bonfire for wannth, a camp sky happy, the primitives built
area which had been cleared fire keeping animals at bay,
and landscaped to some ex- and so forth. The god in this this shrine. Its walls were cov-
tent. Six statues were erected chamber holds a burning ered with engraVIngs of
here, one for each of the deities
sacred to the temple builders. clouds, stonns, and so on.
117
Origin was used by the temple priests 10. Priest's Chambers: These
The modem temple is a descen- to dress and ready themselves living quarters may have been
for a religious service. Depend- quite spartan or lavishly deco-
dant of the primitive temple pre- ing on the nature of the reli- rated, depending on the be-
sented earlier in this section. This gion, any number of things liefs and practices of the
temple, lavishly decorated and might be found here including faithful. A secret door in the
very ornate, is the product of such various pigments or outer wall provided a means of
a faith. makeup's, incense burners, or covert access to the outside
Transformation unusual foods which must be world from these rooms.
It is not difficult to imagine a eaten to purify the spirit. 11. Vault: Some items, like silver
5. Main Hall: This huge chamber
clash between two powerful reli- was ornate and magnificent. holy symbols or perhaps even
gious factions of opposite align- Rows of pillars served to blessed and magical objects,
ments. In this case, we are looking support it high ceiling and also were too important to be stored
at the temple of the losing side. served as works of art, being in the main area off the main
Powerful magicks have been used covered with bas-reliefs of the hall. For them, this room was
to cause it to sink beneath the sur- religion's major tenets. Ban- built. It has a door with a very
face of the earth, entombing it in ners, tapestries, or other deco- advanced lock, thick walls,
solid rock. rative fabrics were draped and may even have been
from the rafters and supported sealed with some form of
Map Key by long shafts of polished magic.
1. Temple Offices: These cham-
wood. Its main function was to 12. Lounge: This room was dec-
bers were the business offices orated with style and taste. It
of the temple. A nUlnber of impress those walking into the is here that the priests ate
desks, scroll racks, book temple from the main en- their meals and entertained
cases, and similar office equip- trance. guests. Informal business was
lnent were found here. Of 6. The Main Temple: Like the often conducted here, as was
course, depending on the main hall, this chamber was light entertainment.
amount of time which has built to inspire awe among the
passed since the shrine was faithful. It's high domed ceil- 13. Meeting Room: More fonnal
entombed, these may be noting ing is covered with a beautiful than the lounge, this chamber
lnore than piles of dust and mosaic which was crafted by was used for business meet-
rotting wood. A secret door al- the most skilled artisans of the ings and official transactions.
lows easy entrance to or es- religion.
cape from the office area in the 7. Grounds Keeper's Storage: 14. Lesser Temple: This temple,
event ofan emergency. This small room and closet while much less impressive
2. Library: TIlls served as both a were nothing more than a tool than the main dome, is still a
filing area and a book deposi- shed kept for the purposes of wonder to behold.
tory. The numerous shelves landscaping the area around
and racks here were filled with the temple. 15. Kitchen: A large stove and an
books, scrolls, maps, and similar 8. GaUery: This wide hallway assortment of cooking supplies
documents. Depending on the had a very high, arched ceiling dominated this room.
condition of this room, it and was used to display paint-
could be a sage's dreams come ings, sculptures, and other 16. Pantry: A variety of pots,
true. works of art made by or do- jars, and kegs held the tem-
3. Wardrobe: As with many re- nated to, the temple and its de- ple's foodstuffs here until
ligions, the priests of this tem- ity. Some of the relics in here needed. A trapdoor in the floor
ple wore special garb when might be quite valuable. leads down to a small, but well
they perfonned their services. 9. Storage: This storage area stocked wine cellar. It may
In this chamber, which resem- was used by the temple priests well be that the passing of the
bles a modem walk-in closet, for everything from janitorial years has turned some of the
were hung the many ritual supplies to extra candles or bottles in this area into price-
gannents they employed. lamp oil. less collector's vintages.
4. Dressing Room: This room
119
Origin high, domed affair with a num- ronment of the cave, however,
High In the mountains there ber of stalactites visible on it. A the water has not become
wide shore surrounds the lake stagnant as it would In a
rests a gentle valley. All in all, it is a which has a slight whirlpool swamp. Thus, although it is
peaceful place. At its heart is a visible in its currents. The unmoving, it has remained
broad river, fonned by a nwnber of whirlpool is not so swift as to fairly fresh.
lesser streams which trickle down be hazardous to boats, but 7. Balcony: The atriwn around
from the snow covered caps above swimmers may be at risk. the cascade widens at this
the valley. As with all rivers, this 3. Lower Lake: A slender cascade point, producing a natural bal-
one naturally began to flow toward of water pours from a series of cony around the waterfall. Ex-
the equator and sea level. fissures in the ceiling of this plorers might reach this region
cavern to form a broad lake. by climbing to it from below or
It was thwarted in its journey, A number of natural stone above. It is possible to climb
however, by the towering walls of pillars provide support for this down or up from this area, but
the mountains which ringed the chamber and the walls glisten the presence of the cascade
valley. As the years passed, how- with mineral deposits. A fast makes it dangerous to do so.
ever, the river slowly carved its moving stream flows into the 8. Upper Pool: This region is
way through the mountain. After lake through a fairly wide much like the upper lake, but
centuries of effort, it broke passage while a second the waterway which feeds it is
through the other side and stream flows away from the much less intense. A small
plunged over a grand precipice pool down a fairly wide tunnel. pool has formed here which
into the foothills beyond the 4. Grotto: This is a region empties through a split in the
mountain range. In its wake, how- where the cavern around a rock underneath it. A minor
ever, it left a network of twisting length of stream has been wid- whirlpool swirls these waters,
and treacherous tunnels for ad- ened by natural erosion to bu~ it is dangerous only to
venturers to contend with. form a large chamber. Stalag- swunmers.
mites and stalactites are com- 9 Lower Pool: The water which
Transformation mon and the entire area falls from the upper pool pours
Unlike swface structures which glistens and sparkles with into this room through a split
mineral deposits. in the ceiling. ill addition, a
need to be turned into under- 5. Upper Cascade: At this slow moving stream enters on
ground complexes before being point, the river enters the top one side of the pool and exits on
used as dungeons, the Jimestone level of long atrium and the other. A minor creek, al-
cavern can be used 'as is" for any plunges over a sheer cliff. The most a trickle, flows away to
dungeon based campaign. roaring of the cascade is in- fonn two large dead pools.
tense, and the natural acous- 10 10. Great Pool: Although a
MapKey tics of the cavern carry the minor stream flows into this
1. Entrance: This chamber is vibrations throughout the chamber, carrying a fair
area The river turns into dan- amount of water to the great
notable for its high, arched gerous rapids before it topples pool, the m~iority of it comes
ceiling and the numerous sta- over the cliffs and into the from the grand cascade. Pour-
lactites which dangle from it. darkness below. There is a ing down through a wide
The walls have all been worn great deal of shore area atop chimney which stretches out
smooth through ages of natural the waterfall and enough of sight overhead is a gigantic
erosion by the river. A thin space in the cavern that it waterfall. It thunders down
band of shore (about 1 yard might be possible to climb from high above to fonn this
wide) runs along each side of down beside the waterfal1, al- great body of water. The entire
the water, making walking though this is certainly risky. chamber vibrates with its in-
possible, but very difficult. 6. Dead Pool: A slow moving tensity. The water roars out
The water runs very quickly stream feeds this pond which two exits to plunge over a
through this region, but can has little, if any, current in it. sheer cliff face and varUsh into
still be navigated by a raft or Because of the natural envi- the mists ofthe valley below.
boat.
Upper Lake: A secondary
stream curves around from the
main river to fonn a large lake
in this room. The ceiling is a
121
Origin The city, like its people, vanished were stored in the city's many
Long ago, the inhabitants of a without a trace. granaries. Of course, the pass-
ing of time may have utterly
rich area of fertile plains discov- Map Key destroyed these foodstuffs,
ered the secrets of agriculture. 1. Family Chambers: This por- but some evidence of their
Their land furnished them with passing may well remain.
everything they needed to survive tion of the city housed the 7. Kiln: A look around at the
and be comfortable. Others, jeal- fanners and their loved ones. various chambers on the map
ous of their high standard of living, Each chamber was home to an of the beehive city will make it
began to raid the peaceful fanners. extended family, ranging in obvious to the reader that
Unlike other regions, where stone size from 7 to 12 persons. those who lived here made
for building was common, these Raised platforms around the great use of pottery. This kiln,
people did not even have tall trees perilneter served as both beds wruch was ftred with a variety
to fashion into walls. Instead, they and sofas. In many cultures, of organic materiaL was some-
set about building a new type of the dead were buried beneath what plimitive, but stin very
city. the floor of the chamber they fimctional. There may be rem-
had once lived in. nants of pottery items here
For walls, they used dried mud 2. Barracks: Single men and when the area is explored.
or adobe. While not as hard as members of the guard lived in 8. Courtyards: In the event of a
stone, it would hold up well these chambers which were siege or raid on the city, an as-
enough against the light weapons very much like the military sortment of livestock could be
of their enemies. As their city barracks one might expect to transferred to these protected
grew, they built each house right find in a modem fort. There areas to provision the inhabit-
up against the building beside it. was little provision for com- ants for a time. When the city
No doors or windows faced out- fort, and almost no chance for was not under attack, they
ward to offer easy access to in- individual privacy. served as parks or play areas
truders. The doors to the buildings 3. Temples: The people of the for children and adults alike.
were placed above, on the roofs, beehive city were faithful to
with ladders and stairs providing their gods. As proof of this,
access to them. In the end, they they scattered a number of
had a small community which was temples and altars throughout
not only solid and hard to attack, the complex. Each of these
but also very comfortable to live in. was richly decorated (in com-
parison to the rest of the city)
Transformation and served as a cultural nexus
Over the years, the climate for the people living here.
4. Governor's Home: This liv-
changed. The gentle rains which ing area served the ruler of the
had brought life to their prairie city and his family. It was well
fields ceased to fall and the equipped and decorated, a
streams which ran through their tribute to the status accorded
farms dried up. In the end, they the popular leader of these
were forced to assemble their be- people.
longings and move on. No record S. Officers' Barracks: Al-
remains of what became of them, though much more spacious
but the beehive city speaks a silent and better appointed than the
testimony to their resourceful na- barracks assigned to the rest of
tures and their will to survive. the soldiers, these quarters are
very spartan and focus on utility
As the grasslands continued to more than comfort.
dry, they gradually became des- 6. Granaries: As various crops
erts. Finally, this vast sea of sand became ready for harvest they
swallowed up the beehive city in a
dark sandstorm which raged for
days across the once fertile lands.
123
Origin A large oven and stove occu- trade from his master.
Several years ago, a proud pied a large portion of the area 8. Workrooms: Although these
and there was more than
young knight fought bravely enough space to prepare a rooms were used by the castle
against those who would have feast for dozens of guests in staff for spinning, weaving,
brought down his king. In return the great hall. and other light work, they were
for his selVices, a thankful ruler re- 3. Great HaU: This huge chamber more than just areas for light
paid this dedication with a grant of was the focus of social life at industry. At the close of each
land and the pledge of a powerful the Castle on the Moors. Its day, the looms and such were
castle. walls were hung with elabo- put away and bedrolls covered
rate tapestries and banners. It the floor. While these seeping
True to his word, the king sent a was here that the lord of the accommodations for the castle
company of workers out to con- manor held his parties and en- staff were far from luxurious,
struct a fortress for the bold tertained his guests. Great they were better than those
knight. Overlooking a gloomy and feasts could be sent up from available to most of the local
desolate stretch of swamps and the kitchen below and per- peasants.
bogs, the Castle on the Moors was fonners could entertain the 9. Towers: Each comer of the
to be the kingdom's first line of de- guests while they relaxed and Castle on the Moors was an-
fense against the evil creatures ate. chored to a strong stone tower.
who thrived in that forsaken re- 4. Office: This room was used From the tops of these battle-
gIon. by the lord's seneschal in the ments, archers could fire vol-
course of his administrative ley after volley of lethal arrows
Transformation duties. Every aspect of the cas- onto attacking annies. In addi-
The high hopes of the king and tle's economic and politicaJ af- tion, each of the towers had its
fairs was controlled from this own catapult for hurling large
his faithful knight were short area. As one might expect, it projectiles at invaders.
lived, however. A season oftorrentia1 was once filled with files, re-
rains fell across the land, causing cords, and a work desk.
the water level in the swamps to 5. Bedrooms: These comfort-
rise. Eventually, the fierce stone able living quarters were used
fortress was swallowed up by the by the lord and his family.
water and mud. When the region They were richly appointed
dried up years later, the castle was and their decorations reflect
Doth ing more than a large mound the owner's re1 igious and po-
of dried mud. Underneath this litical affiliations.
shell, however, is the catacomb 6. Day Room: This room was
that had once been the Castle on well appointed and provided
the Moors. the lord and his family with a
pleasant place for light enter-
Map Key taining and socializing. Ifs
1. Storage: Located on the lowest furnishings were both com-
fortable and functional.
level of the castle, this large 7. Knights' Chambers: Each of
chamber was used to house these rooms served as the
great quantities of goods and living quarters for one of the
materials for use by the lord's most faithful warriors. If
structure's inhabitants. Kegs they were married, then their
of ale, bottles of wine, wheels wives shared their rooms with
of cheese, and many other them. If no~ they had a live-in
supplies were kept here, squire who tended to their
although the passing of the needs and hoped to learn
years has almost certainly ru- something of the warrior's
ined them.
Kitchen: This cooking room
was home to any number of
cooking utensils and devices.
125
-------Dungeon and Building Mapping Symbols-------
Door CEJ ffi Baskets
Wall Paintings
Double Door ~ Altar Menhir
Secret Door Oil Lamp
Q Sarcopbagus, Pillars
Royal
DOorway 0 •• .' WaIl Foundation
Sarcopbagus,
Doorway otto Guardian .~ .;;
in Roof
Stairs ~ Treasure Arrow Slit
Funeral Boat Catapult
Spiral Stairs ~ Stone Statue
Idol
Ladder @ Pottery
E:J i....Raised Platform
Geographic Mapping Symbols
River Cliff Face Solid Earth
Stream
Waterfalls Thnnel '-~. ~ '-, :,," , ., : . Thee
Water Rapids Cavern Grass
, - ";"- ,
Desert
Limestone
Formations
126
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