Workshop 7: 5-Room Dungeons revised

Background Description

The small, desolate village clings to silence as dusk settles. Fear has taken root in every home, its tendrils winding tightly around the hearts of the villagers. Children have vanished without a trace, leaving behind only empty beds and broken families. Desperation brought the villagers to you, offering what little they could for your help. Following restless nights of investigation, you’ve uncovered a sinister clue—a seemingly innocuous well at the village center. Beneath its crumbling stones lies a passage to an ancient, forgotten dungeon where the answers—and horrors—await.

 

Room 1: Entrance And Guardian

Key words: sneak, tough battle(optional)

Monsters(optional): A huge viper in the river

Snake (huge viper):

HD 6d8+6 (33 hp),

AC 15,

Bite +6 (1d6+4 plus poison)

 

Successfully repel when hp < 20

 

Description: Shortly after entering the dungeon, you feel a whiff from the darkness that a creature of great size is moving about in the neighborhood.

As your descent into the well’s depths begins, the damp, narrow tunnel opens into a cavern faintly lit by luminescent fungi. A sluggish river cuts through the chamber, the sound of its gentle flow disturbed by something massive shifting in the shadows. The air feels thick, carrying the faint hiss of scales scraping against stone.

Options:

• Cautiously navigate the shadows and avoid drawing the creature’s attention.
• Confronting the hulking viper coiled near the river, its eyes glowing faintly as it senses your presence. The battle will be harrowing, and the serpent cannot be slain entirely but can be driven back into the depths.

Atmosphere: The oppressive stillness of the cavern is broken only by the occasional drip of water and the ominous rustle of unseen danger.

 

Room 2: Puzzle or Role-playing Challenge

Emerging from the cavern, you find yourself in a chamber lit by a flickering lantern. A gaunt man hunches over, his tattered cloak dragging against the ground as he adjusts a heavy sack slung across his back. The sack writhes unnaturally, a muffled whimper audible as you step closer. Before you can speak, the man’s head snaps up, his face a mask of suspicion. Without a word, he slams his hand onto a lever, activating a mechanism that sends a stone door crashing down between you. He vanishes into the shadows, leaving behind only questions and a choice.

Description: The way a man acts makes you think he has something to do with this mission. At this point, you discover:

1. There are ventilation ducts in the high wall near the stone gate, just in time for small gnomes to pass through.

2. The river beside the door seems to flow in the direction behind the door. This seems to be a way forward, but I don't know how deep the water is and whether there are monsters in the water.

Options:

• Investigate the ventilation ducts above the door, large enough for small creatures to pass through.
• Wade into the river that seems to flow into an adjoining passage, though its depth and dangers remain uncertain.

Atmosphere: A tense quiet hangs in the room, broken only by the fading echoes of the stone door and the faint splashes of water moving downstream.

 

Room 3: Confronting the Guard

The passage beyond twists and turns before opening into a dimly lit antechamber. The man from before stands at its center, visibly agitated. His hand rests on the pommel of a worn lance, his eyes darting between you and the door behind him. “You shouldn’t have followed,” he mutters, his tone somewhere between a warning and a plea.

Options:

• Attempt to reason with him, uncovering his motives and perhaps convincing him to cooperate.
• Engage in combat, risking traps hidden in the room, which could result in imprisonment or separation.

Trap: A faint glimmer along the edges of the floor hints at pressure plates, ready to spring should combat grow too chaotic.

Atmosphere: The space feels like a trap waiting to be sprung, with the guard’s desperate posture adding a layer of unpredictability.

 

Key words:

Monsters:

Human Commoner (15 hp), AC 16, Lance +1 (1d8+1)

If kill the guard: item drop - chain mail, shield-heavy steel, lance

 

Traps: underground cell

 

(hidden)Treasure(optional): If kill the guard: item drop - chain mail, shield-heavy steel, lance

Description: If you fall into the trap room, you need to check subterfuge skill points to escape and continue explore the dungeon. If you do not switch into the trap room, the man will give you clues about the next room, then continue to explore.

 

if convince communication check success - listen to his reasons, proceed to room 4

if fail - enter combat

 

during combat: DEX check

success - avoid trap

fail - fall into underground cells

 

if fallen for the trap:

decision 1: subterfuge check

success - open the cell quietly

fail - nothing happens

 

decision 2: strength check

success - break the cell

fail strength check - get bring to room 4 while weakened - 5 hp each player, 1 weapon get stolen at random

 

Room 4: Climax, Big Battle, or Conflict

The next room is jarring in its opulence. Rich tapestries adorn the walls, and a grand throne sits upon a dais overlooking a murky pool. Standing near the water is the Lord of the village, clad in ceremonial robes that glint faintly in the low light. His cruel smile widens as he steps aside, revealing the monstrous viper emerging from the depths, its scales slick with black water.

The Lord’s laughter echoes through the chamber. “You’ve come far, but fools often do. The children? Merely fodder for my revenge!”

Options:

• Engage in a brutal fight against the giant viper, which remembers your earlier encounter. Its movements are slower if weakened in Room 1.
• Attempt to break through the Lord’s warped mind through communication, restoring his humanity. Each success diminishes the viper’s power.

Atmosphere: The grandeur of the chamber contrasts with the sinister aura of its occupants. The scent of damp stone mingles with the coppery tang of fear.

 

Key words: Tough battle, tough communication check

Monsters(optional):

Snake (huge viper) remaining hp from room1 battle,

AC 15,

Bite +6 (1d6+4 plus poison)

 

successful skill check

Weakened Snake (huge viper):

remaining hp from room1 battle/2,

AC 12,

Bite +3 (1d6+4 plus poison)

 

(hidden)Treasure(optional):

Description: (Only can trigger multiple communication checks) If each communication is successful, it will restore the Lord's sanity value, which needs to be restored 3 times in total, which will restore the Lord to normal, and the monster will also be weakened, and the stat value will be halved.

 

Room 5: Reward, Revelation, Plot Twist

The fight ends, leaving the chamber heavy with the weight of revelation. The Lord, now broken and remorseful, collapses to his knees. “It was grief,” he whispers, his voice trembling. “The townsfolk poisoned my children, and their faces haunt me still. I... I fed the beast to silence their cries.”

As his confession unfolds, the room feels colder, the weight of his sins tangible. With the Lord subdued and the viper slain, you gather evidence of his crimes and return to the village.

The townsfolk greet you with cautious relief. The Captain of the Guard offers both gratitude and supplies for your journey. Yet, the Lord’s story lingers in your minds, a bitter reminder that not all monsters are born in darkness—some are forged by despair.

Atmosphere: The warmth of victory is tempered by the chill of the truth, leaving an air of bittersweet resolution as the chapter closes.

 

Key words: Plot twist, Reward

Monsters(optional):

Huge viper (complete body)

Snake (huge viper):

remaining hp from room1 battle,

AC 15,

Bite +6 (1d6+4 plus poison)

 

successful skill check

Weakened Snake (huge viper):

remaining hp from room1 battle/2,

AC 12,

Bite +3 (1d6+4 plus poison)