A randomly stocked dungeon.
The Baron asked your party to hunt down and destroy the goblins that have been raiding the caravan trail from the north. You picked up the tracks and followed them for a day through the wildest country in the barony. Now you and your party stand on side of a wooded hill inspecting the cavern that their tracks lead into.
The Secluded Cavern is a short dungeon designed for 4-6 1st-3rd level characters.
1. Entry: A steep 50’ sloping passage leads from the cave opening to this cavern. The Floor is littered with debris from the surface. A 10’ tall cliff runs the entire length of the back of the room two passages exit atop the cliff.
Encounter: None
Treasure: None
2. Shrine Room: This room has a tall vaulted ceiling. A 7’ tall ledge runs across the back of the room. The ledge is filled with stalactites and stalagmites, which give the natural cavern an eerie evil shrine look.
Encounter: None
Treasure: Searching the shrine will reveal a stick mostly encrusted into the calcite deposits. The stick is a Wand of Device Negation with 15 charges.
3. Pool Room: Nearly half of this large cavern is taken up by a large crystal clear pool. The pool is about 2 foot deep at its deepest and is fed by dripping ground water that has formed stalactites and stalagmites, many of the have grown into natural columns. The calcium growths make the pool look deceptively large.
Encounter: A gray ooze (AC 8, HD 3, hp 18, #Att 1, Dam 2d8, MV 10’(3’), SV F2, ML 12) lays in wait at the edge of the pool.
Treasure: None
4. Intersection: This smallish cave has a tunnel leaving it in ever direction.
Encounter: Four zombies (AC 8, HD 2, hp 16, 14, 13, 11, #Att 1, Dam 1d8, MV 120’ (40’), SV F1, ML 12) stand in this area. They were abandoned by their master and now just defend the area waiting for her return.
Treasure: A Potion of Healing is in a new belt pouch attached to one of the zombies.
5. Giant Room: A large stone covered in calcium stands in the south side of this room. The column has an uncanny resemblance to a stone giant. The “Giant” deters all but the bravest of adventures from passing under his outstretched arms.
Encounter: None
Treasure: The skeletal remains of a human female lay at the feet of the giant. The skeleton wears rotted black robes and has small pouch with 90 gp attached to its belt.
6. Unarmored Room: All the entries into this room are very tight for a human to pass through. No human can pass the narrow entries into this room wearing armor of any kind. Only a halfling can enter wearing plate mail.
Encounter: None
Treasure: None
7. The Catacomb: The ceiling of this room is barely 5’ tall. The walls are pocked with several dozen small shallow holes. Water drizzles down the sides leaving fuzzy calcium deposits that cover the entire surface of the room.
Encounter: None
Treasure: A star rose quartz worth 75 gp is tucked away in one of the holes. If the party searches there is the same chance of finding the gem as a secret door.
8. Small Room: This area is little more that a wide area in the hallway.
Encounter: None
Treasure: None
9. Steam Vent: The air in this room is hot and moist. The walls drip and calcium deposits cover the walls, ceiling and floor. Three human skeletons covered in calcium lay on the floor. The wall area marked with an “a” is a calcium formation shaped like a crusted tube. The tube is a steam vent. Blasting hot steam billows forth filling the room at random intervals. When the players enter and every round thereafter roll a d6 on a 1 the vent will blast forth superheated air causing 2d4 damage to everyone in the room, save vs. paralysis for half damage.
Encounter: A yellow mold (AC Always hit, HD 2, hp 2, #Att Spores, Dam 1d6 + Special, MV 0, SV F2, ML Not applicable) has grown on the floor on the entrance opposite the steam vent.
Treasure: None
10. Curved Hall: The high ceiling and wide floor of this room give it the illusion of being a stately hall.
Encounter: Something has set a swinging spike trap behind the natural columns leading to area 14. The person that sets off the trap will take 2d6 damage save vs. paralyzation for half.
Treasure: None
11. Broad Room: This room has a smooth floor and is obviously used frequently as a lair by various creatures.
Encounter: The current inhabitant is a carnivorous beetle (AC 3, HD 3+1, hp 15, #Att 1, Dam 2d6, MV 150’ (50’), SV F1, ML 9)
Treasure: The beetle has made a bed out of bones and sticks it has drug into the room. There is a chunk of obsidian worth 25gp in the bed.
12. Safe Room: This room has only one exit. The pool is filled with cool clean water. Sounds from area 11 carry through to this room quite loud and clear, reducing the chance of an inhabitant being surprised by an attack to 1 in 8, roll first for the inhabitants, they may then set up an ambush that has a one pip better chance of surprising the attackers.
Encounter: There are currently 9 giant rats (AC 7, HD 1/2, hp 4, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, #Att 1, Dam 1d3 + disease, MV 120’ (40’), SV F1, ML 8) lairing here. The smell of rot and feces is near overpowering.
Treasure: Scattered around the floor are 64sp.
13. Mud Hall: This room’s floor is 10 foot of mud. Roll on the following chart to see how dry/stable the area is when the party enters. The mud floor is currently dried 2-4 inches, there is a 1in2 chance of breaking through and sinking for each character. Swimming is not possible and they will sink and begin drowning in 1d4 rounds unless rescued.
Encounter: None
Treasure: None
14. Bottomless Cavern: This room is a narrow walkway with a large 200 foot deep pit. The pit appears to sink into oblivion.
Encounter: Four orcs (AC 6, HD 1, hp 8, 7, 6, 3, #Att 1, Dam 1d6, MV 120’ (40’), SV F1, ML 8) are moving into the room at the same time the party enters.
Treasure: The orcs have 43sp on them.
15. Dust Room: This room has almost no moisture. The walls and floor are covered in a thin layer of dust, except where they have been recently disturbed.
Encounter: A small group of 6 goblins (AC 6, HD 1-1, hp 6, 6, 6, 5, 3, 2, 1, 1, #Att 1, Dam 1d6, MV 60’ (20’), SV NM, ML 7) is walking single file across this room.
Treasure: The goblins have 44sp between them.
16. Gallery: The top of this room is frequently used by humanoids as a camping area. There is a fire pit and the floor is littered with debris. A 10’ ledge drops down into a pool, area (a). The caverns leading from the pool are both half flooded. Rapid moving water comes from area 17, making movement that direction very difficult. Area 18 is just an extension of the same pool, so characters can walk through the water into that room although the depth averages 4 feet. There is a hole in the ceiling under area 19 that is nearly impossible to detect from the pool that leads into the area above.
Encounter: Four giant bats have moved into this room. They are currently hanging over the pool, but will move to attack anyone entering the room.
Treasure: There is a fresh pile of bones and torn clothes in one corner of the upper gallery. Forgotten amid the bones is a citrine worth 75gp
a. Encounter: None
Treasure: None
17. The Beach: The floor of this room is fine sand. The floor is higher at the dry entry and goes down to about 6 feet underwater at the far end of the pool, where the current is worst. Both the submerged entries run rapidly making movement up to area 31 all but impossible and characters floating down to area 16 will take 1d6 damage from a beating against the rock walls.
Encounter: None
Treasure: None
18. The Lagoon: This cavern is completely flooded to a depth averaging 4’, except for the small sandy beach at area (a). Characters walking across the lagoon will notice a suction on their feet as the water drains out of this room through the floor.
Encounter: None
Treasure: None
Area (a): This small sandy beach is overgrown with edible mushrooms.
Encounter: None
Treasure: Washed up among the mushrooms, from areas unknown, is a brooch worth 250gp made of electrum and mother of pearl, shaped into an ornate dragon’s talon.
19. Safe Room: This large wide-open room is another that is often used by humanoids as a camping area. Some even know that the hole they use to throw garbage in actually is a ledge with a drop off into the pool of area 16.
Encounter: Two giant gecko lizards (AC 5, HD 3+1, hp 16, 15, #Att 1, Dam 1d8, MV 120’ (40’), SV F2, ML 7) are clinging to the walls, waiting for prey to enter.
Treasure: A sword +1 has been tucked away in the garbage hole. The party will have to find the hole, as a secret door and climb down to see where it goes to find the sword.
20. Natural Bridge: This room has a 40’ drop into a 30’ deep pool. The bridge looks tenuous but is rather sturdy.
Encounter: A group of eight goblins (AC 6, HD 1-1, hp 6, 6, 6, 5, 3, 2, 1, 1, #Att 1, Dam 1d6, MV 60’ (20’), SV NM, ML 7) is looking for their clansmen in area 15. The four weakest goblins have short bows and will fire at the party from the edge, while the others hold the bridge.
Treasure: The leader has a 15gp moonstone tied around his neck with a leather thong.
21. Red Algae Room: This room is very damp. Water drips down the walls. The floors are wet and slick. Red algae hangs in curtains off the walls and ceiling. The floor is carpeted with it.
Encounter: None
Treasure: 99 ep are scattered along the floor of this room. Most are overgrown with algae. Roll a percentile to see how many are recovered 0-99, with 0 indicating no one noticed them.
22. Small Cavern: This room is small and has a short 3 foot ceiling. Only halflings get their dexterity bonus fighting in this room.
Encounter: None
Treasure: None
23. Writing Room: This large giant cavern has smooth stone walls built up with calcium deposits. The ceiling, which is 20 feet overhead, however has strange flat deposits that appear to have runes of some nature carved into them. No one can decipher the runes or make any sense out of the language. Closer inspection, within a few feet, reveals the “runes” are actually natural formations.
Encounter: None
Treasure: None
24. Green Room: Similar to the red room, this moist cavern is overgrown with green algae. It hangs like curtains from walls and ceiling and carpets the floors.
Encounter: None
Treasure: None
25. Collapsed Room: This room was once wet but there is no moisture here any longer. The floor is littered with the debris of broken stalactites and stalagmites.
Encounter:
Treasure:
26. Little Battle Room: This room and the adjoining larger cavern were the site of a battle between two orc clans a dozen years ago. The skeletal remains of sixteen orcs and their rusted and ruined gear litter the floor.
Encounter: None
Treasure: None
27. Big Battle Room: A dozen years ago a battle of two orc clans happened in this cavern. The skeletal remains of 8 orcs, one ogre with a cleaved in skull and their ruined gear litter the floor. A crudely carved stairway leads down to the river flowing between areas 16 and 17.
Encounter: Six of the orc skeletons (AC 7, HD 1, hp 7, 7, 6, 6, 5, 4, #Att 1, Dam 1d6, MV 60’ (20’), SV F1, ML 12) are actually animated.
Treasure: None
28. Geyser Room: A large geyser in the northwest corner of this room erupts a couple times a day spewing hot water all over the room. 1 in 10 chance of geyser going off each turn. The water doesn’t do any damage but may ruin possessions that don’t react well to sulfur water.
Encounter: None
Treasure: None
29. Stone Room: The floor of this room is filled with several inches of tiny stones polished by water flow in the very distant past.
Encounter: None
Treasure: There is a 75gp bloodstone lying on the floor amid the stones. There is only a 2in6 chance characters will see the stone.
30. Crashing Room: This small room’s ceiling is forty feet above, giving this room very good acoustics. The crashing of the waterfall in area 31 fills this room with almost unbearable noise.
Encounter: None
Treasure: None
31. Waterfall Room: Water spills over a 20’ waterfall and churns the pool in this room. Three small holes can be seen in the far walls just below the surface of the pool. A rushing river flows to area 17. Anyone trying to move down this exit will take 1d6 damage due to being bashed against the walls of the cavern.
Encounter: None
Treasure: None
32. The Lake: This large underwater lake has three islands of rock that rise cliff-like about 10’ above the surface. The lake is about 20’ deep. Roll possible encounter and treasure for each island.
a. Encounter: None
Treasure: None
b. Encounter: Two ghouls (AC 6, HD 2, hp 12, 6, #Att 3, Dam 3 x 1d3 + paralyze, MV 90’ (30’), SV F2, ML 9) haunt this area. They can move freely through the water and if they surprise the party will probably choose to attack from beneath the surface.
Treasure: The ghouls have a small treasure hidden in a hollow under a rock: 99gp, 33ep, and a Potion of ESP.
c. Encounter: None
Treasure: None
Random Encounters
Roll every turn for random encounters. 1 on a d6 results in an encounter.
1. 1d3+1 Troglodytes: AC 5, HD 2, hp 9, 9, 8, 6, #Att 3, Dam 3 x 1d4, MV 120’ (40’), SV F2, ML 9: The leader is carrying a Potion of Gaseous Form.
2. 1d4+1 Zombies: AC 8, HD 2, hp 16, 14, 13, 11, 4, #Att 1, Dam 1d8, MV 120’ (40’), SV F1, ML 12
3. 1 Carcass Scavenger: AC 7, HD 3+1, hp 15, #Att 8, Dam Paralysis, MV ,120’ (40’) SV F2, ML 9
4. 1d6+2 Goblin: AC 6, HD 1-1, hp 6, 6, 6, 5, 3, 2, 1, 1, #Att 1, Dam 1d6, MV 60’ (20’), SV NM, ML 7: The have 18sp between them.
5. 1d2 Ghoul: AC 6, HD 2, hp 12, 6, #Att 3, Dam 3 x 1d3 + paralyze, MV 90’ (30’), SV F2, ML 9: One has a platinum necklace worth 300gp.
6. 2d4+2 Rat, Giant: AC 7, HD 1/2, hp 4, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, #Att 1, Dam 1d3 + disease, MV 120’ (40’), SV F1, ML 8
