D&D 5E Rolling up a random dungeon (finished)

[Kris]

For a bit of fun, I thought I'd see if I could roll up a reasonably cohesive dungeon using the random tables in the back of the 5E DMG

So, step one ...the randomly generated map (note I had to alter it a bit here and there to make things fit, or to combine rooms, etc. ...plus I'll refine the map later on - when I have a better idea of what it all contains).

 

[Kris]

Step two - rather than picking a room and rolling on the 'general dungeon chamber' chart, I've instead rolled 15 different rooms (plus the entrance) and then tried to assign them in a way that kinda fits. So, something like this...

1. Entrance Chamber
2. Guard Room
3. Crypt
4. Divination Room
5. Library
6. Dining room
7. Barracks
8. Storage Room
9. Workshop
10. Training Room
11. Hallway
12. Cell
13. Torture Chamber
14. Dressing Room
15. Chapel
16. Chantry

 

[Kris]

Step three ...I've now done the same thing with the 'contents, features, and furnishings' tables, and I'm similarly trying to marry each of these up with each other AND with a suitable room.

Anyway, this is probably gonna take a while ...but here goes...

 

[Kris]

1. Entrance Chamber

• Dead leaves and twigs (that have been carried or blown in over the years) are scattered near the entrance.
• Toward the back of the room, the ceiling has partially collapsed - littering the floor with rubble.
• The faint remains of a faded fresco are barely visible upon the chamber's walls (and are impossible to make out), and at the very centre of the room is large stone well.

Anyone approaching within 10ft of the well will quickly find themselves assailed by a host of spiderlings (i.e. giant spider offspring - treat as an insect swarm) that nest within. Assuming the swarm is dealt with, further inspection reveals the well to be more of a shallow 'wishing well' or pool - with an assortment of old coins and tiny gemstones tossed inside (worth approx. 50gp in total).

However, unless the swarm is dealt with quickly and quietly, a fully grown giant spider (i.e. the spiderlings' mother) joins the fray (emerging from room 2).

 

[Kris]

2. Guard Room

• It's hard to determine this chamber's original purpose at it has been stripped bare - save for a couple of empty kegs sat in one corner.
• However, the chamber's current/former* occupant has filled the area with hundreds of criss-crossing lines of webbing.
• To the north there is an old wooden door.

Anyone entering this room will have to either hack their way through the webbing, or attempt to acrobatically dodge their way through. In a non-combat situation this shouldn't cause much trouble - but during combat treat each 5ft square as AC 10; hp 5 - as per the spider's normal 'web' ability (note that the Dexterity Save/Acrobatics test to dodge through is DC12).

*Depending on whether the giant spider that lurks here has already been dealt with in area 1.

 

[Kris]

3. Crypt

• The ceiling of this small chamber has started to give way, and small fragments of masonry lie here and there upon the dusty floor.
• Recessed into the western wall are four niches - each containing a stone sarcophagus with the likeness of an armoured figure carved upon it's lid.
• To the north and east are heavy-looking stone doors - each containing a fist-sized circular recess at its very centre.

Examining the sarcophagi reveals that all four of the carved images are indeed those of fully armoured knights - but ones who's armour is decorated with foul devices (skulls, fangs, bat-like wings, etc.). Further inspection (DC10) also reveals that each of these has an actual stone amulet of sorts fixed in place about their neck.

Each amulet appears to be part of a much larger (fist-sized circular) stone - and indeed removing them and piecing all four together is an easy task ...which also reveals that the combined piece is etched with a symbol depicting the rising sun.

Furthermore, anyone investigating the stone doors will immediately notice that each of the recesses have been decorated with carvings that look like toothy maws devouring whatever is placed into them.

As such, in order to solve this simple puzzle, the completed amulet must be placed into the eastern door (i.e. the direction of the rising sun) before it can be opened. However, if the amulet is inserted into the wrong/false door, it triggers a scything blade trap (DC15 to discover, disarm, and avoid; 2d10 slashing damage).

Note that, each of the sarcophagi contains the long dead remains of a fallen paladin clad in their rusted armour. In addition, clasped in their skeletal hands is a similar (though much smaller) golden pendant (i.e. one with the sun being devoured) strung upon a silver chain - each worth around 30gp.

 

[Kris]

4. Divination Room

• Whether by accident or design, a trickle of water flows into a sunken basin in the middle of this circular room from a narrow crack in the north-eastern wall.
• Around the circumference of this basin are the feint tracings of strange runes* and at its centre is a clogged drain.

Note that the stone doorway that leads into area 3 can be opened from this side without any trouble/incident. Similarly, rummaging around in the blocked drain for any length of time (or with a successful DC13 test) uncovers the key to the locked doors in area 5.

*Any character skilled in the art, will be able to recognise that these markings are connected with divination magic.

 

[Kris]

5. Library

• Several empty shelves (some collapsed and little more than pieces of rotting wood) line the walls of this chamber - all of them empty save for the strange overgrown mushrooms that sprout from their shelves.
• Similar fungi also cover an old desk off in one corner, and much larger mushrooms grow up out of the floor - making progress difficult*
• In the middle of both the northern and eastern walls are rusty iron doors - both of them seemingly locked (DC13), and both decorated with rusty emblems of a mouth devouring the rising sun.

As in room 3, the (false) doorway to the north is trapped (DC15 to discover, disarm, and avoid; 3d6 bludgeoning damage), and anyone who successfully unlocks the door (with the key from area 4, or with thieves tools, etc.) will cause a 10ft area in front of the floor to fall away - depositing its victims into a deep pit.

*Note that the characters will simply need to hack their way through the fungus to clear a path. However for each square that is cleared roll a d6. On the roll of a 1 the characters have unwittingly disturbed a violet fungus.

 

[Kris]

6. Dining room

• A huge fireplace dominates the northern end of this large hall, and a stone door sits near the southern corner of the eastern wall.
• Two fluted pillars support the ceiling - though one is cracked, and surrounded by bits of rubble from where the ceiling is beginning to collapse.
• Between the pillars hang three small (desiccated kobold) corpses - each of them cocooned in spider silk (and well out of reach).

Inside the fireplace/chimney lurk four juvenile giant spiders (treat as giant wolf spiders). That being said, 90% of the time they will be inactive, and will only be spurred into action if anyone traversing the room fails a DC13 stealth check.

The other 10% of the time they will be waiting in ambush - with 2 of their kind emerging (possibly with the advantage of surprise) on the first round of combat ...closely followed by the other two on the second round.

Anyone taking the time to examine the fireplace will discover that several coals are still present (though covered in spider filth) along with a dented silver chalice set with tiny turquoise stones. Even in its current condition it's probably still worth somewhere in the region of two to three hundred gold.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

2. Guard Room

• It's hard to determine this chamber's original purpose at it has been stripped bare - save for a couple of empty kegs sat in one corner.
• However, the chamber's current/former* occupant has filled the area with hundreds of criss-crossing lines of webbing.
• To the north there is an old wooden door.

Anyone entering this room will have to either hack their way through the webbing, or attempt to acrobatically dodge their way through. In a non-combat situation this shouldn't cause much trouble - but during combat treat each 5ft square as AC 10; hp 5 - as per the spider's normal 'web' ability (note that the Dexterity Save/Acrobatics test to dodge through is DC12).

*Depending on whether the giant spider that lurks here has already been dealt with in area 1.

"Burn 'em! Burn 'em all!" (Them!)