GLoGtober #5: Map

    In accordance with the post-a-day challenge by SunderedWorldDM, whose dreams bore the Orbseeker and whose deeds send the world shuddering. 

Today, I return to a Bad Meat Pile, having digitized maps for each level of the Harmonious Ringen Academy. This was one of my first dungeons made with OSR principles applied. It uses a different random encounter and treasure table for each level, which I did like as an idea.

In each map, a blue rectangle is an encounter, and an orange oval is a treasure.

Level One: the Academy

Approaching the academy is an easy walk up the mountain by a clear stream with several small shrines nearby. The mountain is wooded, though most animals have fled. If the party searches the mountainside (perhaps for caves,) have them test wisdom to detect a cave. If successful, they have a random chance of finding the cave entrance to either level 3 or level 4.

Random Encounters, level one (d6)

1. 1d20 Evil skulls. 1 hp, +0 attack, d4 gnaw. (-1 reaction) cunning
2. 1d4 Hands of Glory. 2 hp, +1 attack, d6 scratch. Can hold person for 1d4 rounds at will. 
3. Bad Meat Pile (as big as 3d4 people.) 15 hp, +2 attack d6 slam. Engulf: flanks around someone to get a free attack with extra +2 to hit and maneuvers. 
4. Cardiovascular Squid. 8 hp, +5 attack, d6 wrap. Sneaky. After hitting someone, it wraps around, making it hard for others to attack without hitting its victim.
5. 1d8 Broken Skeletons. 6 hp, +1 attack, d4 punch. Good at playing dead and grabbing your ankle. 
6. d4+2 Vultures or Dogs. 5 hp, +2 attack, d6 bite. (+1 reaction) Anyone injured must save vs rabies.

Random Treasures, level one (d6)

1. Scroll of staff to snake (on later rolls, any low-level scroll) (10 gp)
2. Potion of speak with dead (20 gp)
3. Masterwork tonfa, staff, or ropedart (10 gp)
4. 1d4 doses of black powder (1 gp each)
5. Obsidian hunk (15 gp, consume to add 1 die of potency to necromancy)
6. Anatomy book (5 gp)
7. d10*10 silver pieces
8. Minimalist painting (1 gp)

Level Two: Necromancer Camp

This is where a group of necromancers has made their camp. They are mostly focused on getting into the third level through the memorial temple (full of bas reliefs), keeping watch on the fourth level entrance down the terrifying staircase (full of cobwebs), and keeping their monk prisoner captive until they can ransom him off. The encounter at the memorial temple rolls on the table for level 3 and the encounter marked "to menagerie" rolls on the table for level 4.

The group is tense but if they are befriended they are happy to trade, valuing interesting corpses highly. Their leader is Ritus, a ghoul whom none of them respect. He thinks of himself as quite the casanova. He wants help attacking the lower levels and resources from the town.

Ritus typically stays in the school basement. He has 14 hp, +3 attack, a handaxe, and all the spells of a necromancer on the encounter table below.

The monk prisoner, Soju, wants to rid the academy of the necromancers are protect the secrets of the lower levels.

Random encounters, level two (d6)

1. 1d8 intact skeletons. 8 hp, +1 attack, d6 dirk.
2. 1d4+1 necromancers. 8 hp. Spells: viscerakinesis, runaway limb, manipulate wound, heal.
3. 1 necromancer + a level one encounter.
4. 1d4 necromancers’ hirelings. 6 hp, +0 attack, d4 improvised weapon (+1 reaction)
5. 1d6 graveplated mercs. 8 hp, +3 attack, d8 greatsword, armored. Serrated armor damage anyone who makes a close attack for 1d4. 
6. 1d2 blade-phobic Frankenstein(s). 20 hp, +5 attack, d6 slam. Stupid strong. Afraid of blades.

Spells

• Viscerakinesis: Telekinetically move anything made of meat. Give a -4 to the save for each additional die invested.
• Runaway limb: target’s limb runs away in a random direction. (Can be reattached by pushing them together. D4 damage per die. Successful save prevents the damage and keeps the limb from getting too far.
• Manipulate wound: You can communicate with an injury and convince it to act in various ways. This can do damage, but takes too long to use in combat.

Random Treasure, level two (d8)

1. Two random level one treasures.
2. Scroll of a random necromancer spell (see above)
3. Potion of cure disease. (later any random low-level speed)
4. Masterwork graveplate (worth 50% more than normal heavy armor)
5. 2d8 torches, and incense (5 gp)
6. Obsidian gem (30 gp)
7. A book on a random topic: poetry, martial form, prayer, or magic. (10 gp)
8. d10*15 silver pieces.

Level Three: Osteo-Martial Artists

This is the true reason for the academy— a secret tradition of skeleton martial arts, gradually and compulsively expanded. A small section of the temple is flooded, giving disadvantage to attempts to attack someone or test dexterity. The skeleton monks are secretive and generally unhappy to see any living being who isn’t a monk. Sealed off in their dojo are forbidden weapons, iron blades and nunchucks which destroy the souls of those killed by them.

The osteo-monks report to the intact Ancient Master on level four, and any broken ones on this level. A respected non-monk skeleton, Hansa, crafts wands for them so long as they tolerate her heretical religion. She is usually found somewhere under the school and carries a key to the library.

Random encounters, level three (d6)

1. 1d4+1 level one encounters
2. Level two encounter, exploring
3. Emerald-Eyes, a lich monk. 15 hp, +4 attack, d8 punch, +1 at maneuvers. Constant regenerates from a phylactery at the dojo (a chalky green crystal.)
4. 1d4+2 Wallrunner monks. 10 hp, +3 attack, d8 weapons. They carry masterwork tonfa, staves, and rope darts. Additionally, they can spider walk.
5. 1d4+2 paralyzer monks. 10 hp, +3 attack, d6 punch. Rolls of 1-2 on damage act as hold person. Each carry a wand of firebolt (2d6) with d6 charges remaining.
6. Broken Ancient Master. 32 hp, +7 attack, d8+2 punch, d6 rope dart 20’. +2 at grabs, 2/day runaway limb spell, rolls of 1-3 on damage act as hold person. 

Random treasure, level three (d8)

1. Magic tonfa, staff, or rope dart. (fires grappling hook, causes items to hover, or nullifies magic for 1 round)
2. 1d6 petards (3d6 damage, wrecks items)
3. Wand of fire (2d6 damage, 4d6 charges)
4. Minimalist tapestry (100 gp)
5. d10*15 gold
6. Book of osteo-martial arts (15 gp)
7. Two random level two treasures.
8. Masterwork robes (light armor, work 50% more than normal)

Level Four: the Menagerie

Includes several exhibits that the Ancient Master keeps. He is indeed ancient, and knows some important historical secret, and possesses a magical bone folder which turns iron into sulphur.

Exhibits

• Cats. (-1 reaction) Five lions, a horde of housecats, one serpopard.
• Birds. (-1 reaction) An enchanted bird feeder lobs sticky seeds at any living being who moves at walking speed or faster. This causes 1d10 damage if they are surrounded by birds as the little bastards peck and grab and honk. A dire duck or a megoosa.
• Magic fish. This cave is full of water to the ceiling, enchanted not to spill out. Bioluminescent fish partially light the cave. The keen-eyed will spot a suit of crab-chitin plate armor standing near the far end of the cave. But beware the ticklefish!
• Pachyderms. 3 elephants, 1 rhino, 5 hippos. One noncombatant skeleton named Tendor who smells like dung and is desperate to get a tunnel built that will allow the animals to have field trips outside.
• Goblins. Most worship skeletons and bones. One, Fleaback, wants to lead an uprising and take over the cave for themselves. Shiny things are currency, including piles of copper coins.

Random encounters, level four (d6)

1. 1d4+1 level two encounters, an escaped exhibit
2. Level three encounter, praying or meditating.
3. 2d4 bone game wardens. hp 12, +5 attack, 1d8+2 fork spear. D4 net (entangles)
4. A carved druid with a bear familiar. hp 20, +3 attack, 1d6 staff. Spells: talk with animal, tangle, grow, rage, sleep. Bear: hp 30, +6 attack, 1d8 bite and two 1d6 claws.
5. 1d4 escaped animals from the nearest exhibit.
6. 3d4 Gun Judo Skeletons. hp Pistol with d6-1 shot. (1d20 damage)

Random treasure, level four (d6)

1. 2d6 osteo-martial art manuals, exquisite (20 gp each)
2. Magic fork spear, net, or robe
3. Apiary with intelligent bees (80 gp)
4. 4d6*20 gp
5. Scroll of any carved druid spells (talk with animal, tangle, grow, rage, or sleep)
6. Gunmaking manual (200 gp)