It's fun to roll a B/X dungeon! It really gets the creative energy flowing. One doesn't even need a map!
Last post, I rolled a 25-room level 4 dungeon on the table in the Basic Set, p. 52. The monsters were rolled using a 20-sided dice on the table in Rules Cyclopedia, p. 94. (I rolled a 12 three times, resulting a lot of medusae!)
The treasure will not be rolled randomly. Instead, the dungeon will be designed to raise six, level-4 characters to level 5 once cleared. Cash and magic items will be designed and placed accordingly.
As for placing cash treasure; six PCs going from level 4 to level 5 require 8,000 xp each or 48,000 xp total. We want them to level about every five sessions, so we want the dungeon to take about five sessions to clear, and 5 rooms a session is a good, general, rough estimate—thus the 25-room dungeon design.
This post, I'll begin writing an outline consisting of one sentence describing the dungeon as a whole, the name of each entry (e.g., "1. Entrance"), and one to three sentences describing every entry other than empty rooms. As I haven't drawn or selected a map yet, I'm going to be very sparse on the physical details of the rooms.
This is not meant to be evocative text! This is just an outline of the most essential information; GM notes. After I finish the outline, I'll re-write all the text to bring it alive in the reader's mind.
Below are the first six entries.
Lair of the Medusa
Areas 1-6
This maze of stone corridors and chambers lays 100' beneath an ancient ruined temple of toppled columns and smashed statues.
1. Entrance
Trap #1, Treasure #1
At the center of this round pit of stairs, surrounded by skulls and bones, is a bronze statue of a warrior holding a decapitated medusa's head in one hand. [Beneath the bones circular bronze plate. Anything stepping on the plate or touching the statue takes 4d8 electrical damage. Pressing both eyes of the medusa's head will cause the pit to descend 100' into the ground revealing dungeon's the hidden entrance—an impassible stone door. The round elevator will raise in one week. By that time, whatever is on the platform has died, thus all the bones.]
Treasure: a small chest of 8,000 gp hidden beneath a floor tile at the foot of a medusa statue. (Treasure Map I leads to it.)
Trap #1, Treasure #1
At the center of this round pit of stairs, surrounded by skulls and bones, is a bronze statue of a warrior holding a decapitated medusa's head in one hand. [Beneath the bones circular bronze plate. Anything stepping on the plate or touching the statue takes 4d8 electrical damage. Pressing both eyes of the medusa's head will cause the pit to descend 100' into the ground revealing dungeon's the hidden entrance—an impassible stone door. The round elevator will raise in one week. By that time, whatever is on the platform has died, thus all the bones.]
Treasure: a small chest of 8,000 gp hidden beneath a floor tile at the foot of a medusa statue. (Treasure Map I leads to it.)
2. Mirrored Antechamber
Empty #1
Mirrors, mirrors, all around; not what you'd expect in a medusa's lair. [These 7'-tall medusa wear porcelain masks that prevent the living from turning to stone.]
Empty #1
Mirrors, mirrors, all around; not what you'd expect in a medusa's lair. [These 7'-tall medusa wear porcelain masks that prevent the living from turning to stone.]
3. Petrified Chimera
Empty #2, Treasure #2
In the center of this opulent mirrored statuary is a roaring chimera standing on its haunches that will come to life if the medusa who petrified it is slain—potentially blocking the exit from escape.
Treasure: Gold and silver decorations worth 8,000 gp.
Empty #2, Treasure #2
In the center of this opulent mirrored statuary is a roaring chimera standing on its haunches that will come to life if the medusa who petrified it is slain—potentially blocking the exit from escape.
Treasure: Gold and silver decorations worth 8,000 gp.
4. Pit Trap
Trap #2
An illusionary floor in the center of this round chamber hides a cylindrical abyss 50'-wide and 100' deep. It can be bypassed by walking behind the statues surrounding it.
5. Mirrored Walls and Floor
Empty #3
6. Monster #1 (Medusa × 2)
These two 7'-tall medusae wear white porcelain masks and are extremely narcissistic. Trapped in the labyrinth for ten centuries, these immortal women have writhing serpents for hair and scaly green skin beneath their revealing satin dresses. They constantly preen their snakes and scales and can hardly look away from their own reflection. [The four medusae each have a class; magic user, cleric, fighter with a bow, or thief. Their class reflects the enchantments on their masks, jewelry, and equipment.]
These two 7'-tall medusae wear white porcelain masks and are extremely narcissistic. Trapped in the labyrinth for ten centuries, these immortal women have writhing serpents for hair and scaly green skin beneath their revealing satin dresses. They constantly preen their snakes and scales and can hardly look away from their own reflection. [The four medusae each have a class; magic user, cleric, fighter with a bow, or thief. Their class reflects the enchantments on their masks, jewelry, and equipment.]
Each is convinced she is more beautiful than the other.
They ask the players to be the judge . . .
"Who is the more beautiful sister? Surely this is an easy test of your veracity."
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