Now let us return to a time when three alignments were enough, when a handful of character classes ruled, and when magic swords had their own ideas about who's boss.
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Lair of the Serpent Men is the first official dungeon for our campaign, but the second dungeon we have run. The first was a heavily inspired (nay ripped-off) version of The Black God’s Kiss, by C.L Moore. It was that dungeon and a joke about Napoleon Bonaparte that led to the shinadigan’s that is our game. While I work on Castle of The Black Gods Kiss, our settings tent-pole Megadungeon I rolled up, I will be running some shorter delves beginning with this one.
This is my modified version of the Maze of Amazement (& Death) map & adventure by Tamás Kisbali of the Eldritch Fields blog. Tamás has kindly given me permission to share this on the blog. For the original version of this adventure, and many more adventures that I will definitely be using for future sessions- you can find them on the Eldritch Fields blog here:
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Note: I like working with simple frameworks. I don’t need backgrounds spanning centuries leading up to the adventure. Just give me some flavour, just enough to fire up the ol’ imagination, a map, and I will let my imagination squirt out the rest for better or worse.
My group had a particularly good time with the honey & the young black unicorn encounters. Far too much laugher was had by all. They now plan on keeping three jars of the honey and having an alchemist re-create the formula for mass distribution.
Lets make running this dungeon simple. Grab OD&D (3LBB’s) or your clone of choice and have at it! For my games I use the following:
- d6 HD
- d6 Damage
- Every 1 gp spent = 1xp
- 100xp per monster HD
- Oh yeah encumbrance & lighting matters. No infravision for PC’s
BACKGROUND
Thanks to Grand Autarch Bonamere Napolia the 67th's creation of a highly mobile, well-armed artillery force which gave artillery usage an increased tactical importance. Bonamere, rather than relying on infantry to wear away the enemy’s defences, uses massed artillery as a spearhead to pound a break in the enemy’s line. It was the utilisation of such tactics that grated The Duchy of Napolia the upper hand in the devastating, Troll-Wars.
It was Grand Autarch Bonamere Napolia's artillery force that was able to claim the valley in which this dungeon is located.
INTRO
Farmers are going missing, and strange creatures have been spotted near a cave that has long been avoided by locals. As Undernauts in the employ of Cassandra Corporation- you have been tasked with investigating the reports and relaying back to your garrison leader anything deemed notable.
LAIR OF THE SERPENT MEN
2. Gold star constellation on ceiling (1700 sp.)
3. 8 Dwarfs, napping. A: 6 kegs of beer in ice cold alcove.
4. Hall of Dwarven Judgement; keys to #5-6 under wooden dais.
5. 2 Vermis Halflings behind bars.
6. Mercurial chains (1200 sp), dead prisoner’s Shadow lingers
7. 12 Giant ants, secret passage = tunnel in ant hill.
8. Lever unlocks/locks all double doors leading in/out of #11.
9. Pile of coins (1600 sp, 800 gp).
10. Armless Medusa, hibernating.
11. Murals: lush forest views. A: Towering Apple tree on an artificial island in a pool, 2 Water Elementals. B: A crying Goddess whose skin & spine are spread to form a ship’s mast.
12. Trap: Whole floor collapses into 60’ spike pit; only dais safe.
13. Teleport pad to #57
14. Gray ooze in dark labyrinth.
15. Abandoned sculptor’s studio, black marble bust of an engorged breasted serpent (2000 sp).
16. Vegetable patch
17. Trap: glowing rune charms weakest pc: loyal to Serpent men.
18. Sack of black wyverns scales (600 gp) guarded by 4 Serpent men.
19. Serpent Acolyte Xhar’tulk, Anti-Cleric 4 (curse, hold person.)
20. 8 Skeletons, acid-burnt.
21. Trap: Shifting wall closes off door.
22. 80’ high ceiling. 7 flesh eating Pixies.
23. 6’ deep, 5” wide shaft, 1200 gp
24. Trap: Full of water. If opened, #21-23 flooded in a flash, completely, air bubble in #22
25. 4 Werewolves (in human shape) around a campfire, acting friendly.
26. Trick: Illusory lava floor.
27. Dwarven Skulls hang from the ceiling.
28. 2 Hatchling Black Wyverns.
29. 2100 gp, 1500 gp necklace.
30. Murals: villagers worshiping a giant serpent.
31. 4 barrels of exotic *honey (1300 sp), 1 broken. 4 Giant weasels.
32. Doors & curtains galore.
33. Trapdoor: narrow tunnel to #45.
34. 8 Dog-men mummifying fallen comrade on wooden bier.
35. Trap: Black door handle shocks for 1-4 damage. Soft silk cushions.
36. Curtain unpassable for ghosts! 1400 gp in chest. 2 Shadows.
37. 6 Skeletons, with silver plated heads (2000 sp), 2 mercury covered (if touched nullifies magic for 1d6 turns.)
38. Dwarven skins on a makeshift clothesline.
39. Door bricked up. 1100 gp in chest. 4 Giant centipedes.
40. First song of the “Architect” on wall.
41. Abandoned tannery, smell lingers.
42. Jean, Fighter 3, Jules, M-U 2, 3 hirelings: all addicted to drugs (honey), currently experiencing withdrawal.
43. Trick: Small iron lantern projects illusory vampires.
44. Ichor ooze lurking between columns, 500 gp *chalice on altar.
45. 6 Giant ants scavenging. 3 closed stone sarcophagi: empty, tunnel to #33, 500 sp necklace.
46. 4 closed sarcophagi: 100 sp ruby, empty x 2, Giant weasel.
47. 4 closed sarcophagi: 1 cp x 4
48. 3 Shadows of ancient kings.
49. 1100 sp & rusty ceremonial dagger in sigil covered safe.
50. Marks of wolf claws.
51. Sword +1 in stone, removing it summons 20 Wolves to #48-50.
52. Piles of bones; smell of glue.
53. 6 Dog-men cooking glue.
54. Exquisite curtain = Green slime.
55. Trap: two 20’ pits. Winged helmet (960 gp) in middle.
56. 6 Serpent men
57. Teleport pad to #13, 5 Zealots. Door to #58 behind hanging carpet.
58. Truffles grown from dwarven corpses (1500 sp), 500 gp, Plate +2 buried in soil. 3 Wereboars.
59. Acid-eaten remains of Dire-boar.
60. 12 Wild boars in 50’ deep pen of shifting darkness (entrances are very steep slopes).
61. *Young Black Unicorn to be sacrificed, plays hide & seek between stalagmites.
A: Statue of a serpent's head, eyes diamonds (2x1000 gp), cache in pedestal: 5 necklaces (200 gp ea.), 2430 sp, 530 gp.
B: slope to the next dungeon level! Or end things here. Refs choice.
NOTE: When I ran this I placed glowing rune charms (see room#17) randomly throughout the dungeon to account for why such a mix of monsters would be in the Serpent Men’s Lair. They were all charmed, and/or drugged, making them easy targets.
ITEMS:
*Honey. Highly sedative. Causes hallucinations.
*Chalice. Drinking from the chalice grants a permanent +1 to any stat.
*Young Black Unicorn. If its horn is removed it acts as a +3 magic dagger vs devils & demons.
39. Door bricked up. 1100 gp in chest. 4 Giant centipedes.
40. First song of the “Architect” on wall.
41. Abandoned tannery, smell lingers.
42. Jean, Fighter 3, Jules, M-U 2, 3 hirelings: all addicted to drugs (honey), currently experiencing withdrawal.
43. Trick: Small iron lantern projects illusory vampires.
44. Ichor ooze lurking between columns, 500 gp *chalice on altar.
45. 6 Giant ants scavenging. 3 closed stone sarcophagi: empty, tunnel to #33, 500 sp necklace.
46. 4 closed sarcophagi: 100 sp ruby, empty x 2, Giant weasel.
47. 4 closed sarcophagi: 1 cp x 4
48. 3 Shadows of ancient kings.
49. 1100 sp & rusty ceremonial dagger in sigil covered safe.
50. Marks of wolf claws.
51. Sword +1 in stone, removing it summons 20 Wolves to #48-50.
52. Piles of bones; smell of glue.
53. 6 Dog-men cooking glue.
54. Exquisite curtain = Green slime.
55. Trap: two 20’ pits. Winged helmet (960 gp) in middle.
56. 6 Serpent men
57. Teleport pad to #13, 5 Zealots. Door to #58 behind hanging carpet.
58. Truffles grown from dwarven corpses (1500 sp), 500 gp, Plate +2 buried in soil. 3 Wereboars.
59. Acid-eaten remains of Dire-boar.
60. 12 Wild boars in 50’ deep pen of shifting darkness (entrances are very steep slopes).
61. *Young Black Unicorn to be sacrificed, plays hide & seek between stalagmites.
A: Statue of a serpent's head, eyes diamonds (2x1000 gp), cache in pedestal: 5 necklaces (200 gp ea.), 2430 sp, 530 gp.
B: slope to the next dungeon level! Or end things here. Refs choice.
APPENDIX:
NOTE: When I ran this I placed glowing rune charms (see room#17) randomly throughout the dungeon to account for why such a mix of monsters would be in the Serpent Men’s Lair. They were all charmed, and/or drugged, making them easy targets.
ITEMS:
*Honey. Highly sedative. Causes hallucinations.
*Chalice. Drinking from the chalice grants a permanent +1 to any stat.
*Young Black Unicorn. If its horn is removed it acts as a +3 magic dagger vs devils & demons.
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