Empty Rooms

 I did the math on Dungeon23 based on the dungeon stocking B/X rules.

 

1-2: Empty (Treasure 1-in-6)

3-4: Monster (Treasure 3-in-6)

5: Special (No Treasure)

6: Trap (Treasure 2-in-6)

 

Taking these probabilities across 365 rooms, your distribution would look like this:

I am about 41 days behind, but thankfully I think I can catch up because there are 101 Empty Rooms that I can work on! I am using the Dungeon23 challenge to convert some of my home campaign notes and practice the OSE house style as I (grudgingly) have found that it is intuitive to use at the table. Without further ado, let's knock out a few empty rooms!

TOWER ENTRANCE

Cut stone (moss covered, crumbling). Rusted portcullis (black iron, bars shaped like snakes). Brass bell (hung to the left, missing clapper). Gargoyle face (top center, long nose, buck teeth, horn nubs).

 

=>Look inside: Dark 30' square chamber. Winch (lifting mechanism) to the inside right of the door. A wooden door is directly across from the portcullis (west).

=>Strike bell: The gargoyle's mouth moves and speaks: "Ding dong. Oops, only death resides here." It then descends into cackling laughter. If struck again, the message repeats.

 

PANTRY

Stone blocks (dry, walls, ceiling 8' high). Shelves (wooden, built in, lined with cheese wheels). Straw (covers floor).

 

=>Investigate cheese: It has aged far too long and is hard as rock. The wax flakes away.

=>Search in straw: A trapdoor to X is hidden under the straw.

 

CHAPEL

Carved stone (dripping, 30' vaulted ceiling). Stone pews (crumbling, flecks of red paint remain). Crystal alter (deep purple, natural but shaped). Tapestries (cover walls, tattered except for one).

 

=>Investigate pews: It appears that many have been intentionally smashed

=>Investigate alter: The crystal appears to grow naturally from the floor. Unbreakable.

=>Investigate tapestry: The one tapestry which has not resigned itself to time depicts a deranged goat eating the moon. It is an illusion concealing a passage to X.

 

PIT

Excavated stone (20' deep, 10' across, sheer sides). Filled with bones (humanoid and animal).

 

=>Search pit: Among the bones there is a key ring with an iron key, a brass key, and bone key.

 

And that's it for today.  Now I'm only 37 days behind...

  

 

LABORATORY

LABORATORY

Loud noises (mechanical thrumming and animal shrieks). Humid stench (hot copper and feces). Cut stone walls (encoded chalk scribbles). Vaulted ceiling (40' high). Hanging glass orb (pulsates with harsh white light). Owlchemist (back to door). Steel desk (covered in buttons and levers). Two bronze vats (20' tall, 10' wide, door with window and locking wheel). Crates (stacked haphazardly). Copper cables spark (crisscross the floor).

 

=> Sneaking up on the Owlchemist: 4-in-6 chance to successfully surprise the Owlchemist

=> Examine the walls: Notes can be decoded with read language (thief or spell). Explains how to complete ascension ritual with contraption. "Lever 2: Place animal, Lever 3: Place humanoid, Lever 1: Up (turn on), Button 1, Button 2, Button 3, Button 4, Lever 1: Middle or Down (turn off)."

=> Moving through chamber: Unless specifically avoiding the cables (half speed), characters have a 2-in-6 chance of being shocked for 1d4 damage.

=> Examine vats: Left vat (mutilated mule corpse). Right vat (naked confused mule-man).

=> Open vats: Left (mule corpse looked cooked and blended). Right (see Clydson the Mule-Man).

=> Examine steel desk: 3 levers and 4 buttons (5th button missing).

=>Lever 1 (Middle): Down (Turn on, room brightens), Up (Turn off, room goes dark), Middle (Light)

=>Lever 2 (Up): Down (Unlocks), Up (locks) left vat

=>Lever 3 (Up): Down (Unlocks), Up (locks) right vat

=>Button 1: Molecular disassembly of left vat's contents

=>Button 2: Molecular disassembly of right vat's contents

=>Button 3: Mix molecules

=>Button 4: Reassemble right vat

=>Button 5: Broken (Reassemble left vat).

=>Examine Crates: Live animals (bat, vulture, rat, turtle, bullfrog, lynx, coyote, boar, viper, baboon)

SEZAR THE OWLCHEMIST

Human Sized (6' tall). Barn Owl (no wings, burly arms). Man's Face (dastardly mustache). Black Mace (right hand).

AC 7 (12), HD 5* (21hp), Att 1 x Black Mace (1d6+1), THAC0 14 (+5), MV 90' (30'), SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14, ML 7, AL Chaotic, XP 425

Spells: Charm Person, Darkness, Invisibility, Wizard Lock, Hold Person

Reaction: Surprised 5-in-6 (back to door). Polite. Tries to convince party to join cult. Offers ascension (see Ascension). If attacked will try to bribe for freedom. If forced to fight will use Black Mace to invoke darkness and order Batboons to attack. Uses spells and potions to escape.

Items: Black Mace (see The Ebon Cudgel), 2 sapphires (300 gp each), 3 potions (Control Animal, Diminution, Gaseous Form), Spellbook (with known spells within), 7 sp.

BATBOONS (2)

Giant Baboon (4' tall), Wings (bat)

AC 7 (12), HD 3 (9,13hp), Att 2 x claws (1d4) or 1 x thrown rock (1d6), THAC0 17 (+2), MV 90' (30')/150' (50') flying, SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16, ML 9, AL Chaotic, XP 50

Echolocation: Unaffected by effects that impair, modify, or rely on sight. Blinded by magical silence.

Reaction: Batboons are perched on roosts far up in the vaulted ceiling. Will not attack unless summoned by Sezar. Swooping down from above they surprise 4-in-6.

ASCENSION

Lore: Sezar's followers believe that the contraption allows them to become like the gods who left the contraption behind by combining man and beast. If players choose to ascend they become humanoid-beast hybrids and gain an ability as shown below.

Bat: Echolocation

Vulture: +2 save vs. poisons, eat/drink spoiled food/water.

Rat: Move Silently 20% (+10% for thief)

Turtle: AC 3 (16)

Bullfrog: Swim 90' (30') and breath underwater

Lynx: Claws (2 x 1d4 + Str)

Coyote: Bite (1d6 + Str)

Boar: Smell Tracking 20% (+10% for ranger)

Viper: Spit poison 1/day (save v. death or 1d4 str damage)

Baboon: +1 with thrown weapons

CLYDSON THE MULE-MAN

Human sized (5'5'' tall). Human body (naked, muscular, sorrel hide). Mule head (blue human eyes).

AC 7 (12), HD 1+1* (5hp), Att 1 x weapon (1d6+2), THAC0 18 (+1), MV 120' (40'), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16, ML 12, AL Neutral, XP 19

Strong Back: Double carrying capacity.

Battle Rage: +2 to hit humans and similar humanoids (e.g. orcs, goblins). Rage sometimes makes them attack him attack his allies.

Reaction: Fly into rage if attacked or if Owlchemist is attacked. Can be persuaded to join party if Owlchemist is alive or gone. Easily tricked.

 

THE EBON CUDGEL

Matte black metal (unusually heavy). Flanged head (goat motif).

Powers: The mace is magical: +1 to attack and damage. 3/day wielder can cast darkness centered on mace's head.

History: A scepter that once denoted the station of the Moon Pontiff in the cult of Klastmir, the Oblivion Goat who is said to eat the moon. He is the bringing of darkness.