UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 83 BATTLE IN PROGRESS.

83 BATTLE IN PROGRESS. This room has long ago been despoiled and only a few broken crates are here to remind explorers that this was once a store room. When the adventurers arrive they will observe a combat between five ghouls and a small group of adventurers. The ghouls are to the south and winning handily against their opponents. All that remain of the adventurers are two men and an elf. Four additional men lie dead upon the floor. Several torches on the floor, once held by the adventurers, provide ample lighting for the humans to deal with combat.

5 Ghouls (AC 6; MV 9"; HD 2; hp 12, 7, 7, 5, 4; #AT 2 claws, 1 bite; D 1-3/1-3/1-6; SA Paralysis; SD Limited spell immunity; XP 89, 79, 79, 75, 73)

Therrion Arlsmurger, Neutral Good male high elf Magic-user (AC 10; MV 12”; MU2; hp 6; #AT 1; D Silver dagger; S 15, I 15, W 12, D 12, C 13, Ch 11; SA Spell use; SD 90% resistant to sleep and charm; XP 108)

First Level Magic User Spells:

Sleep

Therrion has already used one of his spells and is in dire straits. He wears a blue and red robe and carries a silver dagger and four darts. His backpack holds a tinderbox, a scroll with the spell Jump, his spell book, and a bag of 87 silver tamos, 54 silver spanners, and 32 copper pieces. He keeps his spell components in various pockets on his robe: seven filaments of copper wire for the Message spell (14 copper pieces value), four vials of powdered iron and silver for the Protection From Evil spell (the powdered silver is worth 6 silver spanners), a piece of crystal for the Read Magic spell, and six vials of fine sand for the Sleep spell.

His spell book has the following spells:

Message, Protection From Evil, Read Magic, Sleep

Atar Vasto, Lawful Good male human Fighter (AC 6; MV 12”; F1; hp 7; #AT 1; D Broad sword or dagger; S 14, I 7, W 7, D 11, C 14, CH 9; XP 34)

Atar has a broad sword and a dagger and wears studded leather armor and uses a shield (design of a gold dragon). He has 3 gold crescents, 33 silver spanners, 56 copper pieces, a full waterskin, and three weeks iron rations.

Debuzzio, Neutral Good male human man-at-arms (AC 7; MV 9”; HD 4 to 7 hit points; hp 6; #AT 1; D Spear or dagger; XP 11)

Debuzzio wears studded leather armor and has 17 silver spanners, 25 copper pieces, four torches, a tinderbox, two weeks iron rations, and a full waterskin.

The four dead men were all men-at-arms with studded leather armor. They each had a spear and a dagger, although one of the spears is splintered and unusable. They have a total of 2 gold crescents, 66 silver spanners, and 108 copper pieces. Among them there are two tinderboxes, three full waterskins, eight weeks iron rations, one hundred twenty feet of rope, a grappling hook, a ten foot pole, six torches, two bullseye lanterns, and seven flasks of oil, of which two are broken and leaking on the floor.

The two groups each have an increased 1 in 6 chance each to be surprised, since they are so busy. If the adventurers enter from the south they will be to the rear of the ghouls and they will be behind the adventurers if they enter from the north.

The adventures are obviously in over their heads on this level of the dungeon. If they survive the encounter, they will welcome the help of the party, should it be offered.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 82 SECRET CACHE.

82 SECRET CACHE. The secret door is a sliding wall type operated by pushing on one stone block in the wall while pulling on another. There are six glass jars of a strong glue, twelve broad swords, three spears, two coils of rope (forty and seventy feet), and eight clay jugs stoppered with cork and holding the red choking dust concoction used in Area 74.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 81 SHRINE.

81 SHRINE. A statue of the god Samech is against the west wall. He resembles a muscular man in a loincloth. His head is beast-like, having features of a crocodile and a dog.

This room is an effective barrier against undead of all sorts, who cannot stand to enter it. Clerics, shamans, witchdoctors, druids, and paladins who enter the room will immediately sense an aura of intense evil emanating from the statue, as it possesses a miniscule part of the consciousness of Samech itself. Defiling or damaging the statue will cause a shock of 1d8 damage and has a 50% chance to bring about a curse equivalent to that of mummy rot, unless a saving throw versus spells is made at -4 on the die roll.

CONCERNING GOBLINS IN CASTLE TRISKELION.

This is going to the first in a series of posts about how I have approached various archetypal monsters and how they fit into the Castle. As always, your mileage may vary. Feel free to use the following only if it helps or you feel it fits in your campaign.

To be clear, in this post I am referring to common goblins only - not talon goblins, hatchet-faced goblins, xvart, yvart, zvart, bogeys, dusk goblins, sugar goblins, moor walkers, or any of the various similar creatures and cousins. Some or all of what is related below MAY also apply to those sub-types and related humanoids.

Some sages speculate that goblins are born from the spilled blood of fantastic monsters such as chimerae, hydrae, basilisks, manticores, and so on. Dragons are rumored to be so potent magically that goblins can form spontaneously even from their dung.

Other sages are of the opinion that dungeons, after years of bloodshed in their profane halls, achieve a sort of sentience of their own. Goblins are the thoughts and dreams of dungeons made real by the dungeon's need to be occupied.

New goblins are normal goblin-sized and can talk, fight, and do all the things you would expect a goblin to do, but they have no long term memories. As long as they are with you they appear capable of performing normal tasks and remembering details in the short term, but if you leave them alone for a while, they will no longer recognize you.  It takes years before a goblin's brain is mature enough to start laying down new long term memories.

Goblins do not procreate in the usual way, but there are still male and female goblins. Male goblins are always hideously ugly, but female goblins are almost childlike in appearance. They still fight as well as the males, though.

Being creatures of the the dungeon, goblins can see even in complete darkness (I consider it different from infravision, which I use only as the spell). They also are weakened by sunlight, just as described in the Monster Manual.

Goblins do eat, and enjoy food. Nevertheless, as long as they remain in their natural surroundings (ie. dungeons) they do not actually have to consume any nourishment. Should they leave the friendly confines of the dungeon homes, they will find that they hunger like other creatures.

Being fairy-tale creatures, goblins are averse to piety and thus can not become divine spellcasters. You will find no goblin shamans or witchdoctors in Castle Triskelion unless you put them there yourself.

Should goblins be forced to endure discipline, order, and warfare for prolonged periods of time they will naturally evolve into hobgoblins. Usually this happens to a group of goblins working together. This change is so gradual that sometimes they do not even notice that it has happened themselves.

Goblins can also become bugbears, but goblins do not wish to talk about this horrible process.

Goblins are often found serving evil wizards, evil knights, hobgoblins, or stronger goblins. They are natural minions.

At certain times of the year goblins and their ilk (in this case including talon goblins, hatchet-faces, etc.) gather for a Goblin Market, where commerce, not violence, is the rule.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 80 COMMON ROOM.

80 COMMON ROOM. The Black Tooth Gnolls are quite violent and territorial. Female and young gnolls will also fight.

5 Black Tooth Gnoll Males (AC 5; MV 9”; HD 2; hp 6, 6, 13, 9, 7; #AT 1; D By weapon type +1 to damage due to strength; XP 32, 32, 46, 38, 34)

Each gnoll has 0-9 (1d10-1) gold crescents, 0-22 (2d12-2) silver spanners, and 0-22 (2d12-2) copper pieces. Each will carry a broad sword and one second weapon: a two-handed sword, a morning star, a footman's flail, and a bill-guisarme.

6 Black Tooth Gnoll Females (AC 5; MV 9”; HD 1; hp 5, 4, 4, 2, 1, 2; #AT 1; D Dagger; SA +1 to hit with thrown dagger; XP 19, 18, 18, 16, 15, 16)

The female gnolls of the Black Tooth tribe have a tradition of practicing dagger throwing and are adept at it. Each carries 3 daggers, 1d12 gold crescents, 4-26 (2d12+2) silver spanners, and 1d6 copper pieces.

7 Black Tooth Gnoll Youngsters (AC 5; MV 9”; HD 1 to 4 hit points; hp 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2; #AT 1; D Dagger; XP 8, 7, 6, 7, 8, 6, 7)

The juveniles carry no treasure.

The gnolls sleep on stitched mats made from old clothing and tattered blankets. A huge cistern of dirty water is in the northeast corner. Next to it are eight metal cannisters and three half barrels. Three of the cannisters hold salt pork. The others hold biscuits, pickled eggs, olives, figs, and lard. The barrels all hold small beer.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 79 BLACK TOOTH BOSS.

79 BLACK TOOTH BOSS. This is the dwelling of the tribal shaman and leader of the Black Tooth gnolls. She has two elite female gnoll bodyguards with her.

Scardros, Chaotic Evil female gnoll Shaman (AC 5; MV 9”; C4; hp 16; #T 1; D Dagger; SA Spell use, attacks as a 4 hit die monster, +1 to hit with thrown dagger; XP 270)

First Level Cleric Spells:

Cure Light Wounds (X2), Protection From Good

Second Level Cleric Spells:

Augury, Chant

She wears a hood made from the head of a giant weasel. She carries her holy symbol of Samech and four daggers. She keeps three vials of human blood for the Protection From Good spell, a set of black dragon bones for the Augury spell, and an enchanted glass eye in a small pouch on a belt loop. The glass eye can create food and water once per day when used by any cleric or shaman, exactly as the third level cleric spell.

2 Black Tooth Gnoll Female Bodyguards (AC 5; MV 9”; HD 2; hp 10, 11; #AT 1; D Broad sword or dagger +1 to damage due to strength; SA +1 to hit with thrown dagger; XP 48, 50)

Each gnoll has 2-12 (2d6) gold crescents, 2-16 (2d8) silver spanners, and 2-24 (2d12) copper pieces. They each carry a broad sword and three daggers.

Scardros keeps the treasure in this room. There are three chests and an iron box.

First Chest:

84 silver spanners

27 copper rings, each worth 1 gold crescent (one of the rings is actually a ring of shooting stars)

Second Chest:

4 silver goblets worth 80 gold crescents each

24 gold crescents

Third Chest:

Trapped with a poison needle (insinuative, type B).

1342 copper pieces

3 silver whistles valued at 4 gold crescents each

The iron box is locked. The gnolls haven't figured out how to open it and haven't smashed it so far. It is a specially made shock-proof container holding four potions in vials. There is a potion of treasure finding (black, tastes metallic), a potion of clairvoyance (orange, tastes like carrot juice), a potion of speed and flying (mixed together successfully, two doses, purple, tastes like cherries), and a ruined potion with no effect (gold, tastes like caramel).

If the iron box is deliberately smashed open the potions are sure to break. However when the box is closed, it allows the potions inside to make saving throws as though they were “Metal, hard”, page 80 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. The box can hold up to six potions.

The room is otherwise furnished as a bedroom. Although they are considered lavish by the standards of the Black Tooth gnolls, the furnishings are about the same in quality as those found in a single room in a modest inn.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 78 FALSE TREASURE ROOM.

78 FALSE TREASURE ROOM. The ceiling height ten feet. A treasure chest is against the south wall. Opening it releases a blinding gas (save versus poison or be blinded for 1d10+10 rounds and suffer 1d2 damage). Inside are 194 worthless glass beads, 6 brass cups worth 1 copper piece each, and a silver candle sniffer worth 3 gold crescents.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 77 GUARD ROOM.

77 GUARD ROOM. Three Black Tooth gnolls are on guard here.

3 Black Tooth Gnolls (AC 5; MV 9”; HD 2; hp 9, 7, 10; #AT 1; D By weapon type +1 to damage due to strength; XP 38, 34, 40)

Each gnoll has 0-9 (1d10-1) gold crescents, 0-22 (2d12-2) silver spanners, and 0-22 (2d12-2) copper pieces. Each gnoll has a broad sword and one second weapon: one morning star, one battle axe, and one military fork.

There is a wooden table and three chairs. The gnolls have a set of wooden placards decorated with symbols and colorful characters used to play a game similar to “Old Maid” called “Jenny Cider”. The pack of placards is worth 4 gold crescents.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 76 BLACK ROOM.

76 BLACK ROOM. This room (ceiling, floor, and walls) is covered with a black film of a substance resembling waxy charcoal. The Black Tooth gnolls apply this substance to their teeth for its cosmetic appeal.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 75 MURALS.

75 MURALS. This room has an incredibly foul stench. The walls are painted with beautiful rolling hills, majestic mountains, blue skies, fierce dragons, fair castles, beautiful maidens, and valiant knights. The gnolls have dug a ten foot deep and two foot wide hole in the northeast corner and use it as a toilet.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 74 CORRIDOR TRAP.

74 CORRIDOR TRAP. A pressure plate on the floor releases a cloud of red dust from the ceiling to anyone standing in the 10' square. Save versus poison or suffer a fit of violent and painful sneezing and choking for 1d4 damage. The red dust is a mixture of extremely potent pepper and common flour and is prepared by the hobgoblins in Room 73. If they are killed the trap will not be reset. The local humanoids are aware of the trap and avoid this corridor.

Finished map available for UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO

Back in October, I posted this about my mapping disaster.  Happily, the map for Level 2 of the Upper Dungeons is now complete:

I posted it on my photobucket account and it can be found to the right --> under Dungeon Maps.

If anyone is having trouble looking at or downloading the maps from photobucket, please let me know.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 73 KITCHEN.

73 KITCHEN. The gnolls employ hobgoblins and goblins to make their dinners, because they can't be troubled to do it themselves and they don't trust slaves.

2 Hobgoblin Cooks (AC 5; MV 9”; HD 1+1; hp 4, 9; #AT 1; D Broad sword; XP 28, 38)

5 Goblin Assistants (AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1-1; hp 6, 1, 3, 1, 2; #AT 1; D Short sword; XP 16, 11, 13, 11, 12)

Each hobgoblin has 2d4 gold crescents, 3d6 silver spanners, and 3d8 copper pieces. Each goblin has 2 to 17 (3d6-1) silver spanners and 1 to 22 (3d8-2) copper pieces.

The cooks might be relaxing (30%), preparing a meal (20%), or yelling at the goblins to do their work (50%). If they are yelling, they will be unable to surprise adventurers under normal circumstances.

This room is equipped with large stove in the east wall, which has good ventilation. The room is well stocked with salt, pepper, sugar, and other common spices and additives. The usual items found in a kitchen (pots, pans, skillets, cutlery, etc.) are here, most hanging from hooks. The food they prepare is generally bread and meat, with very few vegetables and those mainly fed to the slaves. Their favorite method of preparing food is frying and grilling and there is a large amount of cooking oil stored in this room.

This room also serves as the sleeping quarters for the cooks and assistants. They sleep on simple cots.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 72 STORE ROOM.

72 STORE ROOM. Here the gnolls store their goods (most bought from the hobgoblins in Rooms 3 to 6). They never bother to throw things away, so there are lots of opened and empty boxes, crates, and barrels scattered about the room. A rather narrow path leads from the north to south corridor between all the items. A complete search of the room would take several hours.

Enough food is here to support both gnoll tribes, their slaves, and supporters (ogre, hobgoblins, goblins) for about three months. The majority is salt-packed pork, dry biscuit, fruit preserves, pickles, and similar item that do not perish easily. About 70% of the food is actually in decent condition and should be considered edible even by human standards. The gnolls' stomachs are quite able to deal with spoiled food (or even carrion) so they distinguish little between the good and spoiled provisions.

The gnolls' keep a sizable quantity of alcohol. This includes seven half-sized barrels of small beer (each holding 124 pints, worth about 500 copper pieces, and weighing 1500 gp weight), three kegs of rum (each holding 100 gills, worth about 75 silver pieces, and weighing 400 gp weight), and about sixty bottles of cheap red wine (each worth between 2 and 7 (1d6+1) silver pieces).

A huge opened crate holding cigars is here. The remaining supply would be worth up to 50 gold crescents, and the crate weighs 250 gp weight.

There are stacks of wood for burning (most of it is broken furniture) piled against the west wall.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 71 MESS HALL.

71 MESS HALL. A female slave and a Black Tooth gnoll matron are here. The slave is tending to a tiny fire in the west firepit.

Black Tooth Gnoll Female (AC 5; MV 9”; HD 2; hp 14; #AT 1; D Quarter staff or dagger +1 to damage due to strength; SA +1 to hit with thrown dagger; XP 56)

She has a necklace made from human teeth and silver buttons (the buttons are worth a total of 120 gold crescents). She carries a quarter staff, 3 daggers, 3 gold crescents, 7 silver spanners, and 13 copper pieces. Like the other Black Tooth gnolls, her teeth have had black material applied to them.

Desierra Starlight, Chaotic Good female human Magic-User (AC 10; MV 3”[12”]; MU3; hp 9; #AT 1; D By weapon type; SA Spell use; S 5, I 16, W 15, D 9, C 7, Ch 6; XP 121)

First Level Magic user Spells:

Detect Magic, Hold Portal

Second Level Magic user Spells:

Shatter

Desierra is about sixty year old and has been a prisoner for one faction or another of the dungeon for the last two years. This has turned her a bit batty. She has been holding on to her memorized spells all that time, waiting for an opportunity to use them. Her spell book was lost long ago and she no longer has the piece of mica she needs to cast the shatter spell.

This room is used by both gnolls and slaves to take meals. There are four large tables and seating for more than forty humanoids. Two large fire pits are here, one near the west wall and the other near the northeast. Ventilation is poor, but the ceiling height is fourteen feet and the smoke is usually not too bad when the fire pits are being used.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 70 SLAVE QUARTERS.

70 SLAVE QUARTERS. The door to this room is locked. Inside there are several slaves attached to the walls by chains and manacles:

5 Normal Active Female Humans (AC 10; MV 3”[12"]; HD 1-4 hit points; hp 4, 3, 2, 1, 3; #AT 1; D By weapon type; SA Attacks at -1 "to hit"; XP 9, 8, 7, 6, 8)

7 Normal Active Male Humans (AC 10; MV 3”[12”]; HD 2-5 hit points; hp 4, 2, 5, 2, 4, 2, 4; #AT 1; D By weapon type; SA Attacks as a 0 level Fighter; XP 9, 7, 10, 7, 9, 7, 9)

3 Male Xvarts (AC 7; MV 3”[6”]; HD 1-1; hp 2, 7, 1; #AT 1; D By weapon type; XP 12, 17, 11)

1 Male Gnoll (AC 5; MV 3”[9”]; HD 2; hp 11; #AT 1; D By weapon type +1 to damage due to strength; XP 42)

The humans are generally neutral to good aligned types who only desire to be free from the dungeon. Several were former prisoners of the Triskelions. The gnoll was a member of the Red Legs (see Ground Level Inner Ward) who was captured. As such he is not treated any better than the other slaves. None of the slaves are armed and they all have their ankles chained together, resulting in a 3” maximum movement. Movement rate in brackets is for normal rate. Experience values are included for completeness sake only. The Dungeon Master should not give experience awards for adventurers who kill defenseless slaves.

The Dungeon Master may also add the racing gnomes from Room 59 and/or Desierra Starlight from Room 71, if he or she chooses and they have not yet been encountered.

These slaves are periodically “checked out” by gnolls of one group or another in order to do menial jobs (cooking, sweeping, fighting for sport, etc.). If the Dungeon Master wishes they may place more of the slaves about the gnolls' lairs performing duties and generally being mocked and treated poorly.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 69 SLAVER'S CHAMBER.

69 SLAVER'S CHAMBER. This room is home to an ogre, who works for the Yellow Fang and Black Tooth gnolls to guard their slaves.

Heftywise (AC 5; MV 9”; HD 4+1; hp 25; #AT 1; D Bastard sword +2 to damage due to strength; XP 215)

Because he is so big, when he uses his bastard sword it always does damage as if he was using it two-handed, even though he only holds it in one hand. He keeps the key to Room 70 on a belt loop on his britches, along with about forty other keys that don't appear to fit any other key-hole in the dungeon. He has a tarnished hair pin which looks like it is made of bone and tin. It is actually made of ivory and silver and worth 750 gold crescents.

He is unusually stupid, even for an ogre. The gnolls pay him in food and copper pieces because he cannot distinguish between coins of different value. He also cannot count, so they rob him while he is asleep. They make sure not to skip his meals, however, otherwise he tends to eat the slaves.

Heftywise sleeps on a pile of blankets in the center of the room. He keeps his treasure in an old chamber pot. It currently holds 58 copper pieces.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 68 ENTRWAY TO CHAPEL OF THE WORM.

68 ENTRYWAY TO CHAPEL OF THE WORM. The archways are decorated with intertwined gray-painted designs resembling worms. The walls of this room are different from those of the remainder of the level. They are made of an irregular raised white substance, shaped into spiral designs.

Heavy wooden wardrobes are against the east and west walls. Each wardrobe rises all the way to the twelve foot tall ceiling and has three black and red wooden doors. The wardrobes hold heavy gray robes. There are fourteen to the east and eleven to the west. The stairs descend twenty five feet to Level 3, Room 62.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 67 STAIRS.

67 STAIRS. These stairs ascend twenty feet to Room 62 on Level 1.

UPPER DUNGEONS LEVEL TWO 66 CTHGUL'S ROOM.

66 CTHGUL'S ROOM. This is the home of Yndall's monstrous mother.

Cthgul, Yellow Fang Gnoll Female (AC 4; MV 6”; HD 4+1; hp 27; #AT 1; D Metal shod club equivalent to a morning star +2 to damage due to strength of 18; SD Rage; XP 265)

Cthgul is extremely ancient for a gnoll (50 years old) but a true horror. She is a bit slower than most gnolls due to her arthritis but she has lost little of her strength. She is hairless and her body covered by benign subcutaneous fatty tumors, adding to her fearsome looks. She wears a yellow gown but no veil.

Every time that Cthgul takes damage she becomes angrier. Each wound that she receives causes her to improve by a factor of 1 hit die in “to hit” rolls and saving throws. In other words, after two wounds, she attacks and makes saves as a 6+1 hit die monster. One round after she is reduced to 0 or fewer hit points she will rise again and make a final attack (as a 4+1 hit die monster) against the nearest person to her before expiring for good.

She wears silver earrings and matching bracelets worth a total of 100 gold crescents if sold as a set (or 15 gold crescents per piece individually). She also has a gold ring decorated with a bloodstone worth 310 gold crescents. 

Her room contains a low set wooden bed with a straw mattress and a small collection of daggers. Two of the daggers have ivory handles and these are worth 100 gold crescents each.