Megadungeon Monday: Halls of the Hidden Prince LVL 2; areas 9-15

Well its Monday here for two more minutes anyway.
Map is on the left.


 

9.  The Room of Skulls.

Illumination: None

Smell: None

This room is lined with shelves. Hundreds of skulls, from every manner of folk, crowd the shelves. Set in the face of the eastern wall, a plaque written in the script of the Minotaurs reads “Enemies of the House”

If the characters touch or otherwise disturb any of the skulls they will attract the attention of the malevolent spirits that haunt the room.

Spectral Horde

Ac 2 [17] HD 4; Attack: Telekinesis 1d6; Move 6;  Special Can attack 1d6 times a round; XP 300

A spectral horde is a conglomeration of petty ghosts who come together to combine their otherwise insignificant power. The horde cannot only be hit with magical/radiation based weapons. The horde cannot leave its source area (in this case it can not leave the Room of skulls.

10. The Orchard

Illumination: Very dim dull red glow emanating from the trees, limited visibility (see below).

Smell: Like Rotten Bacon. ST or gag for 1d4 rounds (-2 to all die rolls for duration).

This area is a natural cavern. The river runs through it, and the noise of water is loud but not overwhelming.  Bats flutter everywhere, their wings set aglow by the dull red light.

North of the river: Twelve meat trees depend from the vaulted, stalactite-covered ceiling. 

Each meat tree exists as a distended spindle of moist, pulsing ligature and flesh; clusters of faintly luminous, man-sized, scarlet, translucent, bulbous and blister-like sacs of glistening, squirming membrane are spaced unevenly along its length. Sacs that have been recently filled betray vague outlines of the bodies of animals and humanoids, writhing away their final agonizing moments as they are digested by the tree, and thus turned into food for the grublings The meat sacs provide both the room’s illumination and odor.

At any given time, 2-12 grublings will be feeding from the sacs, each thrusting its large, hairy proboscis into one of the writhing nodes and drawing forth a gory slurry of liquefied flesh and bone in a rapturous feeding trance. Feeding grublings will always be surprised if attacked and can also be stealthily avoided - see below.

If he has not appeared already, a 1-2 on a D6 indicates that two grublings are stuffing what looks to be the body of a dead Shae sorcerer into one of the sacks as the characters enter the room. This is Pheen Vox* who may or may not be alive at the referee’s discretion. His facial tattoos make him instantly recognizable.

The Bridge is thoroughly coated in sticky brown mucus, but it is open and uncluttered by meat trees.

The river running beneath the bridge has a depth of about 4 feet. The water has an oily sheen and stinks of garbage. Streams of mucus, fragments of insect chitin and offal pollute the stream. 

South of the river: Ten meat trees.1d8 grublings feedings. Three pairs of drones are stationed on this side of the river. Squad A stands before the door to room 13, and Squad b stands at the mouth of the passage leading down to room 11.   Squad C is stationed by the between the door to area 33 and the river’s point of entry in to the cavern. The squads are unable to see one another but will sound the alarm and come to one another’s aid during the second round of combat.

The Skeleton in the Lake: A giant skeleton (15’) lies supine in the lake, resting on its elbows, with its skull, thorax and right knee above the surface. A stylized star-like ruin is burned in to the middle of the forehead, and in the center of the ruin there is what appears to be a very large keyhole.

Grublings: AC 6[13]; HD 1+1; Attack Proboscis 1d6; Move 10; XP 15.

These creatures represent the larval stage of the roachmen. They are stupid and hungry.

Drone:  AC 4 [15]; HD 3; Attack Sword 1d6; Move 12; XP 40

Drones are roachmen at a more advanced, aware stage of their development. Drones will fight to defend the nest at all costs.

11. Lair of the Duchess:

Illumination: Bioluminescence 

Smell: Acrid, chemical

This large cavern is the lair of the Insectress’ chief lieutenant and queen of the roachmen, the Duchess: a bloated, egg-producing arthropod monstrosity. The cavern floor is covered with a crusty landscape of dried secretions, from which the acrid chemical smell noted above emanates. Half eaten carcasses of people and animals protrude from the crusted slimy nightmare-scape. The Duchess lolls atop a raised dais at the west end of the room, the disarticulated remains of her most recent lovers scattered carelessly about her.  

The Duchess: AC 2 [17]; HD 6; Attack: Tentacles, Fangs 1d6; Move 18; Special:  See below    XP 500 l

This huge beetle-like arthropod is covered with a bulbous and ruin marked carapace. A glowing orange-red tentacle sprouts from the top of the Duchess’ head. During combat the Duchess may attack with both its fangs and one tentacle each round. Any character hit by a tentacle attack must roll a d6 and add in either their strength or dexterity bonus. If the roll with bonuses equals a 6 or more the character manages to avoid being immobilized and takes no damage, but they are still caught within the grasp of the tentacle. If the character remains conscious through the next round they make attack or make another roll to try to get free (1d6 + Strength or Dexterity bonus. A roll of 6 or greater results in the character escaping from the Duchess’ grasp.  Once a day the tentacle can cause petrifaction (negated by a successful ST).

Treasure: Two large amphorae are leaned against the far western wall of the cavern (on the far side of the river from the entrance). These can only be seen easily from the west side of the river, they remain invisible from the other side unless a superior light source is in use.

Amphora 1 contents: 1500 sp; 1 neutron knife ( Standard rules:1d12 damage, functions as a magical weapon; Metal Earth House Rules: wounds on a successful hit, unless target makes a successful ST, in which case 1d6 damage).

Amphora 2 contents: 2500 GP and assorted gems equaling roughly 4000 GP in value.

12: The Robot Shrine

Illumination: Faint and flickering orange light from a dying wall-mounted glowstrip.

Smell: Rust and oil.

Shelves laden with all manner of mechanical hardware line the walls of this room. There is a break between the shelf rows along the southern wall of the room; here, hidden behind a veil of burlap, sits the rusted out body of an old mining robot upon a throne made from twisted metal wreckage. Candles have been placed around the figure, and ruins drawn on the floor at its feet. An altar made of discarded machine parts stands before the throne, at the center of the ruin marked space.

13. Roachmen Ready Room

Illumination: None

Smell: Shit

This room is meant to serve as a buffer between the egg chamber and the dungeon beyond the area controlled by the Duchess. 4 Drones wait here they are asleep and hanging upside down. The floor is a trash heap of bones and insect casings.

Drone:  AC 4 [15]; HD 3; Attack Sword 1d6; Move 12; XP 40

14. Holding Pen

Illumination: None.

Smell: Shit and Blood.

This heavy iron-bound door is locked with two chains. 8 slaves wait within. Two shae; a sasquatch; three minotaur and two lizardmen. They will all make promises of how much they can pay if they are helped out. 1d4 of them are beyond help and cannot be moved, although given constant care and successful STs they might recover in 1d6 weeks. All of the prisoners  are adventurers and the group may make a good pool from which to draw henchmen and/or new PCs.

15. Nursery:

Illumination: Green glow emanating from egg bioluminescence

Smell: Ammonia

Any signs of this room's original purpose have long since been obliterated. Each about the size of  a grown man’s head, hundreds of green glowing, gently pulsating translucent eggs cover every available surface of the room. The eggs are grouped together in clusters. Three Matrons move amongst the eggs, tending to them and will respond to any threat with immediate and violent action.

Matron: AC 4 [15]; HD 4; Attack Claws; Move 12; XP 120 




*Pheen Vox is an 3rd level Shae Sorcerer who entered the Halls of the Hidden Prince in search of treasure. His family has offered to pay 10k GP for his safe return 0r 5k for his corpse. I will flesh out this hook when I revise the dungeon.