Don't Touch That

“The fear of "death", its risk each time, is one of the most stimulating parts of the game. It therefore behooves the campaign referee to include as many mystifying and dangerous areas as is consistent with a reasonable chance for survival (remembering that the monster population already threatens this survival). For example, there is no question that a player's character could easily be killed by falling into a pit thirty feet deep or into a shallow pit filled with poisoned spikes, and this is quite undesirable in most instances.”
-Dungeons & Dragons Vol. 3 p. 6

I’ve never been a big fan of traps of the “save or die” variety. They have their place but shouldn’t be encountered regularly or randomly. At the same time, I do believe that a dungeon without traps is like a house without books: it’s missing its soul.

To work out a middle-ground, I put together a list of random traps to use in the course of stocking Ol’ Nameless. None of the traps on the list are straight-out killers, but depending on the luck of the dice, the preventive measures of the party and the poor sucker standing in the cross-hairs when it goes off, some of these could conceivably shuffle an unfortunate character off to 10’ Pole Hill. I’ve been using the list to give me a sort of “plausible deniability” in the case one takes out one of the party. After all, there was just as good a chance that a lesser trap might have been in its place. Blame the dice, man.

Random Trap Tables: Levels 1-3

Level 1

1. Gas Trap – Roll on Poison sub-table


2. Volley of Darts – 1d4 darts, 25% chance of poison [attack as 1st level Fighter, 1d3 points of damage]


3. Ekim’s Minor Warding Web: Sleep


4. Gas Trap – Roll on Poison sub-table


5. Ekim’s Minor Warding Web: Shocking Grasp [1d8+6]


6. Spring-loaded Blade – 1d8 points of damage


7. Leomund’s Trap


8. Poison Needle – Roll on Poison sub-table


9. Glyph of Warding: Righteous Shout – Deafened for 2d6 rounds & 1d6 points of damage. Successful save halves duration of deafness and no damage taken


10. Contact poison on container or treasure – Roll on Poison sub-table


11. Glyph of Warding: Holy Light – Save or blinded for 2d6 rounds


12. Quarrel Trap – Single crossbow quarrel, 25% chance of poison [attacks as 1st level Fighter, 1d4+1 damage]

Level 2

1. Roll on Level 1 Table


2. Pit Trap – 10’ deep, 25% chance of spikes


3. Falling Bricks – 2d6 points of damage to a 10’ square area. Save for ½ damage


4. Fire Trap - 1d4+8 points of damage. Save for ½ damage


5. Ekim’s Minor Warding Web: Magic missile [three missiles 1d4+1 damage]


6. “The Contraptionist’s Hedgehog” (volley of needles) – 2d4 points of damage to 10’ square area. Save for ½ damage. 50% chance of poison


7. Glyph of Warding: Quail before the Divine – Paralyzed for 12 rounds. Save for ½ duration


8. Poison Needle – Roll on Poison Sub-table


9. Spear Trap – 1-3 spears doing (# of spears) 1d6 points of damage. Save to avoid


10. Gas Trap – Roll on Poison sub-table


11. Scything Blade – 2d4 points of damage, 25% chance of poison. Save for no damage
    
12. Roll on Level 3 Table

Level 3

1. Roll on Level 2 Table


2. Contact Poison on treasure or container – Roll on sub-table


3. “Old 33” (rolling rock) – 3d4 points of damage, save to avoid


4. Glyph of Warding: Astra’s Touch – 12 points of electrical damage. Save for 1/2 damage


5. Door of Doom – Door rigged to fall inward/outward. 1d10 points of damage. Save to avoid


6. Portcullis Trap – Concealed portcullis drops. 3d6 points of damage, save to avoid. Party possible separated


7. Explosive Runes – 6d4+6 points of damage to reader. All within 10’ radius save for ½ damage


8. Ekim’s Minor Warding Web: Mel’s Acid Arrow- Hits as 6th level Fighter. 2d4 damage per round for three rounds. Splash damage and item saving throws apply


9. Poison Arrow – 1d6 points of damage + roll on Poison sub-table. Hits as 3rd level fighter


10. Spring-loaded Blades (2) – 2d8 points of damage + 50% chance of poison


11. Pit trap – 20’ deep, 50% chance of spikes


12. Volley of Darts – 1d4+1 darts, 50% chance of poison [Hits as a 3rd level Fighter. 1-3 points of damage each]

Poison Sub-table

Die Roll	Gas (1d4)	Contact (1d4)	Insinuative (1d6)
1	Tell-tale	Generic Debilitative	Dormorum’s Tears
2	Generic Debilitative	Numb Limb	Nox Slap
3	Trog Musk	Fool’s Gold, Lesser	Serpentspit
4	Andula	Screecher	Generic Type AA
5	--	--	Distillate of Sculuxpendi giganti
6	--	--	Buhlu
7	--	--	Generic Type B
8	--	--	Kumdev

Back to the Cupboard

Since the response was positive to the insinuative-type poisons, I’ve decided to post the second half of my big list of poisons. Below you will find toxins of a gaseous and contact nature. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly after reading.

Gaseous and Contact Poisons

Unlike the more common forms of insinuative and ingestive poisons, toxins dispensed in a gaseous or contact form are of only two intensities: debilitative and deadly. This is due to the increased chance of accidental exposure to both of these forms of poison. By creating a minor toxin that is easily survivable, yet still powerful enough to be used as a deterrent, the chance of inadvertently killing an overcurious visitor is avoided. In the case where the poison-user is determined or paranoid enough to protect his treasures at all costs, the unintended loss of life is not a concern. Such is the cost of security.

As with insinuative poisons, the format here is the poison’s name followed by brackets. The information within the brackets is laid out with damage being represented by two values separated by a slash. Values preceding the slash is the damage taken if a save against poison is failed. The value after the slash is damage taken if the save is successful. After damage, an onset time is listed. This is the amount of time that passes before the victim begins to feel the effects of the poison. This type of information comes in handy when determining how long the party’s cleric has to drop a neutralize or slow poison spell on the victim. In the case of gaseous poisons, a third entry lists the duration of a poisonous cloud when dispensed in its 20’ x 20’ x 20’ form. Spells such as gust of wind and the like will reduce this duration as the DM desires. Poisonous gas dispensed in a 5’ x 5’ x 5’ cloud rarely last longer than a few moments.

Gaseous Poisons

Gas-based poisons are quick-acting toxins that are either dispensed in small puffs of vapor intended to affect only one or two individuals; usually those attempting to gain access to a locked container, or in large clouds designed to affect as many people as possible, such as when employed as a room trap. For simplicity sake, assume that a trapped container produces a 5’ x 5’ x 5’ cloud directly in front of the trap and that a room-based gas trap produces a 20’ x 20’ x 20’ cloud. Anyone caught within the cloud initially must make a save against poison to avoid the effects of the gas. If a person willfully enters an area occupied by a poison gas cloud, he or she may be granted a +4 to their saving throw based on the assumption that they’re aware of the gas’ presence and are taking appropriate measures to protect themselves (i.e. holding their breath, covering their mouth, etc.).

Debilitative Gases – These toxins are most commonly used by those who wish to protect themselves and their possessions without causing the loss of life. These poisons are designed to incapacitate or assist in the apprehension of intruders. Because of their non-lethal nature, most of these poisons may be used by characters of Good alignment, excepting paladins.

Generic Debilitative [Damage: Unable to perform any actions for 2-5 rounds/no effect. Onset time: Immediate. Duration of cloud: 10 rounds] – This blue gas smells of sulfur and fecal matter. While of mundane origin, the gas works as if it were a stinking cloud spell. Anyone caught in the initial cloud is only affected for 2-5 rounds, even if the cloud has yet to disperse at that time. It is assumed that the gas has become diluted enough that the victim’s body has acclimated to the toxin. An individual entering the cloud for the first time after it has been triggered, but before the cloud’s ten-minute duration has expired, must save as usual – with a possible bonus (see above).

Lungburn [Damage: -1 penalty to AC and -2 to hit per round exposed to the gas/no effect. Onset time: Immediate. Duration of cloud: 20 rounds] – This grey gas smells of ammonia and attacks the victim’s lungs, causing hacking, coughing and vomiting. For each round the victim is caught within the cloud, he or she suffers a cumulative penalty to Armor Class and attack rolls. The effects of the gas last for a full turn after the victim escapes the cloud.

Tell-tale [Damage: Blinded for 2-5 rounds & stealth penalties/no effect. Onset time: Immediate. Duration of cloud: 10 rounds] - Not so much a cloud as an explosion of reflective particles, this gas appears as a shower of tiny glittering flakes – gold, silver and mica being the most common. The glittering particles cause blindness to anyone who fails their saving throw while engulfed in the cloud. Additionally, these flakes are highly adhesive and will cling to clothing, armor, hair and skin. Any invisible creature caught within the cloud will instantly become visible as they are coated with glittering color. The flakes are very difficult to remove once they’ve attached themselves. Simple soap and water will not suffice. The adhesive that holds the flakes in place is alcohol-soluble and washing oneself in strong spirits is enough to remove the glittering particles for good. During the time the flakes are attached to the individual, he or she can only surprise opponents that use sight as a primary detection sense on a roll of a 1 and thieves incur a -40% penalty to any attempts at Hiding in Shadows while sparkly.

Trog Musk [Damage: Lose 1 Strength point per round/no effect. Onset time: Immediate. Duration of cloud: 10 rounds] – This sour, brown gas is derived from the musk produced by troglodytes and acts as if the victim had been exposed to those nauseous creatures. The victim loses 1 point of Strength per round for 1-6 rounds, cumulative. This penalty remains in effect for ten rounds after the final point of Strength has been lost.

Andula [Damage: 1d6 h.p. per round/no effect. Onset time: Immediate. Duration of cloud: 30 rounds] – This red cloud smells acidic and affects the blood of the victim. Each round the victim is within the cloud, he must save against poison or lose 1d6 hit points as he begins to bleed out of his bodily orifices. Andula is the sole debilitative poisonous gas that inflicts actual damage. Its origins lay back in the final days of Xoryphaal, so adventurers exploring the ruins dating from those shadowy years are advised to beware.

Deadly Gases – These poisons are meant to kill anyone careless enough to trigger them. These toxins are used by those who are either determined enough or cavalier enough to risk the accidental death of others in order to protect their goods and holdings. These poisons are fast-acting and rarely anything less than fatal to anyone unlucky enough to catch the full brunt of them.

Generic Deadly [Damage: Death/0 hp. Onset time: 1-6 rounds with unconsciousness immediately following exposure. Duration of cloud: 10 rounds] – This green gas smells of bleach and is the most common of deadly gases. Anyone exposed to this gas immediately loses consciousness and will die within 1-6 rounds.

Gorgon’s Breath [Damage: Turn to Stone/0 hp. Onset time: 1-2 rounds. Duration of cloud: 1d4 rounds] – Whether or not this poison is the same as that produced by the legendary iron bull is up to debate. What is not disputed is the effects of the gas. Like the breath weapon of the gorgon, anyone who fails a save against poison when exposed to this white, rust-smelling vapor is almost immediately petrified. At that point, a neutralize poison spell is no longer effected to ward off the poison. Only a stone to flesh spell will suffice.

Nan-vyl-nah [Damage: 1d4 hp of damage per spell level memorized/1 hp of damage per spell level memorized. Onset time: 1-4 rounds. Duration of cloud: 5 rounds] – This purple cloud smells of a spring forest and is initially quite pleasing to the nose. That pleasure ends 1-4 rounds later if the victim is a spell-caster. This magically-created toxin reacts with the stored spell energy of any memorized incantations or prayers possessed by a spell-caster, causing an internal eruption of mystical energy that incinerates the victim from within. For every individual level of spells currently memorized, the caster takes 1d4 points of damage. Thus a 5th level magic-user with a full allotment of four 1st level spells, two 2nd level spells and a single 3rd level spell would suffer 11d4 points of damage on a failed saving throw. Should the spell-caster survive this internal inferno of spell energy, he will find that he has lost any and all memorized spells in the conflagration. On a successful save, the caster still suffers damage, but it is limited to a single point of damage per level of memorized spells and he retains them in his memory. The mage in the above example would take 11 points of damage and still have access to his full collection of spells had he made his save. This nasty toxin affects only spell-casters and a DM may rule that clerics, druids and paladins are immune to the effects at his discretion. This gas is believed to be a creation of the Unseelie Court of the Kind Ones; created in jealousy of Man’s mastery of magic.

Yellow Mold Spores [Damage: Death/no effect. Onset time: Immediate. Duration of cloud: 1 minute] – This cloud is nothing more than the spores of the ubiquitous dungeon-dwelling yellow mold preserved by artificial methods. When triggered, the gas acts just as if the victim had been exposed to yellow mold: save against poison or die. In the case of death, both a cure disease and a resurrection spell are required within 24 hours to resuscitate the character.

Contact Poisons

These potent poisons work through mere skin contact and, like gas poisons, run a high risk of accidental exposure. Because of this risk, contact poisons are manufactured with either an eye towards dissuading the curious from handling things that don’t rightfully belong to them, or mercilessly slaying any who’d even entertain the idea of robbing the rightful owner. In most cases, contact poison can be avoided simply by wearing gloves when handling an object smeared with the substance. A few of the more dangerous contact poisons, nevertheless, eat through any material protecting the skin and exposing the wearer to the poison’s full effects.

Debilitative Contact Poisons – Like their airborne cousins, debilitative contact poisons are designed to dissuade or incapacitate those who are exposed to them. Many a less-than patient or trusting noble or mage has utilized debilitative contact poisons to keep the help and their students from touching valuable heirlooms and potent magical items. Most contact poisons are a clear liquid, oil or gel, making them blend in with the item that they coat but not rendering them completely invisible. Due to the slightly reflective nature of these poisons, anyone taking the time to examine an item coated with a debilitative contact poison has a 50% chance to notice that something seems odd about the item. Common signs that an item bears a contact poison are slight discoloration, a seemingly wet sheen to the item, a faint out-of-place odor, or a mottled pattern of dust clinging to the item’s surface.

Generic Debilitative [Damage: Paralysis for 2-8 turns/no effect. Onset time: 1-2 rounds] – This poison bears a faint aroma of apples to it, so those with a keen sense of smell may be alerted to its presence.

Fool’s Gold, Lesser [Damage: Sleep for 7-12 turns/no effect. Onset time: 1 round] – Commonly used to either protect objects crafted from gold or to turn worthless objects into a tempting prize, fool’s gold is a gleaming, golden paint-like poison that fully coats the object. When used on an item made of gold, the chance to detect its presence is a mere 20% due to its close similarity to actual gold. If placed upon an object made of other than gold, the standard chance to detect its presence apply.

Numb Limb [Damage: Incapacitates victim’s limb(s)/no effect. Onset time: 1-6 rounds] - This odorless poison acts as a powerful anesthetic, rendering the limb or limbs that touch it unusable for 2-24 hours. In the case of the victim’s arm being rendered numb, he accrues a -4 penalty to all attacks made with his off-hand, may not use two-handed weapons (including bows) and may not use a shield. Spell-casters attempting to use spells that require a somatic component are either unable to do so or suffer a 50% chance of spell failure – DM’s prerogative. If the limb affected is a leg, the victim’s movement rate is reduced by half. If the victim somehow manages to affect his head with this substance, he’s struck unconscious for the duration of the toxin.

Screecher [Damage: Uncontrollable screaming/no effect. Onset time: Immediate] – This musty-smelling poison causes the victim to go into an uncontrollable screaming fit that lasts for 1-4 rounds. The victim is unable to stop himself and the violent convulsions that accompany this fit make it impossible for him to stifle his screams on his own. These screams will alert any nearby creatures to the victim’s presence. In dungeon situations, the screams act like the effects of a shrieker; increasing the chance of a wandering monster encounter to 50% for each round the screaming occurs.

Struck-dumb [Damage: Mute/no effect. Onset time: 2-4 rounds] – Devised to inhibit spell-casting, anyone who touches struck-dumb and fails their saving throw will find that they are unable to utter a single word. This makes the casting of any spell with a V component impossible, as well as creating communication issues within the party. This lemony-scented poison remains in effect until a neutralize poison is cast upon the victim.

Deadly Contact Poisons – These vicious poisons are the product of both alchemy and magic, creating a nasty brew. Because of their partly mystical origins, a detect magic spell will reveal a faint magical aura surrounding any object that has been coated with these poisons. This could lead to some interesting false conclusions on the part of the adventurers. Like debilitative contact poisons, deadly poisons might be noticeable by someone taking the time to inspect a treated item before handling. However, in the case of deadly contact poisons, the chance to notice something amiss is only 25%.

Generic Deadly [Damage: Death/6-48 hp. Onset time: 1-2 rounds] – This poison is crafted from the natural venom of sea-dwelling spiny fish and amplified through sorcery. A faint odor of fish and salt-water accompanies the poison. A successful check to notice the poison will reveal that the object has a slightly-incandescent rainbow hue.

Devil’s Hand [Damage: (Constitution)d10 hp/ ½ damage. Onset time: 1-2 round] – This toxin ignites when it comes into contact with exposed flesh. Once burning, this cinnamon-scented poison begins feeding on the victim’s health, turning his body into a living wick. The victim suffers damage equal to his Constitution score in 10-sided dice. The healthier the victim is, the more fuel is available to feed the flames. The fire is considered magical for determining the value of various fire protections and cannot be extinguished through normal methods. However, a feign death spell will suppress the victim’s health to a point that the flames cannot gain purchase. Should the victim survive the flames, he will be horribly scarred from the encounter, resulting in a loss of 1d6 points of Charisma.

Fool’s Gold, Greater [As generic deadly contact] – Like its less-deadly sibling, greater fool’s gold is used to protect items made from gold or a bait for thieves. When applied to gold items the chance to detect its presence is a mere 10%. Otherwise, standard detection chances apply.

Nefrusobek’s Curse [Damage: As mummy rot/0 hp. Onset time: 1d4 days] – Perfected by the necromancer Nefrusobek, this toxin replicates the effects of a mummy’s touch. Anyone failing their save against poison will die in 1-6 months and for each month the rot progresses, the victim loses 2 points of Charisma. In addition, the rot negates all cure wounds spells and slows natural healing to 10% its normal rate. Like the normal version, this condition requires a cure disease spell to remove. The poison has the slight odor of dust and spices surrounding it.

Sloughflesh [Damage: 3-24 hp per round/ ½ damage. Onset time: 1 or more rounds] – This poison smells a bit like rotted meat and for good reason. Exposed flesh coming in contact with this toxin begins to putrefy and drop off the bones of the victim, inflicting 3d8 points of damage each round it is in effect. This poison is so acidic that it will instantly eat through cloth or leather gloves. It will dissolve metal protection in 1 round plus one round for each +1 magical enchantment the metal might possess. A neutralize poison spell will stop the damage, but until a heal spell is cast on the victim, he cannot regain any lost hit points. Should the victim die from the effects of this poison, all that remains of them is a faint jelly-like smear on the ground. Nothing short of a wish spell can raise them back to life.

A Spell and a Bag

It can easily be argued that there is no need to create any new spells, monsters or magic items for use in a D&D campaign. Between the various sourcebooks, modules, supplements and Dragon magazine articles, one could play a lifetime and never use the same thing twice.

That being said, there’s still a great deal of joy waiting for the DM who sits down to create something new to perplex, challenge or reward their players. There’s nothing like the shocked look on your most jaded dungeon delver’s face when he discovers that the magic item he was sure were gauntlets of ogre power turn out to be something completely different. Why else are there so many magic items in the DMG that resemble one thing but turn out to be a cursed version of the same?

For me, creating new things for the game also allows me to justify the things I spring on my players. While I can say that "the statue turns you all into 3’ tall green dancing crayfish" and wave it off as "DM Magic," it’s much more satisfying to have the spell written out that does such a thing. Like the old days of The Dragon, if it appears in print, it must be street legal.

It also inspires the players to seek out copies of these spells or to research their own versions. An interesting and yet never-before-seen magical item in the hands of an enemy can inspire more desire to thwart and defeat that enemy than a castle full of kidnapped princesses ever could.

Pursuing that vein of thought, I present to you a new spell and a new magical item. One is most definitely for use by the DM, although many a magic-user who has grown tired of the party’s thief might desire to get a copy for their spellbook. The other is a minor magical item; one interesting enough that it might cause some head-scratching before the players puzzle it out, but not so overwhelming to be kept out of the hands of low-level adventurers.

Whether or not these items might be found within the depth of the Dungeon Not Yet Named™ is something I’ll leave up to the adventurers to discover…

Ekim’s Minor Ingenious Warding Web (Alteration)

Level : 3 (Magic-user)
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent until discharged
Area of Effect : Object touched
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 3 rounds
Saving Throw: None

Ekim was a magic-user of minor repute who had grown weary of paying expensive trap-crafters to protect his valuables. Never being one to employ fire spells, Ekim sought an alternative to the common fire trap spell. After much experimentation and research, he created a spell that would allow him to delay the effects of certain low level spells by placing them within a cocoon of magic energy. Only when that cocoon was disturbed would the spell placed within it be triggered.

In order to use Ekim’s minor ingenious warding web effectively, the spell must first be cast upon an object. Immediately thereafter, the magic-user must cast one of the following first- or second-level spells: burning hands, magic missile, shocking grasp, sleep, ray of enfeeblement or stinking cloud. That spell then lies dormant within the ingenious warding web. Once the warding web is disturbed – usually by touching, opening or moving the object on which it is cast – the spell within the web is immediately discharged upon the person disturbing the object. In the case of spells with an area of effect, the spell’s center is the object in question. Other similar first- and second-level spells may be substituted at the DM’s discretion.

The person disturbing the object is affected as if the magic-user had cast the dormant spell directly upon him, including damage, duration and saving throws. Bystanders caught within the effects of an area of effect or cone also suffer the effects of the spell as normal.

The warding web may only protect objects that are directly interacted with. An open archway could not be protected by this spell as the archway itself is not directly disturbed by someone passing through it. Also, because the warding web requires some of the magic-user’s personal spell energy to maintain itself, a magic-user may only have one warding web in place for each three levels of experience he or she possesses, rounded down. Thus a 5th level magic user could only have one warding web active at any time while an 18th level magic-user could have up to six. Because the warding web employs the magic-user’s personal energy, he or she will be aware when one of the webs is triggered if on the same plane of existence at that time. In the case of multiple active warding webs he will not know which warding web was triggered, only that one of them has been.

The material components for this spell is 250 g.p. worth of powered gems, as well as any material components required for the cocooned spell.

Based on the name of the spell, it is possible that Ekim perfected a more potent version of this spell; one that allows higher-level spells to be cocooned within a greater ingenious warding web.

Ekim’s Bag of Bones

Experience Point Value: 1,250
Gold Piece Value: 7,500

This magical item appears to be a large draw-string canvas sack. When found, the bag contains the skeletal remains of one medium sized humanoid creature. If the bones are removed piece by piece, nothing amazing occurs. The bones simply seem to be the clean and complete skeleton of some creature. If the contents of the bag are dumped out all at once, the bones neatly assemble themselves into a skeleton (AC-7 HD-1 #Attacks-1 Damage-1d6). The skeleton will obey the commands of the person who emptied the bag as if he or she had animated it. The skeleton can be commanded back into the bag at any time and recreated at a later date. The skeleton does not repair itself or regain any lost hit points while within the confines of the sack and may be destroyed as normal, either in combat or by a cleric’s turning power. The destruction of the skeleton does not affect the magic of the bag. In fact, should the original skeleton be destroyed, the owner of the bag may replace it by refilling the bag with the complete clean skeleton of another creature. Attempts to replace the skeleton with an incomplete one, or with an only partially decomposed corpse will either fail or result in some other event of the DM's choosing. The bag can only hold one creature at any given time and the skeleton must be that of a M-sized creature or smaller for the magic to affect it.

The Alchemist's Locked Cupboard

DM: “Black Dougal gasps ‘Poison!’ and falls to the floor. He looks dead”

With the construction of the Dungeon Not Yet Named™ moving along, I’ve had to do a lot of thinking about the various traps waiting within. Thoughts of traps naturally lead to thoughts of poisoned needles, envenomed darts, hidden gas traps and the like. Poison-based traps are one of the oldest tropes of the dungeon crawl and any dungeon that didn’t include them would be missing a vital part of what makes D&D the game it is.

In the wild and woolly days of OD&D, poison was pretty straightforward: you saved or died. The effects of lesser poisons, such as the venom of a giant centipede, were pretty vague. The description of the poison of a giant centipede states that it is rarely lethal and a bonus of +4 is applied to the roll. Now does that mean it’s rarely lethal because it has such a large bonus to the saving throw or that even if the save is failed it doesn’t kill the victim? Like in many cases, the answer is ultimately up to the DM.

While I don’t mind setting potentially lethal traps for the players – that’s all part of the old-school tradition, which is what I’m going for – it’s nice to have something other than a “save or die” option when poison is encountered. With this in mind, I went to the DMG to see what I could mine from there, as well as going through the Dragon Magazine Archive to see what people have done before me. From the information found in the DMG on p. 20 and the articles “Poisons from AA to XX” in The Dragon #32 and “The Poisons of Cerilon” in Dragon #59, I sat down and created a plethora of poisons. Ranging from the more common and weaker toxins to the deadliest exotics, I now have a full range of potentially deadly substances to coat the blades of my traps.

The list that follows is of the insinuative type of poison, meaning they work by being introduced to the victim’s bloodstream by way of an incision in the skin. I have a similar list of contact and gas-based poisons, but since this list is long enough – and Blogger seems to be incapable of managing a simple table-based format without a Herculean effort on my part – I’ll leave those to another post if people express any interest in seeing them.

The format used in the entries below is the poison’s name followed by brackets. The information within the brackets is laid out with damage being represented by two values separated by a slash. Values preceding the slash is the damage taken if a save against poison is failed. The value after the slash is damage taken if the save is successful. After damage, an onset time is listed. This is the amount of time that passes before the victim begins to feel the effects of the poison. This type of information comes in handy when determining how long the party’s cleric has to drop a neutralize or slow poison spell on the victim. After the onset times are any special notes regarding the toxin. A description of the poison follows the bracketed information and contains details on appearance, ingredients and general flavor text appropriate to my game setting. Hopefully others might get some use out of this stuff. Enjoy!

Insinuative Poisons: Types AA – Types XX including Debilitative Poisons

Type AA Poison: Type AA poisons are the weakest of the various poisons available. Commonly used in the eradication of vermin and pests, type AA inflicts little damage and has a high bonus to saving throws against poison. Type AA poisons do 1 h.p. of damage/round until the total damage inflicted by the poison is reached.

Generic Type AA [Damage: 5 hp/0 hp. Onset time: 2-20 rounds. +5 to save against poison] – A typical minor poison, commonly available from even a novice alchemist.

Nuluim [Damage: 1d3 hp/0 hp. Onset time: 6-15 rounds. -1 to save against poison] – Nuluim is a common form of hunting poison employed by primitive tribes of humans and humanoids. This purple gel substance is created from mildly toxic vegetation.

Rat Death [Damage: 1d4 hp/0 h.p. Onset time: 1-10 rounds] – This brown oil is commonly used by granaries and sailors to help control the rat population. It can be purchased from traders who serve those professions, as well as from members of the rat-catchers guild, usually at a slightly higher mark-up.

Vermin Pox [Damage: 1d6/0 h.p. Onset time: 2-12 rounds. +2 to save against poison] – Appearing as a grayish-green liquid, vermin pox is used against larger pests, such as weasels, foxes and the like. Vermin pox may be purchased from trading posts serving agricultural communities. Kobolds, goblins and other small humanoid species have been known to steal traps coated with this substance and use it in traps of their own design.

Type A Poisons: A slightly more potent version of commonly used toxins, type A poisons are often used by novice assassins, thieves, pit-fighters and barroom brawlers of evil bent. Type A poisons do 5 hp of damage/round until the total damage inflicted by the poison is achieved.

Generic Type A [Damage: 15 hp/0 hp. Onset time: 2-5 rounds. +4 to save against poison] – A common form of the poison, often found in use by low-level assassins and on simple lock traps.

Buhlu [Damage: 1d8+2 hp/1d4 hp. Onset time: 2-5 rounds] – This clear fluid is created and used by the desert tribes of Pharoosh. It is created from the venom of desert asps collected by the boys of the tribes as part of their rites of manhood. Contests for control of the tribes are settled with duels conducted with buhlu-coated knives.

Cave Scum [Damage: 1d6 hp/0 hp. Onset time: 1 round] – Created from poisonous lichens, mosses and fungi found growing underground, cave scum is the common name for this white paste used by intelligent subterranean humanoids on their weapons and traps.

Serpentspit [Damage: 2d8+1 hp/ 0 hp. Onset time: 1-4 rounds] – Named for its green color, this syrupy poison is actually created from the sap of certain vines found growing in temperate climates. It leaves a green stain when used to coat iron; a fact that anyone who has survived an attack by the barbaric Tribe of the Catamount can confirm.

Type B Poisons: The weakest of the “trap poisons,” type B poisons have been responsible for the deaths of more beginning adventurers, tomb robbers and antiquarians than could possibly be counted. While being of a lesser toxicity than some poisons, type B poisons are notorious for maintaining their potency longer than any other alchemist-made venom. Type B poisons do 10 hp of damage/round until the total damage inflicted by the poison is reached.

Generic Type B [Damage: 25 hp/0 hp. Onset time: 1-3 rounds. +3 to save against poison] – Any one of the ubiquitous poisons found coating needle, blade, dart or spear traps on upper-level dungeons through the multiverse.

Bloodfire [Damage: 3d10 hp/1d10 hp. Onset time: 2-3 rounds] – Named for the burning pain that accompanies this toxin’s journey through the victim’s bloodstream; bloodfire appears as a scarlet gel. It is very difficult to remove once applied to metal, imposing a -10% penalty to a thief’s Remove Traps roll.

Chen-chen [Damage: 5d6 hp/0 hp. Onset time: 1-6 rounds. -1 to save against poison] – Hailing from Xiang-Zhum, located far to the east across the Frothing Sea, chen-chen is a sticky orange ooze created by the monks who dwell in mountaintop monasteries of that land. While chen-chen is highly poisonous to most, it is rumored that the monks who create it employ it as a narcotic, so travelers to the lands of Xian-Zhum are warned not to partake of an offered pipe while seeking refuge amongst those mountain monasteries.

Kumdev [Damage: 3d8+3 hp/ ½ damage. Onset time: 2 rounds] – This brown paste was created by Duke Stazhluv IV’s Minister of Poisons and first used within the treasury houses of the Krim Duchies. Since that time, kumdev has become popular amongst alchemists serving the trap-makers of many lands, prompting the adventurer’s adage: “Touch the brown and you’re six feet down.”

Lockslick [Damage: 4d6 hp/ ½ damage. Onset time: 2-5 rounds. -2 to save against poison] – This silver oil is not only toxic, but the slippery nature of the oil imposes a -15% penalty to all attempts to Open Locks as it tends to seep into the inner mechanical workings of the lock, making it difficult for a thief’s picks to find purchase.

Type C Poisons: These are the middle tier of toxic substances, being lethal enough to kill most victims their used against, yet still remaining affordable enough to be within the reach of well-to-do merchants and minor nobility. Type C poisons do 15 points of damage/round until the total damage caused by the poison is achieved.

Generic Type C [Damage: 35 hp/0 hp. Onset time: 1 round. +2 to save against poison] – Upset a wealthy merchant with a vindictive streak and this is the poison most likely to be found on the blade of his hired assassin.

Drake Snot [Damage: 6d8 hp/ ½ damage. Onset time: 1-6 rounds] – Appearing as a sticky green syrup, drake snot is made from the drake wing plant, which grows in abundance in the Great Grey Marsh. Due to the marsh’s close distance to Xultvar, the City Resilient, drake snot is commonly found in the Night Market of that city and the lesser Witches’ Markets of many larger cities throughout the Eastern Reaches.

Quarra [Damage: 5d10 hp/ ½ damage. Onset time: 4-7 rounds. -1 to save against poison] – Quarra is a rust-colored oil usually used by mid-level assassins. Created from the venom of a harmless looking fish found in the Ring Sea, quarra has a faint fishy odor to it. By the time the victim smells it, however, it is usually much too late.

Throat Tight [Damage: 8d6 hp/6d4 hp. Onset time: 1-10 rounds] – This chunky black paste affects the victim’s respiratory system, causing their lungs to fail and their esophagus to swell, thereby asphyxiating the victim. It has the added bonus of effectively silencing the victim as he dies, making it very popular amongst assassins and murders looking to kill their victim without alerting any nearby guards.

Yellow Lotus [Damage: 2d20+5 hp/0 hp. Onset time 1-4 rounds. -2 to save] – This yellow sap-like poison is made from the pollen of fabled yellow lotus flower, which is found in both Xiang-Zhum and Zarabe Zyria. Like chen-chen, it is rumored to possess narcotic properties to those peoples, but it a violent poison to others.

Type D Poisons: Outside of the truly exotic poisons, Type D venoms are the deadliest toxins available from alchemists. Those alchemists with the skill to create these poisons usually do so with an agreement with the local assassins’ guild. Alchemists who create and sell such substances without the permission of the guild have been known to vanish abruptly and permanently. Type D poisons do 20 points of damage/round until the total damage caused by the poison is reached.

Generic Type D [Damage: Death/0 hp. Onset time: immediate. +1 to save against poison] – Used by high-level assassins and on the deadliest of traps, this poison is usually only outclassed by the truly exotic toxins and the naturally produced venom of beasts.

Assassin’s Boon [Damage: 4d20+20 hp/ ½ damage. Onset time: 2-3 rounds] – This poison is extremely deadly, not only for its high mortality rate, but for the fact that it is a clear gel. Once applied to a blade it is nearly impossible to spot and its viscous nature keeps it from being easily rubbed off, even when sheathed.

Grey Zoba [Damage: 11d8 hp/0 hp. Onset time: 1-10 rounds. -4 to save against poison] – This grey fluid was created by the first Grandfather of Assassins. Since that time, the method of it creation and its ingredients remain a closely guarded secret of the Assassins’ Guild. Only the most trusted of alchemists are allowed access to this dire recipe and only then if the Guild holds some form of added leverage over the alchemist to ensure his loyalty.

Stillheart [Damage: 8d10 hp/ ½ damage. Onset time: 1 round. -2 to save against poison] – Made from a rare mushroom found in the Strigas Woods, stillheart causes sudden cardiac arrest in its victim. The spastic convulsions that accompany this attack are humorously referred to by assassins as “drumming oneself to death”

True Wyvern [Damage: 16d6/ ½ damage. Onset time 1-4 rounds] – True wyvern is a blue-green paste that somewhat resembles the venom created by its reptilian namesake. There is a legend amongst assassins that true wyvern, when applied to an arrow or bolt, actually improves the flight and accuracy of the missile. Optionally, DMs may apply a +1 bonus to hit with an arrow or bolt coated with true wyvern and reduce the penalty for distance by half.

Type XX Poisons: These are the most exotic and deadly toxins artificially manufactured, often costing tens of thousands of gold pieces for even a single dose. Their ingredients are incredibly difficult to find and many assassins find their deaths attempting to procure these rare substances. No one outside of the Assassin’s Guild may manufacture these poisons. Should an outsider learn the method of producing them and the Guild learns of it, that person’s lifespan remaining should be measured in mere hours. The Guild will spare no expense or risk to kill the bearer of such knowledge. Unlike other poisons, type XX poisons have no set damage inflicted each round.

Generic XX [Damage: Death/ 75 hp. Onset time: immediate] – While there is no true generic form of this poison, DMs wishing a quick version of an exotic and deadly toxin may use this to represent it.

Kwu Noz Hrab [Damage: Death/ Lose 1d4+1 levels. Onset time: 1-4 rounds] – The effects of this poison are so destructive that even if the victim survives the toxin, he will find himself incredibly weakened by the after effects. Kwu noz hrab is a emerald-colored sap from Zarabe Zyria, rumored to be made by and from the undead that dwell within the Nameless City.

Mindburn [Damage: Intelligence reduced to zero/Lose 1d10 points of Intelligence. Onset time 2-20 rounds] – This blue oil affects the mind of the victim and leaves the body untouched. Those who suffer the full effects of this poison are reduced to a vegetative state, incapable of even the most basic of actions. Without care, these victims will die from dehydration and malnutrition. Even those lucky enough to avoid the full effects of the poison find their mental capacities greatly reduced.

Sorcha’s Kiss [Damage: 10 hp of damage each round until the victim is dead/15d6 hp of damage. Onset time: 1-6 rounds] – Named for the goddess of murder and strife, this reddish-black paste is so potent that a neutralize poison spell has only a 50% chance of being effective. Strangely, the victim experiences a blissful euphoria as he lies dying, only to suffer excruciating pain during the last few moments of his life.

Debilitative Poisons: Not all poisons are potentially lethal to their victims. Some toxins incapacitate the victim instead. These are the debilitative poisons and are used by a variety of professions for their versatility. Like type XX poisons, debilitative poisons have no preset duration based on damage.

Distillate of Sculuxpendi giganti [Damage: Paralysis for 2-12 hours/no effect. Onset time: 1-3 rounds. +2 to save against poison] – Created from the venom of giant centipedes, this yellow-green paste produces a similar paralyzing effect with a greater chance of success. Some adventurers supplement their income by providing alchemists with fresh samples of giant centipedes, although most alchemists prefer to use live specimens whenever possible.

Dormorum’s Tears [Damage: Sleep for 1d6+1 rounds/no effect. Onset time: 1-3 rounds. Elves immune] – This blue paint-like toxin gets its name from the god of sleep and dreams and the effects of it on the victim. While a poison such as press gang punch (see below) is more effective, the higher cost of that toxin makes Dormorum’s Tears a cheaper alternative for the money-poor merchant seeking to protect his wares.

Ghoul Sweat [Damage: Paralysis for 1d6+2 rounds/no effect. Onset time: immediate. Elves immune] – This brownish-grey ooze is created from certain subterranean fungi, rather than produced by its undead namesake. Despite the subterranean source of the toxin, it mimics the effects of a ghoul’s touch quite well.

Magus Bane [Damage: feebleminded until poison is neutralized/no effect. Onset time: 1d6 rounds] –Feared by magic-users, this clear oil replicates the effects of a feeblemind spell. Like the spell, this toxin only affects spell-casters. Unlike the spell, a neutralize poison is all that is required to lift the effects of the toxin.

Nox Slap [Damage: Blindness for 1-10 rounds/no effect. Onset time: 1d6 rounds] – Named for the god of night, this black gel causes the victim to be struck blind, his vision slowly dimming as the poison works its way through his body. While only temporary, the effect can be terrifying to even the bravest warrior, especially as it sets in during a pitched combat.

Press Gang Punch [Damage: Slumber for 1-6 turns/no effect. Onset time: 1 round. Affects elves] – This orange oil is prized by the press gangs that prowl the piers of ports throughout the civilized lands. Quick and effective, even against the elven-blooded, press gang punch makes the chore of kidnapping unwilling sailors much quicker and easier than the traditional ale and blackjack technique.

Thief Sap [Damage: Convulsions for 1-20 rounds/no effect. Onset time: immediate] – Popularly used to trap locks when a thief is wanted alive, this sticky purple sap causes the victim to go into violent convulsions. The victim falls to the ground and foams at the mouth, his limbs twitch uncontrollably. Usually this creates enough racket to alert nearby guards, who then arrive to apprehend the thief while in this incapacitated state.

Sick Day Rerun: Does this Mean They Have God-Catchers?

I've caught a case of the creeping crud and haven't been able to put the final polish on the planned posts for today and Wednesday. Here's a rerun from my other blog, originally published Sunday, May 21, 2006. Consider this fodder for deity design in your next world building attempt.

"Ray, the next time someone asks if you're a god, you show them your license!"

I'm reading James Frazer's The Golden Bough right now. It's been lurking on my nightstand for a couple of years. In an attempt to catch up on my reading, I try to consume a chapter or two a night.This evening, the topic was on incarnate gods. And I quote:

"A register of all the incarnate gods in the Chinese empire is kept in the Li fan yaun or Colonial Office at Peking. The number of gods who have taken out a license (emphasis mine) is one hundred and sixty...The Chinese government, with a paternal solicitude for the welfare of its subjects, forbids the gods on the register to be reborn anywhere but in Tibet...But besides these public or licensed gods there are a great many little private gods, or unlicensed practitioners of divinity, who work miracles and bless their people in holes and corners; and of late years the Chinese government has winked at the rebirth of these pettifogging deities outside of Tibet. However, once they are born, the government keeps its eye on them as well as on the regular practitioners, and if any of them misbehaves he is promptly degrade, banished to a distant monastery,and strictly forbidden ever to be born again in the flesh."

And I thought the DMV was bad!

A Dragon by Any Other Name…

Dragons have come a long way in AD&D, going from being nameless beasties that can be subdued with the flat of a long sword and rode around like a pony at a child’s birthday party to intelligent personalities that often affect political agendas and the tides of war. There have been various efforts to turn them into something other than a big mass of experience points perched atop a heap of ever more experience points, mostly in the pages of Dragon magazine, but each edition of the game fine-tunes them a bit more.

I made a decision in regards to dragons a few years back. Not one of game mechanics, but one that I feel makes my own dragons a little different from most others. Quite simply, I established a method for naming my dragons in a manner I feel reflects the way they’ve often been portrayed in literature.

Dragons are often compared to felines. They share a few of the same qualities: fastidiousness, vanity and the tendency to play with their food before devouring it. These feline qualities, in addition to their incredibly long life-spans, suggest that dragons would not be satisfied with simple names like the kind that serve the short-lived humans and demi-humans which cause them so much trouble. Dragons would prefer more poetic names; ones that appeal both to their vanity and to the many deeds that they’ve accomplished over their long lifetimes. As such, when it comes to dragons, I’m prone to giving them evocative names. Names that almost resemble haikus or prose poetry. Take the following examples:

• Amber Chrysalis of Night-Shed Tears
• Lightning Reflected on Raindrops
• Candle Burns on Chalk Marks
• The Corpse with Firefly Eyes
• Showers of Nickel, Copper and Brass
• Scaled in Magma and Heart of Stone
• Trees Wrenched in the Whirlwind
• Coral in Repose
• Song on Battlefields
• Charmed of Icicles and Frost

These names would be their translations into the Common Tongue of Man. Since the language of dragons – Auld Wyrmic in my campaign – is incredibly difficult to learn, knowing the complete translation might behoove an adventuring party traveling into the domain of a dragon. Being able to call a dragon by his or her proper name just might buy the party enough time to bargain for their lives.

Nearby settlements would use an abbreviated form of a dragon’s name when referring to the creature, provided they were safe within the walls of their village at the time. That is, if they didn’t just call it the Dragon, which would be much more likely. After all, how many dragons live close by?

Wherein History is Revealed

What follows in the history behind the Dungeon Not Yet Named™. It consists of what a party of adventurers might know about the years leading up to their arrival at the site. Obviously there is more to the story. How they go about learning this additional information is up to them and not the arbitrary roll of a Gather Information check against some DC number. Which is the way is should be.

The History of Baron Murthiz Kahyaten

The Baron was born to the Kahyaten bloodline, a family that had grown rich during the dark years following the fall of the Old Empire. In addition to their land holdings, the Kahyaten had established a sea trade empire, which plied many foreign shores and returned with rich bounty.

Growing up in an atmosphere of easy wealth and idle responsibility, the Baron developed a love for art in its many forms. Despite this love and the desire to create great works of art, it became obvious very early in the Baron’s life that he himself possessed no true artistic talent. Initially despondent over this, the Baron soon resolved that if he couldn’t create art, he’d do the next best thing: become a patron of the arts. Gifted with wealth, the Baron began lavishing money and commissions on many unknown artists. In addition, his taste for the bizarre and wondrous soon began to be well-known. Many adventurers sought out the Baron to sell him the strange artifacts and relics they had encountered in their journeys or to seek his backing on expeditions to recover the same.

Born with an infectious sense of humor and outgoing personality, Baron Kahyaten cut a swath through the social gatherings of nobility, earning him many friends and well-wishers amongst not only the elite, but the common man as well. He delighted in showing off his bizarre collection, which soon filled both his family castle as well as his city manor. For many years the Baron was content with his lot.

As the years passed, however, his friends noticed a certain sadness creeping into his nature. Having never married or sired children, the Baron grew concerned about his legacy. He’d be remembered for his patronage and his personality, but such things only lasted as long as the people around him. People, who like himself, would one day slip from this mortal coil.

His friends began to grow concerned as the Baron started avoiding social functions, often spending his time brooding alone in his holdings. Concern turned to outright worry when, quite suddenly, the Baron vanished. His castellans and butlers knew not where he’d went. His managers and financial advisors grew anxious at the thought of his trade empire. Means were undertaken to locate the Baron, but methods both mystic and mundane turned up nothing. Steps were taken to begin the process of declaring him dead and dissolving his money and lands.

Then, without warning, the Baron returned.

Inquires as to his whereabouts were shrugged off with jests of needing time to stretch his artistic wings. Wherever he might have gone, the Baron had returned more energized and exuberant than ever before. He announced that on his sojourn, he had been gifted with divine inspiration from the Capricious. He intended to create a masterpiece of art as his legacy. Since he himself lacked the necessary skills needed to create it, he’d employ others as his tools to realize his grand vision.

As his canvas, the Baron chose the family hunting lodge, Mosshurn. Never a huntsman himself, he sought to put the neglected holding to good use. Hiring a crew of stonemasons and engineers from Ringhammer Hall, the Baron began his work.

For five years, the Baron’s crews worked away in the small cave system located beneath the keep. The Baron employed no architect or advisor in his planning. From time to time, the Baron would provide his foremen with crude plans, drawn by his own hand, to build beneath the manor. His financial advisors dubbed the project “an endless otyugh’s pit of financial ruin” as they watched more monies from the Baron’s trade coffers sunk into the work. The Baron paid them no heed. He began to reacquaint himself polite society, returning to the balls and galas of nobility. Inquiries regarding his strange project were met with the cryptic response, “Wait and see. You’ll be amazed.”

The nobles began to wonder about the Baron. Had his mysterious travels unhinged his mind? More than one sharp-tongue in the court began to gossip about “The Mad Baron’s Burrow.”

After the passage of half a decade, the Baron finally decided to unveil his masterpiece to a select few. Comprised of the richest of nobles, the most inspired of artists, and his closest friends both common and elite, his guests arrived at Mosshurn to view the Baron’s creation.

They left stunned and amazed.

Requests for details concerning their visit were met with reticence to reveal what exactly they experienced. The privileged few would only admit that they had never seen such wonders in all their collected years. The Baron only fueled speculation with his rare invitations for other visits. Securing one became a sought-after status symbol, and the uninvited were green with jealousy. All the guests returned with a look of wonder, excitement, and closed mouths. The privileged few would gather is groups at balls and whisper amongst themselves.

In addition to his occasional galas, the Baron began to invite others to visit on a more permanent basis. He offered a place to work and create to artists, philosophers, alchemists, engineers, mages, musicians, actors, and the like. They’d be free to perfect their art away from the distractions of the city and towns, funded by the Baron’s still great wealth. Some of the best and brightest, along with their students and apprentices, took the Baron’s offer.

Despite the wonder that already existed, the Baron’s workmen continued to expand and dig deeper. While festive balls were held in the levels above, the crews still worked the stone below. Well-paid, they kept their mouths shut and built.

In 1533, the work stopped. The residents of the closest human settlement, the tiny village of Crouchja, watched as the dwarves passed through on their way back to Ringhammer Hall. It is said by some that they did not appear pleased and more than one dwarf glanced back over his shoulder with a grim look upon his face.

The Baron’s galas continued, still attracting nobles and wealthy merchants, who’d travel through Crouchja in gilded coaches attended by liveried servants and armsmen. The artists who had accepted his patronage continued to create in the comfort of the Baron’s architectural wonder. Some, however, began to notice a change in the Baron’s demeanor. The glint of laughter and the smile was still there, but something seemed to be troubling the Baron. His jests and fests took on a seemingly desperate air, like the carousing of a man destined to be hanged in the morning.

By 1539, things turned even more sinister. The monthly wagon caravan that brought staple supplies to the Baron’s manor failed to appear. A party of the village elders of Crouchja journeyed to the keep to investigate the Baron’s health and well-being. They were turned away at the gate by the baronial guard. When they insisted to meet with the Baron, a hail of arrows sent them running back towards the village. After that, the village let the Baron and his obvious madness lie undisturbed.

Finally, in 1542, the Baron was sighted one last time. On one autumnal evening, Crouchja was disturbed by the thunder of frantic hooves racing down its main thoroughfare. Those villagers who rushed to their windows beheld the Baron riding through the village, headed towards his manor. None had seen him leave his demesne, and his wild eyes and panic stricken face clearly revealed that something had disturbed the Baron greatly. Little did the villagers of Crouchja know that this would be the last time anyone would see the Baron alive.

A year passed before anyone raised the courage to visit the manor. In the end, a band of young men headed towards the keep, claiming only to desire to learn if the Baron still lived. It is widely surmised that they hoped to find the keep empty and the wonders rumored to lie within free for the taking. The one lad who survived the trip would later tell of finding the keep abandoned; its drawbridge raised and the shutters of its windows barred tight. When they attempted entrance into the lower levels via a door that lay within the manor’s orchard, they triggered a deadly trap on the staircase that led below. In that inferno, all save the one lad perished, and even he would succumb to his horrible injuries before long.

In the seventy-five years that have passed since, the Baron’s manor and its secrets have slept quietly. Shunned by the villagers and forgotten by generations of younger nobles and adventurers, what was supposed to be Baron Kahyaten’s legacy is nothing more than a footnote in the moldering histories of the period. The fate of the Baron and his wonders remains unknown. It would take the efforts of brave men and women, willing to risk their lives against unknowable peril, to discover what might still lie deep within the ground under Mosshurn Manor…

If you've made it this far, congratulate yourself. I know it's a long piece, but if you'd indulge me a moment more, I'd just like to say a couple of things about the above.

First of all, I'm rather proud of this bit of doggerel. Not the writing itself, but the fact that I managed to come up with this while remaining within the parameters that I established for myself. It would have been easy to go the way of the classic "lair of the insane arch-mage" or "deathtrap of the King of Thieves" type dungeon. Instead I wanted something relatively fresh for the setting, and having the mastermind behind the dungeon be a failed artist, albeit a rich one, provided something new. By having the dungeon also be a sort of fantastic artists' commune, I could go a little wild with what might be found within and not have to worry about it jiving with an overall design scheme. This loosens the reins quite a bit.

Secondly, I'll reveal what exactly I had in mind when I wrote this up. I hope it manages to shine through, either on initial viewing or when looking back on it. Quite simply, I went to perhaps the greatest written account of subterranean exploration that I know:

I inserted the candle and peered in...as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues, gold--everywhere the glint of gold. For the moment--an eternity it must have seemed to the others standing by--I was struck dumb with amazement, and when Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand the suspense any longer, inquired anxiously, "Can you see anything?" it was all I could do to get out the words, "Yes, wondrous things."

- from the notes of Howard Carter regarding his 1922 discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb

That account always stokes my fire. If it doesn't give you goosebumps, I wonder why you've chosen role-playing games as a hobby.

The Dungeon Not Yet Named™ is chugging along. I'm going to wait until I finish up the second level before I open it up to a first run and/or playtest. A lot of the mental walls that I've run into have been breached, so it's just a matter of time being available to finish the initial notes. Once that's done, I've got enough stuff set that the next two levels will feed off of what has come before it, allowing me to pick up the pace a bit. Then the fun just gets better.