I knew, going into the creation of my ‘megadungeon’, that the first layer would have areas that were sealed off. I didn’t actually know why they were cordoned off, but I had a vague image of a clan living in the rear of the dungeon, cut off from several rooms because of prior events. This was because ‘Cut’ was my week 1 prompt, and I liked the idea of a dungeon clan that could be befriended if these areas were cleared of their dangers.
Last week, I built up one sealed off area based around the ‘idol’ prompt and the residential sector rend asunder by the former android guards. This week, I knew I wanted to make a laboratory sector, with the ‘mask’ prompt, but I couldn’t decide what was the cause of the abandonment of this zone. So I asked the lovely people on Mastodon to help me decide:
So this week starts out with a lab containing a monster grown from a failed experiment, with ‘mask’ as the key word. The week ended with me moving on to the rooms where the party can first interact with the clan that lives in the rooms not currently infested with monstrous plants.
The Lab
As described in the previous post, this dungeon layer was built to make huge amounts of processed food, very very fast, to prevent an apocalyptic famine. So it made sense to have a corner of the dungeon laid out as the area where the worlds best and maddest scientists perfected their super-genetically super-modified superfoods.
At some point in the history of the dungeon, the world around it collapsed. Whilst a small population still lingers inside and outside of this complex, the whole place is falling apart. In this period, one of two things happened. Either the original scientists became lazy with their laboratory etiquette, or the world’s survivors started playing around with the unfinished experiments.
The result: an abominable plant monster grew out of the chemical detritus and took charge of the labs. It’s spores had the ability of controlling creatures nearby, so the adventuring party will have zombie drones to deal with when they eventually bend open the welded door to explore this zone.
The Principles of Plenty
I haven’t fully decided if the clan that lives on this layer are former operators of this complex, or refugees that took up residence during the Final Apocalypse. What I do know is that the group reveres what was once accomplish here – mass producing foodstuffs to save the world – and work tirelessly to keep the few production machines running.
The settlements outside continue to grow food in the ‘Atmo-sphere’ thanks to ancient technology. They deliver their resources to the Principles, who then process the ingredients into food that sustains everyone still surviving on this world fragment.
The Principles do not let anyone into their layer. People can drop crops off and then leave. So, the adventurers are going to need to fight through the clan, or offer to clear the sealed areas of the complex for them. Even then, the party will be watched carefully, and any wrongdoing in the production will be met with violence.
Week 3 – 21 rooms complete
So the rooms of Week 3 look like this:
15. Technician Room
– Storage for lab equipment, lockers, coat pegs, central work station
– Floor is thick with spongy fungal growths; difficult terrain
– 2d4 ‘spore zombies’ linger here. 2 zombies are still wearing protective lab gear and masks (+1 to their AC, resistance to acid, cold and fire damage)
16. Clean Room
– Sealed behind a triple-door quarantine lock
– very little dust, no blast damage, no spores
– Doors require a DC 18 Str check to slide open.
– Potential safe room
17. Chemical Storage Room
– Storage for dangerous lab equipment, 3 large vats attached to the E wall.
– N vat has breached and caused a deep acid-burned crater (5ft deep). Middle vat is empty. S vat will rupture off damage and will fill the room and corridors with acidic mist.
– Vault in the N, expensive alchemical compounds, volatile substances.
– 1d4 + 1 spore zombies in protective gear (1 has fallen in hole)
18. Laboratory
– A huge plant creature has grown out across the lab floor and tables.
– 2d4 spore zombies protect the creature.
– If the creature is attacked directly, it’s main bulk detaches from the roots and pursues the party (modified Shambling Mound). The spore zombies collapse, no longer controlled, but the creature is a deadly encounter (modified Shambling Mound) that low level parties should flee from.
19. The Barricade
– Large central chamber, intersection for the main production areas of this layer.
– At least a dozen Principles of Plenty clan members guard the barricade, refusing entry to all outsiders.
– The party would be allowed to pass if they’ve cleared (or agree to clear) one of the sealed areas to the south.
20. Storage Chamber
– Large, reinforced room full of empty vessels, barrels and other industrial containers on the floor and fixed to the walls.
– Broken, rusted lifter in the centre of the room.
– S door sealed, leads to labs
21. East Garage
– Large room one arranged for transport vehicles, not only used for additional storage.
– Severe laser and blast damage – one crater leads down to layer 2, metal pates have been fitted over the top.
In Summary
So this has evolved into a dungeon layer of two halves. The half complete is a monster-filled danger zone that the group does not need to explore but will have an easier time later if they do. The half I’m making now will either be filled with clan members that will eventually be supportive allies, or rooms of enemies viciously defending the technology they covet.
Want to read about my dungeon23 from the start? Here you go!
Please support this blog, if you can x
Gamer Peak 