Monday, March 9, 2009

Cave Quarry of the Chalk-Dwellers

Here is a quick sample adventure using the Chalk-Dweller Quarry I talked about below. You can download it here or just enlarge the image. I like the idea of a 1-page adventures, map included, and shall toy with more adventures as time goes on. The one-pagers have a a very OD&D feel since they are rules light and have plenty of room for sandbox DMing. Map + text took about 90 minutes to complete, so it is pretty easy to get several of these done.

Here is a clear version of the text

1 - A loathsome Ruhk Dwells here with 2 egg. It is thankfully deaf and has poor eye sight. The Skeleton of a huge tusked-snake makes up the border of the nest.
RUKH
(1): AC: 4 HD: 12 AT: bite +9 (6d8).
2 - Near the eggs a host of Chalk-Crabs click about, each the size of a fist. The entrance to the under quarry is easily visible.
3 - Blocks of chalk in perfect squares are strewn about. Six Chalk-Dwellers are tapping the stone.
CHALK-DWELLER (6): AC: 8 HD: 2 AT: weapon +2 (1d8) S: Dust cloud (Save vs Breath or -2 to all rolls for encounter).
4 - Skeletal remains of a large Rukh. Among the debris are the offerings from the Chalk-Dwellers including salt, bluish chalk, jade (85gp), lapis (55gp) and ten staves of chalk that burn blue light when lit (acts a torch).
5 - Lot of grinding here with Chalk-Dwellers smoothing their stone. The entire area is saturated with chalk dust.
CHALK-DWELLER (10): AC: 8 HD: 2 AT: weapon +2 (1d8) S: Dust cloud (Save vs Breath or -2 to all rolls for encounter).
6 - A pile of debris left over from the chalk. Silver ore is visable, well over a ton of it (value 2200gp), but only recognizable by a Dwarf or one skilled in mining or smelting.
7 - A Chalk-Dweller overseer is here conversing with Myconids about trade. A pile of smooth blue chalk lay in the chamber corner. The Myconids do not engage unless attacked or the chalk is molested. Should anyone go down the eastern side of the river it will head towards the great Chalk-Dweller city (DMs discretion).
CHALK-DWELLER Lord (1): AC: 6 HD: 4 AT: weapon +4 (1d8+2) S: Dust cloud (Save vs Breath or -2 to all rolls for encounter).
MYCONID (8): AC: 5 HD: 2 AT: weapon +1 (1d8) S: Hallucination (Save vs Poison or as Confusion spell).
8 - Barricades block off this area from the east. Three Chalk-Dweller corpses lay within, torn to shreds and a battle was clearly fought here.
9 - A half-dead Ruhk is here, newly hatched, sikly and wounded. An impromptu nest is here made from Chalk-Dweller corpses.
RUKH (1): AC: 6 HD: 12(24hp) AT: bite +9 (3d8).
10 - Two boats lay along side of a underground river. The boats are well kept with oars and poles. The river is slow moving. Crates of live chalk-crabs lay in the boats along with rope, sacks of salt and blue chalk sticks.
11 -
A natural pool ends on the western bank of the river where many fish live. A silver stave is driven into the western wall (Staff +1, Detects Magic on command). A Wraith of a long dead mage haunts this corner, a dreadful spirit of woe.
WRAITH (1): AC: 5 HD: 5 AT: touch +4 (1d6) S:Undead, Immune to non-magic weapons, Drains +1d10 hp on hit
12 - Natural crystals fill this cave like a geode, and chiming sounds can be heard. On the west side of the river a chalk bowl of offerings lays near the river. Silver ore, salt, chalk-crabs and a Dagger +2 lay within. A mated pair of Cave Fishers dwell in the upper reaches and will attack anything moving beyond the bowl.
CAVE FISHER (2): AC: 5 HD: 4 AT: bite +2 (2d8) S:Adhesion Line (Hit attached a line to PC and pulls them in at 30' per round).

Seed (lvls 3-4): My the grace of his Lordship Berhnel of the Fort Aspire you have been commanded to aid the Wizard in the Tower of Resting Leaves. Tournel, Elven Magic-User apprentice in the tower seeks your aid to locate his master, the Wizard Therdones. His master was last known to be collecting rare blue chalk in the chalk quarry. Returning his master, or his silver-staff if he is dead, would be his desire. Should his master be known to be dead, it would cause a dire vacuum of power with in the area of Fort Aspire. In return for your aid, the apprentice will give each Magic-User in the group a spell from his masters book (if he is dead), or 250 gold to other members. They are to seek the council of his Lordship Berhnel afterward.

2 comments:

  1. This is really cool, but I can see it being nearly illegible when printed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hmm, looked okay to me but then again I used a $2,000 printer at work. Duplex would probably be a better idea, you could certainly get in a lot more with some better story elements.

    ReplyDelete