The Forgotten Smugglers' Cave #5: Smugglers' Bunk

This is an installment of a dungeon adventure set in the Portown milieu, written for Holmes Basic D&D. You can find the Introduction here: Area 1. Each entry includes part of a "pointcrawl" map showing the area & any exits, which include links allowing you to navigate:

	Area 6   ||
	5. SMUGGLERS' BUNK	=== Area 7
	||   Area 3

5. SMUGGLERS' BUNK: This is a dry, sandy cave, roughly oval (70 ft east-west by 50 ft north-south). During the day, the room is dimly lit by a narrow natural chimney to the surface in the center of the ceiling (30 ft. high), although there are also several rusty torch sconces affixed to the walls. Beneath the chimney is a rock-ringed shallow pit, and scattered around the room are ten decaying wooden pallets.

Exits. There are three tunnels exiting the room. To the north, the tunnel leads 70 feet to Area 3 (if players look down this tunnel, check out the description in that Area). To the east, a tunnel leads 60 feet to Area 7. To the south, a tunnel leads 60 feet to Area 3.

Bats. Each turn spent searching this room has a 1 in 6 chance of waking a colony of vampire bats in Area 6 to the north. If this happens, 1d4 bats will begin arriving each round. The bats will silently swoop down and attack from behind (surprise on 1-5 in 6, attack at +4).

Vampire Bats (21-40 (20 + 1d20)): DX 18, AC 3 (9 while attached), HD 1/8, hp 1 each, AT 1 bite for 1 point damage, attach on a successful hit and then automatically drain 1 hp per round for two rounds (i.e., three points total), SA surprise 1-5 in 6, attack from behind at +4

The full write-up of this new monster can be found here.

Firepit. The pit was once used for fires by the smugglers but now filled with sand. Digging in the sand will at first reveal only layers of old ashes, and then sand again, but several feet beneath this sand there is a waterproof, locked box of bronze (worth 50 g.p. itself) containing 500 pieces of eight (large silver coins equal to electrum in value), 3 gems worth 100 g.p. each and an etching showing the location of a lost pirate fortress (DM's choice; one possibility is the Judges Guild module the Corsairs of Tallibar by Mike Wilson).

Junk. The wooden pallets were once used for sleeping. Searching around them will uncover a number of discarded personal effects, half-buried in the sand. Much of it is worthless (rusted utensils, ceramic shards, broken bottles), but each turn spent searching the area will turn up one of the following (roll 1d6), but also give a chance of waking the bats (see above).

i. A broken cutlass with a fancy engraved hilt, worth 100 g.p. to a weaponsmith.

ii. A hook hand, well-preserved because it is made of bronze, and worth 150 g.p.

iii. A shark-shaped key of wrought iron that will open the doors in the catacombs in Area 24.

iv. A wax-sealed fifth of fine spiced rum; 1d10 swigs remain, with each swig giving a temporary boost of 1d4 hp, usable once per day per person.

v. Strangely well-preserved cavalier boots, which are boots of nimble feet, with 20 + 1d4 charges remaining.

vi. A decaying leather case holding a fine skeletal spyglass, which when used will give x-ray vision (as a potion) for 1 turn per day but also bestow a minor illusionary curse lasting 1 day that makes the viewing eye appear as an empty socket, even if covered with a patch, reducing Charisma to 3. The power of the spyglass only lasts as long it is kept on the eye; once removed, the single charge is expended for that day. Per OD&D Vol 3, x-ray vision allows the viewer to see through up to 10 ft. of rock or 6 inches of iron and to a total distance of 30 ft.

The adventure continues in several directions from here. Follow the links on the above map; if there is no link, the area is not yet posted.

Chronologically on this blog, the next posted installment was Area 6.