The Forgotten Smugglers' Cave #8: Reef Cavern

This is an installment of a new dungeon adventure set in the Portown milieu, which I'm writing for Holmes Basic D&D. You can find the Introduction to the dungeon here: Area 1.

Each entry includes part of a "pointcrawl" map showing the area & any exits, which include links allowing you to navigate the dungeon:

	Area 3   ||
	8. REEF CAVERN	=== Area 9

8. REEF CAVERN: The tunnel south from from Area 3 (Grotto) slopes gently down to this area. Any thief passing through it will recognize faint markings in smugglers' code indicating danger in the water. The passage opens up to a rocky beach, smaller than the one in the Grotto, on the edge of a much larger water-filled cavern (roughly oval-shaped, 200' east-west, 100' north-south).

The cavern is dimly lit by weird purple and green lights shimmering beneath the surface of the clear, gently-rippling water, the source of the light being an expansive cold-water reef of glowing, strangely-shaped corals, among which dart a variety of creepy but harmless fish. From the shore, the bottom rapidly drops off to a depth of about 15 feet. To the east, a hundred feet across the water, is a darker area where it looks like there may be an exit. The water is cold and brackish, being a mix of fresh water coming from the east and sea water entering through unseen underwater passages. 

The rowboat from Area 3 will travel 10' per round with 1 or 2 people with improvised paddles, or 20' with 3 or 4 paddling. However, unless it has been re-waterproofed, such as with the pine pitch in Area 7, it will leak and sink within 5 rounds, or 10 rounds if 2 or more characters continuously bail. The empty barrels from Area 7 can be paddled at only 5' per round, but will not leak. If anyone enters the chilly water, purposefully or not, assume they can swim adequately in normal clothing (10' per round) or leather armor (5' per round), but sink in metal armor, with a 50% chance each round to remove it, or take 1d6 points of damage from drowning (these rules are adapted from those in the Sample Dungeon).

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. Scattered about the reef are a dozen of the the Sea-Changed (link goes to the full write-up for this new monster; abbreviated stats are below), ordinarily quiescent. However, any activity that disturbs the water may attract their attention; throwing rocks only has a 1 in 12 chance, but each round of boating or swimming has a 1 in 6 chance. If so, 1d4 of the Sea-Changed will rise to the surface and attempt to inflict "the sea-change" on the living (which happens on a successful hit followed by a failed save versus poison). Once a character is inflicted, no more attacks will be made on them; if all characters are so affected, the Sea-Changed will return to the bottom. The change causes the loss of one point of dexterity per day as the calcification spreads, and upon reaching zero, the victim will be transformed into one of the Sea-Changed, and then drawn back to the reef.

The Sea-Changed (12): DX 6, AC 5, HD 1+1, AT 1 claws or weapon, D: 1d6 + save vs poison or inflict calcification (lose 1 point of dexterity per day until transformed into one of the Sea-Changed), undead (turned as zombie; any that are successfully turned will return to quiescence in the reef); 1 in 10 have pearlescent eyes (roll on the gem table for value).

The Sea-Changed by Lore Suto

Crusty Bones Locker.  Barely visible in the middle of the coral reef is an ornate, padlocked chest, so covered in calcifications that it has become an immovable part of the reef. Even if unlocked, the lid will not open; the only way to get at the contents is to smash through the top. Inside is a mixture of 500 gold coins (500 g.p.) and 50 small pearls (10 g.p.), one of which is a red pearl (heals 10 HP once per day; fighters only; from the Blackmoor Supplement).

There are two exits from this area, north and east, which can be found by following the links on the above map; if there is no link, the area is not yet posted. 

Chronologically on this blog, the previous post installment was Area 7 and the next posted installment was Area 9.

The Forgotten Smugglers' Cave #7: Dry Storage

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 23
Area 5 ===	7. DRY STORAGE	■
■	■	■

(the black squares represent the niches described below)

7. DRY STORAGE: A large cavern, and very dark; entering from the west with a light source will reveal a circular space with irregular walls, a dry stone floor, and scattered rubble, the largest of which is an immense fallen stalactite in the center of the room. No other exits are clearly visible, although the rough walls create many shadowed areas (which hide a number of niches; see below). Rusted torch sconces are attached to the wall on each side of the entrance to the room.

Fallen Stalactite. Lying on its side in a northwest (base, 5 feet wide) to southeast (tip, 3 feet wide) direction, this massive cylindrical rock is roughly 10 feet long. The chamber is sufficiently large to walk all of the away around it. On the far side from the entrance, a pair of skeletal legs wearing cavalier boots protrude from beneath the stalactite --- apparently those of someone who was caught underneath when it fell. The legs point out toward the shadowed niche in the northeast corner (see below).

The stalactite can be lifted just enough to pull the skeleton out by several characters with a combined strength of 60 (e.g., four each with 15 or greater strength), or by any two characters of average strength (11 or greater), each using a lever (see the north niche below) placed on a suitable fulcrum (e.g., a piece of rubble). The upper torso of the skeleton remains somewhat intact due to a slight depression in the floor, and looped around the neck is a silver chain (value 100 gp) with an iron key that will open the door to Area 21.

Niches. Closer examination of the walls will reveal a number of niches, which were used by the smugglers to store supplies. There are a total of seven large niches (marked by squares on the map above) in locations roughly corresponding to the following compass points: 

NW, N, NE, E, SE, S, SW

(click to jump to the description of each below)

    a. Northwest. The niche in this direction is at floor level and large enough to walk into, but after five feet the back slopes down for about ten more feet before ending, and this area is filled with the discarded remains of crates, bins, jars and jugs, which once held various supplies of food and drink. A search of the junk for one turn will yield one intact and tightly-sealed jug of vinegar (formerly apple cider).

    b. North. This shelf-like niche is about two feet off the ground, and on the shelf lies a row of iron tools, all rusty but usable, including an adze (for shaping wood), an auger (for drilling holes), two hammers, a maul and three 5' long digging bars, which could be used for levering up the fallen stalactite (see above).

        Beyond the tools, the niche continues for 5 feet and then narrows to a tunnel large enough for a human to crawl through, one person at a time, but ending in rubble after 15 feet. The rubble can be cleared out in 1d4 turns, but doing so will only reveal a dead end of solid rock.

    c. Northeast. This large niche is just a few inches above floor-level, and holds large pile of mouldering ropes and a bunched-up canvas sail. Hiding in the folds of the sail is a Huge Aggroach (see writeup of this new monster here). If disturbed, the aggroach will attempt to scurry to the back of the niche, where it will hide among the rubble ten feet back (see below), and then bite at anyone who bothers it there.

        Huge Aggroach (1): DX 9, AC 5, HD 1, hp 6, AT 1 razor legs for 1d6, SD death stench

        Beneath the sail are a ladle and four sealed clay pots, each filled with pine pitch. (Optional: There is sufficient pitch to re-waterproof the old rowboat in Area 3 (this will take two pots. The pitch must be heated over a fire before application; any character familiar with ships, or even having lived near a coast, will know this.)

        Past the piles, the niche narrows as above for the north niche, and reaches rubble after 10 feet, but here there is just enough space for an unarmored human to squeeze past, and each turn spent clearing has a 2 in 6 chance of enlarging the tunnel enough for an armored character. Beyond this, the tunnel soon turns east and continues to Area 23. 

    d. East. In this direction, the niche is about fifteen feet above the floor, and the wall leading up to it is smooth and not easily climbed by non-thieves (normal chance for thieves). The niche is only about 5 feet tall and deep, and is empty with several cracks in the back wall. Deep in one crack is wedged a flat unholy symbol of Dagon depicting a humanoid shark, and made of mother-of-pearl (worth 500 gp):

    e. Southeast. This is the largest niche, located at floor level and 10 feet high and deep. A low moaning sound will be heard by anyone standing at the mouth. If a light is shone towards the back, it will reveal that the moaning is emanating from a ten-foot tall figure in a dark grey robe wrapped in ropes, arms raised, standing against the back wall. However, this figure is unmoving, and closer inspection will reveal it to be a statue wrapped in an oilskin canvas, and the moaning to be a trick of wind filtering through tiny cracks in the back of the niche.

        The statue is a warrior sea goddess, made of a finely carved and exquisitely painted wood (cedar), worth 10,000 GP to the right buyer in Portown. The statue is too large to fit through the sea cave entrance (Area 1) or even up the chimney in Area 5. However, being made of cedar means that it is buoyant, and thus could be floated through Areas 8 and 9 and then hauled the rest of the way through the caves to Portown.

    f. South. Another shelf-like niche, similar to the north niche, but about 3 feet off the ground and with a horizontal cast-iron rack lying on it, holding six rusted cutlasses. Five are usable but have a 1 in 6 chance of breaking with each successful hit. The sixth appears similar to the others, but on closer inspection the grip will be noted to be engraved with a pattern of waves. This cutlass of the high tide has magical powers that are activated by immersing it in, or anointing it with, fresh sea water. If such is done, it will become a +1 weapon, +3 versus sea creatures, as well as functioning as a +1 ring of protection. These powers will last for one day, after which it must be dowsed with fresh sea water to activate it again. 

    The back of this niche narrows to a blocked tunnel, similar to the north niche (see above).

    g. Southwest. Another large niche at floor level containing four empty barrels (once holding water, long since evaporated), a few wooden cups, and a rusted ladle. The barrels remain in fair shape and could be used to float through Areas 8 and 9; each will hold a single person.

The only apparent exit from this room is back to the west (the northeast niche conceals a crawlable tunnel that heads east). Follow the links on the above map; if there is no link, the area is not yet posted.

Chronologically on this blog, the previous posted installment was Area 6 and the next posted installment was Area 8.

The Forgotten Smugglers' Cave: Vampire Bats by Lore Suto

 

Artist Lore Suto (@loresuto on Twitter) has provided us with this terrifically frightening illustration of the Vampire Bats that dwell in The Forgotten Smugglers' Cave, an Holmes/OD&D adventure that I have been serializing on this blog, starting here. 

This illustration would make a great visual to show to the players if the bats are attracted by noise to the former Smugglers' Bunk (Area 5), or if they are stirred up in their lair (Area 6).

My most recent post in this series was back in October, but I have been working on it again recently, and will soon be posting the next installment, Area #7: Dry Storage.

The Forgotten Smugglers' Cave #6: Bloody Mess

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:

	6. BLOODY MESS
	|| Area 5

6. BLOODY MESS. The only entrance to this cave is the tunnel from Area 5 to the south, a narrow (single-file only), rubble-filled passage. Moving north through this passage, characters will note increasing humidity, a strong acrid smell, and reddish guano on the floor. The area is pitch black during the day.

The cave itself is oval, about 20 ft. east-west and 30 ft. north-south, with many stalactites, some dripping water. The floor is covered in bloody red guano-covered rubble, making it slippery and difficult to traverse (all attacks by characters are made at -4, with a modified 1 on the attack indicating the attacker has fallen prone).

Bats. A large colony of vampire bats has taken up residence here, exiting to the surface through the chimney in Area 5. Unless already awakened by noise to the south (see Area 5), during the day they will be asleep on the ceiling, hidden among the stalactites. Characters moving about this room have a 1 in 6 chance of waking them per person in the room, per round (i.e., 2 in 6 for two, 3 in 6 for three, etc), at which point they will begin flying about, hungry for blood. If awakened here, 1d8 of the bats will begin attacking each round.

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.

Vampire Bats by Lore Suto

Old Well. In the northeast corner of the room, there is a 3'-wide hole in the floor where water dripping from the ceiling and running across the floor pools 8 ft. down. A rusted chain is fixed to a piton near the edge, and hangs down into the water. The chain is about 12 ft long, and a metal bucket is attached to the end of the chain, below the surface of the water. If the bucket is pulled up it will be filled with bloody-looking water (fouled by the guano). Etched on the bottom of the bucket is a rough map showing Areas 5-7, including the secret passage in Area 7.

The only exit from this room is back to the south. Follow the link on the above map.

Chronologically on this blog, the previous installment was Area 5 and the next was Area 7.

Trivia: As I mentioned back in the One Hit Point Monster post, in the Combat section of the Basic rulebook, Holmes provides a vampire bat as an example of "a small fast creature" that would have a lower armor class (AC3) than one would expect based solely its natural armor.

The Forgotten Smugglers' Cave illustrated: The Old Rowboat

"The Old Rowboat" by Lore Suto. Click for a larger view.

Above is another new illustration by Lore Suto for Area 3 (Grotto with Rocky Beach) of The Forgotten Smugglers' Cave. I will be adding the image to that post, but I'm also posting it here to highlight it.

The Forgotten Smugglers' Cave #3: Grotto with Rocky Beach

This is an installment of a new dungeon adventure set in the Portown milieu, which I'm writing for Holmes Basic D&D. You can find the Introduction to the dungeon here: Area 1.

Each entry includes part of a "pointcrawl" map showing the area & any exits, which include links allowing you to navigate the dungeon:

	Area 5   ||
Area 2 ===	3. GROTTO WITH      ROCKY BEACH	=== Area 4
	||   Area 8

3. GROTTO WITH ROCKY BEACH: The east end of the sea cave tunnel (Area 2) opens into a large natural cave, roughly circular with a 50 ft. diameter. During the day, the area is very dimly lit by natural light from the north. When the first character enters, check to see if they are attacked by a carrion crawler that lairs here (see below). 

From the entrance, it can be seen that the sea water ends in the grotto in a semi-circular pool, which at low tide is 10 feet in radius and 3 feet deep (20 feet in radius and 13 feet deep at high tide). Beyond the water is a pebble and stone-covered beach that covers the floor of the remainder of the grotto. Stalactites hang overhead, and there are some stalagmites near the walls. In the northeast portion of the cave, well past the high tide line, is an old turned-over rowboat.

Exits. There are three other exits: north, east and south. If investigated, the one to the north is a natural passage that goes 60 feet before opening up (Area 5). To the east, a rusted pair of cart rails start about 10 feet before the exit, and then extend into the tunnel for as far as can be seen (the tunnel and rails go 150 feet before ending at a collapse, which is Area 4). There is no cart present. To the south, another natural passage goes 140 feet before opening up (Area 8). 

Inhabitant. During low tide, which is the most likely time that the party will be entering, there is a 2 in 6 chance that the carrion crawler will be fishing from the wall above the pool (3 in 6 at medium tide, 4 in 6 a high tide). If so, there is then a 2 in 6 chance that it will attack each character as they enter (check for each person), surprising them on 1-4 in 6.  

Carrion Crawler: DX 12, AC 7, HD 3+1, hp 14, AT 8, D 0 + paralysis.

If the carrion crawler is not fishing, it will either be on a wall of the grotto (3 on the initial die roll), or under the old rowboat (4-6 on the roll)

Carrion Crawler by Lore Suto

Rocky Beach. This was once the unloading area for the smugglers. An inspection of the rocks of the beach will turn up numerous bones, mostly of fish, but several that are human, evidently those of previous explorers who became victims of the carrion crawler, and possibly some agates.

Agates. For each turn spent searching the rocks, there is a 1 in 6 chance of finding a beach agate, up to a maximum of 1d10 agates. The base value of each is 10 g.p., with a chance of being worth more per the rules of the Gems table (i.e., a 1 in 6 chance of being worth 50 g.p., and if so there is a 1 in 6 chance of being worth 100 g.p., etc.). As agates are reputed to improve sleep (AD&D DMG, pg 26), optionally allow a character who keeps one of 100 g.p. or greater on their person at all times to gain 1 extra hit point per night of rest.

The Old Rowboat by Lore Suto

Old Rowboat.  The carrion crawler nests here when not elsewhere in the area, although it has no treasure. If the boat is examined, it will be noted that its wood is remarkably well-preserved for its age due to waterproofing with pine pitch, and that it can hold 4 people. It is too large to fit through the entrance to the sea cave (Area 1). A pitted iron anchor weighing 10 lbs rests against the grotto wall behind the rowboat, but there are no oars present.

Optional: The rowboat will leak unless re-waterproofed using fresh pine pitch (some of which can be found in Area 7). Omit this in a game with limited time, such as at a convention.

The adventure continues in several directions from here; follow the links on the above map. Chronologically on this blog, the next posted installment was Area 4.

A hearty thanks to Lore Suto for kindly contributing the original art featured above!