Dungeon ‘23 - Weeks 24 & 25

I must admit I dropped the ball on The Castle of the Mad Sorcerer Ossifrage the last two weeks, mostly because I was distracted the Elkheart’s Curse, my entry for the “A Town, A Forest, A Dungeon” Cairn Jam. It was nice to get away from the Castle and work on something small for a little while, but with the initial writing for Elkheart complete it was time to return to the grandaddy of all Mac projects - Ossifrage’s big ol’ magic castle. In order to get caught up I worked on thirteen rooms, leaving six more to close out the month of June and Zone F.

I found this zone to be a bit more challenging than some of the others, mostly in part due to the fact that people live in this section of the castle. It’s not a decrepit, crumbling crypt or a castle filled with evil monsters ready to be killed. Servants and soldiers call this place home and their led by (in my opinion) a pretty reasonable Castellan. At times this has led me to think that Zone F isn’t quite as “dungeon-y” (a sentiment I felt when working on Zone E - The Keep, 1st Floor at times as well). Granted, part of that could be the fact that I’m thinking about how I would play through these rooms, which in theory involve a lot of being polite (albeit pushy) with NPCs and trying my damndest to stay out of fights. I’m sure if an Adventuring Party rolled in looking for blood they’d think Zone F has plenty of violence to offer.

I guess that’s what playtesting is for! Anyway, thank you for your continued patience and support and I hope you like the content from Weeks 24 and 25!

Rooms F17, F20, and F24 at the bottom of this post.

F12 - Castellan’s Personal Chambers

Light: Medium, wall sconces and the fireplace give off warm light.

• A large, overstuffed bed with room to spare takes up much of the room.  An intricately carved yet sturdy wooden desk sits next to the bed, much of its surface covered in papers.

• Four drawers, all of them locked, contain journals, maps, scrolls (non-magical), and miscellaneous items.

• A fireplace along the north wall warms the room in winter. The Great Demon Haborym can be summoned into this fireplace to speak with the Castellan if needed.

• An Animated Suit of Armor stands at the ready in the corner.

• Small (non-magical) portrait near bed hides a locked safe. The key is on Syr Waltheof’s person at all times.

• Safe mostly contains ledgers and documents regarding the castle’s history and day-to-day operations. Stacks of maps detailing all of the secret doors and rooms can be found as well.

• A platinum locket with the portrait of a female beastfolk - Syr Waltheof’s late wife - worth 2,000 gp.

F13 - Servant Dormitory, 2nd Floor

Light: Medium, wall sconces and the fireplace give off warm light and arrow slits let in narrow beams of sunlight.

• Large room with wooden dividers separating the chamber into smaller sections.

• A dozen beds for servants and attendants of the castle.

• Multiple shelves with books, games, and knick-knacks.

• During the day there’s a 4-in-6 chance of there being servants lounging around at the table or napping during the day.

• A staircase along the northern wall leads up to a locked door.

F14 - Servant Common Room

Light: Medium, the fireplace gives off warm light and arrow slits let in narrow beams of sunlight.

• A pair of large, comfortable loveseats facing a fireplace.

• Two desks, clean and containing writing materials.

• Two small bookshelves.

• Door connects to F15 - The Parapet.

F15 - Northwest Parapet

Light: Bright during the day (sunlight), low during the night (moon and starlight).

• Open-air parapet, bordered with crenelated battlements.

• Two Animated Suits of Armor stand guard, ready to jump to the defense of the keep, its soldiers, or its servants.

• Six Gargoyles hang out along the battlements of the NW Tower, occasionally heckling people passing by.

• Provides commanding view of the inner courtyard and the outer ward.

F16 - Northwest Tower, 2nd Floor

Light: Medium, wall sconces give off warm light and arrow slits let in narrow beams of sunlight.

• Tapestries of a tall, bearded man in robes (Ossifrage?) and several animal-headed knights and well-dressed nobles.

• Weapon and armor racks and barrels along the walls.

• Portcullises on east and south doors, controlled by levers.

• Two Animated Suits of Armor stand guard by the southern door, ready to jump to the defense of the keep, its soldiers, or its servants.

• Two Beastfolk Paladins guard the northwest door of the tower, which leads to Zone J - The Tower of Skiron.

F17 - Northwest Tower, 3rd Floor

Light: Medium, wall sconces give off warm light and arrow slits let in narrow beams of sunlight.

• A large, circular room filled with crates, barrels, and other storage containers.

• Surprisingly clean - no dust, mold, or dirt. A single glass jar sits in the middle of the room.

• Through the arrow slits, Gargoyles can occasionally be glimpsed and heard chatting amongst themselves.

• Beams crisscross the conical ceiling. Lack of light makes it hard to see what’s up there.

• An Ooze calls this chamber its home. It will drop down on unsuspecting PCs to get a tasty meal.

Ooze - STR 16, DEX 8, WIL 4 - HP 6

Slam (d6+1), No Armor

- Slow moving, prefers to ambush from above or below.

- Engulfs prey, dissolving their bodies and everything on them (except glass) within a few minutes.

- Creatures wounded by the ooze take an extra 1d2 STR damage on their next turns as the lingering acid burns them.

- Non-magical objects that touch the ooze must be cleaned off within 10 minutes or be permanently damaged.

- Indistinguishable from a puddle or oil slick when immobile.

F18 - Keep Gatehouse, 2nd Floor

Light: Dim, arrow slits let in narrow beams of sunlight during the day.

• Cramped room with poor ventilation. Six Beastfolk Guards stand ready at all times - they’re usually bored and play games of chance.

• Captain Trufflehunter, a badger-headed officer, is in charge of the gatehouse. Father to his men, fairly easy going.

• Portcullises on northern and southern doors, with a large wheel operating the gates into the keep - open during the day, kept shut at night.

• Southern portcullis is lowered and locked, with silver chains (1,000 gp) barring the way. Guards warn of an angry, vengeful spirit taking up the SW Tower.

• Captain Trufflehunter will ask the PCs to handle the situation if they’re brave enough. Offers them a reward of 500 gp and a commendation with Syr Waltheof FitzAllen if they can get rid of the ghost. 

• Wailing and screaming can be heard if one listens closely at the door.

• Machicolations (drop holes) and arrow slits along the western wall allow defenders to harass invaders in the outer ward.

• Two cauldrons of oil stand at the ready to be dumped through a pair of grated holes.

• Weapon racks along the eastern wall.

• A locked trapdoor leads down to E3 - Guard Mess.

Beastfolk Guard - STR 10, DEX 9, WIL 12 - HP 4

Sword (d6+1) and Crossbow (d6+1), Mail (1)

- Archaic speech peppered with animal sounds. Most have the heads of dogs, cats, or oxen.

- Dressed in ancient livery.

- Try to subdue and capture, not kill, but will take lives if needed. Captured PCs are taken to C3 - Empty Cell in the Castle Dungeons.

Captain Trufflehunter - STR 11, DEX 9, WIL 13 - HP 5

Mace (d6+1), Mail (1) & Shield (1)

- Archaic speech peppered with animal sounds. Badger-headed.

- Dressed in ancient livery with a pin denoting their rank.

- Issues orders to nearby guards but leads from the front.

F19 - Southwest Tower, 2nd Floor

Light: Dim, arrow slits let in narrow beams of sunlight during the day.

• A large chamber, dust fills the air and trash and refuse covers the floor.

• Tapestries, shelves, and weapon racks have been torn from the walls.

• A presence is felt, a shape flits about in the corners of a PC’s eye.

• The Tower Ghost, which hates the living and will attack unprovoked, slamming doors shut and dropping the portcullises as it wails.

Tower Ghost, First Form - STR 10, DEX 11, WIL 14 - HP 10

Bludgeon (d6, only when animating an object), No Armor

- Immune to non-magical damage and effects, but can be warded off by holy objects.

- Possesses living creatures that fail WIL saves, taking control of their bodies.

- Will animate physical objects, allowing it to harm creatures.

- Mad, incapable of reason. Wails and screams constantly.

- Flees upstairs to F19 when defeated, unless banished outright.

F20 - Southwest Tower, 3rd Floor

Light: Dim, arrow slits let in narrow beams of sunlight during the day.

• A large chamber, dust fills the air and trash and refuse covers the floor.

• Tapestries, shelves, and weapon racks have been torn from the walls.

• Through the arrow slits, Gargoyles can occasionally be glimpsed and heard chatting amongst themselves (they are very quiet when the ghost is around).

• A magic circle has been drawn in the center of the room - a skeleton partially buried under wooden beams and refuse.

• The skeleton is the remains of the ghost, which will continue to haunt the tower unless banished or laid to rest.

• Destroying or damaging the magic circle reverts the Ghost back to its original form.

• A portcullis blocks the southwest door of the tower, which leads to Zone I - The Tower of Lips.

Tower Ghost, Second Form - STR 12, DEX 13, WIL 17 - HP 13

Bludgeon (d6), No Armor

- Immune to non-magical damage and effects, but can be warded off by holy objects.

- Possesses living creatures that fail WIL saves, taking control of their bodies.

- Hurls inanimate objects around the room, striking foes from a distance.

- Furious about its embarrassing demise - screams and wails. Creatures that hear it must succeed on a WIL save or take d6 WIL damage. Creatures dropped to zero WIL this way become violently insane instead of catatonic.

- If defeated but not banished or laid to rest, the Ghost returns after 1 hour.

F21 - Chapel Loft

Light: Bright, sconces line the walls and sunlight pours in through the stained glass during the day.

• Looked doors on east and west walls connect to the southern parapets.

• Ornate interior with stained glass windows depicting Ossifrage and his family.

• The windows are magically reinforced to be hard as steel.

• A pair of stairs lead down to E15 - Castle Chapel. Two stone pews sit in front of each staircase. Loft looks down on the chapel below.

• Double doors lead to a small balcony overlooking the courtyard.

F22 - Brother Trakr’s Quarters

Light: Bright, sconces on the walls and sunlight pours in through the stained glass during the day.

• Door is locked when Brother Trakr isn’t in the room. Key is on his person.

• Comfortable-looking bed and nightstand. Desk faces the southernmost stained-glass window. Covered in grimoires and journals.

• Locked drawer contains a silver holy symbol (depicting Ossifrage’s face over a star, worth 150 gp). Symbol doubles as the key to the safe.

• A large, locked safe sits by the door. No handle, just an indentation shaped like a star.

• The ornate Warder’s Thurible, a spellbook, a pouch containing platinum coins (2,000 gp), the Sword of Syr Roland Greatsnout, a slip of paper with the words “Frothy Mug” written on it, and a dozen silver offering plates (200 gp each).

• Sectioned off space with a garderobe (toilet).

• Brother Trakr, a sheepdog-headed  beastfolk, sleeps and studies here. 2-in-6 chance he is in his room, otherwise he’s downstairs in E15 - Castle Chapel.

The Sword of Syr Roland Greatsnout (Artifact) - d8+2 (Martial, Superior)

A surprisingly humble-looking sword with nicks and cuts along its blade. The blade instills the wielder with a greater sense of combat awareness - attacks against them must always go through Hit Protection, even if the attacker could normally bypass HP. Once drawn, the blade compels the wielder to protect those around them - they cannot leave the battlefield if an ally yet needs their aid.

The Warder’s Thurible (Relic) - 3 Charges

An ornate, silver thurible on the end of a long chain. Images of the four Tower Beasts cover much of the device. By burning incense and swinging the thurible back and forth, the user can ward off demons and the undead - they cannot approach and must succeed on a WIL save or become terrified of the thurible and attempt to flee. This effect ends when the incense burns out or the users stops swinging the thurible. To recharge, the lantern must mix incense with ashes from a demon or angel and let it burn inside the thurible for 8 hours.

F23 - Southeast Tower, 2nd Floor

Light: Medium, wall sconces give off warm light and arrow slits let in narrow beams of sunlight.

• Six Animated Suits of Armor stand guard, surrounding a large pillar supporting the tower. They are ready to jump to the defense of the keep, its soldiers, or its servants.

• A staircase, covered in cobwebs and dust as one goes higher, leads up to an old, locked door. A small panel sits at eye level. Connects to F24.

• Two Beastfolk Paladins guard the southeast door of the tower, which leads to Zone H - The Tower of Euros.

F24 - The Bone Dry Saloon (Southeast Tower, 3rd Floor)

Light: Bright, wall sconces and chandeliers give off warm light and arrow slits let in narrow beams of sunlight.

• Door is locked, bounced by an off-duty Beastfolk Paladin. The password to get in is “Frothy Mug.”

• A large chamber converted into a speak-easy or tavern.

• Several tables and dozens of stools and chairs crammed into the space.

• Most patrons are guards and servants, but the occasional Imp and Hedge Knight/Mage can be found. Even a few folks claiming to be lost travelers.

• Animated instruments play on a small stage on the western side of the room.

• Johnny Bootlegger, the bartender, appears to be a zombie or some form of undead. Doesn’t let it get him down.

• Tries to be helpful, often offers up rumors and gossip.