The Living Dungeon

[rdanhenry]

Done for the May/June Lite Challenge, this map was created on the inspiration of this picture:

Dungeon Entrance44.jpg

What I ended up with was this (well, this final version adds a secret door where I missed adding a door in the original):

The Living Dungeon.jpg

And here is all the lore I wrote while the map was in progress (edited at last):

“So, you are thinking of heading out to Aklov’s Masterwork, are you?” the grizzled old bear of a man questioned his way into a group of adventurers who realized that they had probably been talking too loudly for a quiet inn. “You know why they call it the Living Dungeon?”

“Every delve needs a colorful name?” guessed the little “scout”.

The man laughed. There was humor in his laugh, but darker currents underneath. He had scars that suggested that he’d only lived to show them by giving back far worse.

“There’s some truth in that, but it’s rather more literal than that.”

“Oh, dear!” exclaimed an androgynous humanoid who was as beautifully handsome as handsomely beautiful. “It isn’t one of those ghastly giant monsters that you have to go running through the guts of to kill, is it? That’s so nasty! I’d rather raid the Crimson Hells.”

“No, no. Not as bad as that. It isn’t some huge monster that you run through like a dungeon crawl. It is an actual dungeon, stone floors, walls, and ceilings. Mostly. There’s creatures inside and treasure, too. It is alive, though. A living, thinking thing that lies immobile in the earth, just waiting for you to come inside and feed it.”

“Feed it?” the hairy one that was as wide as he was tall asked. “I thought you said it wasn’t a beast.”

“It is not. As I said, it is truly a dungeon, but to stay at full health, it needs to gather outside energies to fuel its functions. It cares not whether you kill the inhabitants or they kill you. Either way, inert organic matter will be left available for what passes for the dungeon’s digestive functions. It’s all analogies to biological processes we don’t much understand. I’ve seen a shiny silver and white city on another plane where they claimed to understand the innermost workings of life. Me, I spent my education more in learning the ways of death.”

“I can respect that,” the hairy one said. “It just wants some corpses, then? We can provide those. We just want to loot them before the dungeon does what it wants with them.”

“One way or another, if you enter Aklov’s Masterwork, you will surely provide corpses. If you live, you should be well supplied with treasure. Optimistic fools of all kinds go in, carrying their own little treasures. They pile up in time, until someone succeeds in removing them.”

“How do you know all this?” asked the mysterious man in black, dark except for the shine of his polished metal buckles and his intense eyes.

“How do I know? From experience. Aklov was a crazy old wizard three hundred or so years ago and he made the Living Dungeon as a final go at a lasting legacy. So many have gone in, heroes, mercenaries, drifters, wandering encounters, bands of bandits, gobs of goblins, shambling beasts, and curious little cats. Some of them come out again. Actually, I think those that live there are free to come and go. Intruders have to go through to the rear exit in order to depart, to ensure a good bit of nourishing violence.”

The feline female, last of the group to address the stranger, asked, “This cat is not so little, but she is curious. What else can you tell us? And what is your price?”

“No price. I invested wisely after I made it out alive. A few other profitable ventures and a few more investments resulted in my being one of the richest men in the wooded hill country. I can’t tell you much of value. It has been too long, much probably will have changed. There are analogies to a normal living thing in that place, but it is all analogies, not exact matches. Watch out for the acid pit. That is likely still there. I cannot offer much in the way of theory or even technical observations. I was not the brains of the outfit, I was the brawn.”

“And the brains?” the “scout” asked.

“Only two of us made it out again. The other is known as Mad Bloody Axe Phillip the Bone-Bedecked, so you might guess he was brawn as well. Last I heard, he was settled into life as a supervisory pillager with the Ouskvin raiders. He’d tell you the same as I, the one thing you need to be clear on before you go in. The only way out is through. Don’t think you’ll be able to retreat halfway in. That’s what happened to us. We ran out of healing potions, buffing herbs, and raw spell power in the middle of the dive. We’d gotten used to hit-and-retreat tactics and did not come adequately prepared nor did we nurse our resources. You need to do both if you hope to fare better.”

The man turned to go, but added a few more words as he went.

“If you do manage to do so, look up Darin Trollwreaker when you go by Ravensburg. I’d like to hear what the old place is like these days, and maybe you’ll even have learned a few of its secrets. I’ll throw the survivors a celebratory feast.”




Once they were down the stairs at the end of the entrance hallway, the walls changed. The entry looked like a little castle gate, the interior walls and floor had been smoothly worked and fitted stone, but once the real interior was reached, it was all a bit rough-hewn. The floors were basically smooth, but the walls and ceilings had only been roughly carved from the native stone. Even the occasional crack in the stone had not been plastered over.

This was not entirely unexpected. The little sage in the pricey little village styled Wyvern Heights had told them as much, for a fee he justified by referring to the outlandish rents he 'had to pay' to be close to his research subjects (what exactly he was researching in a luxurious hilltop settlement for the elite, he was rather vague on). Aklov, it seemed had wanted to keep to the theme of his "living dungeon" by making the appearance more "organic" and less "engineered" by leaving it as rough as was compatible with assuring a functional delve. Moisture gleamed on many of the walls, the dampness contributing to the sense that they were in a creature of stone.

So far, the fighting had been easy enough. They had encountered a couple of silvercats that probably wouldn't have fought if they hadn't been cornered and some Blood Horde goblins that probably would have fought if the intruders had been trolls with blatantly magical weapons. The Blood Horde was fierce and savage, but they were still just goblins, and there hadn't been that many. Now, they sought the source of the sound they'd been hearing almost since they first entered: a steady, rhythmic throbbing.

Beyond a door, they found the source of the sound. A large mass of metal pulsed with steady movement and the noise of water being moved through pipe. It was a pump system of some kind, though more complicated than any the adventurers had ever seen. They had no immediate chance to study it, however, as from around the other side of the great machine slithered a thing that was not a wolf, was not a lizard, was not a bird, and yet was not a fire-spouting stag, but somehow suggested all of these at once...





“The road to the Living Dungeon goes straight through the woods, a low wall to either side, but the whole gradually lowering compared to the surrounding landscape, for the entrance to the Living Dungeon is not raised above the land, but allows one to walk straight into the underground interior. Because of this design, you must beware ambushes on the road. The wood folk are not above ambushing and looting those they regard as suicidal in the first place.”

“Ambushes in the woods,” the stout, hairy one said with a roll of his eyes. “That’s a revelation.”

The look that the little sage gave in response was probably meant to be withering, but he was a little scholar and possibly the only one in the room who hadn’t met something that made “if looks could kill” a non-hypothetical, so it was ineffective.

“I am aware that being attacked while traveling through a mysterious forest is not uncommon, especially for individuals in your profession. However, this particular journey moves it from the realm of likelihood to near-certainty. Terrain provides an advantage to the attackers and the regularity of would-be dungeon-looters along the route ensures that lookouts are kept steadily on watch.”

“In that case,” the “scout” asked, “would it not be prudent to walk along the edge of the embankment rather than down on the road, only descending once we reached the dungeon entrance?”

“That would make ambush somewhat more difficult, but if you are unfamiliar with the risks of the local flora, it might make a more hazardous approach. There are sinister plants and fungi that threaten the unaware. Old magic protects the roadway, but once you depart from it, you are at risk. There may also be snares and traps set by the wood folk. These also are rapidly undone by the protective spells on the road itself, but without that protection, you must judge whether your skills would make the risks less than those of accepting attack from above.”

The sage scratched his head and creased his brow for a moment, then brightened.

“Ah! Even if you travel the forest itself, you are likely to be ambushed from above. The tree folk are quite adept at perching in trees and moving from one to another without descending. It is probably best to stay on the road.”

The feline looked up from where she had seemed to be napping, eyes shining.

“If we stay on the road, it is just forest all the way to the dungeon?”

“Yes, although above the entrance itself, you will find a flowering meadow. It is possible that the dungeon has some control over this meadow. It was Aklov’s conceit that this meadow, with its long, flowering grasses, would exist as the dungeon’s hair.”





A few dozen wood folk lay dead behind them. Before them was the entrance to the Living Dungeon, like the gate of a little castle buried in the forest soil.

"It does not look like anything special," said the mysterious man in black. "I mean, it looks a little like a face, but that's only because we are naturally inclined to see things as faces. A circle, two dots, and a line are all it takes."

A low, rumbling laugh came from the yawning entrance.

"Perhaps there is more to the things of this world than their superficial appearances. I like to think that I am at least a little bit special."

The eyes of the androgynous humanoid widened. "So, it is true! You do speak!"

"On the occasion that I have something that I wish to say. You are welcome to enter, but you do so at your own risk. A living dungeon is still a dungeon, full of peril and promise. If you are worthy of the rewards, that should be warning enough. I have spoken."

"Any hints about what's inside you at the moment?"

There was no reply.

[rdanhenry]

And for anyone who might want to actually adopt this dungeon for use in their RPG, I offer this:

DUNGEON KEY

The approach to the Living Dungeon* is largely explained in the texts above. It should be noted that vines and roots, along with bits of other growth, are fairly plentiful along the slopes down to the roadway. The forest may be of any type suitable to the region in which the GM places the Living Dungeon, but it should be fairly thick woods, offering plenty of cover for ambushes and easy travel from tree to tree above the forest floor for the natives. (* - To be referred to with a capitalized ‘Dungeon’ when referring to the intelligent entity, but sometimes as plain ‘dungeon’ when simply referring to the structure.)

In general, except for the stairs leading down to rooms 20 and 21, as well as the final section with stairs and landings, the dungeon is modestly sloped, such that it would not normally be noticed except by those making something like a engineering skill check or having an innate sense for underground passages. It is just enough to allow water to flow as desired. Each and every room has an opening in the ceiling two or three inches across through which water may be pumped. In theory, this could be used to drown intruders, but the Dungeon has never done this. The purpose is to wash materials to the acid pit in room 48 and out the rear of the dungeon. Thus the slope is down toward the center path (from 1 to 64) from the sides of the dungeon, and it is also sloped down from front to back.

The few permanent features are here described normally. The usual stock of creatures and treasures changes over time, and the Living Dungeon may easily be tuned to be suitable for novice to nigh-godlike individuals by adjusting the residents (and, if need be, the Living Dungeon’s capacities with regard to room 20 especially). [In order to facilitate speed of adapting this dungeon to play in the system of your choice, suggested contents for rooms is placed within square brackets like this text. These entries are but suggested possibilities to help the busy GM along. While some will connect together, there is no overall plot to them and they may be used in part, while other sections are ignored.]

1. The entrance to the Living Dungeon is a little castle gateway flanked by two small towers, but there is no castle behind it, only an entrance into the earth. There is also no door or gate to bar the entrance. The look of it somewhat suggests a face, with the tips of the towers as pointed ears, two firing slits suggesting eyes above the gaping mouth of the gateway. One might even fancy the meadow grasses beyond as hair above the crenelated brow.

Inside, there is a portcullis, which will be raised initially. The mechanisms are buried inside the earth and were magically sealed in stone, so while it is theoretically possible to dig them out, this is a job more suitable for a mining company than a band of adventurers (and the noise would surely draw attention). It was intended that the Living Dungeon should have sole control of this gate. Once all have passed inside, the portcullis will lower and lock in place. If there is a reluctance for all to enter, the Dungeon will usually try to draw those still outside into it, but if this does not work, it has no problem splitting the party.

Just beyond the portcullis is a grate across the width of the corridor. When it rains, water flowing in is drained through this passage and used in the Dungeon’s water circulation system. Through mechanisms that are buried and controlled by the Dungeon, the drain can be closed to let water flow on into the dungeon normally. This is a narrow passage, and characters who cannot fit through a two-inch slot will not be able to invade the water system.

Past the grate is a beautiful red carpet, the Dungeon’s metaphorical tongue. If it is removed from the corridor, or destroyed, the Dungeon loses the power of speech until it is replaced.

Not far beyond that is a bladed pendulum trap. The Dungeon can elect not to have it trigger, but rarely has a reason to do so. It can also reset the trap when it wishes, but will not do so while the trap is being observed. If the pendulum is examined once it comes to rest, an inscription may be noticed, reading “uvula” in whatever language the GM thinks is most suitable for Aklov.

2. This room generally is either empty or contains some creature(s) that came in for temporary shelter. It contains the first interior door that will be encountered. The doors vary in size, but all are of solid wood, normally opening easily. The Dungeon, however, can open and close all doors and may cause them to jam shut (this is largely to control the air circulation and sometimes water flow, but it may be done to play with intruders). The doors do not move with any great force, and normal precautions can ensure that a door stays open or shut. Creatures that take up residence and have the capability of doing so sometimes add locks, bars, bolts, and/or door traps to secure their territory.
This room is also where the surfaces change from the “finished castle” look of the entry corridor to the rough and unfinished look of the rest of the dungeon (though the floors are smooth to assist with moving materials through).
[A frightened fox, who will growl in a corner, attacking only in self-defense.]

3. [A small scatter of coins may be found with successful perception. They recently fell out of a hole in a pocket.]

4. [Empty]
From here or from room 5, explorers will become aware of a rhythmic mechanical thump. Following the sound will lead them to room 7. The sound can be heard at varying distances, depending on whether or not doors are open at the time. If rooms 9 or 23 are between a location and room 7, that location will have the thumping of room 7 drowned out by the noise of the air circulation machinery, but otherwise, given open doors all the way, the thump can be heard softly to edges of the dungeon down to the bottom of the steps to room 65.

5. [Two bodies, killed in the last day or two. Looted.]

6. [A family of rabbits lives here. They venture out into the woods whenever they like, being small enough to fit through the portcullis even if it is lowered. They shelter here, safely, because nothing in a dungeon of any intelligence at all trusts a soft, fluffy, little bunny to be what it seems.]

7. This room is the beating heart of the Living Dungeon. A large machine with many pipes connecting it to the back wall, the floor, and the ceiling continues a steady pumping, controlling the fluid flow throughout the dungeon.
Attempts to interfere with this machinery face the risk of setting off various traps, some of a simple mechanical nature, others spouting hot steam. The pumping machinery is of sturdy construction and is not easily tampered with. Water is doled out as needed to keep dungeon inhabitants hydrated, to flush debris to room 48, and to flush out the whole dungeon down corridor 64 on out through room 67.

[A ceiling-crawling predator lurks here, knowing that the pump will draw attention to itself, away from the predator, making ambush easier. Use a giant spider if your system doesn’t offer any more interesting obvious choice.]

8. If the door to room 9 is open, a warm breeze will be felt from that direction. The noise from room 7 (Thump! Thump! Thump!) is quite loud here, even with the doors closed.

[Someone not careful may step into a pile of rabbit droppings.]

9. This is another room dominated by machinery. Here, the large machine connected to floor and ceiling by multiple pipes is combined with a set a large rotating fans. Less noisy individually than the great pumping station in room 7, the collective noise of these machines is still considerable and will penalize attempts to listen to other sounds.

The central unit does move some air, but it is mostly a heating unit, and this room provides warm air to heat the dungeon when needed. Like the water pump, it contains some traps to discourage tampering. The fans are not trapped, but they are rapidly-moving steel, and anyone stupid enough to slip a hand through the metal frame that holds one will risk serious damage to that hand.

[One humanoid, keeping watch, who will try to slip away down corridor 10 without being noticed. If he succeeds, the humanoids in rooms 11-19 will be alerted to the intrusion and surprising them will be impossible. If they are given time, they will organize their defense.]

[A sort of grill has been set up next to the central unit, drawing heat off of it to create a cooking surface. It is here that the humanoids do what cooking they require. A pair of tongs, a flipper, and a cooking fork hang by the grill.]

10. [This corridor is empty, though there is graffiti scrawled on the walls with chalk. It is in the language of the humanoid race that occupies this section of the dungeon and is mostly silly insults, boasts, and stupid jokes. The humanoids can be goblins, orcs, or similar beings suitable to the setting. They can even be a group of human bandits. If the player-characters are strong, the humanoids can easily be upgraded to something like ogres.]

11. [Guardroom. Half a dozen humanoids hang out here “on watch”. A table and chairs provide a place to gather while not under attack, which is almost all the time. They have a few decks of cards, maybe a simple board game that supports wagering. Each has a pouch of coins on his person. These guards will be in armor and fully armed. Additional weapons and shields are stored in this room. The chief guard has a horn which he will blow to signal the rest of the population if they are attacked without warning. If the watchful guard from room 9 is able to give warning, then he continues through to room 15, while one of the guards here briefly jogs down to room 17 to spread the alarm before returning to his station. If the guards are surprised, they will be in the middle of a card game. If approached in a friendly manner, they would be happy to gamble with strangers, though there is a 25% chance that it will turn out that they use a marked deck that they all know for this purpose.]

[This room is also the food preparation area. One corner contains another, smaller, table and some food stores, plates, cups, and some kitchen utensils.]

12. [Barrels are used to collect water here, while a small tub serves as a wash area. There are towels and soap.]

13. [Sleeping quarters. There are beds here for eight of the humanoids, as well as a pair of wardrobes and a chest of drawers where some spare clothing and minor personal effects are kept. If you want a cheap used comb, this is the place to loot. There is a small bag of coins hidden under one bed, as the watcher in room 9 does not carry anything that can jingle. One humanoid sleeps here if not alerted, armor scattered on the floor and a dagger as his only weapon.]

14. [There are several chamber pots in this corridor. When they start to get full, some unlucky humanoid gets the job of hauling them to room 48 to deposit in the acid pool. After one failed to return from this mission, the actual practice has become the throw the contents into room 48 as quickly as possible, leaving the matter of getting the waste material into the pool to the Dungeon.]

15. [Residence for six more humanoids, similar to room 13. Five humanoids are present, unless there has been time to organize defenses. If surprised, they will not be wearing their armor, which is neatly piled on the floor. Each wears a coin pouch and a dagger. One wears an eye patch and fights a bit better than the others. If the eye patch is removed, a gem is discovered stashed in the empty eye socket.]

16. [Like corridor 14, a few chamber pots are stored here, though there are also some herbs in a vase and a little stone stool where ashy residue shows some have been burned there as well. This attempt does improve the smell. Some.]

17. The secret door here is well-concealed, and once it is detected, another roll is required to locate the opening mechanism (a small secondary secret panel that conceals a button to open the door). This door is rarely known to any dungeon inhabitants and is usually missed by intruders. A faint mental suggestion results in the door here typically being covered by any furnishings that would do so, making the door completely hidden unless those furnishings are moved.

[There are a large bed and two smaller beds in this room. A wardrobe conceals the secret door. There are two small chests, a dresser, and a small table. One chest contains a modest stash of treasure, the other assorted items of moderate value kept because one of the inhabitants thought they were interesting. This is the bedchamber of the humanoid leader and two bodyguards. The bodyguards are somewhat better fighters than the norm, while the leader is the best fighter in the group and has some superior equipment, magical if suitable. Even if not alerted, one of the bodyguards will be armored up, and all have good weapons at hand. If not alerted, there is a 50% chance of 1-3 females in the room.]

18. [Barrels are used to collect water here, while a small tub serves as a wash area. There are towels and soap.]

19. [Beds are here for nine female humanoids. This room is a bit neater than the rest and decorated a bit. Three wardrobes and two dressers contain extra clothes and personal effects. The females wear daggers and coin pouches. If not surprised, they will have short swords ready, but these are otherwise kept in a rack near the door where they cannot be reached if someone rushes in.]

20. The secret doors become increasingly difficult to locate, as do the separate opening mechanisms as one progresses from room 17 to the secret door to the hidden chamber behind room 21. The stairs are steep and possibly dangerous if the intruders are heavily loaded. Anyone encumbered with excessive gear should need to make an appropriate check to avoid tripping and falling for minor damage on the way down.

The central object in room 20 is the “brain” of the Living Dungeon, a mass of shimmering crystals and glowing fungi. So long as this brain is intact, the rest of the dungeon can be quickly regenerated to restore it to its original condition after damage is done to the structure. Damaged walls or doors generally take no more than a day or two to return to normal (though the Dungeon allows modifications by residents to remain while these serve to make the residents more comfortable and happy). Restoring the machinery in rooms 7, 9, and 23 is trickier, taking up to a week if truly wrecked.

Within this chamber, the brain possesses substantial psychic powers, and it will attempt to obtain its own advantage, possibly negotiating and quite likely attacking with a suitable mental assault. Details will depend on the system used, but the Living Dungeon should be a formidable opponent in its brain chamber, and victorious parties should feel that they have defeated the Big Boss. It should also be noted that the brain itself is large and fairly resistant to damage.
If the brain is destroyed, then the dungeon will not regenerate. The brain itself can take anywhere from three months to a year to regenerate, depending on whether excessive damage is done to smash it beyond the point of “death”. However, so long as the soul of the Dungeon has remained intact, the brain will regenerate itself, at which point it will begin repairing the dungeon and probably plotting a scheme of revenge on those who dared do it harm.

21. This is the “secret treasure room” of the Living Dungeon, designed largely to distract successful intruders from the extremely-well-concealed secret door here. Ideally, having found the great treasure trove of the dungeon, the intruding party will leave in triumph.

[Coins, gems, and jewelry glitter in piles. Fine armor and weapons, some magical, are on display. There are some excellent art pieces and a small collection of additional magical items as the GM will allow.]

If the final secret door is discovered and opened, there is inside a black obelisk of exceptionally hard and dense stone, engraved with golden glyphs. It is difficult to damage, but cannot take as much damage as the “brain” before expiring. This is the “soul” of the Living Dungeon, the very heart of its life force. If the soul is somehow discovered while the brain still lives, then the soul can use magic to defend itself in an intelligent way. In all likelihood, however, it will only be uncovered if the brain is already “dead”, in which case it has only an automatic response. As soon as the secret door is opened, the obelisk crackles with power and releases an electrical discharge through the doorway so long as there is any target available. This is relatively low-powered compared to what it could accomplish with spells when the brain guided it, but it should still be a threat to a party weakened by the fights on the way here.

22. [The middle twenty feet of this corridor are scattered with caltrops.]

23. This is another room dominated by machinery. Here, the large machine connected to floor and ceiling by multiple pipes is combined with a set a large rotating fans. Less noisy individually than the great pumping station in room 7, the collective noise of these machines is still considerable and will penalize attempts to listen to other sounds.

The central unit does move some air, but it is mostly a cooling unit, and this room provides cold air to cool the dungeon when needed. Like the water pump, it contains some traps to discourage tampering. The fans are not trapped, but they are rapidly-moving steel, and anyone stupid enough to slip a hand through the metal frame that holds one will risk serious damage to that hand.

[An ice viper shelters under the cooling unit and will normally only attack if this resting place is disturbed. It is similar to a normal serpent and statistics for those can be used with the following differences: the ice viper is not only immune to cold-based attacks, but is healed by them; it takes extra damage from fire/heat attacks; and its venom causes a victim that does not resist to be transmuted into ice.]

24. [Two dead ratmen lie here. Their bodies have already been stripped of anything of value.]

25. [A large gong is here, along with a striker for it. It has some value, but probably not enough to justify trying to carry something so large and heavy back to civilization unless magical assistance in that matter is available. Sounding the gong will alert the creature in 26.]

26. [This was a barracks of sorts, but it has been torn up, the bodies of inhabitants likewise shredded. The creature that did this is still here. Something with formidable physical powers and a bit of magical ability as well. A small dragon could do, or even a mutant tiger that shoots flames from its eyes.]

27. [A good supply of mundane weapons and gear is stored here, along with a small supply of coin. The door was provided a lock by the barracks inhabitants, which saved this stash, but did the inhabitants little good. The key was lost or destroyed in the slaughter, so access requires picking the lock or forcing the door or some less conventional solution.]

28. [A giant centipede is sleeping here. It will attack if it feels threatened, but will otherwise be non-aggressive.]

[rdanhenry]

29. The two niches each contain a stone statue of a winged woman holding a sword aloft. These have no special features, except that close inspection will reveal that the statues are not identical, but portray two different women. They were two of Aklov’s apprentices who posed for the sculptor. It is highly unlikely that players will discover that, however.

[A pair of old ratmen are sweeping the floor here. If they have the chance, they will slip away down corridor 30 before intruders reach this room. Otherwise, they’ll bolt down the corridor. Neither is much of a fighter, but they have daggers if forced to defend themselves.]

30. [Three traps are installed in this corridor. The ratmen avoid them automatically, it being almost an instinct at this point. All are activated by tripwires. Two trigger a bank of ceiling-mounted dart-throwers with poison darts. The middle one drops chemical fire instead.]

31. [Areas 30-37 are the territory of the dungeon’s longest residents, a group of ratfolk created by Aklov’s own magical uplifting of his laboratory rats in order to produce a ready workforce. After the great mage’s death, their population expanded beyond what his own complex could support and a group colonized the Living Dungeon. This room is equipped with defensive positions including a pair of heavy tripod-mounted crossbows. Individual ratfolk are equipped with short bows, light crossbows, slings, or various throwing weapons (knives, shuriken, darts, and the like). If combat should go hand-to-hand, they have mostly light or no armor, but are well-equipped for weapons. If alarm has been raised, ratfolk will gather here to make a stand with their defensive barriers to give them some advantage. If there has been no warning, there will still be guards on duty to challenge intruders. Note that combat is not at all inevitable. The ratfolk are certainly wary. One does not survive in a dungeon without caution. However, they are a peaceful folk by preference. Those who really impress them as decent, civilized people will be informed of the special properties of room 39. Note that even the ratfolk have no knowledge of the Dungeon’s brain or soul.]

[Wall-mounted lamps provide light. There are several ratfolk with some minor magical ability in the tribe, as well as a few champions who fight better than the others and tend to have some decent armor. All in all, if they are assembled in the defense of their home, they represent a serious obstacle. Other than whatever magical gear they may have, their only real valuables are personal jewelry. Hoarding wealth is not a driving force in their little culture.]

32. [Storage area for ordinary goods: rope, wire, tools, lamp oil, cleaning supplies, and similarly ordinary gear may be had here either by looting or doing business with the ratfolk like civilized people.]

33. [Armory. Ratfolk who prefer not to wear more than a dagger may equip themselves from this well-stocked supply of weapons. Shields are also available. Armor is personal gear.]

34. [If the ratfolk have been alerted, a single ratwoman guards this corridor, armed with a polearm with a wicked blade and the sarcasm of her equally-wicked tongue. With luck, she will lure careless intruders unthinkingly into the trap in the corridor, which releases noise, smoke, and showers of glitter. The trap is non-lethal since the youngest children are not trusted to be completely efficient in avoiding the tripwire. It is, however, highly disorienting, allowing the ratwoman to effectively surprise the victims with her following attack.]

35. [This is the gathering and dining area of the ratfolk. There is a small library of scrolls, several tables and various chairs and benches. A handful of musical instruments are available, as are a few of the locally-popular games, as this is the entertainment area as well. Normally, there are some ratfolk hanging out here. Wall-mounted lamps provide illumination.]

36. [This area serves as a combination of kitchen, pantry, and workroom for the brewing of chemicals. It appears cluttered and disorganized, but a closer inspection will reveal to the perceptive mind that it is only chaos on the surface and is, in fact, highly efficient in its arrangements. Two narrow chimneys, inadequate for entry or exit unless you can turn yourself to smoke, allow the air to remain breathable here. Usually, there are at least a few ratfolk at work here, including a large cook who wields her cleaver with lightning speed and one of the ratfolk magicians, who works on the more exotic materials needed by the ratfolk. They will go to room 31 if there is word of an attack. An oil lamp illuminates the magician’s work area from a modest distance, not too close to potentially explosive mixing. Otherwise, this room is mainly lit by stovefire. There are some candles available, as well.]

37. [This is the mass sleeping-chamber of the ratfolk. Other than bedding materials, there is little here. Wall-mounted lanterns provide low light, while some wardrobes store the modest clothing of the residents. The young and reproducing females will retreat here if there is warning of attack.]38. [A few empty bottles have been left in this hall.]

39. The ceiling of this room consists of white quartz crystals. Aklov made this room as an analogy to a liver, though the Living Dungeon really has no need of such functionality. Any drugs or poisons in this room will be “cleansed” in a matter of twenty minutes, whether in a living creature’s system or applied to a weapon or kept in a container.

Many groups of intelligent inhabitants of the Living Dungeon have learned the secret of this room and have used it both for medicinal purposes and to sober up after a party. At times, it has even served as a neutral ground for two or three groups which preferred to share this valuable resource rather than risk losing access in a needless fight.

[A reptilian humanoid is sleeping here, the last survivor of the group that was dwelling in rooms 58 & 59. He will readily trade his knowledge of the dungeon, such as it is, for safe passage out of a place where he doubts he can survive alone.]

40. [A tripwire is strung twenty feet down this hallway. It does not connect to anything, so if not detected, it will not do worse than cause a stumble, but if detected, it may cause some delay before it can be worked out (if it is) that it is not a trigger for a trap.]

41. [This room is elegantly furnished and contains a strange little man who is painting a masterfully-rendered landscape in oil paints. The man is actually a fairly powerful spell-caster who is on good terms with the Dungeon, and the room is covered in illusion. The furnishings are functional, but plain, while in reality, his painting is crudely rendered. The man will attempt to get the party killed, though indirectly. He prefers to appear friendly and offer bad advice. He will be a dangerous fight if attacked, with his only valuables a few magical items which he will employ in his defense. He will prefer to escape from combat, if possible, and return to indirect means to try to kill the intruders. He is not personally interested in killing visitors to the Living Dungeon, but it is part of his “rental agreement” that he give it at least a try.]

42. [This room is currently storing art supplies and a collection of mediocre works.]

43. [Anyone listening while in this corridor will hear a buzzing noise from room 44.]

44. [A nest of giant hornets is here. Intruders are not welcome. The bodies of three former adventuring intruders are on the floor, their equipment still there. If recovered, there is a fair supply of ordinary dungeon-diving equipment, but magically, they were significantly less well-supplied (minor item or two at best).]

45. [This room has been set up as a clothes closet. Unfortunately, much has been ruined, though some good clothing may still be had once the giant moth is defeated.]

46. [An animated skeleton is kept in this closet. As soon as the door is opened, it will attack.]

47. [A collection of amphorae are stored here. They contain dried beans and grains.]

48. In the center of the room is a bubbling green pool of hot acid. There is no safety rail, because this is where organic materials are meant to end up. The acid dissolves them and their energy is absorbed by the Living Dungeon in a very magical way that defies conventional biological explanation. Suffice it to say that entering this pool while still alive is a very bad idea, as it combines the risks of drowning, acid damage, and heat damage. Sending an opponent into this pool is a much better idea, but one that means you should forget about ransacking the body.

Every few months, depending on diet, the pool is purged. First, the acid is allowed to cool and is neutralized until it is no stronger than orange juice. The bottom of the pool is raised up slowly, while water is poured in (usually through all five corridors leading into the room) to help move the exhausted digestive fluid along corridor 64 and out of the dungeon. Once the pool floor is level with the room floor and the room has been flushed, material that survived the acid bath is left exposed for awhile to allow dungeon residents to claim anything they want. Then the pool floor slowly sinks back down to its normal level, fresh acid flowing into the pool out of vents that lead nowhere (its all magic here) and heating back up to its normal level.

[A large toad-like creature dwells here. It is amphibious and immune to both fire/heat and acid, so this is a perfect place for it. It will attack those it regards as easy prey, but it will dive into the safety of the pool if it feels threatened. It has swallowed several gemstones, so it if killed and gutted, a good reward may be had.]

49. [The skeletons of two deer lie here.]

50. [This little hall or room appears empty, but if the ceiling is examined, a finger with a ring still on it may be seen secured by spider-webs. A fist-sized venomous spider will object it its removal, but the ring is a nice piece of jewelry and has some minor magical power. If no other power is preferred by the GM, have it provide the ability to light a fire three times per day.]

51. [A badly-hurt adventurer lies on the brink of death. If shown kindness, she will warn of the toad creature in room 48. Unfortunately for those more interested in looting her corpse, acid and battle-damage have ruined just about everything she had. It is too late for non-magical healing to save her, but if magic is used to keep her in this world, she will accompany the party back to civilization. She is weakened and has lost most of her gear, but she may have a bit of whatever abilities the party may be in need of at the moment (except, obviously, for healing magic).]

52. [Empty.]

53. [This room is set up for candle-making, with vats, molds, spools of wick, cutting tools for the wick, dyes, etc. It was used by the cultists who previously inhabited room 60 to make candles for their rituals. Two baskets containing about twenty candles each hold finished product. One basket contains red candles, the other black candles.]

54. [Some rats are here. They flee when disturbed.]

55. [A severed hand was left here. It is currently being reduced by maggots and ants.]

56. [Empty.]

57. The secret door to room 60 is easy enough to find, but the mechanism to open it from this side is hidden on the opposite end of the hall (near the door to room 5. This, too is not too difficult to discover and operate, but only if one looks in the right place.

[Empty.]

58. [Charred bits of wood and straw remain to suggest that this room had recently been furnished. Eight reptilian humanoids lie dead and badly burned. Whatever valuables they might have possessed were burned away or looted.]

59. [Four more reptilian humanoid corpses lie here, badly charred. Scorched stone, wood, and straw are scattered about. A single large chest was spared. It is open, and a careful inspection may reveal both that there was a poison needle trap in the lid that was triggered when it was last opened and that there is a false bottom that was missed when the chest was emptied. Under the false bottom is a small collection of gems and some scrolls that might be magical but more likely hold information to hook the next planned adventure.]

60. The secret door to hallway 57 is well-hidden from this side, but once found, so is the hidden button that opens it.

[A pair of large carnivorous lizards dwell here now. Some wrecked furniture and scraps of red cloth from ceremonial robes are all that is left of the little cult that last filled the lizards’ bellies. It has been long enough since then that they are ready to claim another meal.]

61. [An undead squirrel. Its eyes glow with unholy fire. While small, it retains its agility, and it should have at least a few enhancements due to its unnatural state. Increased physical toughness and extra damage from cold would be at the low end. Vampiric powers or a paralyzing bite would be suitable for challenging more powerful parties.]

62. [A hideous idol sits atop a wooden pedestal that is nothing by a cleanly-cut log stood on end. If it is taken, nightmares will haunt those who possess it, dreams of horrible savage rites. These may be eliminated by getting rid of the idol or by acting out the rites and becoming evil cultists. If the pedestal is overturned, it will be seen that the bottom was hollowed out in a square about four inches on each side and two inches deep. There is a bracelet of silver and emeralds secured there with a pair of nails that were hammered partly in, then bent to hold the bracelet.]

63. [Empty.]

64. [Blood is visible on the floor here and down the stairs, though it may be missed in poor light if the characters are not being perceptive.]

64a. [A corpse lies here, recently killed. Inspection will show that it bled out through an abdominal wound. The damage that did the injury also ruined the mail shirt this failed adventurer wore. However, there is a magical sword and a well-made, though mundane, dagger. A belt pouch has a good amount of coin, while if the corpse’s boots are removed, a ring may be found that was concealed in one.]

65. A colony of bats houses on the ceiling of this chamber. Guano may be present, if the dungeon has not been flushed out recently, but it will never build up the way it would in a cave. [These are ordinary bats, though the GM might provide some upgrade for a powerful or lucky party, either including some giant bats, a vampire in bat-form, or other special bats as provided by his preferred system.]

66. Another colony of bats lives here, as in room 65. [Again, these are normal bats unless the GM thinks that the players need some extra challenge at this point.]

67. Here, the Living Dungeon opens out to a cliff where a waterfall drops from thirty feet above, plunging to a rocky pool at the end of a ravine carved by the little forest river. When water (along with everything carried with it) flows out of the dungeon, it flows over the little ledge beyond the dungeon exit to join the waterfall. Outside, the ledge continues away to one side, allowing departure, leading up out of the ravine into the forest.

[Two large statues occupy this final chamber. They will not bother those who depart, but should any attempt to use this room to enter the dungeon, they come to life and strive to kill those attempting such an entry. They allow the bats to come and go freely, though, so if someone was to transform into a bat, this defense might be circumvented. However, such an intrusion would still face the hostility of a Living Dungeon that does not like being invaded from the rear.]

68. Mist from the waterfall and foliage hide this shelf from view, but the path away from the rear of the Living Dungeon is protected by two powerful enchantments. The first conceals it from discovery through minor mental suggestion upgrading to navigation-specific confusion for those who actually know that this path exists and are trying to enter the dungeon from this side. The second responds to anyone attempting to enter rather than depart the dungeon along this path by increasing its slipperiness to a dangerous level as well as using disorienting effects, such as flashing reflections off the water in blinding intensity, to make the journey hazardous. If the checks to negotiate this difficult terrain are failed, the result could be the relatively mild damage from crashing into the rock wall or tumbling down the slope until hitting a rock. It could, however, be a plunge into the rocky ravine below, where crashing into the water would be the best result.

[Arimel]

That is a lot of work! I like the written roleplay part a lot and the shading around the dungeon walls is a style I don't think I've seen before but works rather well.

[rdanhenry]

That is a lot of work! I like the written roleplay part a lot and the shading around the dungeon walls is a style I don't think I've seen before but works rather well.

Thanks. I just sort of scribbled away with various shades of gray with a rough brush to do the background shading, then put in a layer with some white to keep the dungeon itself clean.

It's my hope that somebody with actually get some use out of this in a game. And just to be clear, it is free to use, though if you play in a publicly-facing way (such as streaming), it would be right and decent to credit me. Also, I would be very interested in a report on how things went if it did get used.