G1 - Dungeon Level

It will be evident from merely descending the stairs and observing the walls that the masonry work is quite good, certainly superior to orcish work, except in a few places. The observant party will note that most of the stone-work is old, even that which bears recent chisel marks or is patched with new mortar and shored up with newly hewn stone. Passageway ceilings are arched and buttressed every 10 feet, with the peak of the arch about 17 feet overhead. Ceiling height in most smallish rooms in the dungeon is 20 feet or so, again arched and buttressed. In the large rooms and chambers the ceilings are 30 feet high. The overhead in the natural cavern area (19−21) is of varying height, passages about 10 feet, and large areas about 20 feet or more. The roof of cavern 23 is about 40 feet high. All natural cave areas have stalagmites.

Dungeon Level Wandering Monsters

All Non-Natural Areas: Encounter 1 in 12

  1. 4 ogres (hp 23, 22, 20, 27) seeking some orcs.
  2. The Keeper and his pet (from Room 2) out inspecting.
  3. 2 orcs (hp 7 each), two with heavy crossbows with poisoned bolts (Dmg 2 – 5 + poison) out raiding for food.

Other Areas: Encounter 1 in 20

In 19 – 20: 1 – 4 Subterranean lizards (from area 21)

In 21: 1 – 3 carrion crawlers coming up from the sinkholes

Dungeon Level Rooms and Areas

B. Boulder wall

G. Posts for rebel orc guards (2 ores from area 19)

W. Watch points for bugbear guards: one bugbear each.

1 · Marshalling Area

This room is primarily meant as the place where slaves are rounded up and sent about their tasks under guard. It is also used for the revels of the dungeon crew when off duty. There are a few smoky torches burning along the walls. The benches and tables are pushed out of the way against the walls, revealing a floor of blackish stone, much worn by the tread of countless feet.

2 · Chamber of the Keeper

The keeper is a ghastly hill giant, hunch-backed, twisted, and with but one good eye. He is thoroughly wicked and evil, strong, and remorseless. He is never without one of his two pet carnivorous apes and both are in his lair, one guarding to the north of the door, the other on a platform built above it! The keeper has a chain shin, and he fights with a battle axe +3. His room has many skins on the floor, a bed, table, chair, two boxes, several crates and barrels, one chest, and odds and ends of armor, weapons, furniture, tableware, and so forth. None has any value. A loose stone in the floor hides his treasure: 5,400 gp, five large spinets (worth 500 gp each), four huge garners (100 gp each), and a large earthenware jug which holds four potions of water breathing.

Encounter:
The Keeper [Hill Giant]
Carnivorous Apes [2]

3 · Cell Block

In the outer guard room are two bugbear guards armed with morningstars. If not engaged immediately, they will raise an alarm by striking a large brass gong near the door. If they are prevented from doing this, and are faced by an obviously superior enemy, they will direct the opponents to cell IV (see below), and when the party is occupied the bugbears will smite the alarm and flee. The room contains a table, two stools, torches, and keys to cells I, II, III, and V.

Encounter: Bugbear Guards [2]

In the cells are:

  1. A human prisoner, a merchant, now quite insane (hp 4).
  2. A human prisoner, an engineer, kept alive to help with the excavation of new areas of the dungeon. He cannot aid his rescuers, but he will take service
  3. Oaklock Gilderlief, an elf fighter / magic user chained to the wall. He will serve with any character of good alignment for 1 year after rescue without pay in gratitude for his freedom.
  4. Trap — Three skeletons, each wearing a brass ring with a glass gem. The bugbear guards will claim that they have been instructed to keep these skeletons safe, as there is something magical about them. They have no key to the cell to back up their tale, but the lock can be forced with ease. As soon as the cell door is opened, the three skeletons spring to attack with swords previously covered from view by dust and dirt.
  5. Large cell with five captured orc rebels. Three others of their number have already been tortured to death, so they will be very willing to help any creature promising them escape from the toils of the giants. These orcs will lead the party to room 19, if they wish, and will see them safely past the guards behind ​“B” if the PCs can handle the bugbear at ​“W” to the west of that place.

Encounter:
Oaklock Gilderlief [Elf — Fighter 5 / M-U 8]
Skeletons [3]
Orc Rebels [5]

4 – 8 · Bugbear Quarters Complex

Each of these areas will have a few torches and braziers burning. There will be a few hides and skins on the walls and floors, straw and similar litter mounded for bedding, a few stools and small crates, boxes and the like for (worthless) personal belongings, and tables with scraps of food and odds and ends of eating utensils upon them.

Encounter: Bugbears [12]

Encounter:
Argratin, Bugbear Captain
Bugbear Lieutenants [4]

Encounter: Bugbear guards [6]

9 – 11 · Slaves’ Quarters (Good Behavior area)

These areas have a few smoky torches on the walls and moldy straw strewn on the floor. Some benches are built into the walls. Each door is barred from the outside with a heavy iron rod.

Encounter: Unarmed Orc Slaves

12 – 14 · Slaves’ Quarters (Unruly)

At each position marked ​“W” is 1 bugbear (hp 16), armed with hand axe and morning star, constantly alert and watching. Each area is secured by a barrel gate through which the bugbears can see. Each set of bars is secured by lock and chain as well as bolt. The chambers are unlit, have only scanty straw, and are quite noisome with orcish odor.

Encounter: Unarmed Orc Laborers

15 · Torture Chambers

This large area contains various implements for torturing prisoners large and small. There are two racks, an iron maiden, thumbscrews, iron boots, chains, whips, branding irons, strappadoes, etc. A fire put in the center of the room gives it all a hellish light. There are two dozing hill giants behind the large rack to the north, one wearing a gold chain set with a fire opal (total value 2,000 gp intact, or 1,300 gp otherwise).

Encounter: Hill Giants [2]

16 · Armory and Smithy

Here are stacks of giant arms and armor, being repaired, or fabricated. In the area first entered are 19 pike-sized spears, 41 6-foot spears, 16 battle axes, nine two-handed swords, and other weapons and armor usable only by giants. A bit further on are some helmets balanced on shields and propped up by 6 each war hammers and maces, and if these are touched the whole will fall with a clatter to warn the Armorer and Smith of trouble. These two are fire giants who will immediately raise a shout and come to fight. They are by the forges and bellows in the eastern section of the area. There are seven dwarves chained there, forced to labor making weapons. Six of the latter are useless to the parry, being intent only on immediate escape, but one is an 8th level fighter who will serve with the party as long as he gets a treasure share equal to his level and a chance to fight giants. The fire giants each have a sack filled with 4,000 gp.

Encounter:
Fire Giants [2]
Mongo [Dwarf — Level 8 Fighter]

17 · Passage

This passage to 17A is blocked by stones: Orcs have piled finished and rough stones before the door to close it. The wooden door itself is bound with moldering hands of bronze and a heavy bronze it secures it. The corridor is disused, dusty, and reeks disgustedly.

17 A · Weird Abandoned Temple

This room is of faintly glowing purplish green stone, carved with disturbing shapes and signs which seem to stare out from the walls and columns, to shift position when the watcher’s back is turned. Touching the walls makes one chilled and contact with a pillar causes the one touching it to become nauseous.

At the far west end of the temple is an altar of pale, yellow-gray translucent stone. It feels greasy to the touch, but it has no effects upon those who touch it. Behind this altar is a flight of low, uneven steps which lead to an alcove with a concave back wall of purplish-black, glassy appearing substance. If any creature stands before this wall and gazes upon it for one round, a writhing amorphous form of sickly mauves and violets will be seen stretching its formless members towards the viewer. This sight causes the creature seeing it to have a 50% chance of becoming insane. If the creature does not go insane, a touch upon the curving will cause a scarab of insanity to appear upon the altar for the first one so doing, and a 5,000 gp gem for the next.

18 · Vestry

The visible walls of this place bear faint traces of disgusting murals and bas-relief depictions of nasty things. A flight of ridged, step-like stone slants steeply downward to-ward the south, but this way is completely blocked by tons of stone blocks and rubble.

19 · Natural Cavern

This place is part of the large area of natural caves and caverns which the ancient builders of the dungeon came upon. It is now inhabited by 78 orc escaped orc slaves, rebels against the hill giants, for whom the place is a sanctuary (see G, above). The orcs are armed with clubs, axes, daggers, and various cast-off weapons, although there are seven crossbows amongst them. There are three leader-types, 12 guards with great strength, and 63 others. They obtain food from raids, supplemented by fungus found in a subterranean cave which is entered through the sink hole in the south-east of the cavern. They have an uneasy truce with the troglodytes (see Area 20, hereafter) and trade food to these creatures for water. The total of the orcs’ treasure is 45 gp, 23 sp and 119 gp. If approached in a non-hostile manner they will become agreeable if fighting against bugbears and/​or giants is mentioned.

Encounter:
Orc Leaders [3]
Orc Guards [12]
Orcs [63]

20 · Troglodyte Cavern

A small tribe of frogs are forced to dwell here. There are 20 males, 13 females, and seven young (young are non-combatants with two hp). Being trapped between the orcs at Area 19 and the lizards to Area 21, they are crying to make do until they can escape. The leader has 4 gems (500 gp each), and there are seven mediocre (100 gp each) and two poor (50 gp) gems among the other males. They are regarded as holy things by the trogs and any creature touching the gems will be savagely attacked.

Encounter:
Troglodyte Males [20]
Troglodyte Females [13]
Orcs [63]

21 · Lizards’ Lair

A mated pair of exceptionally old and large subterranean lizards has chosen this spot to raise their four young. These reptiles occasionally dart forth on forays to hunt and devour troglodytes or ores, but their main hunting ground is the series of caves beneath their own, the entrance to which is through the sink hole at the cast edge of their lair. (The lizards feed upon the fungus and the fungus eaters.) They are without treasure,

Encounter: Subterranean Lizards [6]

22 · Partially Cleared Passage to Cistern

The well-lit chamber at the end of the broad passage is filled with a deep pool of water. This dark liquid is cool and wholesome to drink, and nothing dwells in it. It is an emergency water supply fed from several spouting springs which come through holes in the wall to the west. The pool is 14 feet deep, and at the bottom is a small outlet (large enough for a man to pass through) of finished stone, obviously man-made if anyone is there to see it. This outlet gives a slanting upward access to the stream which flows through cavern 23. Any creature going down the stream will come out about a mile below the steading in a small pond.

23 · Cavern of the Carrion Crawlers

All carrion crawlers in the whole complex of caves and caverns come to this area from time to rime to breed. Over the years a litter of bones has built up from the prey these creatures have dragged here to devour at leisure. All sorts of bones, human and otherwise, are heaped and piled here and there. Seldom does any other sort of creature venture into the place, for any that do usually end up by adding there bones to the litter. There are two crawlers in the northeast finger of the cavern. Every turn there is a 30% chance that 1 – 3 more of these monsters will appear from the north or south along the stream or by one of the sink holes.

Encounter: Carrion Crawlers [2]

There is a treasure in the place, but it will take three persons to search a 10 x 10 foot square area 1 turn. Each area thoroughly checked might discover some treasure, but each such area may be searched but once. Use the following table to determine what is found.

1d100 Treasure
01 – 25 None
26 – 35 1 – 100 cp
36 – 45 1 – 100 sp
46 – 55 1 – 100 ep
56 – 65 1 – 100 gp
66 – 70 1 – 20 pp
71 – 75 1 – 8 gems
76 – 82 1 piece of jewelry
83 – 87 1 potion
88 – 91 1 scroll
92 1 ring
93 1 wand (or rod or staff)
94 1 miscellaneous magic item
95 – 97 1 magic sword or misc. weapon
98 – 00 1 magic armor and/​or shield

24 · Storage Room

This chamber is filled with scattered tools for digging and stone masonry. There are shovels, pickaxes, hammers, drills, chisels, baskets, and so forth, many sized for giants, others for smaller creatures. The door to the north is locked with a huge padlock. (This area will house any ogres surviving from a burning of the upper level if applicable.)

25 · Wine Cellar

The door to this room is also padlocked. In addition to several large casks, 11 big barrels, and some various kegs, there are 13 tuns (5 gallon) of exceptional wine stored here. Each has a hung seal with a blob of black wax impressed with a death’s head. If the wine is tasted it is 75% probable that the raster will continue to quaff it until in a drunken stupor. (One quart will make a giant reel, while a gill will make a human tipsy. It is the property of the creatures masterminding the attacks by the giants, a gift to the chief for his good services, but the party can at best guess at this fact. The wine is black, has a slightly earthy smell, and tastes like no other such drink). It has a market value of from 200 to 800 gp per quart.

M · Gallery (being cleared)

The north face of this area is being cleared, and a few tools are in that area. The place is otherwise unremarkable and empty (note that here, and at 27 will be the location of giants surviving a burning of the upper level of the steading).

27 · Chamber (being cleared)

Another unlit and unremarkable place with a few tools left lying around.

28 · Quarters for Stone Giant Miners

Three stone giants who are subordinates of the leader in the Great Hall above make this their abode. There are piles of skins about, five rots, several stools, two tables, and several chests and sacks containing personal gear, These monsters we the master minds and engineers for all work in the dungeon. There are 14,230 gp in the third chest opened.

Encounter: Stone Giants [3]

29 · Empty Chambers

At first glance the whole place appears to be unused, but there is a faint glint of light from the far (west) wall. Was that the gleam of light reflected from a gem? Entering to see what the glitter was reveals a pile of coffers, one tipped so as to spill its contents of (phony) gems and jewelry. The dotted area to the east shows the spot where thick iron bars drop to trap intruders once the ​“treasure” is disturbed (see Rooms 30 and 32).

30 · Prison

This area holds four insane manticores. These monsters are raged here by Nosnra to guard his treasure. They are fed kitchen garbage dumped dawn a chute from above, and the manticores are wild with rage at their captivity. They insanely attack any creature if the opportunity presents itself. The dotted areas to the north show where bars are (the south line) and where others will drop (the north line) after the monsters enter chamber 29 (the Northern bars are raised when the eastern bars in room 29 are dropped). The bars which hold the manticores imprisoned are thick, and close set, so they cannot fire their tail spikes through the gaps; but those bars which are to the north ate not so closely set. (See also Room 32.)

Encounter: Manticores [4]

31 · Minor Treasure Room

This place is the storage area for the excess coinage of the chief. There are seven chests and some empty boxes. The chests contain:

  1. 13,000 cp
  2. 27,300 sp – scything blade trap which inflicts 2 – 12 points of damage, severing on a score of 20
  3. 7,140 ep and a potion of poison
  4. 27 copper ingots each worth 400 cp
  5. Empty
  6. 11 ivory tusks worth 1,000 gp each
  7. 980 gems of 1 gp value each-poison needle trap in lock, another in (empty) false bottom.

32 · Secret Room

This hidey-hole is provided with spy holes for the chief so he can look out upon areas 1 or 29 (there are also spy holes at about 5 feet high which the hill giants have never noticed). There are three levers on the west wall of the room, each raises and lowers one of the sets of bars which are described at 29 and 30.

33 · Chief’s Treasure Room

The hidden pit with a snapclosed trap door cover has four iron spikes set into the floor 10 feet below, and each spike is poisoned. There is a 50% chance to fail into the pit, each person passing over the area checking-a second line having but a 25% chance of falling in if persons in a leading row drop into the trap. The room has various items which will immediately be noticed:

It will appear that a large growth of the yellow mold covets the southwest corner of the room, but this is another illusion hiding the following items hung upon the wall: 

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