Rooms & Traps of Level 1

1. The Entrance

Hand wrought out of the rich earth of a farmers field. The entrance is located smack dab in the middle of this field. Nothing but a stump decorates the landscape for a distance of over 200 yards.
     The shaft is covered by a large stone slab. Approximately 3 feet across, and weighing in at over 600 pounds this monster will require some team effort to move. No rings or handles adorn the slab, and the only noteable features are the graven images of protective glyphs scribed long ago, and long since faded in potency.
     This shaft extends downward some 240' in all. The bottom of the shaft is filled to the 150' mark with fetid water and the rotting remains of dead animals. At the 70' mark the chute branches out in 4 directions, these branches mark the beginings of the 1st level. Imbedded into the walls of the shaft are iron rungs. Descending from top to bottom these rungs are arranged in a spiral about the shaft, providing access to all four branching tunnels. The rungs themselves are simple staples driven into the earthen walls of the shaft. They are rusted and pitted. Not exactly instilling confidence in any climber. Anyone descending the shaft using these rungs has a 50% chance of breaking/pulling lose on of the rungs and falling.

2. Secret Niche

This secret niche contains one invisible skeleton which attacks the nearest opponent as soon as the door is opened.

3. Secret Storage

This hidden storage room contains some supplies. 50' of rope, (Still in good shape. Imagine that!), 20' of rope with a 3-pronged fixed grapple attached to the end, and finally 2 oaken boards, dimensions 6'x1.5"x1". Note to DM: The boards here can be used to cross many of the open pits scattered throughout the refuge.

4. Open Pit

Here is one of four similar pits which can be found on the first level. It is 60' deep and there is a small amount of stagnant water, and detritous at the bottom. Directly across from the last step of the stairs is a slot in the fieldstone wall. The slot is 10' long, 1.5" high and recessed 4" into the wall. Players may be able to use the boards from area 3 to cross the pits. The pit is here to catch water from the well in the event of heavy rains. It shouldn't pose a big problem for the players, but should provide a hint to the players that they'll have to think their way through this dungeon.

5. Open Pit

Another open pit. Same as that in area 4 above.

6. Hall of the unwary and undead

This entire hall, from stairs to false door has a silence spell cast on it. Be sure to point this out to the players, as it will be very obvious that no ones armor is making any noise, footfalls cannot be heard and when they open their mouthes to talk nothing can be heard. The enchantment is cast at 8th level and can be dispelled if a sucessful Dispel Magic is cast. Behind each of the secret doors in this area is a pair of skeletons armed with short swords. The skeletons will exit the secret rooms, assemble in the hallway and march towards the false door (Towards the party) once the trigger point "+" has been passed.

7. False Door

A false door trap. Sooner or later the adventurers are going to become very hesitant to open a door. When the handle on this door is tried 4 arrows are fired at the character/area just in front of the door. Two arrows from the left, and two from the right. The trap mechanism can be detected if it is checked for by a thief who makes a successful find/remove traps roll. The arrows of this trap are fired as if by a 7th level warrior for purposes of calculating the strike number.

8. False Door

A false door trap. This one teleports anyone who attemptsto open it to the snake pit. (area 22)

9. Trap Door

This is not a trap. It is a trap door on the floor of the corridor. It is not difficult to notice. The trap door opens up to reveal a 30' deep tunnel which then branches east for 15' where it rises again to a second trap door.

10. Trap trigger

There are "­" marks beside the corridor here. The marks indicate the trigger mechanism for a trap. At the end of the corridor are the visible remains of two dead bodies. Once the marks are passed there is a 4 second delay (Count to yourself) before a wall of magical force will come into existence between the two marks. This should block any egress from the end of the corridor. The bodies here are in an advanced state of decomposition. Being highly decicated and fragile. There are two swords (one long and one short) which might still be useable. Aside from that the rotting backpacks, clothing and leather armor are of no value. In the rotted remains of a boot can be found a gem worth 350gp. Not a very elaborate trap but effective. The wall will remain erect for 1 year. More than enough time for a person to suffocate and or die of starvation/dehydration.

11. Resting place of the Shadows

The narrow nooks here are bathed in shadows. 'Undead Shadows'; These undead shadows are 90% unlikely to be detected. The Shadows will wait until the characters attempt to search the ends of the niches, or if they try to retreat from this place, before attacking. The dots on the map indicate the niches which contain a Shadow.

12. Who's Who?

Here is a trap door, not a trap. Well actually it is a trap, of sorts.. (See side view) This trap door is rather well hidden. (2 in 8 chance to find) Down the shaft are two alcoves. The alcoves are across from each other and one of them contains a Doppleganger. This Doppleganger will duplicate anyone who appears in the alcove across from it. If the party arrives looking for a missing character, the doppleganger will immediately and voiceiferously try to convince the party that the 'Person' across from it is an 'Imposter'. Stating, "It copied me!" Be sure to play this as closely as possible. Don't permit the party to assume that the character being played by the player is the real thing. Don't let them make assumptions based on where in the shaft the character is located.

13. Upsidaisy

When a character crosses over the eastern pit here there is a 3 in 6 chance that this trap will activate. If triggered the trap door will open. The character who activated the trap will fall 20' to the bottom of the pit. Not much to get excited about? Just wait. That's not all. Once the character hits the bottom of the pit a teleport trap is triggered. The character is then teleported to the top of pit 'B' (See side view). The character will then fall another 20'. If there are other party members underneath the character then the victim will end up falling on top of them. All in all the person who triggers this trap will take 4d6+3 damage.

14. Trap door

This trap door is only found on a 3 in 6 chance. The trap door opens up, and leads down 60' to the 2nd level of the refuge. This passage from first to second level opens up into the spikes run.

15. Longshot alley

At the ends of these corridors are some nasty traps and monsters. (See side view) At point a). a Wraith will descend to attack the party from behind. The other corridors contain...

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Last updated:Wed, Feb 16, 2000 9:24 AM