Sepulchre of the Grave Robber

Behind a maze of stone, hidden within the caverns, a tomb from a forgotten time - built to heap forgotten praises - hides the riches of a resting hero. Some have braved the catacomb: and many have not returned! Have those who returned bled the cavern dry? Are there yet jewels and gemstones - perhaps wisdom or lost magics - hidden yet amongst the rubble. Who will it be to find the lost hero's hoard - and who else will perish, an added corpse to a growing graveyard!

Scale: 10 ft.
Click HERE for a PDF version of this adventure!

•		A little keyhole icon means the door is locked.
•		A little "S" through the door means the door is secret.
•		The other icon - which is supposed to look like a muscly arm - indicates the door is stuck and must be forced open.

Suitable for 3rd level characters.

C - Caves

C1 - Spike Trap

Three corpses - dry and skeletal - sit against the walls: two against the north wall of the passage running west, one against the north wall. Their breastplates have been punctured with a wide hole: the cadaver against the north wall is pierced through the heart; the others, pierced through the liver and stomach regions: fatal wounds, surely, but not immediately so.

If characters continue north, there is a tripwire which releases a spiked log that is positioned slightly south. A generous referee may allow a character to note its presence if they look up and back, towards the exit. When tripped, any character within 10 feet of the north tunnel must Save vs Paralysis - again, a generous referee may allow a bonus to the roll proportional to their armor class - or be struck by the swinging log: which deals 3d8 damage on failure, or 1d8 damage on success. In either case, the affected characters are pushed against the north wall, near the corpse.

The trap, after triggering, slowly resets itself over 1 dungeon turn.

On the two corpses to the south can be found 200 silver pieces and a Cat's Eye worth 10 gp.

On the corpse to the north can be found a set of keys: keys which will open the locked door marked #2, and also the door marked number 3 OR 4, randomly determined.

C2 - Hidden Blade Chamber

A breeze, fresh air, comes from the southern passage at this point. A character which walks into the southern passage comes up to brush and bracken: well lit - as though in a grove. Passing through, they are teleported to a location outside, not far from the dungeon. The teleport is one-direction: if they seek to return, they will find only bushes and must trek back to the entrance of the complex.

A character which closes their eyes while walking through will not be teleported: instead finding the rear of the chamber. Inlaid in the wall is a stone anvil, around which can be found 100 silver and 300 gold pieces, and in which is laid a Sentient Sword +1: Blade of the Oracle. The sword has the following characteristics:

• Intelligence: 11
  
• Ego: 3
  
• Communication: Auditory (Lawful)
  
• Alignment: Lawful
  
• Powers: Detect Slopes, Detect Shifting Architecture, Detect Magic

The sword will release itself from the anvil to any Lawful character or to a Neutral character on a positive reaction. It fancies itself a discerner of truth and respects honest characters.

C3 - Ruined Camp

The ruins of a camp - with several human-made mundane articles, cookpots, tents, bedrolls, etc - slowly decays here. There is nothing of special value - but perhaps an enterprising party may make creative use of the folderol.

C4 - Echo Chamber

Characters passing through this area can hear distant conversation - as though between friends. If the party is passing northbound, the conversation will be jovial, about the treasure they intend to find; if southbound, the conversation will be panicked, about a wounded comrade. There is a 2-in-6 chance that if the party stops to listen, a reference to the secret door to T4 will be made.

These echos occur only once: fading to silence after the party leaves the area.

C5 - Altar Nook

In a nook to the south of this bend has been placed a Chaotic altar - a lead pan sitting beneath a woven shield: tassels made of suspiciously stained hair coming down from the shield in seven equidistant points on the rim. Both altar and shield are mundane.

C6 - The Find

Tool marks mar the surface of the stone-hewn walls to the north, though only shallowly: the make of the geometric wall being much harder than the natural cavern. There are scuffs on the floor - as though things had been dragged around it - with some preference to the northern pass.

C7 - Spider Corner

The entire space is lined with spider webs; though the closer one approaches the east corner, the thicker they are. Three Black Widow Spiders (B43) lie in wait to prey on passers-by.

C8 - The Breach

A puncture has been made in the walls of the tomb, rocks and debris having fallen haphazardly into the next space. The breach is small, however - and any party in heavy armor (unless the armor-wearers are small in stature) will take a full turn to successfully navigate through it.

T - Tomb

T1 - The Hollow Watcher

To the north-west, a large statue in somber pose shows signs of damage. It has been hollowed out, with bits of carapace scatter around, signs of damage done to an insectoid. Under the statue in the hollow space, evidence of the mouth of a tunnel going down has been obscured: filled in with sand and rubble to block whatever is on the other side. On closer investigation under the statue, 6 gold nuggets of varying sizes can be found, amounting in value to 1,800 gold pieces.

To the north, the secret door is concealed only by the bulk of the statue; a character which edges behind will find it: however only one party member at a time can squeeze through, as the space is constrained by the stone.

Six Driver Ants (B34) are exploring the room, pecking at the blocked tunnel mouth.

T2 - North Chamber

Four large sarcophagi - ten feet by five, each - are aligned to run parallel to the walls, south-west to north-east, in the room. Two blank panels - as might hold a piece of art - can be seen on the north-east wall. In the center of the room - bull's-eyed by a cross drawn from the corners of the sarcophagi - is a lamp stand with eight candles.

Of the secret doors:

• The door to the north-west is a sliding faux wall, disguised to look like the stone. It is activated by pair of touchplates on the floor - one beside it and one four feet distant - that must be pressed simultaneously to open them.
  
  
• The door to the north-east is hidden behind the more southern blank panel. It is activated by a switch concealed in the nearest sarcophagus.
  
  
• The door to the south is an illusory wall. If half of the eight candles are lit - one on, one off - then the smoke therefrom will tend towards this door as though carried by a gentle current and the wall, itself, will become partially translucent and navigable: posing no barrier to entry or exit. Extinguishing any of the flames - or allowing the candles to burn out (which will occur naturally after 6 turns) - will cause the wall to re-solidifiy.

T3 - Forgotten Store

Broken wood and stone litter the floor. Amphora - mostly empty, some few sealed and containing oil - can be found by the south wall. The room smells vaguely of burial spices: though none are yet present. A Halfling adventurer (Lvl 1: B10) armed with plate, a shield, and dagger is prowling in the room, examining its furnishings, having come from the breach to the east.

T4 - Tomb of the Champion

A huge suit of armor - stature of a man over eight feet in height - sits against the south wall. If investigated, it is filled only with dust. Atop the helmet sits a crown, laced with silver and webbed with gold. The crown is worth 1,300 gold pieces.

Against the east wall is collected a great hoard of treasure, accounting to the following:

• 2,000 sp
  
• 1,000 gp
  
• 1 small topaz (10 gp)
  
• 2 circle-cut rubies (50 gp)
  
• 1 rough diamond (500 gp)
  
• A diadem sized for a normal human (600 gp)
  
• A scepter with a quartz pommel in the shape of an owl's head (1,000 gp)
  
• A pair of bracers, encrusted with tourmaline (1,600 gp each)

T5 - Abandoned Pool

The foundation of a pool - keyhole shaped, with a stair down to get in at the north-east face - is inlaid, drained and dry, in the room's floor. The depth to the flat side, on the north-east, is four feet: the circular section to the south-west forms a gradual bowl, descending to eight feet total depth below the floor level.

A solitary Tiger Beetle (B31) is in the room, with a 2-in-6 chance it will be about the perimeter or a 4-in-6 chance that it will be in the pool's recess.

T6 - Hall of Robbers

A row of skulls 2/3 sunk into the stone - arranged as a wainscoting rail - lines both walls of this hall; rib-cages protruding from the corner created by ceiling and wall form arches in the hall every 15 feet. Halfway up the hall, 4 Robber Fly (B41) wait, hidden among the skeletal architecture. A torn cloth pouch on the floor - 17 silver pieces spilled before it - betrays their location.

T7 - Hall of Wilting

Carved skeletal faces face downward, mouths open, from a high point in the center of the walls in each cardinal direction. In the center of the room is a ring akin to a compass rose - which will slide if stepped on or forcibly moved. It is pointing at one of the three doors to this space: determined randomly when the party first arrives.

If any of the three doors is opened when the "north" icon on the spinning floor compass is not pointing at it, a yellow light flares from the mouths of each of the skeletons. All characters in the room when this occurs must Save vs Spells or be aged 2d10 years.

T8 - Skull Hall

Oriented south to north, a relief depicting a helmeted skull has been carved into the floor. On each of the corners, a torch-holder extends; the holders are empty.

T9 - Memorial

In the northern section of the room, a statue of a large knight stands with an equally imposing sword jammed into an anvil in front of him. Cut flowers - desiccated and some decayed - line the floors leading towards the statue.

The room is unusually comfortable - compared to the rest of the complex: which may be cool or damp. A party which rests in this room will be doubly invigorated by it - requiring rest again after 2 hours (or, the 12th turn) rather than 1 (or, the 6th turn).

T10 - Thorned Hall

At the end of each hallway is a potted plant - a black, thorned thing sitting before a wall. A character which moves the plant will find underneath it a dial, which can be turned to unlock the secret door to which they are adjacent. 

The plant is toxic: if touched intentionally or accidentally (chance according to referee's discretion, but proportionally lower if proximity to the plant is avoided), the toucher must Save vs Poison: on a failure, the character falls into a coma and will die after 1d4 turns if not saved with appropriate medicine or magic; on success, the character becomes nauseated - unable to cast spells or use skills and suffering a -2 penalty to hit and damage in combat for the next 1d4 turns instead.

Public domain artwork retrieved from OldBookIllustrations.com and the National Gallery of Art. Attributions in alt text.

Thieving for Non-Thieves

What do you do - as the ref - when a player not playing a Thief wants to do something that, typically, only a Thief is allowed to do?

This is a problem with skill systems - and an expose on how, the more you add to a game in terms of mechanical character complexity, the more you take away from the agency and imagination of the players. On a recent episode (or... well, an episode, at least) of John and Hannah Large's Red Dice Diaries podcast, John speculated on the subject - and I called in with my own solution. 

Or, at least, the solution I use: as always, I refuse to claim that I thought of it first!

But either way - before I forget about it, I wanted to write it down - to post it here - in case you, dear readers, were interested in that solution and in the impact it has, numerically, on the game as played. 

Maybe it'll work for you, too!

Attempting a Thief Skill as a Non Thief

If a character of class other than Thief wishes to attempt an action which should fall under the purview of a percentile-based Thief skill, they may do so - rolling 1d% under their Dexterity ability score. Thus, a Fighter with a Dexterity of 15 would have a 15% chance to open a lock - assuming said Fighter is carrying lock-picking tools or can otherwise improvise under the approval of the referee.

A non-Thief character attempting to Hear Noise has a static 1-in-6 chance of success.

Modified Thief Profile

A Thief character attempting to use a percentile-based skill other than Climb Sheer Surfaces, to determine their own chance of success, sums the value appropriate to level from the Thieves' Abilities table with the character's Dexterity ability score. Thus, a Thief with a Dexterity of 15 would have a 30% chance to open the lock referenced above - or, finding the lock to be trapped, a 25% chance to remove the trap.

If a particular skill - other than Pick Pockets - would be driven above 99% by summing the table value with the character's Dexterity, treat it as 99%: such that there is always at least a 1% chance of failure.

When attempting to Climb Sheer Surfaces, a referee may opt to apply the Dexterity modifier to the chance of success - but the chance of Climb Sheer Surfaces being so favorable to begin with, even for low-level thieves, this modification may be considered optional. 

Hear Noise (Optional)

When attempting to use the Hear Noise skill, a referee may opt to have the character apply their Wisdom modifier to the roll. So - for example - a Thief of 5th level with a Wisdom of 13 would have a 4-in-6 chance to succeed rather than 3-in-6; a Fighter of any level with the same Wisdom of 13 would have a 2-in-6 chance; or a Thief of 8th level with a Wisdom of 4 would also have only a 2-in-6 chance.

If a positive Wisdom modifier would take the chance of success above 5-in-6, instead allow a re-roll on a failed attempt, succeeding on the margin of success: ergo, a name-level Thief with a Wisdom of 18 would have a 5-in-6 chance to Hear Noise as a base, but on rolling a 6, would be allowed to roll again: still succeeding on 3-in-6.

If a negative Wisdom modifier would take the chance of success below 1-in-6, instead force a second roll on success with an inverted chance of failure: that inverted chance being 6 less the negative modifier. For example, a Fighter with a Wisdom of 5 would have a 1-in-6 chance to Hear Noise as a base, but on rolling that 1, would need to "confirm" that success on 4-in-6 due to the -2 Wisdom penalty.

But what effect does this have on the game?

Surprisingly little, actually. 

First, to speak to non-Thief characters the average Dexterity score is going to fall between 9 and 12 - so, comparing that level to a first level proper Thief, the Thief's niche is still protected.

So, assuming a Dex of 10:

	Open Locks	Remove Traps	Pick Pockets	Move Silently	Climb Sheer Surfaces	Hide In Shadows
Non-Thief Character	10%	10%	10%	10%	10%	10%
Thief, 1st Level (RAW)	15%	10%	20%	20%	87%	10%
Delta	+5%	+/-0%	+10%	+10%	+77%	+/-0%

Even RAW (that is, when the houserule is applied to non-Thieves, but the Thief is not boosted with their own Dexterity) - this gives a non-Thief a chance to accomplish something: but the Thief class is not superannuated. The Thief is still a good investment to have - or, even, multiple Thieves: in case you come across something that disallows retries (e.g. Open Locks).

But how about Thieves, themselves?

A Thief character is likely to have a higher Dexterity than the average character. This isn't because we're doing point buy or anything FOE like that - but if you're choosing to play a Thief, it's frequently because you rolled a high Dexterity anyway, which compliments your XP gain: plus, with B/X, at least, you can reduce your non-prime requisite abilities to boost your prime requisite - contributing to the difference.

Thus, assuming a Dexterity of, say, 13 (the minimum to achieve a +1 modifier and the minimum required to benefit from a Prime Requisite XP bonus): we find ourselves with the following, examining a cross-section at various levels:

	1st Level			3rd Level			9th Level
Thief Skill	RAW	Ruled	Lvl Eqv	RAW	Ruled	Lvl Eqv	RAW	Ruled	Lvl Eqv
Open Locks	15%	28%	4th	25%	38%	5th	75%	88%	10th
Remove Traps	10%	23%	4th	20%	33%	5th	70%	83%	10th
Pick Pockets	20%	33%	4th	30%	43%	6th	75%	88%	10th
Move Silently	20%	33%	4th	30%	43%	6th	75%	88%	10th
Climb Sheer Surfaces	87%	88%	2nd	89%	90%	4th	95%	96%	10th
Hide In Shadows	10%	23%	4th	20%	33%	6th	65%	78%	10th

Above, we have the RAW version of the Thief skill, the new success chance based on the house-rule, and the equivalent Thief level, RAW, which has a comparable chance. Note - the levels aren't perfect - for example, with Open Lock - a 4th level Thief, RAW, has 30%: not 28%, which is indicated as equivalent in the chart for 1st level - but it's the closest in the ballpark: and a fair approximation. Regardless - the implications are interesting. 

Unsurprisingly, Climb Sheer Surfaces represents, on average, a 1 experience level improvement. However, for each of the other skills, the benefit appears to diminish as the Thief gains experience. That is, early on, we see an improvement of success rate of 2 - if a particularly good Dexterity is rolled - potentially even 3 experience levels: then, in the mid-level range, the gap shrinks, reducing from a 2-3 level bonus to a 1-2 level bonus at best. Finally, as the character approaches name level - the improvement firmly sits in the 1 category: and, at a glance, by 11th level, the impact is effectively moot: a name level Thief with a 3 Dexterity or a 18 Dexterity won't have a noticeable difference in their chances to succeed at most (if not all) of their percentile skills.

Having not delved into the Hear Noise equivalencies - really, it's x-in-6: it should be an easy compare for anyone willing to eyeball it - I like this rule a lot. Less so as a mechanism to cope without a Thief and more so as a way to make the Thief more attractive. The rule helps out lower level characters, who need help the most, but then evens out at higher levels: slowly but surely making sure that the character's experience level - not the randomly generated number they were assigned by fate at char-gen - is paramount to the determination of their success: something that Gygax was very concerned about, regarding the relevance of character abilities compared to class abilities in their effectiveness in game.

So - looking for a way to boost low-level Thieves, but not wanting to break your game or change the style of play or impact the thematic experience? This rule might be for you!

Delve on, readers - and let me know how it rolls!

Public domain artwork retrieved from OldBookIllustrations.com and adapted for thematic use. Attribution in alt text.

Brittonica Takes Dolmenwood! (3d6 Down The Line Actual Play Review)

Play-Cast Name: 3d6 Down The Line: Dolmenwood - Old School Essentials (B/X) OSR Hexcrawl Where I Listened: YouTube, Dolmenwood Playlist Where It's Available: Anchor and supported platforms, including: Amazon Music, Spotify, & Apple Podcasts System: Old School Essentials

Leather

Thoughts and Review

Dolmenwood - Old School Essentials (B/X) OSR Hexcrawl, a playlist on the 3d6 Down The Line Update, 4/20:
Follow 3d6 Down The Line on Twitter!

@3d6DownTheLine

After the publication of this article, Jon found me! So I pass the savings on to you - for updates and intel on the goings on at 3d6 Down The Line, at least one avenue of social media is available. YouTube channel refereed by Jonathan Britton - a talented referee and an active member of the Dolmenwood Facebook page, as well as other venues. 

It follows the misadventures of a party of randomly-generated misfits (see, the name of the show!) who arrive in Dolmenwood - the fairy-tale mythic campaign setting so far incrementally released by Necrotic Gnome via Patreon, but soon to be consolidated into a campaign book, and very rapidly become entangled in webs of fantastic and deadly intrigue.

What I Like

Jon's voice.

The first thing that I absolutely adored about this actual play is the low gravel pouring out like a stardust waterfall cascading over the moon: a smiling stream of tears from the man therein as the song of creation pulls his heart-strings, dissipating into the night sky such that merely a mist can quietly lite on the cheeks of snug sleepers like autumn's first snowflakes on a brightening broad-leaf hickory.

Also his presentation.

It's kind of unfair to give too many kudos to something biological in that regard - so instead, I'll likewise give him kudos to his presentation: wherein he guides the stream, his listeners and his players alike, with maps, hand-outs, and other media (presumably, some of which is visible to the viewer, but not to the player, as it contains relevant stats to a monster or location that the party is encountering. So - in addition to the voice that it's presented in, the ref - Jon Britton - has experience or expertise enough with the recording platform to provide incredible context and supporting material for the interested viewer, helping to ground them in the game and setting, Necrotic Gnome's Dolmenwood.

Speaking of Dolmenwood, we come to the next trump card in the 3d6 Down The Line's hand: its handling and exposition of the incredibly deep, detailed, and rich setting as under construction - revealed piecemeal in zines, Patreon posts, and sneak-peaks over the course of years by the Necrotic Gnome organization. Larger things - towns, regions, factions, and major players - are intermixed seamlessly with smaller things - different types of local beers, styles of clothing or mannerisms common to different townships - to produce a rich world: one that almost comes alive as the world might come alive in a well-shot film. The innovation of such a world, its development and publication, of course is at the hands of the writing: but 3d6 Down The Line puts those words, takes those concepts, and weaves them into a narrative, wafts them into the nostrils like a scented candle artfully lit and placed innocuously to cast its warm glow.

This ambiance includes both published products and preview or Patreon products: noting, if you were considering but on the fence about whether or not the Necrotic Gnome Patreon would be for you - 3d6 Down The Line is a great decision making aid on that regard. The actual play shows off the publications, themselves, gives a hint as to the contents therein, and shows off how those publications flow, how they contribute in a real game: information invaluable to the budget-constrained referee.

Wondering if Dolmenwood is right for you?

Jon Britton can help.

Lastly - while not the last of 3d6 Down The Line's net virtues, the last I intend to highlight - the first episode in the Dolmenwood playlist is a Session Zero.

But CWR, haven't you spoken on other platforms against session zero? Yes. Yes I have. However - that's in relation to its application to your home game: so while you - playing in a campaign run by me - should not expect a session zero, in the context of the campaign actual play, 3d6 Down The Line provides one, illustrating the utility of a session zero and what you, as an aspiring referee, should plan on if you are going to run one. The purpose of a session zero is - or, should be - the creation of characters, the discussion of house rules (rule zeroes), and the establishment of the setting and tone of the campaign. In his session zero, Jon actually has the video broken down into these various steps and segments! So not only does he illustrate the utility of bringing the party into the same page, but also he makes it easier for the viewer to navigate, finding the pieces that they are curious about.

Want to see abilities rolled? Go here.

Want to hear about the town and people the campaign will involve? Here, instead.

Additionally, it serves to illustrate the process of rolling stats, deciding on a character based on the stats and - the main reason I bring it up - it features players being convinced of the viability of a character with poor rolls on the character abilities. Spoiler alert - one of the characters rolls a 5 for his Constitution. Constitution. Admittedly, I would have a hard time playing cautiously with a 5 Con character - hoping for a quick death and a re-roll before I got too far behind the rest of the party on earned XP for my mulligan PC - but the character survives! The character moves on. The player opts to make him into a Fighter and will then go on to role play the character in a manner in line with his limitations: he uses more diplomacy, more guile, than a more robust character would - both as a point of mechanical necessity (it's hard to engage in fights when you have 2 fewer hit points per hit die than average) and also as a role-playing opportunity to develop the character's personality, machinations, and method: something that can serve as a lesson for fledgling refs and players alike, coming down off of games where ability scores are more important,

What I Don't Like

Ascending armor class? And you call yourself OSR! Bleh!

(Not really. They do use AAC, but I'm not one to make a scene about it. You do you.)

Really - I only have one complaint against the Dolmenwood hex crawl actual play as presented by 3d6 Down The Line in the linked media: and that has to do with the degree of role play and the resultant impact of that role play on the pacing of the action. From an accessibility perspective - the table is unabashedly (as they should be - playstyle doesn't dictate merit) big role-players: spending a great deal of time in town - on occasion out of it, role-playing between one another - having dozens of conversations with and building complex relationships with dozens of NPCs littering the campaign setting. A night in the tavern can be as important to the narrative that emerges as a battle with the denizens of the deep forest might be. Random encounters - wandering monsters in the wilderness - are an opportunity as much to talk as they are to fight: which, though typical of OSR style gaming (see: reaction rolls), can - when taken to the extreme - preclude the adventure itself. Speaking not lowly of intelligence gathering before a mission - which is a great idea! I love that this AP does that - it takes four whole sessions (so, almost 7 hours of watching) before the first combat sequence: and that combat, though fast, furious, and exciting (as OSR combats at low level can and tend to be), is then followed by more sessions and more episodes of role play.

As a consequence - while this Dolmenwood playlist does an exquisite job illustrating the surroundings, the setting, and telling a story developing the characters (some situations serious, most situations erring to the side of humorous), the long stretches of role play prevent it from efficiently showcasing mechanics. It has a hex map - and it does showcase hex travel - but the travel is less impactful than the people they meet on the road. It does have dungeons - but the time spent in inns, taverns, and courts dwarfs the time spent around the namesake of the game that Old School Essentials seeks to emulate.

To that end - if you are not put off by role play (and typically I am not put off by role play) - this isn't a drag on the experience of watching the stream: however, if you are trying to learn the rules, specifically, or if you are trying to get a bead on what a game might run like were you to try to run it for your friends - the experience illustrated by this party doesn't provide a well-rounded expose of what that experience can (and likely may!) entail.

For Further Listening

There are - on the 3d6 Down The Line YouTube channel - two additional playlists:

Stonehell

Blades in the Dark

Technically, the Blades in the Dark "playlist" is several playlists: each detailing one "episode" of the series, containing videos that make up the episode. Additionally, the channel has several videos that are not organized into a playlist - which appear to chronicle D&D 5th Edition Adventurer's League. 

I have not watched these playlists, so I cannot speak to them, personally: but some references are made to these adventures by the players during the Dolmenwood adventure, which makes me think that the party - or at least some of it - is consistent. With that in mind - if you like the Dolmenwood playlist for its non-Dolmenwood merits (entertainment, narrative, immersion, etc.) - then I would anticipate you would likewise like these.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, 3d6 Down The Line is a brilliant and immersive expose of setting and atmosphere, eloquent in its presentation and evocative in its depictions: even when the players bring the beer and pretzels. It is slower than a lot of actual plays - encumbered by the weight of detail - but for a viewer interested in that detail, it becomes akin to Melville: in that one would consider it less a shortcoming and more a style - a selling point to a particular buyer. It does display the rules of the game - though due to the pacing, the rules fade to the background: something that is fine when used by a Dolmenwood enthusiast or a connoisseur of fantasy YouTube channels, but can become a hindrance for someone who is actively trying to learn how to play the game. Under that rationale, I rate 3d6 Down The Line's Dolmenwood - Old School Essentials (B/X) OSR Hexcrawl (that's a mouthful!) Leather.

It does what it sets out to do. It tells a good story. And as such, it's worth the watch time for someone interested in the story being told and invested in the adventure - without letting the rules get into the way of the viewer's experience.

Delve on, gentlemen - and best of luck in Prigwort and beyond!

 

Logos and imagery for 3d6 Down The Line (formerly Brittonica) are property of the 3d6 Down The Line organization, as utilized on the 3d6 Down The Line YouTube channel. ClericsWearRingmail does not lay claim to any of them or to any of the content linked to by them: including images in this critical review for illustrative purposes and clarity under US Code, Title 17, Section 107.

The Under-Warren

Scale: 10 ft.
Click HERE for a PDF version of this adventure!

A maze of catacombs and masonry hallways - teeming with creatures (and their troves!) seeking shelter from the cursed sunlight! Adventure awaits those courageous enough to descend!

•		A little keyhole icon means the door is locked.
•		A little "S" through the door means the door is secret.
•		The other icon - which is supposed to look like a muscly arm - indicates the door is stuck and must be forced open.

Suitable for 1st to 3rd level characters.

A - Entry

Stairs lead down into an octagonal space - large double doors facing the cardinal directions: statuary embedded into each of the walls between them.

The faces of these grotesques appear to follow you as to move, but on inspection, are fully mundane.

B - South Wing

B1 - Theater

To the north, a raised platform - curves with the wall, which is draped with heavy curtains. In the central and southern half of the room, benches in various states of disrepair face the platform. Along the south wall are three alcoves containing stained glass backed by lead sheets: no light illuminates the glass from the far side.

The entrance to C2 is a hole in the wall hidden by the curtains.

The entrance to B3 is hidden behind the glass artwork in the furthest alcove: which can be removed by popping a handful of clamps designed to hold the glass in place.

B2 - Lecture Hall

In the south-east section of the square portion of the room is a raised area, maybe six inches off the ground, with a stain on the floor - worn, scratched, and discolored - in the shape of a lectern's base. In the stained area is a loose tile - under which can be found a recess containing:

• 2 round emeralds (100 gp each)
  
• A large, square-cut sapphire (500 gp)
  
• A flawless diamond (1,000 gp)
  

Behind, in the arching wall to the south-east, a further raised section houses a dozen dead plants and a few amphora. 

Roosting in the amphora is a single Stirge (B43).

B3 - West Crypt

On the walls of this room are nooks sized to hold a cadaver in repose. In the center of the room is a stone sarcophagus. The sarcophagus is empty. On the north wall, a faded image appears graven on a lead sheet - which is truthfully a secret pass to B1. The secret way cannot be opened from this side, but can be forced on 1-in-6: which will break the mechanism and prevent replacing the portal.

Five Lizard Men (B38) are chuckling with each other in the room: having dumped a few skeletons out of the walls and repurposed the lidded sarcophagus as a table. Between them, they have 2,000 gold pieces.

B4 - East Crypt 

The walls of this room contain cadavers of various age - though all decayed. They have nothing of value - any articles buried with them having rusted or decayed.

B5 - Shadowed Fane

Against the wall to the south, directly opposite to the door, a hemispheric planter bed containing ashy soil rises from the floor. Above the planter hangs a heraldic shield.

On the angled walls to the east and west of the door are sconces with lanterns welded to them - inside the western lantern is a marble on which Continual Light has been cast. Of the planter, a shadow has been cast against the wall opposite the light source - in which 2 Shadows (B41) lurk.

The shield hanging from the wall is actually magical, but appears dingy and old to any Neutral or Chaotic character. When used by a Lawful character, it is a +3 Shield; when used by a Neutral character, a +1 Shield.

If the characters dig into the ashy soil, they will find a Potion of Treasure Finding and 2 rubies carved to resemble skulls (500 gp each).

B6 - Scriptorum

Bookshelves line the east wall of the chamber, two escritoires are propped against both of the northern corners, and a basket with map tubes in it sits in the south-west corner. The bookshelves contain nothing of value - their contents having been lost to rot - but among the map tubes, three spell scrolls can be found, inscribed as follows:

• First Scroll: Invisibility, Ventriloquism, Infravision, Transmute Rock to Mud, Charm Monster
  
• Second Scroll: Detect Invisible, Phantasmal Force, Light, Hold Monster, Ventriloquism
  
• Third Scroll (Clerical): Sticks to Snakes, Bless, Light (x2), Protection from Evil 10’ Radius
  

Beneath the desk to the west is a trapdoor to B7.

Inside the desk to the east can be found a sack of 2,000 electrum pieces.

B7 - Bee Cave

On the underside of the trapdoor entrance, a nest of Killer Bees (B37) is anchored. There are three nests total - between them, 8 bees. Opening the trap door will damage the nest, angering the bees.

Beyond the bees in the darkness are two locked chests - one containing 4,000 electrum pieces, the other 5,000 gold pieces - and a skeletal corpse: larger than a human, clad in a strange, abrasive robe, and bearing an odd skull, bearing multiple spurs - almost small horns - that pattern symmetrically up the face. Inside the chest cavity of the skeleton is a four-chambered box:

• One chamber contains five black pearls (10 gp each)
  
• One chamber contains five alexandrites (50 gp each)
  
• One chamber contains five gem-quality lazulites (100 gp each)
  
• One chamber contains a wet, gouged eye of brown iris.

The eye will not decay; if mystically implanted into an empty socket, it will grant a Witch Sight that sees through the illusions of the fey; but will also drive its host totally and hopelessly insane.

C - North Wing

C1 - The Regent's Skull

The room is thick with cobwebs. To the south, a lonely skull bedecked by a wooden crown sits on the floor.

C2 - Tunnel

Cowering in this natural rock tunnel are two Mediums (B39). One, his spell is spent; the other has memorized Floating Disc. Between them, they have 100 electrum pieces. They had come into the dungeon with a party - but were roughed up by the Lizard Men who have since retreated to B3. Having escaped the fray, the two are arguing about how to likewise escape the labyrinth before their light source goes out.

C3 - Auditorium

Ringing the curved north-west wall are bleachers - six rows - rising eight feet into the air at their apex. Under the bleachers is a hole in the wall leading to C2, concealed - but accessible to the determined.

C4 - Medusa's Lair

Curtains, heavy and dark, resembling those in C3 have been used to soften the south and west walls. On the east wall hang several long tapestries depicting plants. Along the north wall are statuary - amazing in their simile to life. On a divan in the south-west corner rests a Medusa (B39) - 2-in-6 chance she is sleeping. Around her are rare herbs and incenses, worth 3,000 gold pieces; and 4 gold candle holders - five feet in height - worth 100 gold pieces each. Her wardrobe - misfitting to most - is rare silks and satins, worth a further 3,000 gold pieces. She wears an amulet with a smooth circular talisman on it - she is unaware of what it does.

The secret door to C6 is hidden behind a tapestry and activated by a handhold with four buttons: pressing the first, third, and fourth will open the latch. The door - and its function - is known to the Medusa.

C5 - Observatory

Ringing the space in parallel to the walls is a soft, continuous bench. The ceiling is vaulted - coming together in a square 20 feet above the floor. Inlaid in the ceiling is a star-pattern of the winter sky - constellations outlined in citrines (worth 100 gold pieces, total, if pried from the ceiling) and miscellaneous stars in quartz (a further 80 gold pieces). 

C6 - Training Room

Four rotating pillars are positioned equidistant from one another in this room. From them protrude several short rods. The pillars will spin freely on hidden spindles. The rods are filled with a toxic powder. Characters who spin a pillar - if they spin them too quickly - cause the powder to release: forcing all characters in the room (or any character entering the room for the next turn) to Save vs Death.

The hazard does not reset itself - once all four are spent, the hazard recedes.

C7 - Ape Den

Four White Apes (B30) have made a mess of this room: furnishing it with detritus. Among said detritus is a mostly undamaged urn - inside which can be found a ring worth 70 gp.

The secret door to the east is a sliding panel in the stone, activated by a handle hidden in the mortar along its top seam. The secret door to the south is a false wall that pushes inward, opening like a double door - the termination of the resulting hallway operates the same way from the hallway side. The apes are aware of the south door - but not the eastern one.

C8 - Quarry Hall

Rubble lines the floor in this space. The floor and walls are the same as the rest of the dungeon - it is not unfinished nor collapsed - but loose, irregular stone has been strewn around the room.

The secret door to the west is activated by a pull handle on the east wall - directly across from it, but hidden behind a loose brick.

C9 - Dragon's Coffin

The east and west walls of the room are lined with nooks sized for cadavers - but are filled with votives and dried funerary herbs. In the center of the room to the south is a slab, flanked by brass candle holders and perched on a stone box. The slab will slide off - but if it does, it releases a flammable gas. If an open flame is in use as a light source, this gas will ignite - forcing a Save vs Dragon's Breath to avoid immolation: failing the save results in 3d8 damage and may ignite flammable gear; passing halves the effect.

A generous referee might hint at the trap with an odd odor emanating from the slab as the party starts to fiddle with it, or noting that torches burn brighter and more intensely in this room.

D - East Wing

D1 - Dancing Candles

Five candles, equidistant from one another, float - slowly circling counter-clockwise - in the center of the room along an invisible path roughly 10 feet in diameter. A character who steps into the center can see five holes in the walls that appear to be moving in parallel to the doors. Inside each hole is a small idol made from electrum. Party members who can reach the walls - including characters not in the circle, who would not be able to see them - can remove the idols: which are worth 60 gp each. If an idol is removed, its corresponding candle is snuffed out and falls to the floor. 

The secret door to the south is a standard door concealed behind an illusory wall. Some fumbling is necessary to find the handle - but not too much.

D2 - Ochre Hall

This wide hallway has a red mosaic tile stripe - 15 feet wide - running from east to west. On the walls heading west-bound, torches (mostly unlit) are pinned at 10 foot intervals on wall mounts. They can be removed and are standard torches. 

The corridor to the north-east, the torches continue until the door to D6.

The corridor to the south-east, the torches continue until the door to D5.

An Ochre Jelly (B40) is leaning against one wall - eating one of the torches.

D3 - Statuary Hall

A red mosaic tile stripe - 10 feet wide - runs east to west across the southern portion of this room. Statues - staggeringly life-like - line the south wall. The secret door to the west is opened by turning the last statue on that side on a pivot, causing it to face the location of the door.

Floating through the air are 4 Killer Bees (B37).

D4 - Hidden Treasure

In the northern section of the room, mundane items appear to be stored. Brooms, mops, ceramic pots, and ratty linens. In the protuberance to the east, a pile of gems and jewels can be seen.

The gems and jewels are an illusion - concealing a vertical pipe with several trip-lines running to the floor like tent lines. A character interacting with the illusory treasure has a chance of tripping one of the lines - which results in a cylindrical stone piston dropping from the ceiling, extending spearheads in transit. Save vs Paralysis or the character is crushed to death.

A character which investigates the northern section can may find a loose tile on one side, under which is a cache containing 300 silver pieces, 100 gold pieces, a garnet worth 50 gp, and an obsidian carving worth 100 gp to a collector.

D5 - Homage Chamber

The walls to this space contain alcoves, one to a side on the six sides to the east and west, shaped like half a bullet inlaid into the wall, such that one might stand in it. On the north wall is a relief - circle within an octagon within a triangle: point facing upwards. In the center of the room is an ovaloid, concave depression; north of which is an elevated octagon: maybe two inches from the floor.

The room is decidedly cooler than the surrounding rooms - and if a character stands in one of the alcoves, a distant song can be heard, male tenor voices: their words just too distant for understanding. If a character stands on the octagon, they suffer a sudden and severe flashback - where white-robed figures stand in all the alcoves and a bloody body rapidly expires in the indentation on the floor. Details are impossible to make out - as the vision is no more than a split second in duration - but the tone should be visceral.

The secret door to the north can be activated by placing the talisman worn by the Medusa in C4 into the embossed circle in the north wall and turning it.

D6 - Blue Atrium

On the floor is a circular, blue mosaic, with a red ring 1/3 of the way in to its diameter. Against the east wall is a stone trough, empty. Four Lizard Men (B38) are investigating, searching the south wall as though seeking something. There is a secret door to the south - it is activated by placing the talisman worn by the Medusa in C4 into the center of the circle and pressing down. The second secret door - to the north - is activated by a pull-handle, hidden behind a loose brick in the wall slightly to the west of the actual portal.

Outside the door to the west, torches mounted on wall sconces line the wall at 10 foot increments in a southward direction.

D7 - Reflection Chamber

A shallow pool of mostly clean water sits against the south wall - around ten feet across to five feet from the wall. Along the north wall is a curved bench with cushioned seating. The secret door to the south can be unlocked by a lever hidden in the pool near to the door, itself. Thrown into the pool can be seen silver pieces - 900 in total.

The seats on the cushions are fixed, however can be ripped off the frame (treat as a Stuck Door). There are five such cushions to haul up: on the fourth one from the door, stitched to the underside is a pouch containing jewelry:

• A signet ring with the head of a ram (value 800 gp)
• Two sets of plated earrings (800 gp each)
  
• A single large amulet, inset with a ruby and encrusted with citrines, the chain of which is made of square gold chain links (value 1,500 gp) 

T - Lone Traps

T1) A square of wan light is illuminated on the floor taking up most of the 10 by 10 space by the door. Any character or item which enters the space fully finds themselves confined within it - a wall of force preventing their egress. Items or characters partially entered may feel a tugging sensation - like moving through liquid - but will not be prevented from egress. Notably, the air is very stale in the space - as the barrier is sealed: any character trapped in the space will start to suffocate after 1 dungeon Turn, dying after 2. A Darkness spell - reversed of Light - will allow free passage into and out of the space, likewise refreshing the air in it. Other magic or player ingenuity (such as, say, putting a pipe half-in to allow for breathing) will function (or not) at the discretion of the referee.

T2) What appears to be a door leading North is a concealed spike trap. A referee may telegraph the effect with blood spatter on the walls or floor near to it. The door opens outwards (towards the south) and appears stuck, albeit only slightly: opening on a 4-in-6 rather than 2. If successfully forced, any characters involved in the forcing (or any in the front rank, alternatively) are subjected to an attack as several pointed spears jolt out of a shallow ingress on the far side. The attack is at THAC0 17 for 1d8 damage.

T3) A door - locked - opens outwards, towards the west. The floor near to the door is pitted and uneven. If opened, however, there is no room behind it: instead, a vat of corrosive liquid pours out into the corridor. Any character within 15 feet of the door suffers 2d8 points of damage from the combination of skin exposure and inhalation of fumes: a Save vs Breath halves the effect. Additionally, any character who fails their save loses any footgear they are wearing to the substance - at the discretion of the referee, magical footwear may be allowed a save of their own to avoid destruction.

T4) Torches, unlit, are hanging in sconces at 10 foot increments in the hall leading to this space. The torches end when the hall turns northward. In the center of the wall across from the turning point is the bronze head of a goat, its mouth open. If a character puts a torch into the mouth (or crowbar, really - anything of approximately 2 inch or less diameter that is firm enough to serve as a lever) the head will turn. If turned upside down - such that the mouth points upwards - a click is heard and the trap is disarmed.

A pit trap has been dug into the floor in the 10 by 10 space to the south of the door to D5. If the door to D5 is opened without deactivating the trap, the pit will open, dumping anyone inside into a pit of spikes: 2d6 for the fall, plus 1d8 further for the spikes. A generous referee may allow a Save vs Paralysis to avoid.

Public domain artwork retrieved from OldBookIllustrations.com, the National Gallery of Art, and ReusableArt.com and adapted for thematic use. Attribution in alt text.

Table Generator

One of the key things levied at me in terms of both this blog's utility and the utility of the OSR blogosphere in general is the preponderance of resources - table generators in particular.

So, though I'm not sure I understand: I'm here to help and like to contribute. Presented as follows, a procedural table generation mechanism. Delve on, readers!

1. Roll 1D20 for Type

The type of table informs its purpose and features.

1d20	Result	1d20	Result
1	Accent	11	Drum
2	Altar	12	End
3	Billiards	13	Foyer
4	Butterfly	14	Hutch
5	Card	15	Kitchen
6	Coffee	16	Nightstand
7	Conference	17	Ottoman
8	Console	18	Patio (or Picnic)
9	Dining	19	Pub
10	Drink (or Swivel)	20	Workbench

2. Roll 1D4 for Shape

The shape of a table refers to the flat surface on which items can be placed.

1d4	Result
1	Polygonal
2	Rectangular
3	Round
4	Special

A "special" shaped table has a surface that is not standard, but instead adapted to the purpose of the table - perhaps it is horseshoe shaped, to allow a presenter in the center; perhaps it is zig-zag shaped, allowing multiple seats to face opposing directions, but not each other. Referee discretion.

3. Roll 1D6 for Style

The style of the table refers to the finish and decorative elements of the table.

1d6	Result
1	Chic
2	Demilune
3	Industrial
4	Modern
5	Nordic
6	Trestle

4. Roll 1D3/10 for Material

The material is the primary material from which the table is made. At the referee's option, a second roll can be made to determine an accent material.

		1d3
		1	2	3
1d10	1	Ash (wood)	Juniper (wood)	Porcelain
	2	Beech (wood)	Laminate	Quartzite (stone)
	3	Birch (wood)	Larch (wood)	Rosewood (wood)
	4	Brass (metal)	Limestone (stone)	Silver (or Gold)
	5	Cedar (wood)	Mahogany (wood)	Slate (stone)
	6	Cherry (wood)	Maple (wood)	Soapstone (stone)
	7	Fir (wood)	Marble (stone)	Spruce (wood)
	8	Glass	Oak (wood)	Teak (wood)
	9	Granite (stone)	Onyx (stone	Walnut (wood)
	10	Iron (metal)	Pine (wood)	Yew (wood)

5. Roll 2xD4 for Seating

Roll 1D4 and multiply the result by 2. The resulting number is the number of people who can use the table at once. A table which logically should not have seating around it instead can be assumed to be standing-room.

To account for larger tables, the die should explode - that is, if a 4 is rolled, roll again and sum the result, until such time as the result of the die fall is not a natural 4.

 

Public domain artwork retrieved from the National Gallery of Art or OldBookIllustrations.com and adapted for thematic use. Attribution in alt text. 

April Fool's. ;-)