May: Week Four

 Salutations savage spelunkers! Welcome to week four of May's dungeon level in my fantasy mega-dungeon, The Crucible of Oxyus. Within the caverns below you'll discover wonderous treasure, vile undead cannibals, and mysterious phenomena far from the light of the sun. Will you and your party live to spend your gold in ease, or will your corpses be but more bones to feed the hungry dead? Read on and find out below!

Week Four

5/22: The Cave of Crystals

This oddly shaped large limestone cavern is 50’ long and 70’ wide with low ceilings only 10 feet in height. The floor here sparkles with crystal sand and the whole cave is covered in a resplendent carpet of multicolored crystals. These crystals glow with an inner light. The smell of the earth is strong in this place.

• South: The entrance to the cave is found in the southern part of the cavern. A natural passageway runs east to west connecting to this­­ room and cavern 5/24 at its western most point.
• East: Sand and debris has collected over the years in the northeastern side of the cavern. This rubble hides a small crack in the rock which is visible if the cavern is searched. This crack can be widened and cleared of debris, revealing a secret natural tunnel to cavern 5/23. The tunnel is very tight though, and those who traverse the passageway must crawl to do so.
• The Crystals: The carpet of crystals that blankets the walls of the cavern are no bigger than a thumb. They glow all different shades of blue, red, green, yellow, orange, purple, and pink. This special glow has a calming effect on living creatures inside the cave. Those who sleep within the cavern will wake feeling well rested.

5/23: The Secret Shrine of Ulaz Darkaxe

This is a small limestone cave, only about 20’ in diameter with low five-foot-tall ceilings. In one of the natural niches eroded into the cave wall, a helmet-sized polished black basalt stone lies. The stone is roughly egg shaped with a small dwarven glyph carved on the side. The air here is very still.

• West: The only way out of this cavern is through a narrow tunnel on the western end of the cave that leads to room 5/22.
• The Stone: This is an Oghvin Stone, a sacred depiction of the god of mountains, Ulgantar, whom the dwarves call Agen Ataar and worship as their chief deity. The glyph etched into the stone is an invocation of protection by the dwarven explorer Ulaz Darkaxe beseeching his god for aid. If the stone is cleaned and proper offerings of beer and blood are poured over it, the entire party will receive a +1 bonus to their next saving throw as a blessing from the god of mountains.
• The Stash: The floor of the cavern has clearly been disturbed in the past, and investigating the area of most disturbance will reveal an old sack. Inside the sack can be found a golden holy symbol of Agen Ataar (worth 100 gp), 50 platinum coins, a small pouch containing six large rubies (worth 400 a piece), and an ornate dwarven war hammer (this is Ulaz Darkaxe’s legendary War Hammer +3, Thunderbolts). 

5/24: The Breeding Vats

This rough limestone cave is roughly 45’ long by 30’ wide with ceilings up to 20’ in height. Large stalagmites jut up from the cave floor up to 15’ in height. The air here is moist and cold. On one side of the room, two corroded bronze vats filled with a thick pink liquid slowly bubble and steam. The distant buzzing of insects can be heard from the southeast.

• North: A narrow natural tunnel connects this cave to a larger passageway to the north. The tunnel is so narrow that characters will have to squeeze to get through.
• South: Behind one of the stalagmites is a crack in the wall that leads through a very narrow opening before it further opens up to reveal a long tunnelway that connects to cavern 5/28 in the south.
• East: There is a passage in the southeast of the cave that leads through a tight-fitting tunnel corridor to room 5/26.
• The Vats: This is some long-forgotten experiment that has been sitting down here for centuries. Within the thick pink liquid are the half-living remains of clones of Oxyus of Fenebrahn. The clones are not much more than gooey half-humanoid forms. They were never finished and do not contain any of the wizard’s memories. They will imprint on the first person to pull them from their gooey torpor and follow them around like a puppy. They can understand simple commands in Common, though they can only make odd atonal grunts and screams. The liquid inside the vats can be bottled and drank as a Potion of Longevity. Only 1d4 potions worth can be scavenged, however.

 

5/25: The Susurrating Darkness

This small limestone cavern is 15-20’ in diameter with a 20’ tall ceiling. The walls and ceiling of this cavern are studded with two-foot-deep holes. Many of these holes are filled with large Cave Locusts that have built nests there. The stench of their caustic spit is overwhelming within the confined space, and the noise of their wings beat loudly.

• South: A crooked tunnel leads to this cavern from room 5/26. Its narrow confines make traveling through the passage slow and awkward.
• The Locusts: There are 2d6 Cave Locusts nesting in the walls of this chamber. They spook easily and will attack characters who disturb their rest. Scattered amongst their droppings on the cavern floor are 1d20 gold coins left here from a previous explorer.

5/26: The Causeway Cave

This approximately 55’ long limestone cavern is roughly 35’ wide with 30’ tall natural stone ceilings. A natural stone causeway traverses the middle of the chamber before exiting to the south. The stone walkway is a naturally occurring series of stalagmites that have fused over the years into a natural arched causeway standing 15’ above the cave floor. The sound of insect wings can be heard to the north. The cave smells of animal stink and death. A few bones litter the floor, pushed over time into the corners of the room.

• North: The northern end of the cave narrows into a tunnel that bends north to cave room 5/25.
• South: The causeway on the southern side of the cave becomes a tunnel south to room 5/27.
• West: The causeway on the northern side of the cave joins the wall of the cave and becomes a tunnel back to the vats of room 5/24. Three torch stubs and an empty boot are scattered about the causeway on this side. 

5/27: The Cave of Faces

This is an oddly shaped limestone cavern roughly 15-20’ in diameter with tall stalagmites that reach almost to the ceiling. The roof of the cave is about 15’ in height. The entirety of this cave, including the stalagmites, walls, and ceiling, are covered in sculptures of human, elven, dwarven, and mantis-person faces. The faces are heavily stylized, and all depict faces of terror and fear. The faces carved into the cave all seem to be staring toward the southwest tunnel entrance. The tops of the stalagmites here all bear the dark brown stains of dried blood.

• North: The northern wall connects to room 5/26 by way of a short tunnel.
• East: On the southeastern end of the cave is a tunnel roughly eight feet in diameter that leads to cave 5/18.
• West: On the southwestern wall of the cave a short 25’ long tunnel leads to room 5/28.

5/28: Of Ghouls and Gold

This convoluted limestone cavern is approximately 50’ in diameter with a 20’ tall ceiling. There is a tall stalagmite in the northern end of the cave and a wider, squatter stalagmite in the south. The floor of this cavern is scattered with various golden objects. Goblets, jewelry, and other beautiful treasures lie scattered about in neglected heaps. Five ghouls are carrying the golden objects out of the tunnel to the south and dropping them on the ground in here. They seem to move with a predetermined purpose, though who or what commands them remains a mystery.

• North: A narrow fissure in the rock on the northern end of the cavern opens up to a more comfortably wide natural tunnel running to room 5/24.
• South: Past the stalagmite at the southern end of the cave is a tunnel leading further into the mountain. It is from this tunnel that the ghouls seem to be entering the room.
• East: A short passageway on the eastern wall connects this cavern with cave 5/27.
• The Gold: There is 3,000 gp in golden objects scattered about the room. Most are goblets, plates, silverware, and jewelry. There is a smattering of gold coins stamped with a tiger’s face on them as well.
• The Ghouls:  These ghouls are being commanded to carry treasure here from another room in the dungeon. They will attack anyone who gets in their way or tries to take any treasure. Otherwise, they will begrudgingly avoid characters who enter or pass through this cavern.

A Wizard's Tower Generator

Throughout the worlds of fantasy, the archetype of magic-wielding wizards and their mysterious sanctuaries captivate the imagination. Whether your campaign is filled with wizards, sorcerers, warlocks, or witches, they will need a place to kick up their heels and enjoy the fruits of their magical labors. Below you’ll find a host of roll-tables that you can utilize in your game. With the tables below, you can generate a variety of occult abodes replete with odd magical trinkets, dangerous and deadly traps, fantastical familiars, and more! Never again will you be on the backfoot when gametime comes and your players are expecting a fun location to explore.

The Grounds:

A wizard’s tower isn’t just deadly on the inside. Before adventurers make it into a sorcerer’s sanctum, they must first navigate the grounds around the tower. Below you’ll find a table to help you generate interesting and challenging locations. Roll once on the table to generate the grounds around your tower.

 

D12	The Tower Is Found:	Description:	Possible Challenges:
1	At the confluence of two or more leylines.	Glittering fields of magical energy cross and mix, swirling with color. Fey portals and odd magic fields can be found scattered about for those who know where to look.	Extradimensional creatures from outside our own reality, magical force fields and areas of enchantment, those seeking to drain the leylines of their magical energy.
2	Surrounded by an enchanted garden.	Tall hedges and their brambles create a maze of floral splendor. The enchanting smell of magical flowers and herbs permeates the air. The odd lawn sculpture or folly breaks the monotony of the garden.	Predatory flora such as stranglevines and vampire roses, fields of magical flowers that ensorcell any who sniff them, living statue guardians, animated hedge monsters.
3	Swathed in a shroud of perpetual nighttime.	No matter what time of day, the sky over the tower is always night. Glittering stars, comets, and nebulas slowly dance across the sky as the moon sails by, perpetually full.	Night hunters like dire wolves or giant bats, the undead, areas of magical darkness, moon runes.
4	Within the confines of a small pocket dimension.	The cerulean skies of this pocket dimension swirl with glittering moats of light. The ground here appears to be made out of felt, and the wildlife here is glistening with sticky pink goo.	Magical guardians such as homunculi or golems, magical warding glyphs, caustic pink goo, areas of recumbent space (like a mobius strip).
5	Surrounded by heaps of gigantic animal bones.	Piles of gigantic vertebra, ribs, skulls, and other bones are heaped about everywhere. The bones are all old beyond measure. The lands here are filled with dangerous scavengers who root among the bone piles for sustenance.	Carrion creatures such as giant vultures, bone golems, monstrous skeletal guards, crumbling hillocks of bones, clouds of choking bone dust.
6	Being slowly carried away on the back of a humongous turtle.	Set atop the craggy back of a humongous turtle as it slowly but surely crawls onward. Odd colored carpets of magical moss cover the turtle’s shell in places. The creature may or may not be aware of the tower on its back, but it is intelligent and can speak common.	Giant parasitic insects that infest the turtle, dangerous patches of magical moss, the crushing weight of the turtle’s foot.
7	Nestled amongst heaps of rusted gears and widgets the size of wagons embedded in the landscape.	The tower is surrounded by the remains of an utterly ancient and unknowable machine. The air is heavy with the smell of rust and oil. Mechanical drones and guardians from the machine’s heyday stalk the ruins for intruders. Hidden mechanical devices lie under the gears, waiting for discovery.	Rusty mechanical guard bots, scavengers rooting around for scrap, hidden mechanical traps, sliding piles of cogs, wire elementals, electrified debris strewn about.
8	Surrounded by floating boulders the size of houses.	A large field of boulders float above the ground here, anywhere from five to fifty feet up. Unique hanging plants are draped over the sides of the stones. The stones themselves contain a unique mineral that defies gravity.	Predatory raptors such as golden eagles, out of control floating boulders, climbing up treacherous vines, choking clouds of gnats.
9	At the center of an ancient circle of weathered standing stones.	Two concentric rings of massive stone monoliths surround the tower. The outer stone circle is inscribed with magical runes, and the inner circle is carved with depictions of animals and constellations.	Powerful wards against intrusion, stone animal golems animating out of the standing stones, bound spirit guards, shades of the dead.
10	Set amongst roiling demonic corruption.	The land here is puckered with living pustules of demonic corruption erupting in periodic spouts of caustic puss and blood. The sky boils with blood-red clouds, and the air smells of sulfur.	Hills made of demon flesh, demonically corrupted local animal life, bubbling pools of molten blood, sulfur clouds, dangerous mutated trees.
11	Located on a small island in the middle of a wine-dark lake.	Flocks of herons and egrets fly through the air amidst the lapping waves of this dark lake. A massive boulder juts out of the water in the middle of the lake containing the wizard’s tower. The waters here are full of iridescent fish.	Freak weather on the lake, dangerous underwater guardians, walls of water, rocky shores, enchanted fish.
12	Nestled among the dilapidated ruins of a once thriving city.	Vine-choked crumbling walls of a once prosperous city surround the tower. Many surrounding buildings are nothing more than piles of stone in the vague shape of a structure. A haunting melody can be heard echoing through the ruins without an apparent source.	The ghosts of the former inhabitants, lurking undead, roaming packs of wild dogs, fey enchantments that ensorcell the mind, living statue guards.

 

Appearance and Construction:

The tower itself is a powerful reflection of the mage or warlock who inhabits it. Not only do they leave their mark upon the place, but the place leaves its mark upon them. Many a clever sorcerer has found an uninhabited but nonetheless dangerous redoubt in the wilderness and bent it to their own ends. Whether they are used for dangerous experiments, lavish parties, introspective psychic broadcasts, or orgiastic occult rituals, wizard’s towers must be able to meet many needs. Roll once on each of the categories below to generate your tower’s appearance and construction.

Appearance/construction:

 

D12	Appearance:	D12	Construction:
1	Shaped like a serpent	1	Carved out of a single basalt boulder.
2	Overgrown with foliage	2	Made of perfectly cut stone blocks that bear the name of a legendary dwarven stonecutter
3	Dilapidated and held together by makeshift wooden buttresses	3	Woven together by enchanted vines
4	Attached to a second floating tower by way of a skybridge	4	Made of colored glass
5	A statue of a humanoid	5	Built out of chunks of coral
6	Very tall and thin	6	Made of solid bronze
7	Shaped like a giant skull	7	Carved out of a single block of obsidian
8	Squat with many domes	8	Constructed from oily dark green stone that smells faintly of cinnamon
9	Shaped like a toadstool	9	Built out of ancient enchanted old growth redwood
10	A tower with progressively jettying floors	10	Made of rubble held together by magic
11	Shaped like a branching tree	11	Completely made of bone
12	Covered in animated frescoes	12	Fashioned out of festering demon flesh

 

Familiar:

Often, when a magic user has reached the end of their available power, they will seek to attract a familiar. A familiar is a creature that, while usually appearing as an animal, is in fact a spirit of magical power. By making a bargain with their familiar, a magic user can gain further power and access to more spells. What the familiar gets out of it varies from entity to entity. Roll on each column of the table below to generate the wizard’s familiar your players might encounter while stalking the halls of a magic tower.

 

 

 

D10	Familiar:	D10	Personality:	D10	Cage:
1	A large pink toad.	1	Nervous and prone to melancholy.	1	A gilded birdcage large enough to fit three adult humans inside.
2	A red, orange, and blue tarantula the size of a dinner plate.	2	Overly confident and gregarious.	2	A big red ceramic pot with sun and star motifs glazed on it.
3	A needle-toothed imp with bat wings.	3	Whimsical and fancy free.	3	A doll house-sized replica of the wizard’s tower.
4	A blue and yellow parrot who speaks Common and curses in Dwarven.	4	Hardworking and loyal to a fault.	4	A carefully manicured bonsai tree.
5	A smiling green turtle.	5	A day dreamer who shies away from conflict.	5	A cold-iron cage with thick bars.
6	A black cat with moon and star patterns in their fur.	6	Will laugh at anything, including your own suffering.	6	A tall dark blue top hat.
7	A babbling lemon.	7	Usually incoherent with brief periods of exceptional wisdom.	7	Within the flame of a silver lantern.
8	A swarm of iridescent fireflies.	8	Playful, but cautious around new people.	8	An ornate ivory and gold perch.
9	A variegated garden snake with small antlers.	9	Angry and aggressive.	9	Within a fist sized jewel.
10	A floating red crystal.	10	Child-like in their demeanor.	10	A large glass globe with a hole on top.

 

The Wizard’s Library:

A wizard’s athenaeum is their most prized possession. Without a proper library of books, both magical and not, a wizard can continue to grow their magical research and expand their spellcasting prowess. Below you’ll find tables for generating interesting books, both magical and nonmagical in nature. The next time a player reaches for a random folio on a shelf, you’ll be able to tell them exactly what they have.

 

D20	Books of a nonmagical provenance:	What does it contain?	D20	Books on magic and other occult topics:	What does it contain?
1	Journey Through The Elven Lands	Detailed account of elvish language, customs, religion, and poetry. Written in Common.	1	Sacrifices To The Lower Planes	Secret details on the lower planes and how to safely navigate through them. Written in an ancient dialect of Lower Demonic.
2	Horticulture Of Underground Mushrooms	Comprehensive tome of underdark fungus, both good and ill. Written in Dwarven.	2	Transmutation Of The Living Form	A collection of transmutation spells. Written in High Elvish
3	The Annals Of The Vispice War	Details of an ancient war and the battle tactics utilized to win. Written in Old Common.	3	Beyond The Black Lights Of Midnight	Extensive notes on creating zombies, skeletons, and other undead creatures to do one’s bidding. Written in Proto-Common.
4	River Life Among The Halflings Of The Westlands	A travelogue about Halflings and their culture. Written in High Elvish.	4	Realms Undreamt Of	A chronicle of dream magic and tips on how to protect oneself from dream intrusions. Written in an obscure dialect of Elvish.
5	Ziddrion’s Star Atlas	Navigation charts and instructions for their use. Written in Old Common.	5	Dilsen’s Capricious Enchantments	An elaborate examination of enchantment magic and its constituent parts. Written in Satyr using Elvish script.
6	Dwarven Building Traditions	Extensive catalogue of dwarven architecture and trap designs. Written in Old Dwarven.	6	On The Astral Form	Details on how to astral project one’s soul into the higher realms. Written in Eastern Common.
7	The Iron Circle	A history of an ancient nation that was ruled by demon magics. Written in Infernal.	7	Journey To The Plane Of Fire	Secret knowledge on the Elemental Plane of Fire and the City of Brass that is found there. Written in Efreeti.
8	The Book Of Advantages	A martial treatise on fighting with a sword and shield. Written in Common.	8	The Book Of Nublis	A powerful collection of destructive spells. Written in Old Dwarven.
9	The Maiden’s Kiss	A bawdy romance novel with accurate details about warding off vampires. Written in Common.	9	The Ideocron Of The Oracular Somnabulist	A fractured collection of spells regarding dream magic, crystal magic, and transdimensional magic. Written in the dialect of the Moon Elves.
10	Waters Of The Southern Sea	An extensive atlas and travel guide to the trade routes of the southern ocean. Written in Southern Common using the High Elven script.	10	The Great Conjunction	Prophecies regarding the next imminent planar conjunction and instructions on how to siphon energy from the event. Written in Western Common with the Dwarven runic alphabet.
11	Below The Mountains Of Gahl	An account of the large mega-dungeon under the Mountains of Gahl. Written in Undercommon.	11	Offbeg’s Treatise On The Winds Of Magic	Details on the winds of magical energy that flow throughout the planes. Written in Draconic.
12	The Ancient Mounds Builders	A speculative history of the unknown builders of the mounds of the Kalram Plain. Written in Common.	12	Principia Daemonica	An extensive collection of writings on demons and their various infernal realms. Written in Celestial.
13	The Chronicles Of The Rosen Empire	A history of an ancient empire that used to rule the local river valley. Written in Old Common.	13	The Asben Prophecy Cycle	A little-known prophecy about a promised king who will rise again one day to lead his kingdom into a golden age. Written in Old Common.
14	Philosophies Of The Palace of Brembor	A philosophical treatise on the metaphysics of planar travel. Written in High Elven.	14	Of The Moon And Other Celestial Bodies	An encyclopedia and atlas of the moon and various other planetary realms, including detailed descriptions of flora and fauna. Written in Common with an Elven script.
15	Captain Quay’s Treasure	An account of one of the captain’s mates claiming to know where he hid his massive treasure. Written in Common.	15	Deep Time	A curiously written treatise on the magic of time and temporal manipulation. Written in Draconic.
16	The Autumn And Winter Chronicles	A history of two rival foreign countries and their devastating wars. Written in Ancient Common.	16	The Iron Book Of Pain	An account of a champion of the higher planes who traverses the many hells of the underworld. Written in Low-Celestial.
17	On Dragons And Wyverns	A field guide to dragons and wyverns. Written in Dwarven and High Elven.	17	Soulcasting	Various spells about projecting the mind, dominating the will, and trapping souls. Written in Old Dwarven.
18	How To Catch a Faerie	An extensive guide to tracking and capturing a faerie. Written in Wood Elven.	18	The Greater Mystery	An account of a monk who claims to have received a revelation about the nature of gods and man. Half written in Common, half written in an undecipherable script.
19	Beyond The Pale Gate	An ancient prophecy of world destruction. Written in Old Common.	19	Begmarin’s Atlas Of The Outer Worlds	An illustrated atlas of various planes in the multiverse. A third of the pages have been torn out. Written in Wood Elvish.
20	Gladfoot’s Goodly Cookery	An extensive guide to foraging and cooking wild game. Written in Common.	20	Evocations Of Fire	A collection of flame-related spells and enchantments, including extensive accounts of the elemental plane of fire. Written in Efreeti.

 

Things Found In A Wizard’s Tower:

Wizards and other arcane spellcasters are renowned coots. Many have been known to collect all manner of odd bric-a-brac and magical gewgaw. Below you’ll find a table for conjuring up the right amount of occult oddness to occupy the tables and desks of your wizard’s tower.

2D20	What did you find?
2	Three seashells in a small ivory case.
3	A blown glass sculpture of a wyvern’s skull.
4	A golden harp with strings that never break or go out of tune.
5	An empty blue glass bottle with a label that reads “Mermaid’s Voice”.
6	A right-handed metal gauntlet painted purple with arcane symbols inscribed all over it in red and yellow.
7	A portable writing desk with ink, nibs, pen knife, and sand.
8	A scale replica of trebuchet in Maplewood.
9	Four identical glass jars with various colored liquids inside, nestled in a rack.
10	A silver hand mirror engraved with vines.
11	An empty round green glass jar with a label that reads “Witch’s Cough”.
12	Two shrunken heads tied together by their hair.
13	A scroll containing a recipe for the world’s greatest egg salad sandwich.
14	A large open topped green amphora with peacock feather stuffed inside.
15	A small pyramid, cube, dodecahedron, and icosahedron made of different metals and etched with arcane symbols.
16	A small ink well labelled “Invisible Ink”.
17	A tattered pamphlet titled “So You Want To Summon the Dead?”.
18	A glass sphere that seems to contain a small man frantically pounding on the glass to get your attention.
19	A cat brush.
20	A gold handled straight razor.
21	A carved wooden box labeled “Toad Legs”.
22	An ornately carved dragon bone hat tree with wizard hats of all colors and designs.
23	A vial of blood.
24	A collection of hair dolls.
25	A creepy marionette of the local Burgomaster.
26	Swirled green and yellow glass marbles.
27	A small distillation still.
28	A jeweled scabbard missing its sword.
29	A collection of cat whiskers in an empty perfume jar.
30	A small glass jar full of teeth.
31	A withered monkey’s paw.
32	A globe depicting the surface of some other world.
33	Two telescopes, one large and the other even larger.
34	A mug of cold tea, very old.
35	Snowshoes.
36	A small wooden box marked “Eye of Newt”.
37	A badge-shaped shield painted with a yellow field inside a red border with a large S emblazoned in red at its center.
38	A large brass armillary sphere.
39	A faery-sized tea set for four.
40	A large ornate jar with a two-headed calf floating in it.

 

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