OUTPOST OF STONE & SILVER

• [For 1st to 3rd level characters.]

Now let us return to a time when three alignments were enough, when a handful of character classes ruled, and when magic swords had their own ideas about who's boss.

Having completed The Temple of the Berserkers, the party exited the dungeon with loot in hand only to find a small army of Gnolls, and so the PC’s did the only thing any responsible party would do when faced with being surrounded by a small army of ravenous Gnolls. The PC’s haphazardly used the Crown of the Undead Berserker King they recovered to raise an army of 3d20 (32) Undead Berserkers to pit against the Gnolls.

The party’s Magic User bumbled his way through the reading of the strange script on the *Crown before donning it. Once the 32 Undead Berserkers were summoned they not only savagely attacked the Gnolls tearing them limb from limb but afterwards the undead berserker mob headed south to a large town in the distance. Whoops!

*I rolled 1d4 and got a 2 for the amount of charges (uses) of the magical Crown. I don't want an item this powerful sticking around for long at this level.

OUTPOST OF STONE & SILVER 

This dungeon was chalked full of fun stuff for our table to get into trouble with. In particular the following led to some of the most memorable gaming I have had in recent years.

• Metal Dwarf-Robot Arms (PC’s had arm-wrestling matches with bets placed)

• Localized gravity anomaly (PC’s dragged back Mantises for midair, anti-gravity combat, but first their arms were removed). What can I say, my table are sadists.

• Directional black hole (oooh shit, don’t even get me started on this, and where it leads).In addition to the above the following magic items will make for some Campaign altering immersive play.

• Tablets of the Greater Transfiguration (a powerful item that holds the key to the ritual that grants immortality to the flesh).* It was this very ritual that long ago led to nearly the entire race of dwarves liberating themselves from the weakness of the flesh.

• Barsoomian diadem (Before Mars became a dead planet, the diadem was worn by a keeper and an assistant who knew the secret combination to the doors of the factory that generated Barsoom’s atmosphere.)

BACKGROUND

For months now, strange flashes of eldritch light have plagued the night skies surrounding an old outpost from the days of the fallen empire of the Ancients. An ill omen lurks in the sky above the old abandoned outpost as strange bolts of cackling green energy have been observed striking the ground, causing tremors, as though the very stars themselves were offering themselves in a sacrificial descent. News has reached the Cassandra Corporation, and the Undernauts have been dispatched. The Corporation is particularly interested in the reason behind the Metal Dwarfs being spotted on march in the direction of the strange phenomena. For the Metal Dwarfs haven’t been seen in a hundred years or more. What could possibly have caused them to activate & stir?

1. Blast door with a 1’x5’ hole cut into it.

2. 11 Holographic Glitches; total of 2,000 sp, 360 gp in six metal crates (welded shut).

• Holographic Glitches (11) AL N, MV 90' (30') Fly 180' (60'), AC 3, HD 1, #AT 1 (dagger), DG 1d4, SV E1, ML 7, THC III + IV]

3. 2 Metal Dwarf-Robot Arms (as 10’ Large Snakes, stationary) flail in a murderous dance. Secret door to #4 is a narrow hatch hidden behind pyramid of empty crates.

• Metal Dwarf-Robot Arms (2) [AL N, MV 90' (30'), AC 6, HD 2, #AT 1 (crush), DG 1d4, SV F1, ML 7, THC None]

4. Spacious room, pristine white. The Legendary “Tablets of the Greater Transfiguration” (3,400 gp total) suspended mid-air in localised gravity anomaly, anybody who touches them also floats.


5. Passage to #6 and #8 barred by vibrant blue energy fields* (controlled from #21).


6. 2 phosphorescent metal rods (as Wand of Magic Missile, 1–4 charges each), strapped to the walls.


7. Empty.


8. 8 Spider Xeno-Drones (as Large Spiders) lined up by east wall hatchery, currently inactive, but activate if there is movement 10’ away from them.

• Spider Xeno-Drones (8) [AL N, MV 120' (40'), AC 7, HD 2, #AT 1 (bite), DG 1d8 + poison, SV F1, ML 7, THC VI]

9. Transportable air purifier worth 1,699 gp.


10. Empty.


11. 4 retro egg chairs depicting flying furry serpents, worth 1,600 sp total.


12. Empty.


13. 7 Flayed Metal Dwarves (as Skeletons). Four mirror panels on south wall, third one is a funhouse mirror and secret door to #44 (must be smashed).

• Flayed Metal Dwarves (7) [AL C, MV 60' (20'), AC 7, HD 1, #AT 1, DG 1d6 or weapon, SV F1, ML 12, THC None]

14. 9 Giant Rats munch on exposed copper and brass wiring. Salvageable parts and equipment worth 550 gp.

• Giant Rats (9) [AL N, MV 120' (40') Swim 60' (20'), AC 7, HD 1d4 hp, #AT 1 (bite), DG 1d3 + disease, SV F1, ML 8, THC XX]

15. 13 Bug-Eyed Mantises (as Goblins) practice knife throwing at the scintillating red button on the north-east wall; if hit or pressed, de-activates for 12 turns all energy fields at the exits of the complex and in all the passages leading to the caves.

• Bug-Eyed Mantises (13) [AL C, MV 60' (20'), AC 6, HD 1-1, #AT 1 (weapon), DG 1d6 or weapon, SV 0 human, ML 7, THC III (XX)]

16. Empty.


17. 1 Flamethrower Turret (as Red Dragon Hatchling, stationary, rotate up to 90° per turn), facing random direction. Blackened walls.

•  Flamethrower Turret [AC 4, HD 2, #AT 1, DG 1d20, SV N/A]

18. Scorch marks around door to #17.


19. LABORATORY, glowing light green ceramo-plastic tiles smeared with dirt. Obscene medical instruments, incl. mounted surgical laser (2 dice of damage). HOLDING CELLS, barred by energy fields* (controlled from #21): “a” 1 Bulbous Mutant, “b” empty, “c” 1 Giant Crab that parrots human speech. “d”–“k” are lead-lined STORAGE CHAMBERS, random content: 

1–3: empty,

4–6: supplies,

7: explosives,

8: Ancients (elves) scientists in suspended animation; the east wall of “i” is a secret door with deep scratch marks, can be slid aside; chamber “ii” holds a Cloak of Displacement.

• Bulbous Mutant [AL C, MV 120' (40'), AC 4, HD 6+3, #AT 3 (2 claws, bite), DG 1d6/1d6/1d10, SV F6, ML 10, THC XIX]

20. Steel pillar crackling with eldritch energy shoots Lightning Bolt (2d6 DG) at anyone closer than 20’. Up to 3 bolts per turn, then 1 full turn to recharge.


21. CONTROL ROOM. Floor covered with runic steel plates. Blinking blue button in south nook: two positions, toggles on/off all energy fields in #5 and #19.


22. 6 Flayed Metal Dwarves. Silver and brass wiring worth 1,900 sp, 6 transistor crystals (30, 4x100, 1,000 gp) hidden behind plastic wall panel.

• Flayed Metal Dwarves (6) [AL C, MV 60' (20'), AC 7, HD 1, #AT 1, DG 1d6 or weapon, SV F1, ML 12, THC None]

23. Abstract steel installation worth 1,040 sp.


24. 4 Metal Dwarf Arms fixed to the ceiling (as 10’ Large Snakes with paralysing venom, stationary), attack all intruders in reach. Programmed to return to their owner if freed.

• Metal Dwarf-Robot Arms (2) [AL N, MV 90' (30'), AC 6, HD 2, #AT 1 (crush), DG 1d4, SV F1, ML 7, THC None]

25. 4 Hyperborean Vermis by campfire.

• Hyperborean Vermis (4) [AL L or N, MV 60' (20'), AC 5, HD 1, #AT 1 (weapon), DG 1d6 or weapon, SV D1, ML 8, THC XX]  

26. Empty.


27. 6 Large Dogs mourn their pack leader.

• Large Dogs [AL N, MV 180' (60'), AC 7, HD 2+2, #AT 1 (bite), DG 1d6, SV F1, ML 8, THC None]

28. Red ochre cave-paintings of a Giant Shadow Wolf that almost seems to move (by the 4 Hyperborean Vermis in #25).


29. 2 Hyperborean Vermis tinker with a faulty holo-projector (as Wand of Illusion/Phantasm, only works 33% of the time).

• Hyperborean Vermis (2) [AL L or N, MV 60' (20'), AC 5, HD 1, #AT 1 (weapon), DG 1d6 or weapon, SV D1, ML 8, THC XX]  

30. Empty.


31. Two 100’ coils of flexible brass/silver cable.


32. “a” is a directional black hole that swallows everything that passes between the small chamber’s entrance and the eastern wall, save versus paralysis to resist the deadly pull.

33. Coiled up metallic Purple Giant Snake. Its belly holds 1,400 sp and a 6,000 gp *Barsoomian diadem.

• Purple Giant Snake [AL N, MV 90' (30'), AC 6, HD 2, #AT 1 (bite), DG 1d4+ poison, SV F1, ML 7, THC None]

34. Empty.

35. Pool of boiling hot water.

36. 6 Flayed Metal Dwarves 

• Flayed Metal Dwarves (7) [AL C, MV 60' (20'), AC 7, HD 1, #AT 1, DG 1d6 or weapon, SV F1, ML 12, THC None]

37. LAIR of 33 Bug-Eyed Mantises and their King, Krulo, who collects teeth. Assorted technological knick-knacks worth 800 sp, 700 gp.

• Bug-Eyed Mantises (33) [AL C, MV 60' (20'), AC 6, HD 1-1, #AT 1 (weapon), DG 1d6 or weapon, SV 0 human, ML 7, THC III (XX)]

38. Half-eaten corpses of 5 red skinned humanoids, no belongings.


39. 8 Bug-Eyed Mantises worship a machine that goes “ping!”, worth 1,200 gp.

• Bug-Eyed Mantises (8) [AL C, MV 60' (20'), AC 6, HD 1-1, #AT 1 (weapon), DG 1d6 or weapon, SV 0 human, ML 7, THC III (XX)]

40. LAIR of 24 Lizardmen, 6 engaged in crystal-carving (have 8 bio-mechanical animal figurines worth 800 gp total).

• Lizardmen [AL N, MV 60' (20'), AC 5, HD 2+1, #AT 1 (weapon), DG 1d6+1 or weapon +1, SV F2, ML 12, THC XIX]

41. VAST MISTY CAVERN extending for miles and miles, tall as a cathedral. 4 Ghouls lurk here in the mist, carefully avoiding the shore of the lake, #41…

• Ghouls (4) [AL C, MV 90' (30'), AC 6, HD 2 (turn as 3 HD), #AT 3, DG 1d3/1d3/1d3 + paralysis, SV F2, ML 9, THC XXI]

42. LAKE OF ACID TEARS, instantly dissolves everything but silver. In the far distance, the towers of Vairocana, fabled city of Brass, rise high on the horizon. A looming Titan wades in the waters miles away, trying to reach the city as it slowly dissolves and sinks beneath the waters.

• Titan AL L, MV 150' (50'), AC 2, HD 15, #AT 1 (rocks or lightning), DG 6d8, SV F15, ML 10, THC XVIII + 5,000 gp]

43. 1 Arachno-Bot, trapped here by the rising acid lake. Core contains 4,000 gp *radiant cybernetic crystal. 

• Arachno-Bot [AL N, MV 120' (40'), AC 7, HD 2, #AT 1 (bite), DG 1d8 + poison, SV F1, ML 7, THC VI] can cast Web.

44. 1 Bufonid with chameleonic skin. Signs of recent digging: buried treasure: 872 gp, iridescent dagger (regular dagger in melee, +2 if thrown).

• Bufonid [AL N, MV 90' (30'), AC 7, HD 2+2, #AT 1 (bite), DG 1d4+1, SV F1, ML 6, THC None]

ADDITIONAL MAP KEY                                 

X Stationary defense (turrets, robot arms)

. . . Energy field*