CRYPT CRIBS OF THE CORPSE CHILDREN: A Dungeon Patch (with a Geomorph)

 

A geomorph:10 X 10 for the win!

Geomorphs

Josh over at Rise Up Comus has been writing about dungeon nodes as “dungeon patches”, or small clusters of dungeon rooms that can be easily written and assembled to form a larger dungeon complex. Building on the idea of sewing patches into a larger dungeon level (/quilt) idea, I’d like to reintroduce the concept of the dungeon geomorph (see the one below). In fact, one of my favor megadungeons, Nightwick Abbey, is built using this same principle, but I think it was Dyson Logos who made them popular in the OSR around ~2009- it inspired Dave’s Mapper.

I like geomorphs because they keep everything in a condensed unit that has a high variety of connections, such that when you assemble them, interesting loops and paths emerge. They are helpful when you have ideas about an area of a dungeon but maybe not a clear idea of how it will connect to another area because you can easily “pick up and move” chunks of the dungeon like Lego bricks. You can also rotate them. And in terms of layout, each geomorph section itself conveniently fits on a page with its own key. Making them highly usable at the table and easy to trade with your friends!

CRYPT CRIBS of the CORPSE CHILDREN

Design Note: Its close to Halloween; I’ve never run vampires, and I wanted to have a theme that felt a little offbeat from where you’d normally find vampires. Also, I too was scarred by that baby from Trainspotting. I’ve generally keyed this one to BX/OSE standards: 2x monsters (one with treasure), 1x trap (+treasure), 2x empty (+treasure, hidden), 1x weird

Background: The Baron and Baroness wanted to give the most to their two children. Previous loss of children weighed heavily on their souls, and so they wanted to ensure no harm came to their newest ones. During the plague year, both parents fell ill with the fever, and in a fit of madness, the story goes, struck a deal with a mysterious entity from the forest. The entity promised to keep the children’s hearts safe and forever without harm. But this emptied the children of growth, empathy, compassion and…mercy.

1. The Gallery of a Tragedy (Empty): On the north wall between the two doors are four paintings that depict the family. The first shows a couple in stately morning. The second shows a pregnant woman, sharing an anxious look with the man to her left, yet her hand is out stretched to a kneeing game warden hands are outstretched from the bushes. The third shows two cribs in a nursery; charms against plague are hung about, prominent are a silver rocking horse and gold dragon. A dark figure with cat-like eyes is hunched at the very edge of the painting. The fourth depicts two twins center and looming large in perspective to everything around them, their parents are peering from a doorway centered between to larger wooden doors east and west (reference to the secret door in room #06). Several hounds are painted in a death-like repose.

2. Dining Room of the Heart (Weird): The room is humid; a metallic taste enters PC's mouths, they can feel their hearts beating in their chest more acutely, and it's bathed in a red light emanating from a family portrait on the west wall. In the center is a dining table the ideal height for children. Several seats are knocked over or contain a headless skeleton with it skull on the table.

✤ Hearts Beating: The PCs will feel their heart more in this room and after each action they take, their heart thumps louder and louder. The rug squelches with a red liquid.

3.  The Scolding Room: This bedroom is clean but covered in rust-colored mold. Along the wall are rows and rows of thin, reed rods, each labeled with a small slip of paper. A long chain lead and manacle is attached to the bed- a skeletal hand is in it.

✤ Fire is a "no":  If torches are brough into this room, the door will slam, and a voice shouts "no matches allowed! No matches allowed!" and the torch light or candle light be blown out.

4. Bedroom of the Nurse Hounds (Trap + Treasure): The room smells of wet dog. A cabinet, a tub, and a bed are the only features. A glint flashes under the bed, which looks as if it has been shredded and chewed on, as if an animal was trapped in here a long time ago.

✤ Glint: If someone or something is placed under the bed, a save vs Device/Trap must be made or take 3d4 dmg as spectral hounds bite the would-be-thief. Pressing on the mattress will reveal the feel of several hound skulls. Glint is a golden ball studded in sapphires (750 sp), carrying the ball (heavy, 2 slots) will provide a +1 save vs Poison

5. Grandmother Ghoul (Monster): A gaunt figure rocks in her chair and knits a cloak of human hair from a basket at her feet. On a large circular table is a pile of bones stripped clean and a pewter plater cover in strips of meat and skin. A large key dangles out from a rotten, bloody silk nightgown and cloak of blond hair.

✤ Gaunt Figure: As ghoul with 3HD*; can cast silence and sleep (both recharge on a 1:6 every 2 combat rounds). Hates noise for it will wake the babies. Will stalk the PCs if they run.

✤ Key: Opens the door to #06 

6. Crypt Crib (Monster + Treasure): Two stone sarcophagi shaped like cribs stand among a tattered playroom. One has a lid pushed aside. Also in the room is a silver-plated rocking horse, covered in blood, and a gold-plated rocking dragon with a corpse tied to it. A gold glint peaks from under the closed sarcophagus. All other toys are shattered and broken. The walls depict a 360-degree view of the town and lands that surround the manor, but covered in dried blood, viscera, and ash such that it seems as if the town is burning down; the church appears to be the only untouched building (seam of a secret door to #03 is found there)

✤ Two stone sarcophagi: Corpse Children as vampires of 4HD* (but turn at 7HD). Approaching the sarcophagus will cause the children, Hart and Valentine, to attack by suprise. Hart will leap out of the close sarcophagus. Valentine will drop from the ceiling the next round of combat. Each wears a diadam of set with a polished bezoar carved as a coiled snake (advantage of poison saves).

⭐︎ Corpse Children Hart & Valentine: If fed fresh victims, they can teach a chaotic wizard how to summon a familiar and once that is done, summon a minor demon. Requires fresh for each instance. Do want their hearts back, but can’t leave the nursery as long as "granny" is around (nothing is actually keeping them there other than habit)

✤ Silver rocking horse, gold rocking dragon: Each of these items is plated with the previous metal, but worth 750 sp each if carried out. Encumbers 1 person.

✤ Gold Glint: A Gold ball: Worth 900 sp, heavy and takes up 2 slots. If cleaned by holy water, it is enchanted with protection from evil that will only activate for the lawfully aligned when held.

7. Playroom of Snares (Trap): The room is under continual darkness and the floor is littered with toys, bones, and other shredded bedding, sheets, and pillows. Traversing the room risks a 3-in-6 chance of springing one of the many bear traps under the pile of toys (save vs device or take 1d8 dmg and be held until an open doors check is made)

✤ Bear Traps: Open doors check needed to pry open, but attatched to cow-bells that will ring when triggers and messed with (roll an encounter check each time)