Talon's Height: Dungeon - The Shattered Tower

Find below full details of a small dungeon environment in the Brightwood in Talon's Height, which is fairly easily transported into any moderately high-magic game (just have Rupprecht be working for someone else, or for himself). It's a small, linear dungeon, though set up in a way that I think should encourage interesting discovery and decision-making. This is a low-level treasure trove, with a mix of combat and non-combat challenges. I'll post the Dragon's Tooth (home of Targyn's Kobolds) soon, which is still smallish but environmentally and tactically much deeper. I want to edit it first, though, to trim the fat on the text; 4 pages of A4 for an overview and 8 rooms is too long. Anyway, give me whatever feedback you have on this one!

Morale, mentioned below, is basically the B/X version; roll 2d6 for the group when either they hit 1/2 strength (or HP for a single monster). If you roll above their Morale, the group attempts to flee in a reasonable manner. Yes, that means Morale 12 = Unbreakable. I've listed Magic Item and Monster information/references after the Hex entry.

6. Hex 5-5: Shattered Tower:

Description: A bulky, ugly mage's tower partially largely destroyed in the Spellplague. Some would consider the shattered stump an improvement. The area around the tower is surprisingly clear of plant life given it has been over a century since it was inhabited; however, undergrowth is now beginning to encroach.

Inhabitants and Behaviour: Camped in the ruins is Rupprecht the Gold, a scruffy N Conjurer, who has expended 1 x 4th-Level Spell Slot. He is accompanied by, and guarded by night by, 1 x Ice Mephit and 1 x Magmin (Morale 8, Rupprecht). He is friendly, though guarded. He won't give up his find, though he is happy to talk shop with other adventurers. He has been hired by Nimthur to retrieve magic items, and will be paid per item. #See the bottom of this post for an additional piece of information, in lieu of working spoiler tags to hide it from my players.#

He will defend himself if necessary, and will strike preemptively if he judges the situation to be going south (usually casting Mage Armor or Conjure Elemental first). Rupprecht carries 37gp on him, as well as a Ice and Fire Brooch.

Services: Intrepid adventurers, especially arcane-inclined ones, might turn this into a Stronghold.

12a. Dungeon – The Arcane Treasury

Approach: Via the arcane-sealed trapdoor to the basement in the ruined tower.

Overview of Inhabitants and Behaviour: Amongst the various protections for the wizard's hoard are arcane constructs and fumblebugs. The constructs actively seek to bar progress; the fumblebugs do so by their nature.

Locations:

Trapdoor

/\

Entry Room – Chasm of Clumsiness – The Guard Room – Trapped Treasure Room

A. Trapdoor and Entry Room

Environment: A ladder leading down to a 10-foot diameter circular stone-built room. Dark when the Trapdoor is closed, natural light when it is open.

Inhabitants and Behaviour: None.

Exits: The Trapdoor is a Knock Knock Mimic, left here by the wizard to guard his hoard. It closes again after visitors leave the room below. An open stone doorway leads to the Chasm of Clumsiness.

B. The Chasm of Clumsiness

Environment: A 30-foot long, 2.5-foot wide, unwalled stone bridge crosses a practically-bottomless chasm. The room is dark. The flagstones are irregularly eroded in a way inconsistent with heavy footfall. A lone pickaxe is jammed into side of the bridge about halfway across. Any adventurer in the area of effect of a Fumblebug (see Inhabitants and Behaviour) must make DC11 Acrobatics or Athletics check to walk across the bridge upright, with Disadvantage if they run, but the bridge may be crossed at a crawl without a test. A failure in the former case leaves them hanging on by their fingernails, requiring a DC13 Acrobatics or Athletics test to climb back up by themselves (though of course their friends may come up with some clever way of helping them up).

Inhabitants and Behaviour: There are 8 x Fumblebugs (Morale 5) buzzing around. They apparently do not need sustenance, but they find any visitors fascinating, and will investigate them. Any adventurer trying to cross the bridge will have 1d4+1 bugs buzz within range. The bugs leave them if they make it across. The bugs eat ground stone, if they need luring (the flagstones may hint at this).

Exits: Stone portals at either end of the room give access to the Entry Room and the Guard Room.

C. The Guard Room

Environment: A 50x50ft room with a great paired series of pillars progressing from the Chasm room to the Treasure room.

Inhabitants and Behaviour: 2 x Animated Armors and 1 x Flying Sword (Morale 12) seek to prevent progress. The Armors stand in the middle of the room and repeat, in a monotone, orders for interlopers to leave. The Sword lurks round the sides. They will seek to stop thieves getting any further at all costs. The Armors will, ifthere are good targets, smash a trapped pair of pillars (the central pair in the room) – the deadfall causes 1d10 damage to anyone within 20ft, requiring a DC15 Dexterity Saving Throw to halve.

Exits: Open stone doorways lead to the Chasm and the Treasure Room. There is a tripwire across the doorway leading to the Treasure Room (DC13 Investigation), which if tripped triggers a Poison Spray spell. It can only be tripped once.

D. Trapped Treasure Room

Environment: A 15x10ft room with a glass-fronted display case, a small chest, a bookshelf, and tired-but-comfortable furnishings (armchairs, rug, etc). The display case is charmed with Acid Splash (DC14), which activates if someone seeks to open or break the glass. It contains Figgle's Amusing Grease Wand, the Axe of Plant Slaying, a Colourthief's Brush, the Amulet of Hope, and the Book of Epic Boredom. The chest has a Poison Needle Trap. It contains a bolt of valuable silk (worth 10gp), a pouch of Flash Powder, and 2 x Healing Potions. The bookshelf is untrapped and has a variety of historical and scientific books on it, which may be of value to the right buyer and will contain useful information.

Inhabitants and Behaviour: There is apparently a Lion guarding the treasure, but it is an illusion. It roars menacingly at interlopers.

Exits: An open stone portal back to the Guard Room (with a tripwire across it; see under Guard Room).

MAGIC ITEMS:

*Healing Potions - WotC 5e DMG

*Amulet of Hope, Book of Epic Boredom, Colourhief Brush - Arnold K at Goblin Punch, here: http://goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2015/01/d100-minor-magical-items.html. The Book has a DC of 16.

*The others are by me:

Ice and Fire Brooch (Conjuration)

Magic Item

LOCATION: Rupprecht the Golden

If a spellcaster expends a Level 4 Spell Slot at the beginning of a day, they may charge the brooch. If activated, it summons a Magmin and an Ice Mephit under the owner's command for the next 24 hours.

Axe of Plant Slaying (Transmutation)

Magic Weapon

LOCATION: The Shattered Tower, Brightwood

A large forester's axe (counts as battleaxe), but causes +2d4 additional damage against plants (including Plant monsters).

Figgle's Amusing Grease Wand (Conjuration)

Magic Item

LOCATION: The Shattered Tower, Brightwood

Designed by a really aggravating Forest Gnome, this wand is charged with the Grease spell (maximum 3 charges). The Spell DC is 14. As an additional effect, any who fail their Save lose their next Action (whether this round or next), as they desperately flail and run on the spot as they slip, making exaggerated squeaking noises as they go. The wand does not regenerate charges on its own, but if a spellcaster expends spell slots (of any level), that many charges of Grease are added to the wand, to its maximum.

MONSTERS:

*Conjurer, Ice Mephit, Magmin, Animated Armor, Flying Sword, Lion - WotC 5e products.

*Fumblebugs - Originally by Skerples, found here: https://coinsandscrolls.blogspot.com/2017/11/osr-attack-sheet.html. My 5e entry, very closely based on that, as follows:

Fumblebugs – Unaligned Beast

Tiny, AC14, 3hp, 20ft fly, +4 Dexterity Saves, -2 Wisdom & Intelligence & Charisma Saves

A gold beetle the size of a thumb. Drones like a buzz saw in flight. It looks slow and harmless, and it is... mostly. The fumblebug produces an (as-yet-unexplained) anti-coordination field. It does not display as magical to Detect Magic, however. Whatever it does, it works.

You can't swat the fumblebug. Your swing goes wide. Bite it, and bite your own cheek. Anyone and anything in a 15' radius becomes clumsy, uncoordinated, or out of sync. It's a bit like being drunk. Creatures take a -1 penalty to Dexterity-based checks (you do not have to tell the players this beforehand). The range for critical failure increases by 1 (so on a natural 1 or 2). These effects are cumulative. Any attack rolls made in range of 20 fumblebugs are automatically critical failures. The cumulative Dexterity penalty cannot kill a character, but they should move very, very carefully away from the area.

The fumblebug is immune to most attacks a bug-eating predator could use (melee attacks, stomping on it, etc). It can't be caught either. Its defences didn't evolve to deal with distant or esoteric threats, so arrows, poison gas, and so forth might work. You could probably lure it with food, if you could figure out what it likes to eat.

*Knock Knock Mimic - Originally by CaryBogart, found here: https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/4xwq6f/knock_knock_mimic/. My short version:

Knock Knock Mimic – Neutral Monstrosity

A rare type of Mimic which morphs into a door, trapdoor, etc. It doesn't try to attack anyone. If knocked twice in succession, a mouth replaces the handle and asks “Who's there?”. Its objective is to hear a Knock-Knock joke; if it does, it will laugh, and then swing up and open.



#SPOILER: Rupprecht tells visitors who stop to talk that he met sentient giant beavers near the High Lake whilst travelling here.

Talon's Height: Plot Advance Mechanics and 2 Faction Overviews

Plot Advance Mechanics

The seven factions described below all have their own objectives, assets, and plans. They interact with each other, and with minor groups or factions in the setting, depending on various factors. Some factions might ally or oppose each other depending on circumstances; other might be antithetical to each other in all cases.

A way you could “simulate” this is in the form of what is called here “Plot Advances”. The below tables map this to when characters level up; you might alternatively advance events based on time passed or other plot triggers. It's important to note that these map what key NPCs will do over time, NOT what your players need to do. Player agency requires freedom of decision, and an ability to affect the world (or to be terminally affected by it...). Nimthur, Torrynton, and the rest all have plans, and with no interference from adventurers they will each advance to a conclusion. However, as adventurers are hired by or choose to oppose a faction, their plans will change, be advanced, or be curtailed. Exactly how things change will require your judgement.

Each faction's first three Plot Advances are linked to character level in the below matrix, with two spreading over a level boundary (the Level 3-4 and Level 4-5 Advances). This gives you some space to allow your characters to interact with the events, rather than being stuck a long way away as interesting things happen; however, you may prefer to reinforce the consequences of player decision by allowing that, in which case a tighter timetable (based on days passed, for instance) is better.

The Plot Advance Finale is not directly tied to character level, and can be triggered at your discretion – probably at a point where most of the party are level 5 or just hitting level 6. It will probably be the case that multiple factions will reach their Plot Advance Finales. You must decide in which order they trigger, or whether they occur simultaneously.

There is one more thing that should be noted, both in relation to the general concept of Plot Advances, but also when reading the specific faction overviews that follow. Some factions are more proactive, whilst some are more reactive. Broadly speaking, Torrynton, Nimthur, Dehazar, and the Prince are more proactive, in the sense that they are seeking to upset or alter the current order in some way; Lady Jana and the Labyrinthine Council are more reactive, seeking to maintain the current order; King Targyn is somewhere between the two, seeking to defend what his people already have, but in doing so he is stepping into what other factions already believe to be their own.

Nimthur the Dragon

Objectives

Nimthur perceives himself as the most worthy ruler of the region, and is angered by the refusal of weaker creatures to obey him. He intends to force the whole of Talon's Height into his service – he wants to preserve most of the inhabitants, but is willing to punish those who defy his authority. Foremost of those he perceives as rivals are Lady Jana Trueheart and Targyn the Kobold. If he comes across the plans of the Torrynton Compact or Osswald Dehazar, he will add them to his list of lawbreakers.

Nimthur is haughty, arrogant, and territorial. He will negotiate with those who show respect, and will use his proxies to approach potential mercenary allies. He will honour any agreements he makes, but is swift to punish perceived slights.

Starting Assets

*Quarry Lair – Nimthur has a multi-level lair in the caves around a disused sandstone quarry. Aside from living quarters for his minions, it also includes a Great Forge used by his Duergar allies to make him weapons of war.

*Rakigorn – NE Dragonborn Illusionist, Nimthur's trusted lieutenant. Masquerades as a richly-dressed human called “Robert”, representing “business interests” when hiring unknown adventurers.

*Rupprecht the Golden – N Human Conjurer, a contractor paid to retrieve magic items for Nimthur. Known for keeping his contracts. Hired by Rakigorn with no illusions, so he does know a little about Nimthur.

*Clan of the Feathered Axe – A clan of Lizardmen who guarded Nimthur's egg whilst it hatched, and have travelled with him to Talon's Height to establish his rule. They live above ground outside the quarry.

*Tribe of Blue Lightning – A tribe of Kobolds who have made a pilgrimage over some distance to join him. They guard the quarry itself live in the “level” of the lair beyond the entrance.

*Broken Pot Gang – Nimthur has effective suzerainty over the Broken Pot Gang of Goblins; most of their able-bodied males have travelled south from the Long Moor to serve him, and there are detachments both at the quarry and ranging through the Brightwood and Cabbage Country.

*Kingdom of Karrowzar – Nimthur has an alliance with this Duergar Kingdom, which is opposed to Glimmerdwell. He sells them magic items and has promised to assist against the Deep Janeen in the future, whilst a group of Duergar smiths and Orc slaves work the Great Forge at the bottom of the lair building him weapons of war.

Plot Advances

Characters Reach:       Plot Advance:

Level 2                         Nimthur's lieutenant, Rakigorn, disguises himself as a human called Robert and approaches adventurers to try to recruit them to Nimthur's cause. He will initially claim to represent business interests who require assistance protecting their investments in the region and exploiting new opportunities. He initially seeks to hire adventurers to clear out the Dragon's Tooth, assist another contractor in retrieving the Shattered Tower's hoard, and gathering information about elemental activity. If things turn south, Rakigorn will use Invisibility. He offers 25gp per adventurer per week, plus assistance with building a Stronghold. Rakigorn also approaches some of the brigands (not the White Feathers) in the Brightwood to offer them gifts from Nimthur in return for their future assistance.

Level 3/4                      Nimthur decides to deal with Palisar himself; if the half-elf is still besieged, in a fiery battle Nimthur is badly wounded but kills the Druid. If not, then Palisar escapes to Talon's Height. Either way, Nimthur then raids the cattle-herds of the Lordship, carrying off many cattle to his Lair to feed upon as he rapidly rebuilds his physical strength, claiming the rights of a liege over the region. He sends a letter to Lady Jana to demand her obedience, which is of course refused.

Level 4/5                       In preparation for his final moves, Nimthur leads his Kobolds to take over the Dragon's Tooth, if it is still independent. He sends another force, consisting of Broken Pot Goblins and Brightwood brigands, to thoroughly raid and ravage Puddleton and Cabbage Country (potentially clashing with Dehazar). Success in either of these will prevent reinforcement to Talon's Height from that direction in Nimthur's Plot Advance Finale.

Plot Advance Finale:

Adventurers opposing Nimthur may hear rumours from any relevant allies that Nimthur is about to make his move and secure absolute control. They can either journey to Nimthur's Lair to defeat him there, or await the storm. If no intervention is staged Nimthur, with his united forces, will attack the Lordship's capital (which may be ruled by Lady Jana or Moritz Torrynton, dependent on other events). He intends to teach his new subjects a hard lesson about refusing to obey him via the wholesale destruction of the town's buildings and the public slaughter of its leaders – though he will happily let most civilians escape.

In the aftermath of these events, if Nimthur is victorious, he will first rest, before turning to deal with the Prince Most Magnificent and Glimmerdwell. He will lead a force himself against the Prince whilst Robert (or another suitable lieutenant) leads troops to attack Glimmerdwell via the surface in support for a Karrowzarr thrust from the Underdark.

Interactions with Other Factions

*Nimthur considers the Prince Most Magnificent a direct threat, as the nearest creature similar to his power level. The dragon will ally with those seeking to keep the Prince imprisoned (including the White Silence), and will pay to have the Prince banished if he has already escaped.

*Nimthur wants the Dragon's Tooth sorted out. He is happy for it either to be cleared out entirely or subverted to his service – the Scale Sorcerer at the Dragon's Tooth, Krizz, is seeking to achieve the latter but will fail without assistance.

*Nimthur is unaware of Torrynton and Dehazar and initially unclear about what to do with them. Neither of them is interested in an alliance, and so Nimthur will eventually decide to eliminate them in the course of his attacks on the Lordship.

*Nimthur will eventually, when he feels strong enough, seek to overthrow Lady Jana and replace her, and isn't overly worried about collateral damage (though he wants something to rule afterwards). He will give her a chance to offer homage first, however.

*Nimthur is indifferent to the Labyrinthine Council, though his alliance with the Kingdom of Karrowzar does mean that when he is stronger he will use his strength to assist in unseating them.

King Targyn

Objectives

Targyn is a remarkable Kobold. He sees his people are endlessly downtrodden, whether by dragons or by “civilized races”, and seeks to build his people a home free from the lordship of anyone else. He has accepted the “civilized” concept of colonization, and so has declared lordship over an area he considers lawless. He taxes the Trade Road on the same basis – no-one lives on it, so why shouldn't he collect dues? (This, of course, is perceived as banditry.)

He personally is forthright, physically brave, and fanatically loyal to his people.

Starting Assets

*Dragon's Tooth Kobolds – Targyn rules over a couple dozen adult Kobolds including an inventor and a sorcerer, a blue guard drake, and a pseudodragon. His sorcerer, however, is secretly in league with Nimthur.

*Weaverfolk – The Kobolds of the Dragon's Tooth have a trading relationship with the Weaverfolk at the High Lake.

Plot Advances

Characters Reach:       Plot Advance:

Level 2                         The Kobolds open an iron mine near the Dragon's Tooth. Local foresters report “the little red men” have spread out and a number of minor (nonlethal) skirmishes occur.

Level 3/4                      Krizz attempts a coup against Targyn at Nimthur's command, leading to a running battle through the Brightwood near the Dragon's Tooth; Krizz, his Winged Kobold ally, and three other Kobolds are killed, but as the story filters out that Targyn has successfully defied Nimthur, two Kobolds desert from Nimthur to join him, and the local foresters begin to trade with him if adventurers have brokered some sort of armistice.

Level 4/5                      In lieu of outside intervention, tensions with foresters flare up and Targyn begins to forcibly remove all humans in the central Brightwood – killing them if they resist. Alternatively, if there has been an armistice brokered between Targyn and Lady Jana, Ligzazz is sent to make a treaty with her (before Nimthur's Level 4/5 Plot Advance, if relevant).

Plot Advance Finale:

This depends on a few factors – particularly whether there is an armistice with Lady Jana and whether Nimthur has conquered the Dragon's Tooth in the dragon's Level 4/5 Plot Advance.

If the Dragon's Tooth remains under Targyn's control but there is no armistice, Targyn will wait til the next batch of eggs grows to maturity (in just a few months) and then push militarily against either Nimthur or Lady Jana, depending upon which seems to present the most threat.

If the Dragon's Tooth remains under Targyn control but there is an armistice, Targyn will ally formally with Lady Jana against any obvious opponents, especially Nimthur.

If the Dragon's Tooth is conquered without an armistice in place, the few survivors who do not surrender will be hunted down in the Brightwood.

If the Dragon's Tooth is conquered with an armistice in place, the survivors, led by Ligzazz, will flee to Talon's Height and be permitted to settle by Lady Jana.

Interactions with Other Factions

*Targyn opposes Nimthur wholeheartedly, having rejected demands from Rakigorn to submit to the blue dragon. He will ally with those who want to take Nimthur down, to point of sending his bravest Kobolds with them to fight if requested.

*Targyn is unaware of Torrynton and Dehazar, and will remain largely indifferent to them unless they directly threaten him and his people.

*Targyn is unaware of the Prince Most Magnificent, but will recognize some sort of purpose behind fire elemental activity in the Brightwood. He will naturally oppose this expansionism vigorously.

*Targyn is unaware of the Labyrinthine Council, and would consider them too far away to worry too much about.

*Targyn sees Lady Jana as a potential threat, but does not desire direct conflict (though his actions on the Trade Road and Brightwood might precipitate it). He will fight her tooth and nail to protect what he sees as his people's rights, but will equally consider any reasonable deal or alliance with her.