Another A-to-Z Intermission

We interrupt this station's regularly scheduled A-to-Z posting to bring you the following illustration.

I started doodling last night and ended up doing this (below), which has now been contributed to the Petty Gods project.

A-to-Z Challenge Day 10 Kappa (Κ): Keys & Kobolds

Entry 10 for The Lost Catacombs of Kadmos

This square room measures roughly 60' along each featureless wall. In the middle of the room is what appears to be a a 5' cubed iron box protruding directly from the floor. The top of the box is held closed by four padlocks (one on each side). An inscription on the “lid” reads: “Kudos to those who utter these sounds to find both this box and its guards unbound.”

The four locks are each trapped with poison that causes death in 3d6 turns. The lid is also magically held. If anyone says the inscription aloud, the magical hold will be dispelled and, at the same time, 4 kobolds (hp: 4 ea., armed with short swords and shields) will appear in the corners of the room (one in each corner), attacking with an initiative bonus of +1.

Each kobold wears a small iron chain necklace from which dangles a key. Each of the keys opens one of the locks on the lid to the box. “Inside” the box is a ladder the descends a passageway leading straight down for some distance.

A-to-Z Challenge Day 9 Iota (Ι): Eyes

Entry 9 for The Lost Catacombs of Kadmos

As you enter the room, what must easily a thousand little eyes carved into the walls of the room suddenly turn and stare directly at you. This room completely freaks you out.

All characters entering the room must save vs. spells or flee the room in fear (duration: 2 turns).

Closer and continued examination of the eyes (1 turn minimum) will reveal that some of the eyes may not “move” and are, instead, completely “static.” Each of these motionless eyes (there are 9 of them) is actually a button. It will take 2d4+3 turns to find all of the static eyes. Once all 9 “eye buttons” have been depressed, a portion of the wall to the (east) will move away, granting access to the hallway beyond. The opening will remain as long as the eye buttons remain in their depressed posititon (any single button may be “released” by pressing it again).

For every three turns spent in the room, each character (even those that have made previous successful saving throws vs. the eyes) must make another save vs. spells or flee the room in fear (duration: 2 turns).

A-to-Z Challenge Day 8-"B"Theta (Θ) Revisited: Three Theater Thrones

I know I've already made my A-to-Z post for today, but going back through my notes, I realized I had another Theta (Θ) entry. I figured, what the hell, I'll make a 2nd post and put it out there an alternate to the previous room. Honestly, in looking at the two now, I think this room is more interesting (and a real nuisance of sorts).



Entry 8-"B" for The Lost Catacombs of Kadmos

This room is shaped vaguely like an amphitheater, and on the “stage” are three thrones, each featuring a face on the crown of the back of the seat. After a moment, one of the faces on the thrones begins to speak— “I’ve arrived here in the land of Thebes, I, Dionysus, son of Zeus, born to him from Semele, Cadmus’ daughter, delivered by a fiery midwife—Zeus’ lightning flash. Yes, I’ve changed my form from god to human, appearing here at these streams of Dirce, the waters of Ismarus. I see my mother’s tomb—for she was wiped out by that lightning bolt.” At first, you think a clue is being revealed to you, but as the throne continues to jabber on, and then the three thrones join as a chorus, you realize they’re putting on a play.

The play which the thrones are “performing” is The Bacchae by Euripides, a play based on the mythological story of King Pentheus of Thebes and his mother Agauë, in which they are punished by the god Dionysus for refusing to worship him. In the play, Cadmus (Kadmos) denies the young Dionysus a place of honor as a deity. The performance of the play (in its entirety) lasts approximately 1-1/2 hours.

There is a magical door in the room that will be opened based on the following criteria: 1) once the characters have entered the room and the play has begun, at least one character must remain in the room and awake for the play to continue; 2) when the performance is complete (and only after the entire performance has been completed), all the characters in the room must applaud.

If all the PCs exit the room or if all PCs who remain in the room fall asleep, the performance will cease, only to start over when the PCs re-enter the room or awaken.

When the performance is complete, the following text may be read (at the DM’s discretion) to prompt the PCs:

Finally, after 90 minutes of what seems like incessant droning, the play seems to be coming to an end. The three thrones join together in the final words of the play... “The gods appear in many forms, carrying with them unwelcome things. What people thought would happen never did. What they did not expect, the gods made happen. That’s what this story has revealed.” There is suddenly silence, as if the thrones are waiting for you to respond to their performance.

If only some of the PCs in the room clap, one of the faces on the thrones will smile and the other two will look at those PCs who aren’t clapping (or are asleep) with grimaces of disapproval and disgust. Once all the PCs in the room (including those that may have been asleep) have clapped sufficiently (at DM’s discretion), the magic door will open.

If no one claps upon the completion of the performance, the play will begin again after 1 turn (assuming there are PCs awake in the room). Once started, the play must be completed entirely for the chance of opening the magic door (from applause).

EDITOR'S NOTE: It is highly suggested the DM actually read the play in its entirety, placing the the same requirements of the actual players in the room as the PCs in the game (i.e., they must remain awake and in the room, applaud at the end, etc.) for the play to complete and the magic door to be opened for the PCs in the game.

A-to-Z Challenge Day 8Theta (Θ): Thinking from Teth to Theta

Entry 8 for The Lost Catacombs of Kadmos

Before you lays a 50'x50' room with a floor composed of 5'x5' tiles. Each of the tiles bears one of three symbols: an "X" in a circle, a "plus sign" in a circle, or a horizontal like through the middle of a circle. Opposite the entrance is a doorway into another hallway.

The floor tiles are teleportational in nature. Any creature walking through the room must step on a series of contiguous tiles in the correct order, or be returned to the hallway on the south side of the room; the magic will put the teleported individual in the "next closest open space" in the hallway (that is, it will not put the individual inside a wall or another creature). The correct order of procession across the tiles matches the development of the Greek letter Theta (Θ) from it's most archaic form (the Phoenician letter "teth") to it's most advanced form (progressing from "X-circle" to "plus-circle" to "horizontal-line-circle"), then repeats the pattern.

Since the contiguous pattern cannot be followed into the opposite hallway, the only safe way to traverse the room is to walk the pattern of tiles over to the secret door along the eastern wall. If characters make it near the other side of the room, they may attempt a broad jump over the remaining 3 tiles. Given that even the strongest, most agile human is only able to broad jump to a distance of 10-11', clearing this distance under normal circumstances should be considered impossible (causing the character to be teleported back to the entrance).

A-to-Z Challenge Day 7 Eta (Η): Holy Holes

Entry 7 for The Lost Catacombs of Kadmos

Note: Although eta is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, it has a numerical equivalent of 8. Sigma (with a numerical equivalent of 6) breaks the numbering between epsilon (5) and zeta (7).

The hallway starts to widen suddenly, forming a large, trapezoidal-shaped room, approximately 80' across (from the mouth of the hallway to the far wall) and 80' long at the "wide" end. Standing along the far wall are 8 statues (each about 10' tall); in front of each statue seems to be a hole in the floor. The granite floor of the room features a sunk relief of a sundial that either measures out two hours or ten minutes; you can't immediately tell which.

Each of the statues is dedicated to one of the gods. Each hole is approximately 6' deep and is wide enough for a large human (or small half-orc) to stand inside. Standing in the hole for 10 minutes and praying to the deity in front of the hole will bestow a blessing upon the person praying. The blessing for each hole takes 2 hours, once granted, to "recharge" (e.g., after 10 minutes of praying, it then takes 2 hours for the hole to fully recharge, then the next ten minutes of praying may begin).

Optional side-effect: Clerics (and all other clerically-classed characters including druids and paladins) choosing to pray in any of the holes will lose all of their clerical/class abilities (returning them to "0-level"), unless the deity to which they are praying is their patron deity.

Statue 1: Apollo

This statue depicts a handsome, beardless young man holding a bow in his hand. The base of the statue labels this figure as "ΑΠΟΛΛΟ."

Praying in this hole for ten minutes will cure light wounds (as cleric spell).

Statue 2: Boreas

This statue depicts a striding winged man, his hair and beard spiked with ice. The base of the statue labels this figure as "ΒΟΡΕΑΣ."

Any character that enters this hole will feel a slight chill. Praying in this hole for ten minutes will grant the ability to resist cold (as cleric spell) for a 6-turn duration.

Statue 3: Gaia

This statue depicts a buxom woman reclining upon the earth surrounded by a host of carpi (infant gods of the fruits of the earth). The base of the statue labels this figure as "ΓΑΙΑ."

Praying in this hole for ten minutes will grant the supplicant a boon of 200 experience points. This boon may only be granted once to a single character, and takes the normal 2-hour recharge period.

Statue 4: Dionysus

This statue depicts a bearded and robed mature male holding a fennel staff tipped with a pine cone. The base of the statue labels this figure as "ΔΙΟΝΨΣΥΣ."

Praying in this hole for ten minutes will give the character a slight sensation of "drunken euphorea", but will grant immunity to fear for a duration of 6 turns.

Statue 5: Erebus

This statue depicts a bearded and robed mature male leaning against a stump, around which is curled a long snake. The base of the statue labels this figure as "ΕΡΕΒΥΣ."

Praying in this hole for ten minutes will make the character immune to poison for 6 turns.

Statue 6: Selene

This statue depicts a woman standing in a chariot bearing the symbol of a crescent moon. The base of the statue labels this figure as "ΣΕΛΕΝΕ."

Praying in this hole for ten minutes gives the character the ability to detect magic (as cleric spell) for a duration of 6 turns.

Statue 7: Zeus

This statue depicts a bearded man holding lightning bolts in his fists, and an eagle at his feet. The base of the statue labels this figure as "ΖΕΥΣ."

Praying in this hole for ten minutes gives the character the ability to detect evil (as cleric spell) for a duration of 6 turns.

Statue 8: Hera

This statue depicts a solemn, majestic woman holding a scepter culminating in a pomegranate. The base of the statue labels this figure as "ΗΕΡΑ."

Praying in this hole for ten minutes grants the supplicant protection from evil (as cleric spell) for a duration of 6 turns. The pomegranate may "spun" clockwise to open the secret door on the wall just to the right of this statue. Turning the pomegranate counter-clockwise will close it.

A-to-Z Challenge Week 1 Recap

This is simply a Week 1 recap for The Lost Catacombs of Kadmos (my 2013 A-to-Z blogging challenge concept). Also, just a reminder that I'm going in the order of the Greek alphabet, not the Latin alphabet, so it's really more like a "Α-to-Ω Blogging Challenge" for me.

Day 1 | Alpha (Α): Azurite & Alabaster Asp
Day 2 | Beta (Β): Bags of Bones
Day 3 | Gamma (Γ): Gallery of Gargoyles
Day 4 | Delta (Δ): Dozens of Doors
Day 5 | Epsilon (Ε): Emerald Entrance
Day 6 | Zeta (Ζ): Zodiac Zombies

And now, the map of the rooms thus far...