Table of Contents
Traversing the Ruins
Level 1 Exploration Scenario
This scenario is suitable for a standard dungeon crawl. The default flavor is a set of above-ground crumbled ruins, but you can use it for an underground dungeon with minimal tweaks.
Map
| Setting | Dungeon |
|---|---|
| Type | Normal |
| Lighting | Lit |
~ G – H (goal) E v \ | D F B ^ | – A – C (start)
Regions
| (Region A) Crumbling Crossroads | ||
|---|---|---|
| The passage you've been following continues to the northwest. An old wooden door rests closed on the east wall. Rubble on the north wall looks like it could be climbed without a lot of difficulty. | ||
| Exit | To | Obstacle |
| Northwest | B | - |
| East | C | Simple Locked Door |
| Up | D | Steep Incline (Height 1) |
| Hazards | ||
| Crumbling Infrastructure | ||
| (Region B) Long Passage | ||
|---|---|---|
| This ancient hallway continues straight ahead for quite a ways. Side rooms and any furnishings or decor have long since crumbled away, leaving the place dusty and bare. | ||
| Exit | To | Obstacle |
| North | E | - |
| Southeast | A | - |
| Hazards | ||
| Deep Pit | Hidden: 1d4 | |
| Secrets | ||
| Fortune | Hidden: 1d6 | |
| (Region C) Fairy Fountain | ||
|---|---|---|
| A remarkable fountain that is somehow still in excellent repair awaits you in the center of this old chamber. The water looks pristine and inviting. There is almost certainly magic at work here - magic that has drawn nests of horrid insects to this place. | ||
| Notes | ||
| The first PC to spend a Strategy to drink from the Fairy Fountain gets their choice: Gain 1 Karma, heal 1 Injury, recover to max EP, or draw 3 cards. Delver, Pilgrim, and Witch PCs recognize the Fountain's effects upon entering. | ||
| Exit | To | Obstacle |
| North | F | - |
| West | A | Simple Locked Door |
| Hazards | ||
| Fright Beetles | Respawn: 1, Pursues | |
| Secrets | ||
| Fortune | Hidden: 1d8 | |
| (Region D) Ruined Upper Floor | ||
|---|---|---|
| A few half-crumbled platforms are all that remain of this portion of the upper floor of these ruins. Dirt mounds reveal a rather significant infestation of ants. | ||
| Exit | To | Obstacle |
| Down | G | Steep Incline (Height 1) |
| Down | A | - |
| Hazards | ||
| Ant Swarm | Respawn: 1, Pursues | |
| Secrets | ||
| Fortune | Hidden: 1d4 | |
| (Region E) Fungal Thicket | ||
|---|---|---|
| Large mushrooms have taken over this chamber, growing through deep cracks in the stone floor. A pungent scent hangs in the air. | ||
| Notes | ||
| PCs in this region can choose to treat the setting as wilderness at will. | ||
| Exit | To | Obstacle |
| Northeast | G | Hidden: 1d4 |
| South | B | - |
| Hazards | ||
| Noxious Fungi | ||
| (Region F) Dusty Hall | ||
|---|---|---|
| This old hall is covered in dust and small bits of rubble. There's no evidence that any creature has walked this ground in a very long time. | ||
| Exit | To | Obstacle |
| Northwest | G | - |
| South | C | - |
| Hazards | ||
| - | ||
| Secrets | ||
| Lever | Hidden: 1d6, defeats the Murder-holes in G | |
| (Region G) Overgrown Halls | ||
|---|---|---|
| The ruins are in even worse shape here, and nature is slowly reclaiming these tunnels. Roots and vines snake through the crumbling ceiling and walls. | ||
| Notes | ||
| PCs in this region can choose to treat the setting as wilderness at will. | ||
| Exit | To | Obstacle |
| Southwest | E | Hidden: 1d4 |
| East | H | Tight Crawlspace |
| Southeast | F | - |
| Up | D | Steep Incline (Height 1) |
| Hazards | ||
| Murder-holes (E-H) | Hidden: 1d6 | Disable: lever in F |
| (Region H) Antechamber | ||
|---|---|---|
| The structure suddenly becomes more intact; whatever is ahead, the builders took extra care with this section. Perhaps it's what you're looking for? | ||
| Exit | To | Obstacle |
| North | Goal | - |
| West | G | Tight Crawlspace |
| Hazards | ||
| Small Gelatinous Skulk | Hidden: 1d8 | |
Two Players
- As Three Players
- Remove the Crumbling Infrastructure in A
- Remove the Tight Crawlspace in G-E
Three Players
- Swap the Deep Pit in B for Wall Darts
- Fright Beetles in C do not respawn or pursue
Five Players
- Swap the Crumbling Infrastructure in A for Foul Vapor from scattered animal carcasses
- Add Blue Mold to G
Six Players
- As Five Players
- Upgrade the Fright Beetles in E to Rainbow Moths
- Upgrade the Ant Swarm in D to a Vermin Swarm, changing descriptions appropriately (for instance to a nest of wasps)
- Add a second Deep Pit to B; if both are present, only one can target a PC that enters the region
Tweaks
Pursuing Creatures can likely see the PCs in A (at least once the door is defeated). However, they shouldn't start pursuit until the PCs enter their starting regions (or if they are targeted with a ranged Action, such as from a Hunter).
For fully underground ruins, make everything dark, remove the special attributes of the Fungal Thicket and Overgrown Halls, and reword the descriptions. You can also make everything dark if it's nighttime or heavily inclement weather. This change slightly increases the difficulty, so consider making the exit visible rather than Hidden and include another Fortune there instead (at Hidden: 1d6).
PCs early in their career might lack climbing equipment, which could make the Deep Pits especially perilous (or worse, frustrating). You could use Shallow Pits instead, which have the additional advantage of scaling with player counts. If you have six players, though, don't hold back; throw the pair of Deep Pits at them. With that many players, there's less of an excuse for not having climbing equipment, and players have more counter-measures available even without that.
Alternatively, just remove the hidden exit at E-G. That way, players slowed down by the pits don't suffer additional slowdowns later. If you do this, consider adding a Fortune into E with Hidden: 1d6, but only if you aren't adding one to H.
