The material below is Open Game Content
Labyrinth Design
The LL will need to either buy a commercial adventure, make use of a free one (there are many free and legal ones available on the internet) or make one from scratch. Making one from scratch can be the most fun, if time is available to do so.
There are a few different approaches when designing a labyrinth. Sometimes, labyrinths are small and are just used once for a particular adventure. Other labyrinths, called “megalabyrinths” or “megadungeons” are large and have many, many levels. Characters might spend their entire careers plumbing the depths of one large labyrinth.
Labyrinths with multiple levels will be set up so that 1st level characters will adventure on the first labyrinth level. When the characters reach class level 2, they should be strong enough to begin taking on the challenges of the 2nd labyrinth level, and so on. Monsters will generally populate these levels, such that a 1 HD monster is usually found on the 1st labyrinth level. If it is found in deeper levels it will also be found in correspondingly larger numbers, to be more challenging.
The following section outlines how to create a labyrinth, and different considerations to keep things interesting. A small labyrinth map is provided, fully stocked and ready for immediate play by 1st level characters.
Labyrinth Scenarios
Adventurers should have a motive for delving into a labyrinth or adventuring in any other location. In smaller labyrinths that will only be used for one adventure, the reason for being there will be over once the goals of the adventure are reached. However, the LL will have to develop multiple scenarios for more extensive labyrinths that the characters keep coming back to. The characters should learn more rumors or legends about the deeper levels of the labyrinth as they progress in levels, or find clues throughout the labyrinth about other regions of the labyrinth. In addition, a multi-level labyrinth used for extensive play should be considered a “living” place. The LL must keep track of how the player characters alter the environment, and how resident monsters may change in number, type, or behavior in response. A megalabyrinth will evolve through time just as the characters will by adventuring there.
The following general scenario themes are good places to start in developing motives for the characters to go adventuring.
Exploration is a common theme in adventures. Characters might want to explore an area on their own, or they might be hired. Sometimes the purpose of exploration is simply to chart a previously unknown place, or to clear an area of danger. Examples might include ruins, caverns or labyrinths.
Fighting evil or chaotic beings is one possible theme. Characters might be hired to destroy monsters that have overrun a location, or a powerful evil that has developed. They might be hired to remove evil monsters that have taken over a holy place.
Fleeing a location is another theme. If the characters have been imprisoned before the adventure begins, they will need to find a way to escape. Possibilities include escape from being wrongly imprisoned, escape from slavers, or escape from an intelligent monster that might serve the characters for dinner.
Magical doorways are another good adventure hook. A magical doorway, or portal, can lead to new and unique locations, or even new worlds or times. Characters will sometimes encounter magical portals in labyrinths, which could lead to new areas of a labyrinth, to riches, or even certain death!
Rescue missions are the opposite of the situation above. Here, the characters are hired to rescue others who have somehow become imprisoned.
Seeking a degenerate race is another adventure possibility. Often this scenario involves a race of humans or demi-humans who have been isolated underground for so long they have become evil and monster-like. They may be the descendents of a great race that created a civilization now in ruins.
Quests are usually undertaken at the request of a powerful or rich patron, like a merchant or King. A quest might be to find a legendary item or return something that has been stolen.
Adventure Locations
The LL must choose where the adventure will take place. It could be a labyrinth or caverns, or within buildings like towers, temples, and castles. Adventures might also take place within a city or village.
After the adventure location has been chosen, the LL must think about whether certain monsters might be more likely to haunt the location. Then, the map of the location will be drawn. Usually graph paper will be used, and a scale must be decided on. A good rule is to make each square on the graph paper equal to 10 feet. The LL will then design the labyrinth to suit the kind of location chosen. It might consist of twisting tunnels in a cavern, endless rooms in a dank labyrinth, or hallways and rooms in a ruined castle. If the LL is using a large play mat with grids on it for using figurines, the map will be drawn at a scale of 1-inch square equals 5 feet. This provides an appropriate scale for use with typical 25 mm scaled figurines.
Stocking the Labyrinth
After the map for the location has been drawn, the LL must stock, or fill, the labyrinth with dangerous monsters, traps, and treasure. The LL can choose where to place these, or roll randomly on the Labyrinth Stocking table. Roll on the table for each room in the labyrinth. The result indicates what will be found in each room. Each result will also have a certain probability of being accompanied with treasure.
Labyrinth Stocking Table
| Roll d00 | Contents | Treasure |
|---|---|---|
| 01-30 | Empty | 15% |
| 31-60 | Monster | 50% |
| 61-75 | Trap | 30% |
| 76-00 | Unique* | Variable |
* The LL should think out a unique result carefully. This result could include special encounters or special areas that stand out from encounters in most other rooms.
When a “monster” result is obtained on the above table, the LL must roll for a random monster appropriate for the labyrinth level. See the random monster tables at the end of Section 6. For example, if rolling for labyrinth level 2, the LL may roll or choose from monsters with 2 hit dice. If treasure is present, the treasure will be determined based on the Treasure Hoard Class of the monster encountered, or from the Unprotected Treasure Table based on labyrinth level.
Unprotected Treasure Table
| Labyrinth Level | SP | GP | Gems | Jewelry | Magic Item (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2d4 x100 | 1d4 x10 (50%) | 1d4 (7%) | 1d4 (5%) | 3% |
| 2 | 2d6 x100 | 1d6 x100 (50%) | 1d6 (13%) | 1d6 (8%) | 5% |
| 3 | 2d8 x100 | 2d4 x100 (50%) | 1d6 (15%) | 1d6 (10%) | 7% |
| 4-5 | 1d8 x1000 | 3d4 x100 | 1d8 (20%) | 1d8 (10%) | 9% |
| 6-7 | 1d8 x2000 | 1d4 x1000 | 1d8 (30%) | 1d8 (15%) | 15% |
| 8+ | 1d8 x4000 | 2d4 x1000 | 2d6 (40%) | 2d6 (20%) | 20% |
When unprotected treasure is indicated in a room, it should seldom be lying about and easily seen. Generally, this kind of treasure has been hidden, possibly by monsters or NPCs. The treasure will usually be hidden by burial, a secret recess, or some other hiding place.
Traps
There are many possibilities for what kind of traps to place in a labyrinth. Below are some classic examples, and can be modified to fit the labyrinth level or to make them less predictable.
Basic Arrow Trap: An arrow fires from a hidden location, attacking as a Fighter level 1, for 1d6 damage.
Bricks from Ceiling: Each character in a 10 foot radius must save versus petrify or suffer 2d6 damage.
Camouflaged Pit Trap: A pit is 10 feet or more deep (1d6 hp damage per 10 feet).
Poison Dart Trap: A dart fires from a hidden location, dealing 1d4 hp damage, and the character must save versus poison or die.
Poison Needle Trap: The character must save versus poison or die.
Portcullis Trap: The character must make a DEX check or suffer 3d6 damage from the falling portcullis. The way will then be blocked, and group members may be separated.
Rolling Rock Trap: A rock rolls out from a hidden location, and the characters must save versus petrify or suffer 2d6 damage.
Scything Blade Trap: Characters must save versus petrify or suffer 1d8 damage.
Spiked Pit Trap: This is similar to other pit traps, but the character will fall on 1d4 spikes, dealing 1d6 damage each in addition to falling damage.
Unique Encounters
In addition to the traps, other unique situations might be encountered, like talking statues, pits with slides down to other rooms or labyrinth levels, magical illusions, secret doors, teleporting doorways, and mysterious water fountains.
Finishing the Labyrinth Design
The LL should take care to describe rooms and passageways as they fit the environment. How do areas smell? What do they look like? What creatures live here, and what evidence do they leave behind? The LL should add enough description to keep players interested in the labyrinth, but should not go so far that the description is too deep and becomes tiresome. One option is to fully describe only a small proportion of the rooms in a labyrinth. These rooms would include rooms with special or unique encounters. The remaining rooms, while they may have monsters and treasure, can be similar to one another in description. Unimportant random details can be made up during actual game play. However, anything significant which is made up on the spot must be written down to maintain consistency if the characters return to the same room.
Groups of NPCs
The PCs may not be the only adventurers in the labyrinth. Groups of NPCs might be in the labyrinth also, seeking their own fortunes, and they may be friend or foe. To determine the composition of an NPC group, follow the procedure below, or make them up as needed.
Begin by establishing the number engaged by rolling 1d4 + 4. Next, either choose each NPC’s class or roll randomly on the table below, by rolling 1d10.
| 1-2 | Cleric | 8 | Halfling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Dwarf | 9 | Magic-User |
| 4 | Elf | 10 | Thief |
| 5-7 | Fighter |
Once classes are established, choose alignments or roll randomly for each NPC.
Roll 1d6:
1-2: Neutral
3-4: Lawful
5-6: Chaotic
Next, establish each NPC’s level. This can be done two ways. Take either the labyrinth level the NPCs are encountered on or the player characters’ average group level. Otherwise, roll on the table below.
Roll 1d6:
1-2: Same level as labyrinth level or average group level
3-4: Labyrinth level or average group level +1
5-6: Labyrinth level or average group level +2
If an NPC group is encountered in the wilderness, use the average PCs’ level and add (50%) or subtract (50%) 1d4 for each NPC’s level. Be sure to note that demi-humans have lower maximum class levels than humans. If the labyrinth level or average group level is higher than the demi-human maximum level, make the demi-human the highest maximum level for the NPC’s class. The NPC levels might be higher or lower than the ranges provided here, depending on the LL’s needs.
Finally, add finishing touches to the NPCs. Assign spells randomly to elves, clerics and magic-users. In addition, give NPCs a similar number of magic items as that which the player characters have. When encountering a group in the wilderness, they will have mounts 75% of the time. Finally, the LL should determine the NPC group’s marching order.
Wilderness Design
The LL does not need to create an entire planet at one time! It is much easier to describe a relatively small area, like part of a continent, to start with. Many adventurers will spend their entire careers moving between a town or village and only one or a few labyrinths within several hundred miles.
When creating an area, the LL has to decide how the land is shaped. It is best to use hex graph paper, which can be found on the Internet and printed on a home printer if hex paper is difficult to find at the store. The LL must consider many questions. Where are the shorelines? Is this area part of a continent, or a series of islands? Next, decide on the climate. Is the climate temperate or tropical? Mapping can begin, making note of mountains, grasslands, rivers, jungles, and other types of terrain or features.
Once the overall geography is mapped, decide which areas are inhabited by humanoids, and by what type. Humans will live nearly anywhere. Halflings live in hilly lands with good farmlands, while dwarves live underground in mountains. Elves tend to live in densely wooded forests, far from other humanoids. The various goblinoids, like orcs, will live nearly everywhere and frequently clash with humans. Goblins and kobolds compete with dwarves for territory.
When placing human towns, it is useful to have a guide for how large different kinds of settlements are. Below is a good set of guidelines.
| Population Size | Settlement Type |
|---|---|
| 30-800 | Village |
| 801-4,500 | Town, Small |
| 4,501-12,000 | Town, Medium |
| 12,001+ | Town, Large |
The LL may place settlements at many locations on the map, but he only needs to develop additional ideas for the group’s starting city. Details can be worked out for surrounding cities, as the need requires.
The starting, or base city, is noted and the main labyrinth should be situated near this base town. The base town will have a mayor, sheriff, or authority of some title. There will be churches for prominent religions, and even a thieves’ guild and city militia that will vary in size and power depending on the size of the settlement.
Additional small details should be described to add extra flavor to the immediate area. Are there any prominent legends or rumors? What are the personalities of the local leaders? Are there nearby dangers, like orc bands? The LL may want to create special wandering monster tables for areas that are unique.
Wandering Monsters
Monsters live in hallways and rooms within labyrinths, or in caves, forests, or grasslands in the wilderness, or other locations. However, monsters do not only stay where they live. They also wander, hunt, and explore. Therefore, when the characters are in a labyrinth the LL will roll 1d6 every 2 turns, and a result of 1 indicates that a wandering monster is encountered. This check is only made 3 to 4 times per day of game time in wilderness adventuring. As mentioned in a previous section, when monsters appear in a labyrinth they will be 2d6 x10 feet away from the characters, and when in the wilderness monsters will be encountered at 4d6 x 10 yards away. When an encounter is indicated, roll on the appropriate wandering monster table from the tables provided at the end of Section 6: Monsters. The roll will be made on the table for monsters in the appropriate labyrinth level they are encountered on. For an additional challenge, the LL might roll an additional 1d20 for each encounter. A roll of 1 or 2 indicates that the monster encountered will be 1 hit die higher than the labyrinth level, while a roll of 3 indicates that the monster will be 2 hit dice higher.
Wilderness Wandering Monsters
The chances of encountering a wandering monster in the wilderness vary depending on the type of terrain. When checking for wandering monsters in a wilderness adventure, roll 1d6 as indicated previously, but consult the table below to determine if an encounter occurs. If an encounter occurs, consult the monster terrain tables at the end of Section 6: Monsters to roll for the kind of monster encountered. The number engaged may have to be adjusted depending on the level of the characters.
| Terrain | Encounter occurs on… |
|---|---|
| Plains, Town, Settled | 1 |
| Air, Desert, Forest, River | 1 or 2 |
| Hills, Sea | 1 or 2 |
| Mountains, Swamp, Jungle | 1-3 |
Magic Research
Spell casting characters are able to research and create new spells and magical items when they attain 9th level. The player will describe in detail the kind of spell he wants to create, and the effects it has. The LL will then decide if the spell can be created, and if so what the spell level will be. The character must be capable of casting spells of the spell level the potential new spell will be, otherwise the player must wait until the character attains a high enough level to research and cast the spell. If the character can create the spell, it will take two weeks of game time and 1,000 gp per spell level.
Spell casting classes may only create magic items usable by their class. The player will inform the LL of the magical item that he desires to create, and the LL will decide if it can be created. If it is possible, he will decide what kinds of materials will be needed to create it. These will often be rare components, like expensive and hard to obtain gems, or ingredients from rare animals and monsters.
Many magic items mimic the effect of a spell. In these cases, it will generally cost 1 week of game time and 500 gp for each spell level of the mimicked spell. Examples could include a potion of healing (1 week, 500 gp), or a scroll with the spells infravision and lightning bolt (6 weeks, 3,000 gp).
Some magic items do not mimic spell effects precisely, and for these the LL will have to use discretion. The more powerful the items, the more difficult it should be to construct. Entire adventures might need to be undertaken to find the ingredients. As a general rule, items should cost from 10,000 to 100,000 gp and from 1 month to 1 year of game time to complete. Some examples include a dagger +1 (2 months, 10,000 gp), chainmail armor +1 (4 months, 10,000 gp), or a displacer cloak (100,000 gp, 1 year).
Other kinds of magic effects might be researched for which a magic item or spell is not appropriate. Creating magic traps or other magical constructs, magical portals, or other effects will need to be given a gp cost and time cost at the LL’s discretion.
Finally, no attempt to create a magic item, spell, or other effect happens without some chance of failure. There is a minimum probability of 15% that any such endeavor fails, and this percentage can be raised depending on the circumstances. The LL will roll for failure only after the character has spent the money and time on the project, and these are lost regardless of the result.
Creating a Stronghold
The first step to creating a stronghold is securing permission, if necessary, from any authority over the land. This may not be required if the land has previously been wilderness and uncharted. Before an area can be built upon, all monsters within 10 miles, usually 1 hex on a small-scale wilderness map, must be killed. Next, the player of the new land ruler will design a plan for the stronghold and calculate the costs based on the price suggestions listed in this section. In addition to normal building costs, the player’s character must hire at least one engineer per 100,000 gp cost of the stronghold.
All surrounding land from the original 1 hex may be populated by monsters, which will be a deterrent to settlers. These areas can be cleared of monsters by hiring mercenaries. After which, mercenaries can also be hired to maintain the area free of monsters. These patrols can cover a maximum of a 20-mile radius around the stronghold, but this distance is reduced by 1/3 in inhospitable terrain like swamps, mountains, or thick jungle.
In addition to ensuring the safety of surrounding lands, the character will have to eventually fund construction of other buildings in nearby areas to attract settlers. The character can expect to gain money through taxes at a yearly rate of 10 gp per settler per year. These taxes can be used to pay patrolling mercenaries and investing in inns, docks, and other structures that encourage commerce.
Should the ruler of a territory wrong his people, some of the populace may rebel or quietly plot revolt. The LL will decide when this has occurred and how NPC dissenters behave. This could involve assassination plots, or even the rise of a “village hero” to fight the tyranny of the PC landowner.
Structure Prices
Different kinds of structures will have different stone wall thickness assumed, due to different needs. Most common residences have walls 1 or 2 feet thick, while structures like towers or other outposts have 5 feet thick walls. Castles have the thickest walls of all, at 10 feet thick. The time it takes to construct a stronghold depends entirely on its total price. For every 500 gp it will take one day of game time.
Sample Structure Costs
| Building, common, stone (30’ square)* | 4,000 gp |
| Building, common, wood (30’ square)* | 2,500 gp |
| Gatehouse (20’ high, 30’ x 20’) | 7,500 gp |
| Keep, square (80’ high, 60’ square)* | 76,000 gp |
| Labyrinth Hallway (stone floor) (10’x10’x10’) | 450 gp |
| Moat 100’ x 20’ x 10’ (deep)* | 400 gp |
| Tower, Medium (30’ high, 20’ diameter) | 17,500 gp |
| Tower, Large (30’ high, 30’ diameter) | 30,000 gp |
| Wall, Castle (20’ high, 100’ long) | 5,000 gp |
| Walled defense (gatehouse, 2 medium | 38,000 gp |
| towers, and a drawbridge) |
*The dimensions of these constructions can be altered as long as the square footage remains the same.
Miscellaneous Costs
The LL may charge miscellaneous costs for doors, windows, secret or trap doors, and other small details at a cost range of 10 to 50 gp each. It might be convenient to charge one lump sum for several items in addition to the cost of the overall structure.
Advice for the LL
The following guidance is offered to help the LL make decisions during game play about several different common issues.
Characters of Different Levels
It has been discussed previously that character class levels are related to which labyrinth level characters adventure in. Since deeper levels are more challenging than upper levels, having characters of differing class levels in one party can be problematic. Characters may die, or new players may join a group and bring in new characters. For these reasons, a general set of guidelines should be considered. One option is to allow new characters joining a group to be created as 1 class level below the lowest level character in the group. Another possibility, though potentially problematic, is to split the group into separate parties of low and high level, respectively. It is suggested that characters that differ by more that 4 class levels not be allowed to undertake the same adventures. This power disparity is particularly troublesome at lower levels, where, for example, the difference in survival ability between a 1st level character and a 5th level character is vast.
Characters and Treasure
Ultimately it is up to the players to decide how their characters will divide treasure and magic items they find on their adventures. However, there are several possibilities that can be offered. One option is to divide treasure evenly. All money can be divided by the number of characters present. Hirelings may accept a 1/2 share, but any less and the hireling will suffer penalties to his morale roll at the end of the adventure.
Magic items might be divided depending on which classes can use them. Another good method is to allow each character to take turns picking from several items by rolling a d20 to determine the choosing order. This might be rerolled after each round of choosing, to give players a chance to choose earlier on subsequent picks.
One cutthroat method to use is to only allow characters that survived an adventure share in the treasure. This is of course only relevant if the deceased characters have been revived. A slightly less harsh method is to allow characters to share in treasure that was acquired before their deaths, but not in anything found while they were dead, because they did not help find it.
Character versus Player Knowledge
It must always be kept in mind that the characters do not always know what the players know. The player may read about all the monsters in this book (this is discouraged), but his character may not act on this knowledge. A character may learn from game experience, but should never know the weaknesses of monsters he has never encountered or heard about in the game.
In addition, monsters should be physically described when encountered, but their names and other abilities should not be stated. The LL should never reveal how many hit points monsters have in an encounter, or reveal other details about the monsters that are not immediately visible. When a monster surprises the characters, the characters will not immediately know what is attacking them.
Magic items should be treated much like monsters, in that they should be described, but their names should never be given away freely. The characters must discover on their own what kind of magic items they have found.
Character Wealth
One of the main objectives of characters in adventuring is obtaining wealth. To keep this as a perpetual ambition, the LL will need to find ways to encourage spending, or take money from characters in various ways.
Clerics might be encouraged to donate some of their wealth to their churches. Thieves may need to funnel a percentage of their treasure to their thieves’ guild. Other situations may arise, such as adventurer taxes imposed by local governments. Players may be allowed to buy minor magic items at very high prices. Extreme measures for taking away wealth should be imposed rarely, such as a major theft of wealth. If these methods are used too often, the players will not have fun.
Impossible Tasks
Unless an action is completely out of the question, when a character attempts to do something there should be at least some small chance of success. Many actions can be ruled based on ability checks. Otherwise, the LL might assign a small percentage chance of success to some actions that seem nearly impossible but for dumb luck. In these cases, 5% or 10% might be an appropriate chance.
LL as Judge
Although the players can and will make suggests or dispute rulings, the LL is and must be the final judge. All suggestions can be heard, but the players must understand that once all considerations have been made, the final ruling will stand. There are rules in this game for many situations, but there will be situations that either could not be covered here or simply were not anticipated. In these instances, the LL must use his judgment to decide the odds an action will succeed or an event will come to pass.
Having said this, it must be remembered that the LL needs to be neutral in his decisions. The goal of the game is to have fun, whatever fate may await the characters, but the LL does not take sides with either the characters, the monsters, or the NPCs,
Monsters and NPCs in Play
Only unintelligent monsters should be played unintelligently. Intelligent monsters and NPCs have their own motives, thoughts, and strategies. They will use the same kinds of tricks the PCs might use to gain an advantage.
Monsters and NPCs may form alliances with other monsters and NPCs, and they may hire guards. Monsters are in a fight for survival just like the PCs are, and they should be played by the LL as if they have just as much to lose as the PCs. Monsters and NPCs that survive encounters with the PCs may hold grudges, and may hunt the group down or wait for an opportunity to strike.
Random Rolls
There are many occasions when the LL will roll for random outcomes to situations. Discretion must always be used, not just to maintain some degree of consistency in play but also to maintain some balance. This is not to say that the players should not be challenged, but occasionally the dice may indicate a result that is inappropriate for the situation. The dice are a tool, not the final authority. Final authority always rests with the LL. The LL should usually witness the rolls of the players, but he should keep his rolls hidden from them. This way, the players cannot guess why the LL might be rolling at a particular time, or what kind of die is rolled. In fact, he may occasionally roll for no reason just to keep the players on their toes.
Ruling Wishes
Wishes represent some of the greatest magic the characters will come across in a game of LL. In general, the exact wording of a wish should be honored, not the intention of the wish. A carefully worded wish may bring about the desired effect, and a sloppily worded wish could bring doom upon the group.
Ultimately it is up to each LL to decide how powerful wishes are in the game, and how permanent their effects are. As a rule, wishes used for healing or bringing back the dead should be immediate and permanent. If lesser magic items are wished for, they may or may not be permanent, depending on the LL’s discretion. Special care must be taken with wide sweeping wishes that alter the world too greatly, such as wishing that all orcs in the world die. In addition, wishes to increase ability scores or character levels need to be handled carefully, and some set of guidelines will need to be developed and followed consistently.
Sample Stocked Labyrinth:
“Den of the Morlock Shaman”
This section illustrates the process of stocking a labyrinth by following the advice presented earlier. This is a small labyrinth that will likely be used for only one or a few adventures.
The Scenario: “Fighting Evil”
For this scenario we choose the classic plot of fighting evil. The Den of the Morlock Shaman is a small set of caverns, with areas of worked stone. Many years past, the cavern portion of the small labyrinth was the beginning of a mining operation. However, the veins of precious metal turned out to be small and the mine was abandoned before it reached significant size.
The morlock shaman Eoppa, as well as morlock workers and soldiers, were sent by the great morlock chief in the north to establish an outpost in the mine. New areas were added by the workers, and now the small complex houses the shaman Eoppa and a small number of soldiers. With the outpost established, the morlocks have grown bored with the day-to-day monotony of cleaning their weapons and hunting in the nearby woods. Eoppa and his men began raiding a local village’s livestock, but as this sport got old they began attacking the villagers at night. There have been three attacks on the villagers to date. In the last skirmish, a family of farmers was killed, but their teenage son and daughter were captured alive and taken back to the morlock lair to be slaves.
The PCs could be related to the teenagers and their family, or they could be natives of the village. The village might ask for the PCs’ help in ridding the countryside of the morlocks and rescuing the farmers’ children.
The Lair
The small cavern portion of the morlock den is drawn first, using a standard scale of 1 square = 10’. Then, the new portions of the den that have been created by the morlocks are drawn in. It is already clear that the morlocks will figure heavily in this scenario, so area 7 will be the soldiers’ bunkroom, and area 12 will be the luxurious quarters of Eoppa. The boy is in area 8a and the girl is in 8c, which are two out of a few prison cells. The PCs will have to pass through several areas before finding the prison cells. The remaining areas will be stocked using the random method.
Stocking the Labyrinth
Area 1: The LL rolls d00 to determine the contents of this roughly 10’ by 10’ alcove. The result is a 34, which indicates that a monster is present. There is a 50% chance that there will be treasure with the monster, and the d00 result is 04, indicating there is treasure. The LL rolls on the labyrinth wandering monsters table, level 1, to determine which monster is present. The result is a 7, indicating there is green slime. Since the number encountered is 1d4, this die is rolled to see how many are here. The roll indicates 1 green slime is present. The monster description indicates that normally there is no treasure associated with green slime, so the earlier result that indicated treasure is present is ignored.
Area 2: The roll result for this room is 11, indicating the room is empty. There is a 15% chance that treasure is present, but 26 is rolled, so none is indicated. However, we decide to place a crevice in the south portion of the room. While no monsters or traps are associated with it, it is 10’ deep and surrounded by loose rocks and soil, and a PC may fall inside if he ventures too close.
Area 3: A roll of 65 indicates a trap. A roll of 16 on d00 means that there is treasure, since there is a 30% chance of treasure. First, it is decided that the trap will consist of rocks that fall from the ceiling if someone walks into the alcove. The damage is 2d6 for a 10’ radius, centered roughly toward the back of the alcove. After referring to the Unprotected Treasure Table, and rolling for treasure on Labyrinth Level One, it is determined that 200 sp and 500 gp present. Since it is unlikely that the morlocks would leave such riches lying about, it is decided that the treasure is buried in a small steel box, 1’ below ground at the very back of the alcove.
Area 4: The LL decides that there are 5 morlocks stationed here as guards. There are 10 morlocks total in the den, so it is decided that these morlocks have half of the total treasure. After referring to the Treasure Hoard Class table for the morlock Hoard Class XX, appropriate dice are rolled for treasure categories, and the treasure belonging to the morlocks consists of 2 pieces of jewelry. One is worth 1,600 gp and the other is worth 600 gp. The LL decides that the one of lesser value is here, and the one of greatest value will be with Eoppa, since he is the leader.
Area 5: A roll of 76 indicates that a unique encounter will be placed here. Since morlocks sometimes keep albino apes, there will be one albino ape here as a guard.
Area 6: Since an albino ape is present in this complex, this area is designated as the sleeping area for the ape.
Area 7: This area is the morlock bunkroom. There are 3 morlocks here, taking their sleep shift.
Area 8: This area consists of four individual cells. All but two of the cells are empty. Cell 8a holds the son and 8c holds the daughter.
Area 9: After rolling a 25 on the stocking table, and then 07 for the presence of treasure, it is determined that this room is an empty room with treasure in it. The room will be made to be a secret room that holds Eoppa’s private treasure stash. After consulting the Unprotected Treasure table, it is determined that there are 300 silver pieces in this room. The remaining jewelry from the morlocks will be placed here, and a poison needle trap for good measure.
Area 10: This room serves as the morlock shaman’s temple, and there are two statues at either end of the room, representing the male and female morlock gods of darkness and death. Eoppa will be located here, along with one morlock guard.
Area 11: This hallway will make a good last opportunity for an encounter before reaching area 11. A trap is indicated on the stocking table, so a concealed 10’ deep pit trap is placed here.
Area 12: This area is Eoppa’s private quarters.
Labyrinth Description
Now that the labyrinth has been stocked, the areas are written up as they will be used in play. This is the point where the room descriptions are fleshed out, and monster details are presented in abbreviated format as discussed in Section 6.
Area 1: This small (10’ x 15’), dank alcove is devoid of anything except for the green slime on the ceiling, waiting to drop down onto any victim that enters the area. Green Slime (1) [AL N, MV 3’ (1’), AC NA, HD 2, #AT 1, DG Acid, SV F1, ML 12]
Area 2: This empty cavern room is littered with gnawed bones and other refuse. There is a large 10’ x 20’ crevasse on the south side of the room. Any character who ventures within a few feet from the edge of the crevasse must succeed in a DEX check or slip on the loose gravel near the edge of the pit and fall 10’ down to the bottom. Any character that falls to the bottom of the pit will suffer 1d6 hit points of damage.
Area 3: This 10’ x 20’ alcove appears empty, but any character approaching within 10’ of the south end of the alcove triggers a ceiling trap. Heavy stones fall from the ceiling dealing 2d6 hit points of damage to all characters in a 10’ radius, centered roughly toward the back of the alcove. At the back of the alcove, buried 1’ below the ground, is a small steel box containing 200 sp and 500 gp.
Area 4: This large, damp cavern contains a group of 5 morlock guards. These devilish white-skinned, pink-eyed brutes will immediately attack anyone entering this area. They are wielding short swords. One of the morlocks has a gold necklace studded with precious jewels, and is worth 600 gp. Morlocks (5) [AL C, MV 120’ (40’), AC 8, HD 1, #AT 1, DG 1d6 (short sword), SV F1, ML 9]
Area 5: This room contains a large, aggressive albino ape. It is accustomed to some traffic in this area, so it may be more easily surprised than normal (1-3 on 1d6). A red curtain is draped across the entire width of the western part of the room. Unless the characters are completely silent during their encounter with the ape, Eoppa and 1 morlock guard will be ready and waiting in area 10 to jump out and fight the characters should, they slay the ape. Albino ape (1) [AL N, MV 120’ (40’), AC 6, HD 4, #AT 2, DG 1d4/1d4 (claws), SV F2, ML 7]
Area 6: This portion of the room is curtained off from area 5, and contains a sleeping mat and a few half-eaten carcasses of sheep. This is the sleeping area for the albino ape.
Area 7: This is the morlock bunkroom. There are currently 3 morlocks in this room, taking their sleep shift. They will be automatically surprised if the characters enter, and they will have to spend one further round gathering their weapons. Grungy clothing, dirty beds, and rotten food are the only other items in this room.
Area 8: This is a hallway consisting of four cells. All are completely empty except for cells 8a and 8c, which hold the farmers’ son and daughter, respectively. The doors are locked, so unless the key is taken from Eoppa, a character will need to pick the lock. There is a secret door on the east wall of this area, and a character must successfully look for secret doors in order to locate it.
Area 9: This area is Eoppa’s secret treasure room. It holds a small wood box with 300 sp inside, and a small pedestal with an ornate golden necklace on it. The necklace is gem encrusted and is worth 1,600 gp. The wooden box is locked and has a poison needle trap. Unless someone has the key to this box, the lock must be picked. Even if the key is used, the needle trap is effective unless one knows the secret to opening the box without triggering the trap. A character must successfully detect traps on the lock to learn of the trap. Otherwise, when the key is used or when an attempt is made to pick the lock the character is pricked with the needle, and must succeed in a saving throw versus poison or die.
Area 10: This is the morlock temple room. On the west side of the room there is a grotesque statue of the male morlock god of darkness. His arms are raised in the air and he holds the head of a dwarf by its beard. On the east side of the room there is a statue of the female morlock god of death. She holds a dagger, and three skulls are stung around her waist with a cord. Unless Eoppa and the 1 morlock guard in this room have already been alerted to intruders, Eoppa will be kneeling in prayer before the male statue on the east side of the room when the characters enter. The guard will be sitting nearby. Eoppa has the powers of a 2nd level cleric, and will use a spell if possible. Eoppa (Unique) [AL C, MV 120’ (40’), AC 8, HD 2, #AT 1, DG 1d6 (short sword), Spells (Cause fear), SV F1, ML 9]; Morlock (1) [AL C, MV 120’ (40’), AC 8, HD 1, #AT 1, DG 1d6 (short sword), SV F1, ML 9]
Area 11: A pit trap in the floor here will cause a character stepping on it to fall (1-2 on 1d6) 10’ to the bottom of the pit, suffering 1d6 hit points of damage.
Area 12: These luxurious quarters (for a morlock) belong solely to Eoppa. There is a large bed near the east wall, lush cave bear rugs on the floor, and additional animal hides strung about on the walls.
Taking it to the Next Level
Large, expansive labyrinths are the core adventuring locations in LL. When adding deeper levels to a labyrinth, it can help to think of it abstractly in three-dimensional space. Note below in the sample of a labyrinth cross section how multiple levels stack upon each other, not necessarily directly above or below, and how some levels may have “sub-levels.” Sub-levels are a good way to create smaller areas with special encounters, treasures, and threats. These areas may be hidden by secret doors or otherwise difficult to reach. Depending on the back-story of the labyrinth, levels could consist entirely of natural caverns, caverns excavated by monsters or humanoids, or areas of bricks or worked stone. Some levels could be simply connected by stairs or sloping passages, or even more difficult paths such as through an underwater passage. Magic teleportation areas could transport characters to levels or sub-levels that are not physically connected to any other area. In the end, let creativity and cunning be your guide!
Sample Wilderness Map
This map provides the details of a small part of a fantasy world. The locations of geographical features and some cities are provided. Some of these areas are described below, and others are left to the LL to detail.
Known Lands
The lands provided in the map belong to the Duchy of Valnwall. This area is in a temperate climate, with the typical four seasons. Harsh winters are more common on the northern side of the mountain range, and winters are slightly milder with less snow closer to the coast. The Duke Valnwall and his family rule the lands, and the LL might set up smaller baronies ruled by various lords. There are many untamed areas, with monsters and other dangers. Some areas are discussed below.
Human Settlements
Dolmvay: This town is the largest in the Duchy of Valnwall. It has a population of 14,500, including the city itself and small surrounding settlements. An army of 1,400 individuals is stationed here, and patrols the nearby areas. A larger army of 9,000 can be recruited in a crisis. The city is a major seaport, and is situated on the banks of a major river.
Larm: This is a smaller town, with a population of 1,000. They have a small militia of 100 individuals, but can recruit as many as 500 in a crisis. They have direct access to Dolmvay by the river, and they are primarily a farming community with some mining in the hills.
Nahm: This village has a population of 300, with a militia of 10. They can raise a militia of 130 in a crisis. This small community relies on a combination of farming and logging. This small village is just one representative of similar villages that can be placed in other areas of the Duchy.
Irllendom: This is the second largest city in the Duchy of Valnwall, with a population of 3,000. There is a militia of 200 here, and a total of 2,000 can be raised in a crisis. This community is heavily involved in farming, logging, and many crafts.
Elven Lands
The largest elven communities keep to the wooded lands on the west side of the map. They are somewhat isolationist, but will be generally friendly to humans. There are small communities of elves in the woods on the east side of the map, and these elves are more open with nearby human communities, and trade is not uncommon.
