The Bogeywoman's Cave

Note: This is the last of my 30 minute dungeons. I won't be posting for a while because of my visit to Texas, and also because I'm going to be compiling and editing all 20 of these dungeons into pdf format with monster stats, reworked treasure, and maps, which will sell for 5 dollars on RPGnow and/or DrivethruRPG when finished.  Idea: The upper level of a classic fantasy dungeon in the vein of Castle Greyhawk, built by an evil wizard long ago but now abandoned. The lower levels are blocked off by rubble. Hook: Centuries ago, the evil wizard Zarkash constructed a series of underground passages beneath his tower to house his vile experiments, hoards of treasure, and pet monsters. One day, however, a spell went wrong, obliterating the tower and Zarkash, but the tunnels still remain beneath the crumbling ruins. If the legends are true, gold and other treasures galore lie beneath the scattered stones of the cruel mage’s tower... Key: 1. Holding up the ...

Hey all, so I'm heading off to Austin for 11 days, so I probably won't be able to post much at all. However, I am going to be finishing off the last 30 minute dungeon while on the flight, so you can look forward to at least one post later today. Heck, who knows how bored I'll get on the plane, I might post a bunch of stuff by the time I land. Anyway, wish me luck!

Idea: Crumbling old house in the swamp, filled with natural “traps” like poison gas and collapsing floors, and inhabited by plant creatures and big frogs. Hook: A few days ago, a group of kids wandered into the swamp, looking for a supposedly haunted old house among the slime and mud. They haven’t come back, and the children’s parents are paying you to go find them, dead or alive. Key: 1. The walls of the entrance hall are covered with vines and fungus, giving the air a stench of the swamp. The ceiling is collapsing, and faint light shines in from above. (There are holes in the walls leading outside, it appears that most of the building is being held together by plant-like, not the original masonry.) 2. Stag heads above a fireplace, a stuffed bear, and the pelt of a wolf show that this was once the home of a hunter. (All of the taxidermy is falling to pieces due to age and decay, and wouldn’t be worth anything if retrieved.) 3. The room smells sic...

Idea: A cult operates out of a cave near the coast, worshiping a piscine demon lord named Dagon. They are assisted by the god’s fish-like spawn and a demon conjured from his layer of Hell. Hook: There has been more bountiful than usual fishing in the nearby town, but the fish that have been caught are strange, mutated, and disgusting. In addition, some of the poorer residents of the village have gone missing. Whispers point to a coastal cave being the cause of both the odd fish and the missing villagers, along with rumors of gold. Key: 1. Sitting near the entrance of the cave, smoking a pipe, is an old man with a long, gray beard. Next to him is an empty bottle of beer. (If talked to, he will introduce himself as Jeremiah Finkleton. He says that the cultists don’t attack him because he tells them about what goes on about town, and that in return the cultists give him gold coins to buy booze. He doesn’t know much about whats going on, but he does know he has see...

Idea: Haunted prison, with a small pack of wolf-folk dwelling within, coming out at night to prey on livestock and unwary humans. Hook: The abandoned dungeon of Karad has long been home to ghosts and spirits, but recently something more tangible has been seen lurking in its halls. Wolves in human form, coming out at night to eat cattle and kill defenseless citizens. Anyone who went into that ancient prison and slew the monsters would be revered as a folk hero. Key: 1. The entrance to the prison is dusty, having not been used for years. However, visible in the dust are wolf-like tracks. (In a dark corner of the room, There is a small dried pool of human blood, along with an expensive golden locket, containing a small gem.) 2. There is evidence of broken tables and chairs strewn about the floor, along with broken plates. Two large pillars hold up the ceiling. (Between the pillars is a tripwire, hooked up to two crossbows prepared to fire on anyone who acti...

Idea: Castle in the woods and its just absolutely full of spiders, big and small. Also some spider-folk and spider themed traps. Hook: There are some ruins of a castle in the nearby forest, reconstructed partially and held together with spider web. Nobody knows what the original name of the place is, but now it is just known as the Venom Fortress. There are rumors of great treasure within, if you can survive the spiders... Key: 1. The room is thick with web, covering everything like sheets. There is a chest in the corner with a shiny spider-shaped latch. (The latch is actually just a large venomous spider, which will bite if anyone attempts to open the chest. Within the chest is a large quantity of gold coins.) 2. A giant exoskeleton of a spider rests in the corner, the hilt of a golden sword visible in its mouth, having been plunged into its head. A mummified corpse lays nearby. (If the golden sword is pulled, the exoskeleton suddenly becomes animated, p...

Idea: Underground tunnels connected to a well in the woods. The tunnels used to be the hiding spot of some bandits, who eventually left the woods after being driven out of town. Their treasure is left behind, though their traps are still there and some local monsters have taken up residence. Hook: An old man offers to lead the party to a place with treasure in exchange for some coins. If the offer is taken, he will lead them to the forest and point to an old well, claiming that there is a network of tunnels at the bottom with treasure. Key: 1. Leaves have fallen into the well, leaving a thick covering on the floor. Worms and other decomposers wriggle in the dead foliage. (A bear trap is hidden under the leaves, rusted with age. If activated it will do damage and has a 3 in 6 chance of infecting the victim with tetanus.) 2. The room is covered in dust-covered cobwebs, and the floor is littered with the corpses of spiders. There is a faint metallic smell in...