Long Stair Dungeon Style Zones part 12 Under Land

Reading old Polyhedron zines here:
http://archive.org/details/magazine_rack
Apparently will be pulled with dragon and ares magazines
space gamer here too.

Getting some good ideas and some gamma stuff id never heard of like Jim ward on Mars.

Also this item on animal trials in middle ages
http://planet.okfn.org/category/medieval-law/

Added a page...

This will be the final of the deadly dungeon dozen. I have a Redbrick book hard proof copy and will start getting indesign running next week.

This zone is a tribute to CS Lewis "The Silver Chair", Jules Verne, HPL, The Decent D series of old DnD fame, norse/aztech/other myths (even Marvel comic versions) and the "Into the Labyrinth" uk kids show from 1981.

Under Land Zone
A world of natural caves and chasms, crystal chambers, volcanic rivers of lava, stony labyrinths and fungi forests. Hidden subterranean races, dark fey folk and species long dead on the surface can be found here. Whole settlements of beings dwell here in citadels and are constantly at war. Upper levels are connected to sinkholes where surface dwelling beings find themselves trapped. Cave men art galleries and ritual spaces are found also. Lower levels get weirder and more extreme with more submerged sections and volcanic activity and non human civilization. Long passengers and large caverns make up much of the Under Land. Whole sunless lakes inhabited by blind horrors are in the deepest places. Many severe hazards and strange deaths await.

Under Land Hazard d50
1 Chasm over great pit (1d6 1-2 no crossing, 3 single rope, 4 rope, 5 wood bridge, 6 stone)
2 Chasm over rapid water (1d6 1-2 no crossing, 3 single rope, 4 rope, 5 wood bridge, 6 stone)
3 Chasm over lava (1d6 1-2 no crossing, 3 single rope, 4 rope, 5 wood bridge, 6 stone)
4 Cliff to climb
5 Fragile stalagmites drop from loud sound
6 Cave in blocks way
7 Flood blocks passage
8 Calcium growth have blocked and hidden passage
9 Fragile sinkhole entrance easily fallen through
10 Mud pit difficult to traverse, traps heavy victims
11 Mud slide chute carries to lower level
12 Tiny passage needs to be crawled through to pass
13 Fragile crystal chamber floods if any broken
14 Chamber of salt, corrodes tools, possible to be sucked to lower level
15 Burning pit of natural gas or oil
16 Volcanic boiling mud pools
17 Poison or flammable gas slowly floods area
18 Steam geyser fills chamber with boiling vapour
19 Bat guano chamber crawling with bugs, snakes, scorpions, critters and parasites
20 Huge windy tunnel with narrow walkway over chasm
21 Radioactive minerals or drums of waste
22 Magnetic anomaly compasses spin, then metal flies away
23 Vampire bat lair with stinking pools of blood red bat droppings
24 Crystalline floor collapses
25 Overgrown with giant fungus growths
26 Alchemical waste glowing toxic slime pool with giant maggots
27 Gate or doorway or portcullis
28 Guardpost with guards, possibly an outpost
29 Monster Lair
30 Boiling water
31 Acid or alkali pond
32 Non Human settlement
33 Fungus forest with giant caterpillars cows grazing
34 Floor collapses and dumps party on lower level35 Exploding fungus field
36 Screaming fungus field attracts monsters id set off
37 Sleep spoor fungus field resist or sleep and be eaten
38 Strong winds pound furiously
39 Heat is overbearing, use more water, tire more
40 Poor ventilation fatigue increases
41 Chilly damp cave risk hypothermia
42 Air pressure causes mild bends and nose bleeds
43 Gravitic anomoly, reversed or zero
44 Gigantic sleeping monster awaiting the end times
45 Koboldonium burning metal hexagonal plates planted in path
46 Ancient mine feild
47 A hidden sinkhole to a lower level
48 A hidden sinkhole to a lower pit with starving creature and animal graveyard
49 Volcanic stream of lava blocks path
50 Cave in seals chamber, hole in ceiling goes up

Under Land Mystery d20
1 Petrified forest
2 Fossilized creatures
3 Calcified or opalized corpse
4 Collection of prehistoric creatures and hunter remains under closed sinkhole cave
5 Cave art gallery depicting hunters
6 Remains of ancient civilization – ruins or partly inhabited
7 Fungus forest with giant albino lizards and dinosaurs
8 Lost explorer remains, shelter and journal
9 Shaft of light from distant ceiling
10 Huge cave with forest and artificial sun and creatures
11 Huge tunnel carved by worm or ancient machine
12 Remains of automated machine and strange technology
13 Hydro power wheel with remains of factory
14 Underland creatures meeting under treaty
15 Distant citadel or fortress
16 Ferryboat on sunless sea
17 Spectacular crystal cavern
18 Luminescant fungus covering walls
19 Mysterious Elevator
20 Remains of strange shelter of ancient race
21 Degenerate animal or humanoids devolving into monsters
22 Locked gate with demon guards, no entry for living
23 Goblin serfs farming mushrooms for their strange lords
25 Cave art depicting secret depraved cult rituals
26 Relief rock carvings of sinful prehuman race
27 Subterranean adapted version of some surface life form
28 Collection of skulls going back generations, evil taint detected in some specimens
29 A time gateway with anachronistic guards
30 Primitive nonhuman monolith or sacred crude statue of local clan
31 Graves with goods stolen from previous generation of grave robbers
32 Chamber s full of scary looking mummies, look as if they could reanimate but dont
34 Shiny weapon left temptingly in doorway is cursed or sentient
35 Fire spirit in prehistoric fire pit may offer advice or heat and safety
36 Calcified miner with glowing crystals in hand, smash to get them
37 Great pit of darkness, being near it summons minor spirits of underworld
38 Great pit of darkness, sacrificial pit of the great white worm god Dionin
39 Great pit of darkness, drops a thousand feet into underworld sea
40 Great pit of darkness, strirge owls swarm from the pit looking for blood
41 Great pit of darkness,voice calls to them from bottomless pit
42 Built tunnel system from a mine or dungeon for a small section
43 See flaming pit swarming with fiery salamanders among the fire below
44 Huge fossilized strata with layers of animals in strange sequence
45 Weird mineral deposit of unknown metal or gem
46 Goblinoid totem indicating local clan size, numbers and hostility
$7 Strange relic item of underworld race possibly cursed or tribal relic
48 Huge relief wall carvings with detailed text in several languages with pictures
49 Incredible flowing garden of calcium formations like a garden
50 Door or trapdoor almost buried by calcite deposits
51 Sentient aligned crystals try to alter party moral compass
52 Crystaline gateway acts as natural teleporter
53 See flooded ruins under water
54 Gigantic remains of giant or god or monster from the dawn age
56 Gigantic carved face with mouth for door
57 Crude cartoons of adventurers being killed
58 Crystalline cavern with benevolent healing magic
59 Crystalline cavern with evil intelligence will attempt possession
60 Weird echo chamber effect alerts enemies
61 Weird echo chamber effect replies with abuse in own voice
62 Inscription multiple languages and images on border stone
63 Drunk goblin talks to any who will stop and talk
64 Gremlins leave false clues, signs or tips
65 Dieing old surface person been down here decades
66 Hobgoblin shape shifted into small giant but no stronger
67 Ancient tomb sealed for millennium
68 Pylon with open door and gem control panel, meddling causes quake
69 Pylon with open door with time space gate
70 Pylon with open door creates evil duplicate party
71 Pylon with open door glowing reptile skulls on plinths acts as cranky oracle
72 Pylon with door closed but tribals performing ritual to it
73 Area swarming with mostly harmless tadpoles, frogs, eels, crustaceans, newts or worms
74 Metallic door in rubble from ancient crashed space craft or bunker
75 Anachronistic complex with plumbing, ruined tools and strangely dressed corpses
76 Lost children who have escaped and seek exit
77 Lost children who are really shape shifters like doppelgangers or hobgoblins
78 Remains of fresh vile demonic ritual
79 Dead mules laden with bundles of priceless and forbidden drug crop or other goods
80 Magical mushroom patch
81 Magical pool shows images of other places and times
82 Magical pool shows images of viewers loved ones
83 Magical pool shows images of evil beings at work on wicked schemes
84 Magical pool heals some wound damage once only if drunk from pool
85 Magical pool acts as magical potion once only if drunk from pool
86 Magical pool reduced age 1d10 once only if drunk from pool
87 Cave formations resemble well known home landscape
88 Huge statue of pre human god
89 Remains of ancient temple with basalt slab covering a pit
90 Rope or ladder goes up or down pit beyond sight
91 Beautiful clear water with ferry dock
92 Tracks with possible rusty mine cart full of junk
93 Tiny shack atop ancient mound
94 Walls filled with frightening monster fossils
95 Stone footprints from some ancient battle with a monster in ground
96 Graffiti covered cave with marks in a hundred languages going back to ancients
97 Calcium formations shaped like well known being or someone explorers know
98 Glowing walls and fungi make a surreal wonderland
99 Spores from caves infect through air or contaminated food causes hallucinations
100 Trees growing with light shaft from above, stone monuments and graves

Under Land Zone Encounters d100
1 Kobolds out laying traps
2 Kobold Kommando squat
3 Kobold suicide bomber
4 Kobold hunters pepper with arrows and flee
5 Goblin spearmen out on patrol6 Goblin mushroomwranglers with sickles
7 Goblins apprentice looking to join party and learn of human magic
8 Goblin beast tribes with either pet bats, wolves, hyenadon, terror birds, dogs, giant boar
9 Goblin druid, wizard, priest, witch, sorcerer or other magician
10 Goblin baby creaming for attention, mother will give gift if party kind
11 Goblin old man begging for coins, laughs insanely if given a coin
12 Hobgoblin cutting giant mushroom or skinning a lizard, easily offended
13 Hobgoblins shapeshifters into rocks surround a half buried chest full of junk14 Hobgoblins as wolves or goats in mountains or even as birds cause trouble
15 Hobgoblins digging or building, easily provoked
16 Hobgoblin halberdiers on the march in iron boots
17 Hobgoblin woman takes a fancy to party member and demands they hand them over
18 Bugbear stalks group, tries to scare or kill party member
19 Bugbear gang looking for trouble or at least food
20 Bugbear sniper with heavy crossbow and careful aim
21 Bugbear thief looks for food and goods but will kill and run if caught
22 Ogre with pet or herdbeast off to feed his critter
23 Ogre with one eye and club and loin cloth, dumb and hungry
24 Ogre mutant with additional features, hated by own kind
25 Ogre Mage with some magical abilities26 Orc troops on quest for evil lord
27 Orc assasin stalks and attacks at opportune moment with poison
28 Orc hunter with dire wolf or prehistoric boar
29 Troll guarding a chokepoint in the tunnel like a bridge and very hungry
30 Troll eating someone annoyed at unwanted gusts
31 Dwarf merchants looking to trade
32 Dwarf beserkers looking for a fight
33 Dwarf adventurers looking for adventure
34 Gnome explorer with automatic clockwork repeating crossbow
35 Gnome building, mining, fishing, mushroom picking, cooking or making stuff
36 Dark Elf assassin scout looking for evil deeds
37 Dark Elf lady magician looking for victims
38 Bright Elf adventurer seeking ancient evils or on a quest
39 Troglodyte hunter with club fighting monster40 Troglodyte witch with degenerate young sons
41 Troglodyte psion hermaphrodite with laser riding devolved quadraped human
42 Mole Men harvesting mushrooms and worms for overlords
43 Goat men looking to sacrifice victims
44 Goat men torturing prisoners to prepare for ritual
45 Bat men cultists stalk and make silent glide attacks at opportune moment
46 Degenerate albino lizard men attack like pack of beast
47 Degenerate albino lizard men serving mad serpent man
48 Lizard men with obsidian edged war clubs and spears hunting
49 Lizard men guards with serpent man
50 Fish men monks hate surface intruders
51 Fish men priest and bodyguards seeking mates, slaves, food and sacrifices
52 Fish men scientists seek lab rats
53 Fish man witch charms men with song and illusion
54 One eyed tribal orcs serving some under land evil lord or cult
55 Hell hound from underworld an menace to all
56 Giant Toad appears as rock, tries to swallow victim whole
67 Giant Cave Chameleon hangs from celing
58 Dimetrodon concealed under rubbish and fungus heap
59 Cave giant (d6 1-2 one head, 3 two heads, 4 three heads, 5 four heads, 6 four +d6 heads)
60 Giant cricket leaps from cover for a nip
61 Giant mole cricket bursts from ground
62 Giant Cockroach clings to wall in disguise
63 Colossal tunnel rat
64 Pack of dog sized giant rats with disease
65 Were rat agent
66 Rat men assassins and warlock spreading disease
67 Swarm with tiny rats, snakes, bugs, spiders, scorpions, etc
68 Dog sized giant ants carrying gold nuggets, pets of some being
69 Colossal ant on the hunt
70 Beetle men halberdiers with giant war beetle
71 Robed wizard actually mas of writhing worms with living spell books made of bug colonies72 lost surface madman out for some crazy quest
73 Giant cave ferrets or weasels
74 Badger men in ringmail, with morning stars, looking for food and loot
75 Giant monitor lizards scavenging on carcass
76 Giant basking monitor lizards swarm like hungry crocks
77 Small Basilisk in toxic polluted cavern territory littered in the dead
78 Bonnacon with body of a horse, head of a bull and deadly incendiary blast from rear (google it)
79 Huge snapping cave tortoise
80 Giant Cave lobster hangs above ledge and grabs victims
81 Lone gargoyle guarding a door from those without password
82 Stalactite like giant carnivorous snails drop from roof
83 Mushroom men in group trance
84 Mushroom man insane looking for composted flesh to spawn on
85 Giant newt or axolotls lurking in or near water
86 Small stone elemental guarding a path
87 Small water elemental guarding a path
88 Small magma elemental guarding a path
89 Zombie soldiers looking for corpses to take home
90 Ghouls, almost human from civilization looking for food but recently dead will do
91 Ancient ghouls with bestial claws, beaks and fur
92 Vampire possibly of exotic humanoid or pre-human species
93 Were snake, badger, lizard or other subterranean were creature offers to join party
94 Hell Cat hunting imps and gremlins or a new evil master
95 Minor demon possibly in disguise on some minor errand, easily distracted
96 Frost Salamander in frozen cave guarding frozen humanoids
97 Angry cockatrice lurking near hazard or choke point
98 Golem on a mission for a distant master, possibly with detection wand
99 Lamia, succubi or evil seductive monster pretends to be trapped victim
100 Degenerate surface folk turned into cannibal clan

need draugr and revenant
Gremlins tease party, break into taunts when part aware of them
Gremlins with petty magic douse lamps and light sources for fun
Gremlins break into food and water supply

I'll end up with a animal and humanoid table separate later



Under Land Loot and Item Examples d20
1 Primitive compass made from coconut, bucket and iron bar
2 Glass orb on chain with luminescent material that acts as lamp
3 Miners helmet lamp, dead bird in cage and air filter mask
4 Heavy crossbow with grapple line and 100 ft spidersilk line
5 Huge egg of some kind needs some more time to hatch
6 Magical ochre summons normal animal if painted on stone
7 Valuable giant coloured crystal
8 Calcified body part or critter mineralized as semi precious stone
9 Badger ring allows to adopt badger (or other) form once per day for 1 hour
10 Quality weapon or armour
11 Dark vision goggles with fold up tinted lenses
12 Skull gives owner visions of past rituals
13 Bat tiara summons 2d100+50 harmless bats once a day
14 Healing crystal slightly increases natural healing rate
15 +1 obsidian dagger
16 Baby war fungus, grows into rhino sized headless bind horror that loves owner
17 Dark elf shroom leather cape, helps to sneak and hide in darkness
18 Concealable wrist repeating crossbow shots, tiny bolt,must be exposed to shoot
19 Obsidian returning edged boomerang can cut rope or start a spark on impact
20 Dark elf helm, can sense faerie magic or gates, gives glowing unearthly eyes

The last one a painting has a good feel