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Talakeal
2019-05-12, 08:15 AM
I need help coming up with ideas for a mini-dungeon I am working on. I have a rough concept, but no details about the execution yet.

The Setup:
Many years ago a master woodcutter felled a great tree and used it to build a cabin in the deep woods to retire in. Unfortunately, the tree he chose was home to a powerful dryad, and her vengeful ghost continued to haunt the earthly remains of her tree. The woodcutter and his family didn't survive the first winter, and the cabin has sat fallow for years. Occasionally wanderers and vagrants attempt to spend the night there, but none have succeeded, all being scared off or worse. The place has developed an eerie reputation, and urban legends have sprung up around it, many claiming that one could break the curse or even be granted wishes if they manage to stay the whole night within. Of course, this is too good for the PCs to pass up!

Basically, this is a mini-dungeon that should only take an hour or two to complete. The location is small, probably only a few rooms, but I don't have an exact floorplan in mind. Ideally there should be several time based encounters rather than just exploration and killing.

This is for a homebrew system, but any advice for about ~5 level ~5 D&D characters can easily adapted.


Any ideas would be welcomed. Thanks!

DrKerosene
2019-05-12, 11:06 AM
If you’re not 100% invested in the ghost-fey idea, I am a fan of the idea of the Splinterwaif monster from 3.5e days. It suggested these may be what you get when a Dryad survives losing it’s tree. They could make any nearby piece of wood extend a thorny branch and grapple/pierce a target. They spat splinters with sneak attack damage. Also, they turned corpses into bushes before eating their victims, preferring children to adults, either way a front yard full of twiggy bushes has a “delayed horror” factor.

If you still prefer the incorporeal undead angle, then I’d probably look at making a Banshee with Lair Actions be the finale, if you want a mundane monster. Maybe use some “Catapult” spells to send knives or blocks of lumber flying at the head of a PC periodically, or when they enter certain areas of interest. The occasional Baleful teleport to somewhere relevant that is also outside might not be so bad, at first. Maybe have an ever increasing wolf pack show up after a while and chase the PCs into the house. Maybe have a handful of Hideous Laughter or Phantasmal Killer too (Glyphs Of Warding or Lair Actions).

Though, I would recommend just using the youtube video by Dael Kingsmill on Revamping Ghosts, you just spend as much of the session as you can ramping up the tension until you’re ready for the finale. Perhaps the Woodcutter’s tools could count as Magical Weapons, or better, if used against your Ghost Dryad. Maybe they can form a Magic Circle against her.

Talakeal
2019-05-12, 01:17 PM
If you’re not 100% invested in the ghost-fey idea, I am a fan of the idea of the Splinterwaif monster from 3.5e days. It suggested these may be what you get when a Dryad survives losing it’s tree. They could make any nearby piece of wood extend a thorny branch and grapple/pierce a target. They spat splinters with sneak attack damage. Also, they turned corpses into bushes before eating their victims, preferring children to adults, either way a front yard full of twiggy bushes has a “delayed horror” factor.

If you still prefer the incorporeal undead angle, then I’d probably look at making a Banshee with Lair Actions be the finale, if you want a mundane monster. Maybe use some “Catapult” spells to send knives or blocks of lumber flying at the head of a PC periodically, or when they enter certain areas of interest. The occasional Baleful teleport to somewhere relevant that is also outside might not be so bad, at first. Maybe have an ever increasing wolf pack show up after a while and chase the PCs into the house. Maybe have a handful of Hideous Laughter or Phantasmal Killer too (Glyphs Of Warding or Lair Actions).

Though, I would recommend just using the youtube video by Dael Kingsmill on Revamping Ghosts, you just spend as much of the session as you can ramping up the tension until you’re ready for the finale. Perhaps the Woodcutter’s tools could count as Magical Weapons, or better, if used against your Ghost Dryad. Maybe they can form a Magic Circle against her.

No, I am not invested in any specific mechanical element, merely the concept of a haunted house that was originally built from a Dryad's tree.

Those are all good ideas, I will definitely be using the thorn bush idea.

I haven't ever heard of Dael Kingsmith before, watching her video now. Thanks!

Earthwalker
2019-05-13, 04:23 AM
Well it seems to me you already have a good story for the location.

If I was running this I would make each encounter just a way to find out what happened in the cabin and as each secret is revealed the ghost is weakened. This isn't a Dungeon about fighting the ghost but one where finding its secrets weaken it to a point where it can be killed.

Maybe a battle between the ghosts of the innocents killed by the house and the dryad spirit. With the woodcutter ghost lost in grief and self pity over the death of his family.

Conversations with the woodcutters ghost children. (Everyone loves ghost children yeah ?)


Scenes / Encounter suggestions.

When walking up to the cabin after examine the bushes in the garden the door swings open to welcome them.

The door slamming shut after the last person enters.

A ghost child (one of the wood cutters children) appears telling the adventurers to leave before its too late. The conversation is cut off as ghost vines wrap around the child and drag her away screaming.

A burnt room - Once the characters are inside... we re-live a scene where local villagers tried to burn the house down. We see their ghosts outside throwing lanterns and the fire starts. Once the house is on fire some how the ghost outside begin burning....(Linked to burnt patches of ground spotted outside when approaching the hut. The characters need to try to get out of a room full of ghost fire.

Spore
2019-05-13, 06:14 AM
I am bad at mechanical combat and traps and fighting and such but let me paint a picture for you. Make her almost invulnerable and scary. 5th level adventurers are dangerous and armed, any appropriate or even deadly encounter with them ends with them winning. The game is rigged this way.

Maybe only weapons of simple iron wound her (no magic, no exotic materials, no decent craftsmanship and no silvered weapons) because they remind her of the torment she suffered through when the tree was felled. Every agonizing blow can be repeated. The woodsman built the cottage with iron nails searing in her wood, driving the ghost insane over the decades. In a hidden stash (either outside, in the cellar or attic) the woodsman's tools are stashed. His trusty axes (twohanded axe, handaxe), a few wood chisels (daggers and short swords) and even his hunting bow and crossbow (with iron tipped arrows and bolts). These would allow the heroes to attack the spirit.

Before that, have her be insanely overpowered, scaring and haunting the heroes.