Poll of the Day > D&D: Party finally started the stone sentinel dungeon

(+) Yeah! (+)

By which I mean a ~250 ft statue with a dungeon inside, 20+ floors of dungeon...

Outside the dungeon it started with a "raveparty" as they called it of 6 scarecrows and 1 living armour. Everyone kept their distance but the Warlock, resulting in them dancing around the Warlock. I thought that was a sure way to keep the Wizard from fireballing the situation, boy was I wrong. Everyone had triggers for when the armour attacked, so inbetween the armour's first and second attack, the encounter was decided by the wizard throwing a fireball and all 8 in the target failing their safes. He also reduced the Warlock and the Cleric (warding bond) to half health...

Inside the left leg, was floor after floor with single chests with plates above them. All unlocked with items in varying state of decay, adhering to whatever it said on the plate. The one that said hamburger was locked, so the Wizard thought to use his lockpicking tools, resulting in him getting stuck to the chest and being munched on by the mimic. Which, considering he has only 20 max HP is a very scary thing to happen to him... But the rest quickly took care of it and they continued their journey upwards. Finding more chests with weirder plates and finally two chests with the plate "valuables". They contemplated for a short time, then sniped the two chests from the ladders... Except for the dwarf, who got grappled and munched on by the surviving mimic of the two before that one also died.

Next floor was the bottom and could have been solved through a "puzzle" or combat, they found the puzzle solution. Unlocking a door on the front side to a small room containing a crown of madness scroll, jewels and junk.

Going up through the floors, they reached a dining hall with loads of rattling utensils. Which flew at the Warlock as she tried to go to the next floor while the others stayed on the previous stairs to see what happened. That is where the session ended, the party in combat with 2 knife-, 2 fork- and 2 spoon-swarms.

Turned out to be a bit more text than I was expecting, but D&D stories tend to be long...
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Nichtcrawler X posted...

spoon-swarms.

truly horrifying
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Hearing "stone sentinel dungeon" brings back memories of Unchained Blades (and Dynasty Warriors).
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I_Abibde posted...

Hearing "stone sentinel dungeon" brings back memories of Unchained Blades (and Dynasty Warriors).

So that's how I got the name? Should have realized that. Direct inspiration is more the Breath of Fire dungeon, forgot what it was called there.
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Nichtcrawler X posted...

So that's how I got the name?

Just what it reminds me of, that's all. (Those Unchained Blades dungeons are brutal.)
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I_Abibde posted...

Just what it reminds me of, that's all.

I meant, I've been playing Musou games since DW5, so obviously I will consciously and subconsciously draw inspiration from them at times.
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Also, since I'm brainstorming, I might as well ask here for potential suggestions.

I have villains that obviously will want to approach the dungeon unnoticed, but the party has a familiar stationed on the top of the statue.

Meaning it is not actively hiding and it would be realistic for my villains to notice and take it out. Shooting it with a bow and arrow seems like the simplest solution, but maybe too mundane. Would using trained birds of prey (like a falconer's) make sense and arouse less suspicion?
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I'd recommend a bolt of lightning, personally, but arrows and falcons are just as good.
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By throwing lightning I announce it was taken out by actual hostiles.

Which would not be the Modus Operandi of a group that wants to sneak in undetected.
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