Cave of the Creepers

Cannibal Humanoid Underground Dwellers 

I'll be starting a new campaign with some friends in a couple weeks. A few are new to D&D so I figured this was my chance to break out B2 Keep on the Borderlands, which I've never run before. 

Inspired by Dungeoncraft's "Caves of Carnage" series, I'm re-skinning some of the more pedestrian elements of the original to be a bit creepier and re-working the maps to be a little more dynamic. 

My goals is to keep the iconic bones of the original but put some fresh paint on the blander bits.

I'm starting with the Kobold Caves and importing most of Professor Dungeon Master's upgrades.

I added a couple paths on my map. For comparison: original, re-drawn by Dyson.

I'm hoping that this little dungeon will reinforce to my new players the importance of thinking strategically about their lights. 

The Situation

The Creepers (stats as Kobold): Naked, hunched, cannibal cave-dwellers. Stunted and misshapen by generations underground, they are individually puny so even a low-level adventurer can probably take a few. The runts are light-averse, but they’ll aggressively target light-bearers with missile weapons then swarm in the dark, bearing down their prey with their numbers and shanks made of sharpened bone.

• Lowlight Vision: Can see in light that would be too dim for a normal human to see anything.
• Light Averse: Will avoid being brightly lit if at all possible and will attack and defend at disadvantage in bright light.

If that light goes out...

Years ago: The Creepers crawled up from the bowels of the Underdark, drawn unconsciously by the emanations of the Warpstone obelisk (in Area 4).

Last year: An imperial commander, Captain Kurtzman was sent to clear the caves. Maddened by his investigation of the obelisk, he killed the creeper chief and rather than exterminating the nest, he turned on his own men and took over as petty god-king. His men’s bones and rotted remnants of their equipment can be found in Area 2.

Real cave, real cannibals

The Cave:

Entrance: A natural cave mouth, opens on a T intersection.

• The cave is cold and damp and smells of old death.
• To the right, a faint glow is visible in the distance beyond the torchlight (A2), if the approach was quiet, an indistinct chatter might be heard from the guards in area 1.
• To the left, the occasional skittering of a small animal and the buzzing of flies. Awful rot smell.

A1: A pit trap. Only 50% chance of collapsing as each character crosses (the creepers are light enough to cross without risk). The pit is 15’ deep and the bottom 5’ are filled with water.

A2: A jar of glowing lichen hangs from ceiling on string. Creepers use this as a navigational aid, and a lure to draw intruders over the pit trap. If taken, it’ll last for a day or two.

Area 1: Guard post. 6 Creepers wait in the dark.

• If the pit trap at A1 is triggered, they’ll hurl stones at the victims from above.
• If intruders pass down the hall without searching this room, the guards will wait briefly than follow to ambush from behind.

Area 2: The Bone Pile. A large pile of mostly human bones, infested with fat happy rats and buzzing clouds of black flies. 

• If searched, the rotted remains of Imperial uniforms and bits of armor too decayed to be useful. 
• Amongst the detritus, a rusty halberd head is still useable, though the wooden shaft is completely rotted.

B: A narrow fissure connects Areas 2 & 3. Humans will have to squirm on their bellies to get through. Make a DEX check or get stuck.

Area 3: Second Guard Room & Storage. Another 6 creepers wait behind a sturdy, barred door with an eye hole cut near the floor. They are gnawing on bones but otherwise quiet.

• If intruders pass by down Stairway C, they will sneak out and roll a boulder down after them.
• If intruders try to break down the door, they’ll slip out through Crevasse B and come around from behind them
• The room contains a large locked chest and a few weathered barrels.
  • Chest: 500gp in mixed copper (mostly) & silver coins. Weighs 200lbs. Key is held by Kurtzman in Area 5.
  • Barrels: Packed in salt, human hands & feet and the other bits too tough and gristly for the Beastmen in the caves above to enjoy.

Area 4: The Black Monolith. A solid block of Warpstone the size of a refrigerator is surrounded by greasy candles and crude stone bowls filled with congealing blood.

• Examining the block, will reveal the 8-pointed mark of Chaos inscribed into it.
• Amongst the pathetic offerings, is a small, solid gold statuette depicting a Minotaur (150gp)
• If it could be moved back to town (it weighs 1000lbs) it would be worth 10,000gp

D: A steep, natural chimney in the rock connects Area 4 to the creeper nest in Area 6.

Area 5: King Kurtzman’s Quarters. A filthy pallet of furs and soiled, stolen linens. Lit with a few candles. Kurtzman lounges in a disheveled robe, with two creeper concubines, in a drug-addled daze. A collapsed tunnel leads to the west.

The concubines will leap up quickly to defend their lord, and he’ll rise more slowly, rambling and brandishing the sword of an Imperial officer.

• Kurtzman: Human Fighter Level 3 - 12HP, +3 to hit for d8+1 damage with falchion, unarmored.
  • “I’ve seen horrors, horrors that you’ve seen. But you have no right to call me a murderer. You have a right to kill me. You have a right to do that, but you have no right to judge me.”
  • “And then I realized they were stronger than we. Because they could stand that these were not monsters.”
  • “the Horror… the HORROR!”
• Treasure:
  • Gold Imperial Captains Badge: 250gp
  • Gold chain with emerald: 1000gp
  • Excellent Falchion: One handed, d8 damage sword. Not-magical, but +1 to damage
• Collapsed Tunnel: With proper tools and a couple days work could be re-excavated. Leads into the Underdark.

Area 6: Hive of the Creepers - Very dimly lit by patches of glowing lichen on the walls, the main living area of the creepers extends significantly upward (30’) and downward (25’) from the entrance (it’s much taller than it is wide). The creepers have hollowed out sleeping niches and climbing paths all over the walls.

• 40 creepers live here (or 4d20 if you like randomness) and they'll send out reinforcements if alerted to intruders.
• Intruders who enter will be pelted with stones & feces by any surviving creepers. If the intruders are outnumbered, the creepers will swarm down and attack.
• Treasure: None. Kurtzman keeps everything valuable.