Let's create a dungeon with Cairn 2e - part 2

After creating a realm, a faction and a forest for my future Silksong-inspired duet campaign (I talked about how the idea came to be here) I've started creating a dungeon (The Abandoned Manor) that will be part of said forest using the procedure included in Cairn 2e's Warden's Guide. You can find part 1 here. Let's continue!


After rolling for the general characteristics of the dungeon and the factions inhabiting it, it's now time to roll for the actual dungeon rooms.

1. SPECIAL. Special: 12, Pool / Feature: 9, Grows
2. MONSTER. Group: 18, Shape shifter / Activity: 4, Fighting
3. TRAP. Trap: 10, Drops / Trigger: 8, Interacting
4. TRAP. Trap: 14, Hypnotizes / Trigger: 15, Speaking
5. LORE. Room type: 11, Kitchen / Clue: 6, Leavings
6. LORE. Room type: 4, Cistern / Clue: 18, Temperature
7. LORE. Room type: 14, Shrine / Clue: 5, Footprints
8. TRAP. Trap: 1, Ages / Trigger: 4, Disturbing
Ok, this is an interesting set of rooms; some of the results will have to be adjusted, but the Veil will be either in room 6 or 8.

Let's now start expanding these rooms and see where that leads us!

1. Most of the ground floor of the manor is no more, even the interior walls have all crumbled. Only the external walls remain, and if you focus your eyes on the far one you can almost see dancing shadows. In front of the entrance a bubbling pool of some bright purple liquid covers a large part of the floor, flanked by two big staircases leading to the first floor, which looks much more intact. To reach either staircase you need to pass a DEX roll/save (no roll if you use a tool or spend a resource) or fall in the caustic liquid. Stench of death.

2. This room presents many portraits hanging from its walls, mostly faded to the point it's hard to determine their subjects. In the middle d6 Elves and d6 Humans fight using a variety of weapons, but it's clear they're ghosts. They attack PCs only if attacked first. The air in this room is much colder than in any other. [The ghosts have taken the forms of the previous guardians, WIS/WIL roll/save to notice one of them looks like the Wight in area 2 of the Forest, if it has been already met]

3. 2d4 cultists from faction I are here in plain clothes, sitting around a fire. They're not used to people entering the manor. Roll reaction upon meeting them; they will try to convince the party to help them defeat faction II, but how they do it depends on the reaction roll.

4. 2d4 cultists from faction II are here. One of them is the leader and has a charming spell: once he starts talking to the party they each have to make a WIS/WIL roll/save or they'll feel compelled to follow his suggestion to attack the other faction.

That's half the rooms of the dungeon. Next time we'll rooms 5 to 8, finishing up the Manor, then the adventure will be ready to be played!

This is all for this week, see you next Sunday for my next post!

May your dice never betray you,
Kirhon

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