An Ongoing Thought Experiment for an Adventure Conversion

Below is an attempt at creating a random underground adventure framework that escalates and would move you towards your eventual locations. The charge is very much inspired by the Angry DM’s blog post on Abstract Dungeoneering.

Work in Progress

I’ve been kicking around a conversion of Wolfgang Baur’s “Kingdom of Ghouls” from Dungeon #70. It is a fantastic 2nd edition adventure that I’ve thought about running on occasion. Instead of True Ghoul, I’ve opted for Ghöl as it simply looks better.

I’ve created some of the monsters (i.e. the Ghöls, Drider, and Ichtha-Gogs (a deep one type race with fish heads)) but haven’t given them much of a spin. Coordinating a game day and travel work against me actually playing games.

Legend

  • d❖ - Roll Adventure Dice
  • d☮ - Roll Adventure Dice and consult Refugees/“Allies” table
  • d☯ - Roll Adventure Dice (Larger die ≥ smaller then unfavorable result; Otherwise favorable)
Table 1: Distilling an Underground Adventure
Roll d❖ - Location d❖ - Event d☮ - Refugees/"Allies"
1 Narrow passage way Transition to Surface Human
2 Wide passage way Evacuees [d☮] Dwarf
3 Honeycombed small caverns Tunnel collapse! Deep Gnome
4 Wide passage way Hidden cache of supplies [d☮] Deep Gnome
5 Narrow passage way Treacherous vapors Deep Gnome
6 Honeycombed small caverns Holed up, and unlikely allies [2d☮] Deep Gnome
7 Wide passage way Transition to Glimmerfell Dark Elf
8 Large cavern Recent Skirmish [d☮+d☯] Dark Elf
9 Honeycombed small caverns Haunted location [d☮+d☯] Dark Elf
10 Dried river bed Ghöl scouts Dark Elf
11 Large cavern Bubbling spring [d☯] Duegar
12 Fungal grove Transition to Sunless Sea Duegar
13 Dried river bed Transition to Sunken Library Duegar
14 Underground lake Ghöl border garrison (captives [d☮]) Duegar
15 Fungal grove Skirmish in progress [d☮ & Ghöls, d☯] Troglodyte
16 Petrified forest Shattered City [d☮] Troglodyte
17 Large cavern Ghöl platoon on the march Troglodyte
18 Honeycombed small caverns Transition to Ghölheim Troglodyte
19 Wide passage way Slavers [d☮] Kuo-toan
20 Narrow passage way Despoiled graveyard [d☮] Kuo-toan
21 Dried river bed Vein of rare metals Kuo-toan
22 Petrified forest Ghöl Emperor on the move Kuo-toan

Adventure Dice Advancement

  • d4 - (begin here)
  • d6
  • d4+d6
  • d4+d8
  • d6+d8
  • d6+d10
  • d8+d10
  • d8+d12
  • d10+d12

Are they “pressing on”; Step up Adventure Dice (d4 → d6)
Are they “retreating”; Step down Adventure Dice (d6+d8 → d4+d8)