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Pit of the Sand Wraiths (Linear Dungeon Experiment 1)
🕑 Added 2023-12-06 03:29:20 +0000 UTCThere are few water sources in the badlands at the heart of what was once Zorisz, but the trickle that comes out of the Pit of the Sand Wraiths is one that is given a wide berth. The waters are not tainted, but only come out in a trickle that is quickly absorbed by the sands around the hole in the rocks. The promise of more within (and the slightly humid air once one enters the tunnel) is enough to draw some fools into the pit… and to the Sand Wraiths.
With pale, leathery skin that hangs almost like loose robes upon their lean humanoid frames, the sand wraiths guard their waters jealously even though they don’t need them – while they can eat and drink, they generally sustain themselves on the life force of those they ambush in the badlands and within these passages beneath a long-destroyed temple. They are stealthy and cunning, able to blend in with the sand and ambush unsuspecting travellers. They are also very sensitive to light, preferring the cover of night or the darkness of this underground lair.
The dungeons themselves are multi-tiered, with a small sublevel that sits under the main area, as well as an observation area above the chambers on the northeast side of the main level. The trickle of water comes from the old wind traps of the ruined temple that still collect some moisture from the night air, and on the lower level there are a pair of small cisterns containing significantly more.
The 1200 dpi versions of the map were drawn at a scale of 300 pixels per square and are 9,600 pixels (32 squares) wide. To use this with a VTT you would need to resize the squares to either 70 pixels (for 5′ squares) or 140 pixels (for the recommended 10‘ foot squares that make sense with this design) – so resizing the image to 2,240 pixels or 4,480 pixels wide, respectively.
This map was originally called “Untitled Linear Dungeon Experiment 1” and was drawn in response to a common criticism that my dungeon designs are very linear and don’t have enough loops, entrances, and alternate pathing options through them.
https://dysonlogos.blog/2023/12/05/pit-of-the-sand-wraiths-linear-dungeon-experiment-1/
Comments
Simon 'Landmine'
Have to admit that, until I hit the final paragraph, I was wondering how that dungeon was linear! (Anyway, sometimes a dungeon is only a dangerous passage from one place to another that adventurers have to travel through, and sometimes it's a dead-end passage where, for some plot-related reason, they have to go "there and back again". Others can be looping mazes with a profusion of entrances, of course. All are good, though! Hurrah for variety!)
