Dredmor Ruins

A dungeon of dark contracts and a sad sacrifice.

History

A king from a faraway land once came to Dredmor Ruins to deal with dark powers. It brought him great fortunes but ultimately doom. 

While his story is scattered, his artifacts remain. Rumors of great treasures and magic draw adventurers in. But dangers prove to be too much for most.

Conditions

Danger:    Risky. Roll for random encounters every two rounds
Darkness:  All areas dark unless otherwise noted
Doors:     All locked unless otherwise noted
Pursuit:   Only demons, devils, and Dredmor pursue retreating parties

Key Areas

(1) Entrance

A single torch casts shadows across the walls and down the stone steps. The air smells of fire and brimstone.

• Tiny footprints start here and go down the steps—they belong to the Imp in Room 7
• The torch burns for 1 hour

(2) Pact & Penance

Marble statues flank the entrance. The western one wields a sword called Pact and points it toward the eastern door. The eastern statue wields Penance and points it toward the western door.

• Statues are too heavy to move

(3) Empty Room

• Roll for a random encounter
• 2-in-6 chance of finding 2d6 copper pieces

(4) The Stone

A stoic stone rests at the center of this room. It’s a few feet wide and three feet tall.

• The stone has a small slit on top
• If Once Upon a Time is reforged and inserted here, the ghost of the king appears and bestows the Boon of the Round Table upon anyone present

(5) Empty Room

• Roll for a random encounter
• 2-in-6 chance of finding 2d6 copper pieces

(6) M

A walkway overlooks a 10-foot drop into dark, ominous waters—as still as glass. Three pedestals stand at one end, one with a curious-looking jar atop. The words “Of Spell” are carved into the jar.

• Three feet deep; a shield, a dagger, and 1d12 gold pieces rest along the bottom
• A wizard’s brain is stored in the jar—fleeting memories of quests with the king; no memory of how it got here
• Removing the jar from the room frees Dredmor

(7) Excalibroken

The room bears a heavy silence. A pile of rubble rests at its center. The words “Of Steel” are carved into the floor nearby. A small, devilish being dances among the rubble.

• Once Upon a Time—the broken pieces of the legendary blade are buried in the rubble
• An imp is digging through the pile—make a Reaction Roll with a -2 penalty

(8) The Altar

Black candles burn on a bloody altar behind iron bars. The words “Of Sacrifice” are carved into the altar. A skeleton lies on it next to a jeweled dagger and gold crown.

• The locked door in the iron bars is hard to break open (DC 15)—roll for a random encounter when attempted
• Jeweled dagger—embedded emerald worth 120gp
• Gold crown—weighs 5 pounds
• The candles burn for 1 hour each if removed from the altar

(9) Chapel

Two rows of decrepit pews lead up to three small altars. Words above read, “Speak the Dark Contracts. Seal Your Doom.”

• Speaking “Of Spell, of Steel, of Sacrifice” (any order) produces one of two outcomes:
  1. If Dredmor is currently free, it will turn him to stone
  2. If Dredmor is currently stone, it will set him free—because magic is fickle.

(10) Dark Armory

Two black chests rest against a wall behind iron bars. Two skeletons of charred black bone walk around. Blood writing on the wall reads, “What is a soul worth?”

• The locked door in the iron bars is hard to break open (DC 15)—roll for a random encounter when attempted
• The chests are unlocked; contain Malice and Torment along with 2d6 gold pieces
• The skeletons are hostile

(11) Sacrifice

Three sets of stairs lead down into a vaulted chamber. A central dais rises ten feet from the chamber’s floor. A dark altar dominates the northern wall.

If the Dredmor statue is still here:

The stone statue of a warrior stands on the dais with a dragon-winged helm and sword raised in defiance toward the altar.

False Altar

Blood covers the obsidian altar. The words, “Of Damnation” are carved into it. A skeleton rests on it near a knife.

• A note nearby reads: “G—my love, I’m so sorry.”

GM Only—Secrets & Change

How this place changes: If Dredmor is freed and then defeated, the dungeon goes quiet in a way it wasn’t before. The random encounter frequency drops. The imp leaves. A sense of pressure lifts. The silence is no longer heavy, just the absence of sound.