The Vault of the Sighing Skull is a rarity- something of a tourist destination for adventurers. Those who visit it speak of the bizarre architecture, the immense gateway at its heart, and the spectral skull which appears, and randomly gifts travellers with treasure, or destructive magic.
The Vault itself is located far out from the nearest town, deep into the dangerous hills. Due to its remote location, it often draws a population of beasts and bandits or humanoids, and adventurers rarely face an 'easy run' of an empty dungeon. The dungeon often has some form of trap within one of the rooms, but adventurers interviewed report it being in various different locations and types- some report a trap with gnashing blades from the walls, through which a cautious explorer can time a jump, other a crystal that fires lightning bolts down a long corridor. Yet others have complained of flagstones that fall away beneath the foot, baring spikes under them. All the explorers who have reached the cyclopean vault at the dungeon's centre report the same- a shimmering field of amethyst magical energy forming a gigantic skull which looks upon those who approach it, and seemingly at random, awards either violent magic or some kind of magical treasure. How you can use the Vault of the Sighing Skull in your game: - An aged explorer sells a map purporting to teach the secret of the Vault. He'll part with it for no less than two hundred gold pieces, and it'll warn of traps with about 50% accuracy. He also reports knowing the secret to making the skull grant an award- you have to avoid damaging the slugs on the ground in the second hall. Whether his 'secret' is correct, or some crazy nonsense, is up to the Game Master. - A bandit has kidnapped a merchant, and has fled to within the Vault to hold his prisoner. The merchant's family hires the Player Characters to deliver the ransom- with the caveat that if they return with the merchant, the ransom of five hundred gold pieces is theirs. Can they deal with the traps, bandits, and the Skull, as well as saving the hapless merchant's life? Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 14 November 2019. Comments are closed.
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AuthorI'm Luke. He/him pronouns. Archives
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