February Freeport Blog:

Sewers and Slime Beast

As a society grows, so does it's need for Sewers. From getting rid of waste to the various tunnels and pipes needed to support a city the size of Freeport. Now add in things like magic and Dwarfs and a technology level equal to Earth around the time of the last great age of piracy, plus just normal bureaucracy, and you begin to get the idea that the sewers under a D&D city are going to be just a little weird. From simple wells and potty’s to brick lined viaducts to strange Gnomish constructions the Sewer levels of Freeport are going to be a twisting mess of a Maze.

I mean there are still parts of the London Underground that are being rediscovered every few years and look at those cave city’s they found in Turkey recently? The sewer system of any large city is the closest we will ever get to a Mega Dungeon in the real world.

Now there are not going to be a lot of actual rooms in a sewer system, but it's safe to assume there are junctions and maintenance shafts. Storage rooms and forgotten corners, also a few basements that open up in to the Sewer? In addition Freeport is a city built by adventures, pirates, thieves and evil cultists. More then a few secret rooms and hidden passages lie down in those sewers. Maybe a underground dock for that mechanical Shark? And there are a few sinister secrets and dangers that lurk down in those pipes. There is no real reason to describe each inch of the Sewer system as they would all be about the same. Wet, Stinky.

The greatest danger in the sewer is the sewer it's self. It is a bubbling cauldron of disease and foul rotted things. Vast alchemical nightmares made out of all the stuff that has been dumped down the Privy over the years and of course Alligators.

Sewer wandering encounter chart.
Roll 1d6 for every ½ an hour the party spends in the Sewer, on a 1 or 6-they have an encounter. Also any loud noises the party makes will generate another check.

1: Alligator

2: Swarm of rats

3: Swarm of giant rats

4: Dire rat

5: Giant insects

6: Giant sewer crab

7: Sewer slime beast (Insert favorite ooze or slime)

8: Zombies

9: Ghouls

10: Sewer maintenance team composed. 1D6. 1=Dwarfs. 2=Halflings. 3=Gnomes. 4=Goblins 5=Humans

11: Sewer guard patrol. 1D6. 1=Dwarf 2=Gnomes. 3=Halflings 4=Goblins. 5=Humans

12: Evil cultist

13: Drunk who got lost in the sewer

14: Sneaky thief types using the sewer to break in to a basement

15: Merchants using the sewers as an shortcut to move there stuff about Town

16: Low level adventures hired to “Clean up the rat problem”

17: Shambling mound

18: Gill men/Karo-Taro

19: Pack of feral dogs

20: Some weird alchemical/wild magic stuff: GM whim.

Fixed encounters in the sewers of a large seaport city like Freeport would involve the machinations of the various NPC's who use the sewers as a way to maneuver about the city undetected or to hide things in the many nooks and cranny’s of the location.

Four sample fixed spots in the Freeport Sewer system.

1: Cultist lair.
Over the years many evil cultist have used Freeport as a base of operations due to it's vast population of various races and it's access to the ocean. This spot is currently being used by the Cult of the Bane Lords for worship and sacrifice.

A small brick alcove with straw mats on the ground to absorb the water Large scented candles line the walls and provide some relief from the sewers stench when lit.

A mural depicting the symbol of the cult has been painted on the far wall. A alter of sorts has been erected in front of the mural made out of hammered together wood. Splatters of blood can be seen on the alter next to more candles.

At any given time there is a 1-6 chance that 1d6+1 low level cultist are in the shrine preforming some foul ritual for there dark gods.

AC: 15 HP: 10 BAB +1 Short Swords +1 1d6+1 or Tossed knifes +1 1d4+0 10 CP & 3 Sp each. ECL 2.

In addition a random zombi will appear in the shrine once every hour, sent by the bane lords to cause mischief in the sewers.

2: Hidden loot:
It goes with out saying that in the long history of Freeport more then a few things have been hidden in the sewers and some of those left forgotten until today.

This is one such buried fortune.

On a Perception check of 15 the party will notice some of the bricks in this spot seem lose. It is a simple task to remove them and expose a small hidden room made out of crude stone. There are no light sources in the chamber but unlike the rest of the Sewer it is relatively dry and clean

A single humanoid skull lies in the right corner of the room but other then that it appears to be empty.

A careful search of the room will expose a lose stone panel in the floor.

A DC15 Perception check will tell the party that the panel is trapped, with a simple but effective poison gas trap.

Removing the bladder that holds the gas is a DC 17 disable device check. If unsuccessful or if no one bothers to check for traps then the gas is released in the room.

Poison Gas: DC 15 VS Fort. If make save lose 1d4 temporary Con points, if save is failed then lose 1d8 temporary Con points.

Surviving or disabling the trap allows the party to remove the panel and discover the left behind treasure!

120 lose CP dated 75 years ago. 220 SP also dated 75 years ago. 80 GP again dated 75 years ago.

Under the coins the party finds a small platinum bar (100 GP) and 2 50GP Ruby’s but the true treasure are the 3 bottles of a rare wine from 75 years ago. It would easily sell for anywhere between a 200GP low bid to a 500 GP high bid depending on how the party goes about selling it.

In addition there is a very ugly non magic hat in the hole with the initials M.A on the inside, you have no idea who that is.

3: Lair of the sewer swamp monster.

Jinkys: Rumors of a swamp monster haunting the sewers have existed for as long as there has been a sewer. Zoinks, is it just a guy in a mask or is it in fact an actual sewer monster.

It's both.

Much like a character from a certain movie, the swamp monster is not One person but a long history of individuals using the legend of the sewer swamp monster to further there own ends. Every few years a new enterprising criminal rises up and assumes the mantel of the sewer swamp monster.

The current sewer swamp monster is a merchant by the name of David Keating. Keating is using the sewer as a way to break in to the basements of his competitor's and damage there goods so he can sell his stuff at higher prices. He adopted the guise of the sewer swamp monster to frighten any guards his victims might send to stop him. So far he has been successful and even managed to put One merchant out of business, but he has yet to run afoul of any “Meddling adventures.”

He stores his costume and stolen loot in the basement of his own shop, which opens up to the sewer via a hole he made in the wall.

If the party investigates the sightings of the sewer monster, they will need to make 3 successful survival/tracking DC 15 checks to follow the trail to his lair.

Hidden in the lair is also his latest collection of stuff he has stolen from his victims. About 800GP worth of “product”

The sewer swamp monster: David Keating.

2^nd level expert ( wine merchant)AC 15 HP 11 Intimidate +4 (jinkys its a swamp monster). Movement 25 (that costume is heavy). Engineering & disable device +3 (to better break in to basements). Profession-wine merchant +4

Swamp monster claw attack: +2 1d6+2.
Gear: crowbar, heavy mining pick, sacks, Sewer swamp monster costume. 1 ever burning torch. 3 bottle of oil. Flint,smudge pot and steal(Arson)
CR 1

What Keating, and most others don’t know is that there is in fact an actual sewer swamp monster in the sewers. With all the weird chemicals that have been dumped into the sewers over the years, as well as just the ever present ambient magic of a city like Freeport it goes with out saying that inevitably something would rise out of the goop.

In this case it is a shambling mound that has become attracted to the area of Keating's lair due to all the noise he has made and the smell of the wine stored in his basement lair.

Sewer swamp monster: AC: 19 HP: 60. immune to electricity DR 10 vs fire Move 20. 2 Slams +11 2d6+5 . If both are successful can constrict target for an addition 2d6+7.

Full information on shambling mounds via the D20PFSRD at this link.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/plants/shambling-mound

The shambling mound has no treasure.

4: Lair of the Vampire Queen.

Every environment has it’s alpha predator, the sewers of Freeport have the “Countess Du Masq”.

The Countess is a mysterious individual mentioned in a few of the early Freeport publications, she has a history shrouded in rumor and gossip. She runs “Theme” nightclub called the "House of Masks", where all the individuals associated with it (both staff and clients) have to wear masks. The Countess her self has long fed into her own mysterious persona with an occasional hint that she is a assassin from a far off land. A vampire. A demon queen and other story’s, all to hide the fact that she is actually a Vampire.

She had long used the Sewer as a way to get rid of bodies and traverse the city during day light hours, so a entrance to the sewer lies in the basement of the club.

She does not bother hiding this entrance, in fact she has gone out of her way to make it appear more frightening then it actually is. Including having the door made out of a giant skull, and filling the room and the area around it with various “Vampire” trappings .There is even a coffin in the chamber.

She uses this “hide in plane sight” to build up the image of her being a Vampire to the point that no One takes it seriously because it's such a cliche

Having a steady stream of “willing victims”, she seldom has to hunt the sewers for food. Though she is known to take a stroll about the sewers just to keep abreast of the various going's on . She takes little notice of the cultist, thieves and merchants that use the sewers, though occasionally something will attract her attention-Something usually involving adventures.

The Countess’s sewer entrance lair is a good red hearing for a GM to toss at a low level party. She might take sadistic joy out of tormenting them for a day or Two before she either loses interest or just kills them. If the party is interesting enough to keep her amused she could find a use for them in some way and maybe even become a Patron of there adventures-While constantly keeping them guessing, is she a vampire or is she just playing the part.

Obviously the Lair is not her real lair and the coffin is not her real coffin. In fact she lost her real coffin in a ship wreck 80 year ago and her actual “lair” is her bed room.

The Countess Du Masq is a very powerful Vampire, she is a CR 15 encounter on her own.

So there are just some examples of the goings on in our fair city’s sewers, the idea behind this is that once you enter things like magic into the equation Something as normal as a sewer system, suddenly becomes a very interesting place.

A very stinky, wet, gross place but still interesting

Till next time

be excellent

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