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Dungeons
Cave · Large · Level 6 · Hard

The Honest Measure

A brass desk bell rings somewhere below, though no hand is near it.
Rooms
22
Foes
38, CR 1/4 to 9
Traps
4
Treasure
8,476 gp
12345678910111213141516171819202122Entrance
Select a room on the plan to open it.

The party is in

1. The Mouth Hall

Seen

Something wanders by

At a glance

The threat

A cave-bred abomination called the Red Maw has made the old arena its den.

Wandering monsters (1d4)

  1. 1

    1d4× Cave lizard packCR 2

    When: The party rests or spends more than ten minutes in an unguarded corridor.Pale cave lizards hunt by scent and pause when they hear voices.
  2. 2

    1d3× Hobgoblin patrolCR 3

    When: A loud fight occurs near rooms 8, 16, or 17.A pair of hobgoblin patrols carries brass tokens and searches for intruders.
  3. 3

    2d4× Blood batsCR 1

    When: A creature loses half its hit points in one encounter.A cloud of blood bats follows fresh wounds, shrieking whenever it finds a warm trail.
  4. 4

    Duergar scoutCR 4

    When: The party forces a locked door or disarms a major trap noisily.A limping duergar scout drags a hooked chain and reports any disturbance toward the deeper guards.

Rooms

22
1

The Mouth Hall

2 foestreasuresecret

What they see

Read aloud

A wide limestone hall opens beneath a low arch. Old benches and a dry fountain stand amid newer boot tracks, and several passages lead toward the lit rooms beyond.

Features

  • Dry fountain bearing a worn miners' mark
  • Blue fungus growing along the north wall
  • A heavy eastern door has a simple lock

What the GM knows

Monsters

2× Cave goblinsCR 1/2

Lean cave scavengers with pale eyes and scavenged bucklers.Tactics. One fires from behind the fountain while the other retreats toward room 1 to summon help.

Treasure

Scavenger's purse18 gp

A small pouch of mixed coin left beneath a bench.
Room secrets · GM only

Notes

The archways lead toward rooms 1 and 3; the southern door leads toward room 4. The western arch is a separate passage into room 11 despite the duplicated directional notation. Characters who make noise may alert room 1.

5 doors: N (normal), S (normal), E (secret), W (normal), W (locked)

The place

What it is

The cave was enlarged into a subterranean complex of stores, shrines, guard posts, and administrative rooms.

Atmosphere

Cold mineral water ticks from the ceiling.

The threat

A cave-bred abomination called the Red Maw has made the old arena its den.

History

The cave began as a refuge maintained by miners and shrine-keepers who worked the iron seams nearby.

Rumors

1d4
Roll a rumor

  1. 1The old mine has an office where a creature takes appointments before sending visitors to their deaths.
  2. 2A red glow beneath the hills grows brighter whenever blood is spilled underground.
  3. 3A sealed shrine in the cave still holds water that can close a wound.
  4. 4The miners who vanished were seen entering the cave with iron chains and no picks.

Plot hooks

3
RescueThe Missing ShiftMiners have vanished near the old cave mouth, and their families ask the party to find out whether they are alive or being held for the arena.From: A worried mining foreman from the nearest settlementReward: A rare healing draught and a share of recovered miners' tools
RetrievalAccounts in Red InkA merchant's stolen ledger is said to be stored in the receptionist's office. Its pages record illicit payments made to the cave's master.From: A sharp-eyed caravan factorReward: A rare gemstone and the factor's promise of future supplies
InvestigationThe Iron-Tasting WellThe red mineral growth has appeared in a local well. The party must reach the cave's source and stop the contamination before it spreads.From: A village healerReward: A rare restorative charm and a modest bounty

Corridors

3

  • Between rooms 4 and 10

    Old brass direction plates point toward the offices, stores, and arena, as though this cave once hosted orderly business.

  • Passages around rooms 8, 17, and 20

    Thin red veins in the stone brighten whenever a creature bleeds nearby.

  • The corridor linking rooms 5, 12, and 13

    A narrow drainage groove carries warm, iron-tasting water toward the depths.

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