Sir Dunder’s Dungeon Inter-loo-d

Rodney Hampton

- 18 minutes read - 3684 words

Alternate title: The Dangling Jewels

Oh - you wanted a map with that? That’s gonna wait until tomorrow (Saturday night). Section 4 is the level 2 portion of the dungeon. I would consider it outside the scope of the Dunder Moose / Jeffro Johnson challenge.

NOTE TO DM

This adventure is designed for four to six 1st level adventurers and compatible with 1st edition AD&D. The call to adventure should be given to the player whose character has the most 1) experience, 2) an alignment that is more or less Neutral, 3) or the least gold (after equipping and provisioning).

Although the upper world is described, the goal is not to linger above-ground but rather for characters to delve into the sewers for wealth and glory. Hence, only roll for above-ground encounters when players are in the Port Quarter. Prior to play, all players should arm and equip their characters for an underworld adventure. The DM should give each player a rumor (see below).

CALL TO ADVENTURE

Your head is still pounding a little. It was a good carouse. And now it is even better.

Sir Dunder, the most prominent merchant in town, is beside himself. Last night, his wife was accosted and robbed of a bejeweled necklace (some say it is worth as much as a thousand gold). The thief ran off through the warren of alleyways in the seaside quarter, ditching any pursuit. By happenstance, you happened to be relieving yourself in such an alley. Unbeknownst to the thief, you observed him? moving a sewer grate to one side and sliding inside - a convenient hidey hole.

Although the city watch — and the merchant’s private muscle — have been making the rounds. You think it might be possible to bag the thief, and the treasure. And then, who knows?

RUMORS

“Before the Players begin the adventure, the DM may privately give each Player one rumor about the SEWER. This information may be shared or kept secret, as the players wish. The DM should avoid interfering with their choices whatever the result.” “Do not give out all the rumors.” [B2 pp. 5, 7]. Assign the rumors at random using d8.

T 1. The Sir Dunder, the merchant, will reward anyone who returns the necklace.

F 2. The necklace is magical and that’s why there’s so much fuss about it.

T 3. Some say an Ogre wanders about in the sewers.

F 4. Baron Johnson is behind the robbery. He hates Sir Dunder.

T 5. Beware the mad hermit who lives in the sewers under the merchants quarter.

F 6. There’s a crocodile that lives in the sewer. Big fella. That’s why people disappear down there.

T 7. The Baron’s mage lost a powerful magic wand down the sewers a few months back (don’t ask how). It’s still missing!

F 8. There are hordes of tiny dog-men in the sewers near the port quarter.

UNLIKELY FOES

Baron Johnson, Fighter 9th lvl. Lawful Good. Tough but fair reputation. Reputed to be a good dancer (high Dexterity assumed). Upholds the law of Gygax throughout his domain, however even he cannot tame the Port Quarter given the constant influx of foreigners.

Bjorn Uumlaut, Magic-User 9th lvl. Lost a wand. May provide a reward for return of same. May also turn your corpse into a skeleton. Ran out of a neighboring county for necromancy.

City Watchmen (60), Heavy Footmen (Helm, Chain, Shield, Sword, Dagger). The keep’s garrison is divided into three watches. A watch consists of 10 men led by two serjeants (Fighter 1st lvl). Mounted patrols into surrounding lands are similarly sized. [See DMG p. 30-31 Mercenary Soldiers and Serjeants]

Sir Dunder, Merchant, Fighter 4th. Chaotic Good. Lives in a fortified, stone manor in the Merchants Quarter. A bit stingy, he will only provide a 300 gp reward if the necklace is returned, but if someone expresses disappointment he will pay 600 gp. If threatened, he will pay 1,200 gp. In the last case, he will sick his muscle on the party sometime later that day with instructions to beat them up (use Non-Lethal Combat DMG p. 72) and take back the money.

Merchant’s Muscle (6), 5 Light Footmen (Helm, Leather, Shield, Spear, Dagger) + 1 Serjeant.

TOWN QUARTERS (DM INFO)

The town is divided into four quarters: Ruling Quarter, Merchant Quarter, Common Quarter, Port Quarter. The sewer system runs beneath all four quarters. The Ruling Quarter is at the highest elevation, the Merchant and Common quarters are round about it. The Common quarter extends toward the seaside Port Quarter. There is a noticable slope down from the Commons to the quays.

RULING QUARTER

The Baron has a stone Shell Keep (see DMG p. 183) which is the base of operations for his 60 men. The garrison is seldom larger than 40 with patrols to outlying estates coming and going. The wooden stable and corral is outside the walls. Entrance to the Keep is by invitation only. The Shell Keep sits on the site of a former motte-and-bailey so the Keep is on an elevated, earthen foundation. Surrounding the Keep there are finer homes that are either half-timber or stone faced with slate roof. Some streets in the Ruling Quarter are cobbled.

SEWER SECTION 1

This is the highest portion of the sewer system. Entry is via metal grates. They are well observed and using them will draw a crowd and questions during the day. At night, there is a 1-in-6 chance that the watch or a citizen will observe entrance and raise the Hue and Cry. There is no ladder, instead there are handholds in the stonework allowing an easy descent 10’ to the 1st level of the sewer.

Wandering Monsters

Number appearing is in parenthesis after the monster name. Warriors, Gnomes, and Dwarves are generally Lawful or Neutral and either Good or Neutral.

  1. Giant Spider (1), HD 4, HP 16, AC 6, SA Poison. Black Widow type. Area 1-1 is its lair. If already slain, will not re-appear.
  2. Giant Rats (3d4), HD 1, AC 7, SA disease.
  3. Warriors (1d3), HD 2, AC 4. These are Sergeants from the city watch who sometimes patrol the upper sewers looking for signs of undermining or other skulduggery.
  4. Warriors (as above).
  5. Dwarves (1d4+1) HD 1, AC 6 (leather + shield). 1-in-10 have a crossbow instead of sword, 1-in-5 have either a Sword+1 or Shield+1. Do routine work inspecting, repairing, or expanding the sewers. They have 1 ladder 20’ high and 1 ladder 15’ high. Always have 1 Dwarf on guard while working.
  6. Bandits (1d4+1), HD 1, AC 7. 4-in-10 have short bows instead of clubs; one leader among them has 3 javelins and is AC 4 (chain + Dexterity bonus). They are also hunting for the cutpurse to get the necklace for themselves.

Area 1-1

This area is directly beneath the kitchen of the Baron’s Keep. Thus it is both warm and and comparatively dry from the waist up except during a downpour.

The Giant Spider makes its nest in a tangle of webs near the ceiling. The webs span the entire area. The Spider cannot be seen until it decides to descend. When it strikes from above, it has learned that an un-helmed head is the surest path to a meal (see DMG p. 28)

Within the webs there are four burlap bags, each containing 100 electrum. If the webs are burned, the bags will fall to the floor (hopefully not striking a character as the old burlap will also catch fire quite readily). If a bag strikes the floor the electrum will be scattered about (1 person takes 1 turn to retrieve 100 EP).

Area 1-2

There is writing on the wall near the passage to Area 1-1. The writing is in both Dwarven and Gnomish and says, “Beware the Crown of the Spider King” There is also a drawing of two red triangles that intersect at their points (representing an hourglass). The drawing is just above the writing.

Area 1-3

The room is filled with stagnant, and filthy water that is knee deep. Beneath the silty water, the Orcs have set a “fish trap” using some old spears from unlucky watchmen whom they waylaid.

Spear Trap - If triggered, 1d3 spears strike upward to waist height (on a man) each doing 1d6 hp damage. Each spear has a 1-in-20 chance of automatically infecting with a random disease (see DMG pp. 13-14)

Area 1-4

Empty

Those within this area can hear a periodic knocking sound from above. [Investigation reveals nothing, this is merely dungeon dressing. A likely explanation is stamping by horses in the stables that has propagated through the rock]

Area 1-5

The floor of this room is covered with dung. [Workmen use this area to dump muck that has stopped up the works elsewhere in the sewers]. The dung is almost impassable, at least knee height on a human. Progress is 10 feet per turn. The dung will stick to anything and everything and it is unavoidable getting covered in it once someone progresses 30 feet into the room. [If you’ve ever run a Spartan race, you know.]

If the players look closely, they can see the imprint of a ladder in the muck. The impression crosses the 15’ span to the far wall. Using a ladder here is much like using a set of snowshoes, it distributes the weight and allows easy passage.

There is a secret compartment above the impression of the ladder. It contains all the wealth the Gnome workmen have accumulated: 1d6 x 100 gp.

MERCHANT QUARTER

Largely two-story wooden buildings with thatched roofs. Commerce takes place on the lower floor. The merchant and his family live in the upper rooms. Some of these buildings have cellars. During the day, there are some peddle carts along the streets.

SEWER SECTION 2

Sewer entrances are covered with wooden grates. During the night, there is a 1-in-3 chance of someone raising the Hue and Cry for someone suspiciously entering the sewers near a shop. There are even chances that there is a wooden ladder that descends 15’ to the sewers below. Otherwise, the characters will need their own means of descent.

Wandering Monsters

  1. Orcs (1d4+1), HD 1, AC 7. Pig faced. 1-in-10 chance each of javelin, otherwise the Orc is armed with a short sword. These are either headed to/from the Area 1-3 to check their “fish trap” or else on the way back to their lair near seaside.
  2. Skeletons (1d6), HD 1, AC 8. One skeleton carries a bone draped around its neck by string. (See rumor 7 above). This is a Wand of Enemy Detection (see DMG p. 135). It has 83 charges (see DMG p. 132). It has 2000 XP value and a 10,000 gp sale (or reward) value.
  3. Carrion Crawler (1), HD 3+1, HP 13, AC 7, SA paralyzation. Only one will be encountered between both SECTION 2 or 3. If rolled again, no encounter occurs.
  4. Giant Rats (3d4), HD 1/2 (half), AC 7, SA disease.
  5. Shriekers (1d3), HD 3, AC 7, SA shriek. If encountered in SECTION 3, these alert the Cutpurse the party is in the dungeon. If encountered in SECTION 2, make an additional wandering monster check.
  6. Gnomes (1d4+1). HD 1, AC 8. These workmen have 2 ladders 15’ high, hand tools, etc. One will always stand watch whilst the others work. They are armed with workmen’s tools (treat as military pick). Each carries 1d6 gp.

Area 2-1

Empty except for a discarded flask (and other broken glassware and crockery) in one corner. If investigated, there is the unmistakable odor of high proof alcohol.

The Orcs sometimes use this room for recreation. Their lair is off-map.

Area 2-2

There is a dirty and tattered gray drapery on the north wall. Behind it, there is a concealed ladder to the surface. The trapdoor is hidden so it is not noticeable from above.

Area 2-3

There are two chests stashed along the wall. There are five, reddish Giant Centipedes nestled around the chests (HD 1, HP 2 each, AC 9. SA poisonous bite). The chests are unlocked. Inside each there are copper pipes (worth 500 cp per chest).

Area 2-4

The entrance to this area is concealed by a pile of debris (up to eye level). The debris itself is old boards, broken crockery, sticks, logs, branches, etc. If searched, a path/crawlway through the debris may be found.

If the party delved into the sewers during the day, the Hermit is here in his “Great Hall.” The Hall is furnished with a makeshift table, chairs of questionable chair-worthiness, and a “throne” upon which the Hermit prefers to lounge. He is a bit mad and believes himself to be a King in exile. He often gives orders to his “men” and courtiers.

Hermit, HD 2, AC 8 (tough bugger), dagger, SA: breath weapon - save versus poison or suffer revulsion. Cf. Troglodyte, MM1, p. 97. The Hermit can use his “breath” three times in melee. Due to his madness, the Hermit will react to PCs/NPCs as though their Charisma bonus or penalty were reversed. (See DMG p. 63; PHB p. 13) Thus a PC with an 18 Charisma has a -35% reaction adjustment.

There is a small, iron coffer hidden under the Mad Hermit’s “throne” In this container there are 31 gold pieces, 164 silver pieces, a Potion of Clairvoyance, and 10 arrowheads (+1 if a bowyer sets them on proper shafts) [Insired by B2 p. 13].

Area 2-5

If the party delved into the sewers at night, the hermit has retired to his bed chamber. The Hermit never really sleeps, instead he becomes more of himself and less the mad king.

The hermit’s bed is a pile of straw, leaves, feathers, and other soft material he has heaped together and covered with a tattered blanket (his “robe”).

COMMON QUARTER

Buildings in the Common Quarter range from wattle & daub down to shanties made of wood scraps and canvas. Living is rough here.

SEWER SECTION 3

During the day, no one will question anyone foolish enough to enter the sewers. At night, the chance of anyone raising the Hue and Cry is only 1-in-12. Otherwise as in SECTION 2 above.

Wandering Monsters are as SECTION 2 above.

Area 3-1

This chamber is filled with standing water.

Each character crossing the point marked X (prior to discovery) has a 3-in-6 chance of slipping into this hidden pit filled with debris. Take 1d3 points of damage.

Area 3-2

Empty. The air is still. There is a salty smell that lingers in the air.

Area 3-3

Empty. There is a rhythmic, thumping sound that can be heard [in the direction of the sea]. This is the sound of the surf as propagated through the rock.

Area 3-4

A sturdy, raised, wooden bridge crosses over a dark pit of still water.

[Under the bridge, the cutpurse has created an enclosed crawlspace about 4’ high and 3’ wide. Inside, he has a proper straw mattress, some rations, clothing, etc. along with several burlap sacks)]

Cutpurse, 3rd level thief, HP 15, AC 4 due to leather armor, Ring of Protection +1 and Dexterity 17) The thief has a 27% chance to move silently and a 20% chance to hide in shadows. If alerted (see Shriekers above) he will hide in his crawlspace. If not alerted nor surprised, he will try to talk his way out of any encounter. Worst case he will flee and look for an opportunity to backstab the easiest mark. The cutpurse does not carry his treasure (other than the ring he wears). (See PHB pp. 27-28 for all Thief abilities).

Area 3-5

Trash pile.

The Thief’s stash is contained in burlap bags and concealed by a huge heap of trash. For each turn of searching, roll 1d6 random items from “Miscellaneous Utensils and Personal Items” on DMG p. 18. If you roll a 6, though, one of the three bags of treasure is found (at random):

  1. The main prize: Madame Dunder’s missing necklace. It truly is worth 1,000 gp.
  2. Nine gems (semi-precious stones worth 50gp each - see DMG p. 26)
  3. 350 EP

PORT QUARTER

The port is busy with activity. Warehouses, outfitters, sailmakers, etc. are all potential leaping off points for future seaborne adventures. Drunks and harlots are sprinkled throughout and likely to be encountered day or night if the party lingers too long without making progress (see DMG p. 191-192). At night, Press Gangs are also a potential concern.

For this Quarter only, make an encounter check once per hour: Day 01 - 50 / Night 01 - 33 Drunk; Day 51-00 / Night 34 - 66 Harlot; Day — / Night 67 - 00 Press Gang.

SEWER SECTION 4

As the common adage puts it, “[Sewage] runs downhill.” Anyone entering SECTION 4 of the sewers is exposed to Filthy conditions with attendant changes to the monthly Disease check (see DMG pp. 13-14). There is no ladder downward, nor obvious handholds. The bottom is 20’ below. The sides of the entry are slippery. Any thief climbing down has ten times the normal chance of falling (see DMG p. 19). No one will raise the Hue and Cry in this quarter.

Wandering Monsters

The Berserkers are Neutral and tend toward Evil. They are former raiders who now prey on folk in the Port Quarter or who wander into this part of the Sewers. The Orcs are Lawful Evil while the Ogre is Chaotic Evil.

  1. Berserkers (1d4), HD 2. Dressed in Crocodile hide armor (treat as Scale AC 6). 3d6 sp per man. Each man carries either a Hand-axe or spear.
  2. Ogre, HD 4+1, AC 6 unless already slain or captured (see Area 4-2 below)
  3. Carrion Crawler, HD 3+1 but only has 1d6 hp (because it is wounded), AC 7, SA: paralysis
  4. Stirges (1d4+1), HD 1, AC 7, SA: blood drain
  5. Berserkers as above
  6. Orcs (1d4+1), HD 1, AC 7. Pig faced. 1-in-10 chance each of javelin, otherwise short sword. These are hunting the wounded Carrion Crawler.

Area 4-1

Approaching this area from the north, there is a raised path 2-3 feet wide. The center of the sewer seems to be carved deeper here and is filled with running sewage. The sewage accelerates as it approaches the break point - a mist rises up from the rushing water. The sewer shows signs of having been repaired. The roof has been shorn up. But there is a waterfall and large cracks on the wall on either side radiating outward from the fall. These cracks are several inches wide. A thick wooden plank crosses the waterfall from one side to the other. The fall itself isn’t so deep, perhaps 7 or 8 feet. But the rock face is jagged. It is as though the passage shifted and cracked at some point in the past.

If a wandering monster is encountered between the “sound” lines, there is double the chance of the PCs being surprised.

[Only one side of the raised path continues southward. So the party may need to double back if they picked poorly - or walk the plank!]

When crossing over the [slippery] wooden plank, a Dexterity check (with a 3 pip penalty) is required, otherwise the character falls into the running water and is swept beyond the “sound” line - taking 1d3 points of damage from the fall and debris. Any torch carried over the plank will be extinguished by the heavy mist rising from the falls. A lantern is fine.

Area 4-2

This is the Ogre’s lair. He has no treasure. If he was not encountered wandering the sewers, he is here dozing on an overlarge hammock he has strung up. Because the Ogre is a light sleeper, the chances of surprising him are no better than the normal odds of doing so.

Area 4-3

Empty

There is a 1-in-6 chance that when this portion of the passageway is first entered that it is either high or low tide (even chances of each).

  • At high tide, the entire area is flooded though some brave souls might try to make their way through (allow Dex / 3 rounds of holding ones breath while swimming rounded down). (See Swimming in DMG pp. 55, 56).
  • At low tide the entire passageway is open to the sea, though it narrows considerably to just 3’ in diameter. The bottom lip is about a foot above the sea at low tide. This is also an alternate way to enter the sewers though it is very messy.

Area 4-4

This is a guard room. Although there is a table and set of chairs (and dice and cards), in combat these will be tossed aside or into the path of any foes. Upon a positive reaction roll, the guards will engage in games of chance and wager what they have (3d6 sp per man).

Berserkers (4), HD 2. Dressed in Crocodile hide armor (treat as Scale AC 6). Reduce numbers by any already encountered wandering. Each man has either a Hand-axe or spear and 3d6 sp.

Area 4-5

This is the raiders’ lair. The bunks are toward the front of the room and make for quite a set of obstacles against missile fire.

Berserkers (1d6), HD 2. Asleep / unarmored but with weapons near to hand: hand-axe or spear. When un-armored they are capable of berserking!

At the rear of the room there are a set of six large, metal urns (one has a false bottom with 525 gp inside).

SEWER MAP

REFERENCES

1st Edition AD&D Monster Manual, 1978

1st Edition AD&D Players Handbook, 1978

1st Edition AD&D Dungeonmasters Guide, 1979

Dungeons & Dragons Monster & Treasure Assortment: Sets One-Three: Levels One-Nine, 1980

B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, 1981

Some sketchy internet links like this one:

Badass animal armor from ancient history … a photo journey 🧵

1. Badass crocodile armor made in the 300 AD by romans in Egypt, as part of a crocodile cult.

— Devon Massyn 🌍 (@devonmassyn), March 1, 2024

And my own imagination

KUDOS

Thank you Gary Gygax and Jeffro Johnson .

Originally published on Substack on August 14, 2026.