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Hey /tg/. new GM here.
I'm planning on running my first campaign in an underground cavern system similar to the Underdark. I was wondering if you knew about any books that cover environmental hazards one would have to worry about spelunking underground. They don't have to be game system specific.
I'm planning on having the PCs climb a mountain that is a slumbering earth elemental titan that will awaken and go on the rampage if they don't enter through a cave and reach it's core and destroy it. The cave system running through out the titan will sort of function like it's circulatory system which is normally filled with magical power when activated so the PCs can travel through them safely while the titan isn't active.
Since I don't know a lot about caves I was wondering there were some game books that helped out with building environments and hazards the PCs might face delving deep into the mountainous creature.
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>>55371164
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>>55371190
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>>55371164
Veins of the Earth is pretty excellent and has some reasonably interesting subterranean navigation rules. Its probably not the best monster compendium unless you are shooting for a weird aesthetic though.
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>>55371235
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>>55371164
That's tricky... I don't really know of any such books, and unless you want to have them roll climbing and contortion tests every five seconds it might not be fun. For ideas of a dangerous, unstable place Death Watch's Ark Of Lost Souls might be a good place to find ideas.
Impassable crevices, minor eathquakes, massive bodiesof water (or other fluids) and general ideas on how long to make a dungeon can be foudn there. Of course, it's science fiction themed, but it might give you some starting points.
Beyond that, the greatest danger to a party is getting lost, or getting stuck in an extremely tight passage with no way out. Serious spelunkers report squeezing through gaps and tunnels barely big enough for their heads, gives me nightmares.
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>>55371280
as an example of tight spaces...
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>>55371249
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>>55371312
and an even worse example
for obvious reasons, forcing your players through that might not be fun.
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>>55371280
yeah, I guess I should have a bit more clear. The entire adventure isn't just going to be climb, jump and dex checks, there will be some cave dwelling monsters for them to fight and the antagonists trying to wake the titan.
It's just a lot of the DM/GM books don't go into much detail about the cavern environment and mainly focus on subterranean races and monsters like the drow, illithids and others.
So far your idea about making them have to squeeze through certain areas will help with the world building.
Thread posts: 10
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Thread images: 8