Module M4: Part-time Professional Mine Janitors

Description

Time to Dig Deep!

To retrieve the holy relic, you must travel to Hill Town and delve into the mines. Overcoming the obstacles inherent in a working mine and the monsters below will be hard enough, but there is also the challenge of making it back to the surface again in one piece!

What begins as a classic dungeon crawl reveals deeper complexities as Hill Town’s hardworking inhabitants are wary of adventurers disrupting their livelihoods. Life on the frontier is tough and trust is earned through deeds, not words.

The Edge of the Frontier

While the residents of Braeford and Lake Town are predominantly of good alignment, Hill Town is a border town, a blend of miners and prospectors seeking fortune and those profiting from their trade, both legally and illegally. Here, frontier justice is a reality, and survival attracts individuals with more neutral or chaotic tendencies. Miners and townsfolk lean towards lawful good, while those living or working outside town tend to be more neutral or chaotic.

With a high percentage of dwarves in Hill Town, racial preferences as described in the Players Handbook or similar reference are more pronounced. While extreme views are rare, many still express these preferences, such as dwarf miners interacting mainly with dwarves, gnomes, or halflings unless necessary. Elf and half-orc Player Characters may face suspicion or discrimination from the mining community.

The dwarves and gnomes in Hill Town take pride in their heritage, reflected in place names and NPC names, even though they adopted the common tongue generations ago.

There are Others

The mines are organized into three main levels of increasing difficulty. Unlike typical abandoned mines, dungeons, or cavern complexes, this is a working mine where the Player Characters must navigate the added complexity of NPCs engaging in their trade. Monsters and items will become increasingly unique as the party descends deeper into the mine.

Given the depth and complexity of the mines combined with the prolonged absence of natural light, keeping track of time will be difficult. The astute DM will pay special attention to this, as the party will likely struggle to do so accurately.

Level 1

The intention of this level is to serve as a warm-up exercise for the party, teaching them how to navigate an extended dungeon adventure. It includes basic challenges such as sloping floors, artificial light, and traps. There are relatively few monsters on this level, and not all of them are dangerous. The party will also discover clues that advance the main storyline or lead to side quests deeper in the mines.

Level 2

This level is more difficult, with a larger map and greater changes in elevation. Monster encounters may be lethal, and there is a distinct possibility that one or more Player Characters will need to be raised or otherwise the intervention of an NPC to continue campaigning. It is advised that the party take one or more NPCs with them. Miners encountered may or may not be friendly and helpful to the party.

Level 3

The primary goal of this level is to challenge Player Characters with rare and seldom-encountered monsters. A three-dimensional maze, this level is spread out vertically as much as horizontally. Moving from one area of the mine to another will be more time-consuming, and map-making will be more difficult. The risks of death are higher, but so too is the quality and quantity of treasure. Instead of cheese, the party will rescue the cleric Elsabet, recover the Stellar Keystone, and learn of the cave rats multiplying in the hills, preparing to retake the mines. The danger is such that it is presumed the party will take one or more NPCs with them.

Every module in Perils of Portal Lake offers new monsters, magic items, and spells, and while designed for AD&D / OSRIC can be readily adapted and played with any D&D rule system. Module 4: Part Time Professional Mine Janitors can be played directly using a party of 2-3rd Level Characters, or as a continuation for Module 3: Dead Dead Bodies.

Status: In Playtesting/Review

Module 4 will ship in the spring of 2025. To obtain a pre-release copy for playtesting or review, contact us via Discord at https://discord.gg/urC7JduTXm.