OSR: Basilisks

A standard Basilisk is the size of a mastiff dog, and looks like an oversized chameleon. They come in a wide variety of flavors, shapes, and forms. So each specimen has some distinctive characteristics, and some commonalities.

Truth is, any lizard of significant size can become a Basilisk. The more they eat, the bigger they get. The bigger they get, the higher the chances of developing the petrifying gaze trait that distinguishes them. Stone coated flesh is just an evolutionary developed taste for them. Petrified statues become a prized pantry. Contrary to a dog, Basilisks have the instinct to save food for a rainy day. It's a matter of caloric conservation.

As to their origin, there are numerous speculative theories. Some scholars claim this is pure evolutionary logic. Some lizards living underground developed the cunning to get their nutrients from minerals and stones (carbs being hard to get by). The gaze was a need to multiply said calories. Others claim that the First Emperor of the Itean Empire had a fetish with lizards, and built gardens full of reptilians, feeding slaves, spies, and perjurers to the cold blooded creatures. His adoration turning into experimentation and cross-breeding sprouted the first Basilisks.

Basilisk Template HD: 6 Omen: PCs will find extremely realistic statues, with bitemarks! Of humanoids, but also of animals, insects, and other creatures. The Basilisk has sparkling eyes that glow in the dark like two mostly consumed candles. Appearance: Size of a mastiff dog, looks like an oversized chameleon. Come in a wide variety of flavors, shapes, and forms. Get a Number Appearing: Solo, pair, d6 Wants: Food! Needs at least a full human per week to subsist, but can eat much more. Or roll a random  Armor: As Chain. Movement: Normal. If the Basilisk didn't move last turn, it can move at 2x Normal speed for this one. Morale: 8 (12 if protecting their petrified statue collection) Save As: Fighter [HD] Attacks: +[HD] to Hit, Bite d10 / Petrifying Gaze (passive, affects up to 2 different creatures) Special: Petrifying Gaze: Every round the Basilisk can fix their chameleon eyes onto up to two creatures. The victims must Save vs Petrification. On a first fail their legs start turning into stone (stuck in place), and they take a -4 penalty to AC. As long as the Basilisk keeps fixating one of its eyes into that victim, they stay in this state. On a second round they must also Save vs Petrification. On a second failure, the process continues, and they irreversibly turn to stone. On a success on the second save the first penalties still apply until the Basilisk dies, a turn (10 minutes) has elapsed, or the Basilisk averts the gaze. A creature can voluntarily avert their gaze or close their eyes, which negates the Petrifying Gaze effect, but they suffer a -4 to hit and -2 to AC.

Basilisk Sparks 

Roll and make your Basilisk unique! Or pick by hand. You can roll several times, but some entries are mutually exclusive.

d30	Spark	Effect
1	Jelly Skin*	Like butter. Armor as Unarmored
2	Vegetarian*	Looses the Bite attack. Reaction rolls are done with +2.
3	Diminutive*	Small but vicious. Size of a squirrel. Half HD. Everything else equal.
4	Ham Legs*	Short and stocky. Reduce movement to 1/2 Normal.
5	Fickle*	Morale 5
6	Ice Blooded	Save vs Fear in the presence of significant fire (several torches, for instance).
7	Bat Wings	Gain a flying speed equal to Normal.
8	Gecko Feet	Cam climb at Normal speed (also upside down).
9	Regeneration	Regains a HD each round. Severed limbs regrow in d6 turns.
10	Whip Tongue	Each turn choose either this attack or the Bite. 20ft range. On a hit the target is grappled, and has to break free.
11	Hard Shell	Like a turtle's. Armor as Plate + Shield.
12	2d4 Heads	Gets to do a Bite attack per head. Each HD reduced is a head chopped.
13	Abundant Sentience	14 Intelligence, speaks Common and Draconian. Knows d4 random Magic User Spells.
14	Chameleon Mimetism	4-in-6 to stealth
15	Spiked Skin	Melee attacks against the Basilisk result in d4 damage taken by the attacker.
16	Regurgitated Stomach Bile	Breath weapon, 30ft cone. Save vs Breath or take 2d6 damage.
17	Triple Jaws	Like shark rows of teeth. Bite attack deals 3d10 damage instead.
18	Amphibious	Gains a swimming speed of Normal, and can breathe underwater.
19	Echolocation	Can navigate in complete pitch darkness, and locate invisible creatures. Can't see when deafened.
20	Tail Club	Everyone within 10ft Save vs Breath or take d8 damage. Nearby statues are knocked and break.
21	Twisted Horns	Gains an additional Charge attack (deals 2d6 damage and knocking prone, if it moved against the target).
22	Multi-legged	Speed is 2x Normal.
23	Viciously Unbreakable	Morale 12
24	Stinger Tail	Like a scorpion's. d8 damage and Save vs Petrification on a hit. If save failed, immediately turn to stone.
25	Elastic Limbs	Joints rotate in all directions. Hard to pin down or grapple/wrestle (+4 bonus to resist)
26	66 Tiny Eyes	Cannot be surprised.
27	Goat Legs	Can jump and hop up to Normal speed twice per round.
28	Headless Brutality	On death, body flails and runs around mindlessly for 10 minutes, stumbling and throwing everything around.
29	Eye Rays	Each Petrifying Gaze Save failed causes in addition d10 damage.
30	Stone Glide	Can pass through solid stone as if it was mud or a slime.

* these Sparks make the Basilisk weaker, not stronger

Simon Seene

What does the Basilisk Want?

d6	Motivation?
1	Protect the eggs. They are big and HEAVY, made of sheer stone. Like ostrich ones.
2	Food! It's deprived, and hungry for stony flesh.
3	Protect their territory, their home.
4	Something shiny! Gems, gold, or something glowy (torches don't count; it can't be hot!)
5	Creatures to play with! Like a clumsy oversized dog, it fails to think anyone is being harmed. It's all a game!
6	This one is expecting their Master's return. They wait and protect like the obedient pet they are.

Reversing the Gaze

• The most effective way to reverse someone stoned by a Basilisk is to use an antidote smeared on the victim's statue'd state. This involves a puré with equal parts Basilisk brain and strong alcohol (rum, vodka, whisky). The full process takes 1 hour when applied.
• Note that a Basilisk's brain is extremely delicate and hard to carry around. Misplacing or mishandling it removes its properties, damaging the synaptic neuron connections required for a reversal of the petrified condition.
• Alternatively, a sage specialist, master ranger, or other specialist might be able to concoct an antidote if the full carcass of a Basilisk is brought to them, and they have a week's time.

Advice for the Reckless Adventurer

Basilisks are scary, and deadly. They can wipe out a powerful individual in a whim. And then devour their stony remains. Facing one should always be avoided or circumvented. There's no incentive. Bring bait (disposable livestock), cover their head with a sack and chain them on the neck. Wear specialist protective goggles (expensive!) to delay the petrifying process. Blind it. Distract it. Smoke it out of its lair.

Reading List

• Wizzzargh's Basilisk
• Basic Fantasy RPG
• Tomb of the Serpent King
• Esoteric Enterprises pg. 227 (the section on Dragons)

OSR: 3 Rival Adventuring Parties

Very much inspired by Arnold K.

Assume the first one in the Cast section is their boss (+1HD), and that each member of the Cast has HD equal to the average level of the PCs. Roll or pick the party that best suits your campaign best. Assumed for B/X rules (Knave, OSE, LotFP).
Also note: there are Molekin here. Replace by Goblins, Halflings or Gnomes if those fit your game's setting better.

Scroll to the end of the article for a long ramble on Rival Adventuring Parties.

1) Auriola and the Crows

Capable, Divided, Versatile, Brass.

Truths:

• Auriola will accept any sword duel. And throw one to solve any disagreements.
• The group is divided. The Buttercheeks see Auriola (and the young Amusko) as too bold. Serafin and Brosco are doing their own thing. Changing the group's composition will tip the current balance.
• Serafin will kill ANYONE to have his voice back. If he believes his cords can be restored, he will betray whoever.

Cast:

• Auriola Yudego, the Dancer. Hair short, silver nose ring. Black leather and a rapier. Wants to be the best swordswoman in all of Maienstein. And she's pretty damn good. +2 to hit and damage if wielding a sword. But she's currently training her left hand (so no bonus). If a fight looks serious, she'll switch hands.
• Serafin "Birdsong". Young human wizard, with an untended beard and a red scarf. Had his throat slit once, but lived to tell the tale. Kind of. Now he can only speak through his crow familiar. Knows two spells: grease and glue. Wields a trusty repeating crossbow of his own invention (attack again on 19-20; gets stuck at 1 and needs d4 rounds to repair). Dreams of recovering his own voice.
• Amusko the Thief. 15 young human lad, with an innocent smile. "Secretly" in love with Auriola, will do anything to impress her. Brass, impulsive. Wields two sharp knifes. Keeps jewelry of his victims, which he aims to offer to Auriola when the hoard is significant enough.
• Zoila & Sorospen Buttercheeks. Thief halfling sisters. They regret every single decision that brought them to this point in their lives. They use bows, bear traps, ropes and bells with efficiency. Despite their nihilism, they carry on with the group.
• Brosco Ironheart, the Fighter. Halfling with ginger muttonchops. Short guy with a bad temper. Wields a hammer and a shield, and he will fuck up your kneecaps real bad. Morale 12. When he would fall to 0HP or below, he instead regains d6HP. Adrenaline that wears off after the battle, only applies once per day.

Tactics:

• Preference: outside, with the cover of trees or elevation for the Buttercheeks and Serafin to pepper with projectiles. A narrow pass works wonders for them. Under parley, Auriola will demand a one-on-one duel with the best fighter on the other side to resolve disagreements. Or just test/show her skill.
• Preparation: Serafin's raven will scout ahead. The Buttercheeks will prepare a couple bear traps, and put some rope with a bell hanging from a tree as an alarm in the selected spot. Serafin will conveniently "glue" the area, making it tough as nails to flee. Amusko will hide in nearby bushes to get the flank.
• Action: Auriola will march forward with Brosco to meet the enemies, whilst the Buttercheeks and Serafin loose projectiles. Amusko will wait for a window to sneak attack, fiercely protecting Auriola if the need arises.

2) Bookyn Nine-Nine

Boisterous, Fighty, Numerous, Reckless.
 
Truths:

• More a warband than an adventuring group, they all come from the moot town of Bookyn. Itzai used to be the constable there, until a series of unfortunate events forced him to leave the town with his lackeys and whoever had the guts to follow him.
• There's 18 (!) of them. The 9 that compose the adventuring group, plus the 9 animals: 3 mastiffs, 3 mules, a warhorse, a black cat, and a yellow parrot. The mastiffs fight if Alvin commands them to do so.
• They're into adventuring for the carousing, plain and simple: fight hard, get rich, die young. Will drink any liquor, try any drug. Playing with their egos is a valid proposition.

Cast:

• Itzai, the Constable. A human of law turned barbarian. Sword and shield and mohawk. Wearing his old constable uniform, and on the warhorse whenever possible. Charismatic, jovial leader as long as he gets what he wants. A monster if he gets denied. Has to play the macho role to keep leadership of the group, and is particularly weary of Vivian.
• Pimple, the Cleric. A limping molekin wearing black leathers, with a shield and a sickle. Worships Rotwurm, the Blind Hunter. Has a hard time patching everyone together after a battle. Surprisingly stealthy, has a collection of worms in a jar and is into rare herbs.
• Diofantos, the Scout. Is a human with a hunched back and a lot of finesse, who likes to be on his own. He only speaks in sentences one word long. Diofantos is a God in opportunism: arrives at the perfect and most critical moment. Has the exact item to overcome the challenge (and yes, he has it all in his sack). Most remarkably, he's an excellent bow shooter, and skilled with the shortsword. Has mirrors, caltrops, fake jewellery, disguises, smoke bombs, and much much more.
• Alvin, the Beastmaster Scout. A gnarly dwarf. Shaved, short ginger beard, arms full of bite-marks, ears full of rings. Is the only one really taking care of the animals: inventory, feeding, etc. Wields a whip and a spear to poke at the dogs and make them excited for battle.
• Eleder Jamjar, the Fighter. Halfling, failed alchemist in Bookyn, joined the group picking a spear and a shield, and has learned a trick or two from the others. Has a bag of flash powder that when lit emits a blinding flash of light, as well as several bottles of strong, fast-drying dye in a variety of bright colors. Can be used to stain objects, clothes, and even skin in different hues. Eleder applies warpaints on his compadres before battle.
• Torkild, the Barbarian. This dwarf will drink about anything offered. Either his blackened liver absorbs it, or it gets puked immediately. Has a 2d6 acid breath weapon. Obsessed with liquor, death, and crows (wants one for the party).
• Vivian, the Über-Barbarian. BATTLEAXE. SHOUTS AND COMMANDS. TORKILD'S AUNT. THIS DWARF LADY USED TO BE A PORK PIE BAKER BACK IN BOOKYN. NOW SHE HUNTS WHATEVER BEAST IS IN FRONT, COOKS IT AND GIVES IT TO THE BOYS. MOTHERLY, PROTECTIVE, AND LOUD.
• Nuño, the Berserker. Human in his mid-thirties. Mustache and pipe. He's cool. And the shortest temper. "Why are you looking at me?" "Why aren't you looking at me?" "You got a problem?". Shortswords and daggers galore. Quick. When the little patience is gone, he's vicious.
• Justino, the Second Fighter. A human with a wide grin, horse teeth. Scars on the face, seems to have been used like a chopping board. Was a woodcarver. Resents Eleder, who's half the size, but twice the fighter.
  

Tactics:

• Preference: They are a fucking mess, and a mix of warcries and showing off. But they're tough as nails, and have good numbers. Anyone who perils is quickly replaced, to keep the Nine-Nine name.
• Preparation: Diofantos might set some clever tricks: caltrops cutting an enemy's exit, a hidden pit, bear traps, etc. He will appear in the best possible moment (for the Nine-Nine), and finish whatever is already wounded. Nobody knows where he came from, but he's a lethal sneaky bastard. The rest of the gang doesn't prepare, at all. Pimple tries to avoid a mess, but fails every single time.
• Action: WAAAGH!

3) Jackson Five

Religious, Scheming, Meticulous, Secretive.

Truths:

• Will try to immobilize and interrogate all enemy priests/clerics/scholars. Ulrik can tell them apart, and Jackson will record every detail spoken in his keen mind.
• Can be bribed with religious texts. Fermin and Itzalle get to split all the loot (that's why they've stayed so far), since the zealots care little for other treasure and coin.
• Jackson can alter his form with spells (excluding his clothes), and impersonate any humanoid convincingly (he's a good actor).

Cast:

• Jackson, the Wizard. Stocky dwarf with grey beard in a braid, and a brown robe. Speaks in whispers, and prefers to listen first. Has arm-sleeve tattoos of snakes that animate under his command (2 poisonous snakes, 2HD each, bite attack deals 1 damage + 2d6 poison). Deals in secrets and is obsessed with religious texts and The Game. Tries to please Agent Daximona, and have contact with that deity. He's failed so far.
• Fermin, the Hafling Fighter. Straw hair covered by a red bandana, mace and shield. Fights as dirty as it gets: spits, bites, goes for the nuts; you name it. Gets to attack + do a stunt each turn. Has a treasure map sewn inside his bandana, which he's hoping to find one day (but keep from the others).
• Itzalle, the Scout. She's a scarred human that should've retired long ago. Covering for 14 grandchildren with her share of the loot. Cooks an excellent stew. Uses a crossbow if needed, and has smoke bombs. But she's here mostly to crack doors open and disarm complex traps.
• Ulrik, the Cleric. A dwarf that can smell any cleric or man of faith. Can't stand his own stench. Plate, shield, and hammer. Worships Sin, the Enigma of All, so he will use any situation to laugh and cheer, no matter how untimely.
• Stye, the Torchbearer. Old molekin with a crooked back. Joyfully carries all the equipment, food, and loot for the others. He's useless in combat, and will beg and hide. Has a pet mastiff called Pitt (2HD, bite attack d10 damage + knocked prone on hit), which is far more capable and protective of his owner. Ulrik spared him once, so Stye ows his life to him and will blindly follow the Cleric.

Tactics:

• Preference: will try scouting, subterfuge, espionage or parley. They're the bunch that promises help and acts the way until they steal your treasure while you're sleeping. If all fails, they attack with surgical precision. Will concentrate on enemy priests and clerics first. And they'll retreat or negotiate if things look sour.
• Preparation: Jackson will use a disguise or illusion spell to scout the enemy days ahead. Posing as a beggar on the road. Or a helpful merchant. Will learn as much as it can about them. Itzalle will prepare her excellent stew and offer it (poisoned). She will bury smoke bombs in retreating points, activated on pressure if they need to flee. Fermin, Stye and Pitt will hide as a last resort.
• Action: Combat is not favored by the Jackson Five. They will have no interest in it if the scale isn't properly balance in their favor. They do their homework, and do it thoroughly: will know the weak links of the enemy, their composition and relationships, if they have any Clerics or Wizards, etc. and use it to their advantage.

Ramble on Rival Adventuring Parties

Goblin Misfits, by Anthony James Rich

Avoid at all costs. I'm being serious. There are several problems associated with using a Rival Adventuring Party (RAP from now on). Here a few:

1. There's a big chance to overshadow the PCs. Or that the players think you are in a power trip. We don't want that.
2. They are complex to roleplay. This is a group of misfits as rich as the PCs, and it's hard to make them justice.
3. They are hard to play in combat. They should have abilities, spells, magic items. This adds up, fast.

Why even bother then? There are several reasons, and things could go in any direction.

• A RAP doesn't have to stay in the antagonist corner forever. They could team up with the PCs, eventually. Roleplaying and interactions can become very rich.
• To show contrast. The party is careful and meticulous, taking no risks? Make the RAP fast, brass, violent. And vice versa. Are half of the PCs magic users? You bet your ass the RAP will be full of inquisitor clerics wanting to burn their spellbooks and cleanse their souls.
• To introduce competition and timers. What happens if several RAP are after the same McGuffin at the temple of Jon McLich? It means the players have to be fast in their goal. It means they could arrive to only see the dragon slain, the gold sacks being carried by the RAP. Change of plans! But we came prepared to fight a dragon, not a RAP! Yeah...
• For verosimilitude. If the game is a heavily focused megadungeon chances are that several groups are trying to plunder its riches. In OSR games the PCs rarely play The Chosen Ones, and this helps to reinforce that idea.

But I cheated. The disadvantages I listed before can be circumvented, or at least mitigated. See, we should:

1. Foreshadow and use standard OSR procedures. Reaction rolls. The full deal. Making recurring obstacles and antagonists are hard in TTRPGs, but in the case of a RAP, it can pay off immensely. What if the RAP was sponsored by the local authorities?
2. Make a member of the RAP mute. Or speak alien languages that can only be understood by other members of the RAP. Or add some beasts and animals (dogs, elephants, basilisks, you name it). It also helps if you have a strong RAP theme, and a clear leader/face that will be interacting with the PCs.
3. Ditch the idea of making N character sheets, or giving them templates (for the GLOG). All they need is one or two distinctive abilities each, because of how long a combat will take in general. Do go nuts with the tricks if needed; RAPs are bosses in their own right.

OSR: The Owl's Nest

There's this project that's been bloody stuck in my mind.

Imagine a brewery turned inn that's been putting out the best damn ale in the region. Not only that, but almost any liquor you can imagine. They produce it in the best quality, and no time. If the local ruler asks for a hefty tax mark, no problem. They are swimming in gold and revenue.

Where does all this fine liquor come from? Why is nobody looking into this?

Krzysztof Maziarz

What the @$!*ck is this, Hammer?

Scope is always a problem with these things, but I think I have an exact idea of what I want. In a pinch:

Inn for Downtime + Toolkit + Underground Cellar/Brewery Pointcrawl Adventure

This serves several purposes and goals.

First off, the idea that a lot of adventures start in a tavern. Or have a recess in one. That's true, be it for gathering rumors, meeting NPCs that can turn into hirelings, carousing, or generalized shenanigans. Even in the OSR space, I think it does serve a purpose for in-between adventures for the "what to do in town".

Second, it provides context and a list of interesting NPCs.
Be it recurring ones, or simply random tables of "who's here at the moment". These are great to gather rumors of what's been going on whilst the PCs were out of town. They also provide services and quests the PCs might need.

Third, it's seeds to build your own adventures. This is not described here, and ties to the second point. By having a handful of clear stated NPCs and their agendas, or clear adventure elements, this is an opportunity for the referee to build their own adventures directly from the inn.

Fourth, the inn connects to its own dungeon. This means we can control when the PCs find about this by making some rumors clear. Or they can start asking themselves questions. Where does all the alcohol come from? Why is it of best quality? A pointcrawl requires low prep, and the aim is to provide an unprepared referee with a dungeon locale they can run as-is with minimal preparation.

Nothing too innovate here, just my take. The Yawning Portal has been around for ages, and is basically the same concept of inn+dungeon entrance. Here the second part is a secret fact though.

There's also the Night Wolf Inn adventure module. Full of great ideas, rich with gonzo material oozing from every single page. A gold mine to plunder. But this is DENSE. It's also too rules heavy for my tastes. A more system agnostic version of this module, trimmed and edited, would be a killer. Mandatory Bryce review.

Gestalting The Thing

The thing is, I've never done something like this by my own. First step was to fire an excel document and start writing down ideas and sections for this thing. What tables would I need? What sections? Are there related articles, books, or media I need? Many are obvious and expected just by the premise of inn + cellar dungeon.

Raw, ideas without filtering. No mechanics or discarding yet.

Semi-sorted Section List

• [Inn] Inn Description and Fluff
  Everything going on and obvious before the PCs enter the inn. And if they don't act, how/why it remains in this state.
• [Inn] Inn Map
  Hire a cartographer. Making it abstract or isometric is completely valid (even preferred).
• [Inn] List of Named NPCs
  Relevant NPCs that are always here. The innkeeper family (dwarfs), the resident bard, some of the NPCs that inhabit "Rooms at the Inn". Some provide hooks to underground adventure. There should be someone who can buy and sell magic items. And someone who can provide healing services: a surgeon, or a priest/cleric of a God of pleasure and drink.
• [Inn] d66 Random Inn NPCs
  Random table for generation on the fly. Name, ancestry, quirk, what they want. Brief.
• [Inn] d66 Hirelings (Optional)
  Price per day. Good variety. Ready to go.
  
• [Inn] 6-10 Rooms at the Inn
  Have 3-4 rooms occupied by adventure sprawling NPCs. The inn is famous, so there's a reason why they'd stay here.
• [Inn] The Menu! (Optional)
  A tactile handout for the players to check what they can eat or drink at the inn. Cookie points if it has some hidden clues?
  
• [Tools] Carousing Table
  There are a lot of these. Good ones! I did a downtime one a while back. Base on B/X gold quantities.
• [Tools] List of Inn Games (Optional)
  Self explanatory non-sense, unrelated to anything else.
• [Tools] dX Table of Alcohols and Drugs
  Can provide interactivity, traps, etc. Requires an ad-hoc system for consumption. Certain areas (in the dungeon adventure) experienced differently depending on the amount of drink consumed?
• [Adventure] Locations and Details
  This is a 2 page spread with the table to roll for, with a 1-line description (key words) to give the referee an image whilst they flip to the relevant page of Location and Detail.
• [Adventure] Locations Expanded
  Actual meat of what the PCs are meant to explore. Unique and expandable with the Details + Encounter. Aim for 20 of them.
• [Adventure] Details Explained
  Brief, punchy, distinctive.
• [Adventure] Set Pieces Explained
  Each more of a "boss" encounter. It is the lair of some of the major factions/agents in the adventure. They help to break the entropy and change the dungeon generation procedure. 6 Set Pieces.
• [Adventure] d100 Encounter Table
  Bigger threats the deeper into the dungeon. Maybe combine with Overloaded Encounter Die? Encounter and Omen. Also hazards: tunnels collapsing; lights going on; underground gas bags exploding; etc.
• [Adventure] I Search the Body
  Should be more interesting crap and clues rather than gold. If gold, make it dependent on HD of the slain creature.
• [Adventure] Bestiary/Denizens
  Like the stocking notes below, but expanded. Easy stats, but provide context as to why they are here. Lengthy section.
• [Commentary] FAQ
  Commentary to ease the referee's life based on playtest feedback. Advised rulings, etc.

Underground Cellar/Brewery Pointcrawl Adventure

A procedural generated dungeon adventure of the underground cellar and cavern system below and around the inn. Similar to the very popular (and by me beloved) Gardens of Ynn and Stygian Library, but with Set Pieces. These read as more static locations that advance the whole adventure, and where basically PCs can really fuck things up and change the status quo.

The rearranging bit of the pointcrawl is harder to get than in an infinite garden or a library in cavernous tunnels. But there's a bit about it: the Worm. It creates and collapses new paths at will.

Pointcrawl Generation Mechanics

It takes a turn (10 minutes) to move from one Location to another.
Whenever PCs want to move to a new unexplored Location (therefore expanding the map), roll:

• d6 for Overloaded Encounter Die (encode to d100 to avoid extra rolling for Encounter?)
• 1-2: roll for Encounter -> when they enter new Location that's what's there.
• 3: roll for Encounter (Omen) -> when they enter new Location that's what's there.
• 4: Dungeon Effect (tunnels collapse, gravity reverses, traps reset, etc.)
• 5: torches
• 6: torches/lamps
• d12+Depth for Location (if you roll a 12, consult a Set Piece instead based on the result of the Overloaded Encounter Die)
• d20 for Details

Dungeon Stocking Notes completely raw form 

Devil Management
-Probably the most powerful thing down here.
-Someone got their True Name, and now they're a servant. They resent that and want to see it  changed.
-Will toy with the PCs; finds them amusing and a tool.
-Makes constructs at his service, the Golems. They are soul-infused.

Golems
-Tankard/Bottle/Keg Golems, soul-infused by Devil Management.

Molekin Workers
-Have a contract by Devil Management to keep expanding the place, greasing and restoring the traps, etc.
-Led by a dwarf NPC.
-Take drugs to keep the insane work pace. Imagine "kobolds on cocaine".
-Think the Giant Worm/Centipede is a God "Mama"

Giant Worm
-Creates and generates most of the tunnels here (at least 10ft wide). Very important: if it's killed, dungeon becomes static?
-Very powerful, tons of HD.
-The Molekin worship it calling and call it "Mama".

Caelan Stokkermans

Yeast Elementals
-Think of themselves as gods.
-Myconids as minions?
-The excellent brew producing creature is a dwarf wizard hooked in symbiosis to a humongous Yiest Elemental. (with tubes coming out from the body, etc.)
-Sentient, clever, not too powerful (doable), and has the True Name of Devil Management.

Vinegar Elementals
-Want to take over the status quo and privileged position of the Yeast Elementals.
-Could team up with the PCs. To then stab them in the back.

Antlings/Giant Ants?

Schnapshund
-Scary and powerful. Or pet-able and interesting
-Independent
-Probably the first "big" monster the PCs will meet.
-From unlawfulgames

Corrupt Underground Dryads
-Look like socialite from ancient Greece.
-Want to drink and fornicate, so they're quite happy with Yeast Elementals.

Priest of the Brew God
-Loner; came down here to get the secret ale recipe from the Inn.
-Seeing the truth of the decadence down here, is loosing faith by the second. Understands The Game, hence the desperation.
-Worships Zisdarger, the 'Drinker of Hours' (a drunk God that can reverse/advance time).
-Could still get a miracle going, time related.