Abandoned Monk Temple Design [Archive] - Wizards Community

Abandoned Monk Temple Design [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
SearcherOmega
09-02-04, 11:10 PM First time DM here. I'm designing a dungeon for my custom campaign, and I'm a little pressed for how to impliment my ideas effectively. I figured I'd turn to the community for help.

This dungeon was once a temple, where monks who wished to travel the planes would focus their bodies and minds to prepare for the journey. Hidden away in the lowest layer of the temple, gates to the four elemental planes, the positive energy plane, the negative energy plane, and a demiplane known as the Singularity lie in a circular arrangement. The temple is supposed to represent a balance between these 6 elements (air, fire, water, earth, positive energy, negative energy).

Since this place was built to test and discipline monks, it would make sense for a monk character to have a large advantage in the temple. I am trying to figure out what aspects or designs would favor a monk character. The level I expect the characters to be by the time they get here is a minimum of 4, but could be as high as 6 or 7, depending.

Also, the temple should have some sorts of planar aspects, and have balances between the '6 elements' it contains. Since monks have great saves, I'm figuring it'll be a good idea to make use of traps and enemies that will challenge all three saves... does anyone have ideas how I can make this work?
Fixxxer
09-03-04, 01:49 AM Hmmm...well, while it's often tempting to place traps semi-randomly, you have to think about how this place operated when it was still inhabited. Before you place a flame spurt trap in the main hall, think about how that might have gone over with the monks who lived here.

"Yeah, so I was meditating when she walked up and said, hey, Kwan...how about you and me taking our clothes off and...oh, OOPS. Almost forgot about that damned flame spurt."

What you want to keep in mind about the architecture of a place is that form follows function. Having a place built is expensive, so no one is going to create usless areas unless they have a plan and/or a need for them in the future. What this means is that your monastaty might have (for instance) a living area for the initiates, a living area for the masters, possibly a seperate living area for a potential grandmaster, a calm place for meditation to take place, a place to eat, perhaps some storage areas....and the basement, where they kept the extra portals to other planes. ;) You almost certainly won't have three great halls, a torture chamber, a disco club, etc. Simple is generally best.

As to the relationship between the area and the planes that you mentioned, this is usually accomplished very well by describing wall carvings, shaped columns and baaz reliefs that are shaped to emulate the elements and whatnot. Perhaps in front of each portal, there's a pedistal carved to resemble the corrosponding element (such as a column shaped like flames in front of the portal to the plane of fire, for example). In order to open the portal, a person must sit upon the pedistal and completely empty his mind, then focus all of his ki into forcing the portal open.

Did that help at all?
SearcherOmega
09-03-04, 02:57 AM It certainly was helpful, and I thank you for your assistance. Although my question was more directed towards the mechanics of the temple, you brought up some very good points that I hadn't considered, and will most certainly help the dungeon's design aspects!

The thing I'm wrapping my head around is what type of area would a monk character flourish in? For example, a deepwood sniper in a 15 x 15 room is no good, but a barbarian in the same area is rather advantaged. In the training areas of the temple, I'm thinking I should have areas that would make use of abilities such as Slow Fall. Since the temple's designers and students were planar monks, perhaps a pit of hot coals (where Resistant Body would be useful) or an area where a character with speed bonus (monks, barbarians) would fare well. I was even considering throwing a rust monster in somewhere, but that kind of borders on "Sadistic Torture"... :schemes:

Another thing is that since it's fallen into abandonment, some extraplanar creatures from the elemental planes have found their way into the temple. I'm considering what would be good choices for CRs 4 - 6. I might throw in a few elementals, but I'd prefer to have as many humanoids as possible in this dungeon. ... with the exception of the two Rast guarding the final chamber, hiding behind the statues. :D

It'll be at least a month before they get to this temple, so I have a good deal of time to prepare, but it never hurts to brainstorm ahead of time.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
SearcherOmega 09-02-04, 11:10 PM	First time DM here. I'm designing a dungeon for my custom campaign, and I'm a little pressed for how to impliment my ideas effectively. I figured I'd turn to the community for help. This dungeon was once a temple, where monks who wished to travel the planes would focus their bodies and minds to prepare for the journey. Hidden away in the lowest layer of the temple, gates to the four elemental planes, the positive energy plane, the negative energy plane, and a demiplane known as the Singularity lie in a circular arrangement. The temple is supposed to represent a balance between these 6 elements (air, fire, water, earth, positive energy, negative energy). Since this place was built to test and discipline monks, it would make sense for a monk character to have a large advantage in the temple. I am trying to figure out what aspects or designs would favor a monk character. The level I expect the characters to be by the time they get here is a minimum of 4, but could be as high as 6 or 7, depending. Also, the temple should have some sorts of planar aspects, and have balances between the '6 elements' it contains. Since monks have great saves, I'm figuring it'll be a good idea to make use of traps and enemies that will challenge all three saves... does anyone have ideas how I can make this work?
Fixxxer 09-03-04, 01:49 AM	Hmmm...well, while it's often tempting to place traps semi-randomly, you have to think about how this place operated when it was still inhabited. Before you place a flame spurt trap in the main hall, think about how that might have gone over with the monks who lived here. "Yeah, so I was meditating when she walked up and said, hey, Kwan...how about you and me taking our clothes off and...oh, OOPS. Almost forgot about that damned flame spurt." What you want to keep in mind about the architecture of a place is that form follows function. Having a place built is expensive, so no one is going to create usless areas unless they have a plan and/or a need for them in the future. What this means is that your monastaty might have (for instance) a living area for the initiates, a living area for the masters, possibly a seperate living area for a potential grandmaster, a calm place for meditation to take place, a place to eat, perhaps some storage areas....and the basement, where they kept the extra portals to other planes. ;) You almost certainly won't have three great halls, a torture chamber, a disco club, etc. Simple is generally best. As to the relationship between the area and the planes that you mentioned, this is usually accomplished very well by describing wall carvings, shaped columns and baaz reliefs that are shaped to emulate the elements and whatnot. Perhaps in front of each portal, there's a pedistal carved to resemble the corrosponding element (such as a column shaped like flames in front of the portal to the plane of fire, for example). In order to open the portal, a person must sit upon the pedistal and completely empty his mind, then focus all of his ki into forcing the portal open. Did that help at all?
SearcherOmega 09-03-04, 02:57 AM	It certainly was helpful, and I thank you for your assistance. Although my question was more directed towards the mechanics of the temple, you brought up some very good points that I hadn't considered, and will most certainly help the dungeon's design aspects! The thing I'm wrapping my head around is what type of area would a monk character flourish in? For example, a deepwood sniper in a 15 x 15 room is no good, but a barbarian in the same area is rather advantaged. In the training areas of the temple, I'm thinking I should have areas that would make use of abilities such as Slow Fall. Since the temple's designers and students were planar monks, perhaps a pit of hot coals (where Resistant Body would be useful) or an area where a character with speed bonus (monks, barbarians) would fare well. I was even considering throwing a rust monster in somewhere, but that kind of borders on "Sadistic Torture"... :schemes: Another thing is that since it's fallen into abandonment, some extraplanar creatures from the elemental planes have found their way into the temple. I'm considering what would be good choices for CRs 4 - 6. I might throw in a few elementals, but I'd prefer to have as many humanoids as possible in this dungeon. ... with the exception of the two Rast guarding the final chamber, hiding behind the statues. :D It'll be at least a month before they get to this temple, so I have a good deal of time to prepare, but it never hurts to brainstorm ahead of time.