Playtest of Castle Blackstone

 So... I was able to convince my lovely partner to play D&D again to test out my megadungeon. (I have to play Don't Starve with her now) 

Well, for starters I tested out my new character creation. Something that can tackle the evocative NWP's and background professions from 2e onward and WFRP in the simple and vague style of OD&D.

Process goes as this:

Roll 3d6 down the line, you can exchange 2 stats once only. 

Choose a race, there is no guide. Just tell me what type of thing you want to play and i'll give you options of things from my setting. There's even distinct human cultures, even humans get some actual uniqueness from one another.

Roll background profession, which gives you [subject] lore and the practice of your profession as skills (You don't roll, just explain how what you are trying to do is covered by them).

Choose "class" starting kit, which deals equipment and starting weapons/spells/bullshit.

No rolling for gold (5 gp for everyone to start), and everyone knows Common (Varies by region) and their racial language.

So the actual playtest 🧙🏽‍♂️

We started off with Gaerma the Astronomer, wielding a morningstar and lightly armored. With her, the halfling Burbas and a nameless colleague wizard from the Local University City. Here to find any relics to study.

The trio descend into the landing room of Castle Blackstone via rope, as the spiral stairway has collapsed due to age. Pockets empty from the various taxes imposed by Fort Emyrhold for permission to descend the ruins.

First encountering 3 hallways, the trio splits into each. The dungeon is filled with dust, cobwebs and stale air holding the essence of various rots now permeating mildewed wood and festering blood.

Gaerma encounters a large restroom type chamber, every stall clogged with piles of feces and insects. The air is heavy, cloudy and unbearable. She nopes out, and meets back up with the party. The decide to take the left hall's path, entering a large chamber full of pillars and used weaponry. 

3 more doors, one slightly ajar and emitting a low mischevious laugh every so often. They decide to go through the door farthest from the laughing (Smart, it's just a pit with laughing coming from the bottom). Once more, a hallway but this time entering a massive chamber, pillars in a circle at the center and 2 other entrances. All are carved to resemble skulls in anguish, their teeth carves with runes emitting a soft green glow. 

They throw a torch in, after noticing large pale white snake like figures patrolling around and what sounded like wooden sticks knocking upon each other. These turn out to be large skeletons, seemingly in an idle patrol snake form. The party ventures closer, the skeletons now forming into 4 skeleton scorpions.

After a combat, nerve-wracking and thrilling. One of the skeletons is defeated by one strong swing of the morningstar, skull shattering and a loud crash into floor. 

They notice a chest, and the halfling sneaks to lockpick it. Within, 250 gold coins, a masterwork craft Bouche Shield and a scroll written in some form of Old Dwarvish script (Insectoid Glyphs). The group manages to sneakily push the chest all the way to the corner no longer guarded by a skeleton. Treasure is divided.

They decide to explore more, going through the other door back in the pillar chamber with the laughing. They encounter a loop back into the skeleton chamber but also a door wizard locked.

Being the persistent and gung ho adventurer she is, Gaerma watches out for half an hour so her wizard can dispel the magic on the door. Within that time, 2 kobolds walk over from another room. They are naked, holding 2 cruddy cast iron pots full of cooked meat. Their eyes bulging, looking in opposite directions. They stand at the edge of the torchlight and stare at the party. 

Gaerma tries to communicate and they simply stare back but charade that they are trying to pass by. Gaerma orders the halfling to commune with them, more charades are done and he comes back with "I think they're just trying to go back to their tribe, it's fresh meat day."

They pass.

Soon enough, the door is opened. Gaerma rushes through, activating a caltrop trap. She narrowly avoids major damage, but a spike slices a thin line down her forehead and nose before the steel hits the floor. Within the room, a coughing is heard. A man, middle aged and of mediterranean look springs up in bed. He is shocked, sweat and heavily annoyed. The party rummages through his things, while the halfling holds a shitty dagger to him and looks at him with large child-like eyes. 

Within the room, a cauldron of ooze and small bowl of money. On top of a crate, an ancient tome with a ruby on the cover found in the dungeon. The wizard examines it, and deciphers a few spells held within. Some form of ritual to contact planar entities, and a summoning spell for a psychically connected etheral eye. 

We end, with the wizard agreeing to give them dungeon lore and a information on where other relics may be.