D8: Overgrown Corridor


 This room is a bit unclear from just the map snippet, so I'll add a bit of explanation. Leaving the SW door of the tower base at 1-07 takes the party into one of the exterior walls. This area is riddled with arrow-slits (the exterior ground slopes down a little bit, so the arrow slits are above ground level).

There are some lime-green large mushrooms growing in the middle of the room, coming in at one of the arrow-slits and spreading across the floor, across the width of the corridor. The whole area reeks like a gas leak.

A perception check (DC 21, trained) indicates the largest mushrooms are imperceptibly moving, standing a little straighter and slumping over in a regular rhythm. There is also reside of mushroom flesh plastered across a nearby wall, as if a mushroom exploded and left marks.

On the far western wall, another heavy banded steel door is locked; Key 1a will open it.

Encounter (Severe 1)

The mushrooms are actually the 'eggs' for demons, the reside of an attack against the tower in that battle long, long ago. If they are disturbed, two of the largest will burst, releasing a quasit and a dretch. The demons are confused and angry at hatching, and will attack any living being they see; if no one else is in site, they will turn on each other.

A careful party can avoid disturbing the mushrooms by moving carefully through or over the patch (Sneak or Acrobatics DC 19, trained).

Ponderings

This room isn't really anything special, other than the first hint I've really included that there was something supernatural that happened here. I often struggle with including supernatural elements in my "fantasy" worldbuilding, because of a focus on making things "plausible" or "realistic." I think that those things are important, especially because I've got lots of regular players who are interested in understanding how things work, metaphorically pulling them apart and reassembling them in new and interesting ways. Because of that, using "it's magic" as an answer is always unsatisfying, and of course having a detailed understanding of how the magic works is beyond me, if it's not just a publish spell effect. But I do think it's very important to try to include that sense of whimsy, wonder and fantastical. After all, there should be things where we don't know how they work. Not that a bunch of exploding mushrooms which release demons who are willing and able to eat your face is necessarily the most whimsical image.

How do you balance realism and fantasy in your worldbuilding? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Phewph, running late today but got this published before midnight. I'll try to write earlier tomorrow.

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