MarkOliva

01/15/2014

1370

As we near publication of the Northwest book of the Jörðgarð (TM) campaign setting, we've rejected two, older dragon lair maps and replaced them with no and improved maps.

The first of the two involves 13th Map-of-the-Week release from 2011. It was the first in a series of lair maps in the post-devastation swamp and lake area of the fallen Æsir Empire. This week, we see the cavern lair of Yrsung, a good-aligned, female red, black and yellow-white dragon sorcerer-warrior. After the devastation of the fallen empire, the Darkness send the evil-aligned dragon Ófnir into the swamp and lake area. The elven King Dáin of Álfheim then sent Yrsung into the area to keep Ófnir in check. Birnir's Eye is a diving device, similar to but much more powerful than a crystal ball.

Key to the Dungeon Plan of Yrsung's Lair

Note that this is a cutaway map. Yrsung's lair and the tunnel leading to it run underground.

1. Trail Leading to the Lair.

2. Entrance. The cave opening is nearly 80 feet/24 m wide.

3. Charred Areas. The PC maps show only the chars. They are about 30 feet/9 m in width. The game master's map shows the usually invisible but activated fire traps at these points. The traps are the result of magic spells worked upon the tunnel walls across from the chars. Yrsung can suppress the traps with a mental command, if she wishes to do so. Otherwise, they activate automatically. A fire blast causes 8d8 points of damage. Attempts to detect and evade these traps always are made with the check most beneficial to the character making the check. If the checking party concludes that the scorch marks are the result of traps (as opposed to dragon breath), they have a Dungeons Daring edge of 5 or an OGL 3.5 bonus of +5 on their checks. Gaming data:

Dungeons Daring campaigns: One can detect this trap with any of the following checks:

Sense Advanced Traps: DL 20
Sense Traps: DL 25
Detect Magic: DL 35
Sense Magic: DL 30

One can dash through the trapped area before the trap is released with the following checks:

Evade Traps: DL 25
Dexterity: DL 30

OGL 3.5 campaigns: One can detect this trap with any of the following checks:

Search (Rogues only): DL 25
Detect Magic: DL 35

One can dash through the trapped area before the trap is released with the following checks. Feat enhancements are applicable.

Jump skill: DL 25
Reflex save: DL 30

4. Yrsung's Cave. The only objects in the cave are Birnir's Eye and the skeletons of a few devoured cows and horses.

5. Birnir's Eye.

The dungeon plan is available in two versions:

1. The original FM8 map in FMP format, fully editable, from our Jörðgarð web page (5 MB).

2. As a JPG flat map, 1360 x 990 pixels (700 KB), with the hyperlink below.

Both versions are released for personal and commercial use under the Open Game License Version 1.0a, which you can read on the Jörðgarð web site.

www.vintyri.org/joerdhgardh/joerdhgardh.htm

Mark Oliva
The Vintyri (TM) Project
www.vintyri,org
info@vintyri.org