The Reverse Dungeon

Table Of Contents Playing 'Reverse Dungeon'

Topic Page The Reverse Dungeon is unlike other adventure modules and
thus requires everyone (the DMs & Player) to read the module
Introduction 1
ahead of time at least as carefully as they might for a standard
Playing 'Reverse Dungeon' 1 adventure. Because of this, the player will be familiar with
Plot Synopsis 2 some aspects of the dungeon ahead of time and know roughly
what to expect, although won't know the exact nature of the
Consequences 2 traps, ambushes, and other nasty surprises await the
How to Run the Reverse Dungeon 3 adventurers.

- DM Preparation 3 [Red text is WIP] This document is set up in three sections:

- Player Preparation 3 Goblintown, The Vault Level, and Lichland. Generally speaking,
Summary of The Dungeon 4 dungeon (see the “Reverse Dungeon Cross Section Map”).
Chamber Design 4 Additionally each section assumes the PCs play monsters
Introduction
Welcome to The Reverse Dungeon! This is the adventure where
everything is backwards! Instead of playing bold adventurers
who journey into monsters’ lairs to wipe them out and loot
their stuff, the players take the role of the monsters,
determined to stop pesky heroes from invading their homes.
Instead of being “the good guys,” the players get the chance to
be “the bad guys”.
This module is also unusual in that it’s not one adventure but
a sequence of three, unfolding like a reverse campaign. Players
do not necessarily keep the same monster characters
throughout; in fact, they can switch to different characters
between each scenario, and sometimes in the middle of a given
scenario (a monster’s life is often nasty, brutish, and short).
Roles
In this adventure, roles are reversed so the person who might
usually be the Dungeon Master (DM) will be controlling the
adventurers. The people who might usually be players will be
controlling the monsters. This document will call this latter
group the DMs, although you may choose to split up DM-ing
responsibilities differently based on the skills of your group.
The original Reverse Dungeon was written in a far off time (the
year 2000) by John D Rateliff & Bruce R Cordell, for Advanced
Dungeons & Dragons. This is an unfaithful reproduction, for fun.
each section corresponds to a physical level of the entire
associated with the level in question. Each section contains
several separate scenarios orchestrated by the DM that involve
the invasion of adventurers or rival monsters into the PC
monsters’ dungeon territory When all the scenarios of a section
are played out, for good or ill (see “Consequences,” below), the
players move on to the next section.
Although each section allows the PCs to pick a new monster
to go with the new section, the DM should allow players to hold
onto their monster characters if they want to, although this
requires the DM to “beef up” lesser monsters to stand up to
more dangerous threats presented, especially for goblin PCs.
Allowing goblins to pick up and use some of the artifacts
presented in The Vault Level is one way of evening the playing
field. Another way is to allow each PC to control a small goblin
troupe of 5 or 6 lower-HD goblins.
Each of the three sections contains a subsection entitled
“Scenarios.” Refer to these sections to find out how NPC
adventurers and rival monsters intend to threaten the PC
monsters in each dungeon. Besides providing several scenario
outlines, each “Scenarios” section also provides complete NPC
statistics. Note that threats aimed at one level that are not
eradicated by the PC monsters may have to be dealt with in the
next level, by the next set of PC monsters, if the DM desires.
Note: This campaign intentionally has more of a 'player vs DM'
design than most others. Make sure everyone is on the same
page about what this means and don't take it too far. Play fair,
and keep any tricks on the table.
Plot Synopsis

T
he short campaign of the Reverse Dungeon
focuses on the dungeon complex below a large
hill. Natural geological processes formed a
series of limestone caverns hundreds of
thousands of years in the past. An ancient
culture subsequently expanded the caverns
through mining. These mines later served as
home for several demihuman races, until the hill and caverns
were claimed by an evil wizard named Blazeth some 600 years
ago. Blazeth expanded the mines and caverns into a true
dungeon complex, and he capped the hillock with the
traditional wizard’s tower. Today, the tower stands in ruins,
various monsters have reinhabited the upper levels, and most
outsiders assume that Blazeth is long gone. This assumption is
false.
Blazeth, now transformed by his festering evil magics,
resides in the fourth level of the dungeon. The wizard allows
the monsters to inhabit the upper levels of the dungeon, since
he has no use for those areas and finds the monsters a
convenient cover. In fact, the current generation of monsters
are not even aware of what the lower level holds (though they
may suspect something powerful).
As the campaign starts, the monsters have led an entirely
autonomous existence. However, frequent raids into nearby
human civilizations have drawn unwanted attention, and a
party of adventurers are about to begin to invading the
dungeon. The monsters have the opportunity to defend their
lair and bring this threat to an end.

Dungeon chambers
Level 1 - The Warrens
Level 2 - Desecrated Shrine
A religious order set up a shrine

Level 3 - The Vault

Unfortunate captured adventurers

Level 4 - Blazeth's Lair

The final chamber is the lowest level of Blazeth’s dungeon.
Here, Blazeth and his monster servants plot evil and attempt to
bind demons to their service. If Blazeth is killed, the dungeon
falls, with the monsters destroyed or scattered.
How to Run the Reverse
Dungeon
The adventure has one Player, who controls three adventurers.
Opposing them are the monstrous forces of four Dungeon
Masters.
Four Dungeon Masters!?
Yes. Each Dungeon Master is responsible for one chamber of
this four-chamber dungeon, and one monster in each chamber.
When the adventurers are in a chamber, the appropriate
Dungeon Master will narrate the action, make rulings, and
control the rest of the monsters if there are more than four.
Goals
The goal of the adventurers is to either kill all the monsters in a
chamber, or find the chamber's exit. The goal of the monsters is
to stop the adventurers from doing this.
The adventurers also have a side goal
Finding loot! Each chamber has some gold and one special item.
The adventurers can spend gold between each chamber in the
DM's shop.
Surviving monsters
If a monster survives, it will be available for the DM of the next
chamber to add to their roster.
The End
In the final chamber, the adventurers will face an ultimate
challenge and hopefully emerge victorious.
DM Preparation
First, the four Dungeon Masters need to decide which order
their chambers will be played in. Then read the Chamber
Design section on the following page, and create a chamber to
challenge the adventurers. They may wish to have a theme for
the chamber and choose monsters to fit that theme, or just pick
the foulest creatures they can find. Assign the biggest monsters
in a chamber to the other Dungeon Masters to control.
Shop
Between each chamber is a shop, for the adventurers to buy &
sell items, rest and level up before tackling the next chamber.
The shop might be a bare-bones bodega, a fancy emporium, or
anything the DM can imagine. Adventurers cannot be harmed in
shops. Shops stock standard adventuring gear, weapons, armor
and any magic items the DM is feeling generous enough to
provide. They can sell cursed items as long as the item is
identified first. Shops buy items at face value.
Player Preparation
The player needs to prepare character sheets for three third-
level adventurers. To save time, they may wish to also prepare
sheets for when these adventurers level up to levels 4, 5 and 6.
Adventurer deaths
Decide in advance as a group how you will treat adventurer
deaths. One suggestion: dead adventurers can be revived or a
new equal-level adventurer recruited from a shop for 500gp. If
the whole party dies the campaign is over and the monsters
win.
 Monsters do not need to be hostile to the adventurers; maybe
Summary of The Dungeon they will try to hinder them in a different way, although combat Ex
is always a possibility. Monster CR cannot be higher than player Sa
Description PC Level Adjusted XP Reward level. To check the XP for monsters, DMs can use Kobold Plus. th
Shop 1 3 - - Th
(4
Chamber 1 3 3,000xp Common magic item
Th
Shop 2 4 - - ge
Th
Chamber 2 4 7,000xp Uncommon weapon pr
Shop 3 5 - - ad
Chamber 3 5 11,000xp Rare armor
Shop 4 6 - -
Chamber 4 6 15,000xp Rare magic item

Chamber Design
Architecture & Terrain
Chambers can contain any layout of chambers, doors, windows,
platforms, gates, ramps, rocks, water, barrels etc. as complex or
simple as the DM wants.

Maximum chamber size is 20x20 5ft squares.

Minimum corridor size is 5ft wide.
The entrance to the chamber must be a safe area out of sight
of monsters.
Aside from traps & falling, chamber elements cannot cause
damage e.g. no lava, no mounted balistas).
Chamber design cannot block the adventurers from
progressing (e.g. hiding a monster in an inaccessible room,
or putting the exit 30ft up a wall).
Maximum fall damage is 2d6.
Each chamber must contain a Reward and 500gp worth of
other treasure, in a guarded but accessible location.
Maximum of 500 square feet of difficult terrain (e.g. 20 x 5ft
squares).
Maximum of 5,000 cubic feet of water (e.g. a canal 10ft deep,
10ft wide and 50ft long).
Once an adventurer is through the exit they cannot be
harmed and are free to go on their way to the next chamber.
After going through an exit, adventures cannot cast spells,
use abilities or make attacks which affect the monsters until
they reach the next chamber.
Map-making Tools & Resources
https://donjon.bin.sh/d20/dungeon/
https://dysonlogos.blog/maps/ (source for maps below)
https://probabletrain.itch.io/dungeon-scrawl
Monsters
The monsters populating the chamber must have an Adjusted
XP equal or less than the number in the table above. Adjusted
XP is the total XP of the monsters, multiplied by the modifier
below:
Traps
Traps cost 50xp; maximum of three traps in a chamber.
Monsters can also trigger traps.
PCs can spot a trap with a DC 18 Perception check.
Trap designs:
Trap 1: Poison darts, 2d4 poison damage &
poisoned until end of next turn, Con save to avoid.
Trap 2: Explosives, 2d6 fire damage, Dex save to
avoid.
Trap 3: Falling Portcullis, blocks a passageway, Str
save to catch.
Trap 4: Shunt trap, shoves the target 5ft to the side,
Dex save to avoid.
Trap 5: Pit trap, 1d6 bludgeoning damage from
falling, Dex save to avoid, takes 15ft of movement to
climb out.
The saving throw DC to avoid a trap is 10 + the PC's level
(i.e. if the PC is at third level, the DC is 13).
Triggers for traps:
A pressure plate, Investigation check to disarm.
A 5ft tripwire in a doorway or between two
objects, Sleight of Hand check to disarm.
The catch of a door or chest, Survival check to
disarm.
A magical symbol, Arcana check to disarm.
The skill check DC to disarm a trap is 12 + the PC's level (i.e.
if the PC is at third level, the DC is 15).
Failing the attempt to disarm by 5 or more triggers the trap.

2 monsters: 3-6 monsters: 7-10 monsters:

×1.5 ×2.0 ×2.5
 Chamber maps
If DMs do not want to create their own chamber maps, they can use the ones below. The adventurers start at the star symbol.

Level 1 - The Warrens Level 2 - Desecrated Monastery

Level 3 - The Vault

Level 4 - Blazeth's Lair
R everse Dungeon
Welcome to The Reverse Dungeon! This is the
adventure where everything is backwards!

Instead of playing bold adventurers who journey

into monsters’ lairs to wipe them out and loot
their stuff, the players take the role of the
monsters, determined to stop pesky heroes
from invading their homes.

Enter the Reverse Dungeon, and find out

what it feels like to be on the receiving
end of a hero's blade!

Version History:

Draft 0.1 - 17th Dec 2021

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