The Pit

2014 One Page Dungeon by Mike Monaco

ThePitisavastopenpitmine,dugovermanygenerations,thoughworkon
ithasstoppedandacallsentoutforadventurers...deliverers...heroes.
ThePitwasdugasagreatspiralroad.Itreachedafinalwidthofjustunder
300acrossatgroundlevel,andis666deep.Atthisdepththeminers
uncoveredahellmouth,andithasspewedforthmanymonsterswhich,along
withthemutatedminers,nowinhabitthepit.Theroadis15wideand13,323
(2.52miles)longwithagentlegrade.Anoxdrawncartwouldtake46minutes
tocompleteadescent.Apartymovingattheexplorationspeedof120per
turnwilltake110turns(18hours,20minutes!)todescend...assumingtheydo
notstoptoexploreorfightanything.Thefloorofthepitis50across.
Theslopesofthepitswallsareverysteepeffectivelyvertical,buttheycan
berappelledorclimbedbyathief.Thechartbelowgivesyoueverythingyoud
needtorunanexplorationofthepitsslopingroad.
Forwanderingmonsters,rollthegivendieeverythreeturnsandselecta
typicalmonsterfromthelevelrolled.Forexample,awanderingmonsterfor
the6thcirclewouldbegeneratedbyrollingad8,andifa4comesup,you
choosethetypicalmonsterfromthe4thcirclesay,abandofchaoticthugs.
AttheverybottomofthePitis,ofcourse,thepitfiend,andasmallpart
ofhislegions:aswarmofminordemonsanddevilkin,aswellafiregiantand
anotherdemonordevilassubcommanders.Hemeanstobuildaconquering
legion.TheamuletwhichletshimremainonthePrimeMaterialPlaneis
hiddenintheHellmouth*inthebottomofthepitandifitiscapturedor
destroyed,hewillbethrownbackintoHell.(*Protip:usemyawardwinning
BellyoftheBeastforthis,placingtheamuletinthehagstreasure!)
Eachlevelorcircleofthepitcouldhaveatleastoneentrancetoanother
dungeon.Inmyowncampaign,IreliedlargelyonimprovisationandOPDsto

fillintheseblanks.IfyouwanttousethePitasthecenterpieceofalonger
Not to scale. Note that each pass of theroaddown isabout15across, but the
campaign,IsuggestinsertingtheOPDslistedinthefarrightcolumn.Ofcourse
drop is precipitous to the next level, and visibility inside the pit is usually very
youwillwanttoadjusttheentrances,monsters,andtreasurestofitthelevelof
restricted,asnotedonthechart!
thepitandtochallengetheparty,andperhapsrelylessontheundeadinsome
OPDsandsubstitutethemonsterscommontotheadjacentcircles.

Circle

Approx.
radiusofhole

Lengthof Turnsto Dropto Falling

roadonthis explore
next
damage
level
level
1590
13
80
8d6

Typical
monster

Wandering
monsters

Terrainfeatures&
hazards

Visibilty

&Anentranceto:

253

None

d6
d6

Smoky
(50)
Dark(20)

Thelostmine

Morlocks,
Morlock
Captains
Troglodytes,
Dragonmen
Chaotic
cultistsand
thugs
Gargoyles

Manyhazardsand
traps,debris
Ramshackle
hoardingscoverthe
road
Shacksandcaves

238

1496

12

75

7d6

223

1402

12

70

7d6

Smokethins
(100)
100(40in
torchlit
catacombs)
100

HallsofKsarnia

208

1308

11

65

6d6

193

1213

10

61

6d6

178

1119

56

5d6

163

1025

51

5d6

148

931

47

4d6

133

836

42

4d6

10

118

742

37

3d6

11

103

648

32

3d6

12

88

554

28

2d6

13

73

459

23

2d6

Bottom

(73)

d6
d6

Repurposed
catacombentrance

d8

Debris,rockslides

Beastmen,
Minotaurs

d8

30

Chaotic
knights
Manticores

d10

Minotaurscharge
fromhidingplaces
topushPCsover
ledge
Warpedstone,
mutants
Blackandsterile

Chimera,
Jabberwock
Imps,
Hellhounds
FireGiants,
Hellhounds
LesserDevil

d12

90

Lesser
Demon
Thepitfiend

d12

Scorchedearth,
manybones
Bonfires,dead
bodiesinheaps
Slagheaps,steam,
gatetoMuspelheim
Tormentedsinners
impaled,caged,
halfburied,etc.
Tormentedsouls
Hellmouth,columns
offlame

normal

d10

d12
d12
d12

(none)

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120

TunnelsofTurack
theterrible

Secretlabofthe
mages
Caveofthestone
sepulchre
RaidonBlackGoat
Wood

80

Necromancers
crypt
CryptofLuan
Phien
OrderoftheWhite
Wick
Hallsofthemad
mage
Akhordeeps

50

VaultofZerduzan

40

Ebonyobeliskof
thesnaildemon
BellyoftheBeast

100

100