Megadungeon Seed: The Ark of Beasts
In December 2022 I promoted the #Dungeon23 Challenge. It’s a great project you can start anytime, actually.
I created a list of 20 megadungeon seeds. But, alas, I didn’t finish or polish the list, and then moved on.
Well, on the weekend I rediscovered this document, and today I have one of the megadungeon seeds for you, fleshed out a bit. My hope is, even if you aren’t prepping a megadungeon, you can raid the seed for parts and translate to your campaign.
The Ark
Out there, in the vacuum of the astral, is an ancient ark rumoured to hold a vast menagerie of beasts and monsters. It is said to have been created by a forgotten civilization to preserve life during a great cataclysm.
Hooks
The Missing Caravan. A caravan carrying essential supplies has gone missing. The party is sent to its last known location where they can pick up a trail leading to the Ark and the caravan’s ruins.
The Beastmaster’s Challenge. A beastmaster of renown has a dream of the Ark, or there is a prophecy of it in his grasp. He seeks rare creatures for his arena, private zoo, or war, and hires the PCs to track down the Ark and bring several specific monsters back alive.
The Awakening. The Ark suddenly changes direction and begins accelerating. Who are the pilots? Where are they headed and why? The party is sent to solve this mystery and return the Ark to orbit.
Dungeon 1: The Perilous Hull
The outer surface of the ark is a treacherous maze of overgrown bacteria. All features of the Ark, including access ports, sensors, and engines, are covered in five to 30 feet of the stuff, making them indistinguishable from other lumps and bulges.
Living within air-filled pockets of the bacteria are various creatures who have escaped the hull over the years, and external dangers drawn to the odd vessel sailing through the endless night.
Key Exterior Features
- Maze. The hull is covered with thick layers of microscopic creatures that thrive when exposed to solar radiation. The Ark seems to have an internal gravity source, so it is possible to walk on the hull and traverse the bacterial maze along weathered pathways created by unknown creatures.
- Buried Features. The bacteria covers and hides ways into the Ark and other features PCs might want to fiddle with. The party will need to dig out hatches, bays, engine cells, and whatnot as if clearing after a heavy blizzard.
- Guardians. Golems, undead, aliens, and creatures part of any original defenses. and beasts that have escaped their deteriorating confines bunk out on the hull. For those who must breathe, the bacteria creates pockets of trapped gases that become breathable for certain creatures.
- Mysterious Runes. Scattered across the hull are glowing runes that offer 1d6 potential discoveries:
- The Ark’s true and secret purpose
- A map of this section’s interior
- A prophecy or ideological screed
- Dire warnings about creatures in this section
- Escape Pod locations and instructions
- Graffiti
Dungeon 2: The Menagerie
Inside the ark lies a labyrinthine network of habitats, each designed to mimic different biomes and ecosystems. These environments are home to an A-Z list of creatures, perhaps literally.
Sidetrack: Back in the day, my friend Chris and I took a group of PCs through the Monster Manual, Fiend Folio, and part of Monster Manual II.
We went cover to cover and encountered each monster one at a time. We rolled for quantity, drew up a map, and rolled initiative.
We were little Munchkins, too. We weren’t fighting monsters in A-Z order to learn better tactics or to improve our GMing. No, we were 100% focused on that magical Treasure Type letter. Come on Treasure Type H and V!
So when I say the Ark might contain a literal A-Z list of creatures, maybe you’ve got some inner Munchkin too. Well met!
Key Interior Features
- Biomes & Foes. Here’s the perfect chance to put your 5 Room Dungeon Generator Cheat Sheets to use. Separate zones and chambers replicate a unique biome suited to a particular creature or monster type:
- Desert
- Jungle
- Arctic
- Necromantic
- Marine
- Volcano
- Beastmaster Quarters. Beastmasters indeed crewed the Ark and operated it. Perhaps there are still Beastmasters alive, generations beyond the original operators.
- Control Center. In some section, perhaps underneath like a dirigible or atop like a saucer, is a control chamber, filled with ancient technology and protected by traps, hazards, and guardians.
The Ark can be entirely operated from this area, but the controls are alien and will need figuring out. (Note, when I say ancient technology, I don’t mean better. Perhaps it’s a cunning steam or clockwork vessel.) - The Arena. A vast central chamber where beasts and monsters fought for the amusement of The Builders. It’s rumored to contain a powerful artifact necessary to control the Ark.
- Secret Nexus. The Builders had a purpose other than saving DNA after a catastrophe. Here are d6 sinister ideas for this secret area of the Ark that’s in the heart of the vessel’s structure:
- Laboratory that bred aberrations
- Organ harvesting and illegal medical procedures
- Finding a cure for a deadly genetic Builder curse at any cost
- A televised survival reality show
- A weapon fuelled by monstrous energies
- A beast god’s demsne
What do you think about this Megadungeon Seed? I have others from the document I discovered that I could flesh out and pass along. Let me know if you would like to receive more of these in the future.
Cheers,
Johnn
roleplayingtips.com
https://discord.gg/6MxTRAqQ76
Have more fun at every game!
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