Castle Dungeon not that fun for the players.

• Prison Break: Your whole party has somehow been cap-

Map Descriptions
Guard room
As you make your way down the spiral staircase, a musty odour
of damp stone hangs in the air. Reaching the bottom you step out
into a cramped room with a vaulted ceiling. Against each wall are
cupboards, chests and racks full of rusty weapons. A single heavy
door leads further into the dungeon.
Cell Block
Stepping through the door you enter a dimly lit corridor. To your
left and right are cells, each with a heavy wooden door containing a
small, barred window. Looking into the cells you glimpse shadowy
figures huddled in the corners, their faces obscured by darkness, the
odd sniff and whimper of fear can be heard from within.
The Pit Room
At the end of the corridor, you come to a larger circular chamber.
Here, the cells are arranged around the edge of the room, smaller
than the previous cells, they are little more than alcoves with chains
attached to the back walls. Cages hang from the ceiling, swaying
slightly as their occupants shift inside. In the centre of the room is a
grating, covering a dark pit.
The Torture Chamber
As you make your way around the room, you notice an archway
barred by an iron gate off to the left. You push the gate open and
walk up a short flight of steps. The room is shadowy and dominated
by a large wooden rack, its ropes and pulleys stained with old blood.
Iron pincers, whips, and other instruments of torture hang from the
walls, casting sinister shadows in the flickering torchlight.
tured and imprisoned. They could be at the very bottom of the
Dungeon and need to escape and fight their way out. At each
stage, they will need to fight a set of guards, until they reach the
entrance, where they will find their gear. At the large chamber,
the torturer comes to investigate the noise. He could fight with a
whip and other torture-style weapons.
• The Pit: The pit can be used as some kind of fighting arena.
Think of the opening of Army of Darkness. Something lives
down there and it’s not ‘natural’. Maybe it was captured there
years ago and prisoners are fed to it to keep it from trying to
escape.
• Something from the Dark: Something from the depth of the
earth has made its way into the dungeon, and the King wishes
you to clear it out. Maybe it’s some kind of Undead, and it’s
turned the prisoners into its minions. Maybe a prisoner has
made a pact with a demon and devil and now the prisoners have
demonic powers at their disposal.
• The Prison Boss: A crime boss has been imprisoned in the
dungeon and has over time cemented his control over the pris-
oners and even some of the guards. The party must infiltrate the
dungeon and eliminate the boss and his thugs.
Variants
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The Oubliette
Another archway is barred by an iron gate, and behind it is another
heavy wooden door. As each door is opened another is revealed
further down the dark narrow corridor. Finally reaching the end
you see a small well, covered with rusted iron bars. Cool dampness
emanates from the well, you get a sense there is a cavity below.

Notes and Tips

• 30x45 Grid Map
• Add this to any Castle, Palace or Stronghold. It could be a public
jail or attached to a Courthouse.
• Prison escapes can be really fun to run, but you need to make
sure there are feasible ways for your party to escape. Give them
options like:
ԗ Corrupt or sympathetic staff/jailers.
ԗ Other prisoners just need some extra help to initiate their
plans.
ԗ External forces change the situation, such as someone trying
to break out another prisoner, uprisings or fire.
• Store player items in a storeroom within the jail or at least give
them an idea of their location. Balancing fights when your party
is without weapons, armour and gear can be painful and honestly
Castle Dungeon
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