Water Room

Please check out the ReadMe page for general principles…

Introduction: This flooded room could be inserted into any adventure as an interesting combat location.

Setting/System: The loose physics of the room, as well as its lack of obvious purpose, suggest this would be best used in a high fantasy or soft sci-fi setting. System-wise, it could be used in any system that has at least a small element of tactical combat.

Description: Each of the four double doors (1) opens about six inches above the water, which covers the entire room. The water is about 2 feet deep and is relatively calm in the alcove with each door, but has a strong current once the characters step out into the main room. The current flows towards a large whirlpool in the centre of the room (2) where the water disappears; it is replenished by 4 waterfalls that fall from the ceiling in each corner of the room (3).

Mechanics: The current is strong and hard to move against; depending on the system, this could mean extra squares of movement required to cross each dotted line or a strength check to cross more than one in a round. Anyone knocked prone is immediately swept 2 squares towards the centre of the room. Anyone who enters the whirlpool in the middle is immediately carried, via plumbing or magic, to a random corner and takes appropriate falling damage.

Encounter: Many different encounters could be run in this room. My own approach would be to have several flying creatures roosting in alcoves near the ceiling. These creatures attack the characters and try to push them towards the centre, so that they can pluck the bodies from the water once everyone is dead. The flying creatures obviously have the advantage of mobility, but they are also fragile and are easily killed if they can be knocked into the water themselves.