A Familiar Tower

ESCAPE ROOM ROLEPLAYING ADVENTURE FOR THIRD-LEVEL CHARACTERS

Requires Old-School Essentials to play.

Credits

Writing by directsun

Cover art, interior art, and maps by Skullboy

Graphic design, line & copy editing, and development by Sam Sorensen

Advice and consultation from Amanda P

Playtesters: Stripe, Dwiz, DustyHalo, Eric Strandvold, Kevin Ward, Brad Kerr, Yochai Gal, Kari Aldrich, Sam Mameli, Joseph R. Lewis, Will Morgan, Adam Lyons, Ajay “Rytgar” Sandhu, Matthew Fee, Jesse Winter, Michael Burns, directsun’s dad, Matthew Kang, Reynor Padilla, Ryan Brown, Nina Davis

Spells on p. 36–37 were inspired by spark tables in Maze Rats and Knave by Ben Milton.

Old-School Essentials is a trademark of Necrotic Gnome. The trademark and Old-School Essentials logo are used with permission of Necrotic Gnome, under license.

Dedication

For Gem, for Big Kid, and for the bravest person I know.

What’s Going On Here?

One could imagine Tower Mer as an infinite nesting doll, each tower containing a smaller version of itself. In reality, they are all the same tower: the one set atop the basin-table in 4A. Model Room (p. 16).

Entering or leaving the tower changes an object’s size by a factor of fifty. If someone pushes a twenty-sided die through the window of the miniature tower, a massive icosahedron comes through the full-size window beside them, the die enlarged to about three feet in diameter. If someone reaches inside the double doors of the miniature tower to 1C. Reception (p. 9) and pulls out a couch, it emerges at roughly two inches across. Peering out the window of 4A. Model Room (p. 16), one sees the same room fifty times larger, viewed from the vantage of the miniature tower. Those climbing out the window stand at one-fiftieth their former size, about an inch and a half tall (roughly the size of a 28mm figure).

For more details, see Advanced Tower Mechanics (p. 25).

Starting the Adventure

The adventure begins with the party sailing to Tower Mer. After several hours’ travel through rocky outcroppings and twisted passages, they unknowingly arrive at 1A. Tabletop Water (p. 6), already trapped within the tower.

Map

Tower Mer

Keys

Unless otherwise noted, these features hold true for the whole tower.

Stonework and roof: Indestructible and immovable.

Exterior walls: Rough stone, easily climbed.

Light: None.

Ceilings: Ten feet high and crossed with wooden rafters where rodents, insects, and arachnids hide.

Doors: Iron-banded oak. Doors without locks include a secret 6ʺ cat door cut into their base.

Level 1

1A. Tabletop Water

The sun and stars vanish from the sky, plunging all into darkness. The wind drags the stench of rotten fish across stagnant water. A soft green glow spotlights the double doors of a cylindrical stone tower.

Squalid water laps against the base of the tower just below the doors. Without a threshold or dock, the tower provides no easy means to moor a boat. Light reveals a window ledge 30’ above, leading into 4A. Model Room (p. 16). For those still outside the tower, light carried into the model room is magnified fiftyfold, illuminating the vast, sprawling version of the model room around them.

Those who travel 125’ outwards from the tower meet the giant edge of the basin-table in 4A. Model Room (p. 16), followed by a dark descent of 200’ to the floor.

Agitating the water near the tower summons Athena (p. 27) from the depths, expecting a game of fetch. After, she attempts to goad the party into following her under the water to play in 0B. Moon Pool (p. 11).

150 ‘ below, a 30’ boulder rests on the murky bottom. Lining its surface are the faint seams of a magically locked door to the –1A. Treasure Vault (p. 24). Not far away waits the gold cat’s-eye key that Athena (p. 27) keeps to give to new friends: the key unlocks the secret door from 5B. Bedroom (p. 19) to 5C. Albus’s Den (p. 22).

1B. Front Door

A brass goblin head hangs from the double doors, its mouth gripping a gleaming silver knocker ring set with a radiant emerald. The doors are magically locked.

Despite partial corrosion, Sigurd, the goblin head, loves their job and does their best to cheerfully and enthusiastically greet visitors. They speak with their mouth full and, while very gullible in general, refuse to give up the gigantic Ring of Knocking (p. 35). Sigurd remains unaware of the recursive nature of the tower, but they do know:

They’ve been neglected for years, now sorely overdue for a polish.
The double doors open when struck with the knocker.
The wizard, Esmis Mer, hasn’t entertained guests in a long time. He’s been busy with important research.
Esmis Mer loves his familiars, especially his cat, Albus (p. 26).
The fishdog, Athena (p. 27), lives in the waters around the tower.

The doors open when struck with the knocker. The rapping reverberates at an earsplitting volume for ten seconds, drawing a Wandering Encounter (p. 39)

1C. Reception

Plump green couches and armchairs top a mustard shag carpet. Fractals pattern the furniture, the surfaces marred by scratch marks and streaked with pink cat hair.

A twelve foot-long brass key hangs like a trophy on the north wall. Tarnish veils the key’s owl-shaped handle, its feathers freckled with the green of age. Once shrunk, the key opens the door to 3B. Library (p. 15).

Lush vines clutch the key and drape over the cabinets below. Their roots spill from dirt-streaked yellow pots perched on the furniture. Purple flowers dot the greenery, heavy with the scent of fermenting blackberries. The grabbing vines shiver with anticipation when prey draws near and strangle creatures within reach.

Beneath the vines stands a stout oak cabinet. Valuables wait inside the cabinet, but setting fire to the vines incinerates both wood and contents. Valuables include:

10 lavish floral dinner plates (5gp each).
5 pure silver cocktail swords (20gp each).
10 fractal-patterned crystal whiskey glasses (15gp each).
10 permafrost granite whiskey stones, glistening with flecks of azure (10gp each).
Airtight crystal decanter filled with century-old dwarvish whiskey (200gp)
Portable Window (p. 34).

Grabbing Vines

AC 3 [16], HD 4* (18hp), Att 4 × tendril (1d6 + crush), THAC0 14 [+3], MV 0 ‘, SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (4), ML 12, AL Neutral, XP 125

Tendrils: 10 ‘ range. Severing a tendril requires 4 or more points of fire or slashing damage.

Crush: After hitting a target, a tendril latches onto the target, automatically dealing 1d6 damage per round.

Fire Vulnerability: Double damage from fire.

Level 0

0A. Cellar

A chill breeze drifts between chestnut barrels stacked on the west wall. The air bristles with the scents of fermentation and spoiled fish. The barrels contain remnants of pickled cabbage, onions, garlic, and turnips.

Beyond the barrels waits a magically locked secret door leading to 0B. Moon Pool (p. 11), its seams barely visible. At its base sits a wood-framed broken window, its edges jagged with glass shards and tangled with stringy gray feathers, its frame adorned with golden eyes—the remnants of a broken Portable Window (p. 34). A glimpse through the broken window shows the toggle switch waiting by the moon pool.

0B. Moon Pool

A crescent pool lies flush with the floor, reeking of musk and fetid fish, its surface peppered with drowned insects and the occasional slick of oily residue. The water proves too murky to see through. Those diving down and out arrive at 1A. Tabletop Water (p. 6). Disturbing the water causes Athena (p. 27) to surface.

At the pool’s center, a sealed oak barrel stands atop a floating platform secured by chains and a winch. Inside, tight-packed fermented herring render the barrel bulky and buoyant.

Damp, wood-slatted crates stand piled high along the north wall, crammed with wooden ducks, inflated goat bladders, wicker hoops, and a bundle of large sanded sticks with shallow bite marks. Mother (p. 30) and her brood of 12 pigeon-rats (p. 30) lair behind the topmost crates, keeping hidden out of sight. Caught off guard or forced to surrender, Mother parts with the 10 diamonds that she’s been sleeping atop (50gp each) and petitions the party to retrieve a Potion of Cure Disease (p. 34) from 2C. Workshop (p. 13).

A gigantic toggle switch, more than 6’ long, rests in the floor to the west. The switch is impossible for an ordinary human to move. Flipped, the switch unanchors the tower from the basin-table in 4A. Model Room (p. 16): see Advanced Tower Mechanics (p. 25). Those entering the room through the pool notice the magically locked secret door and the window-hole at its base to 0A. Cellar (p. 10).

Level 2

2A. Taxidermy Landing

Taxidermied animals proudly display in niches on the wall. A bullfrog, a snowy owl, a raven, a jackalope, and a purple ferret all gaze outwards, each perfectly preserved—except their faces, which have been scratched out, cotton stuffing oozing from the wounds. The owl’s head twists off, revealing a sapphire (500gp) wrapped inside a random spell scroll (p. 36).

2B. Transport Room

A solitary door stands closed in its frame atop a raised granite dais, teleportation runes carved into the rock. The dais bears a neatly carved three-foot spherical divot. When enlarged, quartz marbles (p. 35) become 3′ spheres that fit perfectly into the dais divot. Placing one causes the door to open magically, its destination determined by the chosen sphere.

On a wooden end table rests a narrow felt-lined strip of wood. A row of three marble-sized grooves cuts into the wood, labeled “Wardrobe,” “Vault,” and “Exit.” The wardrobe divot holds a smoky black quartz marble (pg. 35). 6′′ above the vault divot—permanently anchored in mid-air—floats a citrine gold quartz marble (pg. 35).

2C. Workshop

5 cylindrical glass vats, each 6’ tall, fill the room. Almost-human shapes float in gooey blue liquid. Clear tubes drain thick gray slop from the dormant vat-spawn into a pail: 4 uses of Anti-aging Cream (p. 32).

One vat stands shattered, its occupant—wrinkled, pale, and pasty—now hunched over with arms wrapped around their knees. When approached, the vat-spawn gasps silently and reaches out for the warmth of flesh.

Shelves and desks brim and bow with arcane clutter. Dry and brittle pigeon-rat (p. 30) corpses lie strewn among the alchemical bric-a-brac. Each turn spent searching the sprawling paraphernalia yields the next item in the following list. More than one person may search at a time.

167 milky white quartz marbles (p. 35) in a glass jar labeled “rejects.” Sounds of hissing within.
Potion of Cure Disease (p. 34).
Potion of Speed (p. 34).
Potion of Luck (p. 34).
Potion of Giant Strength (p. 34).
Sapphire cradled in a lattice of golden wire (450gp).
Recipe for Potion of Cure Disease (p. 34). Requires fresh Fishdog Algae (p. 33). One use can be brewed in three turns.
Frog’s Breath (p. 33).

Vat-Spawn

AC 5 [14], HD 3* (13hp), Att 1 × touch (1d8 + disease), THAC0 17 [+2], MV 60 ‘ (20′), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (3), ML 12, AL Chaotic, XP 50

Disease: Target ages 20 years and becomes infected with a wasting disease, unable to heal. Only magic or a Potion of Cure Disease (p. 34) cures it.

Mundane Damage Immunity: Only harmed by silver or magic weapons and spells.

Level 3

3A. Solar System Landing

Every surface glows with depictions of stars and celestial bodies. Amid the cosmos, a door gleams with the outline of an owl-shaped constellation. The door sits magically locked, opening to the shrunken owl key from 1C. Reception (p. 9). The constellations on the walls and floor move almost imperceptibly—they are not of this world.

3B. Library

Bookshelf after bookshelf looms, stuffed with shredded pages and hollowed tomes. From beneath the pulpy massacre comes the sound of soft chewing: Carbuncle (p. 28) has eaten all of the spell books in the library, and now idly gnaws on the spines and covers. The knowledge within them now fills the ruby gem on his forehead. With no reason to lie, Carbuncle proves happy to explain how the Gem of the Erudite (p. 33) works. He also remains more than willing to give up his life to safely remove his gem—but gosh golly, you know, he’d really love to cross a few experiences off his bucket list first.

Level 4

4A. Model Room

A basin-table, 3’ deep, brims with putrid, scummy liquid. At its center rises a miniature version of a familiar tower, surrounded by the same foul water as 1A. Tabletop Water (p. 6). On the 12′′ tower’s double doors gleams Sigurd, the brass goblin head, gripping the emerald Ring of Knocking (p. 35) in their mouth.

Imperceptible from the surface, an 8ʺ rock lies at the bottom of the basin, and within it a hollow space: the –1A. Treasure Vault (p. 24). Shaken, the tiny coins and furniture within audibly jingle. Close observation shows the seams of a door, but it opens only from the inside or with the Ring of Knocking (p. 35).

An open window sits in the west wall: the same window that looks out from the miniature tower, through which the room’s events can be seen, heard, and felt in amplified form.

Tall cabinets hug the walls. They contain miniature wooden furniture, interlocking harbor docks, and floating platforms weighted with chains connected to iron anchors. At one end waits a locked 1ʺ miniature chest, splintered and worn. The chest holds the following:

Topaz (500gp), wrapped in a random spell scroll (p. 36).
Glass vial with a Potion of Healing, which shatters if the chest is smashed.
Blue velvet purse with a Parlor Coin (p. 34) and 20gp.

Level 5

5A. Kitchen

Ransacked stores of dried goods spill across countertops and out from cabinets. Rodent and cat tracks crisscross through dustings of flour, ground coffee, and desiccated peas.

Flies swirl around a portrait of a crooked-nosed, straight-faced man cradling a pink tabby cat. Around the cat’s neck hangs a depiction of a sea-green quartz marble (p. 35), shimmering with the image of rocky island outcrops. Wisps of pink cat hair cling to the seams of the secret cat door at the base of the wall, where the stench of excrement seeps through.

5B. Bedroom

A king-sized four-poster bed with a chest-high mattress top dominates the chamber. Disheveled, blood-stained sheets hide a curled up rotting pigeon-rat (p. 30) carcass with gaping puncture wounds. Bloody cat prints trail off to the southeast. Edgar (p. 29) sleeps under the bed (always present on the party’s first visit, 3-in-6 chance on subsequent visits).

Beside the bed rests a rosewood nightstand. Its drawers contain:

Empty bottles of gray Anti-aging Cream (p. 32).
Everlasting ink quill and vellum chore list: “Empty litter box,” “Clean out wardrobe,” “Vat-spawn sensitive to silver?”
Ebony Monk Figurine (p. 33).
Jar of Catnip (p. 33), held in the locked bottom drawer.

Opposite the bed stands a grand wardrobe with floral-patterned double doors. The locked wardrobe contains, among other things, a 4HD swarm of spiders (p. 31), which spills out when the doors open. Each turn spent searching yields the next item in the following list. More than one person may search at a time.

Bloodletter (p. 32), shrunken to an inch in length.
10 onyx buttons (100gp each) fastening a glittering green dragon hide doublet.
2 diamond cufflinks (500gp each) pinning the sleeves of a fuchsia silk shirt.
3 random spell scrolls (p. 36), creased and tucked into the breast pocket of a sunflower-yellow coat.
Feather of Slowed Descent (p. 33) extending from the side of a pleated purple fedora.
Amethyst stud earrings (600gp) peeking between the folds of a maritime-patterned handkerchief.
3 Exploding Dice (p. 33) slipped into the pocket of threadbare trousers.
Silver chain necklace (400gp) looped twice over the collar of a smoke-gray duster.

Setting fire to the wardrobe causes it to explode in one turn, destroying everything inside.

Next to the wardrobe, a shattered glass terrarium lies in ruins. Paper-thin cockroach skin and a dry sponge sit at the entrance to the gaping mouth of a human skull. Hidden in the maw waits the key to the bottom drawer of the nightstand.

Near the southeast wall, fat flies spiral around a free-standing mirror. Behind the Mirror of Affirmation (p. 34) lies a magically locked secret door, marked with a cat’s-eye keyhole and a small hidden cat door at its base.

Top Shelf of the Wardrobe

Distances measured relative to a party entering from 2B. Transport Room (p. 12). Wandering encounters are always 1d3 giant spiders (p. 31).

Dust-choked air shimmers crimson in the dark. 60’ ahead, a blood-red broadsword dangles within a snarl of webs, its glow pulsing like a heartbeat. Extracting the 4’ Bloodletter (p. 32) requires cutting it free from its sticky, shivering bonds. Disturbing the webs draws 1d3 giant spiders (p. 31).

To the left, a sheer precipice drops into a yawning abyss. Above the expanse, a tangled forest of colossal clothing hangs, swaying silently. Silk shirts, fur capes, colorful bow ties, and patterned handkerchiefs drape above the precipice, all fit for a fanciful giant. The nearest garment—a green doublet—hangs 10’ from the floor’s edge, its sleeve studded with oversized onyx buttons spaced like ladder rungs. Each turn spent searching the hanging outfits uncovers the next treasure in the list from 5B. Bedroom (p. 19). Climbing requires care—it’s a 250’ drop to the bottom. Setting fire to the webs or clothing starts a raging inferno in the wardrobe. After 10 minutes, the Exploding Dice (p. 33) fall through their seared pants pocket and hit the ground rolling, destroying the wardrobe and everything inside.

5C. Albus’s Den

Flickering braziers light a fetid den of scratch-posts with shag-covered platforms. From the highest perch, a sea-green marble gleams at the end of a dangling string.

If the party hasn’t yet encountered Albus (p. 26), he lies on his back near the top, batting the sea-green quartz marble (p. 35)—otherwise, there’s a 1-in-6 chance he slinks in each turn.

For shrunken characters, climbing between locations on the kitty condo takes the specified number of turns.

A. A litter box overflows with dung. 6 biting flies (p. 27) cling to the mess. 2-in-6 chance they notice fresh meat strolling by.
B. A bejeweled food bowl rests, magically refilled once a day with tuna-flavored brown kibble. 2-in-6 chance of a hungry pigeon-rat (p. 30) buried within, gorging.
C. A cozy enclosure contains a down cat bed and a glass jar with air holes holding Esmis Mer (p. 29) himself. If working together, he suggests using the Catnip (p. 33) in the 5B. Bedroom (p. 19) nightstand to overcome Albus.
D. A sea-green quartz marble (p. 35) hangs on a string tied to the platform above.
E. The top platform holds a polished silver chest set with a yellow cat’s eye. The eye jerks unnaturally to track movement on its perch. Those that meet its gaze must save or be paralyzed for 2d4 turns. The lid gives a soft purr when opened. The chest contains:
- 2,200gp in gems and coins.
- Pin (p. 34).
- Cloak of Invisibility (p. 32).
- Five random miniature spell scrolls (p. 36)—less than a quarter of an inch in length.

Player Map

Referee Map

Level -1

–1A. Treasure Vault

Distances measured relative to a party entering from 2B. Transport Room (p. 12).

Wet rock walls glitter in the brazier light. Coins of gold and silver spill from cake dishes and overflow from glass bowls. A fine woven rug with golden tassels hovers in the air, its surface piled high with coins and waiting for a rider. The air smells only of cold metal. In sum, the vault holds 1,000gp, 70,000sp, and a Flying Carpet.

An iron wheel with spokes hangs mounted to a door hewn from the rock itself, rivulets of water streaming from the seams of the door. With the wheel turned, gears and locks lurch within the rock, and the door bursts inward with the full force of water in the basin-table of 4A. Model Room (p. 16). The combined efforts of three or more characters have a 1-in-6 chance to force the door closed again before the room becomes completely submerged. If the portal to 2B. Transport Room (p. 12) remains open, the tower fills with water in three turns. Characters have a 1-in-6 chance to close the door atop the dais in the transportation room before the force of the water makes it impossible. If the water is not drained, all drown.

Adventure Aftermath

Upon departure, objects that escape the tower’s recursion instantly return to their normal size.

Esmir Mer proves deeply grateful for his liberation, offering to mentor arcane spellcasters. With the master of the tower’s guidance, spell research and the transcription of spells take half the usual time. He does not accompany the party on further adventures, instead attending to his long-stagnated research. He rewards Albus’s treachery in kind by shrinking him and keeping him in the same jar in which Esmis Mer was himself imprisoned.

Advanced Tower Mechanics

Tower Mer is indestructible and anchored to its point in space, remaining fixed even if the basin-table beneath it is destroyed. Only the red switch in 0B. Moon Pool (p. 11) disables the anchoring, accessible by reaching under and inside the bottom of the miniature tower. Flipping this switch allows the tower to move while touched; once released, it floats in place until touched again. Gravity inside the tower never shifts, no matter how the structure turns or orients. Flipping the switch a second time re-anchors the tower.

Facing the open window of the miniature tower toward the open window of 4A. Model Room (p. 16) shows an endless series of towers, like an infinite mirror. Moving the miniature tower out of the window or the first-floor double doors shows a ripple of larger and smaller towers extending through the astral plane in either direction. Those attempting to exit the tower in this way quickly become lost in the void. By contrast, moving the miniature tower through the sea-green quartz (p. 35) exit door in 2B. Transport Room (p. 12) causes the tower to implode over ten seconds, destroying everything inside. At the point of collapse, a swirling black portal to the astral plane appears from nowhere, doubling in size with each passing day.

Creatures

To enlarge creatures relative to the party, add 6 HD (+27hp); shrunken creatures all have ½ HD (1hp).

Albus, the Cat with Nine Eight Lives

Pink tabby with a confident swagger and a scar over his left eye. Albus wants Carbuncle dead—preferably served as dinner—and he covets Athena’s barrel of fish from 0B. Moon Pool (p. 11). Water remains his one true fear: he avoids it with the instinctual terror of every cat, yet when pressed, he hints that the cause proves far more unsettling. If given a Communicator (p. 32), Albus speaks in a cold and calculating voice, laced with disdain.

Albus’s relationships prove as sharp as his claws: pigeon-rats remain little more than toys, amusements that squeak before being eaten. Edgar he tolerates only because the last time their rivalry came to blows, Edgar killed Albus. Carbuncle he despises for his endless, invasive telepathic prattle. Athena, too, he loathes—Albus dreads her watery dominion and mocks her foolishness from afar. As for the party, Albus views them as potential servants whose value he must first measure before deciding whether they deserve servitude or death.

Albus

AC 6 [13], HD 5** (22hp), Att 2 × claw (1d4), 1 × bite (1d8), THAC0 15 [+4], MV 120’ (40’), SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (5), ML 10, AL Chaotic, XP 425

Spider Climb: Effortlessly walks across any surface.

Lives: When slain, his body disintegrates and instantly reforms in 5C. Albus’s Den (p. 22), bearing an additional scar over his eye. This rebirth occurs up to eight times in total. Albus has already used one of his lives. [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Athena, the Fun-Loving Aquatic Beast

Playful oaf with wet matted hair and lidless staring eyes. Equal parts sea lion and oversized mountain dog.

Athena possesses simple desires: to play and be loved—but she remains painfully unaware of her own strength. In her enthusiasm, she capsizes boats and drags companions underwater for long, breathless play sessions. Her games of tug and fetch involve sticks, swords, and limbs.

When petted, she rolls over to reveal a hairy belly coated in green goo. Once every two weeks, scraping the goo off yields a single dose of Fishdog Algae (p. 33). Athena also enjoys sharing her treasures with friends. After a particularly good play session, she dives down into the muck at the bottom of the basin-table and returns with the gold cat’s-eye key, which unlocks the secret door from 5B. Bedroom (p. 19) to 5C. Albus’s Den (p. 22).

Athena

AC 6 [13], HD 5* (22hp), Att 1 × bite (1d8 + rend), THAC0 15 [+4], MV 120’ (40’) swimming, SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (2), ML 8, AL Neutral, XP 300

Rend: Successful attack rolls of 20 or higher sever a limb.

Biting Fly, Giant

Beachball-sized, black flies with bright green eyes. Highly attracted to pungent smells.

Giant Biting Fly

AC 6 [13], HD 2 (9hp), Att 1 × bite (1d6), THAC0 18 [+1], MV 90’ (30’) / 180’ (60’) flying, SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (1), ML 8, AL Neutral, XP 20

Carbuncle, the Ruby Spell Armadillo

Eight inches of naïve curiosity, always truthful with butt-wiggling enthusiasm. A shiny red ruby gleams from his forehead.

Carbuncle desires to know more about everything and everyone, driven by a curiosity that borders on obsession. He hungers for knowledge, literally eating his way through every book in 3B. Library (p. 15). All the information and spells he consumes store themselves in his ruby Gem of the Erudite (p. 33), though he cannot access them directly. The gem and Carbuncle remain inextricably linked: should he die unwillingly, or if the gem is forcibly removed, it shatters. He may choose to remove it intact, but doing so ends his life after only a few brief moments of farewells.

Carbuncle possesses no true survival instinct. He neither fears nor fully comprehends death, and remains intensely fascinated by the subject, often commenting on mortality unprompted. Carbuncle can will himself to die whenever he chooses, but has a few things he’d love to experience before he departs this world.

Bucket List:

Learn how to swim.
Feel what it’s like to be big.
Watch someone die.

Carbuncle

AC 5 [14], HD 1 (4hp), Att 1 × bite, (1d3), THAC0 19 [+0], MV 60’ (20’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (1), ML 12, AL Lawful, XP 10

Telepathy: Communicates telepathically with all creatures within 30’, serving as an eager interpreter between the party and tower denizens.

Edgar, the Battle-Scarred Giant Cockroach

Seven-foot, armor-plated predator with probing antennas and a missing leg. He drags a thick, needle-tipped tail that drips neon-yellow venom. Edgar wants food and little else. His fears stand immediate and visceral—fire and anything larger than himself sends him scuttling for cover.

Edgar remains cautious around Albus, remembering all too well the time he lost a limb in a fight with the pink tabby that came back for more. Beyond that, he views nearly everything else as potential prey, judging the world through the sole lens of hunger.

Edgar

AC 3 [16], HD 7* (31hp), Att 1 × bite (2d8), 1 × stab (1d6 + poison), THAC0 13 [+6], MV 90’ (30’), SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (4), ML 9, AL Chaotic, XP 850

Poison: Save vs poison or die.

Esmis Mer

The titular master wizard of Tower Mer. He forgot all his spells during his decade-long imprisonment, the cat food slowly decaying his mind.

Esmis Mer

AC 9 [10], HD 10 (45hp), Att 1 × dagger (1d4), THAC0 17 [+2], MV 120’ (40′), SV D6 W7 P8 B8 S10, ML 9, AL Chaotic, XP 900

Mother, the Nurturing Leader of the Pigeon-Rats

Diseased, bloated, and unable to fly, she sits at twice the size of the others but three times as frail. She fusses protectively over those who show kindness.

Mother desires to cure her ailment—without healing, she perishes in two days. She trades her knowledge of the tower for a Potion of Cure Disease (p. 34) from 2C. Workshop (p. 13)—a task the other pigeon-rats failed at, succumbing to the vat-spawn (p. 13). She knows that the sea-green quartz marble (p. 35) in 5C. Albus’s Den (p. 22) is the key to escaping the tower, and that treasure lies hidden in the wardrobe in 5B. Bedroom (p. 19).

Mother wears a Communicator (p. 32) and speaks warmly and fluently in the common tongue. She worries constantly that, without her guidance and protection, the other pigeon-rats will perish.

Mother

AC 7 [12], HD 1hp, Att 1 × bite, (1d3), THAC0 19 [0], MV 60’ (20’), SV D14 W15 P16 B17 S18 (NH), ML 6, AL Neutral, XP 5

Pigeon-Rats, the Helpless Flock

Jittery rodents uncomfortable with the gift of flight. They are not as stupid as they want you to think.

If the party appears capable, the pigeon-rats parlay. They lead the party to Mother’s nest at 0B. Moon Pool (p. 11) so she can explain her predicament and enlist their aid.

2-in-6 pigeon-rats wear a Communicator (p. 32). Their vocabulary proves extremely limited, consisting of just a handful of words: “Mother,” “Sick,” “Help,” “Good,” “Bad,” and “Food.”

Pidgeon-Rat

AC 7 [12], HD 1* (4hp), Att 1 × bite, (1d3 + gnaw), THAC0 19 [0], MV 60’ (20’) / 180’ (60’) flying, SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (2), ML 6, AL Neutral, XP 13

Dive Bomb: +2 to hit on first attack.

Gnaw: Latches on to struck targets, automatically dealing 1d3 damage per round.

Spider, Giant

Man-sized arachnids with deadly venom.

Giant Spider

AC 6 [13], HD 3* (13hp), Att 1 × bite (2d6 + poison), THAC0 17 [+2], MV 60’ (20′) / 120’ (40’) in webs, SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (2), ML 8, AL Neutral, XP 50

Poison: Save versus poison or die in one turn.

Swarm of Spiders

Millions of creepy-crawling arachnids climbing over each other and moving with collective intelligence.

Swarm of Spiders

AC 7 [12], HD 4 (18hp), Att 1 × swarm (2hp), THAC0 16 [+3], MV 30’ (10’) / 60’ (20’) flying, SV D14 W15 P16 B17 S18 (NH), ML 11, AL Neutral, XP 75

Swarm: All within the 10’ square area of the swarm suffer 2 damage each round.

Immunity: Unharmed by weapon attacks. Fire deals damage as normal.

Items

Anti-Aging Cream

Gray cream that, after taking 10 minutes to apply, de-ages the user by 20 years. Does not cure diseases.

Bloodletter (two-handed sword +2)

Deep red broadsword that drinks blood. When fed well, it ignores the Slow property of two-handed swords. Shines crimson light as a torch, always warm.

Cloak of Invisibility

The wearer becomes invisible until they attack or cast a spell. Resets after 10 minutes.

Communicator

Lead box riddled with holes, attached to a strap that adjusts to any neck size. Allows the wearer to speak the common tongue through the lead box, but vocabulary depends on the intelligence of the creature. The voice comes out scratchy and slightly distorted, different for each user.

Ebony Monk Figurine

A robed, bald monk with their finger over their mouth in a quieting gesture. Once per day, the figurine can be activated by saying “Shhh” or mimicking the monk’s gesture, nullifying sound within a 15’ radius around the figurine for 2 hours. 4 charges remain.

Exploding Dice

Six-sided dice that explode when rolled or thrown. They deal damage equal to the number of pips their face shows. A roll of six pips spawns a new die, which then rolls immediately.

Feather of Slowed Descent

While held, the creature’s descent slows to that of a feather for one hour. Usable once per day.

Fishdog Algae

Green goop, the key ingredient to a Potion of Cure Disease (p. 34).

Frog’s Breath

Each spray of perfume from the bottle smells however the wielder desires. 12 sprays remain.

Gem of the Erudite

Bite-sized ruby that stores knowledge and spells. Only Carbuncle (p. 28) can safely remove the gem embedded in his forehead—otherwise, it shatters.

When swallowed, the user learns the gem’s functions and memorizes 5 random spells (p. 36). The swallower can cast these memorized spells at any time without using a spell slot, but then forgets the spell.

Two weeks after swallowing, the swallower forgets uncast spells, but the gem resets, and can be swallowed again to learn another random set of 5 spells (p. 36).

Jar of Catnip

Causes Albus (or any other feline) to become overwhelmed, forcing the creature to use its action to roll around in the substance. At the start of each subsequent round, the creature must save versus spells—success ends the effect.

Mirror of Affirmation

Full-length, free-standing mirror framed in pale holly wood. Its edge bears engraved words: “I am loved. I am enough. I am brave even when I feel fear.” Those that meet their own reflection and recite the affirmations aloud gain the effects of a Potion of Heroism. The mirror can be used once per day.

Parlor Coin

Magic gold piece capable of unlimited party tricks. Always warm.

When the pin’s wielder speaks the command word, “Pin,” it instantly grows to the size of a full spear (a +2 spear) or shrinks back to pin size. Can be grown and then re-shrunk once per day.

Portable Window

A 1’ square pane of glass set in a polished wooden frame decorated with golden eyes. When held against a solid barrier no more than 1’ thick (such as a wall or door), the barrier becomes transparent. Creatures on both sides can see through it as if looking through a window. If the glass breaks, the item loses its magic permanently, but a hole of the same size remains in the barrier.

Potion of Cure Disease

Thin chartreuse liquid with the smell and taste of blended greens. Drinking it cures any and all diseases.

Potion of Giant Strength

Frothy azure liquid, cold as ice, tasting of copper. Grants the strength of a giant for 1 hour. Attacks are made at THAC0 11 [+8] and hit twice as hard.

Potion of Luck

Rich gold liquid with a velvety texture and hints of sweet licorice. For 1d6 + 6 turns your endeavors tend to succeed. On three occasions, you may reroll any one die, but must take the new result.

Potion of Speed

Red carbonated liquid with a cherry-citrus tang. Doubles actions, attacks, and movement speed.

Ring of Knocking

Opens locked or stuck doors and chests, including magical locks from casters up to 10th level. The socketed emerald gem dims with each use. 2 charges remain.

Quartz Spheres

Smoky black quartz

Sounds of softly creaking wood, plucking strings and straining thread. Within, shadows visibly shift amid a red glow.

Destination: Top shelf of the Wardrobe in 5B. Bedroom (p. 20).

Citrine gold quartz

Sounds of dripping water. Within, a vault’s laden hoard of gold and silver sparkles in firelight.

Destination: –1A. Treasure Vault (p. 24).

Milky white quartz “rejects”

Sounds of hissing white noise. Flickers from the light of thousands of dancing white and black dots.

Destination: Static oblivion. Obliterates matter that touches space through the door.

Sea green quartz

Sounds of a soft breeze and the light of day. Within, the recognizable terrain of where the party first began their journey.

Destination: Tower exit.

Spells

Unless otherwise noted, spells last L × 10 minutes (where “L” equals the level of the caster), with a range of 40’. Unwilling target creatures save versus spells to avoid effects.

1d20	Spell	Effect
1	False Life	Target inanimate object mimics life and obeys simple commands.
2	Force Blink	Target creature teleports to a random room nearby.
3	Fungus Field	Mushrooms rapidly blanket surfaces in a 10’ square.
4	Helping Hands	2 fresh arms sprout from the target creature’s torso, under the caster’s control.
5	Imperceptable	Target creature becomes invisible until they move.
6	Ink Beacon	A blot of ink runs 20’ in the direction toward what the caster desires most.
7	Iron Bubble	Creates a 10’ hollow sphere of wrought iron.
8	Maddening Music	Creatures within 30’ that hear the music must save versus spells or attack the closest creature.
9	Mud Hound	Summons a bloodhound made of mud with a supernatural sense of smell.
10	Produce Smoke	Creates an obscuring barrier of thick smoke that fills a L × 10’ cube.
11	Pocket Pit	Caster temporarily creates a 10’ cube pocket universe that extends from the floor. When the pit disappears, anything inside comes flying out.
12	Removable Limbs	Target can remove and reattach its limbs or head at will without suffering harm.
13	Rot Steed	Summons an undead horse, saddled and ready to ride.
14	Screaming Steam	A wailing jet of hot steam erupts from the caster’s finger tips.
15	Shadow Stab	Target creature can be pinned in place by stabbing their shadow.
16	Slicken	Thick, slippery goop covers a 10’ square.
17	Swimmable Air	Caster swims through the air like water as long as they hold their breath.
18	Tar Monolith	2’ × 10’ block of searing hot tar extends to a height of the caster’s choosing.
19	Tentacle of the Worm	A tentacle, 20’ long and 6” in diameter, sprouts from the caster’s back and moves under their control.
20	Waxy Gibbon	Summons a 3’ monkey made of wax and a flaming wick. The monkey obeys simple commands and provides light as a torch. It melts top to bottom over 6 turns. If the flame extinguishes prematurely, what’s left of the monkey violently explodes, dealing 1d6 damage to those within 10’.

Build Your Own Tower

In play, having a model of Tower Mer on the table is highly beneficial. It helps players grasp the scale of the size-change mechanics and adds a tangible element to the game.

You don’t need to get fancy—a little goes a long way. A cylindrical oatmeal container works perfectly as the tower, though anything with similar dimensions does just as well. There’s plenty of wiggle room.

Basic Build:

Grab a cylindrical oatmeal container or a full paper towel roll— anything about 8–10” tall and 4–6” in diameter.
Print, cut and paste the tower pattern around the outside of the cylinder.
Print, cut and paste the template of the conical roof on top of the cylinder.
Print, cut and paste the door and window accordingly.

Optional:

Use scissors or a knife to cut out holes to represent the door and window.
Tape or glue a costume jewelry ring to the door to represent the knocker.
Place a metal key inside the door hole.
Have some string or twine handy for when a character wants to hang some rope out the window.
Grab a few 28mm-scale miniature figures to toss around.

Resources available at PuzzleDungeon.com.

Wandering Encounters

1-in-6 chance per turn. Roll or choose from the results below.

When determining where creatures emerge, they may:

Hide somewhere in the room, like in the rafters or on top of tall furniture.
Enter through cat doors.
Arrive enlarged through the model tower.

1d12	Encounter
1	Albus (p. 26) rolls and flops, inviting belly rubs. 1-in-6 chance of biting playfully for 1d6 damage.
2	Albus (p. 26) stalks the party from the shadows.
3	Albus (p. 26) yowls at the party, demanding tribute in the form of blood or treasure.
4	Short, sharp barks boom through the tower, like a lion impersonating a dog. Athena (p. 27) splashes about in 1A. Tabletop Water (p. 6), already trapped within the tower. Boats in the water capsize.
5	1d8 giant biting flies (p. 27) search for fresh meat.
6	1d3 giant spiders (p. 31) wait for the right moment to ensnare the party.
7	A giant pigeon-rat (p. 30) blocks the path. If mutilated, the carcass attracts 1d8 giant biting flies (p. 27) in 2 turns.
8	A normal spider wraps its silk around a trapped pigeon-rat (p. 30) who shouts “HELP” through a Communicator (p. 32).
9	2d8 pigeon-rats (p. 30) and their leader, Reginald the Bold, wearing a Communicator (p. 32).
10	Edgar (p. 29) postures and blocks the path, hissing with rage.
11	Edgar (p. 29) curiously probes the party with his feelers. He attacks if the party split up or show signs of weakness.
12	A ravenous Edgar (p. 29) consumes all in his path.