The Mad Abbot's Lair

  

By Mark Murphy

One page dungeon contest 2022

5E (or similar?), no level given.

Premise: The local messed with powers he did not understand brought ruination upon his abbey.

What do we get here?

 A single page gives us a map of a dungeon with 8 keyed rooms.

 Usability/formatting

 If you ever want to know how much information you can reasonably get on a one page dungeon I would say this effort hits about the right mark. Nothing is cluttered or too small and there is more than enough to run this adventure off. The art style is simple black and white, nothing fancy but very clear.

 Using a system of random magic portals the author manages to fit in loops to an otherwise simple map making it more interesting or at least chaotic to explore despite the small size. Evocative room descriptions are not really present however you should be able to improvise that on the fly from what information there is about the rooms and how they look on the map, this is one of the sacrifices you have to make for the one page format.

 Treasure is present if not remarkable. I think one key magic item, related to the abbot's dark experiments could really kick things up a notch and provide a bit more of a book here. In general I would say the adventure is lacking a bit of lore or texture to really nail things, this is something you can add on to fit your own world though.

Portability

 There is nothing really here in the way of details or anything really out there so you can slot this into any campaign world with easy.

Recommendation

 I would have no problems picking up this adventure and running it. Yes the adventure does lack a little in flavour but this is something you can easily add in yourself. This is something you can build off and I would like to see what else this author has out there. I am actually surprised this one did not pick up even an honorable mention from the judges.

 Definitely a passing grade for this one. A two or three page version would really knock things out of the park.

 PWYW for the whole collection on gumroad or stump up cash on drivethru.

https://spielknights.gumroad.com/l/2022opdc

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/410915/One-Page-Dungeon-Compendium-2022-Edition

Wonder Heist

 

By Carles Hernandez-Ferrer

One page dungeon contest 2022

No game or level

Premise: A museum is holding a special exhibit to celebrate an anniversary and thieves are looking to steal the wonders on show!

What do we get here?

 A single page gives us a map of the museum with seven wonders spread over six floors, most of which have two or three rooms.

 Usability/formatting

 To get the positives out of the way the seven items available to be stolen are at least interesting on some level an I do appreciate that the writer is trying to do something different here by creating an adventure that can be run in two ways, either with the players as thieves or security.

 That being said I do not think you could run this as is. The text needs another editing pass, there are a number of mistakes in there, some of them silly. You better have your zoom function ready because to get everything on the page the room and item descriptions are pretty tiny.

 The dungeon itself is laid out in a branching fashion rather than one with loops. With what is presented you will have to do a lot of the work yourself to flesh out the actual encounters and you will probably have to do it on the fly.

Portability

  Heist adventures are notoriously difficult to pull off in a lot of systems so you will be restricted to something like Blades in the Dark if you really want to run this adventure. The setting implies a fairly modern or futuristic type world for the adventure so you could not really run it in fantasy land.

Recommendation

 It is nice to see something a bit different even if it does not work, I would not run this even if I do appreciate the attempt. PWYW for the whole collection on gumroad or stump up cash on drivethru.

https://spielknights.gumroad.com/l/2022opdc

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/410915/One-Page-Dungeon-Compendium-2022-Edition

The Cardinal's Guardsmen

 

By John W. Vogel Jr.

One page dungeon contest 2022

No game or level

Premise: It is the time of Cardinal Richelieu and the King's Musketeers.

What do we get here?

 A single page gives us a hex map of France which might be a campaign back drop or a war game? It isn't entirely clear.

 Usability/formatting

 I'll be honest I am not sure what to make of this entry in the 2022 one page dungeon competition. For a start we are sans dungeon here.

 There is a bunch of random stuff you can roll on but it is never clear if you are supposed to be playing a war game, how the war game affects an on going RPG campaign or what is going on. Mostly I think you are just supposed to DIY it.

 The writing is small in some places making it hard to read which does not help with figuring things out.

 It is nice to see something different however this is not really workable content.

Portability

  Set in historical France you are kind of missing the point if you change this to another setting.

Recommendation

 This is going to be a no from me in the current state however I would like to see this expanded, it would work pretty well as a larger product. PWYW for the whole collection on gumroad or stump up cash on drivethru.

https://spielknights.gumroad.com/l/2022opdc

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/410915/One-Page-Dungeon-Compendium-2022-Edition

Water elemental-kin (new class)

  Elemental-kin were created by the djinn to be their slaves by binding the shard of an elemental to the soul of a mortal. Modern elemental-kin are the descendants of those slaves who were traded with the elves of the summer court and brought into the mundane world. Of the four types of elemental-kin the water elemental-kin are considered the spiritual leaders of their people and the most likely to believe that a way can be found to return elemental-kin to their home plane.

Water Elemental-kin

Requirements: None

Prime requisite: WIS, CON

Hit Dice: 1d8

Maximum level: 10

Armour: Any, including shields

Weapons: Any

Languages: Alignment, Common, Primordial

Prime requisites: An water elemental-kin with at least 13 WIS and CON gains a 5% bonus to experience. A water elemental-kin with a score of 16 or higher in one prime requisite, and a 13 or higher in the other gains a 10% bonus.

Combat

Water elemental-kin can use all types of weapons and armour.

Create Water

From third level once per day a water elemental-kin may cast the create water spell.

Divine Magic

Holy symbol: A Water elemental-kin must carry a holy symbol.

Deity disfavour: Water elemental-kin must be faithful to the tenets of their alignment, clergy, and religion. Water elemental-kin who fall from favour with their deity may incur penalties.

Magical research: A water elemental-kin of any level may spend time and money on magical research. This allows them to create new spells or other magical effects associated with their deity. On reaching 9th level, water elemental-kin are also able to create magic items.

Spell casting: A water elemental-kin may pray to receive spells from their deity. The power and number of spells available to a water elemental-kin are determined by the character’s experience level. Water elemental-kin cast spells from cleric spell list . At 1st level, a water elemental-kin may only pray for the purify food and water spell, but from 2nd level, the character may pray for any spell on the spell list. 

Using magic items: As spell casters, Water elemental-kin can use magic scrolls of spells on their spell list. They can also use items that may only be used by divine spell casters (e.g. some staves).

Energy Resistance

Water elemental-kin gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against acid and are unharmed by non magical acid effects.

Swim Speed

Water elemental-kin move at their normal movement rate when swimming.

After Reaching 9th Level

A water elemental-kin may establish or build a stronghold. So long as the water elemental-kin is currently in favour with their god, a stronghold may be bought or built at half the normal price, due to divine intervention.

Once a stronghold is established, the Water elemental-kin will attract followers (5d6 × 10 elemental-kin

of level 1–2). These troops are completely devoted to the water elemental-kin, never checking

morale. The referee decides which proportions of followers are 1st and 2nd level and which are air, earth, fire or water elemental-kin.

Water-elemental Level Progression

                                                                        Saving Throws        Spells

Level XP         HD THAC0 D  W  P   B  S 1    2   3   4   5

1         0         1d6 19 [0] 12 13 13 15 12 1†  –   –   –   –

2         1,600 2d6 19 [0] 12 13 13 15 12 2    –   –   –   –

3         3,200 3d6 19 [0] 12 13 13 15 12 2    1   –   –   –

4         6,400 4d6 19 [0] 10 11 11  13 10 2    2   –   –   –

5         12,800 5d6 17 [+2] 10 11 11  13 10 2    2   1   –   –

6         26,000 6d6 17 [+2] 10 11 11  13 10 2    2   2   1   –

7         55,000      7d6 17 [+2]   8  9   9   10   8          3    3   2   2   1

8         125,000    8d6 17 [+2]   8  9   9   10   8 3    3   3   2   2

9         225,000    9d6 14 [+5]             8  9   9   10   8 4    4   3   3   2

10         325,000    9d6+2*   14 [+5]            6  7   8     8   6 4    4   4   3   3

* Modifiers from CON no longer apply. D: Death / poison; W: Wands;

† At 1st level, a water elemental-kin         P: Paralysis / petrify; B: Breath attacks;

may only pray for the purify      S: Spells / rods / staves.

food & water spell.

Lost Temple of the Mad Apsara

 

By John Jordan

One page dungeon contest 2022

No game or level

Premise: A ruined temple is ripe for exploration.

What do we get here?

 A single page dungeon gives us 7ish keyed locations.

 Usability/formatting

 It took me a while to grok what was actually going on with the map here and once I did it turns out this thing is pretty linear. There is not much going on here at all really, very little to interact with nothing in the way of faction play and no treasure. 

 We lack a hook for this adventure and like the many level/system-less adventures you have to do work to bring it to the table.

 There is little to inspire you in the writing, it is very functional lacking in anything that brings atmosphere. It also does not help having public domain art behind some of the text making it harder to read in one portion.

Portability

  It would not be hard to put this adventure in any setting, mainly because you are having to do a lot of the work yourself.

Recommendation

 In the end there is little to recommend here, I do not think there are parts I would even be particularly interested in stealing from it. PWYW for the whole collection on gumroad or stump up cash on drivethru.

https://spielknights.gumroad.com/l/2022opdc

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/410915/One-Page-Dungeon-Compendium-2022-Edition

Tunnels of the Terran Titan

 

By Matt Latura

One page dungeon contest 2022

No game or level

Premise: Go explore some underground tunnels in a swampy area.

What do we get here?

 A single page dungeon gives us 11 keyed locations.

 Usability/formatting

 Presented with simple, clear art this is a fun little adventure. The map comes with some nice loops and is not at all linear like some one page efforts end up being.

 We do not get anything in the way of hooks or magic items here and there is not much in the way of faction play. That being said you can have a lot of fun with this bizarre colony as there is plenty for your players to poke and prod.

 I like they natural set up of this adventure, you can really see it as a living, breathing ecology. 

 Obviously you'll have to do a little work yourself to get this one up and going with monster stats, otherwise ready to go as is.

Portability

 You can easily drop this adventure in any suitable nature type region, it is written as a swamp but I'm sure it would fit other biomes too.

Recommendation

 Definitely a good little adventure, if you are looking for something to fill out a hex map this should be perfect for you. PWYW for the whole collection on gumroad or stump up cash on drivethru.

https://spielknights.gumroad.com/l/2022opdc

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/410915/One-Page-Dungeon-Compendium-2022-Edition

Tomb of Gilgamesh

 By Eduardo Leo and Theo Prevost

One page dungeon contest 2022

No game or level

Premise:  Go wake the sleeping king in his tomb to save the world.

What do we get here?

This single page adventure has 10 keyed rooms.

 Usability/formatting

 As a runner up in the contest this adventure is another one with fantastic art. There is a nice cartoonish style which is easy to follow and pretty clear.

 I found the actual text to be a bit small and slightly over written. Even in 200% zoom it was a bit small to read. There are also a couple of points I was unclear on, like how anyone would end up in the basement.

 The dungeon itself is non linear and has some funky stuff going on with it. There is not a lot in the way of faction play or interesting magic items and because this is a system less adventure you will have to do the heavily lifting yourself when it comes to monster stats.

 I found the hook to be a bit uninspiring, go get someone else to save the world. In fantasy games can't we be the ones to save the world? There is some slight mitigation in the conclusion to the adventure although if the characters are strong enough to defeat the only person that could save the world why couldn't they save it themselves?

Portability

The adventure is themed around Gilgamesh and Sumeria, you can easily file the names off and place this adventure elsewhere with other NPCs.

Recommendation

 Of the three entrants in the contest from this year that I have reviewed so far the only one I would run as is still Gus L's entry. There is totally enough here for you to reskin the tower for your own adventure, I just would not advise running it with this plot. PWYW for the whole collection on gumroad or stump up cash on drivethru.

https://spielknights.gumroad.com/l/2022opdc

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/410915/One-Page-Dungeon-Compendium-2022-Edition