Dungeon Dressing: Wells
Wells are important places in dungeons—a well might be the only readily accessible source of drinking water in the entire place. Given most dungeon denizens require water those controlling a well can become wealthy and powerful charging others for the water they draw. Thus, a well can also be a source of much conflict between the dungeon’s denizens as they all seek to gain control of such an important resource.
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Major Features
A tumbled stone wall surrounds the well; a small wooden bucket tied to a rope lies nearby.
An iron grate covers the well. The grate’s central portion can be opened to access the water below.
Iron bound corners reinforce the wooden walls of this 20-foot deep well.
A pile of disemboweled corpses form the wall surrounding this well of blood and bile.
Carved reliefs of the coastline and a rising sun adorn this well’s low stone wall.
Two small stone buckets sit next to an open hole. Supple vines attach the buckets to a rough tree stump.
Four solid six-inch thick slabs of obsidian form a crude barrier around this well.
Sunken in a low hollow fresh water fills this well to only a few feet below ground level. It is simple to scoop water out of this well.
Long, thin blocks of finely cut stone interlock to form a wall bound with corroded iron bands.
A double door lid, secured by iron hinges and a sliding bolt tops this circular brick well. The door may be locked; the well’s lord carries the only key.
A rotting thatch roof protects those using the well from water dripping from the cavern ceiling.
Intricately cut interlocking stones carved as puzzle pieces form the well’s walls.
An inverted step pyramid descends to a small stone platform jutting out over the well shaft which descends 80 ft. to the water below.
Many humanoid skulls are mortared into the walls of this circular wall shaft. The macabre decorations make scaling the well’s shaft much easier than normal.
This circular well hole is actually the bore hole of a purple worm.
Leg bones of many large creatures decorate the top portion of this 150-foot deep dry well.
An upturned barrel serves as an impromptu cover for the well. A wooden bucket amid a coil of rope stands atop the barrel.
Sharp shards of loosely piled rock surround an open hole in the ground.
A crude wooden bridge—nothing more than two planks—crosses this ten-foot wide hole.
Bricks of gold travertine marble form this well’s low round wall.
Minor Features & Dressing
The well contains foul-smelling, fetid water. Creatures drinking the water may become poisoned.
Red ochre, ogre-sized handprints decorate the well’s shaft leading all the way down to the water below.
This dry well is filled with thick cobwebs; the dusty cocoons of insects and small animals hang within.
Scorch marks and soot—indicative of a raging fire—cover the ground around the well.
A precariously balanced mass of collapsed and burnt wood covers the well opening.
A thick sheet of leaded glass covers the well.
The droppings of giant centipedes cover the ground around the well.
Small rectangular holes pierce the well wall; two brass bars lean against it.
A large, crudely carved, sigil depicting crossed falchions is chiselled into the ground near the well.
The rope for the well’s bucket is cut into three sections—none long enough to reach the water below.
Fresh blood splatters cover the ground near the well.
Fresh mortar, abandoned tools and fresh blood cover the floor. Bloody tracks lead away from the well.
A shallow trench leads away from the well.
The well stands in a small alcove hacked out of the living rock; the niche’s walls are sharp.
A great mass of rubble fallen from the roof above chokes the well with debris.
Stalagmites and stalactites from a cage-like structure around the well.
As the characters approach the well, a moaning wind issues forth from it.
The well’s water is fouled by the corpse of a dungeon denizen; creatures drinking the water may become poisoned.
A pile of basic adventuring gear—a backpack, several days of rations and so on—lies neatly next to the well.
The well’s pulley mechanism is torn from its supports; the rope is cut into several sections.
Credit
This is a short system-neutral extract from GM’s Miscellany: Dungeon Dressing. The book is available in 5e, System Neutral and Pathfinder 1 editions. The OSR edition will be available in early 2023.
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