Venture deep into mines, caves, tunnels, burrows, and dungeons – and try these 10+ underground encounters for your D&D and other TTRPG game!
In the bowels of the Earth
You’ve been following this tunnel for some time – ten minutes, perhaps? It should lead you to the vertical shaft and the lift, your closest way out of this maze-like abandoned mine. Your light source is dimming with each passing minute, and you can feel the pangs of pain in your ankle after your last tumble in the near-absolute darkness. You gather your willpower and take a deep breath, staring at the two identical passages in front of you. The corridor splits here, and you find yourself at the crossroads…
1. The Well
A near-perfectly circular opening in the cavern floor is filled with crystal-clear water. There is no bottom you can see, though the walls widen, suggesting a vast underground lake.
2. Greetings from the Past
Your light source reveals a bright wall of this cavern is adorned with hundreds of red palm prints, the oldest of which nearly disappeared under their successors. Seeing a seemingly fresh bowl of red ochre, you feel an urge to add your hand to the gallery.
3. The Nest
The cave floor is covered in ancient white guano stacked between the stalagmites and stalactite labyrinth. Mounds of large, black insects swarm in the dried heaps, skittering away at your unexpected presence.
4. The Glare
A curious stream of colorful lights illuminates the chambers weathered by ages. The natural cavern’s walls gleam in multi-hued glare reflected from your light source, seemingly moving along with the shadows.
5. Chance Meeting
The narrow pathways of caverns stretching beneath the mountains are a peculiar place to meet fellow travelers. Nonetheless, you see the lights of an approaching group ahead.
6. Rocks Fall
A loud rumble ahead calls your attention to the rockfall. Belying all reason, a large, round boulder hurls towards you down the corridor slope.
7. The Puzzle
Floor tiles ahead of you are adorned with complex sigils and markings. The symbols repeat in a pattern, leading you to think the corridor is trapped, and you must only step on the correct tiles.
8. The Farm
The maze of passages suddenly opens into a large cavern, overgrown with massive mushroom caps. As you wade through the spore-filled air, you realize the shrooms are planted in purposeful rows.
9. The Canary
The darkness of underground passages is pierced by melodic chirps and fluttering of wings. A colorful canary flies out of the darkness and sits on your shoulder.
10. The Lake
A cool breeze washes over you as narrow passages gradually widen into a cavern. Your light source reveals a vast, underground lake full of crystal clear waters. Amidst the glimmer of your light reflected in it, you can make out a shape of a sunken rowboat.
Need More Encounters?
Wayfarer’s Deck: Depths of the Earth invites you to venture deep into mines, caves, tunnels, burrows, and dungeons. Discover fabulous treasure, encounter other travelers and suspicious cracks in the ceiling, get uncomfortably lost, find traps (hopefully not too late!), and explore the marvelous and dangerous underworld.
Grab the whole deck on DriveThruRPG or Itch.
Going on a trip somewhere else? Check the whole collection of encounters in Wayfarer’s Decks.
Prefer to hold your fate in your hands? Grab a collection of Wayfarer’s Decks in print: 650 illustrated encounters right there for your enjoyment.
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