Were-rat warrens needed for Homebrew 3.5

[Doomlounge]

I am designing a home-brew town, and looking for a ready-to-go product I could use for were-rats warrens underneath the small town (Falcon Hollow size.) Any suggestions?

Background:

Spoiler:

For background, I am using the same concept as the Arachne who live peacefully among the townsfolk, like in Dungeon's "Attack of the Spider Eaters," but using were-rats as the symbotic population; this time, the pretty princess character is a were-rat. So the were-rats are not trying to enslave the city, only trying to survive in a cursed and doomed town, and to protect their own. Engaged in minor smuggling, pickpocketing, and "Thieves Guild Light" sort of work -- no problem with them taking over an existing architecture with a different function so I have some flexibility.

[Scott Carter]

Doomlounge wrote:

I am designing a home-brew town, and looking for a ready-to-go product I could use for were-rats warrens underneath the small town (Falcon Hollow size.) Any suggestions?

Ptolus (and the PDFs that it is broken down into) has a den of ratmen that could work, but you don't need that to buy anything for that if all you are looking for is a location.

In this case the were-rats have coopted a small shrine of some suitable deity: the god of thieves, beggers,the night, secrets, tricksters, or something similar. It need not be an elaborate place, perhaps a converted store or small warehouse. Some of the wererat leaders could hold semi regular services in human guise to keep suspicion off of the shrine. Meanwhile a secret tunnel in the basement would connect to both the sewers and a set of old rooms under a nearby bridge. No need for anything elaborate. You can find sewre maps and shrine maps just about anywhere for free. Use some simply but nasty traps, a few direrats, maybe an earth elemental who attack risks filth fever as a "garbage elemental" and you should be all set.

The Speaker in Dreams has a warehouse that has wererats living in it, IIRC.

Adamant Entertainment has a 4e adventure called Scourage of the Rat Men, I dont really know anything about it.

If the town is built on a harbor or river I would use an abandoned or wrecked ship down at the docks. Depending on how you want the wererats to playout it could be a rotting junker or it could be a converted gambling den, looking decrepited but ready for a quick get away if need arises.

[Doomlounge]

Scott Carter wrote:

In this case the were-rats have coopted a small shrine of some suitable deity: the god of thieves, beggers,the night, secrets, tricksters, or something similar. It need not be an elaborate place, perhaps a converted store or small warehouse.

Thanks, great inspiration! I remembered the warehouse in Kobold and the Box (my all time favorite old Dungeon adventure) which is really easily adaptable to any location -- it's already made an appearance in "The Keep on the Borderlands" in a nano-con we ran in Alaska... go KnaveCon!

Scott Carter wrote:

If the town is built on a harbor or river I would use an abandoned or wrecked ship down at the docks. Depending on how you want the wererats to playout it could be a rotting junker or it could be a converted gambling den, looking decrepited but ready for a quick get away if need arises.

I love it! Rats leaving the sinking ship! So I borrow the grounded ship used as a tavern in "Attack of the Spider Eaters," (another great Dungeon adventure), the warehouse from "The Kobold and the Box," and throw in some of the tunnels from "Revenge of the Rat King," and I've got my setting!

Thanks again for the inspiration!

[Ultradan]

I'd use the map from the old D&D modula A1:Secret of the Slaver's Stockade... It has a bunch of sewer tunnels that lead to a small complexe filled with cages and a few rooms. I think it would sort of fit in quite nicely here.

Ultradan