Level 4 - Muggle Magic

Updated

Level Description

Read aloud to players as they enter the room

As you step into the circular chamber, bright arcs of crackling lightning surge between strange metal pylons scattered across the floor. Frankenstein-like bodies lie motionless nearby: stitched and scorched.

Suddenly, with a clang, metal gates slam down over the stairwells behind you. A cold, mechanical voice echoes through hidden speakers:

"Breach on the Muggle Magic Level. Activating defenses."

The electric surges grow louder and the lightning starts crackling more furiously.

Room Layout Quick Summary (Clockwise from top):

  • Northwest: Entry staircase
  • East: Control Room (easily breached by zombies)
  • Southwest: Stairs to next level (sealed)
  • West: Generators & lightning arcs
  • Center Room: Locked Generator Chamber (sturdy door, critical target)

Key Mechanics

Lightning Hazard (Blue Zones)

  • Any creature that starts its turn in or moves through lightning:
    • DC 14 Dex save, 1d8 lightning damage on fail, half on success
    • Creatures holding metal roll with disadvantage
  • Lightning arcs pulse every round: describe the chaos to maintain urgency

Zombie Spawning

  • Every 1d4 rounds, a random stitched body is struck by lightning and animates as a zombie
  • Zombies spawn randomly in the electrified zone and wander toward control room

Control Room (East Room)

  • Small, lit-up muggle control console (see puzzle)
  • The only safe area from lightning aside from the generator room
  • Door is wood/cheap metal: HP ~10-15, destroyed by 1-2 zombies in melee

Puzzle Option (Safe Solution):

The hum of machinery intensifies as you enter the control room, the only space untouched by the chaotic arcs of lightning outside. Along the curved wall stands a large, brass-plated panel labeled "POWER ROUTING CONSOLE", its dials worn smooth from years of use.

Five round knobs are set in a row beneath a blank display panel. A thick button beneath them is labeled simply: "SUBMIT."

There's no wand slot and no magical interface, just mechanical dials, a silent screen, and the faint scent of ozone.

MAD Science Control Panel.webp

Players are trying to input a 5-letter code to either:

  • Deactivate defenses (lightning + zombies)
  • Unlock generator room door

There are two valid codes. Only one can be entered at a time.

The players may find a page from a torn manual:

DEPT. OF EXPERIMENTAL INTEGRATIONS
MUGGLE OPS – EMERGENCY FIELD BRIEF

DOC ID: 3X-R7.4 // OVERRIDE: ROUTING CONSOLE OPS

In the event of thaumic overload, breach-class hostile animation, or multi-grid feedback failure, MIT-Certified operators may engage the local routing console to execute a manual redistribution sequence.

  • Rotate all Routing Index Selectors (RIS) to assign 5-node power transfer path
  • Each RIS knob reroutes current from a grid node to a subsystem endpoint
  • Full reroute requires complete alignment—partial paths will return diagnostic flags only
  • Press SUBMIT to execute
  • Wait for DRL feedback pulse (~6 seconds latency)

Feedback Legend:

  • GREEN – Node→Endpoint aligned (defense grid path)
  • PURPLE – Node→Endpoint aligned (access door path)
  • YELLOW – Node mismatch, but endpoint valid (misrouted)
  • RED – Invalid instruction; node not recognized by routing tables

"All power must be routed to an appropriate target endpoint to engage priority override. Misaligned paths will default to lockdown mode."

Refer to Symbol Index Sheets (Appendix B–D) for mapped input trees.

Feedback Colors

Use Wordle-style feedback based on comparison to both codes:

  • 🟩 Green – Correct letter & position for defense shutdown code
  • 🟪 Purple – Correct letter & position for door unlock code
  • 🟨 Yellow – Letter is in one or both codes, but in wrong position
  • 🟥 Red – Letter is not in either code

Success Effects

  • Correct defense code (all 🟩):
    • Lightning deactivates
    • Zombies collapse
    • Gates open
  • Correct door code (all 🟪):
    • Generator room door unlocks
    • Lightning/zombies remain active

Generator Room (Center Chamber)

  • Contains the core generator running the defense system
  • Door: Muggle-tech electronic lock
    • Pick Lock: DC 17 (thieves' tools)
    • Break Door: AC 20 and 40 HP
    • Control Panel unlocks it if puzzle is solved

Generator Destruction (Hard Option):

  • AC 15, HP 60, resistant to everything except lightning and fire
  • On destruction:
    • 10-ft radius explosion, 4d6 fire/lightning damage, DC 14 Dex save for half
    • Lightning and gates shut off, zombies fall
    • Also creates dramatic smoke/sparks and may damage items nearby

Rewards