18. Shaft

The description below assumes that the characters have not seen the shaft on other levels, which admittedly isn't likely. Amend the description as you see fit if they have. Looking through the opening, you see a large, dark space. A bridge lies before you, spanning a dark void and crossing a room that seems to be an irregular octagonal shape. Looking over the side of the bridge, you can just make out the floor, and you see archways going in four directions there. Above you is another bridge crossing at a different angle. You cannot see the ceiling of the shaft, but from the sounds of this place it must be quite a distance up. The drop from the bridge here is just 30 feet to the fourth level of the dungeon, resulting in 3d6 points of damage to anyone who falls or jumps from the bridge. Note that this means that player characters will almost certainly be able to see the floor by holding their light sources over the edge of the bridge. In the case of an accidental fall, the character may attempt a saving throw vs. Death Ray with Dexterity bonus applied to catch the bridge, suffering no damage but being left in a precarious position.