(D&D 5e) Tales From The Yawning Portal

250 Pages·2017·55.22 MB·English

by  Wizards RPG Team

TALES
FROM
YAWfflff PORTAL
G
THE
CREDITS
Compilers: Kim Mohan, Mike Mearls Graphic Designer: Emi Tanji Producer: Stan!
Lead Rules Developer: Jeremy Crawford Cover Illustrator: Tyler Jacobson Project Manager: Heather Fleming
Fifth Edition Conversion: Chris Sims, Sean K Interior Illustrators: Mark Behm, Eric Belisle, Product Engineer: Cynda Callaway
Reynolds, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes Zoltan Boros, Noah Bradley, Sam Carr, Imaging Technicians: Sven Bolen, Carmen
Jedd Chevrier, Bud Cook, Olga Drebas, Cheung, Kevin Yee
Managing Editor: Jere1,1y Crawford Wayne England, Lake Hurwitz, Izzy, Tyler Art Administration: David Gershman
Editors: Kim Mohan, Michele Carter Jacobson, Titus Lunter, Brynn Metheney, Prepress Specialist: Jefferson Dunlap
Editorial Assistance: Chris Dupuis, Ben Scott Murphy, Claudio Pozas, Ned Rogers,
Petrisor, Matt Sernett Chris Seaman, Cory Trego-Erdner, Franz Other D&D Team Members: Bart Carroll,
Vohwinkel, Mark Winters, Sam Wood, John Feil, Trevor Kidd, Adam Lee,
Art Director: Kate Irwin Ben Wootten Christopher Lindsay, Shelly Mazzanoble,
Additional Art Direction: Shauna Narciso, Cartographers: Jason A. Engle, Rob Christopher Perkins, Hilary Ross,
Richard Whitters Lazzaretti, Mike Schley, Ben Wootten Liz Schuh, Nathan Stewart, Greg Tito,
Shawn Wood
CREDITS FROM THE ORIGINAL ADVENTURES
Tomb of Horrors (1978) Editing and Production: Dave Cook, Jeff R. Cartography: Todd Gamble
Design: Gary Gygax Leason, Lawrence Schick Illustrations: Dennis Cramer, Todd Lockwood
Illustrations: Etol Otus, jeffDee, Gregory
White Plume Mountain (1979) K. Fleming, David S. LaForce, David C. The Forge of Fury (2000)
Design: Lawrence Schick Sutherland 111 Design: Richard Baker
Editing and Suggestions: Mike Carr, Allen Editing: Miranda Horner
Hammack, Harold Johnson, Tim Jones, Against the Giants (1981) Cartography: Todd Gamble
Jeff Leason, Dave Sutherland, Jean Wells Design: Gary Gygax Illustrations: Dennis Cramer, Todd Lockwood
Art: Dave Sutherland, Erol Otus, Darlene Editing: Mike Carr, Timothy Jones, Jon
Pekul, Jeff Dee, David S. La Force, Jim Pickens, Lawrence Schick Dead in Thay (2014)
Roslof, Bill Willingham Art: David C. Sutherland Ill, David A. Design: Scott Fitzgerald Gray
Tram pier, Jeff Dee, David S. La Force, Editing: Ray Vallese
The Hidden Shrine ofTamoachan (1980) Erol Otis, Bill Willingham Cartography: Mike Schley
Design: Harold Johnson, Jeff R. Leason Illustrations: Eric Belisle, Sam Carr, Tyler
Able Assistance: Dave Cook, Lawrence Schick The Sunless Citadel (2000) Jacobson, Miles Johnstone, Mark Winters
Editing: Harold Johnson Design: Bruce R. Cordell
Editing: Miranda Horner
ON THE COVER
As proprietor of the Yawning Portal, Durnan has heard amazing
tales from adventurers of all sorts from across the multiverse, as
seen in this array of characters by Tyler Jacobson.
See if you can identify the face and
7 the adventure found in Tales from
the Yawning Portal.
6
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ISBN: 978-0-7869-6609-7
First Printing: April 2017
987654321
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master's Gu dt, a otrier Wizards of
the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their dist net e enesses are property
of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the Un ted Sta~es of Amer ca Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the ma:er a or ar:iNork contained
herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coas:.
-.-s ..c S:- :;; .. e E"!l e-Boechat 31, 2800 Dee on C-
CONTENTS
Introduction ........................................... 4 App. A: Magic Items ....................... 228 Thayan Warrior ................................. 246
Using This Book .................................... 4 Amulet of Protection from Thorn Slinger .................................... 246
The Yawning Portal .............................. 5 Turning ............................................ 228 Transmuter ......................................... 247
Balance of Harmony ........................ 228 Vampiric Mist .................................... 247
Ch. 1: The Sunless Citadel ................ 9
Bracelet of Rock Magic ................... 228 White Maw ......................................... 248
Adventure Synopsis .............................. 9
Eagle Whistle .................................... 228 Yusdrayl .............................................. 248
Running the Adventure ........................ 9
Oakhurst... ............................................. 10 Hell Hound Cloak ............................. 228 Maps
The Citadel ............................................ 11 LoadStone ........................................... 228 Map 1.1: Fortress Level... ................... 13
th st 228
Aftermath .............................................. 31 Mirror of e Pa ····························· Map 1.2: Grove Level .......................... 26
Ch 2 Th F fF 33 Night Caller ........................................ 228 Map 2.1: The Stone Tooth ................. 35
· : e orge O ury ·················· Potion of Mind Control .................... 229
Map 2.2: The Mountain Door ........... 37
Adventure Synopsis ............................ 33 R b f S 229
o e o ummer .............................. .
Map 2.3: The Glitterhame ................ .44
Character Hooks .................................. 33
Shatterspike ....................................... 229
Map 2.4: The Sinkhole ...................... .49
Approaching Khundrukar ................. 34
Spear of Backbiting. ......................... 229 Map 2.5: The Foundry ........................ 52
The Forge of Fury ................................ 36
Stone of Ill Luck ................................ 229 M 2 6 Th Bl k L k 58
Aftermath .............................................. 59 ap · : e ac a e ···················
Wand of Entangle ............................. 229 Map 3.1: The Hidden Shrine
Ch. 3: The Hidden Shrine Waythe ................................................. 229
of Tamoachan .................................... 63
ofTamoachan ................................... 61 A B C 230 M 4 1 C v· 97
pp. : reatures............................ ap . : utaway 1ew ..................... .
Running the Adventure ...................... 61 A . d T bl M Wh Pl M · 98
mmate a e................................. 230 ap 4 . 2 : ite ume ountam .... .
th 61
The Ruins of e Shrine ..................... Barghest... ........................................... 230 Map 4.3: Geysers and Chains ........... 99
Ch. 4: White Plume Mountain ........ 95 Centaur Mummy ............................... 231 Map 4.4: Boiling Lake. ..................... 102
Running the Adventure ...................... 95 Champion ........................................... 231 Map 4.5: Aquarium and Prison ..... 105
Locations in the Dungeon ................. 97 Choker. ................................................ 232 Map 5.1: The Doomvault... ............... 111
Escaping the Dungeon .................... 107 Conjurer .............................................. 232 Map 5.2: Player Map ......................... 117
Ch. 5: Dead in Thay ........................ 109 Deathlock Wight ............................... 233 Map 5.3: Abyssal Prisons ................ 118
Synopsis .............................................. 109 Dread Warrior ................................... 233 Map 5.4: Blood Pens ........................ 125
The Doomvault .................................. 109 Duergar Spy ....................................... 234 Map 5.5: Masters' Domain ............. 129
Into the Doomvault ............................ 116 Enchanter ........................................... 234 Map 5.6: Far Realm Cysts .............. 135
Abyssal Prisons. ................................. 118 Evoker ................................................. 235 Map 5.7: Forests of Slaughter ........ 139
Blood Pens ......................................... 124 Giant Crayfish .................................... 235 Map 5.8: Ooze Grottos ...................... 142
Masters' Domain. .............................. 129 Giant Ice Toad ................................... 235 Map 5.9: Predator Pools .................. 146
Far Realm Cysts ............................... 134 Giant Lightning Eel... ....................... 236 Map 5.10: Golem Laboratories ....... 151
Forests of Slaughter ......................... 138 Giant Skeleton ................................... 236 Map 5.11: Temples of
Ooze Grottos ....................................... 141 Giant Subterranean Lizard ............ 236 Extraction ........................................ 156
Predator Pools .................................... 145 Greater Zombie ................................. 237 Map 5.12: The Phylactery Vault... ... 161
Golem Laboratories ......................... 150 Illusionist... ......................................... 237 Map 5.13: The Phylactery Vault... ... 162
Temples of Extraction ...................... 155 Kalka-Kylla ......................................... 238 Map 6.1: Hill Giant Stronghold,
The Phylactery Vault... ..................... 160 Kelpie ................................................... 238 Upper Level... .................................. 168
Aftermath ........................................... 163 Leucrotta ............................................ 239 Map 6.2: Hill Giant Stronghold,
· h G. Malformed Kraken ........................... 239 Dungeon Level ................................ 174
Ch . 6 : A ga1nst t e 1ants ............. . 165
· h Ad Martial Arts Adept... ......................... 240 Map 6.3: Frost Giant Stronghold,
R unnmg t e ventures ................ . 165
Nereid .................................................. 240 Upper Level... .................................. 180
Steading of the Hill
Giant Chief... ................................... Necromancer ..................................... 241 Map 6.4: Frost Giant Stronghold,
166
The Glacial Rift of the Frost Ooze Master ....................................... 241 Lower Level .................................... 184
. J Sea Lion .............................................. 242 Map 6.5: Hall of the Fire
Giant ar1 ......................................... . 179
. G. K. Sharwyn Hucrele .............................. 242 Giant King, Entrance Level... ...... 190
H a 11 o f t h e Fire 1ant mg ............. . 191
Sir Braford ......................................... 243 Map 6.6: Hall of the Fire
Ch. 7: Tomb ofHorrors ................... 211 s· 243 G. t K. g s d L I 200
tren .................................................... 1an m , econ eve ........... .
Legend of the Tomb ........................... 21l Tarul Var ............................................. 244 Map 6.7: Hall of the Fire
Running the Adventure .................... 211 Te cuz1·z t eca ti ...................................... 245 c·1 an t K.1 n g , Th.t r d L eve 1. ............. . 204
Locations in the Tomb ..................... 212 Th ayan Ap pren t't ee........................... 245 M ap 7.1 : 'T1'0 m b o f H orrors .............. . 213
INTRODUCTION
ELCOME TO TALES FROM THE YAWNING PORTAL. ABOUT THE ADVENTURES
Within this book you will find seven of the
deadliest dungeons from the history of D&D,
THE SUNLESS CITADEL
updated for the current edition of the game.
The Sunless Citadel, written by Bruce R. Cordell, was
Some are classics that have hosted an untold
the first published adventure for the third edition of the
number of adventurers, while others are
D&D game. It is designed for a party of four or five 1st
newer creations boldly staking their place in
level player characters.
the pantheon of notable D&D adventures.
Ever since its publication in 2000, The Sunless Cit
Just as these dungeons have made an impression on
adel has been widely regarded as an excellent way to
D&D players, so too have tales of their dangers spread
introduce new players to the game. It's also a great start
across the D&D multiverse. When the night grows long
ing experience for someone looking to be a Dungeon
in Waterdeep, City of Splendors, and the fireplace in the
Master for the first time.
taproom of the Yawning Portal dims to a deep crimson,
adventurers from across the Sword Coast- and even
THE FORGE OF FURY
some visiting from other D&D worlds- spin tales and
The Forge of Fury, written by Richard Baker, was pub
rumors of lost treasures.
lished in 2000 shortly after The Sunless Citadel. Char
A wanderer from the distant Shou Empire speaks of acters who succeeded in that mission and advanced to
strange, leering devil faces carved in dungeon walls 3rd level were now ready to take on the challenges of a
that can devour an explorer in an instant, leaving be ruined dwarven fortress.
hind not a single trace of the poor soul's passing. Like its predecessor, The Forge ofF ury is tailored to
A bald, stern wizard clad in blue robes and speaking provide increasingly tougher threats as the characters
with a strange accent tells of a wizard who claimed make their way through the fortress. Those who survive
three powerful weapons from a city on the shores of the experience can expect to advance to 5th level
a lake of unknown depths, who spirited them away to seasoned adventurers ready to strive for greater glory
a slumbering volcano and dared adventurers to enter and renown.
his lair and recover them.
• A one-eyed dwarf spins tales of a castle that fell into THE HIDDEN SHRINE OF TAMOACHAN
the earth, and whose ruins stand above a subterra The Hidden Shrine ofTamoachan, written by Harold
nean grove dominated by a tree that spawns evil. Johnson and Jeff R. Leason, made its debut under the
title Lost Tamoachan at the Origins game convention in
These are only a few of the tales that have spread across
1979, where it was used in the official D&D competition.
the Sword Coast from the furthest reaches of Faerun
The first published version of the adventure was pro
and beyond. The minor details change with the telling.
duced in 1980.
The dread tomb of Acererak shifts its location from a
The updated version of the adventure presented
dismal swamp, to a searing desert, to some other for
herein is designed for a group of four or five 5th-level
bidding clime in each telling. The key elements remain
player characters.
the same in each version of the tales, lending a thread of
truth to the tale. WHITE PLUME MOUNTAIN
The seeds of those stories now rest in your hand. Lawrence Schick, the author of White Plume Mountain,
D&D's deadliest dungeons are now part of your arsenal related in the 2013 compilation Dungeons of Dread that
of adventures. Enjoy, and remember to keep a few spare he wrote the adventure as a way of persuading Gary
character sheets handy. Gygax to hire him as a game designer. Not only did he
get the job, but White Plume became an instant favorite
USING THIS BOOK when it was first published in 1979.
The version of the adventure in this book is tailored to
Tales from the Yawning Portal contains seven adven
a group of characters of 8th level.
tures taken from across D&D's history.
The introduction of each adventure provides ideas
DEAD IN THAY
on adapting it to a variety of D&D settings. Use that in
Dead in Thay, written by Scott Fitzgerald Gray, was cre
formation to place it in your campaign or to give you an
ated when the fifth edition D&D game was in the testing
idea of how to adapt it.
stages. In its original form, it was used as the story of
These adventures provide the perfect side quest away
the D&D Encounters season in the spring of 2014. Fea
from your current campaign. If you run published D&D
turing an immense and lethal dungeon known as the
campaigns, such as Storm King's Thunder, the higher
Doomvault, the adventure serves as a tribute to Tomb of
level adventures presented here are an ideal way to ex
Horrors, Ruins of Undermountain, and other "killer dun
tend the campaign beyond.
geons" throughout the history of the game.
The version of Dead in Thay presented here is modi
fied for use in home campaigns. It is designed for char
acters of 9th to 11th level.
INTRODUCTION
AGAINST THE GIANTS CREATING A CAMPAIGN
The three linked adventures that make up Against the
While these adventures were never meant to be com
Giants were created and originally released in 197 .
bined into a full campaign- over 30 years separates
during the time when Gary Gygax was still writing the
the newest from the oldest- they have been selected
Player's Handbook for the original AD&D game. Despite
to provide play across a broad range of levels. With a
being (in a sense) older than the game itself, these ad
little work, you can run a complete campaign using only
ventures continue to hold a special place in the hearts
this book.
and memories of D&D players of all ages.
Starting with The Sunless Citadel, guide your players
The compilation of Steading of the Hill Giant Chief,
through the adventures in the order that they are pre
Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant]arl, and Hall of the Fire
sented in this book. Each one provides enough XP that,
Giant King was published in 1981 as Against the Giants.
upon completing the adventure, the characters should
The version presented here is designed to be under
be high enough level to advance to the next one.
taken by characters of 11th level.
The Yawning Portal, or some other tavern of your own
invention or drawn from another D&D setting, provides
TOMB OF HORRORS
the perfect framing device for the campaign. The char
Before there was much of anything else in the world of
acters hear rumors of each dungeon, with just enough
the D&D game, there was the Tomb of Horrors.
information available to lead them to the next adventure.
The first version of the adventure was crafted for Gary
Perhaps a friendly NPC drawn from the upcoming
Gygax's personal campaign in the early 1970s and went
adventure visits the tavern in search of help, or some
on to be featured as the official DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
element of a character's background pushes the group
event at the original Origins gaming convention in 1975.
down the proper road. In any case, these dungeons are
The first publication of Tomb of Horrors, as a part of the
designed to be easily portable to any campaign setting.
Advanced D&D game, came in 1978.
As a proving ground for characters and players alike,
THE YAWNING PORTAL
fabricated by the devious mind of the game's cocreator,
Tomb ofH orrors has no equal in the annals of D&D's Amid the bustle ofWaterdeep, within the Castle Ward
greatest adventures. Only high-level characters stand where barristers, nobles, and emissaries battle with
a chance of coming back alive, but every player who word and contract, stands an inn not quite like any
braves the Tomb will have the experience of a lifetime. other. Before there was a Castle Ward or even what
could be recognized as an ancestor of the City of Splen
RUNNING THE ADVENTURES
dors, there was a dungeon, and in that dungeon begins
To run each of these adventures, you need the fifth edi the tale of the Yawning Portal.
tion Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and In ages past, the mighty wizard Halaster built his
Monster Manual. Before you sit down with your players, tower at the foot of Mount Waterdeep and delved deep
read the text of the adventure all the way through and into tunnels first built by dwarves and drow in search
familiarize yourself with the maps as well, perhaps of ever greater magical power. Halaster and his appren
making notes about complex areas or places where the tices expanded the tunnels they found, worming out new
characters are certain to go, so you're well prepared be lairs under the surface for reasons of their own. In time,
fore the action starts. their excavations grew into the vast labyrinth known
today as Undermountain, the largest dungeon in all of
l
the Forgotten Realms. Halaster eventually disappeared,
Text that appears in a box like this is meant to be read as have all his apprentices, but the massive complex he
aloud or paraphrased for the players when their charac built remains to this day.
ters first arrive at a location or under a specific circum For untold years, the secrets of Undermountain re
mained hidden from the surface world. Everyone who
stance, as described in the text.
entered its halls failed to return. Its reputation as a
death trap grew to the point that criminals in Waterdeep
The Monster Manual contains stat blocks for most
of the monsters and NPCs found in this book. When a
THE GREEN DRAGON INN
monster's name appears in bold type, that's a visual cue
The Yawning Portal is not the only renowned tavern in
pointing you to the creature's stat block in the Monster
D&D lore. In the Free City of Greyhawk stands the Green
Manual. Descriptions and stat blocks for new monsters Dragon Inn, which has been the starting point for some of
appear in appendix B. If a stat block is in that appendix, the most successful expeditions to Castle Greyhawk and
an adventure's text tells you so. beyond. The place is crowded and smoke-filled. Patrons
Spells and nonmagical objects or equipment men talk in low voices, and anyone attempting to strike up a
tioned in the book are described in the Player's Hand conversation without making a clear intent to pay can ex
book. Magic items are described in the Dungeon Mas pect a cold reception. Paranoia and suspicion run rampant
here, as befits a free city that stands at the nexus between
ter's Guide, unless the adventure's text directs you to an
a devil-haunted empire, a vast domain locked in the iron
item's description in appendix A.
tight grip of a demigod of evil, and a splintered, bickering
host of kingdoms nominally committed to justice and
weal. In the battered, weary world ofGreyhawk, profit and
power take precedence over heroics.
INTRODUCTION
5
who were sentenced to die were forcibly escorted into Oddities on Display. A staggering variety of curios
the dungeon and left to fend for themselves. and oddities adorn the taproom. Traditionally, adven
All of that changed with the arrival of two men, a turers who recover a strange relic from Undermountain
warrior named Durnan and a ne'er-do-well named Mirt. present it to Durnan as a trophy of their success. Other
The duo were the first adventurers to return from Un adventurers leave such curio to mark their visits to
dermountain, laden with riches and magic treasures. the tavern, or relinquish them after losing a bet with
While Mirt used his wealth to buy a mansion, Durnan Durnan, who likes to wager on the fate of adventuring
had different plans. Durnan retired from adventuring bands that enter the dungeon. Occasionally, something
and purchased the land on which sat the deep, broad that strikes Durnan's fancy can be used to pay a bar tab.
well that was the only known entrance to the dungeon.
Around this well he built a tavern and inn that caters to YAWNING PORTAL TAPROOM CURIOS
adventurers and those who seek their services, and he
d20 Item
called it the Yawning Portal.
A key carved from bone
Some of the magic Durnan looted on his successful
2 A small box with no apparent way to open it
foray into Undermountain granted him a life span that
3 A mummified troglodyte's hand
exceeds even that of an elf. And for decades Durnan left
delving into Undermountain to younger folk. Yet one 4 Half of an iron symbol of Bane
day, something drew him back. Days of waiting for his 5 A small burlap pouch filled with various teeth
triumphant return from the dungeon turned to months 6 Burnt fragments of a scroll
and then years. For nearly a century, citizens ofWater 7 A lute missing its strings
deep thought him dead. But one night, a voice called up 8 A bloodstained map
from the well. Few at first believed it could be Durnan, 9 An iron gauntlet that is hot to the touch
but folk as long-lived as he vouched it so. The Yawning 10 A gold coin stamped with a worn, hawk-wing helm
Portal had passed into the hands of his ancestors, but
crest
Durnan returned with enough riches for them to quietly
11 A troll finger, still wriggling
retire. Durnan took his customary place behind the bar,
12 A silver coin that makes no noise when dropped
raised a toast to his own safe return, and then began
13 An empty jar; when opened, a wolf howl sounds from it
serving customers as if he'd never left.
and continues until it is closed
Adventurers from across Faerun, and even from else
where in the great span of the multiverse, visit the Yawn 14 A clockwork owl; when wound, its head turns and it
ing Portal to exchange knowledge about Undermountain hoots softly for a minute
and other dungeons. Most visitors are content to swap 15 A blue, glowing crystal shard
stories by the hearth, but sometimes a group driven by 16 A statuette of a panther, wooden and painted black
greed, ambition, or desperation pays the toll for entry 17 A piece of parchment, listing fourteen magical pools
and descends the well. Most don't survive to make the and their effects when touched
return trip, but enough come back with riches and tales
18 A vial filled with a dark, fizzy liquid that is sealed and
of adventure to tempt other groups into trying their luck.
cannot be opened
19 A feeler taken from a slain rust monster
FEATURES OF THE YAWNING PORTAL
20 A wooden pipe marked with El minster's sigil
The Yawning Portal's taproom fills the first floor of the
building. The 40-foot-diameter well that provides access A TYPICAL EVENING
to Undermountain dominates the space. The "well" is all
that remains of Halaster's tower, and now, devoid of the On quiet nights, guests in the Yawning Portal gather
stairways and floors that formed subterranean levels, it around a large fireplace in the taproom and swap tales
drops as an open shaft for 140 feet. Stirges, spiders, and of distant places, strange monsters, and valuable trea
worse have been known to invade the Yawning Portal sures. On busier nights, the place is loud and crowded.
from below. The balconies overflow with merchants and nobles,
Balconies on the tavern's second and third floors while the tables on the ground floor are filled with
overlook the well, with those floors accessed by way of adventurers and their associates. Invariably, the combi
wooden stairs that rise up from the taproom. Guests sit nation of a few drinks and the crowd's encouragement
ting at the tables on the balconies have an excellent view induces some folk to pay for a brief trip down into Un
of the well and the action below. dermountain. Most folk pay in advance for a ride down
Entering the Well. Those who wish to enter Under and immediately back up, though a few ambitious souls
mountain for adventure (or the daring tourists who might launch impromptu expeditions into the dungeon.
just want to "ride the rope") must pay a gold piece to be Few such ill-prepared parties ever return.
lowered down. The return trip also costs a piece of gold, Groups seeking to enter Undermountain for a specific
sent up in a bucket in advance. Once the initial payment reason generally come to the tavern during its quiet
is made, a few stairs takes one to the top of the waist hours. Even at such times, there are still a few prying
high lip of the well. The rope that hangs in the center eyes in the taproom, lurkers who carry news of the com
of the well is levered over to the lip by a beam in the ings and goings from Undermountain to the Zhentarim.
rafters, and when those who have paid are ready, they dark cults, criminal gangs, and other interested parties.
mount the rope and take the long ride down.
INTRODUCTION
6
,:TARTING THE STORY
• eking off a dungeon adventure can be as simple as
~axing a mysterious stranger offer the characters a
..,. est while they are at the Yawning Portal (or some
·her tavern). This approach is a cliche, but it is an effec
·e one. Use the following two tables to generate a cou
e of details, then tailor the particulars of the quest and
e quest giver to suit the adventure you plan to run.
MYSTERIOUS STRANGER OFFERS A QUEST
8 Objective
Recover a particular item
Find and return with an N PC or monster
3 Slay a terrible monster or NPC
Guard a person while they perform a ritual
5 Create an accurate map of part of the dungeon
5 Discover secret lore hidden in the dungeon
Destroy an object
3 Sanctify part of the dungeon to a god of good
OTHER DENIZENS
HE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER'S SECRET The Yawning Portal is host to a variety of regular visi
tors, most of whom offer services to adventurers. Chap
d8 Secret
ter 4 of the Dungeon Master's Guide provides plenty
Intends to betray the party
of resources for generating nonplayer characters. The
2 Unwittingly provides false information
following table provides some possibilities for why an
3 Has a secret agenda (roll another quest)
individual is visiting the Yawning Portal.
4 Is a devil in disguise
5 Has led other parties to their doom DENIZENS OF THE YAWNING PORTAL
6 Is the charmed thrall of a mind flayer
dlO Denizen
7 Is possessed by a ghost
Devotee ofTymora, encourages adventures to seek out
8 Is a solar in disguise
quests, can cast bless
2 Bored, retired adventurer, claims to have explored
DURNAN
dungeon of note and can describe first few areas (20
The proprietor of the Yawning Portal is something of an percent chance of an accurate description)
enigma. Blessed with a seemingly limitless life span by 3 Heckler, mocks cowards and makes bets that adventur
rreasures he brought back from his expedition nearly
ers won't return from an expedition
vo centuries ago, he is as much a fixture in the tap
4 Con artist, selling fake treasure maps (but a 10 percent
room as the well.
chance that a map is genuine)
Durnan is a man of few words. He expects to be paid
5 Wizard's apprentice, carefully making exact sketches of
for his time, and will offer insight and rumors only in
various curios at her master's command
return for hard cash. "We know the odds and take our
chances," he says, whether he is breaking up a card 6 Spouse of a slain adventurer, who pays the toll for any
game that has turned violent or refusing the pleas of ad one wanting to exit Undermountain and plots against
venturers trapped at the bottom of the well who are un Durnan
able to pay for a ride up. Despite his stony heart, he is an 7 Zhentarim agent, seeks rumors of treasure, tails any
excellent source of information about Undermountain folk who return from Undermountain and notes their
and other dungeons, provided one can pay his price. home base for future robbery
Personality Trait: Isolation. It's a cruel world. All
8 Agent of the Xanathar, ordered to "steal the hat worn
people have to fend for themselves. Self-sufficiency is
by the eighth person to enter the taproom this night"
the only path to success.
9 Magically preserved corpse in a coffin leaning against
Ideal: Independence. Someone who can stand alone
the bar; if asked about it, Durnan says, "He's waiting
can stand against anything.
for someone," and nothing more
Bond: The Yawning Portal. This place is my only
home. My friends and family are long gone. I love this 10 El minster, incognito; 10 percent chance he is on an
place, but I try not to get attached to the people here. I'll errand of cosmic importance; otherwise, he's pressing
outlive them all. Lucky me. Durnan for gossip
Flaw: Heartless. If you want sympathy, the Temple of
Ilmater is in the Sea Ward. No matter how bad things
are, you'll be gone in a blink of an eye.
INTRODUCTION
7

THE SUNLESS CITADEL
All things roll here: horrors of midnights, 2. Kobold Den. The characters' foray into the citadel be
Campaigns of a lost year, gins with an incursion into the most accessible areas
of the fortress, where a tribe of kobolds has taken up
Dungeons disturbed, and groves of lights;
residence. The characters can avoid strife with the ko
Echoing on these shores, still clear, bolds by agreeing to retrieve a lost pet for the kobold
Dead ecstasies of questing knights- leader, and they might be able to persuade the kobolds
to join their side.
Yet how the wind revives us here!
3. Goblin Lair. The goblins that live deeper inside the
-Arthur Rimbaud
citadel consider themselves the owners of the place.
They defend themselves aggressively against intru
HIS ADVENTURE CONCERNS A ONCE-PROUD sion, making it difficult to avoid combat with them.
fortress that fell into the earth in an age 4. Hidden Grove. Eventually, the characters discover
long past. Now known as the Sunless Cita the lower level of the citadel and the Twilight Grove
del, its echoing, broken halls house malign that lies within. There, they learn the truth about the
creatures. Evil has taken root at the cita enchanted fruit, and they must confront Belak the Out
del's core, which is deep within a subter cast and the Gulthias Tree.
ranean garden of blighted foliage. Here a
terrible tree and its dark shepherd plot in darkness. RUNNING THE ADVENTURE
The tree, called the Gulthias Tree, is shepherded by
To enhance the experience of the players and help you
a twisted druid, Belak the Outcast. He was drawn to
do your best job as Dungeon Master, take the following
the buried citadel twelve years ago, following stories of
pieces of advice and information into consideration.
oddly enchanted fruit to their source. The druid found
an old fortress that had been swallowed up by the
MAPPING
earth in some sort of magically invoked devastation.
With the previous inhabitants long dispersed, vile and It can be difficult to keep track of all the corridors, turns,
opportunistic creatures common to lightless dungeons areas, and other features of a dungeon setting, and the
infested the subterranean ruins. At the core of the old player characters could soon get turned around without
fortress, Belak stumbled upon the Twilight Grove. He a map. Ask for a volunteer to be the party mapper. It's
discovered at the grove's heart the Gulthias Tree, which the mapper's job to listen carefully to your description
sprouted from a wooden stake that was used to slay an of each area, noting its size and exits, and to record that
ancient vampire. information by sketching on a sheet of paper.
A perfect, ruby-red apple ripens on the Gulthias Tree
at the summer solstice, and the tree produces a single
PLACING THE ADVENTURE
albino apple at the winter solstice. The midsummer fruit The Sunless Citadel is designed to be easily located in what
grants vigor, health, and life, while the midwinter fruit ever setting the DM prefers. Here are some examples.
steals the same. In the years since Belak's arrival, the Dragonlance. On Krynn, the citadel was once part ofXak
enchanted fruit has been widely dispersed through the Tsaroth, and it harbored worshipers ofTakhisis. When that
surrounding lands, promoting good and ill. The seeds city was destroyed during the cataclysm, it fell into a rift
of either fruit, if allowed to sprout, grow into small plant that opened in the earth. In this setting, consider replacing
monsters known as twig blights. the kobolds in the adventure with gully dwarves.
Eberron. Located near the western edge of the Mourn
land, the citadel was an ancient ruin even during the time
ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS
of the Last War. Agents of Cyre used it as a way point for
During their trip through the Sunless Citadel, charac conducting espionage against neighboring realms. On the
ters deal with monstrous threats and ancient traps, as Day of Mourning, the earth opened up and swallowed the
place. The Mournland is within sight of the rift.
well as warring tribes of kobolds and goblins. The ad
Forgotten Realms. On Faerun, the Sunless Citadel was
venture is designed for four 1st-level player characters.
once a secret stronghold of the Cult of the Dragon, located
They should advance through 2nd level to 3rd level be
in the foothills northwest ofThundertree. It plunged into
fore the finale. The adventure has four basic parts:
the earth when Mount Hotenow erupted and threw Never
1. Oakhurst. Although it isn't part of the adventure per winter into chaos.
Creyhawk. The Sunless Citadel is a ruined Baklunish
se, the village of Oakhurst can provide the characters
stronghold that was cast into the bowels of the earth when
with valuable information about the citadel. They can
the Suel lmperium unleashed the Invoked Devastation.
also use Oakhurst as a place to recuperate and replen
It is located in northwestern Bissel, in the foothills west of
ish supplies.
Thornward.
CHAPTER 1 I THE SUNLESS CITADEL
9