The Sinister Spire (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Adventure, 4th Level)

66 Pages·2007·13.76 MB·English

by  Bruce R. Cordell

1
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THE SINISTER SPIRE"
c R E D I T s
DESIGNERS ART DIRECTOR
BRUCE CORDELL AND Au MARMELL KARIN POWELL
DEVELOPMENT AND EDITING COVER ARTIST
CHUS SIMS STEVE PRESCOTT
FREELANCE MANAGER INTERIOR ARTIST
GWENDOLYN F. M. KESTB.EL WAYNE ENGLAND
EDITING MANAGER GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
KIM MOHAN KARINJAQ!!ES, ALYSSA FIEDOR
DESIGN MANAGER CARTOGRAPHER
CHRISTOPHER PERKINS MIKE SCHLEY
DEVELOPMENT MANAGER TACTICAL MAP DESIGN
JESSE DECKER NICK ISAAC
DIRECTOR OF RPG R&D GRAPHIC PRODUCTION SPECIALISTS
BILL SLAVICSEK ANGELIKA LOKOTZ, EUN DORRIES
PRODUCTION MANAGERS IMAGE TECHNICIAN
JOSH FISCHER, RANDALL CREWS SVENBoLEN
BasedontheoriginalDUNGEONS& ORAGONS~rulescreatedbyE.GaryCygaxandDaveArneson,andthenewDUNGEONS& DRAGONS
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Introduction
Theaction in The SinisterSpireoccurs in the Underdark,
Damp, cool air blew across DarcIH/'s face. He blinked several
starting in asurf<lce runnel located anywhere convenient
times.AtIcastJ1Cthoughthedid. Blachwashiswholewodd-a
foryou,theDungeonMaster(DM).lfyourplayershavejust
blank nothinglless) hollowfor its unknown depths-eyes open
completedDDl: BarrowoftheForgotten King,the hole they
ordosed.
discoveredintheflooroftheforgottenking'srombleadsto
ThechillyairbrushillghiscllceblickleahisnoseI.vithdustalla
thistunnel.Thepesbegin thisadventure there.
themustysmellofold rot, remindingJ.lim ofthecellaybelowhis
ThisadventureassumesyouhaveexperienceasaDM.It
grandmother'shome.IIwaslikethat,but5OI11chowwider,wilder.
islikelyyou'llruntheadventureoverthecourseofseveral
WJ.ulfastrallgeplacetowake....
gamesessions,soprepareroruntheinitialencountersthe
He'dfallen!TIle memoryburstupon him with imagesoftile
first time you pby. In atypical game session, you should
s/arllcdfaces ofhiscompanionsflashitlg by, hoarse scream
(l m<lkeitthrough threetoliveencounterareas.
fdling hIS tinont. The rope hnd faIled, and he hnd pllll1ged
clown tIle narrowcllil1lllCythey'd discovered ncar tlteforgot
tell /zing's tomb.
HowfarIHtd hedropped? He tried to lift his hands, but pain
The encounter format used in this adventure uses keyed
flared in answer.Aboneortwowerecracked,thatwascertain.
Hestrailleahisheadaileway,thellall~ther. "Godsbethanlml," enrries similar 10 other published adventures. However,
tacticalencountersareseparatefrom slOryinformation.
hecroaked.Atleastliewasll'tcompletelybrol~en.lfhejustwaited
Tactical Encounters: Numbered, or keyed, areas are
Jlere,hiscomradeswOlilafiIHl him.
described in theinitialsectionofthis rext. Use thekeyed
HowIOllghadJ1ealreadylail! in thedark.depthsoftheeartJ1?
entriesasbothasummaryoftheadventureandaflowchart.
Somehow, he'lad the impression considerable time had passed.
Ifakeyedentryinvolvescombatorotheractionthatplaces
WhyJ1I1aH't theyalreadyfouud 11im?
importance on position and movement, that entry refers
"Hello?"hecalledout. Per/wpstlleywerelook.ingeven now
youtoatacticalencounter.
but col/lan't find llim i/1 the dark. "Angell,l? Jamal'ch? I'111
Atacticalencounter'spageorpagesincludeamapofthe
down here!" .He heard the desperate edge offear in llis voice.
areainwhichtheencountertakespbce,notesonsettingup
Hold it together, he told himself. He tried afew deep, cleans
theencounter,monsterstatisticsblocks,and textdescrip
illgbreaths.
tionsofhowtheterrainandfeaturesoftheencounteraffect
His callechoea illtoavastdistance beforefailing.lfhewas ill
play.Everyaspectofanencounler need notbe used-the
acave,itmllsl begigantic. Dreaagripped him.Had hefallen all
playersmightnotbeinterestedinallthederailsofanarea.
thewayiHtotheUllderdarh?
Indeed,thecharactersmightavoidwholeencounters,either
Atasuddenclntter,DnreJu/jerlwlIlisheadforward. Nomatter
intentionallyorunWittingly.
howwideJlCopmed11iseyes,theycat/ldn'!gatherallYlightill the
Thecombatencountersinthisadventurearedesigned
1II1relieveddarlmess.
for usewith 0&0Mil'liatul"cs.Ifyou don'thavetheexact
I'AHgelU?"hecalled,JlOfJefuL
miniaturetorepresentamonster,oryouaren'tusing D&D
Nothing. Hishearl t/wllderul;Jlismoulhdried.
Miniatures,justusewhateversubstituteyou choosetorun
Ana/herclallercallle,closerIllislime.Astraugechitterfol/owed.
thetacticalencounters.
Then aroilingswarmengulfedhim.
DD2:TheSinisterSpireis<lDUNGEONS& DR.t\GoNs@<ldventure ADVENTURE
designed for four 5th-level characters. Pbyer char<lcters
__---:-:--:--....B...""-'A""""CKGROUMD.
whocompletethisquestshouldadv<lnceoneortwolevels,
dependingon where they st<lrred in experience <lnd how Ayuan-tipurebloodsorcerer namedXeron W<lSpartofan
successfultheyareindefeatingthethreatspresentedherein. evilconsortium known as the Vanguard ofSerrrous.The
Although The Si/listerSpire is astand-aloneadventure, itis Vanguardsenthim in search ofthe tomboftheforgotten
alsoparrofaseries,sotheendofthisjourneycouldleadto king,hopinghewould recover Ihe m<lgic items said tolie
aconnectingquest. withtheking'sbody,aswellasIheking'sbones.Xeronand
hisunderlingss·ucceeded,burtheiractivitiesarrractedroo
muchattention.
Aday <lgo, aparty ofadventurers confronted Xeron,
TheSinisterSpire isintended[orusewith the DUNGEONS& defeatingthesorcererandhisband.Acoupleoftherobbers
DRAGONSgame.YouneedthePlayer'sHandbookandDungeon h<ld moved through asmall hole in the floor ofthe tomb,
Masler'sGuidetoplay,andeven though thisbook includes carryingwiththemthemagicitemsandthebones.Where
statisticsforallthemonstersinthetacticalencounters,the the opening leads, none now living know. The situation
MamIeI'Mam./l1Iremainsahelpfulresource. wouldbeb<ldenoughsimplybecausetheilemsstolenfrom
the tombshould notbeallowed tofaU intowicked hands. takesplaceinvariouslocationsthroughoutthisarea,which
However,theactualityisevenworse. thelocalinhabitantscalltheGreatGrotto.Aduergartrader
Prophecyhasitthatrheforgortenkingmightreturnfrom providesthePCswithinformationthatleadsthemtocross
beyond death toaid the realm in its mostdesperate hour. theSullenSea,bywayofastructurecalledtheOceanbridge,
However,ifhisbonesarenorrecovered,theprophecymight totheruinedciryofPedestal.Allencounterareasassociared
neverbefulfilled.Worse,thepredictioncouldbeperverred withtheGreatGrottoarecodedwithaG.
toevilends.(Ifthe pesarenorplayingthisadventureasa Pedestal (Area P): This ravaged City is dangerous for
continuationofBarrollloflheForgollellKillg,thisinformation surfacer and Underdark native alike, though habitable
canberelatedtothembywayoftheKing'sBonesadventure portionsexist.Tofindwhattheyseekandgetalongbetter
hook;seebelow.) . inrhealienenvironmentofPedestal,thePCsfindanally
intheinformationbrokerEsSarch.Theymustundertake
WHAT THE pes KNOW acouple ofmissions for this unusual undead togain his
aid.Allencounterareasassociatedwith Pedestalarecoded
pesknowtheinformation in rheAdventure Background.
with aP.
TheyalsoknowthatthelongertheywailtofollowXeron's
Rikaryon'sIsle:Anislandofluminescentfungusfloats
unded.ings,thelesschancetheyhaveofbeingablerocatch
ontheSullenSea.The PCsventureouttothislivingisleat
upwith themand retrievethestolen items.
EsSarch'sbehest.
Necromancer'sSpike(AreaS): The naturalcolumn
pes
WHAT THE DON'T KNOW
aroundwhich Pedestal isbuilt,theNecromancer'sSpike
Xeron'ssmallestservantsdescendedtheholeintherombof wasoncehomeroaninfamouswizardnamedMaroe.Now
the forgotten king,andahooded womannamed Fadheela FadheelalivesinpartoftheSpike. rnside,thePCsface the
metrhem nearaterraceinrhedarkrunnelbelowthehole. horrorsleftbehindbyMaroeandeventuallyconfrontFad
Fadheela demonstrated herselfto be an emissary ofthe heela,gainingproofofherassociationwiththeVanguard
Vanguard ofSerrrous byprovidingXeron's minions with ofSertrous.Though the PCs manage to recoveranother
agolden key shaped into the proper identifying insignia. item thatwasstolen frolU the king's tomb, theydiscover
WhenXeron's toadies still refused to give up theirprizes that the other items and the king's bones were already
and follow Fadheeladownward, sheslew them and rook transportedtothe Vanguard'sstronghold,theFortressof
whattheycarried. the SerpentOrder. All encounter areas associated with
Fadheela descended from the terrace into the vertical the Necromancer'sSpikearecoded with an S.
shaftofachimneylikecavernofexceptionalsize-anappar
entdeadend.1nfact,thetear-shapedcavernisthefocusof ADVENTURE HOOKS
anearthnodethatallowspassagebetweenitandoneother
PCs can become involved in this adventure in a number
similarnode. Using herknowledgeofthe node, Fadheela
ofways.
transported herselIto the twin node far away and exited
Adventure Continues: If the PCs completed DD1:
intothe Underdark. of
Barrow the Forgotten King, this adventure is specifically
She thenproceeded toherlairin the Underdarkcityof
designedtopickupwherethatone leftoff.Thecharacters
Pedestal,wheresheworksasanagentforthelocalAssassins'
descendthroughtheholeintheforgottenking'stombinto
Guild.ShesentmostoftbeitemsonwardtotheVanguard's
thetunnelwhererhisadventurebegins.
fortress through amagicponal, burshe kept oneofthe
King's Bones:,A prominent citizen ofthe village of
legacyitemsforherself.
Kingsholm namedIanTurbrandcontactsthe PCswitha
storyaboutrhelootingofaveneratedtomb,includingthe
lossofaking'sbones. Heoffers the PCs500gpapiece to
returnthemissingbones-hedoesn'tcareaboutthemagic
Thisadventureisdivided intoseveralsections.
itemsthatwerealsostolen.Thebonesarepartofanancient
Earth Node (Area E): When the PCs investigate, they
prophecy,Ianexplainsasherelatestheinformationfound
discovertheremainsofXeron'ssubordinatesandavertical
in the Adventure Background,so they're very important.
naturalchimney.Votaciousinsectsnestatthehollow'slowest
He directs the PCs to a tunnel recently discovered near
point,butanearthnodetheregramsaccesstoatwinnode
Kingsholm'sgraveyard.
locatedinagiganticUnderdarkcavern.ALIencounterareas
Descent:The pes learn awayinto the Underdark,and
associatedwiththeearthnodearecodedwithanE.
forcampaign-relatedreasonsprovidedbyyou,theychoose
GreatGrotto(AreaG): Uponexitingthesecond node,
td enter those subterranean depths. On the bodies of
the characters find themselves on the shore ofa sunless
Xeron's minions, the characters discoveranote thathints
deepcalled theSullenSea,beyond which theyseeawide
atpowerfulrelics.TheymighlthenwishtofindFadheelain
Underdarkvistalitbypalelight.Therestoftheadventure
hopesofgainingoneormoreoftheitemssheacquired.
Into the Depths
Thosewhodescendthesteeppassage(aslopeofabout45
degrees)for ilOOOfeetfind itpunches intotheupperedge
The charactersfind themselves in asubterranean runnel, ofachimneylikeearth node.
regardlessofwhich hookthey'refollowing.
WhenthePCsenterthetunnel,read:
Lightlcs5 space gives way to YOIIY illumitwtiol1, revealing a Earthnodesarerareandcherishedsubterraneanlocations
res/Tict'ea,steeplyslopingtUllnel that is maybe5feet wideand7 wherethe powerthatflows through the mineralbonesof
feet tall. Postsofgreen wood 'wid upthewalk The airisdamp, . theworldpools.Becausefewearthnodespossessanatural
stinl?iJlgwithrot.I!theslopeholas,thetUtlllellilwlysurfaceshlln~ outlet into thegreaterUnderdark, they remain undiscov
dredsofyardstothenorth thoughhownluchfarlheritpenetrates ered.This node's power is not evident to the unpracticed
I
toHIesouth islost todarkness. eye,butforthosesensitivetomagic,itisawashwithenergy
thatcanbesensedand tapped.
Any dwarfcan plainlysee, as can anychar<lcrerwho suc
ceedsonaDC15Knowledge(dungeoneering)orProfession AsthePCsapproachthenode,read:
(miner)check,thistunnelwasrapidlyandrudelyduginthe The airseems to pulse aheaa, bringing WitJ1 it ascent Ii/{e thai
lastmonth by someone usingacombinationofpicks and wlJich preccdcsastorm.
magic. Infact, ithasthe lookofanexploratoryshaftsunk
intotheearthtolocatevaluable minerals. All PCs are entitled to aDC 20Spellcraftcheck or Intel
The north end ofthe tunnel opens onto rhe surface, ligencechecktonotethata"concentrationofearthpower"
thoughtheopeningishiddenbeneathacunninglyfash~ liesahead.
ioned stone cap. Locating it from the surface requires a
successful DC 25Searchcheck. It'sobvious from within
the tunnel.
EI. CHIMNEY'S EDGE leadsoffrhe edgeofthe terrace, as i£the creature walked
Whenthecharactersreachtheedgeoftheearthnode,they intoemptyspace.
comeuponaterrace. DescendingintoE2:Theearrhnodeisaverticalchim~
ney, its width slowly narrowing as it rises, unt"il it finally
Whenthepesreachthispoint,read: pinchesoffcompletely40feetabovetheleveloftheterrace.
The roughlyhewn tUl1nel widens into aterrace, at least 20feel Attheleveloftheterrace,thechimneyis15feetindiameter.
wideandlong,with ceilil'lgrisingto8or10feet. Theporch has Thesmooth,verticalwallsofthechimneydescendthrough
(l
tIDfarwall,imteaaopeningil1toagreat,alJOinghollow.Thisdose theutterdarknesstothehard,flatfloorofthenode150feet
to tIlecaVCYrlOllS rift,tlteairseemschargedas ifagreat5101'111 is below.Therethediameterwidenstonbour50feet,creating
imminent.TIle wallsoflhe0pcllillgl1scmdallddcscclHl,lI1ovil'lg anelongated,teardrop-shaped hollow.
closer togetJ1cras lI1eyrise il,ltodar/mess,formingawiderspace Successful DC 25 Climb checks are required to climb
as theygo downward. li~IO 11I/I/Ialloid[antis lie tmmOv11lg Ilcay thewallofthechimney.Climbingaropefrom theterrace
wherethe terracedropsoffilltothehollow. bringstheDCdownto15(charactershavenowalltobrace
against),whileaknottedropereducestheDC to5.
ThepescanmakeanotherDC20SpellcrafrcheckorIntel
ligence check to recognize they've discovered an earth E2. WITHIN THE NODE
node. However, the benefits theearth node offersarenot"
Thecharactersdescend theearl'h nodetoproceed.
accessibletoanyoneoutsideE2.
Corpses: peswhochecktheformsdiscoverthecorpse
whenthePCsreachthebottomofthenode,read:
ofamalehalflinginvioletrobesandthetoppledstatueofa
Thehollow'ssl1100thfloorisrOl/ghlycirwll1r.Theairhereisalive
wide-eyedfemalegoblin.ADC15Healcheckissufficientto withenergyandthid~withthesmellofdevelopingligllinillg.Small
determinethehalflingwasshotwithseveralarrows,which
!Iolespunctllrethewallslleartheflool",opellillgintoadozcllsl11nll
wereremoved,andbittenin theface byafew tiny,fanged
llll'lnelstllal rimoffintolighllesmess.Dulldml islhid"}'heaped
creatures.Twolargebagslienearby, though thosebagsnre
arol/lld Iheedges, thickest neartluholes.
nowempty.Inhishand,thehaWingyerclutchesamessage
writteninsquigglyscript.ThelanguageisYuan-Ti,andthe
Thecharactersmightbelievethey'vereachedadeadend,
messagereads:
unless they arewilling to navigate the narrowboles, 2
1/2feetin diameter, thatleadtothecockroachwarrens
radhec/a,
(see E3). However, the nature of the earrh node soon
J have beeH dc/ayed. My servants Cllrry tile lling's bones and
becomes clear.
all the items ofhis champions lhat 1collid find. Merrhuviall
Dust: PCs who sift through the dustdiscover that it is
coil/wI!ocl1te.lshallspelldabitmoretimetryillgtofind il,but1
made upofthousandsofdisintegratingemptyshellsshed
amsendingalCseallsoourrel'ldezvollsiSl'1otcompromised.Please
byinsects(DC 15 Knowledge [nature] check to knowthe
giveH1CVanguard /11}'regards. lshall bealongshortly. shells were left by cockroaches). Ifa character looking
-Xeroll
through thedustsucceeds on aDC 10Searchcheck, that
PCnotesafewshellfragmentsindicatecreatllreSth<ltarea
ADC 20Search check(orasimilarSurvivalcheck, made
footormoreacross.
bysomeonewhohastheTrackfeat)issufficienttodiscover
EarthNodeEffects:Spellcasters,manifesters,andchar
faint tracks, apparently those ofa Medium humanoid
acterswhohavespell-likeabilitieswhostandonthefloorof
creaturewearingboots.Jfsomeonewhocan follow tracks
thenodebecomeawareofitspower.Suchcharacterssense
succeededonthe check, thatcharactersees thatthe trail thar the powerhas b~en used within the lastweek. They
also realize ifthey make a successful Intelligence check
(DC 11 +spell level)when castingor manifesting within
the node, the caster level or manifester level ofthe spell
EARTH NODES
orpower receives a+1 bonus. Afailed Intelligence check
rf you Ilave access to the PORGOTTENREALMS :3Upplement meansthespellorpowerfunctions normally.
Ullderdark, thenodedcscribedhereandtheoneinarea01are
Those same characters also realize that ifthey spend at
Class1nodes(Ul1dcrdark49),butwith modifications.First,
least8hoursrestingincontactwith the floorofthenode,
t~c I/odedo~r
effect"toredineach node is aspellsimilarto
they can lise a 2nd-level spellslot or 3power points to
(Underdark 59),exceptit·is2nd level andcanbe usedonlyto
instantlytransferthemselvesandwillingalliestotheearth
maketripsbetweenE2and01.Second,tileeffectisavailalJle
n~dedescribed inG1.
toanyspellcasterorrnallifestcr,includingcreaturestlwthave
An hour after the PCs begin to rest to gain access to
spell-likea!Jilibes,regaJ:dlessofwhetherthiltcreaturehasthe
thiseffect,theytriggerthetacticalencounter,unlessthey
NodeSpellcasbngfeat(Ullderdark26).Inallotllcrways,treat
alreadyhavedonesobyentering£3(see thatencounter).
thisclass 1CaJ:tll nodeasdescribed in Uuderdark.
TacticalEncounter:£2.Earth Node,page 34.
E3. GIANT COCKROACH WARRENS
The narrow tunnels lead to awarren housing thousands
The Great Grotto is a cavern of prodigious size, usu~
ofcockroaches.
ally referred to as avault. About 3~1/2 miles across in
its longest dimension, a little more than 1~1/2 miles
IfaPClooksintoatunnel,read:
wide,and averaging 1,000feet high, the GreatGrottois
The wallsofthisconstrictedtunnelareoilywith alayerofblacJ~
trulyaminiatureworldallitsown.Creaturesthatmake
grit.Anoffensiveodorhangsin theairwithin it.
use ofthe effect described in E2 are seamlessly trans~
. poned hundreds ofmiles into one corner ofthe Great
PCswho succeed on aDC 15 Knowledge (nature)check
Grotto-area G1.
recognize the smell as the odorofroach attar and roach
excrement.Thisisaclearsign thatcockroaches,possibly
Gl. GROTTO NODE
ofunusuallylargesize,frequent therunnels.Thesmellis
unpleasantburharmless. When the PCs arrive, they find themselves in a 30~foot~
MovingintoatunnelrequiresaSmallorMediumchar diameterrockcraterwithinalargerspace,butthe crater's
actertocrawlandsqueeze-seethetacticalencounter.Ifa rimobscuresthenatureofthatspace.
characterenters arunnelpriortdthe triggeringofthe£2 Node:Thecrater isalive with power. It'saneanh node
tacticalencounter,thatencountertriggersimmediately. thatisatwintotheonedescribedinE2,similarintheabili~
TacticalEncounter:£2.EarthNode,page34. tiesitgrantsandtheeffectitharbors. pescangainaccess
Treasure: If the roaches are defeated, PCs are free to the effect that allows transport to £2 from this node,
to worm theirway into the oilywarrens <lnd explore. A allowingalinkbacktothesurface.
determined characterwho spends 30 minutes or more
squeezingthroughthetightspaces,allthewhilesending Whenthecharactersascendthecrater,read:
swarmsofregularcockroachesscurryingahead,isfinally Beyond thecrateropensawideUnderdark vista litbypalelight
rewarded.Thedesiccatedbodiesofwhatapparentlywere shiningthrougJ1 enormoHScolI/mIlS that march into the misted
oncedrowarebeneaththemoistdust.Gearonthecorpses distance.Thebenightedwatersofasunlessseameelapebble-streuJll
is worrhlessorruined,butajasperspiderfigurine (see the shoreahalfmileorsoaway.Acrossthatdark water,acityglim
sidebar) and 52gp are nearby.The coins are stamped on mersaroundIhebaseofthenearestcolumn.
onesidewith theprofileofafemale elfandon theother Acobbled road,which e"mergesfrom an openingin thedimly
withaspider,aswellastheword"Pedestal"in Undercom~ glowingcavernwallaboutaquarter~miletotheleft passeswithin
l
mono One ofthe corpses' mummified hands clutches a 10feetofthecraterand continu"on to theright. Itfinallycon
potion ofcure moderate wounds. nects to anarrow bitt elongated stoneformation thatspam the
shadowysea,reachingmorethanamiletothecity.
Just acrosstheroadfrom thecrater,astrangecoveredwagon
sit,. Abroad and du,ky dwarf, bald but with awhile beard,
stands in front ofii, smiling. He wears a thick. leather coat
JASPER SPIDER FIGUIUNE andglovesthathavegoldpiping.Two largegraylizardsstand
Price (Item Level), 5,000gp (9th) idlynearby.
Bodyslot,- The grinning dumrf calls out in a deep baritone in perfect
CasterLevel: lIt), Common,"Nodetravelers,and unless1missmymark,surfacers
Aura: Moderate; (DC20) transmutation too!IamBruthwolCoalhauler,ahumblemerchant!Perhapsyou
Activation:Standard (manipulation and command) would like toseemywares?"
Weight, -
Brurhwol Coalhauler(N male duergar rogue 10; Diplo
0/
Tllisperfectspiderfigurineiscarved black.balldedredjasper. macy +17, Bluff+13, Sense Motive +14; see Table 4-20:
NPC Rogue, DMG 123;for otherstatistics, see duergar
\'{Thenthisobjectistosscddownandtileword ~/urux"isspoken, NPC adjustments, DMG 127) is interested in trading
the figurinebecomcsalivingLargemonstrousspider(.i\Il',.f merchandise, information, or both with any creature
289). Itcan'tattack,butaMediumorsmallercreaturecan he meets. Thus, he is amodel diplomat, and he tries to
rideit.Thespiderremainsfarupta12110ursperuse.After putthe PCsatease. Hedoesn'tthreaten themeven ifhe
12 hourshavepassed, when themonstrOllSspider iskilled, is threatened.
orwhen thecommandword isspoken oncemarc, thcjasper
TalkingtoBruthwol:IfrhePCsarefriendly, Bruth
spiderreturnstofigurineformandcannotbeactivatedagain
wol mightbecome an importantcontactfor them. The
for 24 hours.
duergar trader continues to speak in Common, and he
Prerequisites: CraftWondrous Item,allimateobject.
shows his genuine interest in the characters by asking
Cosllo Cmakc 2,500 gp, 200XP, 5 days.
them questionsduring the conversation. He continues
withthesestatementsand responses,amongothersyou Bruthwol'sWagonandWares:Bruthwol'swagoniscom
mightdevise; posed ofalightiron frame ontowhich buoyant materials
have been bolted and sealed. It's acovered wagon that is
"You have questions? I can try to answer them. An in alsobuilttofloat, anditcontainstwocompartments-the
formed customerisarepentcustomer!" front compartment is open and has aspace for the driver
"Thisvaultis the GreatGrotto. Oncenmajorcenterof rositandliedown,andtherearholdstradegoods.Thetwo
trade, it has been relegated to abnckwater by disease cavelizards(treatasdeinonychuses,MM60,withnotalon
and war. Brigands, ne'er-do-wells, and refugees from orpounceattacks)canbehitchedon topullthewagon.
this or thnt Underdark power inhabit the fallen drow TradeGoods;Bruthwol'scleverlypackedwagoncontainsat
CityofPedestal.Seeittheresurroundingthatfirstcol leastoneofeach itemonTable7-8: GoodsandServicesin
umn beyond the Sullen Sea?Ofcourse, even lowlifes thePlayer'sHandbookthatdoesnotexceed10gpincost.He
need trade to sustain them. Thus, I also call Pedestal hasmultiplesofcheaporeasilysolditems,andofcourse,he
my home." doesn'tsellanimals,animal-relatedgear,lodging,transport,
"Mytrade routepassesbythis nodeandouryondertun orspellcastingandservices.
nel to the west. You never knowwho mightuseanode Strongbox: Kept in asecretspace (Search DC 25) below
totravelquicklythrough the Underdark." the driver's seat cushion, Bruthwol's boxcontains 100cp,
• "You'relookingforsomeone?Well, I've beencamped 300sp,and500gp(strange,assorredUnderdarkcurrency).
here afew days. Not roo long ago, acloaked figure, a Bruthwolhas100cp,100sp,and50gponhimsohedoesn't
female humanoidbyshape,thoughIcouldn'tdiscern havetoaccessthestrongboxinfrontofcustomers.Healso
muchelse,emergedfrom thisverynode. Perhapsshe hasthekey.
is your quarry? That person ignored my greetings and Fighting BruthwoJ: Ifthe PCs attack Brllthwol and
stalkedoffdowntowardtheOceanbridge." can't be dissuaded by his calls for apeaceable resolution,
• "Now that you mention it, I hnve heard ofsomeone heuseshis tattooofrecall,amagicartwork he pays ro have
called Fadheela. Must have aconnection ro Pedestal's applied ro his skin prior ro every trade expedition. This
Assassins'Guild. YOli see, likeothetsin Pedestal,I pay tattooisthereasonheisableroriskbeingalone,diplomatic
protection moneytoguild toleave mealone. Once, an merchant even in the face ofaggression. Aswiftaction is
agent collecting my dues worried ro his friend in my required [0activatethetattoo.IfBruthwolactivatesit,the
earshot, 'If\.ve faU too farbehind, Fadheela'llgutus.' So tattooinstantlytransfersbothhimand[hestrongboxinhis
takewarning,friend-thisFadheelaistoughenough ro trade wagon directly back ro his stall in Pedestal's Bazaar
rattleadrowassassin." (seePH,page21)wirhaflashofgreenlightThewagon,its
• "Ifyou want to locate someone, talk ro Es Sarch. You wares,,melthecavelizardsremain.Uponhisarrivalbackin
can find him in the Dripstone Inn on theStreetofFive Pedestal, BruthwolcontactstheAssassins'Guildandtakes
Hanged, directly north three blocks from Pedestal's outacontractonthecharacters.
southerngate. Heknows everythingabouttheCity,but AdHocExperienceAward:IfrhePCsdealwithBruth
he'ssuretowantsomethinginreturnforhishelp." wol peacefully, award them experience points as ifthey
"Listen, Pedestalhasnocentralpower.Severalgroups successfullyovercame aCR2encounter.They receive no
claim sovereignty, but during bad weeks, the city is experienceforattackingBruthwol,even iftheydefeatthe
little better than awar zone. Good weeks are merely duergartrader.
lawless. Anarchy rose in the collapse ofthe drow hi
erarchy. A terrible plague ten years ago wiped nearly G2.ROAD
all of'em out."
A cobbled road eme1rges from a natural tunnel to the
• "The three top power groups are rhe Inheritors,
west and connects ro the Oceanbridge that spans the
HouseDusklorn,andtheguild.ImeantheAssassins'
SullenSea.ItthenleadsonroPedestal.Theroadprovides
Guild, ofcourse. The assassins are making aplay for
easy passage over the rough floor ofthe cavern, which
completecontrol by trying to allywith House Dusk
is covered in broken rock, slippery clay, and fissures.
lorn, but the Inheritors oppose them. Who knows
Eventually the road plunges into apassage in the Great
what the Inherirors want-they say a Pedestal free
Grotto's eastern wall, which is hollowed with deserted
ofdrow and assassin control. Doesn'tsound too bad
cliffdwellings.Thosewhotakethiseasternpassageleave
tome."
the area detailed in this book.
• "Be careful crossing the Oceanbridge. Wild kuo-roas
andworseswimthesea'smurkywaters.Sometimestrav
G3.
WESTERN TUNNEL
elerswhostartoutatoneend oftheOceanbridgefail to
arrive at the other. In fact, parr ofthe bridge has been Thetunnelin thewesternwallleadsinto[helabyrinthine
damagedforawhilenow." world that is the widerUnderdark, potentially tospecific
areas and locations presentin yourgame's version ofthis
subterranean realm. pes who journeydown this passage portionofitwascut[rom tbesideoftheGreatCrono,but
leavebehindtheadventuredescribed inthisbook. massiveslabsofquarriedstonefill ingaps.
G4. SULLEN SEA WhenPCsapproachtheOceanbridge,read:
Spansofmassivestoneblocks miHglewith theswlptedsouthern
TheSullenSea'spebblybeachessmoothlyslopeintothewater.
sideoftheGrealGrotto,forlllillgabridgeovertheomrl'lollSwaters
Coldandsalty,theseaishome1'0avarietyofmarinelife,bng
oftheSIdlen Sea.
ingfromfish tokuo-roasandevenanaboleth(seeC6).
. Examinationofthebridgeshowsittobesolid,ifold.The
IfthePCslookoutacrossthewater,read:
bridgerisesabout2feetabovethesurfaceofthewateral its
Alone isle protrudesabove theglassywaterahalf-mileormore
highest,eventuallyconnecting10aroadontheeasternside
away,faintlyglowingwithbluelightfrom 11sourceimpossibleto oftheSullenSea nearPedestal'ssoutherngate.
determineatthisdistallce.
G6. BRIDGE ASKEW
WalkingalongthewesternshoreoftheSullenSearewards
explorers with the discovery ofthe pilings ofacollapsed Asectionofthebridgehasbeencompromised.
dock. Now, those who don'tcarry theirboats with them
use theOceanbridge. WhenthePCsseethedamagedsection,read:
Theilluminated pointisRikaryon's Isle(seepage22). Ahead,nfewofthe massiveslone blocbofthe OcenllbJ'idgeare
cmcl?edandsitaskew.AnnvignblepathyelexistswhereIfIecorners
G5. OCEANBRIDGE ofthecrookcd stonescome close OWl/gIl logelher, bllt lln/ike the
minorerosion endured byflu majorityofthebridge,thissection
TheOceanbridgespanstheSullenSea.Itisanancientcon
seemstohnvesl/staineddamage.
structioncarved byslaveshundredsofyearsago. Alarge
Creaturesiftbesubterraneandeepscometip10feed
As the pesmovenearthe firstaskewblock, they trigger
thetacticalencounter.Aftertheydealwith rheencounter,
Pedestal is not athriving city, bustling with activity and
theymightdiscoverapcarlofU/ldcrcomlJ1on(seethesidebar)
trade. Onlyabollt halfofthebuild;ngs in thedark streets
amongthetreasure inthisarea.
areinhabited,andthoseinhabitantsaren'talwayscivilized
TacticalEncounter: G6.BridgeAskew,page36.
creatures. In fact, Pedestal'sstreetsarearguablymoredan
G7. Eastern Grotto gerous than the average Underdark tunnel-threats are
moreconcentrated inthecity.
EastofPedestal, rhe Great Grotto continues, ashadowy
The city's importantfeatures are described here, along
vastness illuminated atintervalsby patches ofnalUrally
with game mechanics and Gather Information DCs for
bioluminescentfauna.
learning facts abom them. Acharacter who makes a suc
cessfulchecklearnstheinformation from thehighestDC
Pedestal
equaled or exceeded, as well as information on the same
topicfromlowerDCs.
Thiscitywasonceadrowcity-state,knownfor itsaccess
CityWalls: An outerwallencircles theentirecity,and
to the frontier beyond and beneath the Sullen Sea.
aninnerwallsurroundsNoble'sBluff,anareaimmediately
However, a prolonged butsuccessful war with a mind
aroundthecolumn atPedestal'scenter.Thewallsarccon
£layerpod weakened thecity, leavingitsusceptible toa
structedofmortared stone,andeach rises30feet(DC10).
magicalplaguethatbroughttherulingclasslowtwenty
Parapetedwalkwaysrunalongthetopsofbothwalls,but
years ago.
noforceofficiallydefendsthem.Allthegatesarebreached,
but the westone into Noble's Bluffis blocked with stone
WhenPCsnearPedestal,read:
(DC15).
The widc, sloping basc ofa1l1llssivccolllmn is built lip with
Watchersemployed bytheAssassins'Guild notewhen
streets, walls, and IllHldrcds of elaborate structures. A few
everanyoneentersorexitsthecity,especiallyoverthewalls
glirl"ll1Jerwithfail'lI ilIumiHatiOIl,and ~lcrcafldthere,lalltems
(DC 20).
shed grccn illumination ill slJlall pools separated bygulfs of
Thewallsare15feetth;ck;hardness8,1,350hp,andbreak
shadow. Portions of the small city are complelely collapsed
DC60per1O-by-1O-footsection;C[;mb DC 20.Thosewho
and obviously aba~ldol1ed, tJlOugh OHlCl"S showclearsigl1S of
climbover the walls and succeedon a DC 20Hidecheck
habit'alion and lIpluep. Agreat wall surrol/l1ds 1I1e lowest
emerthecityunnoticed.
edgesofthecily,and UP01! thatedifice,hlO1dredsofrustyspikes
CityStructures:Pedestalisinhabitedbythedowntrod~
point toward the cavern's high ceiling. Rotling heads adorn
den,thevicious,andthemonstrous.Asmanybuildingsare
scorcs ofthoscspikes.
emptyasinhabited,andnearlyalldoorsarebarredagainst
intrusion(DC10).
Ifadoorisbarred,ithashardness8,50hp,andabreakDC
of25.Ifabuildingisnotempty(50%chance),;t'sinhabited
bywhateveris indicatedon the PedestalEncounterstable
(seepage12).
PEARL OF UNDERCOHHON
DangerousAreas:The mostdangerous and run-down
Pdee(hemLevel), 600 gp (3,,1)
areaofthecityisl"heRiddle(seeP12)onthesoutheasternside,
BodySlol, Face
thoughthegangsthereprefertofightoneanother(DC10).
CasterLevel: 7th
Illumination: Remnantsfrom Pedestal's daysasarnain~
Aura: Moderate; (DC 18)divination
tainedcity,lanternsstl'ungonblackwireilluminateportions
Activation: Standard;see text
ofthecityinaghoulishgreenlight.Withouttending,hlmdreds
Weigk-
havebeenshattered,theircontinualflamesstolen(DC10).
Keyedencounterareasareilluminatedunlessotherwise
TIl/Osiridescentblack pearlissIlO! tI,rollg/l witl,silverveins.
noted.
Necromancer'sSpike:EvenwhilePedestalwasunderthe
Whenyouplaceapearlo/UndcrCOlnmOHuponyourtongue(a
firm hand ofdrownoble houses, the Necromancer'sSpike
standard action), itis absorbed into your moutll until you
remained apart. Maroe, the PaleApprentice, anecroman
speak commaml word "blacktongue" to release it. While'it
cerofparticularability, inhabited it.Nowtheplace isjust
remainsabsorbed, tile pearl grants yOll theability tospeak
ahaunted ruin(DC10).
andunderstandUndcrcol11man.Inaddition,wlliletIlepearl
Abouttwentyyearsago,Maroeembarkedonadarkexperi
is active, it can be used to produce a comma/Ideffect once <4
ment,andhesealeduphisdomicilepriortoinitiatingit.The
pe'day (W;II DC 11 negales).
nal"ureoftheexperimentandtheresultremainamysteryto
Prerequisites: CraftWondrousltclll,command, tOJ/glles.
thisday.Maroehas neveremerged,and neitherhasanyone
Cosllo C"ale,300gp, 24XP, 1day.
whohasventuredwithintheforebodingcolumn(DC15).