Random Avernian Wasteland Encounters Baldur's Gate Descend Into Avernus
Random Avernian Wasteland Encounters Baldur's Gate Descend Into Avernus
Random Avernian Wasteland Avernus, seemingly at the will of a figure she grimly
Encounters refers to as Ahriman, them supposedly approaching her
Characters exploring Avernus are likely to encounter occasionally for reasons of which she is uncertain.
wandering monsters. Such encounters can occur as often Akhiriel has the statistics of a Deva with the following
as you like, but keep in mind that too many random changes:
encounters can bog down the adventure and cause ● She is a medium humanoid (aasimar) rather
players to lose interest in the story. You can roll on the than a celestial.
Random Avernian Wasteland Encounters table or ● She gains a +8 bonus on Ability checks made
choose an appropriate encounter. Each encounter is to ride a vehicle (land) of size large.
described in more detail after the table. ● She has Resistance to Necrotic-damage.
Important for a DM to understand when using this ● She can cast Speak with Animals at will.
document is that it wasn’t designed with balance in ● Her Change Shape feature can only change
mind, but rather encounter memorability. Characters of her into the forms of snakes.
first level are stand the chance of confronting a kraken
just as likely as confronting imps. However, due to this Depending on the behavior and appearance of the
document being designed with a focus on memorable characters, Akhiriel may offer to use her Healing Touch
encounters, it also results in most encounters not being feature to help them, or allow them to rest within the
focused on combat, and even when they are, are often protective auras of her war machine.
easily avoided by the players, thus even if the creatures At the behest of the DM, Akhiriel might also be willing
the characters speak to are far beyond them, they are to aid the characters in other ways, however,
often not in any more danger than they would be she will in such cases caution the characters that her
otherwise elsewhere. For further guidelines on how presence might draw more attention to the party than
to use random encounters effectively, see "Random they’d want and thereby endanger their mission more
Encounters" in chapter 3 of the Dungeon Master's than she would help.
Guide. Holy Aura Ride. Akhiriel owns a Devils Ride,
its wheels shining with bright light out to a range of 15
A Paladin in Hell feet and dim-light an additional 15 feet as they emit a
The characters spot a small area of radiant light 30-foot aura with the effects of permanent Forbiddance
half-a-mile away. Investigating the light reveals its and Circle of Power spells against Fiends. Akhiriel has
source to come from an infernal war machine’s wheels, attuned her own soul due to her aversion to using soul
next to which sits a lone female figure with pearlescent coins as fuel. If the characters own their own infernal war
wings and skin covered in iridescent scales, and dressed machine or ask the aasimar about her own ride, Akhiriel
in a long fur coat, long since stained into shades of offers to teach the characters how to attune themselves to
brown, grey and red by the environments of Avernus. a ride, though warns them that the experience is less than
The woman is engaged in religious meditation and pleasant.
therefore doesn’t speak up unless addressed first. Soul Attuned War Machine. A creature can choose
However, if spoken to, she introduces herself as to undergo a 1 hour long ritual to attune its soul to the
Akhiriel Vala'raama, an aasimar paladin and oracle of furnace of an infernal war machine with which the
the couatl deity Jazirian, and that she has been trapped creature is in physical contact throughout the ritual.
in what she refers to as Baator for what she believes has Only one creature can have its soul attuned to an
been a decade since she flung herself into an infernal infernal war machine at a time, even the death of the
portal, and thereby offering up her soul in return for creature doesn’t cut the attunement. However, the
closing it and preventing an invasion of her home-world insertion of soul coins into the war machine breaks
by devils and fiendish dragons. However, rather than the link; 1d10 into a Large vehicle, 1d12 into a Huge
her soul being turned into a devil or otherwise claimed, vehicle, and 1d20 into a Gargantuan vehicle.
1
The ritual cannot be performed by undead or Upon Ahriman’s arrival, Akhiriel simply closes
constructs, nor by any creature with an intelligence her eyes and otherwise remains unmoving, nothing
score of 4 or lower. Lastly, the ritual is a sacred act occurring for a few minutes, as though Avernus had been
of self-sacrifice, and as a result, a creature forced to frozen in time and only the disembodied sounds
perform the act through mind-altering effects also of a pair of serpentine voices hissing incomprehensibly
isn’t capable of completing the attunement. at each other noting otherwise.
In spite of the terminology, soul attunement to an After a few minutes, Ahriman vanishes, the characters
infernal war machine doesn’t count against the number are released from the magical pressure of his presence,
of magic items to which a creature can be attuned. and Akhiriel opens her eyes anew, remembering nothing
An attuned creature gains the ability to, as an Action, from the duration of Ahriman’s presence, other than that
infuse its infernal war machine with its life-force while he indeed had been present.
touching it. The creature takes an amount of d12 In the case of an appearance of Ahriman occurring,
Necrotic-damage of its choice. This damage cannot Akhiriel will adamantly insist on leaving the company of
be reduced in any way and its Hit Point Maximum is the characters as soon as possible, fearing for their safety
reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. in the case of further exposure to Ahriman’s awareness
This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a Long of them and their goals.
Rest, and it dies if this effect reduces its Hit Point
Maximum to 0. A Poet and his Spiritual Guide
For each die of damage the creature chooses to take, The characters encounter a lawful good human male
it fuels its infernal war machine for 1 hour. Acolyte with a +4 bonus to Charisma (Performance)
Additionally, whenever the creature fuels its infernal checks, midway in the journey of his life, and his guide,
war machine with its life force, it must make a DC 10 a neutral good human male Ghost with a +7 bonus to
Charisma Saving-Throw or gain one level of Charisma (Performance) and (Intimidation) checks.
Exhaustion. Additionally, both NPCs have proficiency with
Uroboric Confrontation. If the characters spend any Calligrapher's supplies.
length of time alongside Akhiriel, the DM can choose If engaged in conversation the two figures explain that
to have the figure she identifies as Ahriman to appear the ghost is giving the human a tour of the different
among them and the aasimar, just outside the area of her layers of hell, and that they currently are looking for the
infernal war machine’s auras. Tiamat’s Lair so that they can gain access to the portal
As this figure appears, each character within 100 feet leading to Dis, the second layer, supposedly lying deep
of Ahriman, other than Akhiriel, must make a DC 27 within her caverns.
Charisma Saving-Throw, taking 21 (6d6) Force-damage As the characters interact with the touring pair, the
and additionally falling Prone and becoming Stunned on occasional Imp or Spined Devil appears to heckle at
a Failed save, or Half as much damage on a Successful them, but are consistently driven off by the ghost,
save and the creature only falling to their knees and threatening them with divine punishment.
becoming Stunned. A creature remains Stunned and
Prone until Ahriman leaves or actively releases it.
Abyssal Kraken
Immediately upon being made to make the save against
At the banks of the river Styx, the characters come
this effect, any creature affected knows that they can
upon a scene of a Bone Devil, 2d4 + 1 Spined Devils,
avoid taking any damage at all by choosing not to resist
and 1d4 Barbed Devils confronting a fiendish Kraken
falling Prone and becoming Stunned.
with Resistance to Cold and Fire-damage, whose
Creatures who Succeed on their Saving-Throws are
“Lightning Storm” action deals Force-damage instead of
able to gaze at Ahriman, the figure appearing as a tall
Lightning, and with immunity to the effects of the river
and handsome male tiefling covered in serpentine
Styx, attacking from within the river.
scales. Creatures with Truesight or similar means of
magically seeing through illusions perceive Ahriman
simply as a large mass of blood-red mist.
2
If the characters deem to aid the kraken, it introduces Thereafter roll 1d4 - 1. On a result of 0, the dragon is
itself as Huuaklaszil, a servant and spy of the demon flying 120 feet overhead, looking for its next meal.
lord Dagon. The kraken further elaborates that it has On a result of 1 or higher, the dragon is resting alongside
been charting out landmarks of wastes of Avernus by an amount of Wyrmlings of the same color, of an
swimming throughout the relativistic waters of the Styx. amount equal to the number rolled. If with its young, the
As a reward for aiding the Huuaklaszil, it offers to dragon ignores the party as long as they remain more
give them directions to a landmark of the DM’s choice, than 120 feet away, and otherwise breathes at them to
which counts as rolling 2d12 when “Charting a Course” discourage their approach before viciously fighting to the
to that location (see chapter 3 in Baldur’s Gate: death any who still insist on approaching.
Descend into Avernus). Beyond any natural immunities the dragons may
Treasure. At the DM’s choice, Huuaklaszil otherwise have, each dragon rolled is fiendish and has
additionally rewards the character with a magic item Resistance to Cold, Fire, and Lightning-damage and
determined by rolling once on the Magic Item Table F Immunity to Poison-damage and the Poisoned Condition.
(see chapter 7 in the Dungeon Master’s Guide) . Lairs & Treasures. It is left to the DM to decide what
the environment the characters encounter the dragon is
Adult Dragon like, as well as whether it is appropriate for a dragon to
The party encounters one of Tiamat’s chosen children. be in possession of treasures or its hoard in such an area.
Roll 1d6, the result correlating to the color of the However, any adult dragon with treasure is in possession
dragon; an Adult Red Dragon (1), an Adult Blue of 1d6 - 1 soul coins in addition to any other treasure of
Dragon (2), an Adult Black Dragon (3), an Adult the DM’s choice.
Green Dragon (4), or an Adult White Dragon (5-6).
01-02 A Paladin in Hell 36-39 2d6 + 1 Hell Hounds 65-69 Pathetic Warzone
03-05 A Poet and his Spiritual Guide 40-41 Hellriders Riding 70-72 Pillar of Skulls
11-14 Chain Devils & Frost Giants 44 Invaders of Orcus 77-79 Styx Dragon
15-20 2d8 - 1 Cultists & 1 Cult Fanatic 45-46 Kostchtchie Liberators 80-84 The Great Avernus Road
24-26 1d4 Drow & 1 Drow Mage 50-51 Lovers’ Quarrel 90 Wizard Boil
30-33 Faceless Horde 56-58 Out of Time and Space 96-99 Zombie Horde of Orcus
3
Chain Devils & Frost Giants Cultists
The characters come upon a group of 1d4 + 2 chaotic The characters encounter a group of devil worshipping
evil Frost Giants arguing amongst themselves as they cultists visiting Avernus for the purpose of gaining favor
try and decide on whether they should make a deal with from their infernal masters.
a pair of Chain Devils, each with 40 Hit Points The cultists will attempt to capture the characters,
remaining, they managed to Incapacitate and Restrain sneaking up on them if possible, so that they might offer
by entangling their chains together and tying them down the characters as sacrifices to their hellish patron.
with an oversized Hellfire Greatsword wielded by one
of the giants in battle. Dendar’s Parade
The giants’ argument is so heated that they are almost The characters are intersected by the gang of Sa’Szinii
at a point of coming to blows with one another, and it a type 3 yuan-ti malison female Medusa wielding a
therefore takes a DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check Hunting Rifle instead of longbow.
to make the giants engage the characters in conversation Sa’Szinii leads her gang, known as Dendar’s Parade,
rather than simply lashing out at the newly arrived the remains of an army of yuan-ti who invaded the Fugue
targets of violence. If the characters succeed on the Plane in an attempt to liberate Dendar the Night Serpent
check, the giants requests their input on how to find the and have her devour the world. This invasion, however,
prison of their god, Kostchtchie’s Maw. If the characters failed horribly, struck down by the divine forces of the
are unable to help the giants, they must engage in a Lord of the Dead, Kelemvor, and only this small band
competition against the chain devils, as they attempt to managed to escape by making a deal with one of the
enrage the giants by making Charisma (Deception) devils appearing on that plane to tempt the souls of the
checks, trying to convince the giants that the characters dead, leading the group through a portal to Avernus.
are lying to them. Since entering the Hells, Sa’Szinii has been working
If the devils lose the contest, the giants grow tired of more and more on trying to find a way to free herself off
listening to them and kill them. While, if the characters the bargain that saved her life, and as a result has been
lose the contest, the giants attack them instead, fighting equipping herself so that she might better oppose devils.
to the death. Carrying bullets coated in silver for her newly acquired
If at any point a fight breaks out between the giants firearm, and she has pierced her snake hair with silvered
and the characters, the chain devils attempt to bargain needles and silvered their teeth, as well as coating the
with the characters, offering their aid in the battle in entire skeleton of individual snakes of her hair that died
exchange for their freedom (and potentially something from her treating of them, and thereafter animated.
more). Removing the oversized sword, and thereby Sa’Szinii drives a Tormentor while she has two type 2
releasing Yuan-Ti Malisons each driving a Scavenger, and a type
the devils requires a DC 24 Strength (Athletics) check, 1 Yuan-Ti Malison driving a Devil’s Ride. All the huge
though the characters might have other means or ideas vehicles additionally have 1d4 Yuan-Ti Purebloods
for ways to remove it, including making the lone giant rounding out their crews.
unarmed without it pull free the sword itself. Sa’Szinii adds a +6 bonus to Ability checks made to
Treasure. The characters can claim the Hellfire drive a vehicle (land), while all the rest of her crew add
Greatsword, magically turning it to a more appropriate a +2 bonus to such checks.
size simply by touching it without a giant around to Treasure. In addition to her Hunting Rifle, Sa’Szinii
challenge the resizing. The devils might additionally carries a pouch containing 1d100 silvered bullets.
have offered the characters an uncommon magic item Her crew at large carries with them 2d6 Soul Coins
or two, of the DM’s choice, in return for their freedom. and 2d6 flasks of Demon ichor.
4
Drow If the characters attempt to make the cult fanatic give
The path of the characters intersect with that of a group up on the deal, it simply sighs and suggests that the devils
of drow. show how worthy they are as contractors by slaying the
Roll any die. On an even result, the party must characters. The devils happily fights the characters, but
succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to additionally attempt to sabotage each other and even
notice the group of drow as they simply are attempting outright murder each other throughout the fight.
to stealth their way across the wastes of Avernus Regardless of how things turn out, the devil who ends
unseen. up being stood-up lashes out its frustrations at the
On an odd result, the party must Succeed on a DC characters.
14 Dexterity (Stealth) check or be spotted by the drow All combatants fight until dropped to half their Hit
who attempt to capture the characters and use them as Points Maximum thereafter they attempt to flee, and if
bargaining chips in their dealings within the Hells. this doesn’t work, they attempt to bargain for their lives.
Regardless of how the group of drow acts, they hail Treasure. The cult fanatic carries an umber hulk
from Lolth’s Web within the Demonweb Pits and are antenna which serves as a portal-key to a magic portal,
on a mission within Avernus on behalf of their Queen leading to the city of Sigil, located somewhere in
of Spiders. What this mission entails is left to the DM, Avernus of the DM’s choice other than the Wandering
but an available option is meeting with emissaries of Emporium or Elturel (see chapter 2 of the Dungeon
Tiamat to try and reestablish their alliances after their Master’s Guide) . If in mortal peril, the cult fanatic will
failed cooperation during the Darkening and War of the offer this portal-key in return for its life.
Silver Marches on the world of Toril.
Treasure. The mage wears a pair of Boots of Faceless Horde
Levitation and each member of the group wears a black The characters witness the amorphous mass of an
Cloak of Elvenkind, and carry a Potion of Healing. invasion from the Abyssal home of Juiblex. The horde
concerned with nothing but internalizing everything they
Eternal Triangle encounter on their path into themselves.
The party encounters a chaotic evil Cult Fanatic, as The fiendish ooze-horde is made up of 1d3 - 1 Black
well as Barbed Devil and a Bearded Devil with 80 Hit Puddings, 4d6 Gray Oozes, and 3d4 Ochre Jellies.
Points in a heated debate. Regardless of what features an ooze otherwise has,
The cult fanatic has travelled to Avernus due to it is fiendish and therefore has Resistance to Cold, Fire,
having a sensual interest in monstrous creatures and has and Lightning-damage.
now agreed to sign over its soul to a devil in return for Treasure. For each black pudding present in the horde,
such experiences for a prolonged period of time with the enormous mass carries within it a random magic item,
said devil. However, since both devils are unwilling to resistant to Acid-damage, determined by rolling once on
share the credit for contracting the mortal’s soul, they the Magic Item Table G (see chapter 7 in the Dungeon
are now arguing over who gets to serve as contractor. Master’s Guide) .
The cult fanatic eagerly listens to suggestions from the
characters of who of the devils would be the better, most Glabrezu
interesting choice as a partner. Additionally, the party The characters encounter a lone Glabrezu in the service
can convince the cult fanatic to search for better of the demon lord Baphoment who, in its Abyssal
contractors elsewhere with a DC 15 Charisma madness, has gotten itself convinced that all that is
(Persuasion) check. needed to win the war against the Hells is building a
maze large enough to encompass the entire plane, thereby
trapping the devils within while the servants of Baphomet
freely hound them. As a result, when the characters come
upon the demon, it has managed to build a ceilingless
40-foot hallway out of Avernian rocks and gore.
5
If the characters approach the demon, it informs them Hydra
of its plan and demand that they aid in the building by One of the horrific results of the Prince of Demons,
gathering more building materials. If denied, it attacks. Demogorgon’s infamous dalliances, this chaotic evil
Treasure. The glabrezu carries an adamantine set of Hydra with 255 Hit Points, Resistance to Acid, Cold,
oversized mason’s tools worth 500 gp. Fire, Lightning, and Psychic-damage, and the ability to
cast the Confusion-spell once per day as a 5th-level spell
Hell Hounds while requiring no components, has no goals in life but
A pack of hell hounds are on the hunt together and have the destruction of everything in its path.
judged the characters to make for a great, next meal.
Iggwilv the Witch Queen
Hellriders Riding If the characters aren’t anywhere within viewing distance
The characters witness an escaped hellrider on an of the city of Elturel, roll for a new result.
infernal war machine, fleeing the minions of an The character spot the strange sight of a lone woman
Avernian warlord. lying upon the prone form of a Vrock as though it was
Ser Allyia Goldentoe, a Lawful Good halfling female a divan or similar piece of furniture.
Knight of Helm who can reroll any d20 roll resulting The woman before them is the infamous Witch Queen
in a natural 1, somehow managed to escape Elturel, Iggwilv, a chaotic evil human female demonologist,
after it was dragged into Avernus, by paragliding down a fact she neither actively reveals nor attempts to hide.
to the ground with a blanket filled with holes, landing She happily explains that she is observing Elturel, finding
just beyond the clash between the fiendish armies (her this newest development in Avernus an interesting one.
halfling luck was working overtime that day). Iggwilv is well aware of the details of Zariel’s plans for
When the characters see Ser Goldentoe, she has stolen Elturel, indeed, she has been aware of the true nature of
a Tormentor from an Avernian kobold warlord, and the The Companion since before it even appeared in the sky
warlords goons are now following her in two above Elturel in the first place. Now that Zariel’s plans
Scavengers and another Tormentor. Each infernal war have arrived at its climax, Iggwilv simply found herself
machine of the minions chasing Ser Goldentoe are in the mood to see the doomed city before it is dragged
manned by 1d8 Kobolds, each adding a +4 bonus to into the Styx, and thus lost forever. Iggwilv has no
Ability checks made to drive a vehicle (land). interest in informing the characters of these details, nor
The Boss Wants to Talk. The kobolds are trying to does she truly care about their presence as long as they
capture Goldentoe, and if any other characters attempt don’t do anything to bother her or her lovely new seat.
to interfere, they attempt to capture them as well. If the characters inform Iggwilv of their intention to
Captured characters are taken down into the caverns save Elturel from its fate, the Witch Queen grants them
of Draukari below Avernus, the layer and prison of the the slightest of her interest, asking them to elaborate on
Kobold creator-god, Kurtulmak. What happens to the the nature of their intentions and plans. Indeed, if the
characters within this underground, infernal maze is characters seem to either be capable enough, or have an
beyond the scope of this document, but worth noting is interesting enough plan to serve as entertainment, she
that the hordes of kobolds inhabiting these labyrinthine may even offer to aid the characters slightly by allowing
are all miners spending eternity blindly digging about party wizards to copy spells from her spellbook, or by
the tunnels for a way to find their trapped deity, and casting removing a curse from the party.
engaging in ritual sacrifices of gnomes, their religiously
hated enemies.
Treasure. Each infernal war machine’s crew has
1d4 Soul Coins and 1d6 - 1 flasks of Demon Ichor.
Goldentoe wields a Vicious Mithral Greatsword which
allows her and other small creatures to wield the
weapon effectively.
6
Iggwilv has the statistics of a Lich with the following ● Its alignment is chaotic evil.
changes: ● The Wyrmkin is immune to Cold-damage.
● It speaks Draconic and Abyssal.
● Iggwilv is a humanoid (human).
● She can cast the Detect Magic-spell at will, There is a 80% chance that the procession is looking for
requiring no components, and she is under the the prison of Kostchtchie’s Maw in an attempt free their
effects of a Contingency- spell to cast Raise Dead god. Otherwise, they are marching to confront Zariel and
on her if she ever dies, after which she will play retrieve Matalotok from her. In either case,
dead until she can make her escape. the party can avoid the giants by keeping their distance
● Iggwilv has no “Rejuvenation” feature. or succeeding on a DC 10 Dexterity (Stealth) check,
● Her list of prepared spells includes Tasha’s but alternatively, if the characters follow the giants,
Hideous Laughter instead of Detect Magic. the processions size swells by 1d4 Young White
Dragons and they are led to Zariel (see chapter 5
If combat breaks out, Iggwilv might potentially take
of Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus) .
one turn to punish the foolishness of her attackers, but
otherwise simply Plane Shifts away as soon as possible,
having visited Avernus simply for the sake of a bit of Lemures
entertainment. The characters witness this pathetic legion “marching”
slowly across the wastes of their soon-to-be eternal
battlefield. These green recruits are 150 feet away when
Invaders of Orcus
the characters first spot them.
With the city of Elturel stranded in Avernus, the Prince
of Undeath sees a great opportunity for expanding his
foothold in the Hells further by turning the city into a Lovers’ Quarrel
bastion of the dead. The characters come upon a Lamia and its Jackalwere
To invade the forsaken city, Orcus has sent an initial servant, engaged in a conversation with a Succubus, both
force lead by a Wight mounted on an undead Wyvern sides arguing mockingly for which of their respective
with Resistance to Necrotic-damage. The wight’s forces masters, the demon lords Graz’zt and Malcanthet, being
are further bolstered by two Will-O’-Wisps, a Zombie the greater lover.
Beholder, and four avariel Zombies with a flying speed Both the lamia and succubus is happy to hear the views
of 20 feet. Lastly, the invaders have further enhanced of the characters, though both also imply it heavily that
their forces by raising two Minotaur Skeletons from expressing an opinion against their views would be less
slain forces of the Prince of Beasts. than wise.
Treasure. Two of the avariel zombies wear pairs of
Boots of Elvenkind, an avariel zombie wears a suit of Manes
Elven Chain, and the wight wears a full set of Demon The characters can hear the mewling of this vile mob
Armour. long before it appears. The manes scour the wastes of
Avernus near the Styx for easy prey and move like a tide
of putrid flesh.
Kostchtchie Liberators
The characters spot a procession of giants marching
500 feet away. The procession is made up of 1d4 Out of Time and Space
Frost Giants and is lead by a frost giant Wyrmkin of The party comes upon the strange sight of a pair of
Kostchtchie and its subjugated Young White Dragon. hellish Cambions shooting rays of brilliant, radiant light
The Wyrmkin has the statistics of a Cloud Giant, or a at a fiendish Beholder, a crown of horns sprouting from
Cloud Giant Smiling One (see chapter 3 of Volo’s its top and its skin shaded red like bloody flesh.
Guide to Monsters) , with the following changes: The Nine Hells, like all other Outer Planes, are places
of philosophy, not physics. Space nor time truly function
within the Hells, and the same Hells are thus shared by
all worlds and across all points in time.
7
Due to this relativistic reality, the forces of the Hells Relics of the Trap
occasionally find themselves with the chances to d12 Found Relic
employ greater technologies of warfare against the
forces of the Abyss. Such is the case for these cambions, 01-03 While traveling across Avernus, the characters
one named Μόρος who wields a Laser Rifle, and the glimpse a fantastic mirage: a grand palace or
garden oasis that vanishes when they get within
other named Malum wielding a Laser Pistol. Both
100 feet of it.
cambions can fire their firearms twice as an Action.
The beholder hails from the abyssal Realm of a 04-06 A random character hears beautiful music or
Million Eyes and as a result has Vulnerability to laughter, catches the scent of flowers or perfume,
Radiant-damage, Resistance to Acid, Cold, Fire, and or experiences a gentle caress. The sensation has no
discernible source and fades after a few moments.
Lightning-damage, and its “Enervation Ray” deals
Fire-damage instead of Necrotic. If the DM wishes to 07-09 The characters find a relic that survived the fall of
extend this encounter, paradise, such as a beautiful vase or toppled statue.
they can choose to have 1d4 Spectators with the same The first character to touch the relic experiences a
extra features as described above apply, but have its fleeting moment of pure joy.
“Wounding Ray” deal Fire-damage instead of Necrotic.
10-11 A random character finds a magical peace of
On consecutive rolls of this result, only the beholders luxury. Roll a d8 to determine what it is among;
appear, invading from the Abyss and attack the party. a Philter of Love (1), a Driftglobe (2), a Brooch
Treasure. The cambions carries 10 Energy Cells of Shielding (3), a Circlet of Blasting (4), Eyes of
shared between them, along with their firearms. Charming (5), an Instrument of the Bards, Doss
Lute (6), a Pearl of Power (7), or a Wind Fan (8).
8
The Pillar of Skulls has the statistics of a Hydra with A stygian linnorm has the statistics of an Adult Silver
255 Hit Points and the following changes: Dragon with the following changes:
● It is a Fiend instead of a Monstrosity, and its ● The linnorm’s alignment is Neutral Evil,
alignment is Lawful Evil. and it has a swimming speed of 80 feet.
● The pillar has a speed and swimming speed ● It is Immune to the effects of the river Styx,
of 0 feet. as well as Acid and Psychic-damage, and the
● The pillar can speak and read all languages. Charmed, Frightened, Stunned, Paralyzed,
● Rejuvenation. If the Pillar of Skulls is Poisoned, and Prone Conditions.
destroyed, it reforms anew in 1d10 days in the ● Its “Cold Breath” deals Acid-damage instead,
same location, regaining all its Hit Points and and it doesn’t have the Change Shape nor the
becoming active again. Wing Attack features.
● The regrowth of its “Multiple Heads” is
prevented from taking Radiant-damage instead Styx Dragon
of Fire. The party comes upon a styx dragon moving about
● Its Bite attacks only have a reach of 5 feet. the waters of the river Styx. A styx dragon has a long,
If a creature other than a Construct or an Undead is serpentine body with tiny, flipperlike claws that are
killed by the pillar, the head of that creature appears as useless on land and in combat. Its wings are too small
a part of the pillar in 2d12 hours. to carry it aloft, but help to propel it through the water.
Upon leaving the Pillar of Skulls, if the characters They commonly subsist on the flesh of fiends, but enjoy
travel across the wastes of Avernus, their next point of eating any meat—particularly rotting carrion.
arrival becomes the Monument of Tiamat with certainty A styx dragon has the statistics of a Behir with the
(see Chapter 3 of Baldur’s Gate: Descend into following changes:
Avernus) . ● Its type is that of a dragon rather than
monstrosity, and it has speed of 20 feet and
Slow Century swimming speed of 50 feet, but has no climbing
The party is approached by a Spined Devil who offers speed.
to make them deals for their souls with good terms since ● It is Immune to the effects of the river Styx,
it is severely behind in its soul-collecting-quota. as well as Acid and Psychic-damage, and the
If the characters refuse, it pushes once more, insisting Charmed, Frightened, Stunned, and Paralyzed
that there is no trickery involved in this deal, and that Conditions.
they likely won’t get such accommodating terms from ● Amphibious. The styx dragon can breathe air
the rest of the Hells. If refused again the devil leaves in and water.
a haste, hoping to find more agreeable souls elsewhere, ● Its “Lightning Breath” deals Acid-damage
but not before plucking out one of its tail spines and instead.
instructing the party to burn it and wait awhile if they ● It can use an Action once per day to magically
ever change their minds about the deal. summon a Giant Crocodile or a Giant Shark.
If the party burns the devil’s tail spine and waits in
the same location until they have finished a Short Rest, The Great Avernus Road
the spined devil returns, willing to negotiate anew. The party comes upon a ruin in the Avernian wastes.
A relic of a lost age, when the archdevil Bel sat as ruler
Stygian Linnorm of the Avernian armies. Now the Great Road is anything
The characters encounter a linnorm at the waters of the but, much of its great size having been stripped down by
river Styx. Linnorms are primeval dragons from the craters of powerful impacts and from pillaging performed
ages before the seperation of the draconic races, their for unclear reasons.
natural habitats are near or within the Styx itself where
they are avoided by other creatures of the Lower Planes
9
(see Dungeon Magazine #149 for more information).
The Great Road once served as a swift way for Bel to ● Fey Ancestry. Lathankin has Advantage on
collect and transport his armies across the wastes of his Saving-Throws against being Charmed, and
realm, but since Zariel took over the throne of Avernus, magic can't put him to sleep.
no initiative has been performed to maintain the road. ● Lathankin’s list of prepared spells includes
Not due to Zariel being dismissive of the Road’s value Sacred Flame instead of Shocking Grasp;
in opposing the forces of the Abyss, but simply to spite Guiding Bolt instead of Magic Missile; Prayer of
her hated second-in-command, forcing him to simply Healing instead of Detect Thoughts; Guardian of
watch as the road leading directly to his fortress falls Faith i nstead of Fire Shield; Flame Strike i nstead
into disrepair, a symbol of his own disgraced state. of Cone of Cold; a nd Fire Storm i nstead of
Regardless of where on the Great Road a creature Teleport.
stands, it can always see Bel’s Forge at one of its ends ● He has already expend an 8th-level spell slot for
in the distance. If characters choose to follow the Road the casting of the Mind Blank-spell.
towards the fortress, the characters arrive at Bel’s Forge ● He currently has 5 levels of Exhaustion from his
with certainty. hours exposed to the torrents of the river Styx.
Whenever the characters travel along the Great Road,
The erinyes is currently happy with its newly found
roll any die. On an odd roll, one of the Warlords of the
game, well aware and excited about the coming moment
Avernian Wastelands of the DM’s choice rides along
when Lathankin’s protections from the Styx’s waters fail,
the Road in the opposite direction, the warlords loving
and therefore is happy to ignore the party, as long as they
the remains of the old Road (see Chapter 3 in Baldur’s
don’t spoil its fun.
Gate: Descend into Avernus).
Treasure. The erinyes wears a Dread Helm, and carries
a Rope of Entanglement, five diamonds worth 100 gp
Unholy Diving each, and a silver half-mask set with star sapphires worth
At the riverbank of the Styx, the party comes upon an 250 gp, in a black-and-blue velvet bag itself worth 50 gp.
erinyes mounted on the back of a fiendish tiger with
resistance to Cold-damage and immunity to Fire and
Young Dragon
Poison-damage. The erinyes is calmly torturing Djarros
The party comes upon 1d4 young dragons throughout
Lathankin, a Lawful Good male half-elf mystic theurge
the wastes of Avernus.
under the effects of the Mind Blank-spell, by keeping
Roll 1d6, the result correlating to the color of the
him tied up by a Rope of Entanglement and submerged
dragon; a Young Red Dragon (1), a Young Blue
in the Styx due to him being protected by the effects
Dragon (2), n Young Black Dragon (3), a Young
of its waters.
Green Dragon (4), or a Young White Dragon (5-6).
By the time the party comes upon the scene, the
Beyond any natural immunities the dragons may
effects of Lathankin’s Mind Blank only have 1 hour
otherwise have, each dragon rolled is fiendish and has
remaining, as he has spent nearly 24 hours within the
Resistance to Cold, Fire, and Lightning-damage and
Styx.
Immunity to Poison-damage and the Poisoned Condition.
As a mystic theurge, Lathankin has the statistics of an
Lairs & Treasures. It is left to the DM to decide what
Archmage with the following changes:
the environment the characters encounter the dragon is
● Lathankin adds a +13 bonus to Intelligence like, as well as whether it is appropriate for a dragon to
(Religion) checks, and has darkvision out to be in possession of treasures or its hoard in such an area.
a range of 60 feet. However, any young dragon with treasure has of 1d3 - 1
● He can speaks, read, and write Common, soul coins in addition to any other treasure of the DM’s
Celestial, Draconic, Elvish, Infernal, and Sylvan. choice.
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Wizard Boil
The characters come upon a strange, disgusting boil ● The vestige can speak, read, and write Common,
in the already horrific, meaty wastes of Avernus. Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic, Elvish, and Infernal.
History of the Boil. In the Year of Wild Magic of the ● Elminster’s “Rejuvenation” feature has him
world of Toril, the wizard Elminster Aumar, the Sage of reform within the area of the Wizard Boil.
Shadowdale, found himself trapped within the layer of ● His list of prepared spells includes Remove Curse
Avernus and tortured by the dishonored archdevil instead of Animate Dead; Polymorph instead
Nergal, his mind ripped apart by the fiend to reveal the of Dimension Door; Bigby’s Hand instead of
secrets of the silver fire of the goddess of magic, Cloudkill; Mordenkainen’s Sword instead of
Mystra. Finger of Death; Reverse Gravity i nstead of
The Old Mage was eventually rescued from the Hells. Plane Shift; a nd Foresight i nstead of Power
However, this confrontation of divine magic and psionic Word Kill.
power infused the infernal essence of the adjacent area, ● Lastly, his “Paralyzing Touch” and “Disrupt
and was eventually tainted with the ichor of the Life” features both deal Force-damage instead
invading armies of the Abyss. of Necrotic-damage.
From this anarchic vortex of planar powers eventually
Depending on the intentions and behaviour of the party,
grew a revolting boil on the surface of Avernus.
Elminster’s vestige is happy to aid them in away way
The Old Vestige. The area of the boil covers the
he is capable. The Wizard Boil has covered Avernus for
surface of Avernus in a 120-foot-radius circle.
more than a century at this point, and it is as a result left
Anywhere within this area, the magical imprint or
to the DM to decide how much help Elminster is when
vestige of Elminster’s mind is capable of manifesting
it comes to the sharing of information.
itself, literally growing out of the boil itself, taking the
If the party is made up of evil characters, or characters
form of an elderly human male with long, gray hair and
unconcerned with heroic actions, the vestige will attempt
beard, and a hawk-shaped nose, wearing a tattered red
to manipulate them into furthering the causes of good
robe. However, physical inspection reveals all features
instead, playing to their egos, fears, desires, obsessions,
of the Old Vestige to be shaped of a soft and wet, fleshy
and other weaknesses.
substance.
Supernatural Aid. At the DM’s choice, Elminster’s
The Old Vestige introduces himself as such, well
vestige has the ability to grant each of the characters a
aware of his nature and without any intention of
“Blessing of Magic Resistance” or alternatively offer
deceiving the characters about it (though he is perfectly
each of them a “Charm of Vitality” by channeling the
happy to lie
divine power which formed the Wizard Boil (see the
to the characters if he believes deception regarding any
ending of chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide) .
topic would encourage the characters to engage in
goodly deeds; such as redeeming Zariel).
The vestige of Elminster has the statistics of a Lich, Zombie Horde of Orcus
with the following changes: The characters come upon a horde of undead.
In an effort to support his true strike team in Avernus,
● He is an Aberration instead of an Undead, the Prince of Undeath has sent 1d100 Zombies, 2d12
and his alignment is Chaotic Good. Skeletons, 1d10 Ogre Zombies, and 1d3 Beholder
● He has a speed of 0 feet, and he cannot leave the Zombies as a distraction to take away the focus of
area of the Wizard Boil by any means. Zariel and her devils.
● The vestige can cast the Misty Step- spell at will The horde of undead storm anything that draws its
without expending a spell slot. attention, but it is otherwise easy to avoid.
11
Zuggtmoy’s Salesman
The characters encounter a strange merchant, selling its Roll on the Madness of Zuggtmoy table to determine
wares of power at troublingly great prices. the nature of the madness, which is a character flaw that
The merchant introduces itself as Defecailaz, a lasts until cured (see the Dungeon Master's Guide for
Chaotic Evil Myconid Sovereign with 96 Hit Points more on madness).
and Resistance to Acid, Cold, Fire, and Lightning If Defecailaz is ever slain, in its final moment,
damage; as well as Bludgeoning, Piercing, and it releases a burst of “Contact Spores” which simply
Slashing-damage from nonmagical weapons. Defecailaz contains mad laughter followed by the statement:
additionally has the ability to cast the Plane Shift and “Good… Good…”
Teleport- spells once per day each, requiring no Treasure. In addition to its stock of wares, Defecailaz
components. Constitution is its spellcasting ability additionally carries these wares in a Portable Hole, and
for these spells. wields a Staff of Swarming Insects.
Defecailaz travels the Lower Planes, selling potions
and poisons of its own brewing for cheap prices as The Wares of Defecailaz
described nearby. If an item’s description contains a
Item (A-Z) Price Stock
roll of available dosages, the prices and stock below
describe collections of the maximum available dosages. Assassin’s Blood x5 25 gp or 1 soul coin x10
All of these concoctions work perfectly, in fact, they
might work “too well,” a fact Defecailaz is well aware Bag of Beans 500 gp or 9 soul coins x2
of. Each of the merchant’s wares were produced with Burnt Othur Fumes 50 gp or 2 soul coins x4
ingredients from Shedaklah, the Abyssal layer of the
Demon Queen of Fungi, Zuggtmoy, and each one of Elixir of Health 200 gp or 4 soul coins x3
them are infused with her essence.
Essens of Ether x2 25 gp or 1 soul coin x4
Concoctions of Madness. Whenever a creature other
than a Construct is subjected to the effects of one of Keoghtom’s Ointment x2 25 gp or 1 soul coin x7
Defecailaz’ wares, that creature must make a DC 20
Wisdom Saving-Throw or become inflicted with the Malice x2 25 gp or 1 soul coin x6
madness of Zuggtmoy.
Midnight Tears 150 gp or 3 soul coins x5
d100 Flaw (lasts until cured) Oil of Etherealness 250 gp or 5 soul coins x2
01-20 "I see visions in the world around me that Oil of Slipperiness x2 25 gp or 1 soul coin x4
others do not."
Philter of Love x4 25 gp or 1 soul coin x16
21-40 "I periodically slip into a catatonic state, staring
off into the distance for long stretches at a time." Potion of Fire Breath x4 25 gp or 1 soul coin x8
41-60 "I see an altered version of reality, with my mind Potion of Growth x2 25 gp or 1 soul coin x6
convincing itself that things are true even in the
face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary." Potion of Healing x10 25 gp or 1 soul coin x20
61-80 "My mind is slipping away, and my intelligence Potion of Greater Healing 20 gp or 1 soul coin x4
seems to wax and wane."
Potion of Invulnerability 200 gp or 4 soul coins x5
81-00 “I am constantly scratching at unseen fungal
infections." Truth Serum x3 20 gp or 1 soul coin x9
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