Into The Unknown - The Dungeon Survival Handbook
Into The Unknown - The Dungeon Survival Handbook
R O L E P L AY I N G G A M E S U P P L E M E N T
Logan Bonner ✦ Matt Sernett ✦ Jeff Morgenroth
INTO THE U NKNOWN:
The Dungeon Survival Handbook ™
R O L E P L AY I N G G A M E S U P P L E M E N T
Logan Bonner ) Jeff Morgenroth ) Matt Sernett
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2
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 For the DM: The Cloud Castle Crafting the Feel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
DUNGEON DELVERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Sights and Sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
New Character Choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Ice Palace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Developing a Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Character Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Magic Laboratory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Underdark Combat Encounters . . . . 131
Bloodsworn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Maze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 The Battlefield. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Sample Bloodsworn: Meliera . . . . . . . 10 Mine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Light Sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Deep Delver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Prison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Skill Challenge:
Sample Deep Delver: For the DM: Jailbreak! . . . . . . . . . . . 87 An Underdark Trek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Karl Deepwalker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Sewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Individual Checks:
Escaped Thrall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Volcano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Making Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Sample Escaped Thrall: Mord . . . . . . . 17 For the DM: Volcanic Terrain . . . . . 90 Group Checks:
Trapsmith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Warren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Overcoming Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Sample Trapsmith: Dungeon Denizens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Dungeon Makers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Thorry the Unlucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Aboleths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Cultists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Treasure Hunter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Ankhegs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Drow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Sample Treasure Hunter: Ella . . . . . . . 24 Beholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Duergar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Underdark Envoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Carrion Crawlers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Dwarves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Sample Underdark Envoy: Khiira . . 28 Cave Fishers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Humans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Underdark Outcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Grimlocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Kobolds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Sample Underdark Outcast: Hook Horrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Kuo-Toas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Korag the Clanless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Mimics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Mind Flayers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Races . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Mind Flayers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Minotaurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Goblin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Myconids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Wizards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Kobold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Oozes and Slimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Yuan-Ti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
New Item: Hurler-Snatcher . . . . . . 44 Otyughs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Special Rewards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Svirfneblin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Purple Worms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Scrolls of Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Dungeon-Themed Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Ropers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 For the DM: Be Careful
Fear of the Dark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Rust Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 What They Wish For . . . . . . . . . . 147
Improvising a Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Stirges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Dungeon Companions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Secrets of the Deep Guides . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Troglodytes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Akaana Vir’tlar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Shadow of the Ziggurat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Umber Hulks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Meepo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Seekers of Lost Lore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Infamous Dungeons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Thresher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Thieves’ Guild of Maelbrathyr . . . . . . . . 64 Castle Ravenloft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Ultok . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
From the Vault of the Drow . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Ghost Tower of Inverness . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Battle Tactics of Cor Talcor . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 The Lost City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 APPENDIX 1: BUILD
Pyramid of Amun-Re . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 YOUR OWN DUNGEON . . . . . . . . . . . 151
CHAPTER 2 White Plume Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Linear vs. Dynamic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
STRIVE TO SURVIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Tomb of Horrors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Rough it Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Top Five Rules of Temple of Elemental Evil . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Draw it Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Dungeon Delving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Gates of Firestorm Peak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Dungeon Synergy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Further Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Dungeoneers’ Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Unique Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Expert Delving Tactics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Adventuring Gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Words from the Master . . . . . . . . . 154
Climbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Using Equipment Effectively. . . . . 115
Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Alchemical Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 APPENDIX 2:
Secret Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 RANDOM DUNGEONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Stealth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 CHAPTER 3 Involving the Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Clear the Rooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 MASTER OF THE DUNGEON . . 118 Who, What, Where? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Rest Stops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Advice and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Why and How? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Sustenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Involving the Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Populating a Dungeon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Water Dangers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Themes and Adventure Hooks . . . . . 120 Random Dungeon Example . . . . . . . . . 158
Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Exploration and Choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Hazards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Mysteries and Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Rituals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Creating an
Dungeon Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Underdark Adventure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Cave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Descending into Darkness. . . . . . . . . . . 127
Crypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Infinite Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Death Trap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 An Underdark Overview . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Floating Castle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 The Setting’s Role. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
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CHAPTER 1
Dungeon Delvers
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
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Character masters, or merchants. Khiira the bard uses her
wiles, honed as the seventh daughter of her house,
to hide both from the other drow who hunt her and
Themes from the topsiders who fear and hate her kind.
✦ Underdark outcasts are disgraced exiles from
Just as race and class help to define who your char- their societies, forced to wander the lightless
acter is in the world, theme adds an optional third realms in a struggle to survive. Through his
component to refine your story and identity. The hubris, Korag made it possible for grimlocks to
themes presented here explain what your character slaughter many of his dwarf clan, and he was cast
knows about adventuring in dungeons and provide out in shame.
story hooks that you can use to roleplay him or her.
A theme generally embraces characters of many
different classes. A few more narrowly focused
Choosing a Theme
themes are limited to a small selection of classes A character can have only one theme. You typically
or races—for example, the Underdark outcast must choose a theme at character creation, although the
belong to a subterranean race. Any such restrictions DM might allow you to choose a theme at a higher
are noted in the theme’s entry. level, particularly if the campaign’s story justifies
Each theme’s entry includes a sample character. making the choice later.
These characters’ background stories can give you Character themes are optional; you don’t have to
some ideas for playing that theme; in a pinch, if you select one if you don’t want to. When you select a
have no character prepared, or if a character’s back- theme, it grants you the following benefits.
story appeals to you, you can roleplay him or her. Starting Features: Each theme includes one or
This section presents the following themes. more features that you gain when you select it.
Additional Features: Most themes offer addi-
✦ Bloodsworn go into a dungeon to kill a specific
tional features at levels 5 and 10. You gain these
enemy, who defines the character’s life and quest
features automatically when you reach the appro-
for vengeance. The eladrin Meliera changed from
priate level; they don’t replace your normal class
a peace-seeking diplomat into a bitter hunter after
features.
a drow betrayed her.
Optional Powers: Each theme includes a small
✦ Deep delvers expertly explore underground number of attack powers, utility powers, or both that
environments, preferring the dark tunnels of the become available at level 2 or higher. These powers
Underdark to the sunlit hills above. Karl Deep- are in addition to the list of powers you can choose
walker saw his companions slain by grimlocks, from when you gain levels. For example, if you’re a
and now the human youth searches for the traitor 6th-level fighter, you can choose a level 6 fighter util-
he’s sure was in their midst. ity power or a level 6 utility power from your theme.
✦ Escaped thralls tore themselves free from the You can use retraining to replace a class power
mental control of other creatures. They still bear with an optional theme power or vice versa, exchang-
the physical and mental scars of their imprison- ing one power for another power of the same type
ment. Mord lost his childhood memories but sees (at-will attack, encounter attack, daily attack, or util-
flashes of his enslavement while he dreams. The ity). The new power must be of the same level as the
half-orc has found some measure of peace as a ser- old power or lower. You can also replace an optional
vant of Ioun. theme power with a different optional power of the
✦ Trapsmiths create deadly and debilitating devices. same theme, as long as the new power is of the same
They get by on ingenuity, adrenaline, and elbow type and is of the same level or lower.
grease. Thorry the Unlucky lost a couple of fingers Prerequisites: Just like classes and races, themes
to a kobold trap when he was a young svirfneblin. can be prerequisites for feats, paragon paths, and
He left his people to pursue safer work but keeps other features.
getting pulled back into the dungeon-delving life.
✦ Treasure hunters seek glory and wealth, set- Changing a Theme
ting their sights on specific items of considerable Although a theme can last throughout your charac-
worth. Ella the halfling was saved by the mysteri- ter’s career, circumstances might arise in which it
ous Green Man, along with her siblings—at a price. makes sense for your theme to change. For instance,
Unless she finds his crown, scepter, and armor, a character might begin play as an Underdark envoy
she’ll never see her brother and sister again. and eventually suffer a horrible betrayal at the hands
✦ Underdark envoys act as diplomats for Underdark of a villain in the subterranean depths. The character
societies. They might be spies, delegates for dark consequently leaves the envoy theme and adopts the
bloodsworn theme, consumed by a need for revenge.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
6
C H A R AC T E R T H E M E S
The world beneath the world awaits those who cross the threshold of a dungeon
When you can retrain, you can exchange your or race might not otherwise provide. For example, if
theme for another theme, instead of using any other you play a dwarf fighter with the Underdark envoy
option for retraining. To retrain a theme, you must theme, the combination can offer new opportunities
have none of the theme’s optional powers, and for story hooks and roleplaying. What ancient text or
you must have neither feats nor a paragon path for scroll has your character been tasked with retrieving
which the theme is a prerequisite. A paragon path from a rival city? Which of your ancestors is con-
that requires your current theme prevents you from nected to a drow merchant consortium through a
retraining that theme, since paragon paths can’t shocking secret?
be retrained. But if you have only optional powers The themes in this section can provide story ele-
or feats that prevent you from retraining your cur- ments that are unique to your character. Perhaps you
rent theme, you can retrain those powers or feats to have knowledge that you want to keep secret from
others that don’t require the theme. Once you have other party members, or you might have a hidden
retrained all character elements that require your agenda. Such secrets are meant to create fun roleplay-
current theme, you can then retrain your theme at ing opportunities, not to set one character against the
your next retraining opportunity. others. Every theme in this section has a good reason
to want to work with the others.
Themes as Story Tools Think about your character’s theme and how he
or she would interact with the other party mem-
Themes offer a wide array of character creation tools.
bers. Multiple characters could be looking for buried
You might choose your theme first and then pick a
treasure, or several could have connections to drow
class or race to reinforce your identity. For example, a
society. Discuss these possible interactions with the
character who has the trapsmith theme can be of any
DM and the other players in the same way that you
class, but choosing the rogue class lets you reinforce
might talk about each party member’s class or race.
your character’s talent for disarming traps with the
tools to create them as well.
You can also use a theme to take your character in
N OA H B R A D L E Y
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
7
BLOODSWORN
“My enemies must pay for their crimes, and the only pay-
ment I will accept is in blood.”
Playing a Bloodsworn
Bloodsworn lead lonely lives that too often end with
promises left unfulfilled and bodies broken by the
very enemies they pledged to fight. You take no heed
of such risks; if you did, you wouldn’t have chosen this
life. Most people who encounter you fear that your
obsession will bring attention to their peaceful and
quiet lives. To those who have also endured suffering,
however, you are a savior. These unhappy souls give
what they have left to aid you in your quest.
The moment you made the commitment to destroy
your enemy, any chance of your having a normal life
disappeared. As long as that evil darkens the world,
you will never rest. But no matter how hot your
hatred runs, you do not throw your life away against
a foe you can’t hope to defeat. You understand that
you have to train your skills, hone your abilities, and
perfect your techniques before to the final confronta-
tion. For these reasons, you undertake other missions,
venturing into ruins and dungeons and fighting
alongside your companions, all in preparation for the
duty fate has laid at your feet.
Building a Bloodsworn
Bloodsworn exist among all races, classes, and cul-
tures. One tragedy is enough to set an individual on
the path of vengeance. When creating a bloodsworn
character, consider the following story elements.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
8
B LO O D S WO R N
still hope to reclaim the life that was taken from you,
or have you given up all such expectations, knowing
POETIC JUSTICE the road you now walk leads only to death?
Putting enemies to death at the point of a sword
is satisfying, but not enough so for many blood- Vengeance’s Inspiration Your enemy
sworn. Some concoct elaborate schemes to get their could inspire the choices you make about your char-
revenge in the most fitting way possible. For exam- acter. Consider deciding on your enemy before you
ple, someone whose brother was killed by duergar select your class or race to guide you and suggest a
might go after the siblings of duergar rulers before character who best reflects your choice of adversary.
attacking the rulers themselves. If you prefer to choose your race and class first, those
Other bloodsworn look for ways to ruin their ene- details in turn might suggest certain enemies.
mies in the most demeaning way possible. The nature Many races in the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS world
of such humiliation depends on the enemy society. have natural enemies. The history of the fey folk
Cult: Nothing frustrates cultists more than pits drow against eladrin and elves. Dwarves fought
destroying their temples, killing creatures they giants and orcs in ancient times. Dragonborn and
summoned, and blaspheming against their beliefs. tieflings have good reason to hate each other. The rea-
Destroying holy writings can also demoralize cultists sons behind these conflicts could be lost in the past,
and set back their plans. but the animosity remains very much alive. Choosing
Drow: Betrayal and mistrust run rampant in drow an enemy that has strong ties to your race helps rein-
society, so orchestrating an enemy’s fall in status is read- force your character’s place in the world.
ily accomplished. For an even greater insult, the puppet Just as race can help determine your chosen foe,
who overthrows the enemy should be of low rank. your choice of class can suggest certain opponents
Hobgoblins: Because hobgoblins take pride in mili- and bring your character to life. Most classes have no
tary might, undermining their war efforts makes them particular animosities, but divine characters often pit
look weak, cowardly, or incompetent. A hobgoblin themselves against servants of other gods. A priest of
leader so disgraced is unlikely to survive for long. Corellon might vow to fight Gruumsh’s servants, and
Orcs: The best way to humiliate an orc is to the Raven Queen’s paladins despise Zehir’s priests. A
defeat it in single combat. An orc’s friends will gather psion or an ardent might venture into the Underdark
quickly for revenge, and in large numbers, so don’t to seek out a portal to the Far Realm and prevent a
hangg around after strikingg the final blow. flood of monstrosities from reaching the world.
An unexpected choice for your hated enemy can
create interesting dynamics in the group. For exam-
ple, everyone expects a dwarf to hate orcs and giants,
Tailor your training to better defeat that hated foe and but you might create a dwarf fighter who has sworn
counter its capabilities, tactics, and motivations. A to defeat an Underdark merchant consortium that
bloodsworn who drives back orc hordes is very different exploited your people and emptied their vaults.
from one who is committed to wiping out the Cult of the
Elder Elemental Eye or one who has sworn to destroy Starting Feature
giants. As you make decisions about feats, powers, and
The dead haunt your dreams, a constant reminder of
other game elements, keep your chosen enemy in mind
your failure to save those closest to you. Your friends,
and pick options to help you bring it down.
your community, your former life—all were lost for-
Keep in mind your foe’s level relative to your own.
ever in one moment of violence. You refuse to let
If you are pursuing dark elves, you probably won’t
another misstep keep you from getting revenge. You
encounter them until the heroic tier’s upper reaches
are singularly focused on defeating your enemies.
at the earliest. On the other hand, goblins will cease
As your injuries mount, you find the will to succeed
to be a meaningful challenge once you hit the para-
where another might fail.
gon tier. Be sure to talk with your Dungeon Master to
Benefit: You gain the bloodied determination power.
make sure your chosen enemy fits into the campaign’s
story and level range.
Bloodied Determination Bloodsworn Utility
You should also consider the scope of your ven-
When you are in dire straits, failure is not an option. You adjust
geance. A limited goal makes defeating your chosen
your attack at the last moment to deliver a strike.
foe reasonable and achievable. Do you really want to
Encounter ✦ Martial
exterminate all dark elves (an impossible task) or only
Free Action Personal
the drow of House Eilserv? Trigger: You miss with an at-will attack power while you are
Finally, think about your character’s life before the bloodied.
tragedy changed you. What did you want to become? Effect: You reroll the missed attack roll.
What were your dreams? What did you value? Do you
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
9
Additional Features Level 10 Utility Power Until your
chosen foe has paid the price, not even the specter of
impending death can turn you from your path.
Level 5 Feature To confront your foes, you
must descend into their lairs, contend with the tricks
To the Death Bloodsworn Utility 10
and traps blocking your way, and still have strength
You refuse death’s call and push yourself to keep fighting.
enough to do battle once you find your quarry. Con-
stant training and preparation boosts your stamina Daily ✦ Healing, Martial
Immediate Interrupt Personal
so you can press on while channeling your fury into
Trigger: You drop below 1 hit point.
more focused attacks. Effect: You use one of your at-will attack powers. If the
Benefit: When you use your second wind, you attack reduces its target to 0 hit points or fewer, you can
gain a +2 power bonus to attack rolls until the end of spend a healing surge.
your next turn.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
10
DEEP DELVER
D E E P D E LV E R
husband had. Her people were right, she realized.
Drow are dark-hearted, and they would do any-
thing to gain an advantage. With her husband’s head “Only here, with the weight of the world above my head, am
cradled in her lap, she whispered a vow to Corellon, I home.”
promising to hunt down those responsible and kill
them all. If she discovered that Rook was involved, Beneath the tramping of nations and the roots of
that he had played her false, she would make him beg forests is a world that surface dwellers can barely
for death. imagine. Countless tunnels and caverns, rivers and
oceans form a fantastic, globe-spanning environ-
Values and Motivations A mix of emo- ment. To the unprepared, though, the underground
tions holds Meliera in its sway. Her guilt at being wilderness is as ruthless as it is wondrous. Those who
absent when her husband was killed compels her to survive these wilds are among the greatest explorers
don armor and heft blade. She feels stung by the idea in the world. For these deep delvers, an expedition to
that perhaps she was wrong about the nature of the the Underdark is no more threatening than a stroll
dark elves, and the ease with which she first enter- through the woods.
tained this doubt about their nature makes her wonder Deep delvers are driven by an unquenchable
if she ever really felt sympathy for them or if she was desire to pit themselves against the challenges of the
paying lip service to ideals that her husband once held. subterranean world. Some seek to map out the spiral-
Questioning herself in this way also causes Meliera ing highway-tunnels of the Underdark. Others are
to feel as if she has betrayed her husband not only naturally drawn to the seclusion of caves, preferring
by being absent during the slaughter, but also by not to abandon life on the surface. Yet others are born to
cleaving firmly to his beliefs in the face of the great- the Underdark and still call it home.
est of losses ever: the death of her most beloved in the
world. All this and more swirls darkly within Meliera’s
heart and mind in a haze of grief and anger that never
Playing a Deep Delver
lifts and that causes her to push onward to bring jus- Deep delvers are rarely seen on the surface; the lure
tice’s sword down on her foes. of underground adventure is too strong to keep them
topside for long. As experts in navigating the treach-
Roleplaying Meliera Cold, withdrawn, and erous depths, some deep delvers profit from their
aloof, you possess none of the elegance and grace of skills as guides or cartographers. Most surface dwell-
other eladrin. Your purpose keeps you detached. You ers see you as a bit mad, unable to understand how
lack compassion for allies, though you would never you go for so long without seeing the sun. You shrug
abandon or betray them. Indeed, you feel obliged to your shoulders and wonder if they are the mad ones,
protect them to make up for failing the people you uninterested in spending their lives gazing upon the
loved. You understand your limits, though, and know Underdark’s wonders.
those at your side will eventually come to harm no Most deep delvers who were born on the surface
matter how hard you fight. So you keep your distance are drawn below by a thirst for adventure. You are
to insulate yourself from the grief their loss would addicted to the thrill of exploring the vastness of
undoubtedly bring. the Underdark. For you, knowing the ways of cav-
You know that wiping out all drow is neither prac- erns is as essential to survival as a surface dweller’s
tical nor possible. Instead, you seek the villains who understanding of woodcraft. Those who cannot learn
killed your husband. You suspect they were tied to quickly are consumed, while those who survive
Rook’s house, so finding that missing dark elf is your become masters of their trade. You might undertake
first concern. expeditions for the promise of treasure or fame, but
you would enter the Underdark for no other reason
Creating Meliera Meliera swore to protect than the chance to breathe the cavern air and tread
the world from the drow and avenge the loved ones the stone highways of a subterranean world.
who suffered at their hands. She made this oath to
Corellon and trained to become a paladin in his Building a Deep Delver
name. With the eladrin’s optional Charisma bonus, Deep delvers are a diverse lot, united only by their
the protecting paladin build in the Player’s Handbook will to thrive in the caverns they call home. Though
serves Meliera best. deep delvers come from all races, few surface dwell-
If you choose to play Meliera, you can choose her ers other than humans are likely to choose this path.
race and class to suit your interests. She might be an Many deep delvers come from races native to the
elf or a half-elf instead of an eladrin. In this case, a Underdark, such as dwarves and svirfneblin, who
different defender class might work better, such as have a natural affinity for dungeoneering. Classes
the fighter, the knight, or the cavalier. that specialize in survival skills, such as druids,
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
11
rangers, and rogues, also excel as deep delvers. Con-
sider the following story elements when creating a
deep delver character.
Karl, a human ranger and a deep delver communities. The same goes for savage humanoids
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
12
Level 10 Feature When you spend weeks,
D E E P D E LV E R
such as goblins or kobolds, though their behavior
is far less civil. These races live close enough to the months, sometimes years underground, even the
surface that their domains have the feel of a nearby flickering light of a torch can be as intense to you
wilderness, much as a human or elf hunter would see as the full brilliance of the sun. The best delvers
a forest or swamp close to home—a place to be taken sharpen their other senses to the point that lack of
seriously but lacking mystery. light does not hinder them. Subtle vibrations in the
Races that dwell deeper, such as the svirfneblin, ground, the movement of drafts of air, or the echoes
are one with the Underdark, which provides them of sound against cavern walls let you find your way
with shelter and sustenance. Deep delvers of these effortlessly.
races see the world above as a place of wonder and Benefit: You gain blindsight with a radius of
legend, and they view explorers from the surface as 2 squares.
sightseeing nuisances.
Optional Powers
Starting Feature All deep delvers are experts at surviving under-
For you, a trek to the Underdark is all in a day’s work. ground, but for some this specialization is an
Your keen senses pick out lurking dangers that would all-consuming passion. They don’t just survive,
spell doom for the less experienced. You’ve steeled they thrive underground. Some become so adept at
your nerves against the hazards that threaten your navigating the depths that they are uncomfortable
every step. You know that you need to be on your toes anywhere else.
when navigating the depths, but you wouldn’t have it
any other way. Level 2 Utility Power Most battles under-
Benefit: You gain a +2 power bonus to Dun- ground don’t offer the luxury of an open field to
geoneering checks. maneuver: Swords rake against cavern walls, and
You also gain the subterranean survival power. combatants are forced into corners. You, though, take
advantage of the cramped conditions, placing your-
Subterranean Survival Deep Delver Utility self where foes cannot easily reach you and using the
You thrive in the unforgiving caverns of the Underdark. walls as cover.
Encounter ✦ Martial
Free Action Personal Up against the Wall Deep Delver Utility 2
Trigger: You make a Dungeoneering check and dislike the You find ways to take advantage of close-quarters environments.
result.
Encounter ✦ Martial
Effect: You reroll the Dungeoneering check.
Minor Action Personal
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, you gain partial cover
Additional Features while you are adjacent to a square of blocking terrain, and
any enemy that misses you with a melee attack while you
have partial cover grants combat advantage to you until
Level 5 Feature A life spent underground the end of your next turn.
has given you a diverse range of knowledge concern-
ing subterranean ecology and terrain. From spotting Level 6 Utility Power At this point in your
the territory markers of hook horrors to knowing career you know just about everything about explor-
which pools of slime to avoid, you’re the authority ing caves, and this knowledge lets you overcome
when it comes to Underdark lore. obstacles where once you might have struggled.
In addition, the claustrophobia that rattles the
nerves of some explorers doesn’t even faze you. You Cavern Lore Deep Delver Utility 6
descend feet first through cramped tunnels without Your talent for exploring caves gives you the edge needed to
a second thought, moving as quickly as a cave lizard overcome unexpected challenges.
while others squeeze by at a crawl. Encounter ✦ Martial
Benefit: Your power bonus to Dungeoneering Free Action Personal
checks increases to +4. Trigger: You fail an Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, or
Also, when you squeeze, your speed is not halved, Perception check while underground.
and you take a –2 penalty to attack rolls instead of the Effect: You make a Dungeoneering check and use its result
normal –5. instead.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
13
Level 10 Utility Power When the lights about the Deep Guides.) As tough as the work was,
go out and you are suddenly tumbling into a ravine or exploring the deep caverns and encountering fas-
in the path of a landslide, your skilled senses kick in cinating people gave Karl a passion for delving. But
to let you respond. now he is on his own.
A few days ago, grimlocks wiped out Karl’s com-
Spelunker’s Instincts Deep Delver Utility 10 pany of Deep Guides, though Karl managed to
Your cave-delving reactions can save you from a sudden misstep escape. His company had recently concluded a deal
or a serious injury. with an up-and-coming merchant house to create
Encounter ✦ Martial new markets in Underdark communities just beneath
Immediate Interrupt Personal the surface. The Guides’ leader had returned to
Trigger: You take damage from a trap, a hazard, or a fall. headquarters to give the others the rundown when
Effect: Reduce the damage by 5 + one-half your level. grimlocks spilled in through the doors, hacking at
Level 11: 10 + one-half your level.
everyone in their path.
Level 21: 15 + one-half your level.
Karl survived by running into the depths, but now
he is hounded by guilt. If he had stood by his com-
Sample Deep Delver: panions, perhaps he could have made a difference in
Karl Deepwalker the fight, but he’ll never know. He’s also suspicious
about the attack: The timing was too perfect, and the
“Don’t worry. I’ll get us back to the surface . . . somehow.”
grimlocks tripped none of the company’s alarms. Karl
believes that someone in the organization was behind
Nothing tests an explorer’s mettle like a journey in
it—and he aims to find out who.
the Underdark, as Karl Deepwalker has learned. Cut
off from the support of his fellow delvers, the young
human must rely on his untested wits to survive in
Values and Motivations Karl is set on
discovering the traitor who sent his fellow Deep
the deepest of wildernesses as he seeks to discover
Guides to their deaths. He’ll do whatever it takes to
who is behind the deaths of his former companions.
avenge his friends. Karl plans to search the former
headquarters of the Deep Guides, though he knows
Origin Story Eager to strike out on his own it will mean viewing the horrific aftermath of the
and make his fortune, Karl signed up with the Deep
attack. There he hopes to find clues that will lead him
Guides as soon as he turned eighteen, just a few
to the traitor, and maybe signs that some of the other
months ago. The Deep Guides keep the routes open
Deep Guides escaped the slaughter.
between the surface and the Underdark, blaze trails
through the warrens, and protect the caravans they
accompany on the way to destinations such as Deep-
Roleplaying Karl You are overwhelmed by
strong emotions, but you have come to terms with
ing Delve and Maelbrathyr. (See page 55 for more
your friends’ deaths. Now you must recover your
courage and sense of self-worth to do what you must
to avenge them. Your fledgling dungeoneering skills
were put to the test as you fled, and you’re unsure
whether they will be enough.
You crave the fellowship of strong-willed companions
to lean on emotionally as well as in combat. Your time
with the Deep Guides instilled in you an industrious
work ethic, though your youthful enthusiasm has been
suppressed by the harsh reality of life in the Underdark.
You always feel a moment of hesitation when faced
with a dangerous situation, but you have vowed to never
again abandon your comrades in time of need.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
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ESCAPED T HRALL
ESCAPED THRALL
“I can still feel them crawling in the back of my mind, but
they’ll never get me again—not if I have anything to say
about it.”
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
15
abilities. When creating an escaped thrall character, Most of the theme’s powers involve the use of
you should consider the following story elements. power points. See the Rules Compendium or Player’s
Handbook 3 for how to use power points with powers
Monstrous Enslavement The nature that have the augmentable keyword.
of your captor plays a huge part in how you portray Benefit: You gain 1 power point. You regain all
your character’s theme. The haunted visions, physical your power points when you take a short rest or an
marks, and story elements can vary wildly depend- extended rest.
ing on what creature enslaved you. In a way, your You also gain the my mind is my own power.
former master is the most important part of your
background. My Mind Is My Own Escaped Thrall Utility
Whatever the creature that enslaved you, its Your passion for freedom drives out the presence of insidious
motives are likely mysterious. The identity of your entities from your mind.
captor might be a secret that is slowly revealed to you Encounter ✦ Augmentable, Psionic
over the course of your dungeon expeditions. Keep in Immediate Interrupt Personal
mind that many such monsters are of very high level, Trigger: You are hit by a charm or a psychic attack.
so if you want any chance of success, you can’t just Effect: You gain resist 5 psychic until the end of your next
turn. Also, you gain a +2 power bonus to saving throws
storm into your captor’s lair until you have improved
against charm effects and psychic effects until the end of
your own capabilities. your next turn.
Level 11: Resist 10 psychic.
Shattered Body Most thralls bear physi- Level 21: Resist 15 psychic.
cal marks of their imprisonment. These might be Augment 1
the lashes made by a drow whip across your back, Effect: As above, and you can make a saving throw against
or scars on your neck from a vampire’s bite. These any charm effect and psychic effect at the start of your
turn, instead of at the end, if a save can end the effect.
injuries testify to the horrors you endured and might
This benefit lasts until the end of the encounter.
make others feel pangs of pity or revulsion. Do you
try to conceal your scars so as not to draw attention to
yourself, or do you proudly bear them as proof of your Additional Features
indomitable will?
Perhaps instead of physical scars, you wear an air Level 5 Feature Whether they communicate
of illness. Your skin hangs loose and sickly from mal- in fevered babbling or maniacal whispers, escaped
nourishment during your time underground, or dark thralls often slip into their former master’s alien lan-
bags under your eyes reveal that your torment robs guage. Some gain a mastery of this tongue, wresting
you of sleep. Sometimes the signs of your ordeal are an understanding of mysteries from subconscious
subtle, such as the trembling of your hands. messages.
You have gained insight into matters you shouldn’t
Scarred Mind Your psychic enslavement has be able to comprehend. By carefully bringing this
left its mark on your mind. You gained freedom—but knowledge to the surface, you can use it to your
at what cost? Do you fear that your master will come benefit.
for you, or worse, that you might surrender your Benefit: Add Deep Speech to the languages you
sanity and return to be enslaved again? Perhaps you can speak, read, and write. You also gain a +2 power
cling to ideals or goals to focus your mind, suppress- bonus to Dungeoneering checks.
ing the memories through force of will. Either way,
others might find you enigmatic or even dangerous. Level 10 Feature Escaped thralls who sur-
Even if you have recovered well, your mind has vive the trials and creeping madness of their ordeal
been permanently altered by your captivity. Casting become calmer, able to focus on reality in a way that
off mental domination has awakened psionic talent in brings peace.
you that had lain dormant until the moment of your Benefit: You gain a +1 power bonus to Will.
freedom. Do you embrace this strange force, or hate it
as you hate your former master? Optional Powers
An escaped thrall’s scars never fully heal. Some pre-
Starting Feature tend to live normal lives unafflicted by corruption.
Your psychic imprisonment did more than just For others, the lingering torment becomes an obses-
change you emotionally and psychologically, it fun- sion. Your freedom becomes your identity. These
damentally altered your mind. By recognizing and optional powers let you harness the clinging madness
controlling these new abilities, you can do things you of your enslavement, turning it into a weapon against
were never capable of before. your enemies.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
16
ESCAPED THRALL
Alien Insight Escaped Thrall Utility 6
A confusing barrage of sensations left over from your imprison-
THE GIFTS OF TORTURE ment flashes before your eyes, giving you an advantage if you
can make sense of them.
Thrallmasters inflict unspeakable horrors on their
captives, but such maltreatment sometimes instills Daily ✦ Augmentable, Psionic
Minor Action Personal
useful abilities along with the residual scars. The
Effect: Roll a d4 to determine the power’s effect.
sort of marks an escaped thrall bears might indicate 1. You gain an extra move action this turn.
a particular boon. 2. You gain a +2 power bonus to all defenses until the
Psionic Seeds: Icy fingers crawl across your mind, end of your next turn.
grasping at your thoughts, trying to control your 3. You gain a +2 power bonus to the number of squares
actions. As long as you can hold them back, your you can pull, push, or slide creatures with attacks and
altered mind can accomplish great feats. effects before the end of your next turn.
4. You regain 2 power points.
Augmented Flesh: The alien scars that cover
Augment 1
your body make you look like a freak. In the rush of Effect: As above, but roll twice and use either result.
combat, your muscles distort and ripple. The feeling
is horrific, but the effect sometimes lets you tran- Level 10 Utility Power As time goes by,
scend your body’s normal limits. some thralls are able to turn the deep scars of their
Dreams and Visions: The nightmares that wrack torment outward, using it to assail the minds of their
your sleeping mind leave you on edge when you enemies. These visions rock the sanity of the onlooker,
wake. Still, glimmers of prophecy are hidden within bombarding their senses with darkness, pain, and the
those visions and might prove useful—if you can deci- maddening whispers of the thrall’s former master.
pher them. Perhaps priests experienced with such Opening this doorway is often as shocking for you
foresight
g can guide
g yyou. as it is for your opponent, since you each relive the
horrible events of your capture. Yet the advantage
goes to you, for only you know that freedom waits at
the end of the road; your opponent knows no such
Level 2 Utility Power Sometimes your reprieve.
mind seems no longer your own. It operates in ways
you can’t understand, sometimes pulling up knowl- Window into Madness Escaped Thrall Utility 10
edge you never realized you had. You have learned to You make mental contact with your enemy, giving it a brief yet
rely on this alien influence to protect yourself. vivid taste of the torment you endured as a thrall.
Daily ✦ Psionic
Protective Trauma Escaped Thrall Utility 2 Minor Action Close burst 5
Target: One creature in the burst
A hidden bit of memory has placed an accessible psionic defense
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, you grant combat
in your mind.
advantage, and the target gains vulnerable 10 psychic.
Encounter ✦ Augmentable, Psionic Sustain Minor: The effect persists until the end of your next
Minor Action Personal turn.
Effect: You gain a +2 power bonus to all defenses until the
end of your next turn.
Augment 1 Sample Escaped Thrall: Mord
Effect: As above, and allies gain a +1 power bonus to Will “The deeper we go, the more wary I become. There’s some-
while adjacent to you. This benefit lasts until the end of
thing evil down here. It makes my scars itch.”
your next turn.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
17
The priest was a hermit sworn to Ioun, but Mord’s
plight stirred his heart, and he forsook his isolation to TRAPSMITH
care for the child. Despite this kindness, nightmares “Don’t touch that.”
assailed Mord in his sleep. Many nights he woke up
screaming, believing himself to be drowning. Some things you just don’t fight. To take on adversar-
Though Mord was ill suited to the intellectual ies that have superior strength, cunning, or resources
pursuits demanded by Ioun’s dogma, he was fervent (or all three), you need to remove their advantages.
in his faith and learned the prayers as best he could. Such an alternative approach is the job of a trapsmith.
Now an adult, and having buried the old priest long Humanoids have been building traps since the
ago, Mord travels the world to spread Ioun’s teachings earliest times, developing techniques to take down
and fight the horrors of the dark. big game for food and clothing. According to loremas-
What he has yet to discover is that aboleths ters, goblin tribes were the first to perfect this kind
enslaved his people, dragging them into the Under- of hunting. They were able to obtain and store more
dark to transform them into hideous servitors. food than their competition, allowing them to sur-
Although he escaped their clutches, their evil has vive harsh winters and increase their numbers. Many
infected his thoughts. If that infection flares up, the years later, other races came to appreciate the inge-
aboleths might regain their hold on him forever. nuity of their counterparts—mainly through direct
interaction with goblin traps.
Values and Motivations Mord clings
to his faith, using it as a shield against the darkness
brooding in his mind. He is frightened by the alien
Playing a Trapsmith
thoughts that plague him and ashamed of his inabil- Trapmaking started out as an essential survival tool
ity to overcome them. As a devout follower of Ioun, he but became more advanced as technology improved
should be able to control his emotions through logic and magic was discovered. Dwarves developed
and concentration—so he tells himself. methods of blasting stone with black powder and
Mord’s mission takes him around the world. His incorporated the new techniques into traps to create
only goal is to do the will of Ioun; the only direction terrifying inventions. Arcane practitioners also began
he travels is away from the cave where Father Michel-
son saved him.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
18
TRAPSMITH
Thorry the Unlucky, a svirfneblin and a trapsmith
their own experiments, which ultimately led to the time researching new and exciting places to go. You
development of magical traps that used special sigils might have a core group of friends, but beyond that,
and runes. As great kingdoms and empires arose, you are not very social. Ironically, you might feel
traps became tools of warfare in addition to protect- like a prisoner in life—with death the ultimate trap to
ing valuable people and possessions. The new reality be defeated.
required masters of both disarming and creating You might become a trapsmith if you enjoy creat-
traps. That’s where you come in. ing dastardly devices to hinder and harm foes; rogues
You’re not just an expert in all things relating to and possibly rangers are typical classes. You might
traps. You see every new trap as a puzzle to be solved, also choose this theme if you like to play clever tricks
its secrets waiting for you to bring them to their high- or conduct intricate research. A mage or bard makes
est expression. The physical and emotional scars of a good trapsmith. Members of any race might take up
your profession are small costs to pay for the sense of such a career, but those with an aptitude for mechan-
aliveness you experience as you practice your trade. ical constructions (such as dwarves, gnomes, or
Trapsmiths are rare, so you have little difficulty svirfneblin) find greater success, as well as those with
gaining employment. Adventuring parties, military some magical aptitude. When creating a trapsmith
expeditions, and explorers all value your efforts and character, consider the following story elements.
often call upon you for follow-up duties if you perform
well. You command higher payment for dungeon Analytical Mind You understand physics
expeditions than most other adventuring profession- innately and see life’s challenges as equations to be
als, due to the danger involved in your work as well as solved, using strict logic to determine the likely suc-
your specialized skill set. Indeed, the older you are, cess or failure of a course of action. You might not be
the more you can charge for your services, since most conscious of this thought process; even in social situa-
young and inexperienced trapsmiths die early. tions, you tend to analyze the situation coldly instead
of considering body language and emotion. Thus,
Building a Trapsmith others might think you odd. You prefer to live in soli-
tude, honing your skills and mastering your trade,
Trapsmiths prefer to live in solitude, honing their
B E N WO OT T E N
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
19
exciting places to go. You might have a core group of Level 10 Feature Once you have mastered
friends, but beyond that, you are not very social. your trade, you can modify the traps you create on
the fly to create specialized effects.
Adrenaline Rush Nothing is more exciting Benefit: You can forgo dice of damage from your
than disarming a trap that could splatter you across trip the trap power for one of the following effects. You
the room. You love getting into the face of death choose to forgo the dice after you know you hit, but
and kicking it hard. You also enjoy the accolades for before you make the damage roll.
overcoming dangerous challenges and might pur- If you forgo one die of damage, the target falls prone.
posely seek out bigger and more hazardous traps. The If you forgo two dice of damage, the target is dazed
knowledge you win when you survive such dangers until the end of your next turn.
lets you make your own creations that much more
fiendish. Your creations are feared by all and coveted Optional Powers
by those who need to protect something precious.
Your profession is not a risk-free one. You have suf-
fered for your art and are likely to have scars, welts,
Level 2 Utility Power You can rig a simple
alarm system to warn your party of intruders.
or even a missing limb. Rare is the trapsmith who has
not had a mishap while setting or disarming a trap.
Alarm Trap Trapsmith Utility 2
You might also bear emotional scars, which, though
A few specially enchanted bells can suss out a hidden foe.
not visible, can have longer-lasting effects.
Daily ✦ Arcane
Minor Action Personal
Starting Feature Requirement: You must have a trap-making kit on your
You can create and disarm elaborate traps, but some- person.
times a simple device is all that’s needed to stop an Effect: You set an alarm trap in one unoccupied square
adjacent to you. It lasts until the end of your next
enemy in its tracks.
extended rest. If an invisible creature enters a square
Benefit: You gain a trap-making kit (15 lb.), which within 5 squares of the trap, the trap is destroyed, and
you use to lay your traps. If you ever lose the kit, it the creature loses invisibility and takes a –10 penalty to
costs 40 gp to replace. Stealth checks (save ends both).
You also gain the trip the trap power.
Level 6 Utility Power You have refined
Trip the Trap Trapsmith Attack your skills to the point that your simple alarm can
An enemy’s approach triggers a nasty trap you prepared just for surprise and upset those who trigger it.
this occasion.
Encounter Disorienting Trap Trapsmith Utility 6
Immediate Reaction Melee 1 You lay a magical trap designed to bewilder an enemy.
Requirement: You must have a trap-making kit on your
Daily ✦ Arcane
person.
Minor Action Personal
Trigger: An enemy enters a square adjacent to you.
Requirement: You must have a trap-making kit on your
Target: The triggering enemy
person.
Attack: Intelligence + 2 vs. Reflex
Effect: You set a disorienting trap in one unoccupied
Level 11: Intelligence + 4 vs. Reflex
square adjacent to you. It lasts until the end of your next
Level 21: Intelligence + 6 vs. Reflex
extended rest. If an enemy enters a square within 5
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier damage.
squares of the trap, the trap is destroyed, and the enemy
Level 11: 2d6 + Intelligence modifier damage.
and each creature adjacent to it grants combat advantage
Level 21: 3d6 + Intelligence modifier damage.
and falls prone if hit (save ends both).
Effect: The target grants combat advantage until the end of
your next turn.
Level 10 Utility Power Sometimes you run
into situations that require just a few moments more.
Additional Features
It’s a Trap! Trapsmith Utility 10
Level 5 Feature Few professions rival the You sense that something bad is about to happen.
trapsmith’s trade for the inherent danger it holds. You
Daily
are intimately aware of the threat that any hazard Immediate Interrupt Close burst 5
or trap presents, and you have honed your ability to Trigger: A hazard, object, or trap within 5 squares of you
sense when one might be nearby. triggers.
Benefit: You gain a +2 power bonus to Perception Target: You and each ally in the burst
checks and Thievery checks. Effect: Each target shifts up to half his or her speed and
gains a +2 power bonus to all defenses against hazards,
objects, and traps until the end of the encounter.
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TRAPSMITH
Sample Trapsmith: filled with tools, Thorry got to know all sorts of dia-
bolical devices hatched from the wickedest minds.
Thorry the Unlucky He discovered he had a knack for analyzing traps,
“Always double check. Else? Boom! There goes yer hand—if a talent that helped him figure out how to disarm one
yer lucky.” after just a few seconds of study. Whether a mundane
pit or scything blade, or a magical glyph or curse,
Kobolds took two fingers on Thorry’s left hand, or he could see the patterns and know just what to do
rather, a trap set by kobolds did. That Thorry didn’t to mess up the works. He was a natural, and thus he
lose his arm and bleed to death earned him the unwillingly found his calling.
moniker “the Fortunate”—a name he hates. Wish Even the best trapsmith can’t handle the strain
him good luck, and he winces; comment on a win- forever. After a decade spent pulling apart kobold
ning streak, and he spits a curse. Thorry calls himself traps, losing his fingers along the way, Thorry had
“the Unlucky” and believes luck favors him only if he had enough. He sneaked away one night and slipped
doesn’t acknowledge it. Yet he won’t admit this idea through a portal to the natural world, where he thought
even to himself, lest luck somehow find out. to earn a livelihood in a less dangerous profession. The
trouble was, he didn’t know how to do anything else.
Origin Story As a young svirfneblin, Thorry So he ended up hiring himself out to adventuring par-
had ambitions to be a baker, but the elders noticed ties as a trapsmith. Figuring that dungeons hold fewer
he had quick reflexes and steady hands. So he was traps than he encountered on the front lines against the
tasked with rooting out and dismantling traps set kobolds, he hopes to do this job only for a few years and
by kobolds around his warren, deep in the Fey- then retire. Thorry is good at what he does, and despite
dark. Crawling through cramped passages, dagger everything he usually enjoys it. He has come to realize
clenched between his teeth, and carrying
y g an oilcloth that he is a valued master of his trade, and he makes
sure he is rewarded appropriately.
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TREASURE HUNTER exploration (even more so than the average adven-
turer). You might enjoy this theme if you wish to play
”X never, ever marks the spot.” a cunning character who enjoys overcoming difficult
challenges through unconventional thinking. When
Attaining wealth and glory might be a shallow and self- creating your treasure hunter character, keep these
ish goal, but treasure hunters are fine with that. They story elements in mind.
take on great risk and danger to dig up great riches.
Treasure hunters also enjoy the thrill of the chase when Adroit Dungeoneer You are a skilled
seeking out valuable finds, sometimes to the point of adventurer, able to adapt to any situation. Although
addiction, and this adventurous spirit can be contagious. your yearning for wealth and recognition drives you,
Finding lost or buried treasure is much harder you have earned a reputation for cleverness. You
than it appears at first. Treasure hunters constantly enjoy finding solutions to problems and applying your
crave more wealth. They generally learn just enough unique logic when dealing with unusual situations.
to find their quarry and care nothing for confirm- Throughout your career as a treasure hunter,
ing legends or ancient texts—other than to plunder you have had to deal with threats that are common
whatever they refer to. Some, though, learn to love in dungeons. Although each dungeon is unique, all
the unique history of the antiquities they seek. Those share some features. You know these by heart and
without a formal education might study a subject know how to handle each of them.
related to their quest on their own, even becoming Your reputation speaks volumes about your sense
specialists on specific topics. of adventure and your proven experience. Employers
Treasure hunters are typically self-sufficient. Occa- love your attitude and are confident in your success at
sionally several work together to meet similar goals, acquiring an relic or treasure.
but they do not trust each other. Each views the others
as brigands and mercenaries out to steal their finds.
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T R EA S U R E H U N T E R
Ella, a half ling warlock and a treasure hunter
Recognized Expert Many of the world’s when you are old and say to yourself, “Whoa! I lived
famous treasure hunters are renowned for their an amazing life!”
expertise in recovering specific types of treasure and
overcoming the threats that guard them from plun- Starting Feature
derers. You make sure to be as informed as possible
Treasure hunters develop something of a sixth sense
about the places where you will be adventuring.
when it comes to detecting the presence of a relic.
Another reason to specialize is simply a matter
Benefit: You gain the treasure sense power.
of business. Your choice is based on a given trea-
sure’s value, availability, and salability. You might be
Treasure Sense Treasure Hunter Utility
inclined to let the small fish fight over the latest fad
You have an innate sense of where treasure is located.
while you bring back more lucrative pieces. On the
other hand, you might join the crowd, knowing you Daily
Minor Action Personal
are much more likely than the rest to get the goods.
Effect: Choose a single item. For the next hour, you gain a
+4 power bonus to any knowledge check, Perception
Living on the Edge You are a thrill-seeker, check, Streetwise check, or Thievery check that relates to
constantly on the lookout for adventures that will finding or identifying that item.
sate your hunger for danger. Riches and fame aren’t
enough—you love living by the seat of your pants. You
feel most alive whenever you get into a precarious
Additional Features
situation and manage to avert the danger, all while
showing off your skills. Level 5 Feature You have become accus-
Not many can boast of a life as exciting as what tomed to dealing with rival treasure seekers as well
you have experienced, and you have no intention of as the hazards that face any adventurer. Because of
slowing down now. To you, life is a one big treasure this, you can better handle a particular type of peril,
hunt, and the ultimate prize is a sense of accomplish- whether physical, social, or intellectual.
M I L I VO J Ć E R A N
ment mixed with plenty of thrills. You will look back Benefit: You gain Skill Focus as a bonus feat.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
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Level 10 Feature Whether it be a tight dun- Sample Treasure Hunter:
geon corridor or an altar room of a forgotten god,
treasure hunters are always fighting in close quarters. Ella
You have learned how to maneuver and fight in these “Look, the Green Man saved me and he gave me these spells
environments and have adjusted accordingly. and all. Great, nice of him. But that weirdo also has my
Benefit: You do not take the normal attack roll brother and sister, so I gotta get these treasures and finish
penalties for squeezing or being prone. this deal.”
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UNDERDARK ENVOY
U N D E R DA R K E N VOY
The Green Man did not make such a terrible
demand without giving the untested Ella some hope
of success. They made a pact on that sylvan hill, an “The dungeon you’re heading into is inhabited. This expedi-
agreement that bound their fates and bestowed on tion needs a face—and frankly, yours won’t do.”
Ella some of the Green Man’s witchery. She emerged
from his demesne armed with fey abilities, and now The Underdark is a dangerous place, and not just for
she scours the world in search of the stolen treasures. the horrors that lurk in the darkness. The cities and
enclaves that dot its murky caverns are hotbeds of spite
Values and Motivations Ella never and political intrigue. To survive for long in such societ-
wanted this life, but it is hers now. She must seek out ies, you have to know how to play the game. Physical
the treasure that the Green Man wants if she is ever prowess is no match for the wits of a skilled diplomat.
to save her brother and sister again. To free her sib- The great city-states of the Underdark were first
lings from the archfey’s prison, Ella cannot fail. established as collections of tribes with a shared need
for survival. As the centuries rolled by, these settle-
Roleplaying Ella You are strong and ener- ments developed into self-sufficient communities and
getic, able to suppress your inner strife while you grew into nations. Their growth was aided by individ-
plunge into perilous dungeons. You are extremely uals who could seek out and interact with the other
protective of your family and clan, even though city-states to establish lines of communication. These
you try to seem carefree. You have become a real representatives grew experienced at dealing with the
adventurer’s adventurer and like to maintain that different Underdark races and became expert diplo-
reputation. When no one is around to see, though, mats and negotiators.
you weep for the lives of your brother and sister and
vow silently to do whatever is necessary for their
release. Nothing in the world matters more to you,
Playing an Underdark
and you will take any steps to see them home once Envoy
more. Once they’re safe, though, you might well jump The power of persuasion can be a mighty weapon
right back into the adventuring life. against any would-be foe. Underdark rulers have
a vested interest in having the best envoys around.
Creating Ella Ella is emboldened by the war- They appreciate the power of a well-placed rumor
lock powers bestowed upon her through the Green and greatly value those who, like you, can best advise
Man’s fey pact. With the halfling’s optional Charisma them how to plant it. With a well-placed word, an
bonus, the deceptive warlock build from the Player’s envoy could single-handedly take down an entire
Handbook is the best choice. community. In addition, constant political wars
If you choose to play Ella, you can have her belong require specialized agents who can act as both mes-
to another race with strong family bonds, such as sengers and spies.
dwarf, gnome, or svirfneblin. Such a choice would As an Underdark envoy, you have trained within
require some changes to the circumstances of her your city-state to refine your diplomatic skills,
quest and possibly involve a different class choice. according to the houses and organizations that
depend on your abilities. You spend much of your
time studying the cultures of the various races you
deal with, as well as the intricacies of interracial pol-
itics. Delivering a message in an unsatisfactory way
during a crucial negotiation could severely damage
an employer’s plans.
Building an Underdark
Envoy
You might become an Underdark envoy if you delight
in political intrigue, spying, and social maneuvering.
Many successful political leaders were once envoys,
whether due to merit and ability, or because they were
able to orchestrate the removal of their predecessors.
Bards and rogues are natural class choices for this
career path, as well as any character who has diplo-
WAY N E E N G L A N D
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Khiira, a drow bard and an Underdark envoy
a gruff or introverted nature, such as dwarves, rarely This sort of agent works against expectations and can
become envoys. The drow have mastered the skill of include dwarves, duergar, or svirfneblin.
diplomacy over centuries of cutthroat politics, and
they have the most capable and dominant envoys in Double Agent A few Underdark envoys serve
the Underdark. Consider the following story elements as double agents for a faction, generally to facilitate
when creating your Underdark envoy character. the collapse of a powerful political entity. Such people
are rare, for the role is exceedingly dangerous, If you
Dark Delegate You are an extension of your became a double agent, you likely received an offer to
master’s will, an instrument to further his or her inter- betray an employer after delivering a message on his
ests. On returning from a mission, you are expected to or her behalf—along with a suitable financial incen-
relay not only the response of the other party, but also tive to secure such services.
its tone and attitude. The more information you convey As a double agent, you remain under cover much
to your employer, the greater advantage he or she will of the time while you work on behalf of another
enjoy in political power plays and future exchanges. If entity. You maintain your status within your osten-
you are a freelance envoy, not bound to one employer, sible employer’s organization while feeding vital
you seek to make a name for yourself as a neutral third information to the other side, revealing yourself only
party. In this capacity you manage labor disputes, con- if your activities are found out. In this role, you must
duct trade negotiations, and perform similar tasks, be extremely skilled in both providing misinforma-
commanding a high wage for your services. tion to your target and locating other agents who
Yours is a precarious path. You not only deliver might have infiltrated the organization. You care-
communications from your masters, but you also glean fully collect information on everything that has been
whatever information you can while on the job. Any- said and done to support your complex web of politi-
thing might give you a crucial advantage in future cal scheming. Should you fail, you’re likely to end
employment. Thus, you have to be very clever and per- up dead in some dark alleyway or Underdark cor-
ceptive, while at the same time appearing inoffensive. ridor. Why do you take such risks? Was your choice
J U L I E D I L LO N
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U N D E R DA R K E N VOY
personal, to take revenge on a cruel master, or did Starting Feature
you do it just for the money?
An Underdark envoy is first and foremost a master of
manipulation. Your well-chosen words unsettle your
Mercantile Advantage Not all Under- opponent, leaving it more susceptible to real damage.
dark envoys are spies or political plotters. You might
Benefit: You gain the insidious commentary power.
use your skills to expand your own wealth and that
of others by negotiating merchant treaties between
Insidious Commentary Underdark Envoy Attack
powerful cities. Influential members of Underdark
Your words are disarming to a potential foe and give you just
communities employ individuals such as yourself to
enough of an opportunity to make an effective attack.
help increase their economic power while protecting
Encounter ✦ Martial
their political interests. Sometimes you manipu-
Minor Action Ranged 5
late markets to help your employer gain a monetary Target: One creature
advantage over rivals. Attack: Charisma + 2 vs. Will
Envoys of this sort can come from any Underdark Level 11: Charisma + 4 vs. Will
race, and they might even include topsiders who are Level 21: Charisma + 6 vs. Will
trusted in their dealings with those below. You could Hit: The target grants combat advantage until the end of
be a former explorer who decided to turn your talents your next turn, and your next attack against the target
this turn deals 1d6 extra damage on a hit.
to more profitable interests while still keeping your
hand in the adventuring business.
Additional Features
Level 5 Feature You understand the cul-
tures of the Underdark better than most. You use this
IT’S BETTER TO GIVE talent to your advantage whenever you are below.
For an envoy, bestowing a proper gift can quickly Benefit: You gain a +2 power bonus to Bluff
build a connection with the leaders of a city or group. checks and Diplomacy checks.
The trick is to offer something that has greater value
among that group than it does elsewhere. Level 10 Feature You are fully integrated
Dwarves and svirfneblin both desire gems and into the market system of the Underdark and appre-
precious metals. Svirfneblin have simpler tastes ciate the subtlety of its inner workings.
and accept uncut stones, but the pride of dwarves Benefit: Add Deep Speech to the languages you
is insulted by such basic treasures. They prefer to can speak, read, and write. You also gain a +2 power
receive artistic items crafted in the styles of different bonus to Streetwise checks.
cultures. They’ll sneer and deem these items inferior,
too, but at least they’re inferior and novel.
Kobolds are pathetically delighted by just about
Optional Powers
any gift—so rarely do they receive any—but bringing Underdark envoys must keep their attention focused
them dragon relics really earns their loyalty. Dragon whenever dealing with others, and they use a unique
scales or teeth appeal most to them. Statues or other set of skills to be successful in their line of work.
representations of dragons pique their interest, too. You can choose one of the following powers
Goblins prefer simple pleasures: food, drink, and instead of one given as a class or race option.
nasty weaponry.
Drow want slaves. A great many envoys object to Level 2 Utility Power Sometimes the
slavery, though, so they instead offer items they claim secret to good diplomacy is knowing when to exploit
were stolen from elves. Drow also accept monetary a social situation to get the drop on enemies. Doing
gifts, which they prefer in the form of silver coins. so might not be honorable, but it keeps you and your
Beholders shoot first and ask questions later as friends alive.
a rule. Those who do accept gifts enjoy seeing their
own likenesses. Practiced Herald Underdark Envoy Utility 2
The simple, blind grimlocks take anything that You and your allies are not greeted with hostility, and thus you
find a way to take advantage of a momentary lapse in your
has an interesting texture. They’re unreliable allies
enemy’s defenses.
at best, though.
g
Encounter ✦ Martial
Minor Action Close burst 5
Target: You and each ally in the burst
urst
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, each target gains a
+1 power bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving
throws.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
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Level 6 Utility Power Sometimes dark- the outpost, stuck a knife in his throat. Riellenzen’s
ness is not enough of a cover for your activities. guards did not realize their master was dead until
Learning some of the magic of the drow, you can the party arrived and Khiira announced herself as
make yourself literally disappear for a short time. the envoy. The guards dared not expose her lest the
duergar take offense, so they played along. Khiira
Cloak and Dagger Underdark Envoy Utility 6 managed to negotiate a trade agreement with the
You vanish from the vision of those around you. infernal dwarves and earned their help, if not their
Daily ✦ Arcane, Illusion friendship. She sent the drow guards back to her
Move Action Personal city with a letter explaining the terms and also Riel-
Effect: You become invisible until the end of your next lenzen’s tragic end, and then she slipped away to
turn. If you attack, the effect ends, and if you move, you the surface to escape what she believed was certain
cannot sustain it. retribution.
Sustain Minor: The invisibility persists until the end of your
Suspicion and hostility met Khiira at almost every
next turn.
turn in the upper world. Few people were willing to
deal with a dark elf, for fear of opening their doors
Level 10 Utility Power A swift word can to drow legions. So, Khiira found other ways to put
be better than a swift sword. You have learned how
her talents to good use. She joined a few Underdark
to defuse a situation quickly. When you speak about
caravans, lending her expertise in the subterranean
the virtues of cooperation, you can command a large
peoples and their language to help the merchants
audience.
negotiate deals and gain safe passage. She gained
a reputation for being someone in the know about
Pacifying Presence Underdark Envoy Utility 10
Underdark folk and won a place in an adventuring
Your soothing tone lulls your enemies into hesitation.
group. She maintains as low a profile as she can,
Daily ✦ Charm using false identities and disguise to stay a step ahead
Free Action Close burst 10
of the assassins she is sure her mother and Riellen-
Trigger: You and your enemies roll initiative.
Target: Each enemy that can hear and understand you in the
zen’s family have sent. Her caution might have been
burst dismissed as paranoia—until her party was attacked
Effect: Each target takes a –10 penalty to its initiative by Lolthbound goblins. That encounter shook her
check. enough that she now spares no effort to hide her trail.
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U N D E R DA R K O U TC A S T
Korag, a dwarf barbarian and an Underdark outcast
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what you could have done differently. The wilds close As a youngster, did you realize that there was
in around you, and that the only thing that can help something different about you? Perhaps your peers
you now is courage. fought and cursed at each other while you were busy
thinking. You might have been something of a social
Building an revolutionary, trying to drag your incorrigible folk out
of their petty ways. How were your efforts viewed by
Underdark Outcast your kind? Did some of these ideas start to catch on,
Underdark outcasts come from races dwelling under- challenging your chief ’s rule? You might have had
ground, such as dwarves, goblins, or svirfneblin. no choice but to ostracize yourself; perhaps you are
Many belong to folk who get a hostile reception from being hunted through the tunnels around your home.
surface dwellers. They might be of any class or align-
ment, united only in their common disgrace. Your
unique background inspires your personality, class,
feat, and power selection. When creating an Under-
dark outcast, consider the following story elements. REASONS FOR EXILE
Given the variety of Underdark cultures, the reasons
Disgraced Exile Behind every Underdark for being exiled are equally numerous. Here are some
outcast is a story, though it never ends well. You are crimes for which exile is the usual punishment.
defined by the circumstances that led to your banish- Drow: Consorting with slaves, blasphemy against
ment. The nature of your transgression varies wildly Lolth, conspiracy against the leader of a conclave,
depending on your race and culture. Dwarves, with dealing with devils or elves. (Such crimes are pun-
their emphasis on duty to the clan and personal ishable by death, so drow who commit them usually
honor, expel those who fail to live up to their respon- choose exile before they are caught.)
sibilities—a traumatic experience for any dwarf. Dwarves: Disobedience to a superior, dereliction
Monstrous races, such as kobolds or orcs, are more of duty, cowardice in battle.
likely to cast out one of their own because of a petty Goblins: A prank gone awry, overpopulation, a
or violent disagreement, with the outcast the loser. failed assassination attempt.
The nature of your disgrace affects the way you inter- Kobolds: Blasphemy against Tiamat or a dragon,
act with others in a group, especially if members of leading enemies back to the warren, setting a trap
your race are among them. that caused kobold casualties.
What were the events of your exile? Were you Orcs or Half-Orcs: Physical weakness, seeking
a petty criminal, punished for your crimes? Did peace or diplomacy.
you break a dire social taboo, robbing you not only Svirfneblin: Theft, bringing shame to the family,
of home but of your dignity as well? Perhaps you unsafe or unsanctioned exploration or mining,
betrayed someone important or failed to honor an repeated
p refusal of expected
p duties.
agreement. Whatever your crime, why were you
exiled rather than punished some other way?
The consequences of your banishment matter as
well. Maybe you had to leave behind a promising
life or something of importance, such as an estate
Starting Feature
or family. Consider also how your exile has changed You can never go back. As you brood on the events
you. Are you filled with bitterness and hate, plotting that led to your exile, you might wonder what you
revenge against those who hurt you? Did you go as could have done differently. The wilds close in
far away as possible and never look back? Maybe you around you, and the only thing that can help you now
were falsely judged or made a mistake you regret. is courage. You are used to being a lone wanderer in
Your circumstances might motivate you to undertake the depths, and you rely only on yourself for survival.
a quest to clear your name or undo a wrong. Benefit: You gain the alone and unafraid power.
Outcast by Choice Some Underdark out- Alone and Unafraid Underdark Outcast Utility
casts leave their homes willingly. Such a choice is Although you crave companionship, you have learned to survive
most common among evil Underdark societies, such without anyone at your side.
as those of drow or kobolds. Once in a great while, Encounter ✦ Martial
circumstances can force one of their number to rise Minor Action Personal
Requirement: You must be at least 5 squares away from
above the rest. Striking out into the deep caverns
your allies.
alone took uncommon courage, but you were driven Effect: Until the end of your next turn, you gain a +2
by your convictions. power bonus to attack rolls and all defenses.
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Level 6 Utility Power
U N D E R DA R K O U TC A S T
Additional Features Many Underdark
outcasts live for years alone, scraping together sus-
tenance. Even though you are in a group now, your
Level 5 Feature Being alone in the Under-
sense of self-preservation still comes in handy.
dark forces the outcast to become resilient and
resourceful. Finding food and shelter becomes an
Self-Reliant Underdark Outcast Utility 6
everyday struggle, as does enduring the rugged cav-
Your ally gives a revitalizing healing effect to another, knowing
erns without assistance. Underdark outcasts learn to
that you are capable of fending for yourself.
get by, or perish.
Encounter ✦ Healing, Martial
Your time spent wandering the Underdark as
Immediate Reaction Personal
an outcast has given you a practical knowledge of Trigger: An ally within 5 squares of you is the target of a
underground survival. Furthermore, you are used to healing power that does not heal you.
disease, starvation, and exposure. Effect: You spend a healing surge.
Benefit: You gain a +2 power bonus to Dun-
geoneering checks and Endurance checks. Level 10 Utility Power Used to lurking
at the fringes of societies, an Underdark outcast is
Level 10 Feature Having survived the wilds expert at avoiding notice in time to escape danger.
for so long, an outcast becomes toughened to even the If you’re quick enough, slink away will get you out of
most extreme long-term punishment. Whether made range of an enemy attack.
hard through physical ordeals or driven by a strong
sense of self-confidence, you can go longer, farther, Slink Away Underdark Outcast Utility 10
and deeper than any other dungeon delver. You skulk to safety just before your enemy uses a powerful area
Benefit: Whenever you spend a healing surge to attack.
regain hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal Encounter ✦ Martial
to 2 + your Constitution modifier (5 + your Constitu- Immediate Interrupt Personal
tion modifier at 21st level). Trigger: You are hit by a close or area attack.
Effect: You shift up to your speed.
Optional Powers
Even though Underdark outcasts might find compan- Sample Underdark Outcast:
ionship among dungeon explorers, many carry the Korag the Clanless
weight of their exile for the rest of their days. Some of “This expedition will finance my passage to Cor Talcor.
them lament the events that led to their exile, never Should you think I do this only for coin, you insult my
letting go of their shame. Others embrace their ban- people—though they disown me.”
ishment as a badge of honor, their bitterness and
resentment giving them new strength. Among the dwarf clans, no crime is worse than aban-
doning one’s comrade to death in the Underdark—and
Level 2 Utility Power Haunted by dis- no punishment is worse than exile. For any dwarf,
honor, many Underdark outcasts brood on the the burden of dishonor is an unbearable weight. For
unfairness of their exile. Some let themselves wither Korag, first son of the chief and the clan’s most cou-
away from this guilt, but others turn it into an affir- rageous warrior, the outcast’s collar weighs heaviest
mation. Cast off disgrace lets you negate a past failure of all. The blood of his clan is on his hands, and the
so that you can excel in the future. mark of the outcast will forever be on his brow.
Cast off Disgrace Underdark Outcast Utility 2 Origin Story The proud son of Beltag the
Though you shoulder the burden of failure, you promise yourself Dutiful, clan chief of Barduum, Korag distinguished
it won’t happen again.
himself from his fellow warriors and tunnel wardens
Encounter ✦ Martial through unfailing courage and battle prowess. Beltag
No Action Personal
groomed his son to be his heir and to lead the clan
Trigger: You miss with an attack roll or fail a skill check or a
saving throw.
deeper inside the mountains to coax gemstone and
Effect: Before the end of your next turn, you can reroll a gold from the unyielding depths.
single attack roll, skill check, or saving throw, but not the Although smitten with the lust for riches that
triggering one. You must use the new result. affects his people, Korag believed mining was a
task better suited to lesser dwarves. He saw him-
self as a great warrior who would lead his fellows
to reclaim their primacy in the world. So when his
father assigned him to watch over the workers in the
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31
deep tunnels and patrol the nearby halls, he bristled. been attacked in their absence. While Korag and
Where was the glory in being a guard? Despite his his fellows were out hunting orcs, grimlock slavers
protestations, though, he knew enough not to argue had came up through secret ways, slaughtering the
with his father, and so he went into the Underdark to miners and nearly one-third of the clan.
do as he was told. Beltag confronted his son, demanding to know
Guard duty proved as dull as he had anticipated, where he had been. Korag admitted his failure and
and Korag chafed at what he felt was meaningless took the blame for the warriors who went with him.
work—especially when reports reached him about He vowed to recover the abducted dwarves, but his
orcs in the nearby mountains. To break the tedium, father would not listen. Instead, he commanded the
he befriended other dwarf warriors. One night, after priests to shave and brand his son before the surviv-
swapping kegs and boasts, Korag talked the group ing clan and then cast him out for the rest of his days.
into going orc hunting. The dwarves exited the Ever since, Korag has wandered alone, bearing his
mines and hunted down and slaughtered a number shame in silence while fighting to redeem himself.
of orcs. They triumphantly returned to Barduum—
only to find, to their horror, that the holdfast had Values and Motivations Korag wants
more than anything to be accepted by his people, but
the marks of shame that he carries will forever label
him as a clanless exile. Dwarves shun him, viewing
him as an animal or worse. Korag’s faith in himself
FOR THE DM: THEMES has been rocked by this treatment, and he struggles
FROM OTHER SOURCES with feelings of resentment toward his people, which
This book capitalizes on the themes that have been only adds to his shame. He craves acceptance and
presented here in various ways in later chapters. If a mutual respect among a group of brave companions.
character has a theme from another source, you can still Korag also longs to do something to redeem him-
use the ideas from later sections of Into the Unknown self in his people’s eyes. To accomplish this he has
by associating the character’s theme with one from set a course for Cor Talcor, the fabled Fortress of
this book. Alternatively, you can devise a way that the Grudges (see page 69). Korag hopes that the ruthless
character’s existing theme relates to dungeon delving. warmasters of Cor Talcor will give him the training
The alchemist from Dragon 399 can search for rare and discipline to perform the heroic deeds needed to
ingredients and the secret mixtures of races that dwelt reclaim his lost honor.
underground, making elements associated with the
lore hunter theme appropriate. The animal master Roleplaying Korag You are outwardly
from the same issue might seek to train subterranean proud, determined, and intense. Under the surface,
beasts and is a good match to the deep delver. though, you are a desolate soul tormented by the guilt
If characters from the Neverwinter Campaign Set- of failure, though you would never show this side to
ting delve under the earth, some of the themes are your companions. You were raised to believe that
excellent fits to those you’ll find here. The heir of strength and honor are everything, but your exile has
Delzoun could be associated with the deep delver. tested both to the limit. You cling to the hope that you
The Dead Rat deserter might be associated with the can one day return to your clan, but you know deep
treasure hunter or trapsmith. The Bregan D’aerthe down that you will never live down the dishonor. You
spy works well if associated with the Underdark do everything you can to push these thoughts from
envoy theme or perhaps the Underdark outcast. your mind, usually by throwing yourself into what-
Even themes that originate far from any dungeon ever needs doing.
or cave can be used with material here if you put
a creative twist on the concept. The dune trader Creating Korag Korag’s deep respect for his
from the Dark Sun Campaign Setting might be sent people and desire for redemption govern his actions.
to make mercantile contact with those who live Growing up a in a noble family has given him the
beneath the sands, making elements designed for poise and martial training suited to the warlord class.
both the Underdark envoy and deep delver appro- If you choose to play Korag, you could instead
priate. An Uthgardt barbarian from the Neverwinter make him a svirfneblin or a goliath—both peoples
Campaign Setting might have escaped the captivity with strong community ties. Changing Korag’s class
of a mind flayer, making a character with that theme will give him a different feel. As a paladin, he might
a good fit with the bloodsworn or the escaped thrall. be driven by shame to perform heroic deeds; on the
other hand, he could be a rogue, demonstrating his
fall from proud warrior to slinking outcast.
WAY N E R E Y N O L DS
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The glow of a lantern reveals the aftermath of a struggle on the stairway
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Races Goblins are highly social creatures, dwelling in
tightly packed warrens with hundreds if not thou-
sands of individuals. Individual goblins are weak, but
Numerous races call the Underdark and its dungeons early on, each strives to be king of the hill. Goblins
home, though many of them are monstrous or hostile. become surprisingly willful by competing with their
Their distinct ways of life are adapted to the harsh peers, maturing—for better or for worse—when they
realities of underground existence. Though they are can assert themselves. A goblin sees itself as cunning
viewed with suspicion or hatred by other races, these and dangerous, even if it is the wimpiest member
dungeon dwellers can be every bit as heroic as their of the warren. Such independence borders on arro-
surface-dwelling counterparts. gance, but it prompts a goblin to attempt daring
Goblin: Pint-sized rascals that infest dungeons the actions that larger races would think twice about.
world over, goblins are endlessly curious. A goblin finds a sense of itself from the time it
Kobold: Small and weak, kobolds depend on their begins life as a crawling, biting infant. Goblin moth-
traps and each other to survive in the Underdark. ers give birth to litters numbering around a dozen,
Svirfneblin: Many believe these mysterious giving the youngsters plenty of siblings to interact and
Underdark gnomes to be only a fable. compete with. Juveniles possess an impulsive curios-
ity that makes them crawl into every cranny of the
G OBLIN warren, always craving the new and undiscovered.
Most are noisy and selfish, demanding attention by
Pint-sized rascals known throughout the world for forcing their way into every activity.
their spitefulness and thievery Upon adulthood, most goblins find that they are
good only at hurting or stealing things. Exceptional
Racial Traits individuals develop a knack for leadership, crafting,
navigation, problem solving, or other valuable skills—
Average Height: 3´4˝–3´8˝
even magic. Goblins take immense pride in their
Average Weight: 40–55 lb.
talents, even if it’s just a honed ability to knife people
in the back. Practicing a skill gives them an identity
Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity; +2 Wisdom or +2 Charisma
within the community, which in turn makes them
Size: Small
feel important or useful.
Speed: 6 squares
Goblins love to brag and get attention; they are
Vision: Low-light vision
instigators who poke and prod at anything to get a
Languages: Common, Goblin
reaction. In the warrens, they behave like petulant
Skill Bonuses: +2 Bluff, +2 Stealth
brats, vandalizing, insulting, hitting, or whining to be
noticed. This need for attention might explain their
Goblin Reflexes: You gain a +1 racial bonus to Reflex.
kind’s violent attacks on the other races of the world.
Goblin Tactics: You have the goblin tactics power.
After all, what better way to get someone’s attention
than by attacking their homes? Countless raids and
Goblin Tactics Goblin Utility
wars have been committed by goblins to satisfy this
You avoid your enemy’s blow and cleverly dodge away. impulse, but the smart ones realize that this sort of
At-Will behavior won’t get them far if they wish to interact
Immediate Reaction Personal with others in any meaningful way.
Trigger: An enemy misses you with a melee attack.
Independent goblins, especially those who leave
Effect: You shift 1 square.
their warrens to become adventurers, have learned
to tone down their selfishness. Though not nearly
The image of puny, nose-picking, knife-wielding
so crude or vicious as others of their kind, they are
goblins is common throughout the world. Most adven-
nonetheless rascals at heart. Curious to the point of
turers believe in a keen sword and room to swing as
recklessness, yet cunning enough to escape many
the best way to deal with them. Goblins might be the
dangers, goblin adventurers embody the best of
most numerous humanoids in the world, with a repu-
their kind’s adaptability. Their companions might
tation for infesting every dank hole and tormenting
have to put up with nonstop chattering or poor
the countryside with never-ending raids, violence,
hygiene, but they can be trusted friends eager to
and maniacal scheming. The majority of them are
take in all the danger and excitement the adventur-
rapacious and vile, but some have the intellect and
ing life has to offer.
attitude to join the ranks of heroes. Though they
might face prejudice, goblins can be independent,
cunning, and crafty adventurers.
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GOBLIN
Small but endlessly curious, goblins can be stouthearted adventurers
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
35
the trinkets they’ve collected. They simply take what a tough leader to bully them into order, but they don’t
interests them at the moment, then discard it and follow blindly. When serious danger arises, goblins
move on to the next. Their warrens are cluttered prefer to slink away through one of the warren’s
messes, overflowing with everything from golden numerous exits and plan a counterattack.
treasure to shiny rocks. Goblins are also known for keeping the company
Many goblins are consummate schemers, concoct- of a variety of beasts with which they have a natural
ing plans of startling complexity that they hope will affinity. Bigger creatures, such as wolves or carrion
generate excitement or riches. Though few goblins are crawlers, join goblin raiding parties. Rats, bats, and
book-smart, their devious minds can outpace those snakes serve as spies or distractions. Regardless of
of other folk. Goblins rarely think in ways that are the beast’s use, it’s treated like a beloved pet, not just
linear or even logical. They love investigating weird a tool. Goblins bond with their creatures, and if one
possibilities, improbable outcomes, and unlikely dies, its master is distraught. A goblin might care
courses of action. Such scheming sometimes triggers more about the well-being of its pet than it does about
calamities that cascade like dominos—much to the that of other goblins.
goblins’ delight.
Goblins have few orthodox beliefs, but they love Goblin Adventurers
to create myths, rituals, and laws—most of which are
A goblin’s natural curiosity, cunning, and explorative
arbitrary. They imitate anything they think is neat,
spirit lends itself well to the adventuring life. Many
such as some newly discovered custom of a nearby
goblins are drawn to the excitement that comes with
culture, although the original intent is usually lost
battling monsters, rescuing grateful victims, and
in translation or warped to suit goblin ends. Isolated
bathing in plundered loot—anything that gets them
goblin tribes in the deep wilds might hear the call of
attention. Of course, interacting with other people
the primal spirits, though they might envision those
demands that a goblin at least partially put aside its
spirits as unpleasant or slimy, such as Ska’nug the
natural tendency toward pettiness and violence. With
Skunk or Blhorgg the Whelk.
the right guidance, a goblin can be a hero.
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GOBLIN
You crave new experiences. Goblins live for the
novel. You’re at your happiest when reveling in some
new treasure, food, or sensation—even unpleasant
ones. This desire encourages goblins to go out into the
world, exploring and touching anything they can. You
might be obsessed with a particular type of object or
feeling, or you might have left the tribe out of curios-
ity over what lies beyond the next horizon. Either way,
you are likely the first of your party to handle new
items or prod something best left undisturbed.
You have a bad reputation. The rest of the world
sees goblins as pests and villains—with good reason.
The majority of your kind deserves their bad reputa-
tion, and facing discrimination will be a constant
challenge. You might be an enlightened goblin doing
your best to show that not all of your kind is evil. Per-
haps you are as untrustworthy as the majority of your
folk, but tempered somewhat by the influence of your
adventuring companions.
For a goblin bard, it’s all about audience appeal
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Desperate Goblin Tactics Panic takes
over when you’re near death, and you rush away from
the fray even faster than usual.
Prerequisite: Goblin, goblin tactics racial power
Benefit: When you use goblin tactics while blood-
ied, you can shift up to 2 extra squares.
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Living Shield
GOBLIN
When your goblin character gains a class utility Even adventuring goblins prefer
power after 1st level, you can forgo taking a power not to get hit if they can avoid it, and they master the
granted to you by your class. Instead, you can choose ability to quickly find cover behind pillars, boulders,
a goblin utility power of the same level or lower. or altars. But what if nothing in the environment can
provide cover? Other people soak up attacks just as
Fast Filch Goblins are nimble and quick, and well. The more considerate goblins redirect enemies
their deft little fingers make them excellent pickpock- only against those who are willing.
ets. A team of goblin thieves usually has one member
distract the mark so another can quickly snag some Living Shield Goblin Utility 6
valuables. Of course, you never know when your You dive behind a companion to avoid an attack.
teammate might run off before giving you your cut. Encounter
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Fast Filch Goblin Utility 2 Trigger: An enemy hits you with a melee or ranged attack
In the blink of an eye, your tiny fingers relieve someone of a few while you are adjacent to your ally.
prized possessions. Effect: You shift 1 square, and the attack hits the ally
instead of you.
At-Will
Minor Action Melee 1
Target: One adjacent creature granting combat advantage Unwitting Guardian It’s not hard for a
to you little goblin to find a good hiding place. The best
Effect: You make a Thievery check against the target to places, though, make your enemies look like fools.
pick its pocket or perform sleight of hand. Creeping between a roper’s loose plates, ducking
under a mind flayer’s robes, or clinging to the belly of
Leg Up Goblin society is like a big game of king a big spider is way more fun than standing behind a
of the hill. Life is a scramble to the top, and only the boring pillar or stalagmite.
most devious make it. You have to be willing to put
others through a little discomfort if you’re going to Unwitting Guardian Goblin Utility 6
succeed. You duck under the bulk of one of the big folk, and it keeps you
from being seen by the others while you make mischief.
Leg Up Goblin Utility 2 Encounter
By bouncing off or scrabbling up the body of a nearby creature, Move Action Melee 1
you fling yourself through the air. Target: One adjacent Medium or larger enemy
Encounter Effect: You shift 1 square into the target’s space. Until the
Move Action Personal end of your next turn, you can occupy the same space as
Requirement: You must be adjacent to a creature. the target. Additionally, until the end of your next turn or
Effect: You jump up to your speed horizontally or up to 10 until you and the target no longer share the same space,
feet vertically. you are hidden from all creatures except the target. This
effect ends immediately after you attack.
Little Green Lie Goblin mothers everywhere
give the same advice to their litters: The only time to Down and Through Humans and their
lie is when you don’t know the answer, or telling the sort spend so much effort trying to look tall! The way
truth will get you hurt, or somebody has something they hold their chins up high makes slipping past
you want, or when you can make up another reason. them all the easier.
Little Green Lie Goblin Utility 2 Down and Through Goblin Utility 10
All of a sudden, you’re beneath your clumsy foe and then out the
At the last moment, you realize the best course of action here is
other side.
to lie.
Encounter
Encounter
Move Action Personal
Free Action Personal
Effect: Choose a Medium or larger enemy adjacent to you,
Trigger: You fail a Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check.
and shift up to 5 squares to a different square adjacent to
Effect: You reroll the check. If the triggering check was a
that creature. You can move through that creature’s space
Diplomacy or Intimidate check, use your Bluff modifier
during this shift.
instead.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
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KOBOLD a determined attacker. For this reason, most tribes
raise monstrous allies for added muscle or give in and
Reptilian tunnel dwellers who stick together to become servants of dungeon rulers.
survive Of all the monstrous allies kobolds can make,
dragons are best of all. Dragons are everything
Racial Traits kobolds are not: enormous, majestic, and powerful.
They are gods to the kobolds, their idealized selves,
Average Height: 36˝–40˝
and thus are worthy of worship and service—should
Average Weight: 60–75 lb.
any dragon accept the little creatures. Any sign of a
dragon sends the tribe into a flurry of activity. The
Ability Scores: +2 Constitution; +2 Dexterity or +2
kobolds track it to its lair and present it with sacri-
Charisma
fices, pageants, and anything else they think it would
Size: Small
like. Of course, a dragon presented with so many will-
Speed: 6 squares
ing victims indulges its appetite and gobbles up as
Vision: Darkvision
many as it can. But death by dragon is no deterrent to
Languages: Common, Draconic
the kobolds’ efforts. They see being eaten by a god as
Skill Bonuses: +2 Dungeoneering, +2 Thievery
a great honor, and clamor for their chance to climb
into the dragon’s maw.
Reptile: You are considered a reptile for the purpose
Older dragons see kobolds as nuisances. A quick
of effects that relate to the reptile keyword.
blast of a breath weapon suffices to eliminate an
Trap Sense: You gain a +2 racial bonus to all defenses
infestation. The trouble for the dragon is that the
against attacks from traps.
kobolds do not give up and might try to serve in
Shifty Maneuver: You have the shifty maneuver power.
secret even if rejected. Younger dragons, however,
might see the advantage in a loyal clan of guards and
Shifty Maneuver Kobold Utility
attendants to protect their hoards and warn of adven-
You call on your natural ability to dodge danger, taking your turers who come calling. Once a kobold tribe installs
tribemates along for the ride.
itself around a dragon, everything they do serves
Encounter their god.
Move Action Close burst 2
A kobold’s life is unpleasant to say the least. Very
Target: You and each ally in the burst
Effect: Each target can shift 1 square as a free action.
few kobolds live to reach old age. Attrition claims
most before they get too far into adulthood. Hunger,
Kobolds overrun dungeons and caverns, relying on thirst, and want are constant companions, and even
vast numbers and wicked traps to make up for their the dimmest kobolds learn to watch their backs.
deficiencies in size and strength. Their ability to sur- Kobolds are subject to the same greed as dragons,
vive among the bigger and tougher monsters of the though far less intense. Most of them keep small
world shows just how well their tactics have worked. stashes of coins or other treasure secret from the
Kobolds gather in large tribes, reproducing quickly tribe, even though they know they’re duty-bound to
to replenish their numbers. Group pressure and the pool such resources.
dictates of charismatic leaders compel all members Kobolds understand that they are stronger
in the community to work together toward whatever together than they are apart. All grudges are forgot-
ends they need to survive. No matter what an individ- ten when the tribe faces an outside threat. Kobolds
ual kobold feels or believes, the community expects demonstrate surprising cunning when dealing with
obedience, and every kobold in the tribe tries to intruders, as evident in the traps they design to level
behave in the expected way. Some kobolds have good the playing field. Kobolds’ skill in trapmaking is
hearts, but their chieftains believe only ruthlessness amazing. With only minimal supplies—mostly junk—
will keep the tribe strong. Thus most kobold tribes they can fashion crafty snares and clever alarms.
commit evil acts, or at least self-serving ones. Even intrepid explorers know that entering a kobold
Kobolds have few illusions about their place in warren invites disfigurement and death.
the world. They are scavengers and thieves. They do The harsh reality of kobold existence demands
not grow their own food and would rather deprive absolute obedience to the leader’s demands. Kobolds
others of their goods than craft anything. They lurk who lack the killer’s instinct, show any weakness, or
on civilization’s fringes, raiding farmsteads and disobey orders are shunned and driven to the tribe’s
ambushing caravans. They settle in old ruins and periphery. If not devoured by a passing predator or
dungeons, choosing places they can readily defend sacrificed to a bloodthirsty god, such exiles might
and fortify. Even with their great numbers, kobolds seek their fortunes beyond the tribe. Survival is by no
know they cannot hope to protect themselves against means assured, but such action at least gives them a
chance to survive.
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KO B O L D
This kobold avoids being skewered by a trap of f lying needles as it prepares to strike at what lies ahead
Kobolds are survivors first. They are not above yellow. Small horns angle backward from a kobold’s
prostrating themselves before enemies if it means brow, and bony barbs stud its forearms to its elbows.
buying a little time. A lone kobold survivor after a Its fingers end in stubby talons, as do its long toes.
raid, a prisoner, or one otherwise cut off from its fel- Fine scales cover a kobold’s body, usually some shade
lows must adapt to avoid death. A kobold who was of green. Brown, red, and orange scales appear
part of an evil tribe might reform its behavior in the among particular tribes, as do mottled hides of sev-
presence of others who are willing to guide and sup- eral colors.
port it, and might even find this new “tribe” more Their reptilian anatomy hides kobolds’ physical
comforting than the old one. Such individuals find expressiveness from other races. Their facial con-
the adventurer’s life suits them—not because they struction lacks the anatomy to display the same range
crave danger or excitement, but because their talents of emotions as other humanoids. Kobolds who need
make them useful to other adventurers who protect to deal with warmbloods develop broad arm and
them in return. head gestures to convey how they feel.
Since kobolds have to make do with what they
Physical Qualities scavenge, clothing is limited and functional. A loin-
cloth serves the least among them, while warriors
Their spare frames and stooped postures don’t
cobble together armor from scraps they harvest from
inspire fear in others, which suits kobolds just fine.
the dead. Crude weaponry suffices until they can
They would rather look nonthreatening but not quite
steal something better.
vulnerable. A few brave kobolds emulate their hon-
Kobolds grow quickly. They can walk and talk
ored dragons. They put on a little muscle, raise their
within hours after hatching and reach their full
snouts high, and roar with a ferocity no one would
height after about a year. Kobolds can live longer than
expect such weak-looking creatures to muster.
a century, though very few make it through their first
Kobolds’ long muzzles are lined with tiny teeth
decade.
and lolling tongues similar to those of a dragon or
B E N WO OT T E N
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Attitudes and Beliefs
Kobolds look after the tribe foremost, and they take
whatever steps they deem necessary to ensure the
community’s survival. The more populous the tribe,
the lower the chance any individual will come to
harm—even though such large numbers invariably
attract attention. Thus, kobolds nurture their eggs in
communal nesting grounds to ensure the next gen-
eration will preserve their numbers.
Even kobolds who leave their tribes retain the
instinct to survive and find comrades. An adventur-
ing kobold regards the party as a small tribe and
finds a place to contribute to the group’s success.
He or she shows an immediate willingness to work
within the team, especially if the kobold can tackle a
job nobody else in the group is suited for.
Even good-aligned kobolds see little point in fight-
ing with honor. A fair fight achieves nothing if you
die. Instead, kobolds admire trickery and subterfuge
as virtues and deride as foolish any notion of fairness.
The best fight to a kobold is one in which no kobold
blood is spilled.
Kobolds see dragons as living gods and offer sac-
rifices, prayers, and anything else they find to honor
their masters. Their devotion stems from their con-
nection to Tiamat, whom they see as their ultimate
goddess and mother to all dragons. Kobolds also
worship their ancestors, chief among them being
Kurtulmak, a figure thought to be one of Tiamat’s
exarchs. Adventuring kobolds never quite escape
their devotion to Tiamat and continue to worship her
even if doing so is offensive to their new companions.
No kobold wants to face the repercussions of angering
such a threatening god.
Kobold Communities
Anyone who examines kobolds’ traps can see their
ingenuity in construction, yet kobolds do not raise
their own towns or strongholds. Instead, they squat in
places other peoples have abandoned. A kobold settle-
ment’s location must be defensible, offer shelter, and
provide enough water and food to support the tribe.
A typical kobold community includes a large
common room where the rank and file gather, cook,
and sort through the plunder. Nearby is a temple or
shrine dedicated to Tiamat, along with chambers set
aside for the high priest, the chieftain, and the most
accomplished warriors. These rooms offer privacy
for the higher-ups without sacrificing the security of
having the rest of the tribe nearby.
The passages leading into the warren look safe
enough to an outsider, but hidden throughout are all
sorts of nasty traps to discourage intruders from ven-
Kobolds offer a dragon whatever it wants in exchange
turing too far. Kobolds favor devices that humiliate
W I L L I A M O ’CO N N O R
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KO B O L D
survives a kobold’s trap usually does not do so with their work. Instead, their techniques are natural out-
pride intact. The tribe might also use rats, scorpi- growths of how kobolds normally fight.
ons, slimes, or drakes to help guard their warrens.
Kobold tribes not affiliated with dragons freely Roleplaying a Kobold
abandon their lairs if they come under attack. They
When creating a kobold adventurer, here are a few
fight to protect themselves, but should the situation
points to consider.
become untenable, they are not above pulling up
You know your way around traps. Even if another
stakes and settling somewhere else. A dragon’s involve-
character handles the task of disarming traps, you
ment shores up the tribe’s courage, and kobolds fight
know enough about their construction to help disman-
with uncommon boldness to protect their god.
tle them when they are discovered and avoid them
when they attack. Traps fascinate you, and any new
Kobold Adventurers device is an opportunity to add a weapon to your arse-
Adventuring might seem an unlikely occupation for nal. Don’t pass up opportunities to tackle a trap and, if
kobolds, but they have several talents that make them possible, try to find ways to turn it to your advantage.
well-suited to the life. They can see in the dark, antic- Fair fights are for suckers. Concepts such as
ipate and avoid traps, and stay a step ahead of their honor, nobility, and fairness make little sense to you.
enemies. Kobolds can be useful and effective allies in Death comes soon enough without inviting it through
almost any adventuring group. some foolish belief. You use trickery and planning to
Very few kobolds become adventurers by choice, defeat your enemies. You lure them into danger, draw-
however. Some catastrophe must befall them before ing them into positions where your allies can finish
they traipse off looking for danger. Most take up this them off. You hit enemies when they’re down, dazed,
life after being captured by adventurers or separated or otherwise incapacitated. Your survival depends on
from their tribes. your willingness to do whatever it takes to win.
Dragons are gods. Dragons represent everything
Rogue Growing up in environments where any kobolds hope to become. Everyone fears them. If
misstep can bring death, poisoned darts fly with a dragons are not true gods, they are close enough for
stumble, and pits bristling with spikes lurk in every you. Encounters with dragons awe you, far beyond
corridor, kobolds learn a healthy respect for traps. the threat they pose. You feel conflicted about fight-
Familiarity with such hazards, combined with their ing dragons and seek a peaceful way out of such an
furtive natures, make kobolds a natural fit for the encounter, such as by making an offering or spouting
rogue class. Kobold rogues are among the best at locat- excessive flattery. Should your efforts fail, you still
ing and dismantling traps. This talent, combined with support your allies, but killing the dragon should be
their great mobility, makes kobold rogues particularly the last resort.
dangerous. You know your place. Every kobold in a tribe
knows that for the rest to survive, each member must
Sorcerer Kobolds have strong arcane traditions, do his or her duty. As an adventuring kobold, you see
and most who follow those traditions become sor- your companions as your new tribe and search for a
cerers. They like to think that dragon’s blood flows way to contribute outside of combat. You might cook
through their veins, and they believe that the best of meals, mend clothing, or polish armor in addition to
them can tap into this essence and become like the fulfilling your role during exploration and combat.
gods they worship. Most kobold sorcerers choose the You exercise caution. Taking heedless risks can
path of dragon magic. get you killed. Better to be prepared and know what
you’re getting yourself into. If you get in over your
Warlock A kobold who cannot harness the magic head, fleeing is an important tactic. An enemy that
within might seek out other sources of power. Many gives chase enters unfamiliar territory, often pro-
kobolds make unwise bargains with strange entities, tected by traps. As a kobold, you feel no shame in
offering their souls to make themselves strong. Most running away and expect your companions to do the
kobold warlocks look to the stars and the beings that same should the situation turn against you.
reside there for magical power, though they bargain The world hates you. Being considered vermin by
with anything that offers to make them strong. most people you meet is bound to take a toll. No matter
what you accomplish, others might be anything from
Assassin Kobolds avoid direct confrontation. suspicious to hostile. Even most other reptilian human-
They employ poison, traps, and ambushes to deal oids look down on you, though they’re more likely to
with enemies, all tactics that make them eminently show you some respect if you prove yourself. When
suited to the assassin’s trade. Kobolds rarely become traveling through civilized lands, consider concealing
assassins for profit, though most accept payment for your features to avoid conflicts.
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Kobold Characteristics: Ambitious, cooperative, Trapbuster You understand the mechanisms
fawning, greedy, loyal, obedient, quick, timid used in all sorts of traps, and your ability to disarm
Kobold Male Names: Bont, Dartak, Deekin, Forgen, them is second to none.
Kol, Meepo, Nin, Speelok, Zeem Prerequisite: Kobold, training in Thievery
Benefit: You can roll two dice and use either
Kobold Female Names: Capax, Eenith, Foruul,
result when you make a Perception check to detect a
Gumba, Iimen, Lorpe, Rowatak
trap. In addition, you never trigger a trap when you
Kobold Tribal Names: Black Death, Broken Fang, fail a Thievery check to disable it.
Gouger, Red Moon, Skull Kicker, Torn Ear
Kobold Utility Powers
Kobold Feats Kobolds don’t like to venture too far out of their com-
Each kobold tribe has its own methods and special- fort zone, so they stick to what they are best at: canny
ties, but all of them have a few things in common. movement, teamwork, and careful exploration. Many
Dungeon travel and dragon worship both hold a kobolds carry strange gadgets created from scrap
prominent place in kobold society. Trapmaking and metal and other refuse. They make these items using
evasive maneuvers let kobolds get the upper hand formulas handed down by the tribe and their own
in battle, and they take great pains to improve these ingenuity, honed by years of trapmaking.
abilities. When your kobold character gains a class utility
power after 1st level, you can forgo taking a power
Dragon’s Indomitability You’re not granted to you by your class. Instead, you gain a
entirely fearless, but you try to follow the example of kobold utility power of the same level or lower.
the great dragons.
Prerequisite: Kobold
Benefit: You can roll two dice and use either
result when making saving throws against effects that
daze or stun you.
NEW ITEM:
Eldritch Momentum In the kobold tra- HURLER-SNATCHER
dition, warlocks learn to warp arcane energy with With some foraged twine, a supple reed, simple
their movement and use it to break through enemies’ pulleys, and a soft cloth bindle, a kobold can piece
defenses. Your attacks zig and zag in an unpredict- together a crude device for getting around obstacles.
able fashion that catches enemies off guard. These hurler-snatchers, as kobolds call them, have
Prerequisite: Kobold, warlock, Warlock’s Curse long been used to fling objects across gaps safely
class feature and retrieve small items lost down narrow chasms.
Benefit: If you move at least 3 squares away from Using a hurler-snatcher (4 lb., 10 gp) requires a
where you started your turn, you gain combat advan- move action. When you do so, you either transfer
tage until the start of your next turn against creatures one item you have that weighs 5 pounds or less to
subject to your Warlock’s Curse. an unoccupied space or a willing character within 5
squares of you, or you take one similar item that the
Kobold in a Corner Getting trapped in character or the space has and transfer it to yourself.
a dead end and surrounded is the worst danger a If you intend to transfer the item to a character, he
kobold can face. When enemies surround you, your or she has to have a free hand and must use a free
instincts to escape kick in, and you fight back angrily. action to catch it. Otherwise, the item lands in that
Prerequisite: Kobold character’s space.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls The 5-pound limit on a hurler-snatcher is enough
against creatures that have combat advantage against to carry most simple objects. If items are bundled
you. This bonus increases to +2 at 11th level and +3 at together in a backpack or a sack, they’re usually too
21st level. heavy to flick around. Some items are too unwieldy
to be transferred in this way; your DM ultimately
Shiftier Maneuver Carefully skulking makes the call.
around the battlefield is the kobold way to victory, The hurler-snatcher is constructed to protect what
and everyone in the tribe should be good at it. Your it carries, even glassware, as long as the intended
expertise is infectious. receiver can catch it. Objects break in transit only in
Prerequisite: Kobold, shifty maneuver racial power a very small number of cases. Kobolds offer no war-
Benefit: When you use shifty maneuver, one target ranties on items sent byy wayy of a hurler-snatcher.
of the power can shift up to 2 extra squares.
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Flee!
KO B O L D
A kobold knows better than to fight against
overwhelming odds. Sometimes the only way to win
a fight is to escape and fight another day. When it’s
time to retreat, a kobold leads the way to safety.
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SVIRFNEBLIN newcomers to protect their community, but anyone
who gains their trust quickly learns they form close
Subterranean gnomes dedicated to community who bonds of friendship. They focus on fulfilling their
make strong bonds of friendship duties through hard work, either in the mines or
around their settlement. In their off hours, svirfneblin
Racial Traits enjoy telling stories in the company of their family and
neighbors.
Average Height: 32˝–36˝
Svirfneblin are a proud race that respects strength
Average Weight: 55–80 lb.
in numbers. They work well with others and value
community over individual tastes. Constantly beset
Ability Scores: +2 Wisdom; +2 Strength or +2
by threats, deep gnomes band together and form
Constitution
bonds of friendship that last a lifetime. They will die
Size: Small
to protect the people they bond with.
Speed: 5 squares
Vision: Darkvision
Languages: Common, Deep Speech, Elven Physical Qualities
Skill Bonuses: +2 Dungeoneering, +2 Perception At a distance, svirfneblin look much like their sur-
face-dwelling cousins but are distinguishable by their
Earth Walk: You ignore difficult terrain that is rubble, generally darker skin and gaunt bodies. They have
uneven stone, or an earthen construction. little body fat, which makes them appear emaciated.
Fey Origin: Your ancestors were native to the Feywild They are very short, slightly smaller than surface
(specifically the Feydark), so you are considered a gnomes, and stand no more than 3½ feet tall. Females
fey creature for the purpose of effects that relate to are taller than their male counterparts, though males
creature origin. are often stockier. Though they appear frail, svirfne-
Under-dweller: Dungeoneering is always a class skill blin are just as heavy as other gnomes. Their sturdy
for you. build results from the hard labor they undertake,
Stone Camouflage: You have the stone camouflage which produces lots of muscle mass and a strong
power. bone structure to support it.
A svirfneblin’s appearance is also unique to its
Stone Camouflage Svirfneblin Utility community’s Underdark (or Feydark) region. The skin
color of deep gnomes varies according to the depth
Your body becomes stony and magically blends with the terrain
around you, making you harder to pinpoint.
and location of their residences. In places where
mineral-rich soil has formed veins of gray and black
Encounter ✦ Illusion
Minor Action Personal
stone, svirfneblin populations have a darker skin
Effect: You gain partial concealment until the end of your tone. In areas where lava predominates, the gnomes’
next turn, and you gain 5 temporary hit points. skin might display shades of maroon and brown.
Level 11: 10 temporary hit points.
Level 21: 15 temporary hit points.
Attitudes and Beliefs
Commonly referred to as deep gnomes, svirfneblin Svirfneblin are content folk who enjoy hard work
live primarily in the Underdark and rarely associate and love seeing the results of their strenuous labor.
with their kindred on the surface. The two bloodlines Their close-knit community is central to their lives
separated so long ago that few similarities remain and an intrinsic part of their values; they maintain
between them beyond a natural connection to magic. their discipline and will as long as their work serves
Many who don’t understand the svirfneblin’s way of the greater good. They believe in shared sacrifice for
life assume they are as dark and sinister as other crea- the survival of the community. Individual needs are
tures that live deep below the earth. For this reason, rarely counted, a trait that leads svirfneblin to omit
the “deep gnomes” must be vigilant against not only words such as “I” and “my” from their vocabulary
threats from their environment, but also from those even among family. These words are foreign to their
who travel down from the surface. They have grown life experiences, and it takes them time to learn that
dour and insular by necessity, but they remain funda- other creatures single out one person as distinct from
mentally good at heart. In a world of eternal darkness, the people as a whole.
where death lurks around every corner, a svirfneblin Religion has an important place in deep gnome
community provides a welcome contrast. society. Svirfneblin spend much time and preparation
The deep gnomes’ muted expressions convey a honoring the various gods they serve, and religious
sense of dreariness to most outsiders and certainly duties go to only the most respected and trusted
don’t seem welcoming. Svirfneblin act standoffish to among the clan. The most prominent svirfneblin reli-
gious figure is Callarduran Smoothhands, the Master
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SVIRFNEBLIN
A svirfneblin warlock leads a band of miners in a battle to protect their home
Svirfneblin History
Gnomes can be careless about historical documen-
went deeper underground, away from the fomorian
tation. Rather than put down records in stone or on
realms but still within the Night Below.
paper, they pass down their tales by word of mouth.
Most svirfneblin tales remain secret, repeated
It is known that svirfneblin lived among the other
only among the clan. The few stories they tell to
gnomes when all were still imprisoned by the fomori-
other people make the svirfneblin people look cor-
ans. When the gnomes escaped their fetters, most of
dial and helpful.
CR AIG J SPE ARING
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Svirfneblin Society Svirfneblin keep these feelings to themselves:
To reveal them might weaken the bonds of the group.
Svirfneblin communities are organized into clans and
A svirfneblin away from home constantly longs to
are located exclusively in subterranean settlements
go back underground and would rather explore an
deep within the Underdark. Specialized engineers
unfamiliar dungeon than travel through a forest or
constantly seek out large caverns that can sustain the
surface city.
clan’s population growth and societal needs, as well
as the evolving nature of their environment. When
a town is first settled, the leaders claim the more
Druid Svirfneblin feel a natural connection to
the world around them and many hear the call of the
stable areas of the cavern and build complexes out of
wild even in the Underdark. Many svirfneblin druids
stalagmites located within. Remaining members of
operate subterranean farms to train beasts of burden
the clan choose the location of their home in order of
for daily tasks. Some also specialize in knowledge
priority, based on many factors such position, lineage,
of unique terrain found only in the Underdark. The
and wealth.
rulers of deep gnome city-states use this information
Of all the treasure that the svirfneblin gather,
when directing the expansion of their communities.
they cherish their children the most. Many families
include four or more children, and rarely fewer than
two. Repopulation is so important to the deep gnomes
Cleric Priests in svirfneblin communities teach
that Callarduran Smoothhands gave svirfneblin the
that the largest families often earn rewards and ben-
tools to thrive in the Underdark. Their teachings and
efits. The parents of six or more children are rarely
magic are practical rather than flashy. An adventur-
impoverished.
ing cleric prepares meticulously for battle and travel,
The majority of male svirfneblin work in their com-
always carrying his or her own weight so as not to
munity’s mining operations. Those who do not are
force the burden of upkeep and defense on others.
either physically disabled or are part of the political
In a group of explorers, a svirfneblin cleric puts an
and religious structure of the community. Even those
emphasis first on cooperation, settling disputes and
who are not capable of helping in the mines find jobs
making sure the others communicate effectively.
processing raw material as it returns, or operating
businesses that help support the town. Female svirf-
neblin are the masters of the domicile and venerated
Ranger Svirfneblin rangers are some of the best
in the Underdark. They spend a great deal of time
for their hard work. Their ability to manage a house-
away from the cherished comforts of their homes
hold, raise children, and keep the miners of their
to hunt, fish, and scout. The strongest deep gnome
family healthy makes them the cornerstone of svirf-
communities are protected by hundreds of rangers,
neblin life—a concept not lost on the ruling family of
who are responsible for detecting and responding to
any given clan.
incoming threats before they arrive.
Governance of a deep gnome settlement varies
depending on the clan. Some towns operate on a
purely democratic principle, giving an equal voice
Warden Wardens are the core of a svirfneb-
lin militia. They are stalwart guardians of their kin
to all in the community. Others form committees
and trusted defenders of home and hearth. Having
that manage the overall direction of the clan and are
a unique relationship with primal forces of earth
empowered to make decisions on the town’s behalf.
and stone, svirfneblin wardens are indomitable
The most common form stays close to the communal
adversaries.
beliefs on which the race was founded. Both a king
and a queen rule these svirfneblin towns, each hold-
ing the position for life. The king oversees mining Roleplaying a Svirfneblin
operations, while the queen manages infrastructure. When creating a svirfneblin adventurer, here are a
Though each takes pride in friendly competition few points to consider.
between the sexes, both are ultimately responsible for You are a team player. Whenever a prob-
the community’s defense. lem arises, you always advocate for everyone to be
involved in the solution. You are eager to contribute
Svirfneblin Adventurers your skills and knowledge to the discussion.
Strength in numbers. An individual svirfneblin
Few svirfneblin travel outside the safety of the com-
never confronts a physical threat alone unless forced.
munity. The race has grown to know strength in
You understand the intrinsic value of a coordinated
numbers, and for this reason alone individuals have
group attack against a superior challenge. You can
a hard time breaking free. Those enterprising souls
help the team find the best way to tactically take
who yearn for adventure succeed in overcoming this
down an opponent using all the resources available.
fear, but do so with some remorse and regret.
You know the depths better than anyone. You
know your way around the Underdark. You might
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SVIRFNEBLIN
Svirfneblin communities are well hidden and tightly knit
not like that fact, but it is true nonetheless. Travel- Svirfneblin Feats
ers, adventurers, and other Underdark denizens seek
The harsh life svirfneblin lead makes them tougher
you out for your expertise. Even if you don’t know the
and more in tune with the forces of nature that shape
exact path, you know the ever-changing landscape
the walls around them. Deep gnomes might not make
of the Underdark. It is a living entity to you, and you
many friends outside their settlements, but they know
understand how it lives, breathes, and operates.
how to endure and survive without help.
Thanks for noticing. You go about your life with
pride in your people, your lineage, and your capabili-
ties, but you can’t shake the feeling that you aren’t
Crew Savvy As a member of a mining crew,
you learned how to use teamwork when delving.
quite good enough. Having deserted or been forced
Prerequisite: Svirfneblin, training in Athletics
to leave your community and clan, no longer having
Benefit: You gain a +3 feat bonus to Athletics
a designated place in a social order, you might sense
checks to climb. In addition, whenever you make a
that you’ve lost your purpose. This feeling might lead
Dungeoneering check or an Athletics check to climb,
you to apologize for simple errors or go beyond the
one ally adjacent to you gains a +2 feat bonus the next
call of duty to prove yourself. The simplest compli-
time he or she makes the same sort of check before
ment could mean the world to you.
the end of your next turn.
Svirfneblin Characteristics: Proud, meek, lonely, Deep Durability The primal spirits of earth
curious, solemn, dour, cynical and stone recognize you as their protector, and they
Svirfneblin Male Names: Ashcoffer, Belwar, Boon- shield you.
ler, Molgar, Sachelhoffen, Tassen, Victorbuff Prerequisite: Svirfneblin, warden, stone camou-
Svirfneblin Female Names: Anselway, Dollidor, flage racial power
Fansel, Gretzlynn, Juile, Polliwopple, Wailee Benefit: When you use stone camouflage, you gain 3
additional temporary hit points for each enemy marked
Svirfneblin Clan Names: Dallydans, Jokulhaups,
by you. The additional temporary hit points per enemy
N OA H B R A D L E Y
Mallywagers, Peppleponds
increase to 5 at 11th level and 7 at 21st level.
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Deepstone Blessing Since svirfneblin first Words from the Deep The rules of svirfne-
learn to heal their own kin, their prayers confer distinct blin society reinforce the community to such a degree
blessings. Anyone healed by a svirfneblin prayer feels that little politicking is needed. Svirfneblin know to do
his or her skin toughen and turn stony for a brief time. what’s best for the community. Translating the ways
Prerequisite: Svirfneblin, cleric, healing word of the isolated Underdark settlements can be difficult
power when dealing with surface dwellers, but sometimes a
Benefit: When you use healing word, the target svirfneblin can make the connection.
also gains temporary hit points equal to your Consti-
tution modifier. Words from the Deep Svirfneblin Utility 2
You call on your experience with the people of your deep home
Fade to Gray The gnomes who live above to be outgoing in the presence of other people.
have a stronger affinity for illusion than svirfneblin Encounter
do. You’re one of the few deep gnomes with a greater Free Action Personal
connection to such magic than to the magic of stone Trigger: You would make a Diplomacy check or a Streetwise
and earth. check.
Effect: You make a Dungeoneering check in place of the
Prerequisite: Svirfneblin, stone camouflage racial
Diplomacy check or Streetwise check.
power
Benefit: When an attack hits you while you have
partial concealment from stone camouflage, you can
Deep Senses Stone might seem to be immo-
bile and inert, but the svirfneblin understand that
become invisible until the end of your next turn or
even the great caves shake when trod upon. By attun-
until you attack.
ing your senses to pick up these vibrations, you can
detect the presence of other creatures.
Svirfneblin Utility Powers
Ancient connections made by the svirfneblin’s ances- Deep Senses Svirfneblin Utility 6
tors give them the ability to draw on the magic of You extend your mind into the stone, and you feel it shift and
stone. The spirits of rock and earth found only cruel reverberate with the motion of your enemies.
and evil beings in the reaches of the Underdark, until Daily
they met the deep gnomes—the first creatures who Minor Action Personal
wanted to preserve the tunnels. Even though they Effect: You gain tremorsense 5 until the end of the
mine and carve their settlements in the living rock, encounter. Once per round, you can spend a minor action
to increase the radius of the tremorsense by 1 (to a
svirfneblin don’t engage in wanton destruction or
maximum of 10).
rituals that corrupt nature.
Each svirfneblin learns some different part of this
ancient magic based on his or her role in society. It
Stony Disappearance Your race has a
natural ability to blend in with your surroundings
serves more as tradecraft than a magical tradition or
underground, as reflected in your stone camouflage
school. As with svirfneblin history, no written record
racial feature. Harnessing a more potent version of
exists of how to obtain these powers: The teaching are
this magic makes you even harder to find. Successful
passed down through storytelling.
svirfneblin scouts master this power.
When your svirfneblin character gains a class util-
ity power after 1st level, you can forgo taking a power
Stony Disappearance Svirfneblin Utility 6
granted to you by your class. Instead, you gain a svirf-
You tap into your natural magical abilities and use them to
neblin utility power of the same level or lower.
blend in with your surroundings perfectly.
Encounter ✦ Illusion
Ring of Rubble Svirfneblin guards contain
Minor Action Personal
themselves and their foes within ramparts of broken Effect: You become invisible until the end of your next turn
rock to keep enemies from escaping without a fight. or until you attack.
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Stony Durability
SVIRFNEBLIN
You have a boon of the Summon Earth-Friend Svirfneblin Utility 10
earth that strengthens your ties to rock and stone. You call on an ancient friend of your people to assist you in
Most svirfneblin can make their flesh a bit tougher, scouting the dungeon.
but you can turn your skin hard as rock. Many of the Daily ✦ Elemental, Summoning
guards who protect svirfneblin communities possess Minor Action Ranged 5
this power. Effect: You summon a Tiny earth-friend in an unoccupied
space within range. The earth-friend is an ally to you and
your allies.
Stony Durability Svirfneblin Utility 6
The earth-friend lacks actions of its own. Instead, you
A thick barrier of stone covers your skin, deflecting blows of all spend actions to command it mentally, choosing from the
kinds. actions in the earth-friend’s description. You don’t need
Daily line of sight to the earth-friend to command it. When you
Minor Action Personal command the earth-friend, you and the creature share
Effect: You gain resist 5 to all damage until the end of the knowledge, but not senses.
encounter. When the earth-friend makes a check, you make the
roll using your game statistics, not including temporary
Crystal Shield Svirfneblin artisans keep well bonuses or penalties.
The earth-friend lasts until it drops below 1 hit point, at
hidden the secret of crafting with crystal. Such cre-
which point you lose a healing surge (or hit points equal
ations don’t last as long as those of rock or metal, but to your healing surge value if you have no surges left).
they serve certain purposes very well. The crystal Otherwise, it lasts until you dismiss it as a minor action or
shield was created as an emergency measure for sol- until the end of the encounter.
diers who needed to be able to move unencumbered
but sometimes required extra protection in battle. Earth-Friend Level 10 Summoned Creature
Tiny elemental magical beast (earth)
Crystal Shield Svirfneblin Utility 10 HP your bloodied value; Healing Surges none, but you can
expend a healing surge for the earth-friend if an effect
You throw a handful of crystal powder in the air, and it forms a allows it to spend one
protective barrier of clear crystal. Defenses your defenses – 2, not including any temporary
Daily ✦ Conjuration bonuses or penalties
Minor Action Personal Speed 5, burrow 5 Tremorsense 5
Effect: You conjure a shield of crystal that surrounds you Earth Glide
and moves with you. The shield has hit points equal to The earth-friend can pass through earth and rock as if it
your healing surge value, and it lasts until the end of the were phasing.
encounter or until it is reduced to 0 hit points. Nonthreatening
While the shield remains, you gain a +2 power bonus to The earth-friend cannot flank.
AC and Reflex. When an attack hits your AC or Reflex, you Standard Action (teleportation) ✦ At-Will
can use the shield as a free action to absorb some or all of Effect: The earth-friend teleports to a square adjacent to
the damage. You still take all other effects from the attack, you, without needing line of sight.
as well as any damage that exceeds the shield’s hit points. Minor Action ✦ At-Will (1/round)
Effect: The guardian walks, shifts, runs, stands up,
Summon Earth-Friend Similar to earth squeezes, or crawls.
elementals, the minuscule earth-friends dwell in
Underdark caverns rich with mineral deposits. Veins Walk through Stone Most people can’t see
of certain metals trap earth-friends, and sometimes how all stone belongs to one family. Svirfneblin know
svirfneblin miners free the little creatures. A single that ancient paths connect the rock, and their explor-
earth-friend might serve a svirfneblin family for gen- ers learn to walk these paths.
erations. As long as it is left to its own devices most of
the time, the creature allows itself to be summoned Walk through Stone Svirfneblin Utility 10
as a scout. You step into the stone and emerge from the stone, walking
through pathways older than the world itself.
Encounter ✦ Teleportation
Move Action Personal
Requirement: You must be on a stone surface or adjacent to
blocking terrain made of stone.
Effect: You teleport up to 10 squares. You don’t need line
of sight to the destination space, but you must end the
movement on a stone surface or adjacent to blocking
terrain made of stone.
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Dungeon- CLASS POWERS
Class and Level
Artificer 7
Power
Armor of darkness
Page
65
Themed Powers Assassin 7
Barbarian 7
Blinding menace
Crushing charge
53
70
Your character’s class, theme, and other background Bard 3 Ballad of the zombie king 68
information probably say much about why he or Battlemind 15 Living shard 60
she braves the depths (or intends to). The following Cleric 1 Horde of spiders 68
sections discuss different ways for players to put a Druid 9 Writhing earth 56
sharper focus on why their characters do what they Fighter 9 Pitiless grapple 70
do. Each section is about a type of people or an orga- Invoker 7 Admonition of Oghma 63
nization and elaborates on or is connected loosely to Paladin 9 Dispel the darkness 53
one of the themes presented earlier in this chapter. Psion 13 Telepathic wail 60
For example, the Deep Guides is an organization of Ranger 5 Blinding assault 54
Underdark explorers that works well with the deep Ranger 5 Rattle the senses 56
delver theme. Rogue 3 Startling offensive 66
Each of the entries that follows includes a number Rogue 7 Tight squeeze 57
of attack powers for certain classes. Each entry also Rogue 13 Killing shadow 54
includes skill powers associated with useful subterra- Runepriest 9 Rune of divine providence 63
nean exploration skills. You can choose these powers Seeker 13 Short shot onslaught 63
to flesh out a character with an associated theme, but Shaman 5 Ancient progenitor spirit 63
anyone who wants to explore under the earth can Sorcerer 3 Stormy emotions 68
benefit from them. Warden 7 Expulsion 57
Warden 13 Pulverizing impact 70
Gaining and Using Warlock 9 Command insanity 60
Warlord 5 Terrain dominance 70
Skill Powers
Skill powers, which first appeared in Player’s Hand- SKILL POWERS
book 3, present an alternative to class utility powers. Skill and Level Power Page
You can gain and use only the skill powers associated Acrobatics 6 Timely dodge 64
with your trained skills. Whenever you reach a level Acrobatics 10 Familiar footing 66
that grants you a utility power from your class, you can Arcana 2 Cave sight 57
choose a skill power in place of a class power. The skill Arcana 6 Demonic bargain 69
power you choose must be of the same level as or lower Arcana 6 Peer through the void 61
in level than the class power you would have gained. Athletics 6 Crushing escape 71
You can use retraining to replace a class power Dungeoneering 2 Stay back 54
with a skill power and vice versa, as long as the new Dungeoneering 6 Dungeoneer’s guidance 57
power is of the same level as or lower in level than the Dungeoneering 10 Insane logic 61
replaced power. Dungeoneering 10 Ripples in the air 64
You cannot replace a utility power from a paragon Endurance 10 Enter the crucible 71
path or an epic destiny with a skill power. Heal 2 Iron resurgence 71
Insight 2 Calculated acumen 66
Insight 6 Conceal psyche 61
Insight 16 Despana’s stratagem 69
Intimidate 6 Scatter the cowards 71
Perception 6 Foil ambush 54
Stealth 2 Elude senses 57
Stealth 10 Immersed in darkness 54
Streetwise 2 Failed diplomacy 66
WAY N E E N G L A N D
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
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FEAR OF THE DARK
F EA R O F T H E DA R K
Attack Powers
Underdark peoples use the darkness to their advantage
“This tunnel reminds me of a place my little brother and I when they ambush unsuspecting travelers, snuffing
went exploring in when we were little. Well, little for a half- out their light sources and ripping them to pieces while
ling, anyway. It only took a couple of weeks for the others to they can’t see. These monsters expect surface dwell-
find us. That’s when I found out how bad rat tastes.” ers to be easy pickings, and anyone who can overcome
—Ella, treasure hunter their foes’ advantages can turn the tables.
Adventurers stomp through the caverns of the Under- Blinding Menace The biggest obstacles
dark, spools of rope and lanterns in hand. Their boots assassins face in eliminating their enemies are the
smash patches of phosphorescent fungus, leaving a other foes standing between them and their targets.
trail of black footprints. Suddenly rocks fly out from Blinding menace originated with drow assassins who
the darkness and smash the lanterns, leaving the use this hex and similar powers to make surgical
party bewildered and lost as grimlocks emerge from strikes against enemy leaders and thus cause confu-
the tunnels to surround it. sion among their foes.
A mistake often made by neophytes in the Under-
dark is to treat it as just another dungeon. In fact, it is Blinding Menace Assassin Attack 7
a world in its own right, with its own rules. It’s as wide
Cloaking yourself in nightmare, you hide from any creature that
open as the wilderness above but far less forgiving to might interfere with your attack against your foe.
unprepared explorers. Drow city-states and enclaves
Encounter ✦ Illusion, Implement, Psychic, Shadow
command grand caverns, kuo-toas perform obscene Standard Action Ranged 5
rituals in stinking underground seas, and savage Target: One creature
grimlock tribes prowl the tunnels, killing and eating Attack: Dexterity vs. Will
anything they can catch. The civilizations that gained a Hit: 2d10 + Dexterity modifier psychic damage.
foothold in the depths had to adapt to the dark tunnels Effect: Until the end of your next turn or until you attack,
and twisting geography. Only then could they flourish. you are invisible to all enemies other than the target,
including those that have blindsight or tremorsense.
No topsider can hope to survive without training
in the same techniques those deep dwellers devel-
oped to battle their primary enemy: the dark. The Dispel the Darkness Legends about drow,
illumination cast by a wizard’s light cantrip only goes derro, and other Underdark peoples suggest they
so far. A sunrod lasts only so long. When the last cannot abide the light, so accustomed are they to the
light gutters out, nothing is left to show the way or dark. Dispel the darkness gives truth to the legend by
break the oppressive, endless blackness. Beyond the dazzling enemies with wholesome light. By stripping
light’s edge, all sorts of horrors lurk, waiting for that enemies of their ability to see in the dark, you take
moment when darkness falls and fear grips the heart. away one of their strongest advantages.
Veteran adventurers who have survived expedi-
tions into the Underdark did so by adopting the Dispel the Darkness Paladin Attack 9
tactics and survival techniques used by its denizens. Brilliant light flows through your weapon and fills your sur-
roundings with purifying radiance.
Return trips to the surface are difficult and time-con-
suming, so such explorers must learn to negate their Daily ✦ Aura, Divine, Radiant, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
enemies’ advantage.
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Classes and Themes Hit: 3[W] + Charisma modifier radiant damage.
Miss: Half damage.
No particular class is required to deal with the dark-
Effect: You activate an aura 3 that lasts until the end of
ness, although those that are best equipped to get the encounter. The aura is brightly lit. Any creature that
around in difficult circumstances have advantages. starts its turn in the aura cannot benefit from any con-
Rangers and rogues can use nonvisual methods of cealment until the start of its next turn.
finding their way, but anyone who can create light
magically can overcome the dark in the most basic Blinding Assault The blind grimlocks navi-
way. Assassins and paladins, by their nature, interact gate the Underdark’s tunnels with other senses. Keen
with darkness in radically different ways. hearing, sense of smell, and instinct help them make
Deep delvers must often make their way through their way. When they attack, therefore, they do so
the blackness, so this theme is a natural fit. Escaped under cover of darkness, hoping to prey on disori-
thralls, who have dwelt long in haunted depths, might ented enemies. Blinding assault takes its cue from the
have uncanny senses or psionic abilities to help in grimlocks, taking down the enemy while it struggles
this hostile environment. Underdark outcasts, forced to find you.
to survive along in the unforgiving dark, are also well
suited to this suite of powers.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
53
Blinding Assault Ranger Attack 5 Skill Powers
Delivering a wicked strike, you momentarily rob your opponent
When the lights go out, you need specialized ways
of sight and then take advantage of its fumbling.
to find your way around. Training in the Perception
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
skill lets you learn some of these techniques as well as
Standard Action Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
improve your nonvisual senses. You also should have
Attack: Strength (melee) or Dexterity (ranged) vs. AC training in Dungeoneering to forage in the Under-
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 1[W] dark, as well as to use some skill powers that negate
+ Dexterity modifier damage (ranged), and the target the disadvantages of darkness.
is blinded and cannot shift (save ends both). Until this Stealth is a useful choice for scouting if you have
effect ends, you can shift 1 square as a free action when- darkvision, enabling you to avoid detection even by
ever the target misses with an attack.
enemies that are likewise unimpeded by the dark.
Miss: Half damage, and the target takes a –2 penalty to
attack rolls (save ends).
Stay Back When you use stay back, you magnify
Killing Shadow No race fights in the Under- a light source until it becomes uncomfortable to ene-
dark quite like the drow. Raiders spring up from mies accustomed to darkness. The stronger the light
hidden positions, attack, and then duck away. Emu- source, the greater the power’s effect becomes.
lating these tactics, killing shadow helps you make the
most of your superior positioning and reach a new Stay Back Dungeoneering Utility 2
spot before your enemy can react. You sweep your torch or lantern around you to dazzle enemies
accustomed to total darkness.
Killing Shadow Rogue Attack 13 Encounter
Minor Action Personal
Springing out from hiding, you deliver a swift attack and move
Requirement: You must be carrying a light source.
away before your enemy can figure out what just happened.
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, enemies in the
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon squares illuminated by the light source you are carrying
Standard Action Melee or Ranged weapon take a –2 penalty to attack rolls.
Requirement: You must be wielding a crossbow, a light
blade, or a sling.
Target: One creature from which you are hidden
Foil Ambush Surface races rarely make much
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
headway into the Underdark since the denizens know
Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage. how to exploit their environment to get the drop on
Effect: The attack doesn’t cause you to stop being hidden, intruders. You have studied their tactics.
and you can move up to your speed as a free action.
Foil Ambush Perception Utility 6
Something out of place alerts you to imminent danger, letting
you foil an enemy’s ambush.
Daily
IMPROVISING A LIGHT No Action Personal
Trigger: You are surprised while conscious.
Absent a light source, the Underdark seems pitch Effect: You are not surprised, and you are aware of the
black. Veteran delvers, however, know light is not location of any enemy within 10 squares of you that is
impossible to find. Luminescent fungi, crystals, hidden. You then shift up to half your speed as a free
slimes, and other materials can be used as light action.
sources if you can find them.
At the DM’s discretion, characters trained in Immersed in Darkness Shadows offer
Dungeoneering can search for appropriate materi- little concealment from those able to see in dark-
als underground during a short or an extended rest, ness. No matter how well you think you have hidden,
making a Dungeoneering check against a hard DC such creatures can find you at a glance. This power
of the character’s level. On a success, the character is an advanced hiding technique that lets you almost
creates a light source that sheds dim light out to merge with shadows to elude even the sharpest eye.
10 squares and lasts for two hours. On a failure,
the character finds no usable materials and cannot Immersed in Darkness Stealth Utility 10
attempt again within the same general area until You know how to use shadows to stay concealed even from crea-
after his or her next extended rest. tures that can see in the dark.
Encounter
Minor Action Personal
Requirement: You must be in dim light or darkness.
Effect: You become invisible until the start of your next
turn, until you attack, or until you enter bright light.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
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SECRETS OF THE
S EC R ET S O F T H E D E E P G U I D E S
The Schism
DEEP GUIDES
As the years passed, Marholt and Jasyn eventually
withdrew from active leadership of the Guides to live
in comfort in their home cities. Old age finally took
“This is a bottomless pit, my friends: two miles straight
Jasyn, who succumbed to illness and died in bed.
down. Hang on tight, and stick close to me.”
Marholt, with some years left thanks to his dwarven
—Karl, deep delver
vitality, grieved for his friend but was determined not
to leave the world in the same way. He had one more
The foremost explorers of the Underdark’s countless
journey to make. The founding Deep Guide gathered
caverns, the loose organization called the Deep Guides
his pickaxe, ropes, and torches, and descended alone
is made up of peerless delvers. These talented sur-
into the resting place of the ruby of Sereth Van. He
vivalists, scouts, cartographers, and navigators range
never returned.
throughout the depths, ensuring open lanes of travel.
Both Jasyn and Marholt had many sons and
Motivated by both a desire for exploration and the
daughters, whose petty squabbles over inheritance
patronage of wealthy merchants, these trailblazers of
jeopardized the fate of the Deep Guides. Political
the Underdark bring civilization into the Night Below.
allegiances, racial bias, and unabashed greed broke
the organization into several independent factions,
History sometimes hostile to one another, and each with its
The Deep Guides began with an unlikely friendship own motives and methods.
that developed over forty years ago. Two rival adven-
turers, the human Jasyn of Therund and the dwarf The Deep Guides Today
Marholt Arlestone, found themselves trapped in the
Little consensus exists today among the bickering
Underdark in the aftermath of an expedition gone
factions of Deep Guides. Each claims to be pursuing
bad. For years the two had competed to find the leg-
the original intention of the organization: exploring
endary ruby of Sereth Van, and both arrived at the
and mapping the Underdark. However, their motives
gem’s location serendipitously. The treasure hunters,
vary wildly. No company of Deep Guides is evil, but
however, didn’t plan for a nest of purple worms sur-
the groups’ mutual resentment prevents them from
rounding the ruby, and they were driven back into
cooperating as the organization did in early days.
the tunnels. Each blamed the other for their mutual
The bitterness between Jasyn’s and Marholt’s chil-
failure, and they lost the path during their bicker-
dren doesn’t usually affect individual guides, who
ing. Just as they realized their predicament, a violent
spend most of their time in the Underdark on mis-
quake trapped them in a hitherto unknown region of
sions. Confrontations between rival companies have
the Underdark.
become tense and even violent on occasion, however.
Forced to rely on each other for survival, Marholt
Each company of Deep Guides operates inde-
and Jasyn set aside their differences and, after a four-
pendently, making alliances with caravan masters,
month trek, found refuge. They emerged in a huge
lords, and travelers at its own discretion. Each has
lava tube that held a river teeming with subterranean
a different leadership style and its own priorities,
life. When they finally reached the surface, Jasyn
though most members are still explorers at heart.
realized that the two were in the immense Dawn-
Some companies are run like mercantile enterprises,
forge mountain range, an imposing barrier to trade
while others are relaxed with a rugged feel, like the
for the many realms nearby. The two, now fast friends
camaraderie of a hunting lodge. Each has a similar
and keen for any opportunity to amass wealth, came
organization. Typically, the company’s leaders nego-
up with the same idea: They could use the under-
tiate contracts, providing equipment and recruiting
ground river to bypass the Dawnforges, opening up
laborers as needed to its members. A typical task can
new trade routes and earning a fortune. The Deep
range from clearing out a nest of monsters to map-
Guides organization was born.
ping a newly opened tunnel; after its completion, the
Jasyn and Marholt approached local lords and
guide receives payment.
merchants, and they obtained supplies and resources
The explorers of the Deep Guides are an adven-
to map the river way beneath the mountains. Mar-
turous lot concerned mostly with discovery and
holt gained support from nearby dwarf chiefs as well,
excitement. They leave the politics to those who stay
and the Deep Guides soon grew to boast dozens of
behind at headquarters or on the surface. Individual
members throughout the surrounding regions. Trade,
guides are allowed to operate independently, as long
community, and travel between nations swelled,
as they give the company’s leaders a portion of earn-
making the Deep Guides’ founders rich enough to
ings under the Deep Guides name.
become lords themselves.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
55
Joining the Deep Guides Attack Powers
As a member of the Deep Guides, you are among the Conventional battle tactics and abilities don’t always
world’s premier underground explorers. Before you work in the Underdark. Cramped fighting conditions,
decide to join up, though, be aware that you’ll be sent limited line of sight, and monsters adapted to that
deep into uncharted territory where you are prey for environment can deny victory even to experienced
any number of Underdark monsters. adventurers. Members of the Deep Guides bring
If you’re daring enough to make the commitment, their knowledge of subterranean survival to combat
you can expect journeys that make surface explor- as well as exploration. They can turn the tables on
ers weak in the knees. You have the support of other dungeon-dwelling foes, using the Underdark’s terrain
guides, who can provide you with refuge, equipment, as a weapon or denying subterranean creatures their
and sometimes information to aid you in your delves. natural advantages, to give cave-dwelling beasties a
The Deep Guides don’t accept just anyone, though— nasty surprise.
you need to prove that you have what it takes to
survive in the depths. Writhing Earth A constant challenge to bat-
tling underground is contending with the rugged
Classes and Themes terrain that is ubiquitous in caverns. Deep Guides
who speak the primal language of earth and rock can
Your choice of class goes a long way in determining
sweep this terrain aside using writhing earth, sending
your role as one of the Deep Guides. The majority of
a blast of rubble into their foes while clearing a path
members are rangers, since that class enjoys a useful
for themselves.
variety of skills and has the combat prowess needed
to survive underground. Rangers excel at exploration,
Writhing Earth Druid Attack 9
being self-reliant in areas without established roads
The earth groans all around, constantly creating and dissolving
or reliable sustenance. Rogues are also common,
debris to block your enemies and smooth paths for your allies.
since they are experts at negotiating treacherous ter-
Daily ✦ Implement, Primal, Zone
rain and hazards. They are often assigned to disable
Standard Action Close blast 5
traps in the path of caravans, or to set some of their Target: Each creature in the blast
own to clear out skulking monsters. Attack: Wisdom vs. Reflex
More combat-oriented classes, such as wardens, Hit: 2d6 + Wisdom modifier damage, and the target falls
are always welcome in any company of Deep Guides. prone.
Their strength and toughness are invaluable when Miss: Half damage.
clearing a lair of monsters or guarding vulnerable Effect: The blast creates a zone of difficult terrain for your
enemies. The zone lasts until the end of the encounter.
caravans and travelers.
Druids, despite their aboveground inclinations,
bring much to the Deep Guides. The druids’ wild Rattle the Senses The most dangerous ene-
shape power lets them move through caverns in the mies of the Underdark are able to detect you without
form of native beasts, and those who have training in light, and in some cases even without eyes! Through
both Perception and Dungeoneering are as valuable preternatural hearing, echolocation, or even detect-
below ground as they are on the surface. ing vibrations in the ground, these enemies can feel
The deep delver theme is a natural choice for your you coming, but rattle the senses denies them this natu-
Deep Guides character. It gives you an edge when ral advantage.
exploring subterranean environments that could
mean the difference between life and death. The Rattle the Senses Ranger Attack 5
Underdark envoy is a good fit as well. A precise strike makes your enemy reel in disorientation, rob-
bing it of its ability to use its specialized senses.
Even without those themes, training in Athletics
is helpful for the rigorous physical demands needed Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee or Ranged weapon
to move through the wild places of the Underdark.
Target: One creature
Since many of the Deep Guides’ expeditions bring Attack: Strength (melee) or Dexterity (ranged) vs. AC
you into contact with cultures of the Underdark, don’t Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or Dexterity
forget Diplomacy. modifier damage (ranged), and the target is dazed (save
ends).
Miss: Half damage.
Effect: The target loses blindsight and tremorsense until
the end of your next turn.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
56
Tight Squeeze Cave Sight
S EC R ET S O F T H E D E E P G U I D E S
The narrow spaces in many Inspired by the echoing chirps
caves can be the downfall of some heroes. Even of cave-dwelling creatures, spell users of the Deep
skilled warriors, trapped in a corner with no room to Guides have developed methods of their own for
maneuver or swing a weapon, are easy prey for the mapping out caverns. Using cave sight, you can get a
mandibles of an umber hulk. Tight squeeze lets you clear vision of the dungeon’s geography, as well as
outmaneuver your enemies, ensuring that they’re the sense hidden passages or threats that wait beyond.
ones trapped in cramped areas, instead of you.
Cave Sight Arcana Utility 2
Tight Squeeze Rogue Attack 7 You close your eyes, projecting arcane awareness to give you a
With a daring movement, you strike your foe and trick it into a mental picture of the cavern ahead.
narrow space. Daily
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon Minor Action Close burst 20
Standard Action Melee weapon Effect: You learn the general layout of terrain features in the
Target: One creature burst. You cannot sense through solid objects, such as cave
Attack: Dexterity vs. Reflex walls, but you do sense around corners and into narrow
Special: If you’re squeezing when you use this power, you gaps. Additionally, you can make a Perception check to
don’t take the penalty to the attack roll from squeezing. detect hidden creatures, objects, and traps as though you
Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, and you swap were within 10 squares of them.
places with the target if possible, forcing it to squeeze if
necessary. You then shift up to half your speed. Dungeoneer’s Guidance The best
Underdark guides always keep an eye on their com-
Expulsion Creatures that burrow or cling to panions, intervening before missteps or accidents
walls can be tricky to deal with. Deep Guides of the send the party tumbling into a bottomless pit or into
warden class use expulsion to keep such enemies on the jaws of a waiting monster.
the dungeon floor.
Dungeoneer’s Guidance Dungeoneering Utility 6
Expulsion Warden Attack 7 Your survival skills step in to support an ally.
You strike the ground and send a rolling tremor through the Encounter
earth. Immediate Interrupt Personal
Daily ✦ Primal, Thunder, Weapon Trigger: An ally you can see and who can hear you makes
Standard Action Close blast 3 an Acrobatics, Athletics, Dungeoneering, Nature, or
Special: You ignore blocking terrain when determining line Perception check and dislikes the result.
of effect for this attack. Effect: Make a Dungeoneering check. The triggering ally
Target: Each creature in the blast can use the result of your check in place of his or her
Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude own result.
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier thunder damage, and the
target is slowed until the end of your next turn. The Elude Senses For most, no amount of sneak-
target emerges to the nearest unoccupied space if it is
ing can foil the keen senses of beasts native to
burrowing or falls if it is climbing, and it cannot burrow
or climb until the end of your next turn.
subterranean environments. The Deep Guides, how-
ever, developed elude senses to ensure that creatures
relying on senses other than normal sight cannot
Skill Powers detect them.
Training in the Dungeoneering skill should be a
priority for your character since you’ll be spending Elude Senses Stealth Utility 2
much of your time underground. Stealth and Percep- You slip past the notice of creatures that have adapted to life
tion are also useful choices for guides who scout into underground.
unknown places. Encounter
As well, a little bit of magical talent (represented Minor Action Personal
by the Arcana skill) can give you the edge when ordi- Effect: Until the end of your next turn, creatures can’t use
nary senses fail. darkvision, blindsight, or tremorsense to detect you. You
can be detected with other senses as normal.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
57
SHADOW OF THE acutely sensitive to psychic phenomena, they hear the
Far Realm’s call more clearly than others.
ZIGGURAT Making Contact
“I must confess these caverns fill me with dread. They feel
Every adventurer in the Underdark eventually comes
different from the corridors before . . . familiar in a way I
across the aberrant horrors lurking in its darkest cor-
can’t understand.”
ners. Such an encounter changes a person—even one
—Mord, escaped thrall
with the iron will of a hero. Those most committed to
defeating the corruption of the Far Realm, though, usu-
Something disturbs the oily surface of the Dark Lake.
ally feel it long before they descend below the surface.
Ripples spread slowly, washing against the eight
For you this influence might be subtle, something
sides of the enigmatic structure that rises sheer from
lurking in the back of your mind that made you odd
the fathomless depths, its black stones brooding in
or unapproachable during your youth. Did you suffer
oppressive silence. The surface of the lake breaks,
from nightmares or visions as a child? If so, how have
revealing for a moment a shape not meant for mortal
they guided your life? Maybe you dreamed of writh-
eyes before it slips again beneath the stygian waters.
ing shapes in the dark and are drawn downward out
of a desire to understand what you saw. You delve into
Growing Madness dungeons not by choice, but by some impulse that you
The Dark Lake Ziggurat (Underdark, page 42) is don’t quite understand. Do you fear what lies below,
a place of terrible import. An artifact created by or push on into the depths hoping to discover what
entities from the Far Realm, it exudes an alien awaits you?
unwholesomeness. Heroes of the sane world point to Your experience with aberrants could be much
the dreadful structure when rallying forces against more terrifying and personal. These creatures are
the aberrations of the depths. notorious for enslaving mortals, dominating the mind
Yet the ziggurat is but one of many such places in and crushing the soul. Were you once a slave who
the Underdark that spread evil to the world above. managed to escape? You might be following an echo
In recent years the traffic to these insane locales has of your old master’s voice in your mind.
increased, pointing to the growing influence of the
Far Realm. Individuals affected by this horrid pres-
ence are being drawn to the dungeons and caverns
of the Underdark. The weak-willed never return; the
strong triumph over madness. TOUCHED BY MADNESS
Anyone who has experienced the insidious horror
Insane Masters of aberrant monsters isn’t likely to be completely
normal. The Far Realm’s influence seeps unnoticed
Aberrant creatures are the true lords of the Under-
into the surface world, and those touched by it might
dark, more so then even the drow. The dark elves
not even realize their corruption. If your character
possess a culture and history that the surface races can
suffered this experience, you can express it through
comprehend, but aberrations are inscrutable. They
roleplaying. You might portray your character as
seem intent on dominating all life, though scholars can
driven by ominous thoughts he or she doesn’t under-
only speculate on their true nature and motives.
stand. Such barely controlled madness offers a way
Aboleths, beholders, and mind flayers are the best
to inject a bit of Far Realm weirdness into the game.
known of these monsters, but the weird darkness
Take care not to dominate the group, though—others
holds numerous others. Their presence portends dire
want to express their characters too.
things to come as the Far Realm slowly uncoils its
tentacles across the world. More and more incidents
on the surface are being instigated by intellects from
below—sometimes subtle, sometimes catastrophic.
Few individuals realize the truth behind these Staying Sane
malignant events. Only those who have encountered
You risk more than your life when you confront
the Far Realm’s corruption and survived its mad-
aberrations. Prolonged exposure to their sickening
dening influence understand the threat. They are
mental contact can harm your mind as much as their
compelled to explore and overcome the terrible dark,
tentacles rend your flesh. This damage might not be
even when their instincts scream at them not to.
immediate; it burrows into your psyche to manifest
Whether they experience very strong emotions or are
days or weeks later. Confusion, déjà vu, nocturnal ter-
rors, and hallucinations are all symptoms of having
one’s mind touched by these monsters. Those who
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
58
S H A D OW O F T H E Z I G G U R AT
The Dark Lake Ziggurat is home to a host of unimaginable aberrant monstrosities
have been mentally dominated experience these to seek out and engage aberrant foes, being highly
symptoms worse than others, but simply being the sensitive to psychic energy since the shattering of the
target of a psychic attack can be enough to disturb Living Gate. Such characters are naturally drawn
your mental balance. How do you succeed in holding to dungeons stained by the Far Realm’s influence.
onto your sanity? Although their psionic powers can be potent weapons,
Fighting aberrations has affected the way you they are also easily corrupted by aberrant foes. In the
look at the world. Have you become numbed to their quest to learn more about mental horrors, many a bat-
hideous physical forms, or does each glimpse of an tlemind or psion has opened one door too many, only
aberrant creature make your skin crawl? Perhaps you to find a monster of nightmare waiting for them.
developed an aversion to natural things, such as insects Arcane dungeoneering characters are often drawn
or worms, that remind you of them. Peering into the to the lairs of Far Realm monsters, usually out of a
maw of the Far Realm might eat away at your moral or desire for knowledge and power. Some pursue aber-
religious sense, making you nihilistic or withdrawn. rations to discover ancient lore connected to their
The greatest weapon of the Far Realm is its assault origins, or to acquire forbidden secrets that no sane
on intellect; the more you know about it, the more sus- master would teach; warlocks in particular might be
ceptible you are to its horrors. Characters who deal with brazen enough to try to control them.
aberrations at sword point don’t concern themselves Since many aberrations rely on psychic manipula-
with understanding their foes. Scholarly characters who tion, themes that enhance Will are best suited to this
probe into reality-bending paradoxes open themselves area of lore. The escaped thrall theme is ideal for such
up to the Far Realm’s madness, obsessed with things no a background; alternatively, a bloodsworn character
mortal mind is capable of understanding. might be seeking vengeance against an aberrant mas-
termind that attacked his or her family or community.
Classes and Themes
Not all classes are equally suited to wandering the Attack Powers
depths, and fewer still to combating aberrations. Those Adventurers who face aberrant creatures too often
A DA M PAQ U E T T E
who use the psionic power source are the most likely end up devoured, enslaved, or driven mad. Those
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who survive such encounters have developed effec-
tive methods to defeat them. Such techniques exploit
aberrant creatures’ psychic abilities or use special-
ized magic to burn away their otherworldly flesh.
For some, the evil of the Far Realm is never far away
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Command Insanity Though many aber- Insane Logic Though creatures from the Far
S H A D OW O F T H E Z I G G U R AT
rant creatures can enslave the minds of mortals, they Realm obey laws from a different reality, they can
themselves are subservient to the insane laws of the still be made vulnerable to worldly forces if their
Far Realm. With command insanity you control its oth- true nature is understood. Insane logic gives you that
erworldly nature. momentary flash of madness needed to face aberrant
creatures on equal terms.
Command Insanity Warlock Attack 9
Your eyes reflect the madness of the Far Realm, crushing your Insane Logic Dungeoneering Utility 10
enemy’s will with the overwhelming weight of insanity. You abandon conventions of the world’s natural laws to break
Daily ✦ Arcane, Charm, Implement through an aberrant creature’s defenses.
Standard Action Ranged 5 Encounter
Target: One creature Minor Action Personal
Attack: Constitution or Charisma vs. Will Effect: Choose one aberrant creature that you can see
Hit: The target is dominated (save ends). If the target is within 5 squares of you. Make a Dungeoneering check to
aberrant, it takes a –2 penalty to saving throws against determine that creature’s resistances and vulnerabilities.
this effect. On a success, your attacks ignore the creature’s resistances
Aftereffect: The target is dazed (save ends). until the end of the encounter.
Miss: The target is dazed (save ends).
Conceal Psyche Those who have survived
Skill Powers encounters with aberrant beings have instinctively
Only a fool dares face aberrants without training in learned to shield their thoughts. Conceal psyche
Dungeoneering—especially since most such horrors protects you from psychic attacks by burying your
make their lairs in the Underdark. Not only does this intellect in the deepest corners of your mind.
skill help you navigate and survive the depths, it can
also give you vital insight into your foe. Knowing the Conceal Psyche Insight Utility 6
unique strengths, vulnerabilities, and behavior of You hide the core of your identity deep in your subconscious.
these alien beings can mean the difference between Encounter
striking a victorious blow and having your brain Minor Action Personal
sucked from your skull. Effect: You gain a +4 power bonus to Will and a +4 power
bonus to saving throws against charm and psychic effects
Sometimes an aberrant’s tricks are more subtle,
until the end of your next turn.
involving illusions. Training in Insight and Arcana are Special: If you are dominated and a save can end the
handy for distinguishing between reality and delusion. domination effect, you can expend this power at the start
of your turn to make a saving throw to end that effect.
Peer Through the Void Some adventur-
ers, especially those whose minds have been touched
by aberrant creatures, view the world through dif-
ferent eyes. By using peer through the void you shut off
the sane part of your mind, welcoming the chaos of FIGHTING THE ABERRANTS
senses to better combat aberrant terrors. You’ll need every advantage to overcome the aber-
rant monsters of the Underdark. Here are some
Peer Through the Void Arcana Utility 6 tricks the best delvers have picked up over the years.
You part the veil between worlds, seeing creatures from the Far ✦ Items, feats, or class features that grant psychic
Realm as they really are. resistance can greatly improve your odds of
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Stance survival.
Minor Action Personal ✦ Use attacks that target defenses other than Will,
Effect: You assume the peer through the void stance. Until
since many aberrations are controllers with strong
the stance ends, you gain blindsight 3, and aberrant
creatures grant combat advantage to you. You take a –2
mental resilience.
penalty to attack rolls against creatures outside the range ✦ Few aberrant creatures are minions, so powers
of your blindsight. that deal high damage to a single foe are more
useful than close and area effects.
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SEEKERS OF LOST LORE benign, but some have selfish and devious purposes.
Seekers of lost lore meticulously research the loca-
“Have you heard of the Library of Darkness and Light? tions and history of mighty items in libraries, temples,
Over a hundred volumes on the magic of good and evil, and other storehouses of scholarship. They spend a
compiled from thirteen ancient civilizations and written in lot of time learning how to deal with the threats they
four living languages and two dead ones—and that’s before might face. Only after assembling enough informa-
we crack open the vault!” tion do they set out to claim their treasure.
—Ella, treasure hunter If the supposed location of a piece of lost lore is
not a secret known only to the heroes, then more
The forces of good and evil rise and fall like the tides searchers might enter the fray as time moves on.
of the ocean. Both sides amass strength only to lose Multiple groups of creatures often race to recover the
it again, leaving a wealth of lost knowledge for future same artifact, hurrying through an ancient dungeon
generations to discover. As time moves on, the world complex to get there first. Even in a situation when
becomes cluttered with great tomes, talismans, relics, the characters have no competition in the form of
artifacts, and other products of these times long past. monsters and other enemies, every seeker of lost lore
Many explorers and adventurers, whatever their knows well that the treasure is being protected by
professed motivations, have some amount of greed the dungeon itself, likely through the use of hazards
in their hearts. They might think most often in terms and traps. For all these reasons, those who quest after
of how much a recovered treasure would bring if it bygone knowledge need to be as capable and deter-
were sold, or turned in for a reward. For others, the mined as they can possibly be.
potential monetary return means nothing in com-
parison to what can be gained from possession of the Classes and Themes
treasure. The temptation of lost lore is strong, and Any sort of character can be drawn to the promise of
many search the corners of the world to dig it from its more power through knowledge, but those who spe-
resting place. Amateur scholars from all walks of life cialize in ancient lore more often pursue lost relics
assemble teams to quench their thirst for knowledge. that embody long-buried truths.
Their reasons for taking up such a career are usually
JE SPER EJSING
Will this explorer succeed in grabbing the prize of lost lore, or suffer the same fate as those who came before him?
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S E E K E R S O F LO S T LO R E
Perhaps understandably, the characters who Rune of Divine Providence Runepriest Attack 9
gravitate toward being seekers of lost lore are pre- You strike your enemy and call upon your god to wrap you and
dominantly users of the divine or the primal power your allies in divine supremacy.
source. Many deities (and their counterparts in the Daily ✦ Aura, Divine, Weapon
spirit world) have a special appreciation for knowl- Standard Action Melee weapon
edge and lore, and they engender that appreciation in Target: One creature
their worshipers. A religious character might follow Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage.
this path to suss out a legendary weapon or artifact
Effect: You activate an aura 1 that lasts until the end of your
dating back to the Dawn War, or search out an irre- next turn. While in the aura, your allies gain a +2 power
deemably evil object to destroy it. bonus to all defenses.
Characters with the treasure hunter theme often Sustain Minor: The aura persists until the end of your next
also consider themselves seekers of lost lore, since turn.
those characters already specialize in seeking out
great artifacts (most of which also happen to be worth Short Shot Onslaught Fighting in close
a lot of gold). quarters can be a daunting and difficult proposition.
Some delvers have developed superior tactics to over-
Attack Powers come this challenge through training and persistence.
Adventurers who have taken on the life of a seeker of
Short Shot Onslaught Seeker Attack 13
lost lore must be clever and able to adapt to any situ-
Your time spent underground has forced you to adapt to skir-
ation, because they are liable to be competing against
mishing in close quarters.
many others—not just rival adventurers, but great
Encounter ✦ Primal, Weapon
entities that would do anything to acquire the object
Standard Action Close burst 3
of their search. Target: One, two, or three creatures in the burst
Attack: Wisdom vs. AC
Admonition of Oghma Seekers of lost Hit: 1[W] + Wisdom modifier damage.
lore can be consumed by their work. They spend Effect: After all of this power’s attacks are resolved, you can
most of their waking hours entranced in the study of use a free action to shift up to 2 squares for each attack
the items they seek, possibly due to a residual prop- that hit. You ignore difficult terrain during this movement.
erty of the magic that binds the items to ensure they
are never forgotten. The god of knowledge opens a Ancient Progenitor Spirit The spirit
conduit to such seekers, compelling them to go out world frightens the ignorant. It is associated with
and retrieve the items rather than remain forever death and the great passing. Shamans understand
studying, with timely warnings to protect them that life extends beyond the mortal shell and that
during their travels. great ancestors wait to welcome us home once more.
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Skill Powers T HIEVES’ GUILD OF
M AELBRATHYR
If you seek that which is lost, make sure you know
what you’re doing. Training in Dungeoneering is
essential for navigating the many perils of ancient
“Maelbrathyr? I’ve heard of the place. Nice work, if you can
ruins, temple complexes, and Underdark lairs. And
survive it.”
Acrobatics helps you negotiate narrow ledges
—Khiira, Underdark envoy
and avoid the inevitable pitfalls.
When Torog dragged the city of Maelbrathyr down
Timely Dodge Your peripheral awareness
into the Underdark (see the sidebar), no one expected
has been honed by years of exploring underground.
it to survive, let alone turn into a breeding ground for
Sometimes you can avoid an attack without being
ruffians and miscreants. Few who live there question
conscious of it, realizing the danger only after you
the methods that keep the city running.
have escaped.
Resettling the city and giving it life once more
required a large undertaking and an immense
Timely Dodge Acrobatics Utility 6
amount of money. Maelbrathyr’s unique new struc-
Something out of the corner of your eye causes you to step out of
ture also inspired a group of entrepreneurs to call the
the way of danger.
shattered city their home. In the shadow of Torog’s
Encounter
revenge, influential individuals established crime
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Trigger: An enemy targets you with an attack.
guilds, which are now flourishing with the covert
Effect: You shift up to half your speed. The triggering assistance of the city’s de facto ruler.
enemy can choose a new target for the attack if you are
now out of range. Hidden Organization
The thieves’ guild of Maelbrathyr has a rigid cell-
Ripples in the Air It is said that the world
based structure, difficult to fully comprehend and
is a living being, caught between the gods and pri-
nearly impossible to track. If the organization has a
mordials during the Dawn War. Each ebb and flow
head, his or her identity remains a secret to all. Even
from creation rippled throughout the world and finite
the most senior captains are unsure where their
vibrations echo with it. You have spent so much time
orders come from. Most outsiders give up on trying to
beneath the surface that you can see the vibrations in
solve the enigma of the guild. Those who persist soon
your mind—giving you clarity and sight where light
disappear and are never heard from again.
might not exist.
The guild has eyes and ears everywhere. Potential
members do not seek it out but are recruited from the
Ripples in the Air Dungeoneering Utility 10
streets. Waylaid and knocked out, they awaken in a
You can navigate even in complete darkness.
secret location to undergo a horrific initiation. Those
Daily who survive this ordeal start out serving as footpads.
Minor Action Personal
As they accomplish more missions and goals, they
Effect: You gain tremorsense 5 until the end of your next
turn.
move up in rank and are given greater responsibility.
Sustain Minor: The tremorsense persists until the end of
your next turn. Aleeria’s Influence
Aleeria Salitzar is one of the broken city’s three mad
rulers, and the only one who wields any real author-
ity at the moment (see the sidebar). Changeable and
cruel, she inspires terror in her enemies—and only
slightly less fear in others. Even so, Aleeria knows that
her grip on the city is only as strong as her alliances.
Aleeria knows that to maintain any semblance
of power, she needs to manage those who control
the city’s wealth. To that end, she has been working
closely with the thieves’ guild in her city. It took some
time, but she ingratiated herself with an insider in
the organization. Through this secret contact, she
attempts to direct the guild’s activities—although
its decentralized structure and her own fits of rage
WAY N E E N G L A N D
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T H I EV E S ’ G U I L D O F M A E L B R AT H Y R
THE FALL OF MAELBRATHYR
Maelbrathyr was pulled down into the Underdark
centuries ago by Torog, the King that Crawls. The
god of torment took revenge on the proud city when
its champions dared to enter his torture dens and
rescue a prisoner known as the Ruby Wizard.
The surviving heroes returned triumphant to
the surface—only to be greeted by disaster. Torog
dragged Maelbrathyr into the depths, shattering the
city as it fell. Much was lost forever, but the parts
that survived came to rest in four pieces. Most of the
buildings remained intact, and much of the popula-
tion survived.
They were the unlucky ones. The maimed god
first reclaimed his prisoner, then spent years slowly
and painfully killing everyone who still lived in
Maelbrathyr. The three heroes were transformed
into ageless forms condemned to eternal torture.
Maddened by pain and unable to escape, they have
become its insane lords.
Aleeria Salitzar is frozen with unending ice from
the waist down, while her upper body is consumed
with eternal flame. Her mood swings between dark
brooding to furious rage. She is the ostensible ruler
of Maelbrathyr, since the others are too distracted
The darkness of Maelbrathyr is excellent cover
by their torments. Hannault Thrayban is possessed
for criminal activity
by the souls of two fellow adventurers whom he
murdered, and the trapped personalities constantly
Classes and Themes struggle to gain ascendancy. Ordu Dekaan, flayed in
As befits a criminal organization, rogues are the most a rolling cage of blades, is too indecisive to stick with
common class in this thieves’ guild. However, Mael- any course of action for long.
brathyr’s unique situation means that other sorts of
characters with specialized talents are desirable to
the organization.
Warlocks are often connected to dark forces, and
their arcane talents are valuable for certain jobs that Armor of Darkness Maelbrathyr is home
ordinary criminal practitioners just can’t handle. to unique artisans, armorsmiths, and weaponsmiths.
They tend to be morally flexible, a useful quality. In Many of them have trained as artificers to create
addition, the guild places a high value on members special arms and armor. Inevitably, some of these
who have expertise as artificers, because their skill at craftspeople experimented with the shadowy forces
tailoring armor and other equipment is hard to find at play in the forsaken city, imbuing their creations
elsewhere in the city. with a dark energy.
The Underdark envoy theme is extremely useful
to members of the thieves’ guild, since navigating Armor of Darkness Artificer Attack 7
the maze of Maelbrathyr’s politics requires the most Your armor is imbued with a tenebrous and chaotic shadow,
subtle touch. Relationships within the guild are which lashes out in defense, sapping your foes’ life force to bol-
tricky as well, especially considering Aleeria’s influ- ster your own.
ence through her anonymous contact. An Underdark Encounter ✦ Arcane, Cold, Implement, Necrotic
outcast might find a home in the thieves’ guild after Immediate Reaction Melee 1
losing all hope of return to his or her former society. Trigger: An adjacent enemy attacks you.
Target: The triggering enemy
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Attack Powers Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier cold and necrotic damage.
Members of the Maelbrathyr thieves’ guild must call Effect: You and each ally adjacent to you gain 5 temporary
T Y L E R J ACO BS O N
hit points.
upon a wide variety of abilities. Success comes only
from the right combination of secrecy and capability.
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Familiar Footing Acrobatics Utility 10
You are comfortable maneuvering around precarious terrain.
THE BLEAK CARNIVAL Daily
Minor Action Personal
The chaotic environment of Maelbrathyr admirably
Effect: You ignore difficult terrain until the end of the
masks clandestine activity, but things get even more encounter.
out of hand when the Bleak Carnival arrives in town.
During the annual event, visitors from all across Calculated Acumen In warfare, informa-
the Underdark flock to the event along with shady tion can be a deadly weapon. Knowing your enemies’
dealers from the surface. The festival offers a chance weaknesses helps you and your allies overcome them.
to buy and sell just about anything, licit or not. The
thieves’ guild makes valuable contacts, transacts Calculated Acumen Insight Utility 2
in special wares (including slaves, contraband, and
Your understanding of battle gives you information on your
stolen goods), and obtains new assignments during enemy’s tactics.
the carnival. It’s also a good time for clandestine
Encounter
assassinations; the bodies are often not discovered Minor Action Personal
until the tents and stalls have been packed away Effect: Choose one creature within 10 squares of you. You
once more. “Recruitment drives” (that is, kidnapping) learn the vulnerabilities of that creature, and it grants
also coincide with the festivities. combat advantage to you until the end of your next turn.
Skill Powers
Members of the guild share a general pool of skills,
but each has a specialized role. One might be a “face,”
learning how to read and trick people, while another
is an acrobatic cat burglar who climbs walls and
walks tightropes. Maelbrathyr has a unique position
in the Underdark, and its thieves become experts in
dealing with its challenges.
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F R O M T H E VA U LT O F T H E D R OW
A night sky shines underground in the Vault of the Drow
FROM THE VAULT OF who can see into the darkness, the walls of the vault
appear hazy and somewhat insubstantial.
THE DROW The road continues down into a gorge between
steep cliffs. Crushed crystals faintly shimmering with
“The place is said to be as lovely as it is terrible: an entire blue light keep visitors from wandering off the path
realm of drow and dark creatures in service to Lolth. I and falling into the darkness. From there, the road
would wipe such evil from the world if only I were able.” leads into an Underdark countryside that is filled
—Meliera, bloodsworn with fungi of varying sizes, crystalline columns, and
immense spans of lichens and molds.
A gleaming but sinister gem, the Vault of the Drow is
one of the most spectacular and awe-inspiring loca-
tions in the Underdark. Traveling to the great cavern
The Black Tower
is treacherous and extremely dangerous, a journey Roughly a mile from the entrance to the vault, a great
that only experienced adventurers should consider. mound of rock and crystal rises to dominate the
Within its immense breadth, though, lies a place of road. This obsidian tower forces all who approach
great beauty and mystery. to choose between going around it to the right or
Only one known road gives access to the area. left, into dark and unwelcoming reaches, or entering
An approaching traveler is greeted by bizarre sights, through the well-traveled middle way.
accompanied by a chill breeze. Countless mauve, The black tower is the first line of defense for the
violet, and deep blue crystals sparkle like stars in the infamous drow city of Erelhei-Cinlu. Soldiers patrol
ceiling and walls of the vault. These formations are the area, challenging visitors to report to the tower
remnants of unfinished creation, suspended in the and state their business. Officers conduct routine
cavern since the days of the Dawn War. Below these checks of travelers and seize their weapons and
faux constellations, growths of pale fungus shimmer armor during questioning.
with golden, sapphire, and ruby hues. A soft hum Noncitizens are issued cloaks that glow with a
A DA M PAQ U E T T E
buzzes within the vault, the product of native cricket- light visible only to drow nobles and senior military
like insects that inhabit the fungal patches. To those officers, and to bounty hunters who have received
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a special tattoo that confers this sight. However, indi- Underdark envoy is a likely theme for a character
viduals who display a brooch of one of the merchant connected to Erelhei-Cinlu. Perhaps you are a repre-
clans or noble houses need not wear the cloak as sentative of a matron mother, or (much like Khiira)
long as they wear the pin at all times. (Travelers from you fled the city and came to depend on social exper-
outside the city might gain such favor with a house tise to make your way in the Underdark. Deep delver
for accomplishing a requested task.) Any who do not would be an interesting theme for a character who
follow these rules, or try to circumvent them in any has abandoned the Vault of the Drow, whether you
way, are slain. are an escaped slave or a drow who does not want to
accept the life dictated for you.
Erelhei-Cinlu
The gem of the vault is the vast and vibrant city- Attack Powers
stronghold of Erelhei-Cinlu. Crenellated obsidian Each of the unique powers that are a hallmark of
walls 30 feet high surround this centuries-old settle- Erelhei-Cinlu and the vault has its foundation in one
ment, punctuated at irregular intervals by towers tall of the multitudinous facets of drow culture. These
enough to repel the largest of creatures. powers are often the province of soldiers, emissaries,
Erelhei-Cinlu is a metropolitan hub of political and other non-drow in the service of Lolth.
intrigue, rivalries, and secrets. Female drow known
as the matron mothers rule their noble houses Ballad of the Zombie King Over the
through intimidation and magical might. Their god- centuries, many folktales and stories have been
dess, Lolth, rewards their faith with special abilities. passed down in Erelhei-Cinlu. One tells of the
Arcane academies train favored male drow as potent zombie king, a dreadful monster that lies in stasis
spellcasters specializing in necromancy and nether- somewhere near the Vault. The location of his resting
mancy. The vast majority of the males, though, are place is unknown, but stories say that at some secret
considered inferior and relegated to militia duty. time, he will be unleashed upon the city. Behind him
These small military forces are led by a house’s will be an immense sea of the dead—souls claimed in
weaponmasters, elite soldiers who have demonstrated the many wars the city has endured. Recounting this
leadership and courage in defense of the city. tale unnerves all who hear it.
(save ends).
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Stormy Emotions Sorcerers are considered
BATTLE TACTICS OF
B AT T L E TAC T I C S O F CO R TA LCO R
heretical arcane practitioners in Erelhei-Cinlu. If
they are caught casting spells without having been
certified by one of the magical academies, they are
COR TALCOR
thrown in prison for decades, if not slain outright. “I will stand in the crucible of the warmasters and prove
Because they lack formal training, sorcerers must myself.”
harness magic through other means, such as chan- —Korag, Underdark outcast
neling their tempestuous feelings.
The gong echoes as another warrior falls to the
Stormy Emotions Sorcerer Attack 3 cavern floor, blood trickling into the dwarven runes
Weaving raw emotion into your spell, you unleash a brutal at- etched across its surface. Onlookers staring from the
tack against those around you. carved balconies grumble pitilessly. “He’s too slow,
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Cold, Implement, Lightning too weak,” they say. “Let this one ponder his failure
Standard Action Close burst 2 alone in the chamber of shame.” The victor stands at
Target: Each creature in the burst attention as the chirurgeons carry away his defeated
Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex opponent, watching the warmasters on their golden
Hit: 2d10 cold and lightning damage, and you can push
thrones amid the chamber’s great columns. Again
the target 1 square and knock it prone.
the gong sounds, but this time an umber hulk is
unchained and prodded from its cell. It immediately
Skill Powers closes on the lone dwarf champion, but only when the
Denizens of Erelhei-Cinlu have to be resourceful to warmasters signal their readiness to the dwarf does
deal with the unique and interesting situations that are he raise his weapon to face his foe.
part of their existence. Each house has its own specialty. The legendary dwarven citadel Cor Talcor—the
In an environment where a mere slip of the tongue Fortress of Grudges—is a place like no other, above or
can mean horrible death, learning to read nuances is below the surface. It is far deeper than other dwarven
essential to survival. Training in Insight, Arcana, or settlements, so much so that it challenges the drow
Perception represents the ability to use those cues to and mind flayer kingdoms of the depths. Here ruthless
your advantage. warmasters mold warriors into champions, passing
down generations of specialized combat tactics. Only
Demonic Bargain Many drow treat with the strong are accepted as candidates, and only the
demons, harnessing the power of those destructive mightiest among them survive the training. Those who
creatures to further their twisted plans. Working with emerge are among the most feared combatants of the
the beasts of the Abyss is never without risk, however. Underdark: cold, calculating, and merciless.
The warmasters of Cor Talcor practice ancient tra-
Demonic Bargain Arcana Utility 6 ditions, some so esoteric that they have been forgotten
You call on a demonic entity to wreak greater destruction, but by even the oldest dwarf clans. Some scholars believe
you tear part of your own mind in the process. that these reflect dwarven culture as it existed
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Psychic under the enslavement of the titans—disciplined
Free Action Personal and focused, without any shred of fear or hesitation.
Trigger: You roll damage and dislike the result. Trainees are immersed in these traditions, ham-
Effect: You reroll the damage and must use the second mering out weakness through physical and mental
result. You then take psychic damage equal to twice your
ordeals. Those who pass become champions who
level.
hold back the horrors below, sometimes returning
to their clans to lead armies. Other veterans of Cor
Despana’s Stratagem House Despana is Talcor venture into the heart of their enemies’ realms
known for both its pride and its martial prowess. Its
to challenge them directly.
warriors, gladiators, and soldiers are renowned for their
tactical and strategic superiority. Those who gain favor
with this house might learn some of their battlecraft. Refuge of the Unwanted
Though Cor Talcor has a storied legacy among
Despana’s Strategem Insight Utility 16 dwarves, it is shunned by other clans. Its warmasters
You watch as the battle unfolds and direct your party to gain the owe allegiance to no one, waging war as they please.
advantage. They have toppled sovereign realms, broken alli-
Daily ✦ Martial ances, and roused the anger of the creatures below
Minor Action Close burst 3 on many occasions. Their actions supposedly benefit
Target: You and each ally in the burst the greater good, but many clan leaders resent the
Effect: Each target does not grant combat advantage or pro- warmasters’ cavalier attitude . Moreover, the Fortress
voke opportunity attacks until the end of your next turn.
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of Grudges openly accepts candidates from among Pitiless Grapple An esoteric form of ritual-
the dregs of dwarven society. Thieves, debtors, and ized dwarven wrestling enables warriors to defeat
even outcasts are welcome, for the warmasters know larger foes even without a weapon. Students of Cor
that those who do not bow to their authority will Talcor practice these skills by grappling with cavern-
perish. The survivors are purified and transformed dwelling beasts.
in the crucible: as strong as steel and as keen as a
dwarven battleaxe. Pitiless Grapple Fighter Attack 9
You grip your foe mercilessly, striking terrifying blows as it
Classes and Themes struggles to escape.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
The Fortress of Grudges produces warriors. Those
Standard Action Melee 1
without the will or the skill to wage brutal warfare do Requirement: You must have at least one hand free.
not emerge alive. Fighter and warlord are the most Target: One creature
common classes among those who overcome the Attack: Strength vs. Reflex
many challenges of Cor Talcor. Barbarians are nor- Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you grab the
mally heedless of their lives, but those who survive target. Until the grab ends, your melee attacks against
the crucible are fearsome indeed. Wardens learn to the target can score a critical hit on a roll of 18–20.
Miss: Half damage.
draw even more deeply on their earthborn strength.
Other martial classes might make the cut occasion-
ally, but Cor Talcor is not kind to characters who rely Pulverizing Impact The solemn stones of
on subtlety or magical arts. Cor Talcor reverberate with a mystic strength. War-
Underdark outcast is the obvious theme for a dens draw on this power to smash enemies against
character who has passed the rigorous tests of the jagged rocks or other rough terrain.
warmasters. Such characters seek acceptance here,
among others cut off from their people, or hope to Pulverizing Impact Warden Attack 13
win redemption on its blood-soaked floor. A blood- You drive your weapon into the earth, shattering rock and
spraying debris into nearby enemies.
sworn who is dedicated to the destruction of a mighty
enemy might face Cor Talcor’s challenges to gain the Encounter ✦ Primal, Thunder, Weapon
Standard Action Close burst 1
combat expertise needed to win out.
Target: Each creature in the burst
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex
Attack Powers Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier thunder damage. If the
target is in difficult terrain, it takes extra damage equal to
The battle tactics of Cor Talcor reflect the fortress’s
your Constitution modifier.
pitiless demands. Its champions are brutal and effi- Earthstrength: Add 5 to the extra damage.
cient, mastering the subterranean environment and
punishing enemies of their people. Adventurers who Terrain Dominance No race is more adept
would learn their techniques must prove themselves at waging war underground than the dwarves. With
on the crucible floor. terrain dominance, you use their battle planning to
incorporate the rocky terrain of the Underdark into
Crushing Charge The warriors of Cor Talcor your strategy.
have learned to wield the rocky terrain of their
underground homes as a weapon. Crushing charge Terrain Dominance Warlord Attack 5
not only slams your foe into a wall, but does so hard
You drive your foe into hindering terrain, showing your allies
enough to make the wall hit back. how to utilize the battlefield to their advantage.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Crushing Charge Barbarian Attack 7 Standard Action Melee weapon
The impact of your charge smashes your foe back to crush it Target: One creature
against solid terrain. Attack: Strength vs. AC
Encounter ✦ Primal, Weapon Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you slide the
Standard Action Melee 1 target up to 3 squares. If the target ends this slide in dif-
Target: One creature ficult terrain, it falls prone.
Attack: Strength vs. AC Miss: Half damage.
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you push the Effect: Until the end of the encounter, you and your allies
target up to 2 squares. If the target ends this push adja- gain a +2 power bonus to attack rolls against targets on
cent to blocking terrain, the target takes damage equal to difficult terrain.
your Strength modifier.
Special: When charging, you can use this power in place of a
melee basic attack.
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B AT T L E TAC T I C S O F CO R TA LCO R
Skill Powers
You need more than weapon prowess to survive the
crucible of Cor Talcor. The warmasters’ harsh train-
ing deals with all aspects of battle, from dressing
wounds to mental conditioning.
one or two healing surges. The target also gains tempo- minions cannot attack you, and you can push any creature
rary hit points equal to half his or her healing surge value. that misses you with an attack 1 square as a free action.
CH A P T ER 1 | Dungeon Delvers
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CHAPTER 2
Strive to Survive
Further Studies
If you’re not in too big a hurry to get yourself killed,
Dungeon Delving familiarize yourself with the rest of this chapter
before you pack up and hit the dungeon.
If you know nothing else before you go into a dun-
Expert Delving Tactics: Learn how to travel in
geon, remember these five tips. They are about pure
a dungeon carefully and safely. You might run into
survival. You’ll need more than these tricks if you
ancient traps and strange environmental hazards, but
hope to beat the monsters, best the traps, and haul
this advice can help you best all challenges.
out the treasure, but at least these rules will keep you
Dungeon Types: Dungeons come in many forms,
from dying like a complete fool.
from working prisons to lost mines to active volca-
1. Don’t split the party. The biggest rule in the
noes. Understanding variations in dungeon design
dungeon is the same as anywhere else. If only the
lets you prepare for a dungeon’s unique dangers and
halfling can fit through that narrow tunnel, nobody
challenges, including what creatures might live or
can go to his rescue when a monster on the other side
lurk within and what special rewards might hide in
paralyzes him and starts nibbling away.
its depths.
2. Map everything. Learn the standardized sym-
Dungeon Denizens: Read up on the creatures
bols for mapping, and pace out every passage you go
that walk, slither, or flap through hellish under-
through. Whenever you get a chance to rest, review
ground tunnels. Identify the signs of danger before
your maps and plot the best course of retreat in case
you stumble into a stirge nest, literally walk into a
you need to make a quick escape. A word of warning
gelatinous cube, or get eaten by what you thought was
if you’re traveling in the Underdark: That place has
a treasure chest.
a way of reshaping itself from time to time, so your
Infamous Dungeons: Think you’ve mastered the
map might not be trustworthy. Take extra precautions
previous advice and are ready for the big time? These
down there.
extremely dangerous dungeons are the ones you’ve
3. Gear up. Use good judgment when buying your
always heard about in tall tales. Separate the facts,
equipment and supplies. Sure, plenty of gadgets will
however scant and disheartening they might be, from
help out in specific situations, but don’t purchase
the fiction.
too much stuff or you’ll end up loaded with junk
Dungeoneers’ Tools: Smart dungeon delvers
you never use. Better to bring more rope, pitons, and
know that the ordinary supplies in an adventurer’s kit
rations that you know will come in handy than a
don’t always get the job done. Items such as a mirror
dozen tools you might not need.
or a rubbing kit might not seem like much, but they
4. Track time. Without the course of the sun to
can mean the difference between a delve’s success or
guide you, it’s easy to lose track of time in a dungeon.
failure. This section also provides alchemical items
Keeping a regular sleeping schedule is tough, too,
W I L L I A M O ’CO N N O R
CH A P T ER 2 | Strive to Survive
72
Expert Delving your speed and thus nets you 5 extra feet of move-
ment with each move action to climb. Plus, you take
no penalty to skill checks while running. It’s a fine
Tactics tactic as long as nothing is trying to kill you.
CH A P T ER 2 | Strive to Survive
74
SECRET DOORS
C L EA R T H E R O O M S
isn’t worth the effort. In any event, don’t fret too
much about that dwarf paladin in plate. The kind of
Locating a secret door can equate to finding hidden stealth you really need in the dungeon isn’t the kind
treasure, a safe route around danger, a good place that lets you sneak up on the monsters in the next
to rest, or a way to “skip to the end” and go straight room. Instead, you should think about not drawing
to the villain’s lair. You might spot a secret door pas- the monsters from a few rooms over. The best way
sively, but most of the time such passages are hidden to accomplish that is to fight as quietly as possible.
well enough that you must actively search. You can Fireball and lightning bolt dish out a lot of damage but
give yourself a bonus to the Perception check, or auto- also make a lot of noise. Plenty of other spells are
matically find the door, by using these tactics. just as effective and less thunderous. The best way to
Little cracks are inevitable around even a well-con- minimize noise is to keep the fight brief so that ene-
cealed door. Pass a candle slowly near the wall and mies don’t have a chance to raise an alarm; stunning
look for a flicker in the flame due to airflow, or watch attacks are particularly helpful in this regard. Essen-
smoke pooling on the ceiling and see if it escapes tially, though, battles are noisy affairs. If you want
through cracks. You can also pour water on the floor to dramatically increase your chances, take a few
and watch to see if it drains away. minutes to use a Silence ritual from a scroll and burst
Sound can help you find a secret door, as long into a room just as you finish it. Better yet, learn and
as you aren’t worried about someone hearing your use the Eavesdropper’s Foil ritual (EBERRON® Player’s
efforts. Knock on stone with a crowbar or rap on Guide) so that the sound suppression moves with you.
wood with your knuckles to listen for changes in tone, Light in a darkened dungeon is sure to give you
and put your ear up against a wall to listen for noise away. When the rogue carefully opens the door a
beyond. A listening cone (page 115) is invaluable for crack to peek in the next room, torchlight leaking in
this purpose. over his or her shoulder advertises your presence as
Many secret doors are operated by levers or but- much as shouting does. You can avoid giving early
tons that are concealed in nearby features or objects. warning of your approach by dousing the lights and
Try pushing, pulling, and twisting accoutrements having someone with darkvision take the lead. Use a
such as torch sconces, the arms and eyes of statues, light source that you can activate quickly so you can
and books on shelves. Run your hand over walls and see what’s going on. A cover over a sunrod or a lan-
floors to see if you can detect edges or depressions. tern with shutters works well, too.
Finally, don’t neglect the obvious. Pick up the rug. If you really don’t want anyone to know you’re in
Move aside the bed. Pull the bookshelf or the tapestry the dungeon, always leave things as you found them
away from the wall. You might just find a trapdoor or as much as you can. Relock doors and treasure chests,
a hatch. close secret passages, and reset any furniture you
moved. After a battle, hide the bodies in an out-of-
STEALTH
the-way location and clean up the blood and scorch
marks; prestidigitation works well for this task. If you
can’t hide a permanent change, disguise it: You could
Nothing favors dungeon delvers as much as silence
make an attack look like it came from some other
and the advantage of surprise. Of course, not every-
dungeon denizens, for example. Even if your efforts
one is cut out to be a footpad, but it takes more than
aren’t fully convincing, you might gain some time as
being quiet to move stealthily through a dungeon.
your enemies try to figure out exactly what happened
In the echoing halls and dark chambers of an
and which way you went.
underground environment, succeeding at being
stealthy means controlling three factors: noise, light,
and changes to the dungeon that can reveal your
presence. You’ll have no chance of surprise if enemies
CLEAR THE ROOMS
hear you coming or see light suddenly splay out from If you leave places unexplored in your wake, you can
the crack under a door. If the dungeon’s inhabitants get into trouble fast in the dungeon. Foes you’ve left
wander across your path and find that details of the behind might come out of their rooms and surround
environment have been altered (be it a chalk mark on you, or you might face more subtle threats such as
the wall or dead bodies strewn about), they’ll likely traps being reset and doors being relocked and barred.
raise the alarm and follow your trail. Keep things simple by exploring in stages. When
If someone in the party is wearing heavy armor, you enter an area that has many exits, figure out a
chances are that character’s Stealth check won’t way to bar the ones you’re not using. Then proceed
measure up to those of others in the group. You can into the next area and repeat. If you can’t lock or
make a bad situation a little better with items such as block an unexplored door, you can at least stack
footpads or boots of elvenkind (both in Mordenkainen’s objects against it. That way, when something opens
Magnificent Emporium), but the small bonus usually
CH A P T ER 2 | Strive to Survive
75
the door, the objects will fall and give you a chance they see you and be able to attack at range as they
to hear the commotion. You can bring noisemaking close the distance.
material with you, such as bells strung on a cord, but If you have the resources, another option is avail-
you can also use handy dungeon furnishing, includ- able to you: magic. The Rope Trick ritual (Manual of
ing chairs or barrels. If you can manage it, try to the Planes) works well, but it takes time. Instead, you
arrange different noises to occur in different areas could use an exodus knife (Adventurer’s Vault) to get
behind you. Then you’ll know if the door that opened virtually the same effect in a matter of seconds. Ritu-
is in the crypts or near the sewers, and you might be als such as Eye of Alarm and magic items such as a
able to draw conclusions about what‘s coming. watchful eye (Adventurer’s Vault 2) can warn of enemies
As you progress, you also need to figure out what sneaking up on you. The alarm traps that a trapsmith
to do with the doors you’ve opened. In some circum- can create are useful for protection while you rest.
stances, if you simply close them but don’t lock or bar
them, you might be endangering yourself more than
if you left them open. Closed doors block noise, so SUSTENANCE
pursuers can creep up on you that much more easily. Maybe it should go without saying that you probably
Leaving a door open also lets you more easily hear shouldn’t eat or drink any substance you run across
any noise from a more distant door against which while you’re underground. Bring enough food and
you’ve stacked objects. Finally, if you need to run for water for many days when you enter a dungeon—
it, having a bunch of closed and barred doors in your more days than you anticipate you will be staying.
way makes escape more difficult. That way you can be sure you’ll have enough for your
If leaving doors open feels too risky, you can close, needs and those of fellow adventurers who happen
bar, or stack objects against only the nearest one. to lose their stores. Extra food is also a handy way
You’ll gain at least a moment’s warning against any to distract hungry monsters; you can make a trail of
attack from that quarter, and you’ll have to open only morsels to lead an enemy into a trap. If you don’t want
one door if you need to flee. Consider creating a regu- to be loaded down with provisions, and money is no
lar door-alarm object that you can place and pick up object, you can use magical means to provide suste-
quickly. A staff with metal rings fastened to the top nance, such as the Traveler’s Feast ritual.
works well and doubles as a walking stick or make- All that said, a dungeon is not necessarily devoid of
shift weapon. its own dependable food sources. For one thing, intel-
Although magical ways exist to set alarms or lock ligent creatures that live in dungeons usually store or
doors, such as the Arcane Lock ritual, they are costly carry supplies. When you’re running low, you might
and time-consuming. Save such precautions for when have to steal from them to survive.
you rest. Likewise, you might be able to replenish your
drinking water. In a natural cavern, look for places
R EST STOPS where you can collect runoff from stalactites in a
waterskin or, in a pinch, a cup-shaped piece of leather
Taking a good long rest in the dungeon can be criti- or metal. In a worked dungeon, look for deposits of
cal to your success and survival. You have two options fungi to reveal the presence of water. Use caution
when resting, and which you should use depends on with any pooled water. Boil before drinking!
how you have explored. If you must forage in the dungeon, follow the lead
If you’ve been trying to be stealthy and covering of the party’s dungeoneering expert (such as a deep
your tracks, your best bet is to hide. Pick a location far delver). Edible fungi or lichen and pools of brack-
from the main thoroughfares and as tucked away as ish water, though unappetizing, are preferable to
you can manage. If you want early warning of foes on tasty-looking but hazardous sources such as ancient
their way, leave the door to your rest area open and fountains or the vittles in an ogre’s kitchen. The foun-
affix some noisemaking device to the next most dis- tain might be enchanted with evil magic or harbor
tant door. Alternatively, you can heavily barricade the a disease, and the meat hanging in the ogre’s larder
entrance so that enemies have to batter their way in, might not be pork.
giving you time to prepare.
If you’ve been clearing rooms and leaving a path
open behind you, then lock or bar every nearby WATER DANGERS
entrance and rest in a place with good sight lines to Water is a key consideration when you prepare for
distant points. You can place lights away from your an expedition into the depths. Many dungeons have
camp at entrance points and keep illumination to underground rivers or lakes, treasure might be
a minimum where you are resting. That way, you’ll hidden at the bottom of a temple pool, and you never
have a good chance of seeing enemies long before know when those stone doors will seal behind you
and the water will come pouring in. Heavy armor
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76
TRAPS
Heavy armor can be a fighter’s worst enemy in water
makes swimming difficult, but don’t fret. With a little heal combat damage as well. At that point, death is
preparation, you can make your way through most assured unless you can start breathing again within a
water hazards without having to strip down. round or two.
If you know you are going to enter deep water, If you aren’t holding your breath, damage does
start out by holding your breath. You’ve got at least 3 not provoke these Endurance or Athletics checks, so
minutes (30 rounds) before you start to drown—likely stay on the surface as much as possible when a fight
longer than that if you have training in Endurance. breaks out. A floating shield (Adventurer’s Vault) is an
Pair weak swimmers with strong ones, tying one inexpensive and helpful item for this purpose, but a
of each together, so the entire party can muddle simple flotation bladder (page 114) should keep you
through to the other side. Alternatively, once some from sinking below the surface.
of the group makes it to dry land (paying out rope You can find ways to eke out bonuses to your Ath-
behind them as they go), they can haul across com- letics checks to swim or Endurance checks to hold
panions who can’t swim well. Even in rough and your breath, but the best solution is some means of
stormy water, this strategy should work as long as breathing water. The Water Breathing ritual is great,
someone in the party has a decent chance of succeed- as are elixirs of water breathing (Mordenkainen’s).
ing on the Athletics check to swim.
The real danger in water is having to fight while
submerged. If you’ve taken any damage since your TRAPS
last turn while holding your breath (even if the Dungeons are full of traps, and you never know how
3-minute grace period has not elapsed), you must many you will face or what they will be like. You can’t
make a DC 20 Endurance check at the end of your be too cautious when preparing for nasty surprises
turn. Each time you fail, you not only lose a healing that could end your expedition immediately. Many
surge, but the next time you need to make the check, delvers either become trap experts or hire one to
the DC increases by 5. A character who has many accompany their group and perhaps teach them the
surges, such as a fighter, might be okay for a while, ropes. The trapsmith theme is an excellent choice for
but most adventurers will lose all their surges very a party member or a companion.
ERIC BELISLE
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Those who have such training are always con- sniffing around for a source of fresh air that might
scious of the possible presence of traps. Other indicate an opening. You’ll also need a way to move
explorers have to try harder to remain alert. When the rubble or bypass it. Magic that enables you to
you are venturing underground or moving from one burrow or gain phasing makes getting out a lot easier,
dungeon area to another, pay attention to the places or you can create a teleportation circle with the
where a trap would do the most harm. For instance, Linked Portal ritual (assuming you’ve got a portal out-
always check before traversing a narrow corridor. In side). The Clear the Path ritual (FORGOTTEN R EALMS®
a tight space, a trap can deal the greatest amount of Player’s Guide) is tailor-made to clear away a cave-in.
damage to the largest number of intruders. Keep an It not only permanently removes dirt and debris, but
eye out for hints of hidden trip wires, pressure plates, clears difficult terrain as an added benefit.
and elements that seem out of the ordinary. Floods that might be messy nuisances on the sur-
Be most wary of traps in places where they would face can be lethal in caverns and tunnels deep below
be most useful to the trapper and have the least the ground. Enclosed spaces fill up with water rapidly,
impact on the day-to-day lives of things living in the and strong currents can sweep away even the strongest
area. Putting a trap along a main thoroughfare makes delver. As soon as you realize water is rushing toward
little sense—it’s far too likely for the trap to catch you, get to higher ground as quickly as possible. If no
unintended victims. For the same reason, a creature such ground is immediately available, run—you might
wouldn’t usually trap its own bed or a drawer in its be able to stay ahead of the flood for a short time and
everyday worktable. You should, though, expect to perhaps find a better spot. Take precautions in case
find traps in places and on objects that need to be you can’t get away. Squeeze your waterskin dry and
guarded or are near defensive positions. A treasure breathe into it—even that stale air is better than trying
chest in the middle of a room or a jewel-encrusted to breathe water. Flotation bladders (page 114) can
sword displayed on a pedestal just scream of trap also serve this purpose. If you wind up underwater,
potential, and a secret door or compartment is likely you can still use magical lights such as sunrods to illu-
to be trapped as well. The more a place is meant to be minate your way. Try to find areas where pockets of
a defensive structure and the less it is a living space, air can form, such as in caverns with high or irregu-
the more likely it is to be protected. If you’re assault- lar roofs. These small bubbles of safety might buy you
ing the redoubt of kobolds or the sanctum of a mad enough time to come up with an escape plan.
wizard, expect traps on doors, in floors, on the ceil- Poisonous gas is a less common hazard, but an
ing—entire rooms and passages might be designed to expert delver must be ready for anything. Traps can
kill. A royal tomb or an imperial treasure vault might release noxious fumes, and pockets of gas are scat-
be nothing but one gigantic death trap. tered throughout the Underdark. When exploring,
If you’re the one placing and setting the traps, you might accidentally rupture a pocket and release
think about the above advice so you can counter the the contents. You can’t combat this hazard effectively;
expectations of enemies. For example, if you know it’s best to leave the area as quickly as possible. If you
that a trip wire is often set low and in a specific place, must continue forward, provide an alternative air
try putting the wire higher up or in an unusual spot. supply for all party members, such as inflated water-
The intruder might miss it completely while focusing skins. You have 3 minutes of holding your breath to
on the expected location. make it past the danger, but if that isn’t long enough,
or if you end up in combat, you face the same issues
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RITUALS
perform it, you immediately find any secret or hidden Knock (Player’s Handbook): With this ritual, you
doors in sight. The ritual can also help you out of a can open a locked door, chest, gate, or some other
bind in dungeons that have special tunnels designed object—even a portal that has been sealed with
to give residents a timely escape from harm. Arcane Lock or barred on the far side. It works well
Explorer’s Fire (Dragon 366): This ritual creates when combined with the Detect Secret Doors ritual.
a campfire that cannot be seen beyond the area it Lower Water (Arcane Power): Performing this
immediately illuminates. It’s perfect for those times ritual takes too long to help you during a flash
when you’re resting in an open location with long flood, but it can tip the odds heavily in your favor if
sight lines. You can remain in a warm and bright area you know a foe lurks in a body of water. Instead of
without being seen until enemies approach. fighting an aquatic enemy at a disadvantage while
Hand of Fate (Player’s Handbook): Divine spell- swimming, you could try to force it onto dry land.
casters favor this ritual, which lets you ask up to Magic Mouth (Player’s Handbook): You could buy
three questions about possible courses of action. A higher-level and more expensive rituals with more
translucent blue hand appears and indicates the most bells and whistles, but the humble Magic Mouth has
rewarding course of action based on the available a feature that can’t be beat: You define the trigger
options. This ritual is especially helpful when your for making the mouth speak. Set the right condition,
party must choose whether to go down the left or and the ritual is a flawless detector of creatures. The
right tunnel, which lever to pull to deactivate a trap, rules don’t specify what conditions can be set, so
and so on. check with the DM first. If the required conditions
are too narrow, consider Skull Watch (Open Grave) or
Wyvern Watch (Player’s Handbook 2) instead.
Shrink (Arcane Power): The ritual does what it says.
Reducing an object in size by 25 percent or more
DUNGEON DON’TS can help you get that big chest out the door or make
Novices at dungeon exploration mistakenly do things a solid gold idol more manageable, but other uses
that might seem like smart tactics but can easily go can be even more helpful. A shrunken door doesn’t
awry. Avoid these common errors and live a little fit its hinges anymore. A trap with a miniaturized
longer. part probably won’t work. And if you need to hide the
Herd Animals: If the dungeon is loaded with traps, corpse of a monster, making it smaller always helps.
surely a few cows or a herd of sheep can clear them Speak with Dead (Player’s Handbook): If you
out. Plus, if there’s a fire trap, lunch is taken care of! can’t capture an enemy and get it to talk, you can
Well, no—things don’t work out quite that way. always get answers from its corpse. Need to circum-
For one thing, farm animals can’t open doors, so vent a trap, find a secret door, or learn which hall
you’ll have to get in front of the herd whenever a leads where? Ask all three questions of the dungeon
door blocks your way. And if you’re behind the herd, dweller you just killed. Hungering for long-lost lore
you can’t control what direction it will take or even about the tomb? Ask the bones interred there.
whether all the animals will go in the same direc- Traveler’s Camouf lage (Primal Power): With this
tion. Food and water for the animals is problematic ritual, you can cloak yourself and your allies in a cam-
as well. If you can’t be sure of forage, you’ll be laden ouflaging shroud. Not only do you become stealthier,
down with extra supplies. In the end, all you’re likely but other creatures cannot track your movement
to do is draw attention to yourself, slow your prog- easily. It’s a great way to flee from a dungeon or sneak
ress, and feed the dungeon denizens. into a chamber unnoticed.
Check Everything: Poke the floor with a ten-foot Undead Servitor (Open Grave): With this ritual,
pole as you move through the hall and check every you imbue a humanoid corpse of natural origin with
door for traps. Better safe than sorry! the ability to move under its own power. Further-
This cliché ignores the fact that greater risks can more, the corpse understands one language of your
net greater rewards. Plus, if you have your head choice. Although the servitor is of no use in combat,
down and are moving at a crawl, you’re giving it never tires and obeys you at all times. It’s perfect
enemies more time to rally their forces and set for opening a suspicious chest, leading guards on a
up ambushes or surround you. If you’re unwilling wild-goose chase, scaring superstitious humanoids,
to open a door before tinkering with it for several carrying heavy bags of gold, and any other task you
minutes, you won’t surprise anything lurking on the can think of. Keep in mind, though, that if it takes any
other side. More than anything, though, checking damage, you’re out 150 gp (as well as the time needed
every square inch of an area for traps is boring. It’s to perform the ritual again). On the other hand, if
no fun for the group or the DM. You’ll use your time you keep it safe from harm, it lasts indefinitely. You
more profitably by checking only in likely spots. can think of it as the party mascot—assuming you can
sweet-talk the paladin and put up with the stench.
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Dungeon Types Glacier caves appear deep within the ice of gla-
ciers. As water melts, it flows down and away through
cracks and fissures, carving out passages. Weird
A dungeon is always created for a reason, and almost entities or creatures that were frozen long ago might
always that reason is directly tied to the physical await in or near these formations.
nature of the place. Some dungeon builders need a
place to live, such as kobolds that stake out a warren.
Others want to get at the riches under the earth, as
Exploring
with dwarves and their mines. A cave can be deceptively large. What looks like a
A dungeon’s creator might use it as a place to hide small cleft in a hillside might be the entrance to a vast
secrets, whether a lich performing dark rituals in network of tunnels and chambers.
a laboratory or a group of mighty beings that have
imprisoned a demon far from civilization. The type Dangers Any cave can feature a host of dangers,
of dungeon you’re heading into, and the reason for its from challenging terrain to the risk of cave-ins to
existence, are the major factors that affect your prep- hostile and hungry creatures that dwell there. Partic-
aration. Anything you can learn about what’s ahead ularly in the Underdark, isolated caves are attractive
of you before you get there will improve your chances to monsters or humanoids that are seeking a shel-
of success and survival. tered and defensible lair.
Variations CRYPT
Many types of caves exist, but the following are the Leaders with a lot of popularity whose subjects have a
most common. The real world has many examples lot of money end up in tombs that have a lot of space
of these varieties of caves, and plenty of photographs for their dried-up remains and all their stuff. Crypt
exist in reference sources, so finding visual inspira- creators spare no expense in building these houses
tion should be no problem. for the dead, and even the most remote hallways of a
Solution caves form when soft rock such as chalk, finely wrought crypt could be inlaid with fine stone
gypsum, or limestone is dissolved by groundwater tiles. Events over the passage of centuries can imbue
seeping down through the earth to form a weak natu- such sites with dark magic or see protective wards
ral acid. Here’s where you find the classic cavern become tainted with evil, turning a crypt into one
dressing of stalactites, stalagmites, and columns. part holy sanctum and one part deadly dungeon.
Primary caves arise at the same time that the
rock surrounding the cave is laid down. For example,
when a volcano erupts, pockets can form within the
Variations
lava as it cools and hardens. (In fact, the volcano cave Plenty of crypts resemble other types of dungeons:
is a type unto itself, discussed later in this section.) collections of underground passages and chambers
Sea caves are found in coastal areas. Waves crash filled with traps to keep out intruders. A crypt might
against a rocky shore, eroding it over time to form lie under an earthen barrow or beneath a temple. The
caverns. Underground rivers can also create caves first challenge in delving such a site is locating it—
where their waters breach the earth to reach the sea. those who go to the trouble of digging a crypt beneath
the ground do their best to prevent adventurers and
other grave robbers from finding it later.
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CRYPT
Crashing waves form a sea cave
In contrast, an ostentatious aboveground crypt has Many cultures hold great hostility toward those
no qualms about making its presence known. Such a who defile the dead, and sealed tombs often have
structure might contain deadlier traps and more dead foul curses placed on them. Reading the wrong
ends than an underground crypt to make up for the inscription or touching the royal treasure can inflict
larger number of intruders expected to assault it. Mau- blindness, bad luck, a festering disease—or worse.
soleums fit into this category, such as those built for
monarchs, high priests, and other lofty figures. Some Inhabitants Places of death give rise to the
aboveground crypts extend underground as well, with undead, and even the savviest tomb builders can fail
multiple levels of interior rooms, subterranean cham- to predict whether a tomb’s location holds the ambi-
bers, and sloping tunnels connecting them. ent magic to create those foul creatures. A buried
monarch might return from the dead to guard his
Exploring tomb personally, facing off against grave robbers
while aided by the undead warriors and servants that
Secret doors, false burial chambers, illusory walls—
were buried alongside him.
crypt builders do everything they can to trick
When tomb builders require guardian creatures
intruders. Trust nothing. Even the loot you claim
within a crypt, they create constructs that need no
might be designed to throw you off the track of more
nourishment or air. A dusty golem can remain vigi-
valuable treasures.
lant for centuries, waiting to unleash the vengeance
of its creator on intruders.
Dangers By design, a crypt is no place for the
living. A crypt’s builder knows that after the tomb
is sealed, no living guardians will remain behind to
Rewards A crypt is stuffed with the material
wealth of the figure or figures buried there, includ-
watch over it. For that reason, the traps protecting
ing gems, art objects, and ancient coins. Long-lost lore
the treasures and bodies in a crypt can be extremely
can also be found within a crypt, along with ancient
lethal. Prominent crypts feature at least a few corpses
technology, books of forgotten history, and maps to
N OA H B R A D L E Y
of would-be interlopers.
unknown lands.
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DEATH TRAP The heart of a death trap is a place of great sig-
nificance, whether it’s the citadel of the dungeon’s
A death trap lures thrill-seekers with promises of creator, a shrine to an otherworldly entity, or the
great treasure. The foolhardy who set forth into it resting place of an artifact. Finding your way there is
find only a grueling gauntlet of perils, half-starved never easy, and a death trap might contain numerous
guardian creatures, and tortures unimaginable—all false central chambers.
culminating in imprisonment or a grisly death.
A death trap is the most extreme expression of the Dangers Anything goes in a death trap, where
dungeon concept, merciless and fatal to all but the nothing is out of the realm of possibility as long as
most skilled explorers. It has no purpose other than it’s dangerous. Any hallway could collapse to drop
to kill or (sometimes worse) capture. you into a pit of acid. Any door might be protected by
explosive runes or some other magic trap. Any gap
Variations between bricks could spew poison gas. Any statue
could animate and attack.
Beyond being “ just” a killing machine, a death trap
is usually created for a purpose that sets it apart from Inhabitants Any dungeon shows hallmarks of
others of its type. It might have been built to test crea- the creatures that created it, but a death trap reflects
tures of a certain race, to measure candidates’ skill only the choices of its designer. One dungeon’s cre-
with a specific type of magic, or to capture prey. In ator might be sadistic enough to build a death trap
such a case, all the dungeon’s tests and traps contrib- solely for entertainment. Another could be testing
ute to fulfilling this purpose. challengers for a specific purpose: worthy opponents,
Some death traps are little more than random col- potential recruits for a great cause, sturdy humanoid
lections of rooms with plain corridors connecting stock for foul magical experiments, or the like.
them. In such a dungeon, the individual traps and Among the most common creators of death traps
encounters don’t follow a theme or serve a larger pur- are liches, ancient dragons, mind flayers, and devils.
pose. Other death traps exhibit a consistent style with These creatures have long life spans, high intel-
repeated motifs that show the creators’ attention to ligence, and a consuming desire to test or torture
detail. For such builders, a death trap is a work of art, others. The creatures set loose within a death trap
and possibly the culmination of a life’s ambition. are chosen for their toughness, their bloodthirsti-
The sheer lethality of a death trap means it can ness, and (if appropriate) how they conform to the
afford to draw attention to itself in a way other dun- dungeon’s purpose. A death trap is rarely a living,
geons can’t. The greatest death traps are not secrets. breathing ecology, however; the monsters within one
People fear to speak their names, and the lands usually have no relationship to one another.
around them stand deserted. A death trap might be
topped with a towering iron front gate or surrounded Rewards Every death trap has a great boon at its
with warnings about the danger inside. It could be heart, whether a hoard of treasure, lost lore, or a face-
hollowed out of a rocky spire that has been carved to-face meeting with a formidable being. Reaching
to look like a skull. The entrance could be hidden the end can change your life, though you might pay a
among a row of magic portals, with a wrong choice high price to get there.
meaning instant death.
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F LOAT I N G C A S T L E
large number of such citadels. The noble eladrin built
them in ages past, and the secrets of their construc-
tion are now lost even to the noble archfey who rule
from their high thrones.
Variations
Floating castles can be as different from one another
as the shapes clouds take in the sky. Imagine some
vision of the heavens, and you have the basis for a
new kingdom of the air.
Storm Castle: A storm castle floats in the eye of
a perpetual storm. Its walls are black thunderheads,
and the bars of its prison are trapped lightning bolts.
As you walk its halls, heat lightning flashes through
the floors and ceiling, providing surprising instances
of illumination.
Dawn Citadel: This palace of mandarin and rose
is as much a product of light as mist. A dawn citadel
floats across the world in perpetual flight from the
sun, always keeping daybreak a heartbeat behind.
The beautiful half-light of such cloud castles often
obscures some darkness in the soul of its builder.
Drifting Dungeons: A floating castle can
be encompassed in different layers of clouds like
levels of a dungeon, yet in this case the connections
between levels change as the different cloud layers
shift with the wind. Different layers of cloud might
plunge explorers into different environments: high
white clouds in the sun, cold gray clouds filled with
snow, and angry black clouds of rain and lightning.
Fog Fortress: A fog fortress lies hidden in the
mists, its walls and floors indistinguishable from the
surrounding clouds. Only experimentation or the
keen senses of an inhabitant can determine where
the structure lies. Tremorsense is a boon to explorers
who find themselves unable to rely on their normal
means of finding their way around.
Exploring
Traveling to a cloud castle can be an adventure in
itself. You’ll need access to a means of long-distance
flight or a teleportation circle. (Giant beanstalks are
generally not available.)
The architecture of a cloud castle is much like that
of any castle on the ground, though its construction
tends to sprawl vertically rather than horizontally.
Visitors might need to negotiate tall spires, twisting
staircases that rise through open air, and sky bridges
arcing over a limitless void.
Not all such dungeons still house their original
residents. An abandoned castle built by giants might
now be full of manticores, wyverns, and other flying
interlopers. Blue dragons in particular like to lay
claim to floating castles, from where they can watch
A DA M PAQ U E T T E
the world from on high as they scheme. Djinns, eladrin, and other magical beings raise castles
in the clouds
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deliberately across the sky as it unleashes violence,
you could be looking at a storm giant’s home.
FOR THE DM: THE CLOUD Lesser flying creatures often serve the builders of
cloud castles as guards and messengers that carry out
CASTLE ENVIRONMENT their master’s bidding in the world below. Sphinxes
Since cloud castles defy gravity, their magic can affect act as the gatekeepers at many cloud castles, and
how creatures move within their environs. The fol- even the death of its master does not end a sphinx’s
lowing variant rules reinforce the feel of adventuring servitude. Such creatures can sometimes be found
in the sky. protecting abandoned fortresses, still awaiting visi-
Walking on Clouds: The magic clouds on which tors who can answer their riddles.
the castle stands are semisolid. Any creature that
is knocked prone on clouds must make a moder- Rewards An extraordinary setting warrants
ate Acrobatics check. With a success, the creature extraordinary treasure. Plain coins and gems matter
bounces back to its feet. A failed check means that little to the ruler of a floating castle, who is more
the creature sinks 5 feet into the clouds. The cloud likely to collect ornate vases, fine art, magic devices,
functions much like water once the creature enters it. and even creatures of myth, legend, and folktale.
Jumping and Gliding: The castle’s magic enables
those moving within it to float and leap to great
heights. When making a high jump, calculate the
height as though it were a long jump. Creatures also
ICE PALACE
gain a +5 bonus to Athletics checks to jump or climb. In snow-covered wastes and within forsaken moun-
Falling into Clouds: A creature that falls into tains, ice palaces are home to some of the hardiest,
magic clouds takes half the normal falling damage, most violent creatures in the world. The icy tunnels
and falls a number of feet into the clouds equal and frigid rock of such dungeons require special-
to this damage. If this distance is greater than the ized resources and demand resilience in those who
clouds’ thickness, the creature then falls as normal. explore them.
Variations
Most ice palaces originate as natural caverns in frigid
Dangers The most immediate danger of a cloud lands. Cold winds blow through tunnels in moun-
castle is its most obvious—if you fall off, you’ll likely tains, coating every wall with frost and leaving icicles
die. Beyond that, it can be home to the same sorts hanging from the ceiling, slanting in the direction the
of monsters and traps found in any earthbound wind blows.
castle. Its unique dangers are environmental rather More fantastical structures are dug out of glaciers
than being embodied in the creations of the castle’s or created with magic. Solid ice forms the entire
builders. complex: walls, sculptures, pillars, ornate ceilings,
Elemental magic can go awry in a cloud castle, and even doors. These great palaces are the thematic
whose own magic keeps the air breathable and the opposite of natural caverns. Rather than inhospitable,
severe high-altitude weather under control. Any austere hideaways, they are delicate-looking and ele-
effect that interferes with those forces might fail or gant—almost welcoming.
have unpredictable results, at the DM’s discretion. In The Elemental Chaos contains the largest and
other cases, a castle might not offer any protection most extravagant ice palaces, many inhabited by frost
from the elements. In particular, the hall of a storm titans. Innumerable ice dungeons are found in Cania,
giant lord might be located within a perpetual thun- a frigid layer of the Nine Hells. Ice devils prowl them
derstorm, featuring cloud-to-cloud lightning strikes, in search of new victims to capture in the name of
high winds, driving rain or hail, and other elemental their master, Mephistopheles.
features that threaten intruders. Sailors sometimes encounter icebergs containing
hollowed-out cavities. One of these iceberg dungeons
Inhabitants Floating castles are built by might carry creatures of elemental cold into warmer
djinns, storm giants, and other masters of the air, climates, keeping them comfortable while they form
who consider anyone unable to fly unworthy of visit- plans for conquest.
ing their aerial domains. The djinns’ sky castles were
abandoned long ago but still float in the Elemental Exploring
Chaos. Their caliphs gone, these great citadels await Adventurers must rely on climbing gear to explore
the rulers of the next age. In the natural world, if you an ice palace. One fall can land you in a pit whose
see a great black thunderhead that seems to move slippery walls cannot be scaled easily. Even with the
proper gear, climbing can be tricky. In many places,
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M AG I C L A B O R ATO R Y
the only surface to hammer a piton into is a sheet of preserved in jars containing unknown fluids. A con-
ice that could be far less sturdy than it looks. niving artificer might create a magic machine shop
Even when you’re not climbing them, walls can featuring racks of tools and clockwork components
pose problems. Light glimmering through translu- used to build mechanical devices. No matter what the
cent ice can cast odd shadows in nearby areas, which variation, however, every laboratory serves as a test-
might be real enemies or threatening phantoms. ing ground for some creation or experiment.
During battle, a wall might shatter to spill icy debris Necromancers use their workshops to create new
across the ground. and diabolical undead, weaving profane magic with
the power of the divine. A necromantic laboratory
Dangers The main hazards of an ice cave are has shelves filled with rare herbs and components,
the extreme cold, slippery surfaces, and icicles and with preserved body parts and organs neatly orga-
sheets of ice that frequently fall from the ceiling. Be nized nearby. A large worktable provides space to
careful when using magic that deals fire damage, or disassemble corpses and put them back together
simply carrying a torch. Sources of heat can soften or again. The smell is repulsive, testing the perseverance
melt the surroundings, making the environment even of even the hardiest adventurers.
more treacherous. Summoners and artificers have less gory decor.
Their shelves are lined with books, devices, and
Inhabitants White dragons, frost giants, and reagents that they use to call on and control their
other creatures of cold rule over ice palaces. Dragons creations, whether monsters from other worlds or
seek out existing caverns to use as lairs, filling them mechanical minions.
with treasure. Giants expand on natural cave systems
to build large halls, usually with slave labor. A giant’s Exploring
hall has a severe appearance, with blocky stone col-
Because a laboratory is typically a working dungeon,
umns and furnishings sheathed in ice and snow. Ice
you can expect to encounter guardian creatures and
archons serve in the frozen domains of these creatures.
traps. A laboratory’s builder is by its nature detail-ori-
Cold-dwelling beasts such as winterclaw owlbears
ented, so the area might be filled with all manner of
also make lairs in the ice, and the burrowing of one
mysterious devices and decorative elements that have
remorhaz can create an entire cavern complex. Few
a common theme.
natural creatures can bear living in such an environ-
ment, however; conditions are too extreme even for
most barbarian tribes. Goliaths are a notable excep-
Dangers The dangers of a magic laboratory are
usually obvious. Strange mechanisms and substances,
tion, adept at turning mountainous ice tunnels into
traps, hazards, guardian monsters, constructs, and
comfortable homes.
other threats lurk throughout the dungeon. Many of a
The forbidding nature of an ice palace makes it an
laboratory’s defenses could be bizarre-looking objects
excellent prison. Entities that cannot easily be killed
and creatures whose true nature might not be obvi-
are frozen by magic and buried deep in an icy cata-
ous at first.
comb in the hope that they will never be found.
Alchemical concoctions are common in magic
laboratories. They might be used to form hazardous
Rewards The treasure you find in an ice palace terrain in the form of pools or spills, augment guard-
depends on its residents. Dragons and giants amass
ian creatures, or serve as makeshift weapons.
great wealth, but the dens of lesser beasts contain
little of value.
Inhabitants The most common inhabitants
of a magic laboratory are the unique creatures that
M AGIC L ABORATORY have been created there or are assigned to protect it.
Alchemical constructs, clockwork beasts, and golems
The darkest dungeon lords build vile laboratories of every material stand watch against trespassers.
in which they undertake twisted experiments. Nec- Necromancers employ ever-vigilant patrols of skel-
romancers, summoners, and artificers make use of etons, zombies, and ghouls. Summoners deploy lesser
magic laboratories, filling such sites with fanatical elementals and savage monsters to guard their labo-
servants and vicious contraptions, as well as new ratories and lairs.
kinds of monsters.
Rewards A laboratory environment holds excit-
Variations ing treasures limited only by its creator’s imagination.
Magic laboratories encompass a wide variety of Such loot can include unique new potions and elixirs,
designs, each related to its creator and purpose. A recipes, magic items, and even never-before-seen ser-
necromancer’s laboratory is filled with body parts vant creatures.
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M AZE Inhabitants The creator of a maze often fills
the complex with creatures that terrorize, torment,
Mazes and labyrinths are expensive defenses, every and slow intruders rather than simply killing them.
one created by a wealthy ruler to protect something Expect such a dungeon to contain bizarre monsters
of great value: perhaps a secret lair, a unique spell- and hazards whose existence together doesn’t make
book, a peerless magic blade, or an artifact of legend. sense in a natural environment. For example, a
A few despots have been known to erect a maze out beholder might wander one part of a maze, while a
of sheer boredom, seeking entertainment from drop- colony of myconids inhabits a section of twisting cor-
ping unsuspecting mortals into its mind-boggling ridors not far away.
twists and turns.
Rewards Mazes that have stood unsolved for
Variants long years can hold substantial rewards. A maze
might be the resting place of a unique item, an arti-
The simplest maze is a dungeon whose halls bend fact, or a relic of the time before the Dawn War. In
in unfathomable ways and lead in confusing direc- addition to whatever it was designed to hide, it might
tions. Many passages lead to dead ends, forcing you also contain the gear, magic items, and wealth of pre-
to double back in search of the correct route. Many vious explorers who died trying to find its treasure.
elements can be layered onto this basic construction;
magical effects, puzzles, and other challenges add
complexity and danger to a maze.
Teleportation Pads: These devices are usually
MINE
small platforms, which might be concealed or obvi- Untold wealth resides beneath the surface of the
ous. Stepping onto one pad instantly transports you to world. Silver, gold, platinum, and precious gems
another area within the dungeon. have drawn nearly every humanoid race to construct
Puzzles: Some maze dungeons require explorers mines for obtaining those riches. Cut into mountain-
to solve puzzles before they can advance through a sides or down the tunnels of the Underdark, mines
particular area. In general, the greater the reward, are the conduit through which pours the treasure of
the more difficult the puzzle. clans and empires. When a mine’s wealth has been
The Third Dimension: The most complex mazes depleted, the shafts and other workings of the con-
extend not only horizontally but onto multiple levels. struction remain, offering a way for mysteries and
Particularly when it incorporates teleportation, a monsters to descend into their depths.
three-dimensional labyrinth can pose a serious chal-
lenge to even the most careful adventurers. Variations
Most mines are lengthy tunnels dug into the earth,
Exploring extending downward from a handful of entrances
The best method for exploring a maze is a careful on the surface. Smaller passages spread out from the
room-to-room search for clues to what lies ahead. You main shafts as miners follow promising veins of ore
might want to designate one player as the mapper, and pockets of gems.
who is responsible for keeping track of the charac- When active, a mine is abuzz with activity and
ters’ progress from room to room. As the dungeon workers toiling day and night. Dormant mines are
unfolds, the map expands with it and keeps the party different. Their tunnels are no longer maintained, so
on track. Be aware, though, that some mazes change occasional collapses and cave-ins seal off old passages
configuration at random intervals or teleport explor- or create new ones. These played-out mines become
ers between identical-looking areas, limiting a map’s more like natural cave complexes, drawing creatures
utility. In such cases, marking up the walls or floors to take shelter in them. Large populations of subter-
as you go along can help you determine if you’re visit- ranean monsters can occupy the biggest mines, or an
ing new territory. abandoned shaft might become home to a single dark
entity—some ancient creature that was disturbed
Dangers A maze is designed to confuse and when a mining operation dug too deeply.
frustrate intruders, and it can disorient you if you
decide to flee from some danger or if you become Exploring
stuck trying to figure out a puzzle. In addition to well- Mines created by humanoids feature passages that
hidden traps and fiendish puzzles, many mazes are are easy to navigate, whether on foot or using carts
stocked with monsters on ceaseless patrol (or perhaps designed to transport ore. Many mines have connec-
they’re as lost as you are). tions to deeper caves as well—even to the Underdark.
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Dangers
PRISON
Even an active mine is dangerous, with Variations
cave-ins and pockets of poison gas a constant threat to
A prison is built in a secure location, whether within
workers and explorers alike. Skilled miners use struts
the walls of a fortress, beneath a castle’s inner ward,
to reinforce tunnels and carefully test new passages
or even through a dimensional portal in another
before fully excavating them.
plane. Prisons for humanoids are cramped, depressing
When a mine has been abandoned, it holds dif-
warrens of narrow tunnels and tiny, dark cells. Iron
ferent dangers. No matter how cautious you are, you
bars and sturdy doors separate each chamber, and
might trigger a collapse as you explore, and the pos-
the clamor of chains echoes throughout the depths.
sibility of becoming lost in a mine is always a threat.
The stench of filthy bodies draws flies, and rats crawl
Some dormant mines feature traps set by the previ-
among shackled inmates. Implements of torture
ous miners, hoping to deter the greedy from following
dangle from the walls. Sunlight is a fading dream.
the tunnels to plunder new workings or carve out
Some beings cannot be contained by conventional
homes. These deterrents might be as simple as weak-
prisons. Fiendish villains, ancient monsters, and demi-
ened supports to bring down the roof of a tunnel with
gods or exarchs can be restrained only with great
but a nudge.
magic. Such a creature is held in isolation, with the
location of its prison kept secret so that its followers
Inhabitants Humans, dwarves, svirfneblin,
cannot attempt to free it. The bonds or cells that hold
goliaths, gnomes, kobolds—members of almost all
such prisoners are strengthened by arcane spellcraft,
humanoid races hear the call to pursue resources
the walls and doors ensorcelled with mystic wards.
and riches underground. While a mine is active,
it is heavily populated by miners, most of whom
don’t take kindly to intruders snooping around their Exploring
claim. This attitude is particularly prevalent among A prison has layers of defenses to prevent escape.
underground peoples, whose mines have strong con- Those jailed within one must contend with locked
nections to their ancestral holds. Outsiders caught doors, barred corridors, patrols of guards, and other
trespassing in such areas can expect a hostile or vio- obstacles. (If you’re on a rescue mission, you’ll have to
lent greeting. deal with those things as well—from the other side.)
After the excavation in a mine has ceased, the Rumors might circulate among inmates of secret
inhabitants can be different—though the reception paths left over from the prison’s construction or cre-
they give to interlopers is likely similar. Old tunnels ated by daring escapees.
are quickly repopulated by creatures looking for
defensible homes, from goblin squatters to hibernat- Dangers The challenges of a prison dungeon
ing cave bears, nesting stirges to rust monster packs. begin with the guards who patrol the entryway and
If a mine connects to the Underdark, even fouler corridors. They are quick to attack anyone they see
monsters might use it for access to the surface. moving unescorted through the complex.
PRISON into the prison, then let them make choices based on
their characters’ abilities. These decisions can lead to
Perhaps the most literal of all dungeon types, a prison exciting and memorable escapades that require the
dungeon is where the enemies of authority waste heroes to rely on timing, precision, and ability to avoid
away behind bars. Such holes are synonymous with capture. A skill challenge played out in stages can
torture and darkness, and few ever return from one. simulate the progress of the jailbreak, perhaps with a
Sealed away in a prison’s depths are a thousand tales few plot twists thrown in to keep things exciting.
of hardship, testifying to the horrors that even civi-
lized beings can visit upon one another.
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A prison breakout is a classic adventure plot
Even if the guards can be eluded, a prison often goods for his or her own use or to turn over to the
contains hidden defenses or traps to deal with authorities. Escape or rescue is its own reward. In
attempted escapes or to keep friends outside from some cases, a rescued prisoner might be rich or influ-
supplying aid. Some prisons are laid out as mazes so ential enough to provide remuneration after the fact,
that even in the event of a security breach, intruders or might offer valuable information. You could also
or escapees will have difficulty navigating networks break out someone wrongly imprisoned just for the
of identical corridors. warm feeling of doing good.
The biggest danger in a prison is often the prison-
ers themselves. These desperate individuals might
attack adventurers who are breaking in, hoping to SEWER
seize their weapons and magic. Building a dungeon from scratch is difficult in an
already existing urban environment. The sewers of
Inhabitants A prison can hold any kind of a city, however, can exhibit many of the features of a
creature. Humanoid prisoners range from hardened dungeon, including access to secret areas and forgot-
murderers to political iconoclasts. Such characters ten catacombs. Taking over a sewer complex might
have usually done something to offend their society appeal to a villain whose plans are focused in a popu-
or ruler, though their actions weren’t necessarily lated area or who must make use of an existing locale
evil. Some were imprisoned unfairly or by mistake, and isn’t too fussy.
or made enemies by taking a stand against corrupt
laws. On the other hand, a prisoner might be an arch-
villain, guilty of dreadful crimes, or a creature of such Variations
strength that no force or magic can destroy it. An undercity tunnel system might be a storm sewer,
Ultimately, no one wants to inhabit a prison—not which collects excess rainfall and funnels it away
even the guards employed to protect it. from the city streets and into a nearby body of water,
or a sanitary sewer designed to deal with refuse and
Rewards Little tangible wealth is to be found waste. Sewers large enough to serve as dungeons
in a prison, though its warden might seize captives’ can combine both designs, which makes living there
J U L I E D I L LO N
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VO LC A N O
call a sewer home are those that can tolerate its filth during a feud between gangs or underworld guilds.
or have no other place to go. Criminals hiding out in sewers use simple shelters
The main variant of a sewer dungeon is the aban- or collapsible tents and keep their gear packed at all
doned system beneath a deserted city. Creatures times, ready to retreat whenever the weather or the
looking for a home or a safe place might move into law becomes a threat.
an abandoned sewer in the same way they do an Sewers teem with scurrying rats, cockroaches,
abandoned mine. With no chance of attracting the centipedes, and other vermin, but these creatures
attention of city authorities, they have no need to hide present no threat to adventurers. In fact, you can
their activities in the sewer. get early warning of the lairs of larger predators by
watching out for locations free of vermin. Monstrous
Exploring creatures also thrive in sewers: Otyughs are at home
in the stench and filth, stirges swarm in humid tun-
A sewer has numerous entrances throughout a city,
nels, oozes drip from the ceiling, and carrion crawlers
so adventurers can easily enter and leave the dun-
lurk on all surfaces, feeding on smaller vermin as
geon. Their enemies have the same advantage, which
they wait for better prey to come along.
makes them that much more difficult to catch. Sewer
dwellers might also open up new entrances to their
tunnels by digging upward to infiltrate buildings for
Rewards The same thieves’ guilds that use
sewers for transportation also conceal their loot there.
use as bases aboveground.
Loose bricks and false walls conceal hoards of coins,
A sewer often has walkways on either side of the
false identification papers, disguise kits, and useful
channel, so you shouldn’t need to wade or swim under
magic items. In addition, a villain who controls a
normal circumstances. Still, the place stinks, both from
remote dungeon might create a teleportation circle in
sewage and from the rot-feeding growth that flourishes
an urban sewer, providing a way to quickly enter the
within its dank tunnels. Sewers aren’t built to be trav-
city or move supplies to operatives there.
eled through, and some sections might be blocked by
bars or shrink down to narrow pipes or passages. Those
that have long-term inhabitants are riddled with secret
passages and loose grates that can be easily moved.
VOLCANO
You could navigate a sewer using only the dim day- A volcano is a rupture in the surface of the world
light that filters down through storm drains, though that allows boiling magma, searing ash, and danger-
doing so can make for slow going. If the creatures ous gases to escape from below. The destructive and
living in a sewer have darkvision or other enhanced unpredictable nature of volcanoes makes them the
senses, you’re better off carrying light despite the risk most dangerous of natural dungeons.
of detection. Volcanoes embody the force of unfinished creation,
providing a window into the Elemental Chaos, and are
Dangers Anyone traveling through or living in a natural sources of gems and other riches. As streams
sewer fears heavy rains. During a storm, the tunnels of lava flow and cool, bubbles in the liquid form tun-
quickly fill with runoff, and creatures inside need to nels and caverns. These naturally strong shafts create a
make for higher ground. complex and formidable underground network.
Sewer-dwellers that have a penchant for traps
might build special dams with quick-release levers to Variants
open them and force pursuers back. A sewer’s narrow Unlike other types of natural dungeons, volcanoes
walkways make traps somewhat more effective, can be found in most places in the world, from the
since adventurers have less room to spread out while remote Underdark to the mountain ranges of the
exploring. most civilized surface lands. A volcano dungeon can
Human and animal waste, poisonous liquids be as small as a few interconnected chambers, or it
dumped by tanneries and other industries, and dead can fill the interior of a mountain with twisting pas-
animals all float through a sanitary sewer. Sewer sages and vast vaults.
water also carries diseases such as filth fever, making
moving through it as risky as it is disgusting. Exploring
Inhabitants Skulking creatures such as goblins The simplest volcano dungeon is a flat network of
seek out the familiar underground terrain of a sewer tunnels extending in every direction. Different areas
when they infest a humanoid city. Criminals and out- can feature thematic terrain, such as rivers of magma,
casts who want to remain close to civilization take lava falls, and rocky bridges over burning lakes.
refuge in a city’s sewers. Thieves, particularly wer-
erats, use sewer tunnels to move unseen beneath a Dangers The searing heat and lack of oxygen in
settlement. A sewer might become contested territory a volcano can tax even the most stalwart explorers.
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a smaller number of chambers in which these mon-
sters sleep and breed when they are not hunting.
Each intelligent race that builds warrens does so in
FOR THE DM: a different style. Kobolds lair near underground hot
VOLCANIC TERRAIN springs or volcanic vents for warmth (and potential
Volcanic terrain is not only challenging but also nearness to dragons). Goblins trap and breed beasts
exceedingly dangerous, particularly for heroic tier such as drakes, krenshars, wolves, and spiders to
characters. Falling into lava, for example, is quickly guard their warrens. Svirfneblin conceal their homes’
fatal for most characters. Your players should under- entrances, using illusion magic to make their cozy
stand that exploring a volcano is a dangerous and dens look dangerous or abandoned.
exhausting activity. You can use the threats of a
volcano dungeon to encourage them to think of Exploring
smart tactics, presenting them with challenges and
Even if a warren was built to be defensible, most of its
obstacles rather than a succession of death traps.
rooms serve everyday needs. Bedchambers, kitchens,
shrines, and privies are more common than armories
and guardrooms. Trapped passages are common,
Falling rocks, crumbling cavern walls, and unstable however, particularly in kobold warrens.
ground must all be taken into account.
Dangers Creatures that dig out warrens are typi-
Inhabitants Great monsters thrive in this land- cally of small stature. Their lairs are ill suited to the
scape, whether they have a connection to elemental taller races, which face a considerable challenge when
fire or simply seek the warmth of the caverns. Active squeezing through low, narrow passageways. Becom-
volcanoes arise around rifts to the Elemental Chaos, ing stuck in a narrow tunnel might seem a minor
attracting creatures of raw elemental energy. Fire inconvenience at first, but even the stupidest goblin
elementals and fiery demons are the most common of knows how to take advantage of a cornered foe.
these. Other creatures that lair in or near volcanoes Kobold warrens teem with traps, making them
include mephits, fire drakes, and red dragons. even more dangerous than other warrens. Their resi-
dents ably bypass hazards that can spell destruction
Rewards Volcanoes carry rare gems to the sur- for blundering intruders. Even if a trap doesn’t kill its
face inside streams of magma, and they can be a rich target, being tagged by one leaves a blood trail that
source of rare metals as well. Smiths are always look- kobolds can follow.
ing for raw volcanic ore to create new alloys. When
the lava from a volcano originates in the deepest Inhabitants Kobolds, goblins, and the like
reaches of the Elemental Chaos, it is often imbued viciously defend their warrens against intruders. This
with elemental magic, making it prized by artificers isn’t some dungeon that they guard as mercenaries—
and other arcane practitioners. it’s their home.
Many ancient red dragons make their lairs in the Unlike an outpost full of soldiers, a warren can
cores of volcanoes, which provide maximum defensi- contain children, the elderly, and other noncom-
bility for their hoards. The oldest are said to possess batants. Adventurers who avoid attacking such
lost artifacts, rare magic arms and armor, and unsur- creatures can sometimes negotiate passage through
passed wealth in coin and gems. a warren. Even noncombatants will take up arms
quickly if they are threatened. Kobolds are able to
use tooth and claw from the time they’re hatched;
WARREN elderly deep gnomes might fight with the despera-
tion of having nothing to lose; and few creatures
The confusing dens of kobolds, goblins, ankhegs, are more ferocious than mothers protecting their
and other subterranean creatures consist of unstable young.
caverns connected by twisting, narrow tunnels. A
warren dungeon is usually a shallow construction, Rewards Warrens are rarely filled with trea-
dug down just below the surface or extending off nat- sure, but they can be great sources of tools and
urally occurring underground passageways. supplies. For a group on a long expedition, a store of
cured meats and ale might be worth more than coins
Variations or gems. Information is another valuable, if intan-
Intelligent creatures build warrens that resemble vil- gible, reward for entering a warren. As well, local
lages, divided into specialized sections. The hives and rulers might pay well to have a nest of troublemakers
dens of beasts such as ankhegs and bulettes feature cleared out.
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Dungeon
Denizens
Sometimes the best weapon a dungeon delver can
have is knowledge of how to deal with the monsters
that lurk underground. So lend an ear to the voices
of experience quoted in this section as they tell their
tales and dispense their advice, and grab a piece of
parchment—you’ll want to take notes.
This section spotlights a group of monsters that
have a long history in the D&D game—including the
beholder, the mind flayer, and the rust monster, to
name a few. They’ve been “kept alive” as the game
has evolved because they’re just so . . . monstrous.
Aboleths
“Beware of what waits for us below, my friends. Drive any
thought that is not your own from your mind, for it will
betray you and leave you vulnerable to their corruption.
Take solace in the knowledge that these horrors are flesh
and blood, and they feel pain.”
—Mord, escaped thrall
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Ankhegs Beholders
“We didn’t get too many ankhegs back home. Too rocky. “Don’t listen to the lies spread by gossipers! There is only
Usually they’d show up by accident, drawn to the sound one, and it is Xocol’yalax! Others are pretenders, not
of our smithies. When they’d appear, they’d get all riled worthy of my sight! Now recount the ten thousand odes
up and spit acid everywhere. We had to take them down of my greatness that I taught you, and make them perfect
quick, before the acid tarnished the forge.” this time!”
—Korag, dwarf outcast —Xocol’yalax, beholder
Ankhegs hunt humanoids, so they stick close to When people on the surface world whisper about
settlements to gain easy access to their prey. The the terrible creatures that lurk in far depths, they’re
burrowing creatures avoid detection by stay- usually talking about beholders. Nothing compares
ing underground. When on the hunt, an ankheg to a beholder’s otherworldly appearance and capabili-
comes to the surface just long enough to snatch a ties. Its eyestalks writhe like a nest of snakes, spitting
victim, then drag it into the beast’s tunnels to tear magic energy with every glance. It need only look
it apart with razor-sharp mandibles. The more at a victim to burn or freeze or disintegrate it. If a
the victim struggles, the angrier the ankheg gets, beholder’s enemy survives the barrage of eye rays, the
and the nastier the fight becomes. Since adventur- floating creature simply opens its mouth to bring to
ers have a tendency to fight back, ankhegs can get bear its vicious bite.
extremely nasty. Beholders’ megalomaniacal delusions are as
The good news is that most ankhegs hunt alone. dangerous as their abilities. They create subterra-
They don’t gather in large numbers because each one nean domains for themselves, taking on titles such
needs a lot of food to survive, and having too many as “supreme majesty” or “all-seeing overlord.” A
ankhegs in one area depletes the food supply. They beholder delights in imposing its will on others, espe-
do work together during the mating cycle, though, cially when the lesser beings consciously accept its
digging a burrow where they drop their eggs. The superiority. Beholders build menageries of slaves and
parents grow more aggressive, both to drive off preda- collect creatures that they find interesting. The supe-
tors and to bring in meat for the broodlings when riority complex of beholders would be humorous if
they hatch. they didn’t insist on trying to rule the world.
Carrion Crawlers
“Whole nests of the things would gorge themselves in the
killing caverns of the orc wars. The beasts were so intent
READING THE SIGNS on shoveling the dead into their mouths that you could slip
By Khel Nighteyes, veteran dungeoneer right past them, if you could stand the stink.”
Time and time again I hear of adventurers kick- —Korag, dwarf outcast
ing in dungeon doors or stomping through caverns,
practically ringing the dinner bell for monsters. We Carrion crawlers wallow in filth, decay, and slime.
Deep Guides favor discretion. The best way to avoid They scour subterranean environments for easy
monsters is to keep your eyes open; the signs are all meals among the dead or dying, but if they can’t find
around you. Let me give you some examples. those, they ambush live prey with their poisonous
Abnormally clean dungeon walls are a good clue tentacles. The caterpillar-like bodies of these crea-
that an ooze is squelching around nearby. tures let them launch these ambushes from bizarre
Butchered bodies are a sure sign of grimlocks, but angles, attacking from dungeon walls or ceilings so
the savage creatures also leave greasy handprints and that enemies cannot fight back easily. Experienced
tufts of ropy hair wherever they go. delvers know to watch out for pools of dripping slime
Think a bit of treasure scattered conveniently in tunnels—a drooling crawler might be lurking
in your path is too good to be true? It is. It usually overhead.
means that a roper is lurking overhead. The sight and sound of a carrion crawler feeding
Aboleths have a fixation on bizarre shapes and can make the bravest adventurer queasy. The hid-
angles, making their thralls build monolithic struc- eous sucking noises are more disturbing when you
tures near their lairs. consider that their meal might still be alive. Being
paralyzed by a carrion crawler’s poison is one of a
delver’s worst fears: shoveled headfirst into the mon-
ster’s maw, fully aware but utterly powerless.
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Cave Fishers as well. This hatred might come from the fact that
many Underdark creatures enslave them. Grimlocks
“Meepo already feel like little worm all alone in the dark.
attack mind flayers more zealously than they do any
Why nasty monsters hook him like one, too?”
other race.
—Meepo the kobold
These insectlike predators cast their sticky nets into Hook Horrors
the tunnels of dungeons, angling for everything “We use t’ file down hook horror claws and use ’em as
from buzzing stirges to errant explorers. Cave fish- arches for our homes. Didn’t need keystones ’cause the
ers prefer overhangs or ledges in moist caverns. Their claws were strong enough t’ hold up the entire roof without
craggy carapaces let them hide perfectly against a buckling. Findin’ ways to use the claws wasn’t hard. Getting
cavern wall, where they wait patiently for prey to ’em’s another matter.”
wander near. Some cave fishers spin a noose of fila- —Thorry, trapsmith
ment that snatches a creature, strangling it. Others
fire harpoon-like spikes into the flesh of their vic- These creatures range through caverns in search of
tims. Either way, a cave fisher immobilizes its prey, food. Similar to great bears of the upper world, hook
then carries it back to the nest to be feasted on by the horrors are renowned for their orneriness. They
beast’s ravenous brood. don’t go looking for fights, but if surprised, cornered,
Cave fishers rely on cunning rather than strength or wounded, they hit back hard. The creatures’ size
to catch their meals. They usually stay in areas close and chitinous plating make them incredibly strong
to the surface, which typically see heavy foot traffic and resilient. Their claws are nearly six feet long,
by small humanoids. A lone goblin or kobold can’t put studded with jagged barbs and ending in a fishhook
up much of a fight, but a fully equipped adventurer shape larger than a human hand. When angered, a
can take down a cave fisher—if you can close with hook horror smashes a foe with these claws, pulls an
the creature. There’s the problem. Cave fishers crawl enemy close, and rends flesh with its beaked jaws.
along walls and ceilings like spiders, favoring ambush Underdark explorers have suggested that hook
locations where their prey has limited maneuverabil- horrors might be more than violent beasts. Solitary
ity or cover. creatures have exhibited complex behavior that sug-
gests intelligence. Additionally, hook horror clans,
Grimlocks usually consisting of a handful of individuals, have
been seen demonstrating teamwork, compassion, and
“Drow slave-pits are overflowing with grimlocks. Those
ritualized behavior. Thus, some delvers say that avoid-
brutes are as cruel as their masters and would fight to the
ing their territory is not only safer but more respectful.
death even if drow whips weren’t behind them. Against a
grimlock, one blow—well timed, swift, and perfectly aimed
to the heart—will do more than a dozen errant cuts.” Mimics
—Meliera, bloodsworn “Look, when I tell you not to touch anything, I have a very
good reason. Let’s just say that sometimes the dungeon
Even among the harsh races of the Underdark, bites back.”
grimlocks stand out as some of the most savage and —Karl, deep delver
violent. The fearless raiders wander the endless cav-
erns, always on the move and quick to slay whatever Although mimics come from the Far Realm, they
they encounter. Although they use only primitive have found the world’s dungeons to be good hunting
stone or bone weapons, their brutish strength can grounds. These amorphous, slime-like creatures take
overpower most humanoids. Untold millennia under- the forms of everyday objects in their chosen environ-
ground have given them uncanny senses, enabling ments. Treasure chests, religious altars, and elaborate
them to function in complete darkness. This ability doorways are among their favorite shapes because
is a serious problem for surface dwellers— although they attract the attention of curious passersby. A
grimlocks can’t see the flicker of torchlight, they can mimic waits, indistinguishable from the surround-
feel its warmth, and they go for the person with the ing features until prey comes within reach. Then the
light first. creature shows its true nature, becoming a writhing
The tiny glimpses of grimlocks’ tribal culture that mass of ooze, teeth, and tendrils.
adventurers have seen suggest that the creatures Experienced adventurers know to be alert for a
don’t spend all their time brutalizing and eating mimic whenever they discover an interesting object
everything they find. They have an ingrained hatred while dungeon delving, and such caution has denied
of outsiders, though, so no one has been able to live the creatures many potential meals over the years.
among them. Grimlocks savagely attack dungeon As a result, some mimics have wised up, taking the
delvers, but they battle other subterranean monsters forms of humanoids and actively hunting gullible
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prey. As these mimics become more common in hack their way through. Myconids don’t take kindly
dungeons—and sometimes on the surface world— to those who damage their colony, nor do they have
adventurers might start second-guessing everyone patience for opponents who try to slow their advance.
they meet, wondering if a new acquaintance is really Despite their hostility, myconids are not evil. Some
a toothy mass of hungry slime. people can understand and perhaps empathize with
their need to expand. Opening negotiations with a
Mind Flayers myconid sovereign is a good tactic for those who don’t
want to fight a charging army of spiny fungi. Once
“There were hundreds of skulls in that pit, practically spill-
they are attacked, myconids pour from their lair like
ing over the edge. But that wasn’t what made me run—it
a colony of fire ants, and they don’t stop until they or
was the mangled holes in each skull’s forehead, like some-
their foes are compost.
thing had bitten right through it.”
—Risha, drow assassin of Maelbrathyr
Oozes and Slimes
No creatures haunt the nightmares of dungeon-delvers “The trick to dealing with oozes is to give them something
more than mind flayers. Their far-reaching schemes to focus on. They’re as brainless as they are deadly, so if you
and boundless hatred of other races puts them among poke them with something, they’re likely to fixate on it. Just
the supreme villains of the Underdark. Their combi- be sure it’s not something that dissolves too quickly.”
nation of psychically enslaved servitors and withering —Karl, deep delver
mental attacks makes them a threat for any group of
adventurers. Defeat at the hands of a mind flayer is Clinging to dungeon walls or seeping formlessly
a fate worse than death, leading to either slavery or a through cracks, oozes and slimes exist only to feed on
sickening feast on the victim’s brain. anything their acidic bodies touch. They don’t think
Mind flayers are obsessed with the perfection of or feel, and they barely react to external stimuli. They
their species. They reproduce by corrupting other are driven by the instinct to consume and lurk in the
creatures and capture promising hosts that can moist darkness, waiting for a meal to pass by. Every-
be transformed into new mind flayers. This need thing is food to them, and their goopy bodies scrub
spurs their cabals to expand into new realms, where clean dungeon walls and adventurers’ bones alike.
they work to subvert existing centers of power. If an The best way to protect yourself from oozes is to pay
attempt at transformation produces disappointing attention. The creatures are generally lethargic, espe-
results, the mind flayers might call for the systematic cially after eating, when they become torpid masses of
genocide of the host’s race. On the other hand, a suc- jelly. Even active oozes move very slowly; most adven-
cessful transformation means that mind flayers seek turers can walk away from one without breaking a
out similar creatures to undergo the process. Unfortu- sweat. The danger is that oozes and slimes can become
nately for adventurers, their skills and abilities make almost invisible in the right conditions. You could walk
them attractive targets. right into one before realizing it. Never stick your hand
into a damp niche before checking first, and always
Myconids prod pools of water before drinking.
“It started when we found spores clinging to the soles of our
boots after we returned from the tunnels, and it just didn’t Otyughs
stop. Mushrooms began popping up over the whole village, “Ick! No want to smell fat stink-monster!”
crowding us out of our houses and smothering our gardens. —Splik, grudging goblin guide
It wasn’t long before they started moving around, wonder-
ing what we were doing in their home.” Plenty of explorers attest that otyughs are the most
—Durthee, svirfneblin refugee foul, filthy, diseased sacks of tentacles and flesh in
dungeons. Although the creatures are products of
The idea of walking mushrooms might make some the natural world, they reek with what some swear
adventurers snicker, but experienced delvers know must be a supernatural stench that is second only to
that the implacable spread of myconids is no laugh- the smell of troglodytes. It’s as if their bloated, flabby
ing matter. Colonies of these plant creatures are bodies absorb the rot and decay around them.
expanding throughout the world. Thriving in dank An otyugh is almost invisible when wallowing in
environments such as caverns and dungeons, myco- a pile of filth, its skin adapting to match the color of
nids take hold of an area quickly. Their spores create the putrid surroundings. A consummate scavenger
huge fungal masses that crowd out other plants and by nature, the creature’s aggression stems mostly
animals. Their lairs are pungent with decay, and the from its territorial nature. It lays claim to a rich
growth is sometimes so thick that explorers have to feeding ground and tries to drive off or consume all
who intrude. An otyugh entangles a creature in its
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WA R R E N
tentacles, which are covered with vicious hooks that that weren’t bad enough, ropers sadistically enjoy the
sink into flesh, then pulls the victim into its cesspool struggles of their victims, laughing horribly as they
and chews it up. chew their food.
Most otyughs are irritable loners, squatting idly in Ropers are occasionally talkative, and one might
a noisome pit or slowly wandering through dungeons converse with a likely meal before attacking (though it is
until they find a place disgusting enough to make hardly good company). Some dungeon-dwelling races,
their own. Only priests of Torog, god of the Under- such as goblins, look to ropers as oracles or gods. A roper
dark, show any affinity for otyughs, though the slimy might offer guidance or protection in exchange for offer-
creatures are exploited by troglodytes, hobgoblins, ings of wealth—and the chance to snatch a supplicant
and other dungeon-dwelling races for both waste here and there for an easy meal. Since ropers have tre-
removal and defense. mendous life spans and can hibernate for decades, their
gullets might hold ancient treasures.
Purple Worms
“Sing the tale of Vonak Bloodoath, who fought and slew the Rust Monsters
bale worm. For seven days he struggled in the belly of the “Oh, how I hate those things. Not because they eat swords or
beast, his golden axe painted crimson. Vonak knew no fear armor or all that nonsense, but because they ruin the nicest
and felt no weariness, and at last he cleaved the monster’s treasure! The best thing to do is blast them with something
heart. So mighty was the worm’s thrashing that it shook the loud and flashy; it makes them scatter like cockroaches.”
mountains.” —Ella, treasure hunter
—A dwarven legend told in Cor Talcor
A relatively docile and inoffensive rust monster can
Dungeon monsters don’t come bigger, nastier, or upset the nerves of mighty heroes more than can the
hungrier than purple worms. These hundred-foot- most despicable demon. Physically, rust monsters
long horrors burrow through stone and earth at great are hardly threatening. They are spindly and flighty,
speed, driven only to eat. One titanic worm’s burrow- their antennas atwitter as they scuttle, and are quick
ing can create tremors or sinkholes large enough to to flee unless someone is carrying metal objects. The
threaten whole communities. Like a force of nature, smell of metal makes rust monsters aggressive, but
it can burst through a fortress wall, writhing and adventurers clad in armor or laden with treasure
thrashing at armies that are helpless to stop it. The drive them into a feeding frenzy. A hungry rust mon-
monster opens its huge mouth and simply crawls for- ster charges toward metal heedless of opposition,
ward, shoveling masses of prey into its gullet. Inside scampering back to safety only after it is sated.
its body, the victims are awash in digestive slime Most people hate rust monsters with a passion that
that quickly dissolves their flesh. Everything from a is astounding but fully deserved. If left unchecked,
kobold to a giant is food to a purple worm.
As the apex predators in the Underdark, purple
worms have a rich mythology. Their appearances
have marked the destruction of cities, the creation of
important underground landscapes, and speculation THE ALBINO RUST MONSTER
about the true depth of the Night Below. The drow A lament by Vanion Braveheart
consider the worms a test sent by Lolth to judge their They were on us like locusts, dozens of rust mon-
worth. Goblins think that the worms are hungry gods sters pouring from the honeycomb of tunnels all
that will shatter the world if not fed. Dwarves view around. I drew my sword Red Wind by instinct and
them much as surface-dwellers do ravaging dragons. immediately knew it was a mistake. A huge beast
pushed through the throng and charged me. It was
Ropers bigger than a horse, and its shell glistened pale white
in the torchlight. I gave ground, but the monster
“How’s this for a trap idea? It blends perfectly into th’ wall came on, its mandibles clacking. It barreled over me,
and shoots out lines that grab ’n’ pull you up into it, where wrenching my sword from my hands. I watched in
a bunch o’ sharp stuff tears you to pieces. Makin’ one? horror as Red Wind, an enchanted blade inherited
Who said anything about makin’ one? It’s already here. from the knights of Nerath, withered to dust in the
Just look up.” monster’s jaws.
—Thorry, trapsmith We were overwhelmed and had no choice but to
flee. That giant rust monster is still down there, fat-
Patient, ravenous, and cruel, a roper can wait weeks tened on the magic of my lost sword.
for prey to stumble within reach of its tentacles.
When prey draws near, the roper hurls long tentacles
to snare and reel the victim into its gaping maw. As if
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the beasts can cause havoc to whole communities. Troglodytes form obsessively territorial clans.
In dwarven culture, not killing a rust monster one Sometimes these groups are as eager to kill each
encounters is a crime, and some adventurers claim other as they are other races, though competing clans
that dragons hired them to clear out nests of the crea- put aside their differences when given an opportunity
tures lurking near their hoards. to spill the blood of other creatures.
Troglodytes are well adapted to life underground.
Stirges They scramble over rocky terrain easily and can go
for days at a time without food.
“There’s nothing worse than walking into a stirge lair
unawares. They swarm you in seconds, sometimes so thick
you can’t even see through them to find the way out. Expe- Umber Hulks
rienced Deep Guides can read the signs that stirges are “Umber hulk tunnels are risky for travelers. The creatures
near and toss a rock down the tunnel to distract them long do so much thrashing when they burrow that their holes
enough for everyone to run past.” could cave in at any time. When you also consider that
—Karl, deep delver umber hulk migrations follow patterns, suddenly that
purple worm tunnel sounds mighty appealing.”
Among the world’s most widespread monsters, stir- —Jasyn of Therund, founding Deep Guide
ges infest underground environments just as they do
the nooks and crannies on the surface. Cavern stirges Umber hulks are greatly feared in the Underdark,
swarm in colonies large enough to turn a cave’s ceiling and not just because their claws rip through stone as
into a writhing mass of spindly claws and leathery wings. if it were parchment. Their reputation is also due to
Although some of these stirges find exits to the surface their ravenous appetite. When hungry, umber hulks
world at night to hunt, many are satisfied with the ample never stop looking for food. Their hunting methods
prey of the Underdark. In fact, some prefer to stay in aren’t subtle; an umber hulk typically bursts through
dungeons, which have fewer places for prey to hide. a stone tunnel and tears its prey apart with savage
Trying to fight a swarm of stirges is a fool’s proposition, blows. Their scimitar-sized mandibles bristle with
especially while underground, so travelers and explor- serrations, and their armored shells are thicker than
ers have developed other ways to deal with a colony. The plate armor. Veteran delvers know that when the
drow use a particular type of spider that nests among the ground shakes, it’s time to take cover.
stirges and hunts the creatures to extinction. Svirfneblin Umber hulks are solitary hunters, but their tunnels
poison a swarm by placing tainted animal carcasses out- are thick with small creatures scavenging their kills or
side its lair. Adventurers have found success using fires to relying on the larger beasts for protection. After feast-
smoke the stirges out of their caverns. ing, an umber hulk might let these vermin crawl over its
mandibles and claws to pick clean any remaining scraps.
Troglodytes Umber hulks rest only when molting. This pro-
cess leaves them in a torpid state for several days as
“I remember that a troglodyte chieftain was brought before
they shed their exoskeletons and emerge even bigger,
my mother in chains. She wanted to see if its kind could
faster, and stronger. This period is one of the few
be hired as mercenaries or at least enslaved. The beast
times of vulnerability in an umber hulk’s life. Dis-
lashed out and tried to escape. The guards stopped it, but
carded shells are marvelous finds for dungeoneers
my mother slew them anyway—not because they failed to
because they can be sold or fashioned into supremely
keep the creature chained, but because its stink couldn’t be
sturdyy armor and shields.
washed from their clothes.”
—Khiira, Underdark envoy
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C A S T L E R AV E N LO F T
Count Strahd von Zarovich of Castle Ravenloft—master of all he surveys, and much more
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each Barovian labors within sight of the spires of
Castle Ravenloft, a great keep perched a thousand
feet above them on a pillar of rock that juts from the
mountainside. The master of the castle, and of Baro-
SURVIVING ISN’T
via, is a self-styled count by the name of Strahd von EVERYTHING
Zarovich. Throughout the history of the D&D game, certain
The Vistani who imparted this knowledge to you adventures have become part of the shared experi-
also carried with them a letter from the burgomas- ence. These adventures cause DMs all over the world
ter of Barovia. In it he pleads for someone to come to cackle with glee and give experienced players the
and help his lady love, Ireena, who has fallen ill from shakes. This chapter presents eight of these D&D
some strange malady. The burgomaster has promised icons: the vampire’s castle, the sealed mountain
all his wealth to any who could remove the affliction. stronghold, the haunted ruin, the buried city, the
Another letter has recently surfaced in the Ivlis pharaoh’s pyramid, the volcano vault, the trap-ridden
River, which flows out of the Balinok Mountains. tomb, and the demonic temple. If you’ve never pitted
Found on the bloated and clawed corpse of a man your characters against these terrifying dungeons,
presumed to be its courier, the water-damaged dis- then you are missing an important part of what it
patch tells a different tale. It was written in a different means to be a D&D player.
hand from the burgomaster’s letter and is dated To say you explored the Tomb of Horrors is one
weeks before the Vistani came into possession of that thing; to say you lived through it . . . well, that’s a rare
message. The garbled text that remains legible reads honor. There’s no better way to gain D&D player “cred”
as follows. than to step through the gates of Castle Ravenloft and
test your mettle against Count Strahd von Zarovich,
Hail thee of . . . and valor: I, . . . of Barovia, send you or defy the wizard Keraptis by stealing Wave, Whelm,
honor—with despair. My adopted d . . . fair . . . been these and Blackrazor from his insane dungeon below White
past nig . . . by a creature calling itself . . . For over . . . dear Plume Mountain. The dungeons described herein are
Ireena languishes and . . . from an unh . . . caused by this nasty, they’re out to get you, and if you’re not careful,
vile beast. Yet I fear, too, that the creatu . . . some more cun- they’ll chew you up and swallow you whole.
ning . . . He has become too pow . . . be fought . . . This section provides fodder for your imagination,
So I . . . leave us for dead and . . . encircle this land with a “behind the curtain” peek at eight dungeons littered
. . . Let holy men call . . . that the evil may be held within . . . with the gnawed-on skeletal remains of adventurers
weeping Barovia. . . . save the world from . . . from bygone D&D campaigns. If any of these descrip-
There is much wealth entrapped in . . . Return for your tions whet your appetite, urge your DM to take a crack
reward after we are all departed . . . at running them. Although many of these adventures
Burgomas . . . were written for earlier editions of the rules, a skilled
DM can usually convert the necessary rules. If doing
that sort of thing doesn’t interest your DM, then at
Playing a Vistani least you can use any description that sounds appeal-
The Vistani are a tribal people of humanoids of vari- ing to give him or her an idea of the kind of dungeon
ous races who share a common culture of nomadism you’d like to explore.
and mystic arts. Their bands roam the world in Of the adventures presented here, the one I’ve run
house-wagons, often pausing near other communities most often is Tomb of Horrors, and the end result was
until they wear out their welcome. These wanderers always the same: The player characters who went in
have a reputation for talents of foresight, black curses, never came out, usually falling victim not to the main
and lax morals—some of it true to varying degrees. villain of the adventure but to the dungeon itself. As
The Vistani might put on a bright face for the sake of a player, I’ve thrown characters into all eight of these
outsiders, but they are secretive and insular, and their dungeons and fared no better. In fact, of the dungeons
warm smiles can turn cold in an instant. presented here, I can claim victory over none of them,
Even if the Vistani in the adventure are some of but I have many stories about how my characters
the villains, you could play a Vistani character who perished, stories that resonate with other players
is working against them. Alternatively, your charac- who have suffered similar losses over the years, all in
ter might be from a Vistani tribe in another part of good fun. Often it’s the ill-fated expedition into the
the world, seeking to discover what ties the Barovian dungeon that we remember best and which conjures
Vistani have to their land and its master. For more the biggest laughs.
information on creating a Vistani character, see —Chris Perkins
“Playing Vistani” in Dragon 380. D&D Senior Producer
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C A S T L E R AV E N LO F T
Background: Of course you wavered, but nonetheless, fighting
against everything you had been taught, you went out
Barovian Escapee into the night and followed the one you loved most
Most of the time, you lived a pleasant life in Barovia. in the world down the road toward the gateway into
Simple rules guided your existence: Obey the burgo- the forest. She stood aside and implored you to pass
master. Do not consort with the Vistani. Do not go through the gate. When you did so and turned back
out after sunset. And always do as Count Strahd von to look, no one stood behind you, but in the distance
Zarovich commands. a pack of wolves crept out of the woods onto the road.
Several times each year, some village residents You fled for your life into the forest.
receive invitations written in the count’s hand and You spent weeks wandering the mountains. Even-
bearing his seal pressed into crimson wax. Those who tually you found a road, which led you to a new land.
return tell of lavish banquets and parties that last You’re still not certain you did the right thing in leav-
through the night. Some do not return, though. They ing your homeland, even though life is better in many
are afterward said to be “living with the count,” and ways beyond Barovia’s borders.
they are never seen outside the castle again. And . . . more than guilt haunts you. Recently you
Or so you thought—until the night you saw your have heard stories of a black coach being pulled by
sweetheart for the last time. exquisite black stallions. It appears from time to time,
You awoke to the sound of your name being called traveling the roads with no one driving it, and no pas-
from the yard outside. Your love, who had answered senger is glimpsed beyond its swaying velvet curtains.
an invitation from Strahd some time ago, and whom Its last reported location is always somewhere behind
you had secretly grieved as lost to you ever since, you, leading you to wonder if it is drawing closer.
stood beneath your window, pale in the moonlight. It is, you fear, the same black coach that carries the
Her faint words warned you that your name was now count’s guests to his castle.
on the guest list and that you must not come to the Associated Skill: Perception or Stealth.
castle—in fact, you had to leave Barovia that night.
CASTLE RAVENLOFT,
RAVE
A NLOFTT PAST
PAST AND PRESENT
Ravenloft has a lively D&D history since its debut as an that the earlier letter was brutally quashed. But why
AD&D adventure in 1983. The venue was developed as would a being who has existed securely for so long need
a full-fledged campaign setting throughout the 1990s, the likes of you to upset his apple cart? So, does someone
updated to 3rd Edition rules, and reincarnated as an else want Ireena rescued? Maybe the Vistani want to
award-winning board game in 2010. Nearly two dozen keep access to Barovia open for some reason, and new
novels and a host of follow-on adventures in the same visitors are somehow key to that plan.
setting also contributed to Castle Ravenloft’s fame. Some magic must be at work if a castle and town
The enduring popularity of the setting lies partly in its can remain unknown for centuries. Strahd is probably a
similarity to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but the eerie mood wizard of impressive ability, and likely undead if he has
and open structure of the first adventure, written by Tracy maintained control for so long. Unassailable, intelligent,
and Laura Hickman, is what really makes Ravenloft work. and with a passive population of living people under his
Strahd wasn’t just waiting in a room in his castle some- thumb—even without the evidence of the waterlogged
where. Instead he would go on the offensive, attacking letter, how could he be anything other than a vampire?
the adventurers when they were in the most dire situa- To discover the truth, you’ll likely have to face Strahd
tions and then escaping before he could be cornered. in his castle. Taking on a vampire is difficult enough, but
one who has access to the most potent spells and ritu-
Continuing the Story als presents a much greater challenge. If Strahd sent the
Clearly, something strange is going on in the shadow of letter that is held by the Vistani, then he is watching for
Castle Ravenloft. Either the Vistani cannot be trusted, your arrival. You’ll have no hope of surprise. Perhaps the
or they don’t know about the earlier letter found on the author of the waterlogged letter is right; maybe the best
dead courier. If that water-damaged message is true, thing to do is somehow wall off Barovia and leave its
then the missive the Vistani came into possession of citizens to their doom. But with so many innocent lives
must be a fake. hanging in the balance, that approach would be anything
If that’s the case, then someone—perhaps Strahd— but heroic. If you plan to end the vampire’s existence,
wants adventurers to try to rescue Ireena, so desperately you’ll need to find and destroy his coffin.
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Moonlight reveals the central tower of the ancient wizard’s fortress
GHOST TOWER OF Inverness has long been shunned by the locals. The
legends of its tyrannical rise, and of the supernatural
INVERNESS perils that remain after its fall, are still the stuff of
bard song and tavern tales.
The four outer towers of Castle Inverness still stand Tales say that in elder days the great fortress
above its ruins. They lean at different angles like called Inverness gave its lord mastery over all land
tombstones guarding neglected graves, jutting from that could be surveyed from its high central keep,
the ivy-choked rubble that was once the walls of a and twice that distance beyond the bounds of mortal
mighty fortress. Castle Inverness is one of the three vision. The walls of this castle were proof against
infamous “ghost towers” of the Nentir Vale, but unlike every enemy and all things magical or natural. In it
the other two, it is not merely a focus for the activities dwelled the great wizard Galap-Dreidel at the height
of undead. of his glory. He had lifted the keep from the bed-
On certain nights, when the fog rises as high as rock to make a kingdom of others’ lands for himself.
the old walls’ tops, moonlight seems to strike some- When lords and royals came to challenge his claim,
thing in the mist. Clouds take shape, drifting around Galap-Dreidel’s spells struck them down long before
a huge yet unseen object between the four towers. they could even see Castle Inverness. Thus were the
Then, suddenly, the luminous cylindrical tower of the boundaries of Galap-Dreidel’s lands discerned.
central keep stands once again, jutting boldly into the Most grand and terrible of all Galap-Dreidel’s
sky, defying death and time. work was the keep’s great inner tower where the wiz-
When clouds skirt across the moon’s face, the ard’s most prized possession, an eldritch jewel known
Ghost Tower’s image wavers. And when the moon is only as the Soul Gem, was said to rest. Legend says
fully obscured, the tower vanishes into shadows and that it was like a great white diamond that glowed
mist. The fog flows freely once more, and the appari- with the brilliance of the sun. In years long past it
tion vanishes until some other bewitched evening. had fallen from the sky and landed in the foothills,
Few willingly draw near this accursed place. Even where Galap-Dreidel discovered it. Through magic
N OA H B R A D L E Y
without the appearance of the Ghost Tower, Castle most arcane and knowledge forbidden to mortals
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G H O S T TOW E R O F I N V E R N E S S
THE GHOST TOWER, PAST AND PRESENT
“You are hereby granted title to, and ownership of, any and four outer towers yet stand, and dungeons might lie
all treasures (save only the Soul Gem) that you remove from beneath the rubble. Given the frightening appearance of
Keep Inverness and its grounds. These gains shall be subject the tower, and the penchant for the other ghost towers
to the Ducal treasure tariff of 20%.” of the Nentir Vale to attract undead, you’re unlikely to
With these words, the adventure begins for players of face living foes in the ruins. Prepare yourself for bat-
the 1980 module The Ghost Tower of Inverness, by Allen tling undead, but keep
Hammack. That publication was preceded by a tourna- in mind that a greatt
ment version that one could purchase only at WinterCon wizard built the placee
VIII in 1979 in a zip bag containing 40 loose-leaf pages. and supposedly set itt
But even in its more professionally published form, the apart from time. If the
adventure’s tournament pedigree was on full display. Dis- ghostly reappearance
cussions of scoring the players’ efforts riddle the adventure of the central keep
text, which presents an oftentimes nonsensical dungeon is more than a mere
full of desperation-inducing challenges. Instead of puzzles haunting, the traps
that players might figure out and solve, many rooms and monsters origi-
plunged them into life-threatening situations without any nally placed there
rhyme or reason. The players succeeded due to luck and by Galap-Dreidel
sheer determination, or their characters died. might still exist.
Since then, the Ghost Tower of Inverness has Summoned foes
appeared from time to time in various products. Most and enthralled
recently, it was featured in the D&D Encounters™ season minions of any kind could ld
March of the Phantom Brigade. In that adventure, the await more victims for sport. No recent stories men-
party travels with a group of would-be settlers to the tion the Soul Gem, so that dreadful artifact might still
ruined Castle Inverness, only to be attacked by spirits be protecting itself.
led by the ghost of someone who was killed while If you seek the Soul Gem, do so on a foggy but moon-
exploring the ruins. lit night when very few clouds are in the sky, just to be
on the safe side. Otherwise, you risk becoming unstuck
Continuing the Story in time along with the tower, only to emerge months or
What remains in the ruins of Castle Inverness is not even years later.
clear from the legend, but even if the keep is gone, the
did he shape the stone to his will. Stories say that A time came when Galap-Dreidel left his keep and
the light of the gem dragged souls screaming from did not return. When at last it seemed safe to assume
their mortal flesh and trapped them within its many that the wizard was not coming back, a mob of super-
facets. They also claim that whoever controlled the stitious people from the surrounding lands laid siege
gem could call forth the stolen souls and make them to the castle. Without the wizard to protect it, its
do his or her bidding. Galap-Dreidel harnessed this walls fell before the force of their rage, and they even
power and used it against those who opposed his will. threw down the great tower. Despite this victory over
To protect the Soul Gem, Galap-Dreidel raised their former master, people feared the ruins—for on
up the great central tower and filled his castle with foggy nights the keep seemed to return. Did the old
horrible creatures and traps. Then, using a great magic and monsters also return, or perhaps the ghost
incantation, he wrested the tower from the fabric of of Galap-Dreidel himself? No one knows for certain,
time so that those within would not be affected by the but that’s what the bards seem to suggest.
passage of years. Thus his traps never deteriorated, In recent years, the infamy of Inverness has grown,
nor did his guardians age or need food. Some leg- causing storytellers to once more recount the old
ends tell that he even taught the gem to protect itself tales of its rise and fall. Heedless or ignorant of those
from those who would take it from him. Of course, stories, a group of settlers built a village within the
his creatures still had need of amusement, so at times area encompassed by the four towers. This irrever-
Galap-Dreidel would take a prisoner from the sur- ence eventually prompted a ghost to approach the
rounding lands and set the victim free in the tower gates of the village, but even the dire warning of that
for their sport. spirit could not shake the fools from their convictions.
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Within a fortnight thereafter, an army of phantoms
overran the village of Inverness, setting buildings T HE L OST CITY
ablaze with spectral fire and slitting throats with The city lay bejeweled and soft under the sun, wine-
intangible blades. drunk and sated by plentiful fields. Those who might
call themselves its enemy felt no hate for it, only envy
Background: and lust. Its beauty captured even the hearts of some
gods, binding them to it so that they would be wor-
Inverness Survivor shiped by no others. It was called Cynidicea, Jewel of
You were there when the ghost of Salazar Vladistone the Desert, and it is still out there somewhere, buried
demanded single combat with Brother Splintershield, beneath the sands.
the leader of the Inverness settlement. You watched Legend has it that Cynidicea’s last and greatest
as Brother Splintershield smugly renounced the king was a wise leader named Alexander. Under his
spirit’s claim to the place from inside the boundary of stewardship, the harsh desert became fecund and
the cleansing ritual he had performed. You had heard pliable. The citizens of Cynidicea played beneath
some of the stories about the ghost towers of the the groaning boughs of fruitful orchards, luxuriated
Nentir Vale, and denying the ghost didn’t seem right, in seductive pools of limpid water, danced over the
with it standing there before you all. Deeply unsettled black earth of verdant fields, and slept deeply, know-
by the encounter, you left thinking that something ing that they were loved by their three patron gods.
bad was going to happen. When King Alexander at last died, his queen,
You were right. On a cold midwinter night you Zenobia, and the other Cynidiceans turned their
awoke to screams of terror, and you didn’t have to tear-streaked faces skyward and built a great tomb
wait long to understand why. Several ghosts of sol- to bring their beloved leader closer to the gods. A
diers came through your walls and ordered you to mighty ziggurat, it reached one hundred feet into
leave. They needn’t have bothered—the sight alone the air, and atop it stood statues of the three gods of
of the terrible apparitions had you scurrying for the Cynidicea, each holding up its hands, urging Alexan-
exit. Some in your village tried to fight, but to no der’s spirit onward.
avail. Their pitchforks and swords passed harmlessly As long as Cynidicea’s people looked to the heavens,
through the spirits, while the ghosts’ spectral weap- all was well, but in the process of expanding the sacred
ons slashed your friends’ bodies. Phantom arrows tomb, they also delved downward into the darkness
flickering with pale flames ignited real fires in the beneath the ziggurat. There they awoke something ter-
buildings. Hot blood steamed on icy ground. rible, a beast of hunger with an evil mind.
You fled with many others, and in the days of Zargon had come to life.
travel that followed, more died from starvation, sick- Despite the swords and spells of great heroes,
ness, exhaustion, and cold. With each new corpse Zargon could not be killed. The grip of its tentacles
in a grave dug shallow in frost-hardened ground, crushed the resistance of Cynidicea, and it impaled
your desire for vengeance grew. You were lucky; you every member of the royal line upon its horn to
survived the ordeal. But how can you take revenge crown itself with their blood. Only one thing could
on the dead? When you got back to civilization, you save the Cynidiceans now: surrender and sacrifice.
resolved to find out. The beast vowed that if they were supplicant before
Associated Skill: Arcana, Nature, or Religion. Zargon and offered their lives to him, the beast would
spare the city and enable it to prosper once more.
Feat: Haunted Supplicate themselves they did, and Zargon lived
Your encounter with the spectral undead has up to his vile words, but the city did not truly return
haunted you with more than nightmares and terror. to its former glory. The Cynidiceans fell into hedo-
Somehow you seem to have acquired a spirit other nistic behavior, holding wild feasts celebrated with
than your own. You know you’re not possessed. The savage glee. Embarrassed by their bestial behavior
ghost inside seems to be more of a passenger, subtly when control of their faculties returned, they began
guiding you with feelings, drawing your attention to wear masks during such debauchery so that
to peculiar things, and occasionally warning you of others might not know them. Eventually the masks
danger. It has never spoken, and sometimes it doesn’t became the faces others recognized, but by then the
seem to be there at all, but you know you aren’t imag- Cynidiceans could not even remember feeling shame.
ining. You are not mad. You’re not. Its fields untended, orchards gone wild, pools stag-
Prerequisite: 21st level nant, and walls unguarded, Cynidicea was ripe to
Benefit: When you make a Perception check or an fall. The barbarian horde that came to claim it found
Insight check, you can roll twice and use either result. insensate citizens lying in the street. The barbarians
obliged them with a different kind of oblivion and
razed the city in their search for wealth.
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T H E LO S T C I T Y
They stole little, because Cynidicea took its riches Your flight to the surface is a poorly remembered
to the grave: Most of its citizens had already moved nightmare. Your head at last cleared when you
beneath the tomb to serve Zargon in the depths. There removed the mask from your pale face and raised
the barbarians would not go. They left behind a dead your awestruck eyes to the sun for the first time. You
city, and the unfettered desert buried its bones. wandered in a trackless wasteland for days before
The ziggurat is out there somewhere, too great a band of desert nomads found you, and they were
or too terrible for the sands to swallow entirely. No kind. They took you to a distant city and introduced
doubt the Cynidiceans’ wealth too remains within its you to a world you could never have imagined.
bowels, though what is left of the people or of Zargon Yet in dreams you still see the golden-masked
none can say for certain. priests and the blood-red eye of the god that marked
you as his own. In your head you hear Zargon’s terri-
Background: ble voice, and in your heart you feel the bestial urges
of the Lost City’s perpetual carnival. To your knowl-
Blessed of Zargon edge, no sacrifice has ever escaped Zargon’s maw.
You were born to die. You have the sign of Zargon Surely the Cynidiceans will come for you. Surely you
upon your brow—a birthmark that represents his must some day return to the Lost City.
horn—and your flesh is his food. You were raised Zargon has marked you as his own.
in the mad, masked society of the Lost City, your Associated Skill: Dungeoneering or Endurance.
life degenerated into a haze of animal frenzy and
ignorant zealotry. When the time came for you to at
last meet your dark god, you felt fear and doubt for
the first time. That fear gave you strength—strength
enough to disobey and run.
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The desert sands hide the lost tomb of a cursed pharaoh
PYRAMID OF A MUN-RE a mighty wonder, and, upon the sweat and blood of my
people, I did build a theft-proof tomb.
Those who travel the Desert of Desolation know to “My people turned against me with bitter hatred. I not
avoid the Ragged Man, a thin apparition that wan- only robbed our borderlands but taxed grievously my own
ders the dunes clad only in rags. This creature is people. They rose up in anger, demanding their gold and
the spirit of Pharaoh Amun-Re. From a distance it gems, their lives and freedom.
does not acknowledge any sight or sound, but when “I cursed them, saying, ‘By the ruling staff and the Star
someone foolishly draws near, the specter suddenly Gem of Mo-Pelar, I curse you. Threaten not my life, or by
clutches at that person and moans its message, not them and by the holy name of Osiris, will the stopping of
releasing the listener until it has finished. my heart also stop the Spring of Athis from her life-giving
flow. As the river slows and dies, so shall your land wither
“I am Amun-Re, son of Takosh-Re of the house of Mo-Pelar. in the wilderness. This do I swear by Osiris’s holy name
That which you see is but my shadow, which has walked and these implements of my power.’
these lands for time uncounted in search of mighty heroes “From the sea of upraised fists before me, rose one with
of valor, to plead their aid. a spear. The shaft sped from the darkness, and so too that
“In my time was I Pharaoh of this land now before you. night did the Spring of Athis stop its flow.
Then, Bakar was a green and beautiful land, blessed by “In death, my spirit gleefully approached my pyramid.
the gods of Heaven Westward with the wondrous spring of But Osiris stopped my spirit from entering that tomb, for,
Athis, which gave life to our land and nurtured our crops. said he, ‘Your monument to life was to be the benefit you
Yet robbers did raid the tombs of my forefathers and take brought to the people under your stewardship, not this
from them tokens of their passage into the lands of the dead, edifice of stone. As you looked only to your death in life, so
thus keeping them from their reward after life. I swore that, shall you look only to your life in death. I am bound to ful-
at all costs, I would not fall prey to their evil deeds. fill your curse, for you have called it down with power in my
“So it was that I made mighty and terrible war upon name. But I do curse you as well, Amun-Re. You shall not
my neighbors, plundering their lands of wealth for my own enter this tomb where the implements are of your voyage
A DA M PAQ U E T T E
passage. I did enter a contract with a great mage to work to heaven until some mortal soul does despoil this place,
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PYRAMID OF AMUN-RE
taking your staff of ruling and the Star Gem of Mo-Pelar from my tomb. So then will you gain great wealth, and so
from your theft-proof tomb.’ then will you release me. Follow my path to wealth or woe,
“Even have I talked with the wind in hope of help. to thy destiny or thy doom.”
Uncounted seasons have passed, and my kingdom is not
now to be seen in these desert lands. Of it nothing remains After this Amun-Re says nothing else, but he dogs
save for my tomb, which stands now as then, untouched by the steps of those who heard his message, pointing to
time, sands, wind, or any living one. Though many have someplace far away through the wasted landscape—
tried to plunder my wealth, none has succeeded, and I am a location that was once his home and should be his
forbidden passage to the afterlife until one succeeds. resting place. Thus do people know that the Pyramid
“My wealth is thine if thou can but best that which I have of Amun-Re lies hidden somewhere in the sands, and
built. Remove both my staff of ruling and the Star Gem that his treasures remain untouched.
PYRAMID
PYRA
R MID OF AMUN-RE,
AMUN RE PAST AND PRESENT
The adventure that puts characters on the path to the Continuing the Story
Pyramid of Amun-Re starts with them being accused If you intend to explore the place, Amun-Re will lead
of a crime they did not commit and threatened with you to his tomb, but first you must encounter his spirit,
death unless they seek out the fortress of raiders in the and then you must follow it for days or weeks to reach
desert. But the threat is a little . . . quirky. your goal. A magical means of producing food and water
“And, whereas those persons did attain entry to said might serve you better than a dozen camels carrying
residence and did short-sheet the wizard’s bed and do your gear.
all manner of petty pranks and did leave for the wizard In life Amun-Re acted as a god-king, a mortal
a certain maid for an alleged date with said wizard; member of the pantheon that included Osiris. He was
“And, whereas said wizard did return to said resi- punished by that pantheon, but those gods vanished
dence with yet another wench, whereupon both the first with the pharaoh’s civilization. Perhaps they took new
and the second did begin names and still act as deities, or perhaps they died; in
a lloud commotion and either case, they stopped answering the prayers of the
dis
disturbance the like of people inhabiting the growing wasteland that became
which has never before
w
wh the Desert of Desolation. Despite this abandonment,
shaken
sh this stately court some worshipers still hold the ancient sites holy. Known
an upset the wizard to
and only as dervishes by outsiders, these people protect
no end . . .” ruins throughout the Desert of Desolation. Since
Published in 1982, Amun-Re still seeks someone to plunder his tomb, the
Pharaoh
P was the first dervishes must be protecting it. From their point of
Egyptian-themed
E D&D view, the law of the gods is absolute—even after death.
a
adventure. It appeared Osiris punished Amun-Re, and he must stay punished.
on shelves a year after
o Within the pyramid, you are unlikely to find many
Raiders of the Lost Ark,
R living foes except those that are immortal or elemental.
but that timing was No doubt it is trapped, likely in ways meant to seal in
i id t The adventure had
coincidental. thieves as well as lock them out. Prepare for undead
been written and self-published a few years earlier by monsters, and also consider magical ways to extract
Laura and Tracy Hickman for locals in Utah. Soon after, yourselves if things start looking grim.
a business partnership went poorly and, driven into If the pyramid contains a mummy (which seems a
bankruptcy, Tracy sent the modules to TSR, Inc., “so good bet) you should be concerned about mummy rot.
that I could buy shoes for my children.” But TSR didn’t The infection claims the lives of most victims in just a
want just the module—it wanted Tracy as well. few nights and is extremely difficult to resist without
Pharaoh became the first in the Desert of Desolation magical help, so the Cure Disease ritual is essential. If
series, which also included Oasis of the White Palm and you don’t have someone who can reliably perform the
Lost Tomb of Martek. The three adventures were collected ritual from a book, purchase many scrolls. You’ll know
in 1987 in the Desert of Desolation compilation, at which when someone is infected: Healing, even from divine
point the series was placed in the FORGOTTEN REALMS set- magic, has less effect than normal.
ting in the desert of Raurin.
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WHITE PLUME prowess. One day his long-suffering people rose up
to depose him. Keraptis was forced to flee but could
MOUNTAIN not find refuge in any land, for he had made many
enemies during his time on the throne. At last he fled
Search ye far or search ye near, into a mountain, never again to emerge.
You’ll find no trace of the three Many treasure-seekers came in answer to the
Unless you follow instructions clear, posted rewards to meet with the owners, and the
For the weapons abide with me. contents of the riddle have thus been spread far and
wide—even the last six lines and the signature on the
North past forest, farm, and furrow letters, which the owners often sought to hide for fear
You must go to the feathered mound of frightening off all those who might take up the
Then down away from the sun you’ll burrow— quest. They needn’t have bothered with that precau-
Forget life, forget light, forget sound. tion. To most people, the “feathered mound” seems to
be a reference to White Plume Mountain—and that is
To rescue Wave, you must do battle terrifying enough.
With the Beast in the Boiling Bubble. White Plume Mountain looms over a maze of
Crost cavern vast, where chain-links rattle ogre-haunted moors and marshy valleys crawling
Lies Whelm, past waterspouts double. with trolls. From its peak spews a great jet of water
that spreads out high in the sky and falls as spray
Blackrazor yet remains to be won upon the mountain’s eastern slopes. Smaller vents
Underneath inverted ziggurat. in the mountain hurl lesser columns of fog into the
That garnered, think not that you’re done, air, making the peak look “feathered.” Rumor has
For now you’ll find you are caught. it that Dragotha, the so-called Death Dragon, soars
silent and fleshless through these mists on flights
I care not, former owners brave, from its nearby lair. And Thingizzard, Witch of the
What heroes you seek to hire. Fens, roams the damp canyons of the lowest slopes,
Though mighty, I’ll make each one my slave her cackle echoing miles from the mountain’s base.
Or send him to the fire. To make matters worse, White Plume Mountain has
—K long been reputed to be the home of demons and
other vile spirits.
It happened in one night. Three of the mightiest Fireside tales told in whispers speak of just one
weapons known to humanity vanished from the entrance into the mountain other than the crater at
vaults and strongboxes of the people who claimed its peak: the Wizard’s Mouth. It is through this cave
ownership of them. The owners scoured their homes that the mountain breathes. A great sucking wind
for hidden places where the weapons might have flows into the darkness, and a few faltering heart-
been concealed. Neglectful guards and suspicious beats later, a blast of fog moans out. Assuming that
servants found their necks on the headman’s block Wizard’s Mouth was just a fanciful name for the
or in the grip of nooses. Bounty hunters filled their cave, people have made up all sorts of stories about
purses by rounding up known and suspected thieves. it, but in fact White Plume Mountain might be the
When the three owners discovered their shared very place to which Keraptis fled 1,300 years ago.
plight, they took stock of their common foes and Now, it seems, he yet lives and hides in the mountain
sent assassins to take revenge on those individuals. with the three treasures—or at least, someone wants
Still, no trace of the weapons—the hammer known people to think so. There’s only one way to find out
as Whelm, the trident called Wave, and the infamous the truth.
soul-rending sword, Blackrazor—appeared. Only when
the owners relented and offered outlandish rewards White Plume Quests
for the weapons’ return did a clue come forth.
Adventurers can gain far more for braving White
Each former owner received a scroll upon which
Plume Mountain than the rewards posted by the
a poetic riddle had been written in a fine hand. It
weapon’s owners. The following additional quests
mentioned all three weapons by name and provided
might provide compelling reasons for venturing into
tantalizing hints to the weapons’ locations. The con-
the Wizard’s Mouth.
ceited challenge of the last six lines appeared over
Whelm’s Savior: Whelm is a mighty warhammer
the sign of Keraptis, an infamous wizard thought to
crafted by dwarves, dedicated to the defeat of their
have died more than a millennium ago. According to
enemies by a passionate warrior of Moradin. Surely
bards’ tales, Keraptis ruled a kingdom, becoming ever
it does not belong in the hands of those who locked
more wicked and cruel as he grew in spellcasting
it away in a vault, much less the wizard who has now
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W H I T E P L U M E M O U N TA I N
WHITE PLUME MOUNTAIN,
MOUNTA
T IN PAST AND PRESENT
“White Plume Mountain was written as a sample docu- Continuing the Story
ment to persuade TSR to hire me as a game designer. I Before you run off in pursuit of Wave, Whelm, and
just plundered all the dungeons I’d designed over the Blackrazor, it pays to learn something about their
previous four years, took out the best bits, and cobbled former owners. Just who are these individuals who
it all together. It worked; TSR hired me, bought the sce- once claimed them, and how did they come by such
nario, and published it as a module without changing legendary items? Which is worth more, the rewards
a word. I’m a little embarrassed to this day by Black- or the weapons? Are the owners likely to pay? If you
razor, inasmuch as it’s such a blatant rip-off of Elric’s do not relinquish such ch
Stormbringer; I would not have put it into the scenario treasures, how long will ll
if I ever thought it might be published.” you have to keep look- k-
— Lawrence Schick, from an interview with ing over your shoulderr
James Maliszewski on Grognardia.blogspot.com and watching the shad--
ows for the glint of an
White Plume Mountain’s odd funhouse mix of elements assassin’s blade?
made it a popular adventure after its publication in Stealth is your best
1979, despite the fact that the characters never face asset as you approach
Keraptis, the nominal villain of the dungeon. Nor do the mountain. Even
they learn why he stole the items from their unnamed the smoke of a cook
and mysterious original owners, or why he lured fire might draw mon-
adventurers to come and get them. The assumption, sters from miles
which has proved largely correct over the years, is that around in the moors,
once characters get their hands on the three weapons or pique the curiosity off DDragotha
th or
and escape White Plume Mountain, the players don’t Thingizzard. Keraptis will know soon enough once you
really care. are inside the mountain, after all—if he does yet live. The
Lawrence Schick’s original adventure was revised and wizard (or whoever sent the notes to the owners) has
expanded in 1981, and eighteen years later it received some plan, perhaps one that requires heroic individuals
a sequel in the form of Return to White Plume Mountain. to serve as slaves, so you should prepare by obtaining
In 2005, fans of the original could get a version updated ways to guard your mind against domination.
to the 3.5 rules, and since then the elements of White If Keraptis still exists, he might be a lich, a vam-
Plume Mountain have made sporadic appearances. The pire, or some other sentient undead with spellcasting
4th Edition incarnations of Wave and Whelm appeared ability. Arm yourself against such creatures as a pre-
in The Plane Below and Open Grave, respectively, and the caution, but remember that the wizard could also have
Thrall of Blackrazor was a miniature in the Unhallowed™ living minions of any sort.
set of Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures.
stolen it.
it It belongs with dwarves,
dwarves and dwarves should sea All the works of elf,
the sea. elf dwarf,
dwarf human,
human and more
reclaim it. are sand castles built on a beach between tides. Soon
Blackrazor’s Promise: Blackrazor is rumored to the sea will reclaim all, and the empires of the deep
have many powers, but the one that interests you is its shall once again reign supreme. Wave might be the
supposed ability to destroy souls. Such hunger might key to bringing this apocalypse to pass. It has champi-
sound evil, but is allowing even greater evils to roam oned this cause in the name of Melora and also in the
the world any better? With such a sword, you could name of primordials such as Solkara the Crushing
slay vampires easily and destroy liches without fuss- Wave. In the hands of the faithful, Wave deals death
ing over a phylactery. You might even use the weapon or disfigurement to all who refuse to submit. This
against Keraptis himself. Who knows what other weapon could do no harm while it was secreted in
deeds you might accomplish with such a weapon? its owner’s vault, but the one who holds it now taunts
You might destroy the supposedly immortal Zargon challengers to come and claim the weapon. Destroy-
of the Lost City (page 102) or put an end to the leg- ing the weapon is the only way to be certain it stays
endary Acererak in the Tomb of Horrors (page 108). out of the hands of those who would drown the world.
Wave’s Tyranny: The trident Wave has one pur-
pose: forcing others to acknowledge the primacy of
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TOMB OF HORRORS on stone rollers issued forth from a hidden door and rolled
over the supine elf, crushing him to a pulp. When the gas
Day 123 cleared and the juggernaut retreated, we recovered the
Much has happened, and my heart is sorely heavy; we lost body. Sather tried her best, but the damage was too exten-
Tiefon yesterday. Today, Grunther lost an arm. sive; Aron’s life had permanently fled from him. Sather was
A damnable patch of green slime covered Tiefon head to heartbroken. I think she and Aron were very close, closer
foot in but an eyeblink. The dwarf didn’t even have a chance than the rest of us ever realized. We composed the remains
to scream before he was rendered into so much putrescent as best we could, but Sather sits and stares now, and the
plasma. We couldn’t even recover his belongings in the rest of us worry about her. We shall rest another day before
mess. Never has a companion been lost to me so suddenly we attempt to persuade her to venture onward.
or so completely; we don’t even have a body for Sather to Day 127
restore the soul’s connection to. How arrogant of me to think that with but a hop, skip, and
To compound matters, Grunther the big warrior and jump I should have delivered into my hands the singular
Falon’s friend stuck his arm where he shouldn’t have during material necessary to move on to the lost city and fortress
one of our backtracks. With a horrible scream he pulled it which I seek. I should have done more research, I should
back, but it was completely gone, cut as if by a razor. . . . have been more careful, I should not have brought my
Day 124 friends here to die.
Disaster seems to dog our every step now. It seems that —From Journal of the Tomb, by Desatysso
with every chamber we win through by using our wits as
our guide, we pay the price of another life. It is Aron to The great mage Desatysso held sway over the moun-
whom I allude. The archer was felled by a strange gas, and tains, using his wizardry to subjugate the many giants
before we could retrieve him, a huge, magical juggernaut that plodded over their peaks and crawled through
TOMB OF HORRORS,
HORRORS PAST AND PRESENT
Gary Gygax designed Tomb of Horrors for the first tory established by that adventure. Now Skull City is
Origins Game Fair in 1975. “There were several very in ruins, and the tomb of Acererak awaits new victims
expert players in my campaign, and this was meant to expose to its horrors, both known and unknown.
as yet another challenge to their skill—and the per-
sistence of their theretofore-invincible characters. Continuing the Story
Specifically, I had in mind foiling Rob Kuntz’s PC, What can prepare you for the most deadly dungeon of
Robilar, and Ernie Gygax’s PC, Tenser.” The adventure them all? A healthy dose of caution. If something looks
quickly became infamous among D&D players for its like a trap, it is—and it probably contains another trap
deadly tricks. It didn’t matter how tough or skilled you you didn’t anticipate. If you see some mystery and are
were; if you weren’t cautious and clever, the dungeon tempted to reach out and grab it, don’t.
got its due. Arm yourselves with magical means of explora-
In 1998, Bruce R. Cordell’s Return to the Tomb of tion and interaction that function at a distance so you
Horrors took players back to the legendary dungeon. won’t be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Simple
In it, the adventure picks up many years after Acererak powers such as mage hand can be helpful in exploring
is presumed to have been destroyed by adventurers the dungeon, and the Hand of Fate ritual can help you
going through the original Tomb of Horrors adventure. choose between options—even if they’re both bad. Of
Gary Gygax wrote a foreword for the product, lauding course, you shouldn’t leave behind mundane means
the new adventure as “demanding” and “thrilling.” of safe exploration such as a ten-foot pole or a set of
Acererak and the Tomb of Horrors have reappeared thieves’ tools. You might want to stash several in a bag
many times in the years since. In the 3rd Edition of the of holding or a handy haversack. Make sure to distribute
D&D game, Acererak made a notable appearance as a useful items such as potions among the party mem-
vestige that could be contacted by members of a class bers, and bring along multiple sources of healing; if the
known as binders. Statistics for Acererak in 4th Edition cleric is suddenly disintegrated while carrying all your
appear in Open Grave. supplies, it won’t be long before everyone else ends up
The ultimate 4th Edition expression of the Tomb of dead. Finally, take common-sense precautions against
Horrors is the Tomb of Horrors book by Ari Marmell and undead—a likely sort of foe, considering Skull City and
Scott Fitzgerald Gray. This adventure takes its cue from Acererak’s reputation. Items that grant you resistance
Return to the Tomb of Horrors, building upon the his- to necrotic damage might well be helpful.
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TO M B O F H O R R O R S
The Tomb of Horrors still awaits new prey
their caves. When the giants thundered down into Those who followed Desatysso’s clues succeeded in
the hills and laid waste to all before their avalanche infiltrating Skull City and entered the Tomb of Hor-
rush, people in the area knew that Desatysso was rors. Although some died, other heroes succeeded in
dead. But some time passed before anyone learned discovering Acererak’s plot to put himself in control
the truth of how he died. of all undead. For the third time, Acererak perished.
An embittered companion of Desatysso survived Affairs in Skull City spun out of control with the rev-
the disaster that befell the mage and kept his journal elation of Acererak’s plot and his failure, and the city
hidden for many years. When the accursed diary broke apart in violent infighting. The Tomb of Hor-
was at last freed from her age-gnarled grip, others rors once again was an abandoned ruin.
discovered that Desatysso had gone into the Tomb These facts any bard can tell you, but they do not
of Horrors armed with special knowledge of its old explain why lights once again flicker in the ruins of
master, the lich Acererak. Skull City at night. Nor can they tell why copies of
Who has not heard the legends of the Tomb of Hor- Desatysso’s journal appear on the shelves of book-
rors, crypt of a hundred heroes? Who does not know the sellers without anyone noticing who put them there.
name of its thrice-dead master, once half-demon and Black-cowled wizards huddle with strangers who
half-human, then a lich, then a demilich, and finally seem to sit in their own shadows, and the name Acer-
destroyed once and for all on the cusp of achieving mas- erak is heard to pass their lips. Has the thrice-dead
tery over undeath? Who has not feared Skull City, built wizard again risen from his grave? Will the Tomb of
by necromancers around the Tomb of Horrors, home Horrors, long thought to have been looted, once again
to as many of the dead as the living? These are the tales lure bold fools with untold treasures? And if so, what
everyone hears, but where does the truth lie? new devilry has Acererak dreamed up?
Desatysso ventured into the tomb long after the
lich was supposedly vanquished. Although he failed Backgrounds and Feats
in his quest, others took up his notes and the clues he
Dragon 371 presents a wealth of material for con-
left behind. By then, Skull City had grown up around
necting your character to the Tomb of Horrors, in an
the Tomb of Horrors. Constructed by necromancers
article called “Legacy of Acererak.” In it you’ll find
hungry for scraps of Acererak’s knowledge, the city
backgrounds and feats that you can use to flesh out
rose in secret. It grew steadily as it attracted first
your character’s history and his or her affiliation with
spellcasters, then mercenaries and disreputable mer-
the tomb, Skull City, or the strange cabal of Acererak
E VA W I D E R M A N N
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T EMPLE OF That was many years ago. Now, bandits roam the
roads and mercenaries demand money to protect
ELEMENTAL EVIL travelers and villages, but the difference between
them is sometimes just a mask. People once again
Sometimes they thundered in like a storm, their fear their neighbors. And the quiet sounds in the
horses churning roads into slurries of sword-spilt shadows could be ochre robes rustling.
blood. Sometimes they crept among the people, their
corruption undetected and as contagious as plague. Background: Cult Survivor
When they came to a village seeking wealth or goods,
You were young when the Cult of the Elder Elemental
none could resist, nor hope. When they called a name
Eye held sway over all the surrounding lands, but not
or pointed someone out, people had to choose: Sur-
too young to remember. How could you forget? Your
render, and thereby gain a few more days’ breath; or
parents were taken during the last days before the war.
resist, which meant swift death for the lucky and days
When the armies of the surrounding lands rode
of torture before execution for the rest.
through the streets of your village, pennants flying
Unknown multitudes met their doom in the
as they drove your oppressors before them, you were
Temple of Elemental Evil. Children went to the fire.
swept up in their wake and ready to spill blood. But
Men were drowned. Women were sacrificed to black-
your uncle held you back. He took the dagger from
est evil. If you were chosen to be a slave, those fates
your hand and bade you stay still. You were not ready
hung over you for however long you pleased your
to fight, and he would not allow you to die so soon
masters, be they the ochre-robed priests or the thugs
after you came into his care.
who served them.
Your uncle was a simple man of the fields and
The Cult of the Elder Elemental Eye spared no one.
market, and he would have stayed as well, but your
Nobles and peasants alike saw their homes burned,
bravery shamed him. Bearing your father’s sword and
families murdered, and friends taken. The only
your mother’s shield, he joined the army to fight the
defense was conversion—but mere words would not
cult. Word of victory returned, but your uncle did
suffice. To protect yourself, you had to join in the vil-
not. Nor did you ever see your parents again.
lainy by robbing neighbors and enslaving friends. If
Your aunt raised you and sought to protect you from
you converted and your relatives did not, as a dread-
the world. She thought that if she could keep you away
ful test of your faith you had to bring them forward
from violence and hide from you the truth about the
for sacrifice.
cult and the temple, you might somehow avoid being
Such evil could not long be tolerated by the neigh-
hurt by such things. But her efforts only inflamed
bors of the temple, and so armies assembled to fight
your desire to know more and to be ready for the next
the cult and destroy its works. Yet the cultists had
battle. You often slipped away to stand in the shadow
more than mortal forces: Elemental beings and
of the temple, searching through the weeds and rubble
demonic creatures fought alongside them.
of the battlefield for your parents’ sword and shield.
Their losses were terrible, but the forces of good
You wonder if your mother and father are still alive,
ultimately triumphed. With magic and might, the
slaves locked behind the temple’s doors.
armies tore down the walls guarding the Temple of
Now bandits again rove the roads, and the vil-
Elemental Evil and drove back its greatest defender,
lage elders whisper that the old sense of terror has
a demon of rot and ruin. This creature, unable to be
returned. If the cult is back, the temple is the source—
slain, was bound in the dungeons below the temple
you’re sure of that. And this time you’re ready to fight.
and sealed in with magic. All the forces involved
Associated Skill: Arcana, Athletics, or Religion.
signed an accord never to open the place again—
despite the wealth of a nation having been locked
away with the demon. With the cult vanquished and Background:
its demonic leader imprisoned, the armies of good left Former Cult Sympathizer
to bind their wounds and bury their dead.
You have done terrible things, acts that still have you
As the lands around the temple recovered from
waking in a cold sweat more than a decade later. You
their enslavement and the war for their freedom, the
had killed before and you have killed since, but you
defeat of the temple seemed to invigorate the realm.
remember everything about each person you were
Crops grew more fruitful and animals fatter. Wells
forced to execute or enslave for the cult: the color of
long thought putrid or dry filled with clear water.
frightened eyes, the trails traced by tears on upturned
People did not forget the horrors, but they could
faces, brave last words, heart-wrenching pleas and
reflect upon them as something from the past.
screams, even the sudden warmth of spit on your face.
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T E M P L E O F E L E M E N TA L EV I L
TEMPLE OF ELEMENTAL
T EVIL,
EVIL PAST AND PRESENT
In 1979, TSR Inc. published a slim adventure entitled Continuing the Story
The Village of Hommlet, which detailed a small farming Stories of the Temple of Elemental Evil that one can
village, its inhabitants, and a nearby moat house popu- hear today describe all sorts of horrors working on
lated by evil creatures. This adventure was originally behalf of the cultists: elementals, undead, demons,
intended as the first part of a larger series culminating oozes, and more. Preparing for any one kind of
in the exploration of the newly repopulated Temple foe would thus be fool-ool-
of Elemental Evil. The temple didn’t see print for six ish, but you can gain ain
long years, until it was presented as part of a 128-page some advantage from m
“superadventure” named The Temple of Elemental Evil. this knowledge. One ne
This book included a chapter that updated and revised reason that the forces es
The Village of Hommlet, gathering the entire story line of good were able to o
between two covers. defeat the Cult of thee
Over the years, Elder Elemental Eye
Hommlet and the was that the cultists’
temple have reap- forces were divided
peared in a novel, among the four
a computer game, basic elements, as
and even another well as another
superadventure: faction loyal to the
Return to the Temple demon. This division led to rivalry
of Elemental Evil and suspicion among the groups, allowing subterfuge
(published in 2001 to set one element against another or against those
and set years after loyal to the demon. Even if such divisions don’t exist
the original). The within the temple today, you might open up old
4th Edition of the wounds and thus inflame your enemies’ latent hate
D&D game refers for one another.
to the Temple of Whatever foes you might face, you can at least
Elemental Evil many times, including two different prepare for the environments in the dungeons. An
adventures that take characters back to Hommlet and area devoted to elemental fire will obviously be hot,
its moat house: one created for the Origins Game Fair so take along precautions such as potions of fire resis-
in 2008 and the other as a DM reward for RPGA™ tance. Similarly, the likely presence of water in an area
players. Zuggtmoy, the demonic ultimate villain of suggests the efficacy of a Water Breathing ritual. The
the Temple of Elemental Evil, appears with 4th Edi- ability to fly or a feather fall effect could be useful in
tion statistics in the Demonomicon™ supplement, and an airy dungeon. And the magical ability to dig quickly
the Cult of the Elder Elemental Eye is discussed in The or meld into stone could be invaluable in a place that
Plane Below™ and Heroes of the Elemental Chaos™. highlights elemental earth.
You wonder every day if you should have been as Yet each time you consider giving in,
in you find the
courageous as they were—if you should have rejected strength to stay alive and stay hidden. You’re not
the Cult of the Elder Elemental Eye and died in the really strong, though—you’re just afraid. What else
terrible dungeons beneath the temple. Is life worth would you be willing to do to avoid death? If the time
living with so much blood on your hands? Can you again comes when you must choose between what is
even consider your desperate existence a life? When right and what is safe, will you add more faces to the
you encounter anyone new, you search your memory, host that haunts you, or will you accept their judg-
frantically hoping that the face is not one you recog- ment in the afterlife?
nize. At the same time, something inside you burns Associated Skill: Bluff, Insight, or Intimidate.
to be called out for your crimes. At least then the tor-
ment might finally end.
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GATES OF year the comet called the Dragon’s Tear will again
appear in the sky, its red tail arcing over the moun-
FIRESTORM PEAK taintop, and Firestorm Peak will explode anew with
supernatural flames and send them roaring toward
The Firefestival might be canceled this year, and at the stars. Anticipation and enthusiasm for this event
the worst possible time. This month-long annual cele- began to build more than a decade ago, and this year
bration, held in the village of Longbridge, has become should have seen the biggest and best Firefestival
famous over the years. During this festival, people ever—but that won’t happen.
try to outdo one another with their enthusiasm for People in nearby towns have decided not to go
firebrand battles, fireworks, and candle displays. Of to Longbridge this year. They believe the village is
course, no celebration can be complete without food cursed, and the people of Longbridge grudgingly
and drink, and the Firefestival is when the locals agree. For some time now, cows’ milk has been
break out their fire brandy, smoked ales, and spiciest coming out sour. Chickens, when they lay at all, pro-
foods. Even sweet treats set the mouth aflame, with duce only soft-shelled eggs filled with blood. Deer
candied hot peppers and cinnamon delights prepared have turned upon their hunters and gored them
specially for the occasion. All this activity occurs in to death. Stories tell of long-docile animals turned
the shadow of the famous Firestorm Peak, the moun- fiendish overnight, driving some townsfolk to drown
tain that the festival celebrates. their pets. Even people have been affected: Tension
Firestorm Peak has two claims to fame. Once has led to short tempers and frequent fights, and
every twenty-seven years, flames burn across its high- manic violence erupts without any obvious cause.
est reaches, called down from the sky by an unknown The gallows in Longbridge had to be expanded to
magic and raging afterward for a month regardless keep up with the number of convicted criminals, but
of the weather. The mountain also hides some secret the purpling bodies swaying there have served as
behind huge, rune-encrusted doors of glass as hard little deterrent. Things just seem to be getting worse.
as steel, and nothing can lever them open or break As the time of the Firefestival draws nearer,
the mountain around them. They open by themselves people watch the skies for the first crimson hint of
when the fires burn, and close again as the flames die the Dragon’s Tear. Will it bring weal or woe? Can the
out twenty-eight days later. sight of fire on the mountain bring back some hope to
Nearly twenty-seven years have passed since the Longbridge, or will the flames be the signal for some
last appearance of the firestorm. That means that this new villainy to begin?
GATES
A OF FIRESTORM PEAK
PEAK, PAST AND PRESENT
The Gates of Firestorm Peak, by Bruce R. Cordell, hasn’t done in that city). Perhaps the Dragon’s Tear is an unrec-
been revisited throughout the history of the game as ognized member of the host of weird constellations
have other infamous dungeons. It appeared just once, named in the Revelationsons
as a 2nd Edition AD&D® adventure. Yet that adven- of Melech (described in
ture had an enormous impact on the D&D game, for it “Wish upon a Star” in
was the birthplace of the Far Realm. Before that time, Dragon 366), thus link- k-
D&D had no concept of a plane of alien geometry ing it to the Far Realm.
and maddening entities, but today the Far Realm has Warlock magic can n
been firmly established in the cosmology of the game. be difficult to defend
against, but star pact
Continuing the Story magic tends to deal
What dangers lurk within the mountain today none radiant, cold, or psy-
can say, but the runes on the gates and their construc- chic damage. If beings
tion hint at eladrin origin. Eladrin do not typically build of the Far Realm are
tunnel complexes, so the location must have been involved, having
meant to contain a dark secret or imprison something protection against
foul. The link between the Dragon’s Tear comet and the psychic damage would d be prudent.
prudent
opening of the gates suggests star pact magic, an idea Also, since the strange powers of warlocks and Far
supported by the fact that the last person known to have Realm beings often control the minds of their targets or
entered Firestorm Peak was a warlock called Madreus otherwise affect their victims repeatedly, having ways
(known as “the butcher of Havenburg” for dark deeds to gain extra saving throws could be important.
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G AT E S O F F I R E S TO R M P EA K
Ice Iron Background: Longbridge Local
The glyph-covered gates of Firestorm Peak are made You grew up in Longbridge during the last days of
of nephelium, also known as “ice iron.” This unusual the ice iron rush and can remember running back
metal has the properties of iron when forged, but like and forth across the river, pounding the boards of
gold it does not rust and, amazingly, it is as transpar- the Long Bridge with your tiny feet, rushing to bring
ent as glass. For years people have collected small grains of the clear metal to the assayer. One day,
amounts of ice iron from streams around Firestorm in your haste to “quick step across the Quickstep”
Peak, particularly from the Quickstep River that (as your father used to say), you dropped the bag of
flows through Longbridge. Indeed, most of the com- hard-won metal and watched it plunge into the river
munities on the river arose from the presence of through a gap in the bridge. No punishment from
prospectors panning for flecks of the precious metal your parents could match the terror and guilt you felt
in the shallowest spots. as you saw your family’s fortune slip away.
For many years, ice iron made this area rich. The Now the future of your family and many others
metal was impossible to obtain by mining—no one in Longbridge is more uncertain than ever. The ice
could see any trace of it in the surrounding rock—and iron rush is over, and the curse that besets the vil-
panning for it was far more difficult than panning for lage seems like it will never end. You’ve seen good
gold, since it is nearly invisible in water. These factors people—even close friends you grew up with—become
made ice iron fabulously rare, and it fetched twice desperate, go bad, and finally swing from the gallows.
the value of gold by weight. Those who purchased it The town was a happier place when the metal was
were typically wealthy lords who used the metal for here. But no amount of panning in the river or dig-
small windows in their fortresses. Today the Quick- ging in the hills has turned up even a flake of ice iron
step River has been panned out, and ice iron is almost for as long as the curse has been active.
never found in its bed. If any more of the stuff exists, it Yet the gates of Firestorm Peak are made of the
might lie beyond the gates of Firestorm Peak—and in stuff. Clearly, that fact is significant, but in exactly
fact, the gates themselves are made of it. So far, though, what way remains to be determined. You’ve made
the gates have proven impervious to any attempt to a study of all the legends and history, so you know
break them or free them from the surrounding rock, the gates are invulnerable when they’re shut. But
and none who have passed beyond when they opened what about when they’re open? Even if they are still
during the firestorm have ever returned. invulnerable, there could be more ice iron inside the
mountain. You know one sure way to find out.
Associated Skill: Arcana or History.
S T E P H E N TA P P I N
The path ahead is unmistakable . . . when the only other way to go is straight down
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Dungeoneers’ Crowbar: Wielding this metal pry bar gives you a
+2 bonus to Strength checks to break open locked
doors or containers.
Tools Miner’s Helmet: You can attach a lantern, a sunrod,
or some other light source to the forehead reflector of
Adventurers who plumb the depths need to under- this headgear to provide hands-free illumination.
stand that, unlike an aboveground expedition, a Iron Manacles: When you put these shackles on
dungeon delve promises little hope of replenishing or a helpless or otherwise incapacitated creature, that
resupplying. Subterranean adventurers must rely only creature is restrained until it escapes or is freed. The
on what they bring with them, which makes plan- Acrobatics check to escape from these restraints is
ning—and packing—gear for the trip as important as against a hard DC of the creature’s level.
keeping one’s weapons in fighting shape. The Strength check to break the manacles is
In addition to the core rulebooks, the Morden- against a DC that depends on the quality of the man-
kainen’s Magnificent Emporium supplement includes an acles, whether iron (DC 24) or adamantine (DC 31).
extensive collection of adventuring gear and alchemi- Iron Spikes: Hammering one of these blunt, wide
cal items, which is augmented by the entries here. metal wedges between a door and its frame requires
a standard action and adds 5 to the DC of checks to
A DVENTURING GEAR open the door. If nothing but a spike is holding a door
shut, the base DC to open it is 15. Spiking a door is
A piece of equipment doesn’t need to be a magic item noisy; each time you drive in a spike, creatures within
to be useful. The most mundane tool can be a life- 20 squares can make a Perception check with a +5
saver in the right situation. bonus to hear you.
Sack: This sturdy burlap sack holds up to 50
ADVENTURING GEAR pounds and has a volume of 1½ cubic feet.
Item Price Weight Surveyor’s Gear: With this plumb line, measur-
Artisan’s tools 5 gp 5 lb. ing chain with pins, and slate for recording notes,
Delver’s kit 40 gp 28 lb. you gain a +2 bonus to Perception checks to search
Crowbar 2 gp 4 lb. for secret doors or hidden rooms, but using the gear
Iron spikes (10) 1 gp 5 lb. takes at least 5 minutes.
Manacles, iron 10 gp 2 lb. Ten-Foot Pole: Prodding dangerous-looking things
Miner’s helmet 10 gp 3 lb. with a ten-foot pole lets you trigger many traps from
Sacks (2) 1 gp 1 lb. the safety of 2 squares away.
Surveyor’s gear 15 gp 5 lb. Drill: This handheld tool comes with six tough
Ten-foot pole 1 gp 8 lb. metal bits. A drill can bore a hole through wood,
Drill 10 gp 2 lb. stone, and even some metals with enough time and
Flotation bladder 2 gp 1 lb. effort. A typical bit can drill through 6 inches of stone
Hacksaw 5 gp 1 lb. or 2 inches of iron (a process requiring up to 6 hours)
Lantern, bull’s-eye 12 gp 2 lb. before it breaks or its cutting power is exhausted.
Listening cone 8 sp 1 lb. Each additional set of bits costs another 10 gp.
Mirror 10 gp 1 lb. Flotation Bladder: The risk of drowning in a cold
Rubbing kit 5 gp 1 lb. underground lake leads some adventurers to carry
Ruby lenses 25 gp 3 lb. these containers of cured animal hide. A character
Shovel 2 gp 8 lb. can blow into a flotation bladder to inflate it and then
Tongs 3 gp 2 lb. hang onto it to keep his or her head above water. If
Vial bandolier 6 gp 1 lb. you’re using a flotation bladder, failing an Athletics
check to swim by 5 or more leaves you treading water
Artisan’s Tools: This collection of simple hand instead of sinking.
tools, nails, and a measuring stick is often seen in Hacksaw: This thin-bladed saw can cut through
the home of a city-dwelling crafter, but adventurers tough material, even metal, although doing so can be
would do well to take a set of these tools along. With quite slow. Harder materials dull the blade quickly, so
them you can perform minor repairs, fashion basic a hacksaw is best used to cut thin or small objects. A
wooden or metal objects, or dismantle simple locks. single hacksaw blade can cut through a 1-inch-thick
Delver’s Kit: This kit includes a crowbar, ten iron piece of iron (or larger objects of softer materials, at
spikes, iron manacles, a miner’s helmet, two sacks, the DM’s discretion) in up to 2 hours, before it breaks
surveyor’s gear, and a ten-foot pole. or its cutting power is exhausted. Each additional
blade costs another 5 gp.
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A DV E N T U R I N G G EA R
USING EQUIPMENT
EFFECTIVELY
Gear is good. If a piece of equipment wasn’t impor-
tant for some reason already, you wouldn’t bother
to bring it along. That said, you can get more out of
your tools by being both creative and systematic in
your thinking about them.
Innovate: Many kinds of gear are so specialized
that they don’t lend themselves to being used in new
ways, but many others have versatility that’s waiting
to be put to use. Need a temporary container for a
small amount of liquid? Close off one end of your lis-
tening cone and fill it up. Think about what’s included
in the surveyor’s gear that comes with a delver’s kit,
not just in terms of the bonus to Perception checks
but with an eye toward other uses for those chains
and that piece of slate. Your DM might not give you
a bonus or some other game benefit every time you
try to use a tool in a nonstandard way, but there are
other ways to reward this sort of creativity.
Organize: Being organized is more than a matter
of lugging around as much gear as you can carry. The
more different kinds of gear you have, the more you
need to care about how you store each item on your
person or transport it—in case you need something in
a hurry. One tip: Hang your crowbar from your belt
rather than stowing it in your pack. That way, when
something relieves you of your weapon, you have an
impromptu club close at hand.
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the charcoal against it while applying gentle pressure. Item Categories
With a standard action, you can make a rubbing cov-
Each alchemical item in this section has a category
ering 1 square foot. One kit contains enough material
that defines how the item is used or its general effect.
for ten such rubbings.
Oil: Oils are applied to other objects (typically
Ruby Lenses: These red glass inserts let you reduce
weapons), granting those objects temporary proper-
a lantern’s brightness without limiting the area it
ties or powers.
illuminates. The red glow is easier on the eyes, and it
Volatile: An item of this category explodes or
doesn’t attract as much attention as the bright light of
expands when shattered or broken, often dealing
an unfiltered flame. The light that passes through a
damage by the creation of a specific type of energy,
ruby lens is dim, but its radius is unchanged.
such as acid, cold, fire, or lightning.
Shovel: With this sturdy tool you can dig through
Poison: A poison is a toxin that hampers or harms
deep, dense, or unappetizing material to locate trea-
a creature.
sure (or bury your hard-won prizes for security),
Other: Some items create miscellaneous effects
scoop up small objects that might be dangerous or
that don’t fall into one of the above categories. These
unpleasant to handle, or clobber an enemy in a pinch.
have no designation other than “Alchemical Item.”
Tongs: These foot-long metal pincers are similar to
those used in smithies. With them, you can manipu-
late objects at times when using your hands is too
risky, such as when you’re reaching into a scalding
ITEM DESCRIPTIONS
brazier, an unknown liquid, or a dark hole. For convenience, the formula cost of each of the
Vial Bandolier: Stitched onto this well-crafted alchemical items in this section is repeated in its sta-
leather shoulder harness are ten padded holsters tistics block. The other gold piece values represent
that can hold doses of potions, poisons, and elixirs, the cost of the components (or ingredients) needed to
ensuring easy access while cushioning them against create the substance for a single application.
accidental breakage.
Aboleth Slime
A LCHEMICAL ITEMS This revolting goo is an alchemical concentration
of the aberrant poisons in aboleths’ mucus, which
Dungeoneers have developed many recipes for items must be harvested from the foul pools in which the
to assist them in their expeditions. Traded around tav- creatures dwell. Splashing aboleth slime over a living
erns or sold in outfitter’s shops, these alchemical items creature brings it spasms of pain as its form twists
give explorers unique advantages in tricky situations. uncontrollably. The process of collecting the dis-
gusting stuff is exceedingly hazardous, making this
Reading the Table formula both hard to find and very expensive.
The alchemical formulas used to create the items in
Aboleth Slime Level 15+ Uncommon
this section have three common characteristics, all
This cloudy sludge racks your enemy’s body with pain and un-
summarized on the table.
welcome transformation.
Key Skills: You must have training in at least one
Lvl 15 1,000 gp Lvl 25 25,000 gp
of the indicated skills to use a particular formula. Lvl 20 5,000 gp Lvl 30 125,000 gp
Market Price: What you pay to purchase the for- Alchemical Item: Poison Formula Cost: 4,500 gp
mula (which can also be thought of as the recipe). Key Skill: Arcana, Dungeoneering, Time: 1 hour
Creation Time: How long it takes to produce one or Nature
dose or application of the alchemical item.
ALCHEMICAL FORMULAS
Name Key Skills Market Price Creation Time
Aboleth slime Arcana, Dungeoneering, Nature 4,500 gp 1 hour
Longbreath Healing, Nature 160 gp 30 minutes
Pacification dust Dungeoneering, Nature 200 gp 30 minutes
Phantom ink Arcana, Dungeoneering, Thievery 70 gp 30 minutes
Stone eater Arcana, Dungeoneering, Thievery 700 gp 1 hour
Violet phosphor Arcana, Nature 70 gp 30 minutes
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R Attack Power (Polymorph) ✦ Consumable (Standard
ITEM DESCRIPTIONS
of darkvision. Explorers make use of phantom ink to
Action) leave messages or directions in underground areas
Attack: Ranged 5/10 (one creature); the item’s level + 3
that are frequented by drow or other enemies that
vs. Fortitude
Hit: The target takes ongoing 10 damage and is weak-
have darkvision. One application is enough for a mes-
ened (save ends both). sage one to two sentences long.
Level 25 or 30: Ongoing 15 damage.
Effect: The target gains the aberrant origin until the end Phantom Ink Level 2 Common
of the encounter. The dark fluid within this small ceramic bottle glows dimly in
torchlight.
Longbreath Lvl 2
Alchemical Item: Oil
25 gp
Formula Cost: 70 gp
Druids and other priests of nature gods capture fresh Key Skill: Arcana, Dungeoneering, Time: 30 min.
air in skins or large bottles and infuse it with heal- or Thievery
ing vapors. A deep inhalation from this container Utility Power ✦ Consumable (Standard Action)
not only provides air but also invigorates the lungs to Effect: You apply the ink to an area no larger than 5
enable them to retain it longer. square feet on a solid object. That area emits dim light
that is visible only in lamplight, torchlight, or some
other light shed by an open flame. The light lasts 24
Longbreath Level 4+ Common
hours.
The refreshing air inside this container fills your lungs far more
fully than its volume would suggest.
Lvl 4 40 gp Lvl 24 21,000 gp Stone Eater
Lvl 14 800 gp This potent but specialized acid is derived from the
Alchemical Item Formula Cost: 160 gp digestive juices of purple worms. The substance
Key Skill: Healing or Nature Time: 30 min.
must be harvested minutes after the beast’s passage
Utility Power ✦ Consumable (Minor Action)
Effect: You inhale the contents of the container. Until the through an area, before it dries to a useless crust. The
start of your next short or extended rest, you gain a +5 alchemical mixture dissolves minerals in a matter of
item bonus to Endurance checks to avoid suffocation. minutes. A typical jar contains enough substance to
Level 14: +7 item bonus. consume a Medium-sized stone object.
Level 24: +10 item bonus.
Stone Eater Level 10+ Common
Pacification Dust Pouring the contents of this jar onto stone causes the material to
begin dissolving.
Svirfneblin harvest spores from nearby myconid colo-
Lvl 10 200 gp Lvl 20 5,000 gp
nies to create this dust. Like the creatures it comes from,
Alchemical Item: Volatile Formula Cost: 700 gp
it momentarily befuddles the senses of those it touches. Key Skill: Arcana, Dungeoneering, Time: 1 hour
or Thievery
Pacification Dust Level 5+ Rare Utility Power (Acid) ✦ Consumable (Standard Action)
This powder of fungal spores renders those caught in it sluggish. Effect: You apply the stone eater to an unattended,
Lvl 5 50 gp Lvl 20 5,000 gp nonmagical stone object or 1 square of a stone wall
Lvl 10 200 gp Lvl 25 25,000 gp or floor. After 5 minutes, that object takes 40 acid
Lvl 15 1,000 gp Lvl 30 125,000 gp damage.
Alchemical Item: Poison Formula Cost: 200 gp Level 20: 80 acid damage.
Key Skill: Dungeoneering or Nature Time: 30 min.
A Attack Power (Poison) ✦ Consumable (Standard
Action)
Violet Phosphor
Attack: Area burst 1 within 10 (creatures in the burst); Resourceful Underdark explorers extract the lumi-
the item’s level + 3 vs. Fortitude nous compounds from subterranean fungi to create
Hit: The target cannot take a standard action until the this substance. When shaken, the liquid in this glass
end of your next turn. vial glows with a long-lasting light.
Aftereffect: The target is slowed until the end of its next
turn.
Level 25 or 30: The duration of both the hit and the after-
Violet Phosphor Level 1 Common
effect is instead (save ends). Vigorously agitating this small, transparent vial causes the liq-
uid inside to emit a soft purple glow.
Lvl 1 20 gp
Phantom Ink Alchemical Item Formula Cost: 70 gp
This paste is made from a variety of Underdark Key Skill: Arcana or Nature Time: 30 min.
mushroom known as indigo svirf. When exposed to Utility Power ✦ Consumable (Minor Action)
Effect: You shake the container, and it sheds bright light
torchlight or another source of fire, it glows dimly
in a 5-square radius. The light lasts up to 4 hours.
but is not visible to creatures that see only by means
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CHAPTER 3
A DVENTURE HOOKS
A player’s choice of theme and background says a
great deal about his or her character’s goals and moti-
vations—sometimes more so than race or class. A IMPROVISING THEME
theme shouts at the DM, “This is what my character CONNECTIONS
wants to care about in our adventures!” It happens to every DM. A question comes up regard-
A good adventure should feature multiple ways ing something important and you haven’t prepared
to engage the players on this level. For example, an an answer. “If this dwarf became king last month,
adventure that starts by calling out a treasure hunter what happened to the old king?” “Wait, didn’t you
to find priceless, forbidden books in an abandoned say the soil’s soft and muddy? Why didn’t we find
Underdark library offers many options to involve the killer’s tracks?”
other characters. An escaped thrall might learn that If you’re put on the spot, you can look to the
mind flayers have occupied the library and are close theme or background of the character for answers.
to deciphering the books. If the party prevents this The player asking the questions has demonstrated
event by destroying the books, the Underdark envoy that he or she cares about the topic, so give that
can lead an effort to prevent feuding drow houses character a chance to pursue it.
from going to war over the missing tomes. ✦ A bloodsworn might ask if the old king died or
Several examples of incorporating story hooks into left under suspicious circumstances. Perhaps her
adventures are presented here, using the themes and quarry, has some sort of connection to the event.
sample characters from chapter 1. Each of the adven- ✦ If a deep delver inquires about a lack of tracks, you
ture hooks is classified in one or two of the following might decide that the culprit is a creature that has
categories, which you can consider when devising earth glide (such as many earth elemental beings).
your own theme and background connections. ✦ On the other hand, if a trapsmith wants to know
why there were no footprints, you could say that
Announcement The simplest approach to the killer used a trapped rune with a delay before
incorporating adventure hooks is to plant monsters, its effect triggered, then left before the rain started.
locations, or plot devices that directly speak to one ✦ An escaped thrall who wants to know what hap-
or more characters, and to be blatant about it. This pened to the old king might gain a weird insight
method is an easy way to get the adventure moving. or experience a vision that suggests he is now a
prisoner of illithids.
Foreshadowing Take a plot that is important ✦ If the treasure hunter asked what happened to
to the adventure as a whole and link clues regard- the king, you might instead decide that he abdi-
ing that plot to the backstory of one of the characters. cated to search for a fabled lost dwarven hoard.
When those clues come up in the adventure, only ✦ An Underdark envoy might care to parley with the
that player will know their significance. new king. Perhaps he wants to learn of the former
king’s fate, and he suspects a nearby drow city is
Misdirection Place red herrings that appear involved.
to tie to a character’s theme, but that eventually lead ✦ An Underdark outcast might hope that the change
to dead ends or more complicated truths. Even if the in rulership will allow him to restore contact with
players can see through your deception, they might his former life. Perhaps the new ruler requires him
enjoy playing out the consequences of this adventure to pass a test that
t at demonstrates
de o st ates hiss worthiness.
o t ess.
hook as though their characters were none the wiser.
Trapsmith
A trapsmith can be drawn into an adventure by
promises of danger and problems to solve. Because
such characters spend their lives getting into tense
situations, you need to keep escalating the level of
risk. Each trap should be more dangerous than the
last, each situation more precarious.
Part of what attracts a player to this theme is the
idea of having skills unique to that character. So put
the trapsmith in a position where he or she alone can
overcome the defenses of the dungeon. Establishing
a connection between the character and whoever
is responsible for the dungeon’s traps can make the
trapsmith’s job feel more personal.
This theme will have a bearing on how you design
the mechanical components of your adventures. You
should include a greater number of traps than usual
in your dungeon, and have enemies sneak up on the
party only to set off the trapsmith’s own devices.
The Unbreakable (Announcement/Tough
Choice): The enormous and complex trap known
as the Unbreakable seals off an open shaft running
straight down through solid granite. Numerous fac-
tions will pay good money to see it disarmed, and
they want to hire Thorry for the task. The Unbreak-
able is several stories deep, with rooms of traps that
can trigger crushing walls, planar imprisonment
wards, and disintegration spells. Few know that an
imprisoned primordial lies beneath the Unbreakable,
and that the trap is designed not to keep intruders
Ella grabs the treasure but sets off a nasty trap
B E N WO OT T E N
mysteriously coats a chamber or passage, walls cov- as the players realize they can’t go in that direction
ered with color-changing fungi, insects that swarm yet, their characters have something to look for as
in strange patterns, or terrain that warps and shifts. they continue in another direction.
Planar incursions can also alter the landscape, creat- Leave Things Blank: The baseline motivation
ing chambers and caverns that transition between the for any adventurer is a bold curiosity regarding the
Underdark and the Feydark, the Elemental Chaos, or unknown. If you provide the adventurers with a map,
the Far Realm. leave large areas of it blank. If the characters see
Appeal to the Senses: As the adventurers move visions in a scrying pool, mention that certain parts
through the darkness, vision might be their least of what they view are obscured by darkness. Create
useful sense. Think about the sounds that echo locations of which even the creatures of the Under-
within a dark cavern, the scents of rotting flesh or dark do not speak. Those blank spaces might have
burgeoning fungus, or the texture of a wall where the never been explored, making your adventurers the
energy of the Far Realm warps the world. A seasoned pioneers who map them for the first time.
Underdark explorer might even be able to taste a
drop of blood along the heroes’ path to see what kind
of injured creature might be lurking ahead. MYSTERIES
AND P UZZLES
Use Obstructions Carefully: Blocking off a
tunnel seems like an easy way to prevent adventur-
ers from passing, while a locked door might make the Some of the iconic elements of a dungeon adventure
players only more determined to get through it. You are the mysterious statue, the complex magical pro-
can use obstructions to create intrigue and generate tective ward, and the inscrutable monster posing a
curiosity about what lies beyond. Put a “mere” locked riddle. Often created or placed underground by a
door in front of interesting clues, extra treasure, and long-forgotten builder, such a challenge provides a
other items you intend for the adventurers to find. If safeguard against the characters’ intrusion even as
you want to seal off an area more securely, make it it hints at the builder’s overall purpose. Puzzles and
obvious what kind of key or tool is needed to pass a
J U L I E D I L LO N
is not a mere dungeon—even one of unbelievable size. so many branches that choosing the right one by
Character Background
A character whose background involves the Underdark,
even in a tangential way, can create a good opportu-
nity to get a party underground. Adventurers who have
any of the character themes presented in this book are
perfect candidates for an Underdark adventure. By
leveraging elements from a character’s backstory, you Wondrous valuables lie hidden in the Underdark
create a personal stake in the adventure that can make
it more exciting. Here are some examples.
✦ An Underdark native is called back to his or her Dark Cultures
homeland after being accused of a crime. The workings of the Underdark’s many civilizations
✦ Drow agents go to great lengths to pursue a char- are relevant to adventurers, particularly those hail-
acter who was formerly a prized slave. ing from the depths. An Underdark adventure can
involve characters in political drama and intrigue
✦ The child of a famous explorer discovers his or her among cultures wholly different from those of the
parent’s journals and learns of unfinished under- surface world.
ground adventures.
✦ Civil war in a beholder city overflows into sur-
rounding regions when the leader of the eye
Monstrous Plots tyrants is turned to stone by a medusa empress.
The monsters that populate the D&D game offer ✦ Territorial disputes boil over between dwarves
plenty of excitement for characters braving the and svirfneblin, forcing the adventurers to choose
Underdark, but connecting those monsters to the a side.
heroes can take some work. By looking for opportuni-
ties to bring the peril of the Underdark to the surface ✦ A duergar baron wishes to defect from his evil
world, you can inspire the adventurers to pursue that city and must be escorted safely to a dwarven
peril and destroy it. stronghold.
✦ An important secondary character is suddenly
revealed as being under the sway of mind flayers Fabled Treasure
spying on the party. As the impetus for dungeon delves since the very
✦ A tribe of Underdark goblins is building a scaffold beginning of the game, fabulous treasure and lost
to ascend a rift that has opened near a village. artifacts hold a strong allure for any self-respecting
adventurer. The Underdark has no shortage of trea-
✦ The child of a ruler has been kidnapped by an abo- sures lost or hidden in its labyrinthine depths.
M I L I VO J Ć E R A N
U N D E R DA R K CO M B AT E N CO U N T E R S
✦ The hoard of a slain deep dragon spills into an open
rift, attracting avaricious individuals of all races.
✦ Magnificent crystals rise from the footsteps of a
forgotten primordial that wanders the Deeps.
ENCOUNTERS
Crafting combat encounters for an Underdark cam-
✦ The vaults of Erelhei-Cinlu have been raided by a
paign lets you utilize every trick in your DM’s toolkit.
drow traitor, who was subsequently captured by
Any sort of terrain feature, hazard, or other challenge
the kuo-toas of the Dark Lake.
you can imagine can be a feature of your individually
crafted Underdark setting. This section takes a closer
Dramatic Circumstances look at some of the more distinctive aspects of the
Sometimes the campaign can unfold in a way that environment in the world beneath the world.
brings the characters to the Underdark without warn-
ing. Unexpected events can hurl the heroes into the The Battlefield
depths, challenging their adaptability in new ways.
The Underdark is a unique field of combat. On one
✦ Stepping through a portal in a wizard’s tower hand, these dark realms feature the wide-open spaces
takes the party to the Deeps, along the shore of typical of wilderness encounters. On the other, the
the Spire Sea. caverns and vaults of the Underdark are filled with
✦ A fleeing thief takes shelter in a cavern that leads to blocking terrain that provides the feel of a confined
the Underdark, forcing the adventurers to pursue. dungeon brawl. Unlike dungeons, whose walls and
✦ Giant sinkholes open up during an explosive floors usually consist of flat, worked stone, Underdark
battle, swallowing up heroes and villains alike. terrain is rugged and dynamic. Exploiting this con-
trast can go a long way toward making an Underdark
encounter feel unique. A battlefield’s layout becomes
as important as the monsters with which you choose
to populate that battlefield.
Natural Caverns: Most of the passages and cham-
bers of the Underdark have been created by natural
UNDERDARK EVOLUTION forces and so follow no overall design. Lack of symme-
My players’ first exposure to the Underdark was
try is the norm, but you should plan for more than an
something of an accident. The characters found
endless number of randomly branching tunnels and
themselves in a position to pursue a drow infiltra-
side rooms. Create unusual angles and shapes for the
tor who had stolen their treasure, then fled deep
chambers of your Underdark dungeon. Have wide cor-
underground. I assumed the party would steer clear
ridors suddenly narrow down, forcing the adventurers
of this plot thread because I had always given the
to squeeze through them. Create rough-edged masses
Underdark a creepy and dangerous reputation. They
of blocking terrain to simulate huge conglomerations
surprised me when they decided to risk going below.
of rock and crystal that must be climbed or bypassed.
I quickly created a series of encounters and sights for
Encouraging tactical thinking from the players at all
them to experience during a two-week trek. Even-
times is a big part of Underdark encounter design.
tually the party found a drow outpost. After barely
Terrain: In the real world, caves are extremely
managing to overcome its defenders, they learned
challenging to traverse. Even if realism is your goal,
that despite their weeks of delving, they still had
however, be wary of making every square of the
miles to go. Hard-pressed and short on supplies,
Underdark difficult terrain. Such terrain can be more
the characters cut their losses and returned to the
common in Underdark encounters than in a typical
surface. I decided to make that return journey an
dungeon or wilderness encounter, but keep it within
adventure unto itself.
reason. Caves might feature a scattering of stalag-
These adventures were a lot of fun because they
mites or fallen debris. Certain areas can challenge
allowed me to introduce a setting that lived up to
characters by containing mostly difficult terrain, with
its reputation. The players enjoyed being pushed to
clear squares becoming valuable assets in the fight.
their limits, so much so that finding their way out
Tight Squeezes: More so than in other dungeons,
again felt like a victory. The next time the charac-
terrain that confines the combatants is prevalent in
ters entered its depths, they did so with experience
the Underdark. Characters seeking a protected alcove
and planning on their side. Four months later, they
or a more advantageous position might be forced to
emerged as veteran dungeoneers (and a good deal
squeeze through a crevice. Low ceilings can force
wealthier).
larger combatants to stoop in combat, possibly fight-
—Jeff Morgenroth
ing at a penalty. Try to keep such locations focused to
specific areas, however, letting them add variety to
the fight without wholly defining it.
SKILL CHALLENGE:
covers great distances, usually connected to an
aboveground ocean.
A N UNDERDARK TREK
Shaft: A vertical tunnel that sometimes brings air
from the surface.
Speleothem: Any rock formation created by mineral
Adventurers who dare the depths need more than
deposits, such as stalagmites and stalactites.
weapons, wits, and magic to survive. The Under-
Spring: A natural upwelling of water, often laden
dark teems with dangers, and those who brave its
with undrinkable minerals.
caverns must make use of every bit of their skill
Tunnel: Any long and relatively narrow passage that
and ingenuity. This section provides a sample skill
connects caverns.
challenge you can use to mark a party’s progress
Vault: A cave of awesome size and height, the ceiling
through the Underdark. It is made up of two com-
of which might
g be a mile or more above the floor.
ponents, one using individual checks and one using
group checks.
Individual Checks:
Elevation: Cave floors almost never occupy a
level plane; they slope up and down in rocky drifts Making Progress
or end in sheer barriers and ledge walls. Consider Surface dwellers can quickly become overwhelmed
adding shifts in elevation to create a dynamic sense by the scope of the Underdark’s tunnels. Without the
of positioning in caverns. Ledges, pits, and large rock sun or other landmarks to reckon by, explorers can
formations can also provide ways to vary the height become helplessly lost without a master dungeoneer
of different areas of the battlefield, making reach or to lead the way. This skill challenge simulates a
ranged weapons particularly useful. Characters who lengthy trek through the Underdark, the goal of
have training in Athletics or Acrobatics have a chance which is to arrive at a particular location. The skill
to shine in such encounters. challenge represents activity during a day or two of
Fantastic Terrain: The raw, chaotic force that travel, and can easily be broken up by combat and
created the Underdark remains prevalent through- roleplaying encounters.
out its depths. Use the presence of fantastic terrain Level: In the Shallows, the level of the skill chal-
to dress up your caverns and heighten the narra- lenge is equal to the level of the party. In the Deeps,
tive elements of the dungeon. Seismic activity, the the level of the skill challenge is two levels higher
tainted presence of ancient monsters, or the legacy than the level of the party.
Outer Defenses: The walls of a duergar fortress Monolithic Buildings: Duergar buildings are
rise abruptly from the floor of its cavern, usually sur- dour and utilitarian, rising up like stone slabs and
rounded by a moat. This might be a trench littered devoid of ornamentation beyond the occasional runic
with cast-off chunks of jagged metal, a stream of label at the entrance. Would-be invaders of a duergar
flaming oil piped from a well discovered by duergar city are stymied by a lack of landmarks along its end-
miners, or a searing pit of molten lava. lessly similar streets.
Cavernous Halls
The interior of their buildings is where the duergar
invest their greatest skills of craft and design. Not
DUERGAR DESTINY willing to waste time or wealth embellishing public
By Duke Thangaart of Balecrag
spaces, the duergar create great vaults whose col-
Our self-righteous cousins would have you believe
umns and walls are studded with intricate carvings
that their cities are the strongest and most glori-
and gems. They proudly display their mined or plun-
ous in all the Underdark. Bah! What do they know
dered treasures among images of their infernal kings.
of strength and glory? Their cities crumble while
Workshops: Duergar keep well-equipped work-
ours grow ever greater! This is because they slav-
shops in their lairs, where raw gems and precious
ishly honor the clan, while we duergar honor only
metals are transformed into more valuable jewelry
the strong.
and relics. The slaves who toil for them keep these
Hellfire burns in our veins, giving us the vitality to
workshops running day and night.
conquer, to thrive, to live! Let the dwarves bow their
Foyers: Duergar dungeons open into a circular
heads in their shabby caves. The duergar will make
antechamber containing passages to other rooms
thrones of mountains.
beyond. Meant to honor their race’s connection to the
Nine Hells, the floor of this foyer is set with a great
A DA M PAQ U E T T E
Slave Labor
Duergar are driven by a lust for conquest and owner-
ship. To fuel that ambition, they ceaselessly delve into
new areas in search of precious ore or gems. To be more
precise, their slaves delve. No duergar will lift a finger to deposit of geodes, dwarf miners slowly turn a mine
perform hard labor with a legion of thralls on hand. into a home. Dwarves don’t simply fill any suitably
Hazardous Tunnels: Duergar care little for large chamber with treasure. They decorate their
the safety of their slave miners, coldly factoring in stone walls and pillars with gold, set gemstones into
expected deaths from cave-ins, starvation, or mon- their tables, and weave mithral into fine tapestries.
sters when they plan their excavations. Their tunnels Their smiths craft excellent weapons and armor, and
spread in a chaotic web wherever the duergar seek their nobles drink from gem-studded silver goblets.
the wealth of the Underdark. Mine Shaft: Spreading out around a dwarven
Forge: Fueled by infernal fires or the burning of hall like fracture lines, multiple mine shafts lead ever
prisoners’ corpses, duergar forges work an endless deeper into the earth. Dwarven mines are narrow
number of slaves to death as they produce the weap- and dark, traversed with rails on which carts carry
ons and tools of their masters’ reign. ore to the distant forges. A mine shaft carries the
constant risk of collapse, either from earthquakes
underground domains are a combination of mine from a face-to-face fight, but that attitude changes
and vault. When they tap into a rich vein of ore or a when invaders hit them where they live. Dwarven
fish, clean, dig new tunnels, and craft the kuo-toas’ kuo-toa with spears until they slay it, then leave its
signature hunting weapons. Other kuo-toas use their body to rot.
time to worship at their weird altars, or undertake
excursions into the Underdark seeking enemies or Worship and Rule
more slaves.
The deep gods influence every aspect of kuo-toa soci-
Slave Pens: At the rare times when slaves are
ety. When kuo-toas create their dungeons, they lay
allowed to sleep or eat, they are stuffed into closely
them out based on ancient patterns that they believe
guarded, cramped pens built of thick wooden bars.
have been passed down by their gods. They do not
Each pen offers little more than a shallow pool of
craft many adornments, and the statues and wall art
filthy water to drink, a rocky floor to sleep on, and
they do create are displayed near their deepest pools
a reeking pit for waste. Slaves are fed rats, fungus,
and holiest sites.
and insects. The kuo-toas save their precious fish for
Meditation Cell: Kuo-toa monitors use these
themselves.
small, secluded areas to go through the mental exer-
Workshop: Kuo-toas set their slaves to work craft-
cises that stave off their racial madness. These areas
ing specialized weapons for hunting, along with
are left dark and unadorned so that meditating moni-
trinkets to offer to their gods. Their workshops are
tors can turn their focus inward.
flat-floored chambers strewn with simple tools.
Sacrificial Shrine: In a smaller kuo-toa commu-
Purging Chamber: Kuo-toas have a racial ten-
nity, the shrine is no more than a simple stone slab
dency to descend into madness. In a futile attempt
caked with dried blood. In the largest and oldest set-
to prevent the insanity from infecting others, an
tlements, kuo-toas have created tall, tiered ziggurats
individual affected by this condition is either exiled
on which their victims are ritually murdered.
or sent to the lair’s purging chamber. Sane kuo-toas
Whip Chambers: The whips are the leaders and
will not come near a mad one, so they order their
religious scholars of the kuo-toa race. They maintain
slaves to force those so aff licted through the single
M I L I VO J Ć E R A N
WIZARDS
In the Underdark, the mazes of minotaurs spread out All adventurers know that wizards are the masterminds
as webs of twisting passageways nearly impossible to behind some of the world’s most unforgiving dungeons.
escape. Some labyrinths are built by peaceable mino- Whether designed to house a trove of arcane lore or
taurs bearing no ill will toward other humanoids. to keep the mundane world and its occupants at a dis-
Others are crafted by great brutes that view the lesser tance, a wizard’s dungeon is a place of bizarre wonders.
races only as sacrifices for Baphomet, and whose Such a dungeon is created in a place of power,
complex passageways are the stuff of legend. whether in a mountainside holding an ancient arcane
relic or on the perimeter of the abandoned temple of
Twists without End a long-dead god. No matter what its location or how
dire the rumors of its magical defenses, a wizard’s
A minotaur labyrinth can drive intruders mad as they
dungeon always attracts ambitious adventurers seek-
try to navigate its multitude of turns and corners—
ing to claim its treasures.
assuming they don’t die of thirst or starvation first. A
labyrinth on the surface might allow crafty adventur-
ers to climb or fly to safety, but an underground maze An Artist’s Masterpiece
offers no such option. Explorers here must trust to Wizards are not content to carve their dungeons from
their mapmaking skills. mundane caverns. They go out of their way to create
Stranded Monsters: Many creatures wander into or transform the dungeon environment with magic. A
a labyrinth and never emerge again, though not all wizard considers himself or herself an artist, so that
such creatures perish. Sometimes monsters are able a dungeon becomes a medium for the individual’s
to find food and a place to lair, turning a labyrinth expression of arcane prowess.
into an unlikely home. Challenges Galore: Nearly every room and cor-
Barriers: Rare is the minotaur labyrinth that con- ridor in a wizard’s dungeon holds potential danger
sists of nothing except halls and turns. Most feature to vex intruders or to test the worthiness of would-be
rivers, gorges, cliff faces, and vast chasms that explor- allies. Flaming jets could suddenly shoot from the
ers must negotiate. walls, or furniture might animate when someone
Titanic Construction: The strength and ingenu- touches it. The true nature of a wizard’s dungeon is
ity of minotaurs is demonstrated by the scope of their never what it appears.
mazes. Huge bridges, towering staircases, and high Mystic Design: The floor plans of some wizards’
walls abound to challenge intruders. dungeons are designed to reflect or harness arcane
energy. These chambers and passages create mystic
Center of the Maze symbols when properly mapped, offering clues to
uncovering a wizard’s secrets.
At the heart of most sizable labyrinths stands a mino-
Magical Locomotion: Many wizards create dun-
taur city. Although not as densely populated as other
geons that require fantastic means of movement to
humanoid settlements, a minotaur city is as strong as
traverse, from vertical shafts with no handholds to
the stone from which it is carved.
floating platforms that shuttle travelers over hazard-
Confusing Architecture: The center of a laby-
ous terrain.
rinth can sometimes be as confusing as the maze that
leads to it. Major roads suddenly become dead ends,
buildings are chopped off in mid-rise, and passages Arcane Secrets Abound
can give onto pits or secret stairways without reason. Wizards create dungeons as a focus for magical
Plaza: This area at the center of all the paths of a research. For some, a dungeon is a testing ground
labyrinth serves as a meeting place where minotaurs for experimenting with new spells and magic items.
gather in times of war or celebration. Outsiders who Other wizards create dungeons to house the disas-
end up in the plaza can become quickly confused as trous results of such experiments.
to which of its numerous entrances is the one they Laboratories: Wizards can’t resist the opportu-
just passed through. nity to study their magic and find new ways to use it.
Shrine to Baphomet: To the regret of many visi- Their dungeons frequently feature well-stocked labo-
tors, an altar dedicated to the Horned King stands ratories where experiments are conducted. Vast piles
near the heart of most minotaur mazes. These bar- of scrolls and racks of alchemical compounds abound
baric shrines are caked with the blood of sacrificial in these workshops.
victims and the leavings of dreadful feasts. Summoning Chamber: This foreboding room
is present in many an archmage’s dungeon and is
always bad news for adventurers. Within, the wizard
communes with otherworldly entities that are able
SCROLLS OF POWER This scroll was created during the Dawn War—a gift
granted to mortal warriors fearless enough to stand at
A scroll of power is a specially prepared magic item the gods’ side against the forces of chaos. The power
that contains an unusually rare spell, prayer, evoca- of Mass Heal was dispersed throughout the ravaged
tion, discipline, or hex. Created by gods, exarchs, and lands of the world and actively hunted by the primor-
archwizards, these scrolls are among the mightiest dials and their servants. No one knows how many
and rarest of all magic items. of these relics survived those chaotic early days, but
A scroll of power can be used by any character as legends tell of worthy adventurers who receive visions
a standard action. Once it is used, the magic of the regarding a scroll’s location.
scroll dissipates and cannot be brought forth again. Tier: Paragon.
Benefit: Each ally within 10 squares of the user
is restored to full hit points and maximum healing
Item Descriptions surges, and is cured of all diseases currently affecting
Each scroll of power description has three elements. him or her. In addition, each ally is immune to fear
Tier: Like artifacts, scrolls of power are designed until the end of the encounter and gains temporary
for a given tier of play. hit points equal to his or her bloodied value.
Benefit: The effect created by the activation of the Award: Mass Heal is an excellent reward for a
scroll. party that completes a difficult quest for a deity or a
Award: The sort of adventure or campaign style religious organization. The scroll might be hidden
the scroll might benefit. deep within the crypt of a long-dead hero, protected
by guardian spirits or constructs. In the game, it
Mass Heal can reverse the outcome of a climactic encounter or
Lady Dusk, the compassionate leader of a prominent healers’ enable a party low on resources to continue an adven-
guild, spent her life traveling the world. Selfless and coura- ture as if starting fresh.
geous, she sought always to mend the wounds of the suffering.
One day, Lady Dusk received a message from an old half- Polymorph
elf friend. Trinadel was an adventurous sort, forever looking Bah’Li, battle mage of the high elves, had been fighting
to unravel ancient lore and uncover rare artifacts. The letter for weeks. The Tyrantclaw orcs’ onslaught was more dif-
spoke of his stay in the village of Barovia, below the grim ficult to quell than he had originally anticipated. With his
walls of Castle Ravenloft. Many in the village were ill, he forces depleted and failure becoming a clear possibility,
wrote, and Dusk’s services might help ease their affliction. Bah’Li returned to his camp on the sandy beaches of the
He also mentioned the eerie nature of the place, and how he island. There, in secret, he opened an ornate rune-etched
could not help but feel that he was being watched. scroll case—the one his father had bestowed on him prior
The urgency of the letter inspired Dusk to make the to his departure. He was told that the power of the scroll
journey. Before long, she and her party entered the strange could never be spoken of, and that when he found himself
mists that surrounded Barovia. Disoriented and confused, in a battle from which there was no escape, its use would
the group quickly lost its way despite the best efforts of the turn the tide.
ranger Rindasu. As the fog thickened, the howling of evil
beasts began to rise. The group raced on, hoping to escape A long-forgotten god was the inspiration for the dark
the abyssal wolves that shadowed their movement. But with mages who developed this fearsome spell—and who
each wolf slain, two more seemingly appeared from the paid the price for twisting the laws of nature with
shadows.
would heed their call. Each side did what they could This most potent magic still lingers in the world,
to entice followers to their cause. Some gave gifts of however, trapped in scrolls of power whose creation
arms, armor, and artifacts. Others offered access to has been lost to time. Those who have heard the
forbidden lore—the most potent of which was the abil- rumors of the Wish scrolls constantly seek out their
ity to reshape the nature of time and reality. resting places. Agents of the gods and the primordials
In time, the use of the wish spell grew out of con- are likewise keen to discover these lost scrolls, know-
trol. The mortals who had knowledge of it began to ing that one employed by the wrong hands might
dream about challenging the masters of the Astral enable the servants of imprisoned primordials to
Sea and the Elemental Chaos. During the last days of break their masters’ chains.
the Dawn War, the gods and the primordials fought Tier: Epic.
to erase all knowledgeg of it from mortal memory. y Benefit: The user of this scroll can make one request
of a powerful entity. Some examples of valid wishes
include: personal improvement (+4 to one ability score
of the user’s choice), a single uncommon or rare magic
item, a clue to the secret name of a primordial, or the
FOR THE DM: BE CAREFUL last known whereabouts of an artifact. The user must
WHAT THEY WISH FOR perform a service for the entity in recompense. Failure
Wish has been the most powerful spell in every to complete the service has dire consequences.
version of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game. Use Award: A Wish scroll might be granted as a
this scroll with care. Ensure that your players know reward for performing a service for an exarch, or
that the request of the entity that grants the wish is might be uncovered in the tomb of a legendary hero.
likely to be very challenging to fulfill. Unlike what is Rumors exist that some demon lords protect copies
suggested in older editions of the game, you should of this scroll, as do the scribes of the world’s most
respect the intent of the player who activates the prestigious library. No one can confirm these rumors,
scroll, not try to reverse or undo the wish by twisting however, since revealing that one possesses such a
the player’s wording. scroll would likely cause mass hysteria and draw the
attention of those who covet it.
B E N WO OT T E N
This troglodyte makes drawings of creatures it sees outside its cave. Recognize anything . . . or anyone?
DUNGEONSANDDRAGONS.COM
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