(D&D 4.0) Halls of Undermountain PDF
(D&D 4.0) Halls of Undermountain PDF
(D&D 4.0) Halls of Undermountain PDF
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620-38855000-001 EN
ISBN: 978-0-7869-5994-5
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DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, FoRGOTTEN REALMS , Halls of Undermountain , Playe r's Handbook , Du ngeon M aster's Guide, Monster Man ual , all other
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION............... 4
ADVENTURES IN
UNDERMOUNTAIN ...... 14
HISTORY OF
UNDERMOUNTAIN .... 5
89
90
91
92
APPENDIX:
MONSTER STATISTICS ....... 93
Introduction
Undermountain? Ah, yes. It's a areat place to have fun, and
it's the most famous battlefield upon which a
wet-eared wanderer can earn a reputation as a veteran
adventurer. Of course, Undermountain is also the lar9est
known mass arave in Faerun today.
- Elminster of Shadowdale
Undermountain, that seemingly endless dungeon
explored in countless FoRGOTTEN REALMSproducts
including two boxed sets and several adventures,
a labyrinth so vast that such efforts have barely
scratched the surface of its many miles of corridors
and acres of rooms, remains one of the most recognizable locations in Faen1n. Often called the "deepest
dungeon of them all," Undermountain has tempted
countless adventurers to delve into its depths. Some
return with tales of its horrors. Most are never
seen again. A lucky few resurface toting astonishing finds that bring them astounding wealth. And
their oft-repeated stories entice others to also brave
the mysteries, misfits, and monsters that meander
beneath the great city ofWaterdeep.
This book details some of the rooms and halls of
Undermountain. As with the many Undermountain
products of the past, Halls of Undermountain"' cannot
hope to detail every room and corridor of the vast
labyrinth beneath Waterdeep. Instead, it provides you
with a wealth of material to get you started in your
own explorations, including three full adventures set
within the first level of the deadly dungeon.
The Ruins of Undermountain, the original boxed set
that gave an overview ofUndermountain's topmost
three levels, provided the first details of this famous
locale in 1991. A few things have changed since then.
Fans of the old dungeon description will find many
new elements, recognize some old favorites, and
encounter twists on some classics. Meanwhile, this
book also acts as a primer for Dungeon Masters who
are new to Undermountain, explaining everything
they need to know to imperil characters' lives in the
Realms' most infamous locale.
+ Three adventures for 1st- through 5th-level characters, which can be run individually, tied together
in a provided plot, linked to D&D ENCOUNTERs"':
The Elder Elemental Eye"', or woven into a campaign
in any world you're already running
INTRODUCTION
History of
Under~nountain
Yes, I have seen the halls ofUndermountain. Bruenor and
I ventured there in our search for clues to the location of
Gauntlsrym. We found nothinB but folly and death.
- Drizzt Do'Urden, adventurer
More than a thousand years ago, the wizard Halaster
Blackcloak whirled from a distant land to the base
of Mount Waterdeep, perhaps acceding to chance
or providence's whispered summons. Some say he
hailed from the Cradlelands, a nearly forgotten
empire. Ages ago, the Cradlelands spread humanity
across Faerun from what is now the Plains of Purple
Dust, a wasteland birthed out of a conflict with the
gods. Others give Halaster less ancient origins, placing him among the early wizards ofNetheril or from
an exotic southern nation long since buried by sand
and time. Whatever his origins, scholars recorded
that Halaster brought with him seven apprentices.
With the Seven guarding his back, Halaster tapped
into his power to summon beings from other planes
to help him build a wizard's tower. Halaster ringed
his tower with a great wall set with lesser towers, one
for each of his apprentices. Then he created fields and
farms for his apprentices and their servants to work.
For a time, it seemed a good life for the Seven.
But as the seasons wore on, they saw less and less of
their enigmatic master. Halaster continued to use
fell creatures from distant planes for tunneling and
other construction beneath his tower, and the wizard
kept the nature of most of his underground dealings
from the Seven. Eventually, Halaster's exploration
broke into Underhalls, a complex of tunnels and
rooms dwarves built around a mithral mine beneath
Mount Waterdeep. The architects ofUnderhalls,
the Melairkyn clan, had long ago been killed or dispersed, and oft-times warring duergar and drow had
moved in. Halaster began a crusade against both
races, participating in wild hunts through the tunnels
with extraplanar allies. The stubborn duergar dug
in until the mithral was largely mined out; then they
left the drow to fight Halaster and his minions alone.
The Mad Mage rounded up the remaining dark
elves, trapping some of their souls for dark magic
while twisting the bodies and enslaving the minds
of others. Once he had wrung the drow of all their
usefulness, Halaster Blackcloak tunneled on, ever
downward, indulging his inexplicable obsession with
delving beneath the mountain.
When the Seven had not seen Halaster for more
than a year, some of his apprentices ventured into
his tower to search for the great wizard. They found
traps, monsters, and tantalizing hints about power
beneath the earth. Individually, they plumbed the
depths of the dungeons, encountering increasingly deadly traps and foes. For their efforts, the
Mad Mage's apprentices were rewarded with riches
and magic. When the Seven were reduced to five,
Halaster appeared to his students and explained that
he had built the tunnels to guard his experiments
and treasures. He enlisted their aid to further secure
his dungeons.
What exactly happened after that is unclear. One
apprentice is known to have fled, never to return. The
others remained in Undermountain, some carving
out whole levels of the labyrinth for themselves and
their servants.
Halaster continued to live beneath the mountain.
Using his underground complex as a base, he traveled
to other planes and distant lands, collecting strange
creatures to bring into Undermountain to live as
prisoners or guardians in his home. In time, Halaster
sought out magic to extend his life, and some say
these spells and items are what pushed the wizard
beyond the realm of reason. Even though Halaster
had always appeared obsessed and somewhat
deranged, the mage's quest for immortality electrified
his eccentricities and infused him with a pulsating
air of madness.
Halaster's remaining apprentices followed him
on this path for a time. As they began dedicating
more attention to their private obsessions, however,
madness settled into their souls, and one by one the
apprentices wandered off permanently to pursue
their own muses. Given the centuries that have
passed, it might be safe to believe the apprentices
are as dead as their master. But reports of sightings
and even conflicts with these dread wizards after
Halaster's presumed death should not be discounted.
During the years Halaster quested on other planes
and sequestered himself in his tunnels, his tower fell
into ruin. While Halaster was still spotted from time
to time in the outside world, his home was considered
an accursed place, so settlers in the area largely left
the crumbling tower alone. But in time, the city now
known as Waterdeep came to huddle against Mount
Waterdeep, and it spread down to the harbor. As
the city sprawled outward, it surrounded the ruins
ofHalaster's home. Undermountain was known to
these early settlers, and they often sent criminals into
its depths as punishment. So it was for many years,
until an adventurer named Duman delved into the
depths beneath the tower and returned, laden with
riches, to tell the tale. Duman demolished the remnants ofHalaster's above-ground abode and built
an inn over the well he had used to descend into
the underground labyrinth. He called his inn the
Yawning Portal. Duman's descendants work there
to this day, serving patrons and inviting the brave
and foolish alike to test their mettle in the halls of
Undermountain.
HISTORY O F UNDERMOUNTAIN
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Halaster has not been sighted in more than a century. Most believe a cataclysm killed him before the
Spellplague rocked the world. Even so, rumors that
the Mad Mage or his ghost has returned persist, carried on the tongues of the many adventurers who
now delve into Undermountain and the desperate
wretches who live in an underground community
called Downshadow. The most recent reports tell of
a dark chuckle in the ear just before disaster strikes,
and those who sleep beneath the streets ofWaterdeep
have become more than a little uneasy. Undermountain seems to be awakening, but no one knows who
has roused it.
DEEPEST DUNGEON
OF ALL
It would be impossible to provide more than just the
briefest overview of all of this mighty dungeon in one
product, so Halls of Undermountain focuses on providing adventures and tools for its first level. Of course,
Undermountain offers much, much more to explore.
So here is a glimpse into what lies beyond its top
layer.
Citadel of the Bloody Hand: While perhaps not
technically a level ofUndermountain, this dungeon
within Mount Waterdeep has a longtime link with
Undermountain's topmost layer, the Dungeon Level.
Dungeon Level: The first level ofUndermountain, detailed within this product, has the distinction
ofbeing known as the Dungeon Level due to the
longtime practice of city authorities sentencing
Waterdhavian criminals to fend for themselves in the
dungeons. For most adventurers, it is the first and last
level ofUndermountain they see.
Arcane Chambers: Referred to as the storeroom
level by the Melairkyn dwarves, the second level of
Undermountain consists of many vast chambers in
which Halaster and his apprentices conducted their
arcane experiments.
Sargauth Level: The third level ofUndermountain takes its name from the River Sargauth, an
Underdark river that flows through the vast dungeon
to the shores of the underground city of Skullport
and beyond. Easily the size oflevels one and two combined, this layer is divided into two massive halves.
Two caverns and the River Sargauth are the only features connecting the halves.
Twisted Caverns: The Underdark intrudes in
Undermountain at the fourth level. Fed by its own
waterway, known as the River of the Depths, the
layer's caverns were once used as farms , leading
some sources to call this the Farms Level. Kuo-toa,
aboleths, drow, and other Underdark denizens often
battle for control of these caverns.
HISTORY O F UNDERMOUNTAIN
FALLING STAIR
The Citadel of the Bloody Hand squats in the bowels
of Mount Waterdeep high above Undermountain.
Once patrolled and used by the City Guard, these
dungeons in the mountain were abandoned to the
dangerous creatures and magic that claimed them
more than a decade before the Spellplague.
A long staircase connects the citadel to the first
level ofUndermountain (see Area 74, page 84). A
strange magic protects the stairwell, causing the ceiling over it to collapse when any creature approaches
it. It's plainly hopeless to try to use the stairwayunless one waits for about an hour. Then the stones
and dust return to their former places and allow safe
passage for ten minutes before the magic fully resets.
Of course, climbing the stairs to the Citadel of the
Bloody Hand is not a way to escape danger. Even if
the climbers make it past the citadel's threats, other
barriers and magic wards have been set up to keep
creatures from climbing into Castle Waterdeep's
dungeons.
GRIM PASSAGE
A steep alley in the Dock Ward has been known
locally as "the Slide" for generations, due to its use
by youths for fun in winter. Near this happy place is
a grate that gives entrance to the sewers, and very
near this place stands a small secret door in the sewer
wall. Behind this door is a tight crawl space that
wends through bricked-up basements and disused
privy chutes, eventually curving into a dead end.
Here, another secret door is hidden in the floor. Once
open, it reveals a 20-foot drop to the Grim Statue
(see Area 41, page 59), a huge and headless relic that
retains shocking links to its past.
WAYS IN AND OUT
YAWNING PORTAL
The Yawning Portal houses the most famous and
accessible entrance to Undermountain. Built around
a vast pit in the earth that drops to the Dungeon
Level, the inn has for more than a century used its
connection to the dangers below to attract the brave,
foolhardy or merely curious.
Built on the site ofHalaster's ruined tower and
founded with loot claimed from Undermountain,
the Yawning Portal is a rambling structure that
boasts three upper floors of guest rooms and a
huge taproom. The centerpiece of this taproom is a
40-foot-wide well with a low wall. This is the "yawning portal" to Undermountain. Tables for patrons
surround the well, and a large winch-and-pulley
contraption grips the thick rope dungeon delvers
use to descend the 140 feet into Undermountain.
Entrance costs 10 gp per person and takes 10 rounds
as Duman lowers the individuals while they cling to
the rope, their feet in attached stirrups.
Duman the Sixth, descendant of the Duman who
originally built the inn, happily lowers any paying
patron into the well by means of the winch. If a dungeon delver returns to the well room below and wants
to come back up, he or she must drop 10 gp into a
bucket Durnan lowers down before the innkeeper
will haul the person back up. Duman doesn't provide healing or other help to returning adventurers,
but he'll send a runner with a message to one of the
temples for no extra charge. (He considers the Undermountain entrance fee enough to cover such service.)
When adventurers pay to enter the well, patrons
cheer, share rounds of drinks, and generally give the
dungeon delvers a grand going-away party. For those
the celebration doesn't distract, the scene might seem
a bit grisly as customers and inn workers openly bet
on whether the adventurers will return, and how
many will live to tell their tales.
WET WAY
The Yawning Portal's cellar holds another means of
entry into Undermountain. A steeply sloping hallway
in Undermountain's first level (see Area 78, page 88)
descends into groundwater, eventually ending at a
cistern. A steep staircase clings to the cistern wall
and twists upward, gradually becoming little more
than ladder-like ledges in a chute roughly 10 feet
wide. This well shaft climbs until it reaches a small
landing with a curtained archway. Nearby stands
a bucket, winch, and rope. Beyond the curtain is
the Yawning Portal's cellar. Duman has no inkling
that an entrance to Undermountain lies beyond the
flooded cistern at the bottom of the well, nor would
he be inclined to share that information.
Yawning Portal:
Patrons and
Hands
Containing the most well-known and publicly available entrance into Undermountain, the Yawning
Portal attracts a wide variety of gawkers and thrill
seekers, all hoping to witness the latest batch of
adventurers being lowered into the dungeon . Your
players' characters make up such a group, and thus
the Yawning Portal makes a great place to start them
on their adventures.
If the characters use the inn as a home base of
sorts, they're likely to spend some time chatting up
the locals. The following entries offer a peek into
the lives of patrons and inn workers with whom the
heroes might interact. You can use these character
sketches as they are or as inspiration for your own
nonplayer characters.
CORPORAL KNAG
During the day, a well-armed and armored elderly
man can be seen keeping the peace and doing an
honest day's work in the city district that holds the
Yawning Portal. At night, that same man, without his
uniform, can be found inside the Yawning Portal.
Endroth Knag has been a member of the City
Watch for decades. In fact, his superiors have been
pressuring him to retire for years now. But Corporal Knag has an enduring passion that keeps him
committed to his work: he hates mysteries. Indeed,
Corporal Knag's zeal for uncovering the truth when
presented with crimes or puzzles has earned him
both promotions and demotions throughout his long
career.
As usual, Corporal Knag has been using his time
off to ponder various unresolved cases as he quietly
sips ale in the Yawning Portal's taproom. Two mysteries currently preoccupy him.
Recently, an entire team of the Cellarers & Plumbers' Guild went missing while working in the sewers
(see Area 13, page 30). Aside from the signs of a
scuffle, no trace of the guild's members has been
found. Corporal Knag's superiors believe some sewer
beast devoured them, but Knag doesn't see it that
way. According to the old patroller, who can be heard
grumbling as he ruminates, "not enough blood" was
spilled at the scene.
The other mystery filling Knag's thoughts is the
disappearance ofJosephus Blaze, a known murderer
(see Area 47, page 64). Wanted for the gruesome
slayings of a merchant and his family, the killer
- has evaded capture. On the whole, Waterdhavians
assume Blaze fled the city, but Knag thinks he has
too many ties to Waterdeep to take flight so easily.
BROTHER SEPULCHER
A grim and morose man, Brother Sepulcher (the only
name by which he is known) has remained at the
Yawning Portal for the past ten days , paying Duman
for a room and spending most of his waking hours in
the tavern. He drinks little alcohol and eats sparingly.
While in the taproom, the bald, gaunt priest of
Jergal, the exarch of proper burial and final resting places, devotes himself to recording the names
and descriptions of each person who enters Undermountain. He often questions anyone preparing to
enter the dungeon about their relatives, spiritual
inclinations, and intended Undermountain destinations. While he does this, Brother Sepulcher
sometimes removes a measuring tape from his robes
and stretches it in front of an individual. When the
priest deems someone too tall, he calmly informs the
dungeon delver's companions that to lay the person's
body to rest in Undermountain, should he or she die,
they'll need to break its legs. Once they fold the legs
over, Brother Sepulcher continues, the body should
I Brother Sepulcher
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llMPOLD STEINRUT
Most nights oflate, the dwarf many know as
"Grumpold" can be found sprawled amid empty
tankards and bottles at his corner table, his beard
soaking up any spilled swill. Umpold is a longtime
tavern regular, so Durnan knows why he's turned
sodden, and the innkeeper has decided not to chuck
the drunken dwarf out on his rumpled rump. He's in
mourning. His brother, Angus Steinrut, recently disappeared and is believed dead.
Angus and Umpold always came into the Yawning
Portal together to while away the hours with meals
and games in their favorite booth. The two brothers used the booth as a second living room, inviting
guests and friends to visit them there and using it for
all manner of tasks, both business and personal.
These days, Umpold weaves unsteadily into the
inn after his shift at the tannery, smelling of his
work and drink and looking downright dangerous.
If other patrons are in his booth when he arrives, the
bereaved brother stands close to them, stares coldly,
and harrumphs loudly until the intruders leave of
their own accord or a server comes to offer them
another table and a free drink for the inconvenience.
Umpold then proceeds to drink himself into a stupor,
which takes quite a while.
Despite appearances, Umpold is drinking with
a purpose greater than assuaging his grie The last
time Umpold saw Angus, the two were enjoying
a typical raucous evening in their Yawning Portal
booth. Even though Umpold was deep in his cups,
he remembers Angus mentioning something strange
about his recent employment with the Cellarers &
Plumbers' Guild. Umpold believes that if he can recreate his state of mind that night, he'll remember
what Angus said and have some clue about his brother's disappearance. (Umpold refuses to believe Angus
is dead despite the City Watch's declaration.)
SANFIN LOTTE
Sanfin Lotte is an attractive human male rarely seen
outside the Yawning Portal. Although the young man
claims supplying stories to the city's various broadsheets is how he makes his money, he also earns a
great deal of coin selling secrets to the highest bidders. Sanfin engages in a bit ofblackmail, too, when
the opportunity arises.
The broadsheet stories he sells are infamous for
exposing scandal and spreading rumor. If asked
about his sources, the writer says the Yawning Portal
is a great place to keep an eye on all parts ofWaterdeep. Very few Waterdhavians know Sanfin does
much more with the information he gathers than
write gossipy stories. Of course, the master manipulator keeps his client roster of power players, both
in Waterdeep and Undermountain, under careful
guard. That protective attitude, however, doesn't
dissuade him from discreetly playing one side in a
dispute against another.
Chloe, a parakeet, is Sanfin's constant companion
and something of a shared pet among the Yawning
Portal's hands and regulars. When Chloe perches on
his shoulder, Sanfin speaks softly to her as if she can
understand him. Then the bird often flits to a server's shoulder or pecks at crumbs on a patron's table.
Recently, Chloe has taken to diving into the well as
parties begin their descent into Undermountain, twittering gaily to dungeon divers as she disappears into
the darkness below. While this behavior worried
Chloe's admirers at first, they no longer fret because
the brightly colored bird has always returned swiftly
and safely, often before the adventurers have reached
the well's bottom.
OLD STANNOC
Whenever a group of adventurers is being lowered
down or brought out ofUndermountain, a flurry
of activity takes place at a table near the bar. At the
center of that flurry is Stannoc, an elderly halfling.
Some folk claim that only the Yawning Portal's walls
have seen more of its history than Old Stannoc.
The halfling has made his living as a gambler
and odds maker, speculating on various aspects of
adventurers' Undermountain careers. The last surface-spoken words many a doomed adventurer has
heard were Old Stannoc's as he shouted out the long
odds he was giving on the dungeon diver's survival.
As would befit a person of his occupation, Stannoc is a relatively good judge of a person's character
and mettle. To get a better idea of divers' abilities,
I Old
Stannoc
MAKLIN MUCKLAR
An enterprising gnome named Maklin has sole permission from Duman to sell alchemical products and
potions within the establishment, a profit-sharing
deal that also gives Maklin some insurance against
the damage to the furniture his mixtures sometimes
cause.
Maklin is a distant and aloof gnome ofindeterminate age. Even those of generous nature say the little
fellow is quite odd. Duman believes the gnome is
eccentric but honest. Plus, the innkeeper really enjoys
the large kickback Maklin gives him.
No one has ever complained about Maklin's goods
or his slightly high prices until recently. Days ago,
a male human stormed into the Yawning Portal
claiming he bought a healing potion from Maklin in
Baldur's Gate several years ago, and the potion was
poisoned. He was escorted out of the tavern, all the
while screaming about how the potion had killed his
companion and that Maklin would pay. The shouter,
however, hasn't been heard from since. Some assume
the incident was a misunderstanding, but the Yawning Portal's regulars are keeping a wary eye on the
gnome now.
AGADA VANE
A human shopkeeper of middle age and stern countenance, Agada Vane frequents the Yawning Portal's
taproom on a regular basis. Agada runs a successful trade in metalwork for the home and dry goods.
Known as a fierce competitor and fair employer, she
has earned the respect ofWaterdeep's merchant
lords and guilds. She has a softer side, too, which her
tea-party attendees have come to know. Held weekly
in the back of her shop, Agada's gatherings attract
dozens who settle in to trade homemade treats, gentle
jibes, and gossip.
YetAgada Vane has even more layers. She also
works as a personal spy in this sector for Lord Neverember, the open lord ofWaterdeep. The open lord
pays Agada well to note others' activities, rumors she
hears, and anything of interest she sees. The crafty
spy sends her updates to Neverember in the shop's
weekly shipment of goods to Castle Waterdeep. Her
work has become even more valuable to the open lord
now that he is so often guiding affairs in the city of
Neverwinter to the south.
The Yawning Portal serves Agada well in her task.
From any one ofits polished, well-worn booths, she
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RUUDI STONEKIN
Ruudi is a recent addition to the Yawning Portal
tableau. She can usually be found at a corner table
pawing through the countless sheafs of parchment
and scroll tubes laid out before her. She claims to
be distant kin to the Melairkyn dwarves, the clan
that originally carved out significant portions of
Undermountain.
When she is not poring over tomes and scrolls,
the young dwarf converses with people who claim
to have knowledge ofUndermountain. Ruudi offers
a friendly, enthusiastic, and generous face to anyone
who approaches her with questions or information
about the dungeon's history, architecture, or layout.
However, she presents a long-suffering and gruff
mask to anyone wasting her time with other topics.
Ruudi's map mania isn't limited to Undermountain's bowels. She also has maps of the Yawning
Portal, Waterdeep's streets, and all the public fountains in each of the city's wards. Tavern regulars even
joke that Ruudi consults a map before heading to
the privies.
Ruudi sells her maps ofUndermountain for steep
prices, even though most are only unconnected portions of the dungeon or long strings of hallways with
few rooms attached to them. The dwarf also purchases for generous amounts maps delvers create,
provided they represent parts of the dungeon she has
not yet mapped. When anyone is drawn up from the
well's bottom, Ruudi jumps atop a chair or table and
cranes her neck to see over the usual crowd of congratulators, hoping to catch the delver's eye.
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Adventures in
Underinountain
Whether crafting whole adventures in Undermountain or an unexpected pit stop when players run into
some room not detailed herein, two things should be
kept in mind.
Undermountain is your playground: Feel free
to devise whatever you want and do whatever will
make your game the most fun. Add features you don't
see on the map. Change area or adventure details
this book describes. Modify monsters and location
descriptions as you see fit. Undermountain is a quixotic, magical, and ancient dungeon; anything could
happen!
Undermountain is your players' playground:
Undermountain should be both dangerous to the
characters and delightful to their players. It should
be a funhouse of all the best parts ofD&D. Of course,
part of the fun ofD&D is defeating enemies and
winning through despite the dangers. So make sure
you're not too brutal, and provide ways for the heroes
to take breaks.
RESTING IN
UNDERMOUNTAIN
Adventurers are apt to attract monsters with the noise
they make and encounter new threats around each
corner. So at some point, they'll need to rest and recuperate. They can do this in any number of ways. They
might bar the doors to a room they've already cleared
or rest in a hidden chamber behind a secret door.
They might even flee back to the Yawning Portal to
recuperate in the comfort ofDurnan's hospitality.
If characters are allowed to safely rest at will
in Undermountain, the dungeon is likely to seem
easy and less fun. However, if wandering monsters
endlessly harass adventurers, their time in Undermountain is apt to feel like a chore. The DM needs to
strike the right balance.
To vary players' experiences, have some rests be
peaceful and interrupt others. If characters take
appropriate steps to avoid dungeon inhabitants, their
caution should be rewarded. I adventurers act carelessly, monsters should come to investigate their
activities.
Interruptions could also take the form of
experiences that put characters on edge but don't necessarily rob them of their rest. A hero on watch duty
might spot a scary monster ambling through the halls
and remain hidden in anxious silence until it passes.
Strange dreams might haunt one or more adventurers-nightmares that seem to tell the future or hint
at dangers or treasure to be found deeper in the
ADVENTURES I N UNDERMOUNTAIN
Monster Statistics
Monsters' statistics do not, for the most part, accompany the creatures' mentions in the text. Instead,
the statistics blocks for monsters can be found in the
Monster Appendix, which starts on page 93, or the
Monster VaulC' accessory. You can also use the online
D&D Compendium to reference monster statistics.
Room Details
Unless otherwise stated, all areas in Undermountain
have the following features in common:
I UsinB
CREATING YOUR
OWN ADVENTURES
Undermountain can serve as a blank canvas for your
adventure ideas. Virtually any dungeon scenario you
can imagine could be set within its first level. Perhaps
an evil cult from the surface has set up a temple in
the dungeon. A noble family's crypts might be housed
in chambers they reach through a magic gate. Drow
could be using a portion ofUndermountain's first
level as a base of operation for raids into Waterdeep.
The heroes might hear about a magic item in Under
mountain that is the only sure way to lift a curse one
of them is under. A scrap of parchment the adventurers find could bear a map leading to fabulous wealth
some criminal the heroes captured hid in Undermountain. The possibilities are endless.
Getting There
No matter what your adventure idea is, you need a
way to move the adventurers from wherever they are
to the dungeon area you want them to explore. Ifletting them wander about isn't your style, try one or
more of the following approaches.
Magic Gate: Magic gateways, or portals, link
many Undermountain rooms to each other and can
put the heroes right where they need to be. A gate or
portal could also be unstable, appearing only at certain times, or one-way.
Teleport Malfunction: In ages past, powerful
magic that protected Undermountain blocked teleportation magic into and within the dungeon. Only
possession of a horned ring (page 45) allowed unfettered use of teleportation powers. This magic has
since faded, but its echoes sometimes do strange
things to teleportation attempts. Characters using a
teleportation circle or some other mystical means of
moving about the dungeon might be rerouted to a
new destination.
Captives: If you're facing a party wipeout, you
could have foes capture rather than kill the adventurers, giving the characters a chance to escape near
your planned adventure. Assuming the villains take
away the heroes' magic items, allow players to win
them back (and gain some extras to boot).
Mapped Route: The characters could gain access
to a map that leads to an amazing treasure or some
other goal. Your planned adventure could be at the
end of that map or something that happens to the
adventurers along the way.
Bad Directions: The heroes could be told something they seek is hidden in Undermountain but
discover your adventure instead. Or an enemy they
track might deliberately lead the characters into a
dangerous area of your design.
ADVENTURES IN UNDERMOUNTAIN
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names of places now lost to history.
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ADVENTURES IN UNDERMOUNTAIN
87-88
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17-18 S!!!faces are covered in ice
19-20 Illusory golden fish swim in rippling pool
[21-22 _,_Talking portraitshang"on the walli
23-24 Whispering voices offer insults
~pE!edy magic balrbounces around.__ _ _ _~
27-28 Blue smoke fills area
29-30 TliJf~j~g goblin skll!f~P_E!aks only .li.E!~
31-32 Wall spout pours endless stream of sour beer
33-34 ln~ible, thin membrane cove rs~dlrorways
35-36 Area is unnaturally cold
37-38 ~llrfaces are al!_s!t!=~)' (tacky)
39-40 Voices converse in ancient language
.:1-1-42 _C~~~~ures ente!:frig!'lr~a appear fo_sJ1ri_nk
43-44 Pile of bones scuttles around room
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47-48 Smell of lemons fills area
49-50 ~~iidowy figure !>J!J:~~ns one he~()-=-~--=~----~
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53-5"4 Random tappin_g comes from _fl"'o-=o~r~-~-~
All voices inside room echo
GloJ:>es of water float around room
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Generating Random
Dungeon Rooms
When the heroes encounter a room or chamber not
detailed in Halls of Undermountain, you can use the
following tables to help flesh out details. Roll once on
the Room Purpose table to learn a room's appearance
and then as many times as you like on the Natural
Room Features and Magical Room Features tables
(page 17). If the results don't make sense, or you don't
like them, reroll them. If you want to include monsters and would like an idea to inspire you, roll on the
Random Encounters table (page 89).
COMBINING THE ADVENTURES
Co~nbining
Adventures
the
PRICE OF NOBILITY
House Urmbrusk has a long and honored place in
Waterdeep's history. This 1=enturies-old family has
provided moneylending and land-buying services
to many merchants and temples over the years. The
house is most famous, however, for the tendency of
its scions to leave the secured walls of its ancestral
manor to seek adventures in that grandest of dungeons beneath the city.
Three years ago, the family's patriarch, Lord Quarren Urmbrusk, joined the ranks of his ancestors who
had traded in finery for armor, believing the sword
was in fact mightier than the pen. He set his affairs
in order and left his younger sister, Lady Lestra Urmbrusk, in charge of the family's interests. In doing so,
he granted her custody of his only child, a teenaged
lad named Rutherford, whose mother had passed
away in childbirth. With Rutherford, the heir to the
house's fortunes, under her authority, Lady Lestra
took the house's reins with carefully cloaked glee.
Lord Quarren, meanwhile, recruited others seeking fame and fortune, and together they trained with
the goal of making their marks in Undermountain.
Lady Lestra, however, was intent on Under mountain
making its mark on her elder brother-because no
place in Waterdeep was as convenient for masking
murder as fate. She bribed the members of Quarren's adventuring party, paying them handsomely to
make sure he breathed his last breath in the dungeon
beneath the city.
When Quarren didn't return from his adventure
and no news of his whereabouts-or death-came
back to Lestra, she assumed Undermountain's perils
had taken both her brother and those she had hired
to kill him. However, four weeks ago, a voice spoke
into Rutherford's mind. Sounding exactly like his
father's, the voice begged the young man to lead a
rescue party into Undermountain. Ever the good son,
Rutherford put together an expedition of his own.
Four weeks have now passed since her nephew
entered the dungeon, and Lady Lestra is concerned.
Her brother might still be alive and, worse yet, might
know of her betrayal. Furthermore, she cannot take
official control of the house until she can prove
I Price of Nobility
SIMPLE OFFER
A servant of House Urmbrusk finds a private moment
to approach the adventurers as they prepare for
their journey Undermountain. Wearing a hooded
cloak and unmarked plainclothes, a half-elf named
Llarwell tells the characters his employer, a wealthy
Waterdhavian noble, has an urgent wish to speak
with them.
If the characters agree, the servant leads them to a
suite in the Yawning Portal.
Read:
The suite'sfurnishinEJS are simple. The hooded fiEJure asks
you sit while he fetches his employer. He leaves throuEJh a
closed door across the room. Moments later, a well-dressed
female human takes a seat opposite you.
"Please excuse my caution," she says in a voice that
reveals both refinement and worry. "I have some standinEJ
in the city, and I do not wish others to know my pliEJht. I am
Lady Lestra of House Urmbrusk.
"My nephew, Rutherford, went into Undermountain
four weeks aEJO. NauEJht has been heard from him or his five
companions since. His father, my brother, disappeared in
Undermountain three years aEJO. Before he left, Rutherford
swore his father's whispered voice spoke to him, implorinEJ
him to brinB a rescue party into the dunEJeon. I told my
nephew it was folly, but the impetuousness ofyouth and his
father's blood won out.
"Rumor has it you plan to enter this twice-cursed place
on business ofyour own. I offer you 20 pieces ofEJOld each to
look for Rutherford as you travel and to keep this iriformation to yourselves. ifyou recover my nephew, or provide proof
of his demise, I offer a reward many times this small sum."
She describes Rutherford as a seventeen-yearold human. He has pale skin, green eyes, and
long, dark, curly hair. The shield he carries bears
the family crest, a dagger stabbing into a fanged
mouth.
Lady Lestra does not reveal why it might be difficult or embarrassing to her family that Rutherford
is missing. If severely pressed, she hints that Rutherford's absence could cause certain business deals
to fall through. In truth, she simply wishes to know
where she stands.
+ She can only provide sketchy outlines of Rutherford 's five companions: Zarr, a half-elf mercenary,
has tattoos showing various military insignia.
Aizel, a female elf with a raspy voice, is a wizard.
Enda, a female halfling, wears h er dyed-red hair
very short. Squam and Rotwile, half-ore brothers,
fill out the group. Squam, a squat, loutish fighter,
has a heavily scarred face and nasty temperament.
Rotwile, tall, thin, and sullen, wears a patch over
his right eye and has a long braided beard.
Further Dealings
with Lady Lestra
After her first meeting with the characters, Lady
Lestra wants nothing else to do with them unless they
find her nephew or his remains. If the heroes seek
further contact with her, you can decide how Lestra
responds. She might refuse to see them or acknowledge their existence. Or she might hire mercenaries
to do away with adventurers who are insistent, indiscreet, or know too much.
Alternatively, you could have Lestra become the
character's patron. She might provide them with a
comfortable place to stay on their return trips from
the dungeon, invite them for lavish dinners at her
villa wherein they can entertain her and her guests
with tales ofUndermountain's dangers, or grant them
equipment or Urmbrusk-heirloom magic items. This
route makes any later treachery on Lestra's part more
dramatic and impactful.
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Zarr's
Invincible Ar111y
This adventure pits the characters against a halfelf mercenary who has taken control of two small
tribes, one kobold and one goblinoid. Through luck
and superior leadership, the half-elf and his growing
army have secured a small section ofUndermountain, and they are growing their numbers as they
prepare to launch a larger campaign.
Not all the army's conscripts are happy with
their new lot, however. Even though the characters
might try to fight their way through the half-elf's
turf, leaving nothing alive in their wake, they could
attempt to foment a rebellion within the kobold and
goblinoid ranks.
BACKGROUND
The adventuring group Rutherford Urmbrusk assembled to search for his father was seemingly doomed
from the start. Among his companions was Zarr,
a half-elf mercenary. After encountering a magic
symbol in the dungeons, Zarr was stricken with a
form of megalomania. Moments later, Rutherford
disappeared, Zarr turned his blade on a companion,
and the party's remaining members melted away into
Undermountain. Obsessed from a young age with
military leaders and battles, the delusional half-elf
became convinced he was a great commander who
was destined to lead superior armies into battles historians would write about for centuries.
After sauntering away from his companion's
corpse, Zarr went in search of an army. He soon
encountered a tribe ofkobolds lairing in the northeast section ofUndermountain's first level. He
quickly dispatched the kobolds' tribal chief and
convinced the others to follow him. At the time, the
kobolds were warring with a nearby goblinoid tribe.
Under Zarr's leadership, the kobolds trounced the
goblins and absorbed the survivors into their ranks.
In the two weeks since Rutherford's party fell
apart, Zarr has acquired a fighting force and secured
a small section ofUndermountain as his military
compound. The self-described military genius trains
his new troops in the arts of warfare, sending out
patrols to protect their compound and ascertain
where their next conquests should be.
Because countless powerful adventurers could
stream down the Yawning Portal's well, Zarr has
taken an aggressive, proactive approach to protecting
his fledgling army from incursions from that site. The
mercenary's first related action was to bribe Sanfin
Lotte (page 12) to send warning whenever dungeon
delvers are being lowered into the well. When such
STARTING THE
ADVENTURE
The most exciting way to start the adventure is with
a bang! The action begins with the characters in the
Yawning Portal's taproom (see the enclosed poster
map), launching point for countless great adventures
and gruesome deaths. Give the heroes time to take in
a bit of the atmosphere as another party of thrill-seekers and sellswords is lowered slowly down the entry
well. As the adventurers familiarize themselves with
the Yawning Portal and its patrons, screams issue
from the well. The other party is being attacked!
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ENCOUNTER AREAS
Undermountain area locations are labeled on the
Halls ofUndermountain Levell poster map and a
smaller version of the map on page 75 . As the characters move about the dungeon, consult the maps and
the numbered areas' descriptions in this book. Each
grid square on the map represents 10 feet.
1. Entry Well
Exploration Encounter
Duman winds the winch with all his mi&ht, and people
at the well's ed9e shout encouragement to the adventurers
below. More coins chan9e hands, and an elderly halfling
sidles up to you.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
I 1.
Entry Well
2. Hall of Heroes
Trap/Hazard Encounter Level3 (750 XP)
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Trapped Statues
Five of the statues grasp magic-enhanced crossbows. When one or more creatures enter the hall,
roll initiative. The five crossbows fire energy bolts at
creatures in the hall. Each bolt targets an individual
creature, but more than one bolt could be aimed at
the same creature. For example, all five bolts could
be fired at one creature, or the bolts could be aimed
at five different creatures, or any other combination.
Disabled crossbows can be removed from the statues
but lose their magical power.
The pedestals of the five crossbow-trapped statues
are each five-foot square and also trapped. When
a creature enters a square adjacent to a crossbowtrapped statue, blades flick out of its base, swiping at
anything adjacent to it.
The traps continue to fire until they are all disabled or all creatures have left the hall.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
2. Hall of Heroes
Level 3 Trap
Object
XP 1SO each
Detect see Countermeasures below
Initiative +5
Immune cold, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, forced movement,
all conditions, ongoing damage
STANDARD ACTIONS
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CouNTERMEASURES
+ Detect Crossbow: Perception DC 13 (free action). Requirement: The character must be within 20 squares of the statue.
Success: The character sees that statue's crossbow trap.
+Detect Blades: Perception DC 21 (free action). Requirement:
The character must be within 2 squares of the statue. Success:
The character sees that statue's blade trap but is not aware of
its trigger.
+Attack Crossbow: Each crossbow has AC 15, Reflex 5,
Fortitude 10, 15 hp, same immunities as the statue.
+ Disable Crossbow: Thievery DC 13 (standard action).
Requirement: The character must be adJacent to the statue.
Success: The statue's crossbow is disabled and ceases to
function.
+Disable Blades: Thievery DC 21 (standard action). Requirement: The character must be adjacent to the statue. Success:
The statue's blade trap is disabled and ceases to function.
3. Bone Throne
Combat Encounter Levell (550 XP) and Combat
Encounter Level 5 (1,000 XP)
Zarr's forces have been able to avoid, remove, or
harness the magic and traps in many rooms in the
vicinity of their base, but they are still struggling with
securing this chamber. A handful ofZarr's creatures
are using a recently captured adventurer, a female
half-ore named Yoradar, to trigger a trap so they can
see what happens.
When the adventurers enter the area, read:
This large chamber's walls and floors are lined with gold-
ENCOUNTER AREAS
I 3. Bone Throne
Glowing Globe
These seemingly whimsical magical creations light
many chambers and halls throughout Undermountain's levels. Also called drift lights, these globes glow
in colors reflective of their owners' moods.
If the adventurers enter the area without alarming its occupants, read:
Behind the curtains to the northeast, harsh aruntina voices
araue with high-pitched voices in broken Common about
auard duties and patrol rosters.
A voice squeaks, "You stupid. Like a bia, stupid, hairy,
stupid hobaoblin. Stupid! Me and Niim auard that passaae
last time. Scare everythin& away. Now your turn."
A deep voice bellows with barely controlled fury, "You
coul.dn't scare my mother's mother, and she has no teeth.
Ba1ook and me auarded that passage last time. I remember. We watched the last patrol go there, and we heard their
screams. Remember tha.t, Balook?"
Creatures: Two hobgoblin battle guards (Monster
Glowing Globe
Level 3 Rare
4. Staging Area
Combat Encounter Levell (500 XP)
The doors between this room and Area 2 are locked.
The lock can be picked with a DC 14 Thievery
check, or the doors can be smashed in with a DC 21
Strength check.
When the heroes enter, read:
Thi? huae chamber's vaulted ceilin& is 40 feet high. Leather,
Roleplay
The creatures' bickering and the room's features
should alert the characters that the ambushing creatures are part of a large organized force, and not all
the group's members are happy with their circumstances. This encounter provides the best opportunity
to relay, through roleplaying, the adventure's pertinent information.
If the heroes decide to eavesdrop, they could hear
about a brewing rebellion, Zarr, his whereabouts,
where prisoners are kept, or anything else you'd like
them to know. Or, if the characters approach the goblins and kobolds, they might try to convince Zarr's
creatures to desert their posts or turn on each other.
For example, let's say the hobgoblins consider
attacking the kobolds. In response, the squeaky minions quickly remind the hobgoblins that before Zarr
united them, both groups were barely surviving. Now
they all have plenty of food and respect, and soon the
army is going to take over the entire area.
Such an exchange would provide solid background
information and leave the characters understanding that while diplomacy did not work in this case, it
might later in the adventure.
E NC OU N TER AR EA S
I4.
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5. Off Limits!
6. Magic Stream
Plot
The characters should find it odd that almost all
the deities represented here are dead, yet a DC 13
Dungeoneering check reveals that the statues were
created well before those deities perished. This oddity
can be used to plant a seed for another adventure or
campaign plot. For example, a priest of Gond might
later approach the characters to ask if they found
anything related to his deity during their time in
Undermountain. This inclusion of Gond among the
dead gods might seem to be an omen, so the priest
could ask the characters to undertake a mission on
his behalf. Of course, the DM could replace Gond
with another deity to make this idea work in any
campaign.
ENCO UNTE R AR EA S
6. Manic Stream
Roleplay
The goblin cook is a curmudgeon named Zookah who
is too old to fight, so Zarr found a use for him. After the
kobolds complained bitterly that goblins didn't know
how to cook for kobold palates, Zarr ordered a young
female kobold named Meeni to be Zookah's assistant.
Zookah resents having an assistant, and Meeni
resents being a goblin's assistant. Thus, the two bicker
endlessly. Assuming the heroes do not slaughter them
despite their noncombatant natures, Zookah and
Meeni spin outlandish tales in an effort to convince
the characters to kill the other one. If successful, the
survivor eventually attempts to escape or leads the
adventurers into a trap.
If forced into combat, Zookah and Meeni each
have 1 hit point, defenses 10, and no effective attacks.
7. Language Lessons
Plot
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8. Training Grounds
Combat Encounter Levell (100 XP)
Roleplay
The groups ofkobolds and goblinoids despise each
other and see little point in learning Common.
The adventurers might be able to use that hatred
to foment a fight. Diplomacy, Bluff, and Intimidate
Roleplay
Yiggug understands he cannot beat the adventurers
by himself. Wily and spry, the old goblin tries trickery or quick feet to attempt an escape. He acts like a
doddering fool, telling the adventurers whatever he
thinks they want to hear. If he cannot find a way to
escape, he leads the heroes to Area 6, where he just
sent a handful of troops.
9. Barracks
Combat Encounter Level 2 (700 XP)
The rooms that comprise this area contain little
more than sleeping mats and a few makeshift tables
and chairs. Generally, no more than two of the four
chambers are occupied at one time. Because of the
losses the army has recently sustained and the large
number of exploratory patrols Zarr has ordered, only
one room in the area contains any creatures.
Creatures: A hobgoblin commander (Monster
Vault, page 158), three goblin cutthroats (Monster
Vault, page 154), and two kobold slingers (Monster
Vault, page 80) are preparing to rest after returning from patrol duty. They are still highly alert from
making their rounds, so if they hear any commotion
from nearby rooms, they cautiously investigate.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
I 9. Barracks
10. Kennels
Combat Encounter Level3 (750 XP)
Because of the scarcity of troops available in Undermountain, Zarr has enlisted some animal trainers to
work with creatures that can be used in his army. The
trainers and a few drakes are in Area lOA, while the
rest of the creatures are held in cages in Area 10.
When the characters look into Area lOA, read:
This room smells worse than the others in the complex.
In its western end, a aoblin rides a larse drake in maneu
Plot
One (or more) of the caged creatures could take a
liking to the adventurers, giving them a chance to
gain a pet. Or a creature could be wearing a collar
with a name tag, showing it had a previous owner.
That owner might be willing to pay a reward for the
pet's return, if he or she can be located.
EN C O UN TER A REAS
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"Only the most wise and brave can receive the a!ft qf vision. co
Select two others to take the test with you. Remember, you u
place your life and theirs in dan9er."
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After the character chooses two others to take
the test, read:
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The spectral fitJwe sneers at you and says, "Beyond the veil, cc:
the power ofvtsions awaits. Only by grasplna this staff can ~
you pass throueh the veil."
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A wooden staff suddenly appears itt its hands, each end
ca pped in an iron handle. The spirit continues, "Only two
creatures canarasp the staff at one time, cmd a.t least one
creature must carry the staff across the veil. But there is
more."
Two less distinct misty figures appear next to the origi
nalform.
"To pass the test, all three ofyou and all three of us must
sta11d toaether on the veil's other side. However, no more
than two can pass throush at one time, and the staff must
be nraspedfor any to cross the vetl. It cannot be thrown. Jf
at any tirne, we spirits outnumber you three mortals on one
side or the otlun, you will per!sh. Now ... how can we all
pass safely?"
If necessary, the speaker repeats the riddle, growing
increasingly frustrated with each retelling. The three
chosen characters and the three spirits must end up
together in the chamber west of the misty veil. Only
three adventurers can undergo the test, but all can
contribute to its answer. If the spirits ever outnumber the chosen characters on either side of the veil,
the outnumbered character or characters each lose 2
healing surges, and all the chosen heroes and spirits
are teleported back into the eastern chamber to try
again.
If an adventurer tries to enter the mist without
holding the staff, that hero loses 5 healing surges and
finds the veil impassable. The answer to the riddle is
as follows:
ENCOUNTER AREAS
SweepinB its arm toward it, the form tells the one who
accepted the challentJe, "You have earned the ri&ht to sit in
the Seat ofVisions. What you see mi&ht not please you, but
it will not hurt you."
ENCOUNTER AREAS
13. Prisoners
When the character who initially agreed to undertake the test sits in the throne, the frescoes in this
chamber and the eastern m ain chamber seem to
come to life, performing m agic rituals and casting
spells. All of this power courses through the walls
into the throne, energizing the character in the
throne. That character gains the Halaster's vision legendary boon, described below.
Halaster's Vision
Plot
When a character gains the Halaster's vision legendary boon, he or she should also have a vision
of something that will likely happen in his or her
not-too-distant future. For example, if the heroes
are going to find themselves in this book's next
adventure, "The Tombs of Dayan," the character
might have a vision of a suit of armor that opens to
reveal a vampiric form within. This vision can be
anything, however, and should help guide the adventurers through their travels in Undermountain and
elsewhere.
13. Prisoners
Combat Encounter Level 2 (625 XP)
An unlocked door opens to reveal a steep stairway
leading down to a makeshift prison.
Once the characters descend the stairs, read:
Torches in sconces li&ht this spacious room. In its corners,
statues depictinB robed humans of stern countenance
nearly reach the chamber's 15foot-hi&h ceilin9. Dozens of
manacles are set into the room's walls. As you enter, a buabear is chaininB an unconscious human to one waH while
five other chained prisoners look on.
Creatures: A bugbear thug (Monster Vault, page
159) named Hroughta acts as the jailer. She holds a
single key that opens all the manacles, which can also
be unlocked with a DC 14 Thievery check.
The six prisoners are described below:
Xerick: This male human was part ofMorphey's
party. Hroughta is chaining his unconscious form to
the wall as the heroes enter.
Smur9le: This bugbear thug is imprisoned here for
disobeying a direct order from Zarr. He's alive only
because he's an exciting combatant in Zarr's gladiatorial arena.
Araust Copperniaht: This dwarf entered Undermountain to search for possible mining locations.
After Argust was captured, Zarr plucked out the
dwarf's eyes for giving him an insolent look. Argust,
terrified and distraught, is unwilling to move unless
someone leads him.
Steploe Nestletoe: This halfling member of the
Cellarers & Plumbers' Guild, remains the eternal
optimist. He assumes he will escape and be all the
better for the experience. His crew was on duty in
the sewers when their lights suddenly went dark and
he was struck on the head. He doesn't know how he
ended up in this room.
Lady Steiiephosa: This female human paladin
ofKelemvor was investigating rumors of undead
creatures lurking in Undermountain when she was
captured. Zarr's forces are looking forward to a gladiatorial fight between her and Smurgle.
GraspinB Zombie: This undead male human is
chained next to the paladin and both disgusts and
angers her. The zombie's only remaining parts
include a head, torso, and arms. A patrol captured
it near Dayan's laboratory (page 54). The zombie's
unwillingness to die amused its captors, so they
chained it down here to disturb the prisoners, particularly the paladin. A mark shaped like a skull and
dagger is burned into its forehead. Use the grasping
zombie statistics (Monster Vault, page 293) as needed.
Features: This chamber has two support columns,
but Zarr's forces intentionally weakened the western
one. If Hroughta is bloodied or if one or more of prisoners is released, she tries to knock down the column
and trigger a ceiling collapse, perhaps killing herself
and one or more of the prisoners in the process. To
bring down the ceiling, a creature must be adjacent to
the column and use a standard action to push it over.
This requires a DC 14 Strength check.
Collapsing Ceiling
Object
XP 350
Detect see Countermeasures below
Initiative Immune all conditions, forced movement, ongoing damage,
necrotic, poison, psychic
TRIGGERED ACTIONS
Effect
Tri99er: A creature adjacent to the weakened support column
succeeds on a DC 14 Athletics check (standard action) to
knock the column over.
Effect (Immediate Reaction): The ceiling in the western half of
the room caves in, dealing 4d1 0 damage to all creatures in the
area and turning that area into difficult terrain. Until the end of
the encounter, any creature that ends its turn in the area takes
1d1 0 damage from falling debris.
Special: This trap can be triggered only once.
COUNTERMEASURES
>-
Plot
z
Vl
0::
0::
ENCOUNTER AREAS
<t:
15. Storage
Roleplaying Encounter
Roleplay
Grand Grelpin is the ultimate pragmatist. He knows
he doesn't stand a chance against the characters, and
he suspects the heroes might be able to take out Zarr
and the goblin hex hurler that acts as the half-elf's
advisor.
Grand Grelpin tells the adventurers he is hiding
here because he knows too much and, as a priest,
cannot abandon his tribe. The wyrmpriest then tries
to convince the characters they need him to overthrow Zarr and end the kobold-goblin alliance.
Plot
Grand Grelpin would be happy to assist the characters in defeating Zarr, as long as they spare any
kobolds they encounter in the complex and allow him
to gather up the remaining kobolds, declare himself
tribal chief, and relaunch the tribe's quest to find
the rumored dragon. If this happens, the characters
could later come across Grand Grelpin somewhere
else in Undermountain, either wandering about or
serving another master.
Poisoned Needle
Object
Detect Perception DC 19
Immune attacks
Level1 Trap
XP 100
Initiative -
TRIGGERED ACTIONS
ed.(pJ?l on)
Triyyer: A creature opens the door.
Effect (Immediate Reaction): The triggering creature takes ongoing 5 poison damage and falls unconscious (save ends both).
Aftereffect: The creature takes 10 poison damage.
Special: This trap can be triggered only once.
CouNTERMEASURES
Levell Trap
Object
XP 125
Detect Perception DC 20
Initiative HP15
AC 10, Fortitude 5, Reflex 5, WillImmune necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, forced movement, all
conditions, ongoing damage
Plot
Zarr's memoir opens with a discussion of his Dalelands explorations months ago. It quickly reveals his
obsession with the military. The book then describes
the half-elf coming to Waterdeep, where a young
noble named Rutherford Urmbrusk hired Zarr to
watch his back in Undermountain. The final entry
that mentions Rutherford suggests the noble was
going mad as he searched for his father. The young
lord, Zarr writes, was following a voice only he could
hear, heading north past a room with a whistling well
(see Area 62, page 78).
Zarr switches gears suddenly, writing that destiny
settled into his bones the moment he saw a spiral
symbol on a wall in Undermountain similar to one he
saw in the Dalelands. The book contains no other reference to the spiral symbol. The passages that follow
twang with paranoia, delusions of grandeur, and fantastic plans ofleading an army of mythic fierceness
against the world, killing until all heads bow to Zarr
the Invincible.
1 7. Laboratories
Combat Encounter Levell (100 XP)
This chamber is divided into four laboratories where
Zarr's "gifted" underlings work on various war-related
projects. A kobold alchemist conducts experiments in U
the southeastern work area. The other work areas are
currently empty; the alchemist has had some spectac- z
ular failures recently, prompting the others to vacate
the room whenever he's present.
Roleplay
Plot
ENCOUNT ER AREAS
Roleplay
Emotionally brittle, these guards might be persuaded
to desert Zarr's army or allow the characters safe passage. Or they might fess up to their fear and offer the
heroes coin, drink, or some other bribe to kill whatever's lurking in the chambers to the south.
Plot
What lurks to the south is up to you. It is likely one or
more powerful and evil creatures. Of course, since it
has slain only members ofZarr's army (as far as the
characters know), it might be a good-aligned creature,
one that can offer the characters something of value
in return for a favor.
Level 8 Soldier
XP 350
Initiative+11
Perception +9
TRAITS
Zarr's Advantage
Zarr gains combat advantage against immobilized creatures.
STANDARD AcTioNs
ENCOUNTER AREAS
Object
XP 250
DetectInitiative +5
HP 55
AC 16, Fortitude 13, Reflex 10, WillImmune necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, forced movement, all
conditions, ongoing damage
STANDAim AcTioNs
ENCOUN TE R AR E AS
I 20.
War Room
5 False-Floor Pits
Level1 Trap
Obj<c t
Detect Perception DC 19
Immune attacks
XP 100 each
Initiative-
TRIGGERED ACTIONS
Teleportation Rune
Object
DetectImmune attacks
Levell Trap
XP 125
Initiative -
TRIGGERED ACTIONS
~ Effect(tel~portat~on) +At-Will
+Analyze: Arcana DC 20 (standard action). Success: The character ascertains the power of the rune.
+Control: Arcana DC 20 (standard action; trained only). Success: The character can trigger the rune's attack power as a
minor action once per round.
+Deactivate: Thievery DC 20 (standard action). Requirement:
The character must be standing on or adjacent to the rune.
Success: The rune ceases to function until the end of the
encounter.
Development
If the heroes manage to take Zarr prisoner and question him, he rants about his army arriving to liberate
him. The half-elf proudly states that his forces have
been instructed to pay no ransom.
If asked about Rutherford Urmbrusk (see Area
63, page 78), Zarr appears confused and flustered as
his delusions and reality warble together. Zarr tells
the characters he once served with a soldier named
Rutherford, but the scoundrel abandoned the army
around the time the troops were passing a whistling
well (Area 62, page 78) and a corridor full of crushed
bones (Area 61, page 77).
Totnbs of
Dayan
This adventure sees the heroes infiltrating a domain
controlled by the vampire Dayan and his undead
servants. Dayan is using the power and knowledge
gained from a secret laboratory left behind by a longdead necromancer whose identity is lost in the fog
of time. This area ofUndermountain also contains
long-forgotten tombs that provide Dayan with an
abundant supply of corpses to fuel his ambitions.
BACKGROUND
At some point between Halaster's presumed death
and the present, a necromancer escaped persecution
by Waterdeep authorities by taking refuge in Undermountain. One area lent itself particularly well to the
necromancer's magic as he tinkered with the stuff of
life and death.
After setting up laboratories in the dungeon and
gaining a great deal of knowledge and power in the
necromantic arts, the necromancer succumbed to
death. All that remained of his legacy were a few
undead creatures that wandered off and a large
library of notes on the practice of necromancy.
Recently, some Undermountain explorers found
some of the necromancer's notes, but the dungeon
delvers were forced to flee before they could collect
them. Rumors of the notes' existence spread.
When a mage named Varriel heard about the
library, she recognized it for what it was-a great deal
of power. Not adventurous enough to make the trip
hersel Varriel hired Aizel Treemaine, a female elf
wizard, to explore on her behalf. Aizel joined Rutherford Urmbrusk's adventuring party to make the
descent. When the party broke up, Aizel followed
some clues to the forgotten laboratory. She found a
vampire had beaten her there, and he was already
using the lab to create undead servants.
The vampire, Dayan, captured Aizel and added
her to his collection ofliving prisoners, which he uses
to power his experiments. Dayan marks his undead
creatures with a unique symbol, and adventurers
who have escaped the creatures have returned to the
surface with stories of undead creatures bearing this
mark. Varriel recognizes the mark as one purportedly
associated with the notes she seeks, and she is convinced that someone-perhaps even Aizel-has started
using the knowledge. Getting desperate, she seeks
more adventurers to act on her behal
TOMBS OF DAYAN
I Backaround
IJ.
Read:
Afemale human of middle years dressed in red robes
approaches you. She nods curtly and adjusts her hood. As
she does so, you notice her head is shaved bald.
"I hear you are capable adventurers who show promise
in navi3atin3 Undermountain's dan3ers," she says. "May I
speak with you about ajob opportunity?"
Give the players a moment to answer before Varriel
continues.
Then read:
"I fear a weat threat is wowinB in the 3rand dun3eon's
darkest corners. I have heard rumors of a laboratory that
contains a wealth of necromantic knowled3e and power.
I sent another adventurer, an elf named Aizel, to investi&ate. Not only has she not returned, but I have lately heard
rumors of undead creatures in Undermountain bear in&
a unique mark-a skull over a da33er blade-associated
with the laboratory. I fear someone-perhaps even Aizel-is
usin3 the laboratory for necromantic experiments.
"I want you to find the lab and stop the necromancer. As
proof ofyour success, brin3 me any books or scrolls about
necromancy you find. I shall pay you handsomely fo r your
service."
STARTING THE
ADVENTURE
This adventure hook will be much stronger if during
a previous trip into Undermountain the characters
came across an undead creature bearing the mark
of a skull resting on a dagger's blade. One appears in
"Zarr's Invincible Army" (see Area 13, page 30), but
you should feel free to improvise your own encounter
with marked undead.
TOMBS OF D A YAN
If the characters have talked to Lady Lestra Urmbrusk (page 18), they have probably heard the name
Aizel mentioned as one of Rutherford's adventuring
companions. This might be enough to motivate them
to take the job.
Varriel can provide the characters with 100 gp
each and directions to the laboratory's general area.
She might also promise to give the heroes a reward
of magic items, such as potions or a specific item
a character wants, upon the job's completion. The
directions, which she pieced together from talks with
adventurers who claimed to see zombies bearing the
skull-and-dagger mark, lead the characters to the
Lanceboard Room (see Area 21, page 39).
Feel free to craft the directions to send the characters along the dungeon path you want them to travel.
Made from adventurers' recollections, the directions
are likely little more than left and right instructions
along a vague path. Such a discussion could attract
the interest ofRuudi Stonekin (page 13), and the
female dwarf might be able to provide an actual
map (for a tidy sum and the heroes' promise of some
cartography work) as well as some lore about the
Lanceboard Room.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
If the characters follow the directions Varriel or
Brother Sepulcher gave them, they begin the adventure approaching Area 21 from the south.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
This shiny &old coin can mean the difference between life and
death, brilliant success and utter failure.
Consumable
50 gp
Property
The coin always lands tails up when flipped .
Utility Power + Consumable (Free Action)
Effect: Gain a+1 item bonus on an attack roll, skill check, or
saving throw you just made.
Special: You cannot use the utility power of another coin of
BOOd luck until after you've taken an extended rest.
Lanceboard Rules
This game can accommodate up to nine knights and
a champion on each side. If more than six players
are at the table, the game's magic randomly switches
characters in and out of the game. Therefore, players
must be ready at all times, even when they are not on
the board. If fewer than six players are at your table,
put the same number ofblack pieces on the board as
there are players.
Lanceboard Layout: The chamber floor forms a
chessboard pattern ofblack and white 5-foot squares.
The board fills the room and is 10 squares wide by 14
squares long.
Starting Positions: Each champion appears in a
random square in the row along the north or south
wall. (You can roll a dlO to determine the exact
square in each case.) Knights are randomly arrayed
in the row directly in front of their champion. Each
piece begins the game in its own square.
Initiative: Once the champions and knights are
in place , both sides roll initiative.
u..
0
Vi
ro
2
0
1-
and dry breeze suddenly blows out of it, send ina bits ofarit
into your eyes. Moments later, an icy aale whips across you,
brina with it the scent of the sea. Peerina into the well does
not reveal its bottom; the shaft descends into darkness.
Features: The well is a one-way teleporter that
brings air into the dungeon from other parts of
Faerun. From time to time it also disgorges creatures,
not all of them hostile. No monsters are currently in
the chamber, but you can use the well's one-way teleporter to bring a creature-confused at having been
teleported an unknown distance in the blink of an
eye-springing out of the shaft.
Any creature that fully enters the well or teleported into the wellshaft from some farflung location
is violently thrust upward against the 20-foot-high
ceiling and takes 2dl0 damage plus an additional
2d10 damage when it falls to the floor next to the
well. The magic of the well cannot be suppressed or
removed.
23 . Finger Bones
Roleplaying Encounter
When the characters get anywhere near this
area, they hear weeping, moaning, and possibly
whispering.
When the heroes can see the seven cells in this
room, read:
Roleplay
The dwarf prisoner is Graven Larvoldson, a metalsmith. Dayan kidnapped the dwarf from his
workshop in Waterdeep and brought him here to
create the receptacles Dayan uses to hold his life
force when he turns to mist. H is work completed,
Graven has been left in his cell to die.
Although the dwarf is not afraid of dying, he
weeps because he knows he will never see his wife
and four children again. Graven can warn the heroes
about Dayan and tell them the vampire had him craft
cylindrical gold containers to fit inside animated suits
of armor. Each container is about the size of a scroll
tube and was placed inside a suit's chest. The metalsmith doesn't know the receptacles' purpose, but he
once saw Dayan fill one with dirt.
The guard drake is near death (it's unconscious
with 0 hit points) and can barely move. Characters
who pull it from the cell and heal it might be able to
train it as a helper or companion, at your discretion.
Sheh'stek, the lizardfolk prisoner, was part of the
lizardfolk invasion force that is detailed in "Scaly
Doom" (page 57). He was sent to explore this part of
the dungeon and was captured. Assuming the characters have not yet played ther "Scaly Doom" adventure ,
Sheh'stek tells the characters (if they speak Draconic)
that his clan inhabits another section of the dungeon,
and that he owes his life to the heroes. He hopes he
can someday repay them.
w..
Plot
If the characters can get Graven out of the dungeon
safely, he would be a good contact for the characters
in Waterdeep. He is a respected metalsmith, and he
might be able to arrange cheaper purchases or other
paid jobs for them.
If the adventurers release Sheh'stek, he goes back
to his people and continues to help with the tribe's
plans. However, when the characters face lizardfolk
in "Scaly Doom," Sheh'stek remembers them. How he
repays their kindness is up to you. It might be a repayment that could save their lives if they are captured or
face overwhelming adversity.
Regeneration
The mummy regains 5 hit points whenever it starts its turn.
STANDARD ACTIONS
ENCOUNTER AREAS
I
I
One of Dayan's experiments has recently been completed here. It was both an incredible success and a
Level 5 Hazard
XP 200
Initiative-
II;URHIGYhi41tVb
CouNTERMEASUREs
ENCOUNTER AREAS
~~~~re.
The adventurers might try to use the table to reanimate a dead companion, assuming they haven't
destroyed its workings by unwinding the gold wire
from around the pillars in Area 25. Of course, for
something like this to work, the characters would
need to force living creatures into the energy field.
Setting aside the moral implications, characters
can use the device to raise creatures from the dead.
Whenever the energy field in Area 25 deals damage
to a living creature, the hit points "drained" by the
device are carried as life energy through the gold
wiring to the reanimation table. To raise a dead creature on the table, the energy field must drain 100 hit
points per level of the creature. For example, a level
5 creature or character requires 500 hit points of
drained life energy to raise. The effects are otherwise
similar to a Raise Dead ritual.
At your discretion, there might be unexpected
side effects of this reanimation process. The raised
creature might need regular infusions oflife energy
to stay alive, or it might gain only half the normal
number of hit points when it spends a healing surge.
Roleplay
The woman on the table is Amari De'Spri, a human
noble who was interred in Area 34's tombs long ago.
Her and her husband's bodies remained undisturbed
until Dayan's plans ruined their rest. Now she is alive
again, returned to life and health by the necromantic
machine.
She was reanimated using kobold and rage drake
life forces, leaving her mind temporarily addled. She
is unsure of who she is or how she got here. Kobold
and rage drake mannerisms also frequently and
unexpectedly color Amari's behavior. She doesn't
want to live like this-alone and afraid of what she's
become. She asks to be reunited with her husband
in death and wishes to have her body interred in its
proper tomb (in Area 34D). If the adventures decline
her morbid request, she can be persuaded to accompany one or more of them to the surface.
Plot
The characters could come across the restless spirit
of Amari's husband, Julain, in Area 34. If so, he begs
the heroes to help his wife's spirit, which he can sense
is in great turmoil. He asks the characters to help
return it to its proper burial site.
Depending on what the characters have done with
Amari, fulfilling that request might be difficult.
Horned Ring
Horned Ring
Level 8 Rare
ENCOUNTER AREAS
2 7. Grubby Treasure
ENCOU NTE R A RE A S
I 29.
Hold Still!
Roleplay
Mennik and Brighun have endured a terrifying few
days, and they have almost given up hope. They have
managed to shake off the room's mind-warping effect
but haven't been able to find the exit.
Where the hallway turns west, you see a heap of dead creatures. The pile includes several dire rats, some normal rats,
a handful ofbats, and three kobolds. Surprisingly, the pile
does not stink, and none of the creatures is decomposing . In
fact, they appear to be coated with frost.
The trap destroyed all the creatures here. They are
not decomposing because they are frozen solid.
Features: The trap is simple but deadly. Any
creature entering the 10-foot-square section at the
passageway's corner must make a saving throw to
avoid the trap's effects.
Freezing Hall
Level1 Trap
Object
Detect Arcana DC 11
Immune attacks
XP 100
Initiative -
TRIGGERED ACTIONS
Treasure: One of the kobold corpses has a platinum ring worth 50 gp in its hand.
1.1..
0
Vi
co
ENCOUNTER AREAS
..,
Roleplay
The human priestess is named Palonya, but the
magic in this chamber has affected her mind. She
cannot remember who she is, where she is, or what
she is doing in the dungeon. Only an extended rest or
a Remove Affliction ritual can restore her memories.
She is a member of an order dedicated to Jergal that
is studying the tombs in Undermountain.
Wroot was part of a patrol sent by Zarr to spy on
this area. Undead creatures attacked his patrol, and
both he and his buddy Shmek stayed to fight while
most of the others fled. He does not know what happened to the ones who fled, but Shmek lies dead in
this room.
The spitting drake was sucked into Undermountain through one ofHalaster's still-functioning
portals. It wandered the dungeons for a while before
getting captured and used to fuel Dayan's rituals. It
has never been trained.
Plot
The priest ofJergal in Area 32 can explain Palonya's
presence here. She was on her way to relieve him of
duty when she was captured.
Wroot is gracious to his rescuers but claims he
needs to get back to his army. If the characters have
already defeated Zarr's forces (page 20), Wroot shows
a mixture of sadness and relie He might volunteer
to join the characters, offering to fight with them or
carry their equipment until they come to an exit. If
they treat him kindly, he could turn into a henchman.
The spitting drake does not follow orders or take
commands. However, if the characters release and
feed it, it might follow them through the dungeon.
The drake could be a useful, if unpredictable, ally to
the characters as they move through Dayan's domain.
ENCOU N T E R AREAS
Development
Undead creatures attempting to break into Area 32
are making the banging noise to the north.
I.J..
Development
If the characters have trouble defeating the undead,
Barthelby can open the door and assist them with
a carefully timed healing power, at your discretion.
Otherwise, after the battle is over, Barthelby calls out
to the characters to see if they are here to rescue him.
Roleplay
As is befitting a priest ofJergal, Barthelby is a rather
morose fellow. His attitude can be summed up with
the statement, "I knew I was going to die horribly and
before my time, but I just didn't think it would be this
soon or this horribly."
However, despite his pessimism, the priest is truly
dedicated to his job. He refuses to leave until the
characters have cleared the place of undead horrors
and he has finished doing "Jergal's work."
, If the characters give him food and water, Barthelby offers them the shrine's safety in return. What
other help he provides is at your discretion; the priest
might offer to accompany the heroes, or he might
insist that he continue his duties.
33. Weightless
Combat Encounter Levell (500 XP)
This room contains an odd trap left over from the
days ofHalaster. When a character opens either door,
anyone in the hallway within 30 feet of the door is
whisked into the chamber, at which point the door
Speed
0 squares
1 square
2 squares
3 squares
34 . Tombs
Level 3 Hazard
Area
Detect Arcana DC 21
Immune attacks
XP 150
Initiative +5
STANDARD ACTIONS
Effect+ At-Will
Requirement: Five or more creatures must be in the room.
Effect: Each creature in the room makes a saving throw.
On a failure, the creature is thrown against the floor or ceiling,
taking 2d6 damage.
CouNXERMEASURES
34. Tombs
Combat Encounter Levell (600 XP)
The several rooms comprising this area are tombs
that house the remains ofWaterdhavians who lived
in ages past. Although each room has slightly different features, they all share a common description.
When the adventurers ent er a room, read:
Additionally, one square in each room (determined randomly) is protected by a holy rune bearing
Jergal's symbol: a jawless skull and writing quill on a
scroll. When an undead creature stands next to or on
this symbol, it take a -2 penalty to all defenses.
Treasure: If the characters return Amori to her
proper tomb (in area 34D), the ghost of her husband
Julain appears and rewards them, revealing a hidden
compartment in one of the sarcophagi (which otherwise requires a DC 25 Perception check to discover).
In the compartment is a folded velvet crown.
Roleplay
As the last ghoul falls, the apparition of a male
human emerges from a nearby wall. The ghost wears
robes that bear the symbol of a magistrate ofWaterdeep, although the robes are obviously in a style long
outdated. In a whispery voice, it speaks, "Some creatures removed my wife's body from her tomb, and I
feel her soul being tortured. Please return her body to
me, then purge this place."
The characters can interact with the ghost of
Julain De'Spri, formerly a wealthy magistrate of the
city. He and his wife, Amori, were buried here long
ago. Recently, however, some terrible power ripped
their spirits from the peaceful place where they were
residing and brought them back to this room. Now
Julain's spirit is waiting here, restless, as Amori's body
and spirit are being tampered with elsewhere.
Plot
Velvet Crown
The wizard Thingarlus, master of the Thieves' Guild
of Airspur some five centuries ago, allegedly devised
these rare, highly prized items. They appear as cloth
circlets or garters of dark velvet. When a velvet crown
is simply carried on one's person, it does not function
magically and barely exhibits any dweomer. When
worn about the head of an intelligent being, however,
it gives its wearer great powers of stealth. Elminster
the Sage is known to have possessed one.
Velvet Crown
Level 8 Rare
This velvet band miaht be worn about the lea as a aarter, but
its powers of stealth and alacrity only come into play when the
crown is worn about the head.
35. Smithy
Head Slot
3,400 gp
Properties
+You gain a +2 item bonus to Stealth checks, escape
attempts, and saving throws against effects that render you
immobilized, restrained, or slowed.
+When you fall 30 feet or less, you take no damage and land
on your feet.
Utility Power (Zone) + Daily (Standard Action)
Effect: Close burst 3. The burst creates a zone that lasts until
the end of your next turn and moves with you. No sound can
be made in the zone, and no noise from outside the zone
can be heard in it or through it.
Sustain Minor: You sustain the effect until the end of your
next turn.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
I 35. Smithy
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Roleplay
The characters can confer with Aizel through the
armor. Her only means of escape, other than by
destroying the helmed horror, is through a ritualand only Dayan knows the ritual, although it is
probably written down somewhere. Aizel fears her
spirit will be devoured if she dies in the armor and
begs the adventurers to free her.
If asked, Aizel warns the adventurers that Dayan
is a vampire and that he captured her after she left
Rutherford's expedition. She promises to tell the
characters everything they want to know about Rutherford once she's freed from the helmed horror.
Plot
If rescued, Aizel tells the characters Rutherford
believed his father was in an area hidden behind
a secret door. A spiral symbol drawn in chalk was
near that door. Rutherford spoke a secret phrase to
gain entrance to the room, but Aizel, lost in her own
thoughts at the time, didn't catch it. That room (Area
63) is somewhere south of the dungeon that Dayan
controls. Aizel cannot take the characters to its exact
location, but she'd recognize it if she saw it.
Unlit lanterns hanafrom the chamber's lOfoot-hiah ceilina. The smashed or decayins shells of many fine pieces of
f urniture-sofas, divans, couches, chairs, desks, and tablesline the room's perimeter. Scattered amana the broken
wood, fab ric, sttiffina. and furniture nails are countless
humanoid and animal bones.
The debris has been pushed aside to form a clear path
throuah the room's center, headina southeast toward a door
on the chamber's far side. In the middle of that path, what
must have been a hidden pit trap aapes open. In its bowels,
a human skeleton rests beside a longbow alitterina with
silver inlay and a quiver of arrows.
Creatures: A gelatinous cube (Monster Vault, page
222) fills the bottom half of the 20-foot-deep pit. A
DC 25 Perception check is required to spot the cube.
Without noticing the gelatinous cube, a character
might jump or lower himself or herself right into
the creature. If the characters do notice and attack
the cube while it is in the pit, it can climb out with
a double move. If the characters avoid the pit completely, the gelatinous cube climbs out of it as one or
more characters make their way beyond the pit.
Features: Once the gelatinous cube has emerged
from the 20-foot-deep pit, anyone falling to the
bottom of the pit takes 2d10 damage.
Treasure: The human skeleton at the bottom of
the pit is all that remains of an intrepid adventurer.
Lying next to it are a +1 longbow and a quiver containing 10 normal arrows and three +1 quarrels ofbitina.
w..
0
Vl
ro
Quarrel of Biting
Crafted to look like a crossbow bolt, this magic projectile converts to the length and shape of an arrow
when put against a bowstring. The bolt's head is
shaped like a snake's. A protruding split tongue doubles as the bolt's foremost point, ready to taste blood.
Quarrel of Biting
Level 5 + Uncommon
Development
The creatures in Area 3 7 hear the sounds combat in
this room and investigate. The hulking zombie is an
equally viable target for the gelatinous cube, which
does not care where its meals come from.
Plot
The chambers to the south of this room (not detailed
in this adventure) could contain more burial chambers for this noble. Who he was and how his legacy
might affect the characters are left to your imagination. Perhaps his descendants would appreciate
an heirloom that remains in one such chamber,
or maybe a particular object points to a larger and
darker conspiracy in which the noble was involved.
38. Observatory
Exploration Encounter
The noble once interred in this section of Undermountain took a great interest in the movement of
celestial bodies. This room was to serve as his observatory in the afterlife.
When the characters enter this area, read:
This room's ceiling has a broad circle in its center that rises
into a great dome 40 feet hiah. Glowing crystals set in the
dome look like stars in a niaht sky, shedding dim liaht over
the room.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
I 38. Observatory
It looks as though someone wanted this chamber to represent a 9arden. The wails bear faded and jlakin9 murals of a
picturesque landscape. One wall shows an ima9e of Mount
Waterdeep, as if viewed from the north. The wall to its
ri9ht seems to look down from a hei9ht to the sea. A statue
of a mermaid on a rock is positioned before the seascape. A
nearby stone bench is situated so someone could relax and
9aze toward the statue and the ocean mural behind it.
Planters of various shapes and sizes dot the room.
Mushrooms and dimly glowing fungi have replaced whatever plants ori9inally grew in them.
Creatures: The helmed horror guard (page 91)
that is Dayan's spirit receptacle is buried in one of the
large planters, where it remains hidden until circumstances dictate that it rise and attack. Digging in the
planter causes the construct to rise and attack.
If the characters enter this room before defeating Dayan in Area 40, the helmed horror remains
hidden. If the characters have defeated Dayan, this
construct likely now contains the vampire's life force.
While containing Dayan's life force , the helmed
horror guard gains the vampire's intellect and personality but continues to use its regular stat block
with the addition of the following traits and powers:
'0
STAJ\IOARO ACTIONS
ENCOUNTER AREAS
rottinaflesh. A fiaure slumps aaainst the lip of a lOfootd.iameter pool to the south. Dim blue liaht emanates from
this pool and its twin to the north, near which stand a
table and shelves. These are strewn with books, vials, and
alchemical equipment.
Swirlina purple mist fills an archway set into the western wall. For a brief moment, it thins, and you alimpse
~
another room beyond. From this same direction you hear a ~
sinau!ar voice chantina.
The corpse huddled against the pool in the easternmost room was Undren, a priest o[Jergal who died
when Dayan drank him dry (see Brother Sepulcher,
page 11). The corpse carries nothing of value.
Creatures: Dayan, the vampire necromancer, is
performing a Speak with Dead ritual on a dwarven
skull in the western part of the room. Dayan thinks
the skull once belonged to a Melairkyn dwarf whose
spirit might know the location of hidden tombs that
can be pillaged for remains and ritual components.
IfDayan was alerted to the presence of intruders
by one of the rot grub swarms in Area 2 7, the swarm
(page 96) occupies a space adjacent to Dayan. The
vampire's laboratory is also guarded by ten crawling
claws (page 93) and two burning skeletons (Monster
Vault, page 255). The crawling claws hide amid the
furnishings in the eastern chamber (the room with
the blue pools), while the burning skeletons lurk in
the middle chamber with the red pools.
When the characters show up, Dayan stops performing his ritual and confronts the intruders, giving
them the benefits of his unholy strenath aura and necromantic surae power. Soon after Dayan is bloodied,
he assumes mist form, passes through cracks in the
i-
.....
~t-Will
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +8 vs. AC
Hit: 2d8 + 2 damage.
Effect: After the attack, Dayan slides the target up to 2 squares.
L Embold!!I"!JJndead ;!-~~!-Will
Effect: Dayan can use deft lonasword twice, or he can use deft
lonasword once and allow one undead ally within 5 squares of
him to make a basic attack as a free action.
<-- Word,;ef Beguil~ent (cba_tm,psyfhic) +l!!!1:targeJEJ[j]
Attack: Close blast 3 (enemies in the blast); +6 vs. Will
Hit: 2d8 +5 psychic damage, and until the end of its next turn,
the target is slowed and takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls it
makes against Dayan.
[ ~ Necromantic Surge necrotic)+ Recharge wh~n first bloodied
Attack: Close blast 5 (enemies in the blast); +6 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d6 + 4 necrotic damage, and target is dazed (save ends).
Miss: Half damage.
Effect: Undead allies in the blast gain 10 temporary hit points.
~;iidAM#*+i'l!.lM
ENCOUNTER AREAS
Scaly Doo111
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V1
BACKGROUND
To keep his massive, multilayered dungeon fully
stocked with terrible monsters, Halaster created portals to locations around the world and to other planes.
Following Halaster's death, many of these portals
began malfunctioning or shutting down. Some, however, still work-perhaps even more effectively than
when they were originally created.
One portal was built to bring in creatures from the
Vast Swamp near Cormyr. Recently, a powerfullizardfolk tribe dedicated to Sess'innek, a demon lord,
found the portal. Its shaman and mystics used their
demon-granted powers to enhance the portal's magic,
creating a permanent bridge between their home and
the portal's location in Undermountain.
Having established the bridge, the lizardfolk
explored a bit ofUndermountain and found that the
dungeon's latent magic presented a perfect environment for a long-dreamed goal of theirs-to summon a
demonic servant ofSess'innek to guard their homes
and use against their enemies. The lizardfolk's plan
continues apace as they secure their lair in Undermountain, using their demonic magic to bring their
swampy home into the dungeon's halls.
Into this dangerous setting enters Enda Yate.
When the halfling agreed to join Rutherford Urmbrusk's expedition to find his father, she did so with
ulterior motives. Her priority was to find a statue in
Undermountain that, according to rumor, contains
gems worth a king's ransom.
After Rutherford's expedition fell apart, Enda
moved off on her own, further mapping her Undermountain travels as she continued searching for the
statue. Enda succeeded in finding the statue's general
area, so she returned to the surface, recruited ruffians and rogues to join her treasure-hunting band,
and led them into Undermountain. They swiftly set
up a base of operations and went to work.
' As the characters enter Undermountain to explore
the disappearances, Enda's group is running into the
lizardfolk for the first time. The thieves are getting
the worst of the meetings.
STARTING THE
ADVENTURE
Schonert, a human priest ofllmater, has been working to relieve the suffering of those forced into
Downshadow (page 86). Travelers to the caverns have
reported to the priest that large chunks of the Downshadow populace have disappeared. While it is not
unusual for some such unfortunates to go missing
(given their home's inherent dangers), the number of
lost residents concerns Schonert.
SCALY DOOM
Nosing Around
With a DC 15 Streetwise check, characters asking
questions before they set out can learn the following
information:
ENCOUNTER AREAS
The characters should be approaching this area
through the Grim Passage, arriving at a trapdoor in
the ceiling above the Grim Statue.
your li9ht does not reach any walls. About 20 feet below
you, you see a headless statue with outstretched arms. You
can dimly make out the floor, too. It is perhaps 40 feet
below the top of the statue.
The areat statue is made of dark-red stone. It represents
a muscular male torso, and its arms point in opposite directions. Many of its fin9ers are missinB.
Climbing down a rope to reach the top of the statue
requires a DC 10 Athletics check. When a creature
ends a turn touching the statue, the statue attacks. If
a character takes damage while climbing, that character must make another Athletics check to keep
from falling (see "Taking Damage while Climbing" in
the Rules Compendium, page 137).
Enda's thugs discovered the trap and began swinging away from the statue before sliding down their
rope. This requires a DC 15 Athletics check; on a
failure, the character falls, takes 4d10 damage, and
lands in a random space within 2 squares of the
statue.
Creatures: Members ofEnda's gang are guarding the area. They include two human lowtown
kneebreakers (page 95) named Cobb and Draskar,
a halfling trickster (Monster Vault, page 169) named
Gritchet, and a half-elf market green grifter (page 94)
named Tindel. While they are not endlessly eyeballing the trapdoor, they are vigilant enough to notice
the characters descending from the ceiling. Even if
the heroes are stealthy, the light they likely bring and
the lightning from the statue provide an effective
warning system.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
Object
XP 300
Initiative Detect Arcana DC 21
HP 350
AC 1 S, Fortitude 1 S, Reflex S, Will Immune cold, fire, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, forced move
ment, all conditions, ongoing damage
TRIGGERED AcTIONS
Roleplay
The two human lowtown kneebreakers and the halfelf market green grifter do not want to deal with
prisoners or any other complications that might come
from sparing an adventurer's life. However, the halfling trickster, Gritchet, is squeamish about killing,
and during the combat, he pleads with his peers to
spare the heroes.
Along the same vein, if the characters take prisoners to question, only Gritchet is willing to help, as
long as the adventurers agree to let him leave. The
other miscreants either lie or refuse to talk.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
Plot
Neither Gritchet nor his fellow miscreants are
aware of the lizardfolk threat, and this adventure
is designed to mislead the characters into thinking
Enda's gang is responsible for the Downshadow residents' disappearances. When the lizardfolk are later
revealed, the characters must decide how much to
trust these scoundrels to help them confront a bigger
threat.
If the characters head directly toward Areas
46-48 without first checking Areas 44-45, they
won't encounter the remains ofEnda's gang before
running afoul of the lizardfolk. the DM can handle
their decision in a couple ways. The first option is to
just let it happen and decide how the criminals in
Areas 44-45 react when they find out their fellow
gang members were overrun. Another option is to
send guards from Areas 44 and 45 to attack the characters before they reach the areas occupied by the
lizardfolk. This approach allows the characters to
still work up a good hatred for Enda's crew before the
greater threat is introduced.
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ill
This area is clearly your attackers' camp. Ut1furlecl bedrolls, dirty travel packs, and open supply sacks are scattered
about the room. And a couple small bundles ofwood rest
near the remains of an old camP.(lre.
Features: The camp packs contain only a few
coins and mundane equipment worth very little. One
rucksack does, however, hold a nice set oflock picks.
The item that stands out among the belongings is
a scroll tube stuffed in the half-elf grifter's pack. The
tube houses a rolled up sheet of parchment. Written
on it are the words, "You are not going to get away
with stealing my stuff!" When the reader's eyes alight
on the arcane symbol below the passage, an explosion
of thunder rocks the holder, spreading out in a burst
centered on the person holding the scroll.
Warded Scroll
Level 3 Trap
Obj<'ct
XP 150
Detect Arcana DC 13
Initiative-
HP1
AC 5, Fortitude 5, Reflex 5, WillImmune necrotic, poison, psychic, all conditions, ongoing damage
(.Attack (thunder)
TriBBer: A creature reads the scroll.
Attack (Immediate Reaction): Close bu rst 3 (creatures in the
burst); +6 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d6 + 4 thunder damage, and the target is pushed 1 square
from the center of the burst and falls prone.
Miss: Ha lf damage.
Special: This trap can be triggered only once.
CouNTEI\M EASUI\ES
Roleplay
If the characters captured Tindel, the half-elf grifter
from Area 41, he attempts to quietly move away from
anyone opening the scroll. When the trap goes off, he
tries to escape.
If Gritchet is with the characters when they enter
this area, he can explain what everything is and to
whom each item belongs. He does not know about the
trapped scroll, however.
If the characters ask about what's in the adjoining
room (Area 43), Gritchet tells them he doesn't know,
explaining that Enda was vehement about them not
wandering since the dungeon is full of monsters,
curses, and traps. He does mention that his peers
tossed the bodies of the Downshadow folk they
ENCOUNTER AREAS
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Radiant Floor
Area
Detect Arcana or Dungeoneering DC 21
Immune attacks
TRIGGERED ACTIONS
ENCO UN T E R AREAS
Blast Scepter
These powerful tools were crafted in Netheril, an
ancient realm of sorcerers whose glory the Great
Desert swallowed long ago. Most blast scepters take the
form of wand-length metal rods that have ornamental
knobs at both ends.
Blast Scepter
level7+ Rare
Roleplay
Viv is as sneaky and self-serving as the day is long.
She is also a coward and good actress. The only
reason she did not join her fellow gang members
when they wandered offis because Undermountain's
reputation for deadliness frightens her.
Realizing the characters are surely more powerful
than she is on her own, she hides until she can escape.
If discovered, she pretends to have been sleeping. She
~
might try to align with the heroes until it benefits her
0
to betray them, make an escape, or both.
0
She can truthfully tell the characters her fellow
0
guards ignored Enda's warning not to go exploring,
and they entered the room to the east (Area 45),
~
taking with them their Downshadow captive. Within
minutes of them leaving, Viv heard a few muffled
Vl
shouts. That was an hour ago (about the same time
the characters entered the Grim Statue room). Since
then, the halfling has heard nothing from the room,
and she won't open the door, fearing she'll let something terrible out.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
Roleplay
Roleplay
The lizardfolk are xenophobic creatures. Unless convinced otherwise, they assume the adventurers are
part ofEnda's gang and treat them as enemies.
Plot
These thugs are malevolent and cutthroat. Although
they might beg for mercy or forgiveness, their prom
ises and pleadings ring hollow.
When the characters address young Matheena,
she cannot at first get past the apparent miracle of
having all her fingers back. Once the characters get
her attention, it quickly becomes apparent she is not
in her right mind. She responds to questions with
bizarre non sequiturs, and the only thing she knows
is her name. Left to her own devices, she will find her
way back to Downshadow via a circuitous route.
46. Pursuit
Combat Encounter Level 4 (963 XP)
Adventurers who approach this room encounter more
ofEnda's crew and also face a greater threat. The first
ofEnda's treasure-seeking teams has encountered a
lizardfolk patrol, and after a brief skirmish, its mem
hers have decided to flee.
Roleplay
E NCOU N TER A R E AS
Roleplay
As soon as the heroes threaten the lizard folk, the
creatures drop their captive and move to attack the
characters.
The elf's name is Neera. If the adventurers save
her before the ritual is complete, she thanks them
before lying about her purpose in Undermountain.
She tells them she was searching for a lost friend ;
the truth is the elfis one ofEnda's crew. As soon as a
clear path opens between her and a known exit out of
Undermountain, the elf flees to the city above.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
How to Escape
To turn off the teleportation curtains, the glyphs on
both scaladar's heads must be taken to the central
room (Area SOB). The characters can bring in the scaladar whole or just their heads.
When the three glyphs are together, the central
room's crackling energy curtain disappears, allowing
escape. After 24 hours of the trap being disarmed,
new scaladar with glyphs on their brows appear, and
the crackling energy curtain reforms.
If the characters are getting frustrated, allow a
DC 15 Insight check to give them clues about how to
escape.
Red Energy Curtains
Level 2 Trap
Area
Detect see Countermeasures below
Immune attacks
XP 125
Initiative-
Exploration Encounter
The lizard folk have not yet explored this area, but the
demonic magic they unleashed in Undermountain,
has affected it nonetheless.
When the characters approach this area, read:
As you round the corner, you hear trickling water. Looking
west, you see a larse fountain set into the wall and carved
to look like a pixie holdins its breath and plusgins its nose
with its hands. The water squirts from the pixie's ears.
The water falling from the f ountain is dear, but as it
nears the basin, it takes on a lisht-sreen hue that rapidly
darkens into a deep sreen before turnins a sickenins brown
the moment it splashes into the basin.
Benches are arransed in front of the statuary. The rest
of the room, as well as the chamber to the north, is empty.
TRIGGERED A c TIONS
Roleplay
The lizardfolk, Zassik and Thissz, are confused and
angry about their predicament. As much as they want
to kill the characters and eat their flesh , they know
defeating them would be much easier with their kin's
help.
After initial hostilities, the lizardfolk might
attempt to call a truce, implying it would be easier
to escape as a group than individually. Of course,
as soon as the situation favors the lizardfolk, they
viciously attack the characters without h esitation.
ENCO U NTE R A R EA S
Plot
The book contains a ritual that summons an aspect of
Sess'innek to serve the ritual's caster. An adventurer
making the aforementioned Religion check understands that such a creature would be very powerful,
possibly even threatening the citizens ofWaterdeep.
However, the ritual requires the sacrifice of at least
two hundred victims in the name of Sess'innek.
Characters can estimate that about one hundred
corpses float in the murky pool.
53. Besieged
Roleplaying Encounter and Combat Encounter
Level 2 (700 XP)
:'E
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This plain room has nothina in it except for four sorrylookina humanoids-a half1ina, two humans, and a dwarf
The half1ina is the only one who seems capable of much,
and she alances around worriedly as you enter. One human
is unconscious and covered in wounds. The other human
appears relatively unhurt but is cowerina in the corner,
whimperina. The dwarf sits on the floor, aroanina and
holdina his belly.
Creatures: When the characters enter the room,
regardless ofhow, Enda (see statistics below) draws
her weapon and takes a defensive stance. Among the
halfling's surviving searchers, she is the only one who
is in any shape to walk, much less fight. The others
have no healing surges left and few hit points. Additionally, they are desperate to abandon this mission
and would flee at the first sign of more lizardfolk.
After a bit of roleplaying and conversation between
Enda and the characters, the dwarf begins writhing
and shrieking. Enda says the lizardfolk had him for a
minute or two before his companions could free him,
and she thinks they made him eat something that
looked like a worm.
Moments later, the dwarf's abdomen distends horribly as he falls silent in death, and a snake swarm
(Monster Vault, page 301) bursts from his belly.
This enemy might be more than the characters can
handle, even with Enda's help, so if the combat turns
ugly for the characters, have the snake swarm attack
one of the helpless bandits instead, giving Enda and
the characters an opportunity to escape.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
I 53. BesieBed
XP 150
Initiative +6
Perception +2
TRAITS
STANDARD ACTIONS
54. Darktentacles
Combat Encounter Levell (650 XP)
This chamber is swamped with the same marshy
water that fills some of the other chambers. However,
rather than lizardfolk dominating it, this room con
tains something the savage demon worshipers fe ar- a
darktentacles.
When the characters enter this area, read:
A lar8e, muddy pool dominates the center C!f this chamber.
A lOfoot-wide path surrounds the swampy water. IeadinB
to a door in the room's southwestern corner.
Creatures: A darktentacles (page 90) waits at
the pool's edge, attacking the first character to come
within its reach. Also in the water are a lizardfolk
shocker (page 95) and a greenscale raider (Monster
Vault, page 188), both of which the darktentacles has
dominated. Make Stealth checks for each creature to
determine whether any heroes spot them.
Features: The pool is 10 feet deep, and it is murky
enough that creatures fully submerged in it cannot
see anything outside the square they occupy. It takes
a D C 10 Athletics check to swim in the water.
Treasure: The murky pool contains an old corpse from times past, and its rotted belt pouch and travel
pack contain 145 sp and 72 gp.
Roleplay
Roleplay
Enda takes a no-nonsense approach to dealing with
the characters. She freely states she is the leader of
the group that came into Undermountain to snatch
the fabled statue's gems. If confronted about the low
moral fiber of some of her crew, she acknowledges
that some of them are not nice folk, but she also says
she did not order them to kill anyone, just to keep
people away.
If asked about Rutherford Urmbrusk, Enda admits
she was a member of his expedition. She then uses
the characters' desire for information as a bargaining chip. She promises the heroes that if they help
her secure the gems, she will give them a share of
the profit and tell them everything she knows about
Rutherford.
When that time comes, Enda tells the heroes
Rutherford went missing in an area well north of the
Grim Statue's chamber (Area 41). Enda remembers
Rutherford standing in a passageway and saying the
phrase "show me sanctuary" in Elven (see Area 63).
Then Rutherford vanished, and a couple of his hired
fighters began arguing violently, so Enda walked off
to continue her search for the ruby-eyed statue.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
Although the darktentacles is evil, it is also intelligent and capable of communicating. It was caught
up in a portal that brought it and part of its home
swamp h ere. Despite being extremely angry, the
darktentacles is willing to talk to anyone who offers it
something it wants , such as a way to get home.
Of course, this creature is neither honest nor
remotely compassionate. The moment it sees a m eans
of returning to the Vast Swamp, it happily grabs a
character as a snack for the road.
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V1
ENCOUNT E R AREAS
the larger chamber's southeastern corner isfilled floor-toceiling with water. Somehow the water remains in place
without a drop spillin9 into the main chamber.
Three lizardfolk fen spies are invisible in this room,
waiting for the order to attack. Their leaders, a blackscale crusher and a greenscale bog mystic, lurk in the
southern room.
When the characters come within view of the
greenscale bog mystic hiding around the corner
in the southern room, read:
A hissina voice issues from a chamber to the south and cries
out in Draconic, "Keep them away from the portal!"
When the characters peer into the southern
room, read:
A crude throne stands aaainst the western wall. Aaainst
the south wall stands a marble statue of a robed elf.
Creatures: This section of the dungeon contains
a greenscale bog mystic (Monster Vault, page 190),
a blackscale crusher (Monster Vault, page 191), and
three lizardfolk fen spies (page 95). The fen spies are
invisible at the start of the encounter and make full
use of their invisibility, carefully choosing the most
debilitating times to attack, even if it means only
attacking every other turn.
An intrusion into its realm infuriates the blackscale crusher. It bellows and moves immediately to
the nearest character, attacking with all the brutal
force it can muster.
The bog mystic tries to remain out of combat. It
focuses on keeping the heroes away from the portal,
moving as quickly as possible from its position in the
southern chamber to a place in front of (or within)
the water-filled passage.
The Portal
A wavy, oval aperture at the far end of the water-filled
corridor is what allows the lizardfolk to have so much
power here. If the underwater portal were closed, the
lizardfolk's incursion into Undermountain would end.
To close the portal, characters can make skill
checks while adjacent to it. Three of the following
four checks are needed as standard actions:
+
+
RUTHERFORD
WRAP-UP
If the characters successfully completed the three
adventures, they should have gained a rough idea of
where the secret door Rutherford entered is and what
the magic pass phrase was that he spoke to open it.
Need a Clue?
If the players completed only one or two adventures,
or if they missed a clue or can't put them all together,
you can have the heroes run into Squam, one of the
half-orcs in Rutherford's party (page 19). Position
the adventurers so they can rescue Squam from an
attack. As thanks, the half-ore can lead the characters
to where Rutherford disappeared.
Rutherford's Fate
After overcoming whatever obstacles stand in their
way, the characters have the information they need
to locate Area 63 and speak the magic pass phrase.
This secret room is where Rutherford found the
SCALY DOOM I Rutherford Wrap-Up
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portal that transported him to his father, Lord Quarren Urmbrusk, who had been using Sending rituals to
communicate with his son.
To locate Rutherford and Lord Quarren, heroes
must pass through the same magic gate Rutherford
did. But what characters find on the other side of
the portal and where they go from there is up to you.
Consider the following options.
Revenge: The magic gate teleports the heroes to a
location in Undermountain where Lord Quarren has
been held captive. Rather than assassinate the lord
his companions sold him into slavery to creatures '
dwelling in Undermountain. (What type of creatures
is up to you.) Lord Quarren has stolen a ritual of Sending from them and has occasionally been able to use
it to send brief messages to his son, Rutherford. Lord
Quarren hoped his son would bring enough allies to
free him, but instead Rutherford was captured as well.
When the heroes travel through the portal, they
become the Urmbrusks' hope for salvation and
revenge, helping Lord Quarren regain his rightful
place. Of course, proof against Lady Lestra might be
hard to find, and Lord Quarren might ask for the
characters' help with some rough justice.
Madness: Lord Quarren is long dead and has
nothing to do with Rutherford's quest. Instead,
Rutherford used his missing father as an excuse to
venture to a place he had been seeing in his dreamsa demonic temple. When the adventurers travel
through the gate, they arrive in the temple complex.
Rutherford is deranged, and he hopes to use chaos
and destruction to spread his madness throughout
Waterdeep. Yet the most powerful demonic forces in
the temple are trapped, and Rutherford needs to sacrifice mortals to them to attain their release. When
the heroes arrive to save him, the young lord decides
to use them to achieve his goal.
If you go with this option, the characters might
never discover Lady Lestra's treachery. Instead, by
informing her of what happened to Rutherford,
they please the lady (although she feigns shock and
grief) and gain a powerful patron in the city. Of
course, Lady Lestra remains a ruthless villain, so the
adventurers might discover her true nature while
performing other jobs for her.
Undeath: To get rid of him, Lord Quarren's
companions gave him to Dayan. The undead necromancer then swiftly killed the lord's betrayers before
turning Lord Quarren into a vampire. Lord Quarren
escaped Dayan's control, but it took him awhile to
come to terms with his new condition.
Lord Quarren lured his son into Undermountain
to turn him into a vampire, too. He hopes the two of
them can return to the surface and take revenge on
Lady Lestra. When the characters arrive, Rutherford might be considering taking his father's offer of
undeath, or he could have already accepted.
INFAMOUS AREAS
I Encounter Areas
Infa111ous Areas
Although the number of people who have perished
exploring Undermountain is staggering, a great many
adventurers have been able to enter the grand dungeon over the years and return to tell stories of their'
travails. Even though much of their talk might be
rumor or outright lying-because who could actually
confirm wild stories adventurers tell?-it has nonetheless raised these particularly dangerous or strange
Undermountain locations into the realm of infamy.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
The following encounters are keyed to the map on the
facing page.
Two broad steps in the western end of the hall descend into
a room that widens at its western end. Archways show
entrances in its northern, western, and southern walls.
In afew places, stone pillars reach from j1oor to ceiling.
The many broken shards of stone jutting from the floor are
evidence that many more pillars used to decorate this room.
Arrows drawn in chalk point to each of the exits, and it
looks like writing under each arrow has been scrawled and
crossed out many times. Only the arrow pointin& toward
the eastern passaae has writing that is still legible. In one
hand, it says, "This is the only safe direction." Beneath that,
in another hand, it says, 'Tell that to Grimjaw the Barbarian, who was killed in that hallway."
Features: Throughout the years, new and different threats have inhabited this chamber. Now it is a
fairly tame room, devoid of any creatures or grand
traps. However, one adventurer did hide a gem under
the ruins of a pillar. The oddly placed pillar can be
noticed with a DC 20 Perception check. When the
pillar is moved, the characters see a scrap of cloth
bearing a glyph of warding trap.
Treasure: The gem is an opal worth 200 gp.
THE HALLS OF
UNDERMOUNTAIN
LEVEL 1
Levell Trap
Object
Detect Arcana or Perception DC 15
Immune attacks
TRIGGERED
XP 125
Initiative -
AcnoNs
~~-~>~~ ~~~~~~~~~~"~c0~;,;l
Eye of Accuracy
Eight niches have been carved into each of the north and
south walls of this long hall. Within the niches hangfulllensth mirrors in ornate f rames.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
Eye of Accuracy
Level 6 Rare
Carved from the bones of a true marksman, this device tem
porarily confers the skill of that bone's owner to the weapon it
touches.
Consumable
150 gp
Utility Power+ Consumable (Minor Action)
Effect: When touched to a thrown weapon or piece of ammu
nition, the eye of accuracy confers a +4 enhancement bonus
to attack rolls and damage rolls for the next ranged attack
made with the item.
eat their physical doubles. In general, they do everything they can to provoke the heroes.
Attacks against the illusions do nothing. The figments have no true form and cannot be destroyed.
But an attack against a mirror shatters it, dispelling
the illusions it spawned and dealing 4d6 psychic
damage to whomever the mirror had doubled. Mirrors taken from the chamber lose this property, and
stolen or broken mirrors reappear, whole, after a day.
Most who leave the hall do so with a crowd of jeering
doubles laughing at their backs.
Creatures: When the falling blocks trap (see "Features" below) is sprung, a panel in the ceiling slides
open, releasing a gargoyle rake (Monster Vault, page
221) into the corridor between the fallen blocks. It
takes great pleasure in eviscerating characters while
their friends are helpless to intervene. If the gargoyle
is killed, another appears in the ceiling niche when
the trap resets.
Features: A trap guards this 50-foot-long stretch
of passage that runs west to east. The trap is triggered
when a living creature enters the 10-foot-square
section in the middle. A DC 22 Perception check
is needed to notice the trap's trigger: tiny symbols
inscribed in the floor along the circumference of the
trapped area.
If the trap is triggered, two cube-shaped blocks of
solid stone drop from the ceiling, filling the 10-footsquare corner to the west where the hallway bends
south and the 10-foot-square area in the intersection
to the east. The blocks seal off the 30-foot-long sec
tion of corridor between them. The blocks lift of their
own accord after 5 minutes, returning to their holes
in the ceiling when the trap resets itsel The blocks
are not as heavy as they look, thanks to magic placed
upon them. A character not pinned by a block can
hoist it back into its ceiling niche with a DC 22 Athletics check.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
Falling Blocks
Level 5 Trap
Area
Detect Perception DC 22
Immune attacks
XP 200
Initiative -
Gravity Well
Area
Detect Arcana or Dungeoneering DC 21
Immune attacks
Level 3 Trap
XP 150
Initiative-
TRIGGERED ACTIONS
TRIGGERED AcnoNs
Attack + Encounter
TriBBer: A living creature enters the 1 0-foot-square midpoint of
the SO-foot-long passage.
Effect (Immediate Reaction): Two blocks of stone drop from the
ceiling to seal off both ends of the passage. The falling blocks
attack creatures in those squares.
Attack: +8 vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d8 + 4 damage, and the target is pinned underneath the
block (escape DC 22). Until it escapes or the block is lifted, the
target is prone, restrained, and takes ongoing 5 damage. If the
target escapes, it moves into a space of its choice adjacent to
the block as a free action.
Miss: The target moves into a space of its choice adjacent to the
block as a free action.
CouNTERMEASURES
ENCOUNT E R AREAS
I 63.
Librarium
Development
If one of the characters is pulled into the well and
falls, he or she shifts the garbage enough to put the
gelatinous cube back into the teleportation magic's
range. Instantly, the cube and the character find
themselves in squares adjacent to the well 's lip.
Since the gelatinous cube is a living creature, it is
vulnerable to the well's gravitational pulling attack. It
is not intelligent enough to know how to move away
from the effect. A creature the cube is engulfing
when it is pulled down the well is subject to the same
damage as the ooze and cannot make a saving throw
against falling. Creatures might also be pulled out of
the cube's grab, taking the falling damage and then
getting teleported to a free square adjacent to, but not
within, the gelatinous cube.
63. Librarium
Exploration Encounter
This secret room is important because Rutherford
Urmbrusk can be found on the other side of a portal
located in this area. The clues the characters learn in
the course of the three adventures lead them here.
When the characters enter the corridor outside
the secret door, read:
A halforc corpse is sprawled on the floor. The body's right
eye is covered with a patch, and a long, braided beard trails
f rom its chin.
As you look about for sians of what might have killed
the halforc, you notice a spiral shape scratched into the
nearby wall.
The dead half-ore is Rotwile, one of Rutherford's
adventuring companions. When Rutherford found
this place, he asked his companions to stay around
the corner as he said the pass phrase his father told
him. They heeded his request. Moments later, they
moved to join their leader, but Rutherford had vanished. They investigated the area and bickered about
whether it was safe to say the pass phrase. Zarr, after
examining the spiral mark, was aggressively against
it. Rotwile argued passionately with Zarr, so the
Plot
Areas like the Hall of Sleeping Kings are excellent
places for wandering monsters or thieves to set up
ambushes. Here, the aggressors can hide in the corridors outside the room or lurk behind a throne near
the far end of the h all. Then when a creature falls
prey to a throne's magic, the monsters can attack
most effectively or the thieves can steal goods without
waking their victim.
ENCOUNTER A RE AS
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Roleplay
The victim on the altar is a male elf named Ezristarr.
He worked for a merchant in Waterdeep, traveling
Treasure: The object that reflected in the adventurers' light is a bronze amulet formed in the shape
of an eagle. One of the crawling claws is grasping
it when the characters arrive. The letters "FL'' are
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sold for 125 gp.
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Exploration Encounter
Exploration Encounter
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Stone of Shielding
This single-use item is a spherical white stone about
an inch in diameter. When crushed, its power activates. A stone of shieldin& causes a sparkling, winking
aura to spring into being around its holder, granting
incredible protection for a limited time.
When crushed, this chalky stone provides its holder with powerful defensive ma&ic- at least for a little while.
Consumable
200 gp
Utility Power+ Consumable (Minor Action)
Effect: You crush the stone and gain a +6 enhancement bonus
to AC. At the start of each of your turns, the enhancement
bonus to AC provided by this item is reduced by 1.
E NCOUNTER AR EA S
When you turn the corner, you nearly knock into a massive
caterpillar-like creature endowed with leas aplenty and tentacles near its head. A wet smackina sound draws your eyes
to the creature's maw, where a chunk ofhobaoblin corpse
shifts limply with the beast's every chomp. When it notices
you, it drops the carcass and moves your way.
Creatures: A carrion crawler (Monster Vault, page
33) makes this part ofUndermountain its home, waiting in corners of rooms and at turns in hallways to
surprise unwary creatures. Ever ravenous, the carrion
crawler tries to stun a creature before it begins to eat
its prey. The carrion crawler focuses on injured or
bloodied creatures.
Features: The candles are the magic creation of
one ofHalaster's apprentices. As long as the candles
stay within the area, they stay lit, never burning down
or dripping wax onto the floor. They can be carried
through this area, providing normal candlelight. If
a creature carries a lit candle out of this passageway,
the candle instantly melts down to nothing, burning
the holder for 1d8 fire damage as hot wax and flame
engulf the holder's hand.
Where the hallway dead ends, writing is scrawled
on the wall. The topmost message is written in an
ancient form of Common and reads:
No aolden thrones
Come with ease
By Nimraith's bones
Ye shall be pleased.
Beneath that, written with charcoal in Elven, are the
following words:
Portcullises
Combat Encounter Levell (200 XP)
A secret door to this room can be spotted with a DC
Features: The coffin is the burial place of a champion of Bane. A DC 10 Religion check recognizes the
symbol on the shield as being the one Bane's most
honored champions use. Indeed, Bane has blessed his
champion here with a deadly protection from grave
robbers.
Treasure: The corpse in the coffin rests upon a
throwing shield (or another level 6 uncommon magic
item of your choice), and it wears a gorget of gold and
rubies worth 350 gp.
15 Perception check.
Room
Exploration Encounter
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Roleplay
Muragh pleads with the heroes to take him along on
their adventures, if only so he can see some other
room. He'd like nothing better than to go to the surface and see the sun shine again.
However, Muragh is an irascible and fussy
companion. He makes for a good guard when the
adventurers rest; otherwise, he's quick to sarcastically
7 4. Falling Stair
Exploration Encounter
This stairway was once enchanted to collapse in a
mass of stone when living creatures approached,
making it seem impassible. However, an hour later,
the collapsed stone would magically return to its
original position, allowing passage. The magic has
changed slightly.
When the characters approach the stairs, read:
A lon9 stairway ascends steeply into dark.ness. Suddenly,
Level 2 Trap
Area
XP 125
Initiative Detect Arcana or Thievery DC 20
Immune attacks
TRIGGERED AcnoNs
Effect + At:Will
Triaaer: A creature steps on the 1 0-foot-square trapped section
offloor.
Effect (Immediate Reaction): The trapped section of floor disappears. Any creature or object on the floor falls 10 feet, taking
1 d1 0 damage and falling prone in Area 75A. The vanishing
floor immediately rematerializes.
CouNTERMEASURES
+Disable: Arcana or Thievery DC 20 (standard action). Requirement: The character must be adjacent to the trapped section
of floor. Success: The trap is disabled for 10 minutes.
75 B. Lower Crypt
When the characters enter Area 75B, read:
This room is filled with fourteen short, wide sarcophaai.
The coffins' lids have been removed or shattered. From
inside the open coffins, you hear scratchina sounds.
Creatures: Six dire rats (Monster Vault, page 298)
scrounge for food in some of the empty coffins. When
they notice the characters, they leap from the coffins
and attack, saliva trailing from their jaws.
Features: Although everything of value has
been looted from this area, the sarcophagi and what
remains of their stone lids tell a story.
The lids are carved to resemble the dwarves whose
bodies once rested inside the coffins. One lid reads,
''Ardheg, son ofBulmi, Shield ofBereg Whitehelm"
in Dwarven. The lids all refer to the dwarves as
"Shields" or "Honored Axes" ofBereg Whitehelm.
A DC 20 History check reveals that to the best
of the characters' knowledge, a Whitehelm clan of
dwarves has never been associated with this area. If
the heroes are lugging around Muragh (see Area 73),
he knows nothing about Whitehelm either. While
the sarcophagi honor the resting places of some of
Whitehelm's most trusted lieutenants, Whitehelm's
tomb is not here.
A raised dais in the western part of the chamber
.is empty. A one-way secret door leading to a hallway
that runs behind this crypt can be found with a DC
20 Perception check. A passage in the northeast
corner of the room leads toward Area 75C.
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When one or more characters move adjacent to
the statue, read:
The statue's lips suddenly move, and a voice says in
Common, "Disturb not the rest of those who served Berea
Whitehelm, or the axes of the dwarves will seek you out
andfall upon you."
Features: The eastern wall across from the statue
holds a secret door that can be found with a DC 15
Perception check. Despite the statue's magical warning, it can do no harm.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
Plot
The meaning of the cryptic message is up to you.
Whitehelm could be a hero from a faraway land
who was buried here thanks to a portal in the mirror.
The threat he helped avert could be anything, and
the threat could be something that is about to rear its
head again.
Whitehelm might have been part of a secret organization that monitored a terrible threat, hoping to
keep it forever contained. If the characters bring the
mirror or tapestry out ofUndermountain, the object's
appearance could signal trouble to this secret group,
and the watchers might mistakenly assume the characters are part of that brewing threat.
76. Downshadow
Exploration Encounter
These caverns were once the lair of a dragon, but it
fled Undermountain and has not returned. Since
then, this vast cave complex has come to be known
as Down shadow. Here the dregs of society live and
mingle.
If you have no money, if you're hiding from the law,
if you face persecution for your beliefs or your appearance, or if you suffer from a disease others fear, you
can find a home in this cave with others as unfortunate as yourself. Despite (or perhaps because of) the
shared miseries of the individuals in Downshadow, it
is a lawless and frightening place to live. The strong
often prey on the weak. Thievery is commonplace,
murder is all too common, and other vile acts are
performed with impunity. While not everyone in
Downshadow is ruthless and selfish, enough are so
that everyone is suspicious of one another.
The population of this Waterdeep "neighborhood" fluctuates. Given Downshadow's rash of
disappearances and the fear that has engendered,
the community's population is at its lowest in years.
While everyone knows monsters sometimes prey
on individuals in the cave and solo travelers who go
into Undermountain passages do so at their own risk,
lately even large groups have vanished.
Creatures: Virtually any creature might come
to live in the large cavern now that Downshadow's
population has diminished so severely. Of course,
some residents might be monsters, too-either creatures in disguise, such as doppelgangers, or members
of the more-or-less civilized races, such as orcs. What
threats they present is up to you.
Features: A rope lift in the most southwestern
cavern of the large cave leads up to the Knight 'n'
Shadow tavern (page 8) in Waterdeep. Most current
ENCOUNTER AREAS
Plot
The characters might find solace among Downshadow
residents, or they might encounter dangers. If they seek
a way out ofUndermountain, the rope lift up to the
Knight 'n' Shadow, albeit unreliable, could provide it.
The half-ore who runs the lift pulls up the rope at the
first sign of trouble, and the Knight 'n' Shadow workers
bar the tunnel after he comes up to warn them.
If the adventurers spend any significant time talking to Downshadow residents, they hear about folk
disappearing from the larger cavern and of a malady
of madness befalling some people oflate. When
an individual shows signs of madness, he or she is
banished to the larger cavern and left to the wilds
ofUndermountain. If the heroes look into either of
these hooks, they can follow signs of struggle and an
old trail of blood to Area 77.
Area 77F. Characters who happen upon this chamber from elsewhere can find the trail with a DC 13
Perception check.
The hallway comes to a dead end. Set into the back wall is a
stone archway with a different rune inscribed upon each of
its thirty blocks of stone.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
77F. Prison
When the characters enter the northernmost
room, read:
Nearly two dozen prisoners are chained to the walls of this
30joot-square room. Most are humans, halflinss, and
dwarves. Some hobsoblins, kobolds, and lizardfolk are here
as well. All of them look ill, and some of them are covered
with red, crusty patches.
Development
If freed, the prisoners want nothing more than to
take the swiftest route out ofUndermountain. However, unless somehow cured, they continue to suffer
from the disease and will eventually die or become
plague demons.
ENCOUNTER AREAS
Monsters of
Under111ountain
RANDOM
ENCOUNTERS
The halls of Underm oumain house countless monstrous threats . Many crearures spen d their entire lives
in the dungeons' strange ecosystem s, some as lone
hunters in the dark and others in com munities. Other
monsters arrive in ndermountain from the surrounding Underdark, the surface, the ocean (through
the sea caves con nected to the dungeon's third level),
and the numerous m agic ponals and dimensional
traps that suck in beings from across the worlds. The
enormous variety of creatures available to you means
the sky is the limit when you plan your adventures in
Undermountain.
On the following pages, you'll find some classic
monsters from the original The Ruins of ndermountain,
including the darktentacles, helmed horror guard, and
scaladar. These monsters appear in this book's three
adventures and its "Infamous Areas" locations, but feel
free to place them wherever you ''ish _
AUTHOR'S NOTE
I've run adventu res in Undermountai n many ti mes,
and many of the most memora bl e moments have
bee n improvised.
Once when the characters were resting, they
heard a knock on the door. (I knocked on the underside of the table.) An advent urer hesitantly ope ned
it and saw a severed hand lying on the floor. They
had no idea it was a crawling claw (page 93 ). The
characters quickly shut the door at this creepy sight.
The next thing the players knew, I was knocking furiously with both hands an d knees on the underside
of the table and describing the sound of dozens of
knocking hands on the doo r to their room!
At that point, the heroes grabbed thei r t hings and
tore out another door, beginning a terrified run pellmell through Undermountain, heedless of t riggered
traps and attracted monsters. It ended with a fu rious
run ning battle agai nst helmed ho rror gua rds (page
91) that literally brought the roof down, cutting the
adventurers off from their ma ny pu rsue rs.
It's a scene my friends still mention with excitement years later, and it all stemmed from a random
e ncounter with a crawling claw.
- Matt Sernett
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
d20 Encounter
~1
1 gree'!.._slim~J&t\'~;211}
-=m-=--=J
1 ochre jelly (MV 220)
1 gelatinous <:ube {JyiV -222)
1 carrion crawler scuttler (MV 32)
-=--"""
1 ~spider swarm MV 301),_ __
6
1d4 goblin cutthroats (MV 154), 1d4 hobgoblin
battle guards (MV 157), and 1d4 bugbear thugs (MV
159)
1d4 l<obold slingers (MV 180) and 1d4 l<obold
guickblades (MY_1JiQ}~~8
1d4 poisonscale needlers (MV 187), 1d4
poisonscale brawlers (MV 187), and 1d41izardfolk
shockers (page 95)
Downshadow foil< (see Area 76, page 86): 1d4
halfling thieves (MV 169) and 1 d4 lowtown
kneebreakers (~ge 95)
10 2d4 stirges (MV 259)
1d4 helmed horror guards ~ge 91
'-'-'--'--"'...;....o.o
1d4 scaladar (page 92)
1 darktentacle_s (p~gem90)
2d6 crawling claws (page 93)
2d4 dire !~t~JMYJ!~).;;;,._____ ~~-ffl"ffl"~"?"*"-,
2
3-
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Random. En c ount e rs
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DARKTENTACLES
This many-tentacled horror slithers throu8h swamps and
dark places seekinB prey it can control and devour.
A darktentacles has a black, glistening body it prefers
to keep moist. Its leathery, amorphous bulk is about
the size of an adult cow, but a darktentacles can flatten out its mass to easily squeeze through the smallest
of spaces. Its tentacles, which sprout all over its body,
can grow up to 20 feet in length, and they grow back
if severed. A darktentacles can have up to fifty tentacles at one time, but usually only about thirty are
fully grown. The creature uses its tentacles to slam,
grasp, constrict, or entrance opponents. It can also
use its tentacles to wield weapons, but only potent
magic weapons wreak more havoc than a darktentacles's many appendages.
Each tentacle is studded with many small eyes,
and at no moment in a darktentacles's life are all its
eyes closed. Each eye is shielded with a transparent,
tough membrane. When alive and moist, these extra
eyelids are thick and have a leathery texture. After
a darktentacles dies and dries out, its lids become
thin and hard, stiffening into a crystalline substance
that remains as transparent as glass. The hundreds
of odd lenses and several dozen tiny teeth are all that
remain of a darktentacles corpse after it disintegrates
and its ichor leaches away.
Darktentades
(i)Tentacle[)rag + At~Will
Attack: Melee 4 (one creature); +6 vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d6 + 4 damage, and the darktentacles pulls the target up
~ ~~}- ~qua~~-s.
; ~ Flailing Tel}tacle~ + At:~ill
Attack: Close burst 2 (enemies in the burst); +8 vs. AC
Hit: 2d6 + 4 damage.
Mesme~lzipg I~lltiJt!es (charm) R~~harge when first bloodied
Attack: Melee 4 (one creature); +6 vs. Will
Hit; The target is dominated (save ends).
Miss: The target i~. i_mmobilized (save ends).
Skills Bluff +8, lnsight\ 8, Ste<tlth +5
Wis 14(+3)
Str 17 (+4)
Dex 9 (+0)
Ch<t 15 (+3)
Con14(+3)
lnt 13 (+2)
Alignment ch<totic evil
languages Common, Deep Speech,
Draconic
HELMED HORROR
GUARD
A sinsle-minded automaton, a helmed horror auard
looks like a plate-armor-clad warrior. In reality, thoush,
it is empty armor that masicalforces hold tosether and
animate.
Though a helmed horror is more intelligent and powerful than a helmed horror guard, the latter's great
appeal is in its purity of purpose. It exists solely to
serve the wishes of the wizard who created it. Long
after the death of its creator, a helmed h orror guard
continues to follow its orders, sometimes stretching
the interpretation of those com mands so it can continue to act on its master's beh al
Created by Wizar ds to Kill Wizards: When
a mage crafts a helmed horror guard, he or she can
infuse the construct with an immun ity to a handful
of spells. When used against the automaton, those
arcane attacks empower it instead. H alaster created
the first helmed horror guards to test h is apprentices.
The Mad Mage chose to make the constructs immune
to his apprentices' favorite spells. W hen the Seven
came to understand these creation s, they began
making helmed horror guards that were immune to
their enemies' common spells. Today, many wizards
make their helmed horror guards immune to their
own area attacks, allowing the helmed horror guards
to stand safely in the area of a fireball or thunderwave.
A helmed horror guard's ability to use enchanted
strike while aloft makes it a particular bane to wizards.lt can fly above a wizard 's blocking allies , strike
a savage blow against the spell caster, and teleport
away with the wizard in tow. In such cases, a helmed
horror guard tries to remain out of reach of summoned creatures and the wizard 's fretful friends ,
giving the construct the chance to duel the wizard,
sword against staff.
Bound by Command: A helmed horror guard
obeys its creator without question. Devoid of ambition or emotion, it is an ideal guardian. The construct
is fearless and, beyond its orders, can not be mentally
controlled or influenced. A helmed horror guard
often remains in service long after its master's death.
When programmed during its creation to do so, a
helmed horror guard will avenge a slain creator.
In some cases, a helmed horror guard's orders
allow it autonomy in the absence of commands.
Indeed, if not specifically ordered to cease existing at
its creator's death or behest, the construct continues
~perating until it is destroyed. A guard's creator can
also give it unchangeable orders under which it must
operate. However, dangerous loopholes in commands
could jeopardize a guard's loyalty. Thus , wording an
unchangeable order is a delicate task.
tevell Soldier
XP 125
Initiative +2
Perception +8
Darkvision
TRAITS
bloodied
Triaaer: An enemy is hit by the horror's attack.
Effect (Free Action): The triggering enemy takes 2d6 fire damage,
and the horror teleports itself and the triggering enemy up to
10 squares. The triggering enemy ends this movement adjacent to the horror.
; Str 16 (+4)
Dex 9 (+0)
Con 17(+4)
lnt 5 (-2)
Alignment unaligned
languages Common
Equipment greatsword, crossbow, 20 bolts
for certain materials or creatures to bring to a particular location, or kill every creature it encounters.
If someone can discern the general nature of
a scaladar's orders, it's possible to manipulate the
construct. For example, a scaladar commanded to
destroy all creatures could have its attention drawn to
or away from a particular target.
SCALADAR
Some of these metal scorpions lurch throu3h Undermountain slayin& anythin& that crosses their paths. Others,
meanwhile, flee conflict, skitterin& purposely ahead as they
fulfill their prowammed objectives.
Ring of Trobriand
Trobriand crafted magic rings that grant their wearers control over the scaladar, a power Trobriand's
master ring can always wrest away.
Ring of Trobriand
'
Level -S Rare
This old, heavy iron band is free of rust. It bears a tiny etchina
of what appears to be a scorpion tail.
Ring Slot
1,000 gp
Properties
+When a scaladar hits you with an attack, it becomes dazed
(save ends).
+You gain a +2 power bonus to all defenses against the
attacks of constructs.
::Y Attack Power + Encounter (Standard Action)
Attack: Ranged 10 (one construct); +8 vs. Will
Hit: The target is dominated until the end of your next turn. If
the target is a scaladar or another ofTrobriand's creations, it
is dominated (save ends).
Scaladar
Level 4 Soldier
Trobriand, one ofHalaster's most powerful apprentices, created these scorpion-like constructs. They've
stalked the halls ofUndermountain for centuries.
Since so many scaladar have been destroyed, scholars conclude Trobriand must have created hundreds,
if not thousands, of the things. If tavern talk can be
believed, an entire level ofUndermountain is teeming
with Trobriand's constructs. Those in the know-and
in their cups-assure listeners that the metal creatures are creating more of themselves without any aid
from their master, whom they say is surely long dead.
Metal Master: Trobriand possessed a great
mastery of metals, often surpassing the skills of the
long-dead archwizards of Myth Drannor. Obsessed
with constructs and spells that could manipulate
metals, Trobriand's mania led him to make a pastime of creating scaladar. Now these creatures clank
through the echoing halls ofUndermountain, pursuing whatever orders they were last given.
Command Controlled: Each scaladar's assignment is unique, and all follow commands of some
kind. A scaladar might guard an area or object, hunt
MONSTERS OF UNDERMOUNTAIN
G) !-;laVIf .~A!:~iiL____ ,
Attack: Melee 2 (one creature); +9 vs. AC
Hit: 1d6 + 4 damage, and the scaladar grabs the target (escape
DC14).
f~Jil'!g(lighJning)-+At~\\li~~-~--~---~~-
D;x
I Scaladar
Drow
APPENDIX:
MONSTER STATISTICS
Drow Spellspinner
XP 350
Initiative +6
Perception+5
Darkvision
STANDARD AcTIONS
Shadowhunter Bat
11
XP 150
Initiative +9
Perception +7
Darkvision
Crawling Claw
Crawling Claw
Hampering Claws
When a creature starts its tum adjacent to at least three claws,
the creature is slowed until the start of its next turn.
STANDARD AcTIONS
0::
r\1)
<
1U.Niij41t.J}b
Levitate + Encounter
Effect: The drow flies up to 4 squares vertically and hovers there
until the end of its next turn. When the levitation ends, the
drow descends safely to the ground, without taking falling
damage.
Sustain Move: The levitation persists until the end of the drow's
next turn, and it can fly up to 3 squares vertically and 1 square
horizontal!}'~";~~~
Drow Stinger
Level 6 Skirmisher
XP 250
Initiative +10
Perception +9
Darkvision
Hit: 4 damage.
MovE AcnoNs
Digit Slide+ Encounter
Effect: The claw shifts up to 8 squares.
Skills Stealth +8
Dex 16 (+3)
Wis 10(+0)
Str 3 (-4)
Cha 6 (-2)
Con 13 (+1)
lnt 3 (-4)
Alignment unaligned
Languages-
\/)
\1)
Hit: 2d8 + 7 lightning damage, and the drow pushes the target
0
up to 2 squares.
~
@ Dark Bolt (implement, lightning, necrotic + At"'-"W
= --il'-1"''__ _
Attack: Ranged 20 (one creature);+13 vs. Reflex
><
Hit: 2d8 + 2 lightning damage, and ongoing 5 necrotic damage
Ci
(save ends).
WJ
~Lightning Web (implement, lightning) + Encounter
0..
Attack: Close blast 5 (creatures in the blast); +11 vs. Reflex
0..
Hit: The target is immobilized and takes ongoing 10 lightning
damage (save ends both).
Miss: The target is slowed and takes ongoing 5 lightning damage
(save ends both).
Level 3 Lurker
r-
WJ
Bat
I I
Level 8 Artillery
\/)
Hit: 2d6 + 8 damage, or 3d6 + 8 if the drow has combat advantage against the target.
Sword Flourish + Recharge [ZJ [ll
Effect: The drow uses s.hort sword twice, then gains a +2 power
bonus to AC until the start of its next turn.
I Drow
N
'
Dwarf
Half-Elf
Dwarf Bolter
Level 4 Artillery
XP 175
Initiative +5
Perception +8
Low-light vision
Level 2 Lurker
XP 115
Initiative +7
Perception +1,
TRAITS
TRAITS
Aimed Shot
The bolter gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls and deals 1d6 extra
damage with ranged attacks against creatures that have no
cover.
Stand the Ground
The bolter can move 1 square fewer than the effect specifies
when subjected to a pull, push, or slide.
Steady-Footed
The bolter can make a saving throw to avoid falling prone when
an attack would knock it prone.
~i;Uiti;liiMt
CitWarhammer (weapon)+ At-Will
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +9 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10 + 4 damage.
0,2 Crossbow (weapon)+ At-Will
Attack: Ranged 30 (one creature); +10 vs. AC
Hit: 2d8 + 3 damage.
St;T4(+4)
Dex 16 (+5)
Wis 11 (+3)
Con 16 (+5)
Jnt 11 (+2)
Cha 10 (+2)
Alignment unaligned
Languages Common, Dwarven
Equipment chainmail, warhammer, crossbow, 10 bolts
Dwarf Hammerer
Level 5 Soldier
XP 100
Initiative +4
Perception +4
Low-light vision
TRAITS
STANDARD ACTIONS
+stubborn+ At-Will
Triaaer: An enemy tries to push the hammerer or knock it prone.
Effect (Immediate Interrupt): The hammerer makes a melee basic
attack against the triggering enemy.
-st~i7 (+5)
Dex 10 (+2)
Wis 14(+4)
Con 16 (+5)
lnt 11 (+2)
Cha 11 (+3)
Alignment unaligned
Languages Common, Dwarven
Equipment plate armor, heavy shield, warhammer,
3 throwing hammers
Lowtown Kneebreaker
Level 3 Brute
XP 150
Initiative +1
Perception +2
Level 4 Lurker
XP 175
Initiative +9
Perception +9
STANDARD AcTIONS
Kobold
Level 3 Artillery (Leader)
XP 150
Initiative +4
Perception +4
Darkvision
TRAITS
, Trap Sense
The kobold has a +2 bonus to all defenses against traps.
STANDARD AcTIONS
Sllifty + At-Will
Effect: The kobold shifts
lneite Faith + Encounter
Effect: Close burst 10
aDies in the burst). The target
gains 5 temporary
and can shift 1 square as a free
action.
Skills Stealth +9, Thievery - 9
Str 9 (+0)
Dex 6 -4
Wis 17 (+4)
Con 12 (+2)
lot 9 ~
Cha 12 (H)
Alignment evil
~Com mon, Draconic
Equipment hide arlllOI".
mask
Level 5 Artillery
XP 200
Initiative +6
Perception +2
STANDARD ACTIONS
\1)
I.IJ
\1)
1--
Lizardfolk Shocker
1--
0:
MINOR ACTIONS
STANDARD AcTioNs
\I)
Lizardfolk
Human
Lizardfolk
Vl
0
::!:
X
O
Z
I.IJ
0..
0..
-<
Lycanthrope
Abyssal Plague
jackalwere Deceiver
Level 4 Controller
XP 175
Initiative +5
Perception +3
STANDARD ACTIONS
!
CD Bite +At-Will
Requirement: The deceiver must be in jackal form.
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +9 vs. AC
Hit: 1d6 + 4 damage, and the target fall s prone.
CD Short Sword (weapon) + At-Will
Requirement: The deceiver must be in human form.
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +9 vs. AC
Hit: 2d6 + 5 damage.
~ Gaze of Sleep (sleep) + Recharge (3] [j]
Attack: Ranged 5 (one creature); +7 vs. Will
Hit: The target falls unconsciou s (save ends). Whenever the
target takes damage, it can make a saving throw against the
effect.
(~Vicious Howl (thunder)+ At-Will
Requirement: The deceiver must be in jackal form.
Attack: Close blast 3 (enemies in blast); +7 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d6 + 3 thunder damage, and the target falls prone.
MINOR ACTIONS
Plague Demon
Plague Demon
Chaos Footsoldier
Level 8 Disease
Rot Grub
Rot Grub Swarm
Level 4 Brute
XP 50
Initiative +6
Perception +7
Darkvision
STANDARD AcTIONS
A PP E ND IX : MONSTE R S T ATISTI CS
&itiJUQ;UEi4filb
I Ly c ant hrope
EXPLORE
A DUNGEON
BESET BY PERIL
Beneath the city of Waterdeep, a sinister dungeon awaits
adventurers brave enough to face its perils. Created ages ago
by the wizard Halaster, the sprawling dungeon is a lair for
terrible monsters and ruthless villains. In the dark chambers,
they hunger for victims and plot the downfall of those who
dwell on the streets above. Who will unravel the twisting
labyrinth to reveal its secrets, claim its treasures, and stop the
foul machinations of the dungeon's denizens?
Halls of Undermountain"' presents a ready-to-use dungeon
detailing over seventy locations. As well as a tie to the D&D
ENcouNTERs"' season The Elder Elemental EyeT". In addition, this
book provides the ingredients to run a classic dungeon delve,
including enticing treasures, deadly traps, a wide assortment of
monsters, and two double-sided, full-color poster maps.
www.wizards.com/customerservice
1-800-324-6496 or 1-206-624-0933
In USA: Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707,
ISBN : 978-0-7869-5994-5
52995
II I
945
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