Locations in Omu
The Magic Academy of Omu
This grand building has decorative arcane runes engraved on it in maze patterns. The bottom floor is flooded and many rooms are empty, but there are two areas that might be of interest to explorers.
Wild Magic. Anyone trained in Arcana immediately senses that the interior of the academy is charged with wild magic. Any spell cast here triggers a wild magic surge.
Replace 01-02 with: The mixture creates a magical explosion, dealing 3d10 force damage to creatures within 10 feet of the mixture.
Replace 99-100 with a potion of invulnerability.
The Alchemy Lab
This room has a foot of water in it. There are shelves containing potions, a table with an elaborate alchemical set-up, and a pair of tall metal rods that shoot arcane lightning between them.
Entering the Room. Anyone entering the room must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or be struck with a beam of wild magic.
Potions. There are 6 salvageable potions in here: 4 potions of healing, a potion of invisibility, and a potion of of hill giant strength.
Mixtures. There are 6 arcane mixtures that can be combined to form magic potions. A character bold enough to mix two together must roll on the table on PH page 104 and apply it to the potion. The effect occurs when the potion is imbibed.
The Arcane Steps: There is a flight of stairs that leads to the upper level. Anyone traversing them soon finds that the stairs are magical and lead into a quasi-realm that looks like outer space. The stairs follow a maze-like pattern. The group must make a DC 13 group intelligence check to make it to the end. Failure means that they take a wrong turn and end up on a platform where two girallon statues become real and attack. Another check must be made to successfully navigate the stairs.
Falling. Anyone who falls off of the stairs into the quasi realm plunges and fall into a cloud of arcane energy that teleports them back to the first floor of the college and makes them a "magnet" for the King of Feathers (pg 106). The king can innately sense the location of the character as long as they are in Omu. This effect lasts until the end of a long rest.
Solving the Maze. Succeeding means that the group comes to a door. Beyond it is the grand study of a magician or dean. There is a bookshelf full of books (written in the ancient Omuan tongue) that reveals much about Ubtao, Ras Nsi, and the trickster gods. There are two perches where familiars are meant to rest. There is a skeletal crow on one, and a skeletal owl on the other. Both of these creatures are animate and friendly, but cannot fly. They have an AC of 11, 20 hit points, blindsight 30, and a speed of 30.
Magic Map. Affixed to a table is a magic map of Omu. Once per day, a character can touch it and scry the city for up to one minute. The magic of the map only functions when inside this study.
The Greenhouse
This was apparently once some sort of greenhouse. The ceiling is 30 feet high, and contains a partially-shattered glass dome. The floor has a foot of water covering it. The ancient plants in here are overgrown and collectively
look like a miniature, exotic jungle. There are 3 things of note in the greenhouse.
Madzi Plant: There is a 3-foot-tall plant shaped quite like a vase. It somehow produces 6 gallons of fresh, drinkable water each day. It requires sunlight to survive.
Prismatic Flowers: Sprouting out of the water are a number of 5-foot tall roses that are prismatic in color. There stems have massive, sharp thorns. These flowers can sense movement and, if someone gets within 5 feet of one, it fires off all of its thorns as projectiles. Anyone within 15 feet must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 5 (1d10) piercing damage and make a DC 12 Constitution save or be poisoned for one hour.
Sentient Vines: There are two skeletons on the floor, submerged in the standing water. From the eye socket of each skull grows a vine that contains a shred of the consciousness of a dead Omuan. These vines can be befriended. They appreciate sunlight, being cleaned, and having one end placed in fresh soil for at least 8 hours per day. They act as sentient 50-foot-ropes. They can follow the telepathic commands of whoever holds them. The vines move fairly slow and would have difficulty wrapping around a moving target, but are superb for climbing and can even lift a creature weighing 200 pounds or less up at the rate of 30 feet per round. If a vine is cut, it "dies" and is no longer sentient.
The Bell Tower of the Dinosaur Lord
This tall, thin building has a bell at the top that was clearly once used to ring out all across the city. At the bottom of this tower are engraved double
doors that bear the image of the bell radiating energy among humans and dinosaurs living in harmony.
The Tower: Inside the tower are stairs and a plaque written in the Omuan language. It says: "Here lies Ubtao's Prismatic Bell, a gift from the Father of the dinosaurs that blesses the people of Omu and allows humans and dinosaurs to communicate through divine energy."
The Stairs. A long, winding staircase goes up five flights. The wood of the stairs is old, wet, and worn. On floors 3, 4 and 5, a 10-foot-section will give way. Heroes can spot these with a DC 11 Perception check. Characters will need to make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or fall, taking 3d6, 4d6, or 5d6 bludgeoning depending on which floor they fall from.
The Prismatic Bell: On the roof of the tower is an open-air wooden platform where the bell hangs from a strong wooden framework. The bell is 20-feet-wide and tall, almost as wide as the building itself. There is a rope that can be pulled to ring the bell.
Ringing the Bell. If the rope is pulled, the bell gives out a heavenly chime and swirls with energy, which causes strong vibrations. The bell suddenly snaps loose from the framework and plummets all the way to the bottom
of the tower, destroying all of the stairs as it falls. Anyone on the roof or in the building will need to make a Dexterity save DC 12 or fall. Falling from the roof does 8d6 bludgeoning damage. Characters can try to jump to the roof of a nearby building by making a DC 12 Athletics check. Success means they land safely. Failure means they fall into watery area of the city and take half normal falling damage. Failure by 5 or more means the character falls to the bottom of the tower, taking 8d6 bludgeoning damage.
Explosion. Upon landing, the bell cracks and lets out an explosion of radiant energy that washes all the way up the interior of the building. Everyone in the building or on the roof must make a DC 12 Dexterity save or take 2d10+5 radiant damage.
Collapse. Then, the entire building collapses. Those characters who are caught in the collapse will take 3d8 bludgeoning damage and are buried in rubble. Three successful Strength checks allow a character to dig themselves free. Each failure causes the buried character to gain 1 level of exhaustion.
TPK. If the entire group is defeated by this collapse, a faction from the city comes running, digs out the heroes and stabilizes them. The yuan-ti will capture and interrogate them, or perhaps the grung or vegepygmies get their hands on them. The heroes awaken tied to chairs, pillars, or posts.
The Maze Home
This estate was built with Ubtao's teachings in mind. It contains a maze of secret passages, emulating the maze of life that Ubto expects his followers to experience and solve.
The Maze Engravings. Each room of this two-story home has a 2 foot engraving of a maze on a wall. They're worn and rubbed in, as if people once ran their fingers through them often. Tracing a maze causes the wall section to slide open, revealing the interior labyrinth. There are three windowless rooms in the secret maze.
Treasure Vault. This room contains a total of 500 gold, a set of bejeweled dinosaur claw gauntlets worth 150 gp, and a hooded cape made of tyrannosaurs rex skin.
Bedroom. There is a large, pristine bedroom with a closet full of shiny, Omuan clothing and finery, the equivalent of 10 sets of fine clothes each worth 15 gp. The bed is huge and covered in blanket made from kamadan skin.
Storage. The hallway containing the door to this room is rotten and moldy. If the group opens the door or makes noise, the 9 zombies in the room explode through the rotted wall and attack.
The Bath House
This ancient bath house was once a grand meeting place famous for its five magical bathing pools. Dinosaurs were even allowed to be cleaned here, under supervision. Now the bath house is carpeted with mold. Vines run up the walls and across the ceiling. Hazy sunlight streams through the windows, giving this place an ethereal quality.
The Pools. Time and much spilled blood has altered the effects of the magic pools. Entering one, drinking from it, or even touching it confers a special effect.
Pool of Intoxicants: This water has somehow transformed into purpleish Omuan wine, a delicious drink that tastes like a mix of strawberries and grapes.
Pool of History: Translucent liquid fills this pool, which is always warm but never scalding. When someone bathes in it, an illusory version of someone from their past appears in the pool with them and converses with the character, possibly revealing the character's deepest secrets. If the character has no fitting NPCs in their backstory, you could use an illusory version of one of the following PCs to interact with them:
Fenthaza. This magical replica of Fenthaza will try to convince the character that Ras Nsi must be slain.
lamanda. A ghostly vision of one of the barae of Mezro, Alamanda is the woman that Artus Cimber seeks who currently dwells in a secret demiplane where the real city of Mezro lies.
Mr. Fox. The mysterious arcanaloth detailed on ToA pg 188 can give out clues as to what lies at the bottom of the tomb. He might even introduce himself as Ygga Raxyg. Characters who note this can speak the name when they meet the real Mr. Fox and stun him for one minute ( as per page 188).
Pool of Rest: In this pool is a relaxed, sleeping NPC. I suggest Dragonbait, if you haven't used him. This is a way to introduce an NPC to the group that you wanted to use, but the group passed by for whatever reason. Anyone who gets into this pool must make a DC 12 Constitution save or fall asleep. Succeeding at this save makes the character immune to the pool's effects for 24 hours. Those who fail will not awaken until they have been removed from the pool.
Pool of Ebon: This pool is similar to the Ebon Pool on page 188. Any object that isn't being worn or carried by a creature disappears if submerged in the black ooze. These items appear somewhere in the city, location of your choosing.
Pool of Considerable Depth: Anyone who enters this pool suddenly perceives it differently. The pool is much, much deeper and the water is somehow breathable. If a bather swims down, they discover the entrance to an underwater maze of Ubtao, lit by phosphorescent fungi. A character can swim in and try to solve the maze with a DC 15 Intelligence check. Failure means the character appears at the edge of the pool. Success means that the character is granted a vision of room in the tomb (pick one that you think might kill the whole group. I'd go with 47d. Earth Cell on ToA pg 159). The character can experience the room safely and then appear back at the edge of the pool, with a glowing maze inscribed on their chest. The character can use an action to summon a triceratops, which will obey the character for up to 24 hours. Once this ability is used, the maze tattoo vanishes.
The Parrot House
The lower floor of this house is flooded with a foot of water and has many perches. The owner clearly had many birds as pets. Now, over 100 parrots
call this place their home. There is a mountain of seeds piled in a side room on which the parrots have been feeding for years.
The Parrots. When the adventurers enter this house, the parrots go quiet and watch the group with intensity. The parrots are very excited about learning new phrases to repeat. If the group says anything, the parrots will repeat phrases or words said in utter unison.
The first floor is ruined, but the second floor is pristine. There are four opulent bedrooms, a privy, and even a rooftop garden. The parrots act as an effective warning system. If someone tries to sneak into the building, the parrots begin repeating their favorite phrases in unison, waking up anyone sleeping in the building.
The House of Vines
Just after the group decides to enter this large villa, a powerful storm hits the city of Omu. Rain comes down in sheets and the wind blows hard enough to make a loud howling sound.
First Floor. There is a 20-foot-diameter hole in the ceiling of the first floor. Vines hang down through the hole, allowing characters to climb up and explore the upper floors of the place.
Second Floor. 6 comfortable bedrooms, each with lockable doors.
Magic Yklwa. Also on the second floor is a trophy room, containing stuffed eblises, su-monsters, and grungs. There are a number of ornate yklwas mounted on the walls. One yklwa has runes carved in it. It is a +1 yklwa that has the power to make the wielder's footsteps appear to be those of a brontosaurus, a raptor, or a tyrannosaurs rex.
King of Feathers. When a character grabs the yklwa, or at a time of the DM's choosing, a wall of the building is torn open. The King of Feathers, looks down at the group in the building and roars as rain pours into the home. The storm covered the noise of the king's approach.
Third Floor. A large dining room and kitchen. Each chair at the dinner table is a throne carved in the likeness of a different dinosaur.
The Dino-Dragon Inn
This was once an inn, with a tavern and a cellar both situated underground. The inn is dry, but the tavern and the cellar are completely submerged in water. There is at least one assassin vine down in the water, as well as many small, harmless turtles. The tavern has 10 iron, watertight crates full of food and beverages.
The Secret Shrine. On one wall of the submerged cellar is an engraving of a maze with arcane runes around it. Anyone tracing the runes is teleported to an isolated secret underground shrine 10 feet to the east of the cellar. The shrine contains a large statue of I'Jin, an almiraj. This magic statue produces oxygen that makes this room safe to dwell in. The statue has a built-in font that produces half of a gallon of holy water per day. The first time anyone takes a long rest in here, they gain the ability to use an action to gain the effects of an enhance ability spell, but it must be cat's grace, which allows them to gain advantage on Dexterity checks and not take damage if falling from 20 feet or less. This ability must be used before the next long rest, or else it fades away.
Pyramid Fruit Growing Operation
This house is mostly ruined, but is full of plants bearing a new type of fruit. Vines grow straight up for two feet. Three 1 foot-diameter yellow fruits in
the shape of a pyramid dangle from vines that are 2 feet tall.
Pyramid Fruits. If the hard, yellow, outer shell is pulled open, it reveals three smaller pyramid fruits inside, lying in a tropical juice. The interior fruits come in a number of colors. Each confers a different effect
when consumed:
Red. For two hours, the character gains incredible lung strength. They can hold their breath for up to one hour, they can breathe powerful winds that cause a target to make a DC 12 Strength save or be pushed 10 feet and knocked prone, and they can spit small objects up to 100 feet away.
Blue. The character must make a DC 12 Constitution save or take 1d10 poison damage, gain the poisoned condition, and they cry continuous tears of blood. This lasts until the character takes a long rest or is cured of the poison.
Green. The character starts hearing inanimate objects ta!king to them. Each object claims to be one of the trickster gods, and advises the character accordingly. This effect wears off after the next long rest.
Yellow. Until the next long rest, the character's sense of smell is temporarily heightened. They gain advantage on perception checks involving smell, and can track down someone they've met before by scent from up to a mile away. The character becomes sensitive to foul odors. Filthy allies might be unbearable to be around.
Purple. Until the next long rest, the character gains sunlight sensitivity. They have disadvantage on attack rolls and skill checks when in direct sunlight. They have advantage on stealth checks when in areas of dim light.
Orange. The character is charged with static electricity. Anyone they touch is struck by a small, annoying-but-harmless bolt of energy. If this character enters or touches a body of water with their bare skin, the water is charged and the character must make a Dexterity save DC 12, taking 4d8 lightning darnage on a failure or half damage on a successful saving throw. Any character who excessively uses the energy on others finds that this power transfers to the target. When it is transferred, it can be used one time as a shocking grasp spell with a +6 to hit within the next hour.
Cog of Blood
This is an alternate version of the cog of blood (Room
60. Cog of Blood, ToApg 169) th t focuses a bit more on
interaction rather than combat.
The Wardrobes. In the version of this room in the
book, when a w rdrobe is opened ( only one c n be open
ta time), monsters appe r. Once those monsters are
sl in, the gem on thew rdrobe lights up. Once the gems
on e ch of the 5 w rdrobes are lit, the p01tcullis 1ises and
the group c nm ke their w y to room 67 (foA pg 175).
In this version of the Cog of Blood, aw rdrobe door
must be open for three consecutive rounds. Then the gem
lights up. The group doesn't necess rily have to kill
whatever appears.
ACHERON WARDROBE
Dust and smoke billow from the w rdrobe, and the air
round you goes cool and st le. Beyond the doors, you
c n see into a tunnel whose w lls seem to be m de up
of.iron we pons and equipment including swords,
shields and doors. A cloud of ash blows through the tunnel
into the room, and as it cle rs, you see a 1 rge serpentine
ere ture bring its he d and neck into the room.
The llBt Dragon. This is the he d of Coirosis, a rust
dragon who rules an entire cube of Acheron and dwells
inside it in a pl ce c lled the Mines of M rsellin. Legend
has it that all things destroyed by a sphere of annihilat on
ctually appe r in the cube, and tum to iron within an
hour of their arriv 1. She despises modrons, who sc venge
her tunnels.
She looks like a met Ilic dragon, but her skin is corroded-
looking and is splotched with orange, brown, and
blood-red highlights.
Dealing with Coirosis. Coirosis won't necess rily att
ck. She desires three things: Steel, iron and spells. Rust
dragons do not collect tre sure hoards, so she has no interest
in money or items. Don't forget that she c n assume
a hum noid form - that of a mst-colored dragonborn.
She c n, in theory, enter this room id she so desues.
She would also w nt the modrons in are 69 (f oA pg
1 77) brought to her, prefer bly alive. If the group does
so, she will rew rd them with an item th t just appe red
in the mines: A cape of the mountebank (DMG pg 157).
Not for res le. Permission gr nted to print or photocopy this document for person I use only.
COIROSIS STATISTICS
Statistics. Coirosis has the st tistics of an adult
brass dragon (MM pg 108) with the following
changes
Her alignment is L wful Neutral
Repl ce the bronze dragon bre th we pon with
this:
reatB Weapon (Recharge 5-6). The dragon
uses one of the following bre th we pons.
• Acid Breath. The dragon exhales a thick
stre m of acid in a 90-foot line that is 5
feet wide. E ch ere ture in that line must
m ke a DC 19 Dexterity s ving throw,
t king 66 (12dl 0) acid dam ge on a
failed s ve, or half as much dam ge on a
successful one.
• Corrosion Breath. The dragon exhales
oxidants and reddish-brown liquid that
inst ntly mst any m teri 1 it touches. repulsion
energy in a 30-foot cone. E ch
ere ture in that are must succeed on a
DC 19 Dexterity s ving throw. On a
failed s ve, All non-m gic 1 met 1 on the
ch r acter is disintegrated.
ust JJf.etal. Any non-m gic 1 we pon m de of
met 1 that hits the mst dragon corrodes. After de ling
dam ge, the we pon t kes a perm nent and cumul
tive -1 penalty to dam ge rolls. If its penalty
drops to -5, the we pon is destroyed. Non m gic 1
mmunition m de of met 1 that hits the rust monster
is destroyed after de ling dam ge.
GEHENNA WARDROBE
The door opens into a c vern cont ining a river
ofl va. Stepping fthrough the w rdrobe is a
robed pellc ster with long bl ck hair and purple
eyes.
This is M roosi . She is pretending to be a powerful
w dock, but in truth she is a green hag (MM
pg 177) using her illusory appe r nee power.
The ~. M roosi w s imprisoned in B ba
Y ga's hut for a long time ( see page 21 of the 2nd
edition adventure, The Dane ng Hut of Baba
Yaga). She esc ped and tried to tum De th itself
gainst B ba Y ga, but failed. She has been in hid-
TOM Of ANNIHILATION COMPANION 41
. .
mg ever smce.
M roosi will w nt to win the favor of the Sewn Sisters,
thinking they c n protect her from B ba Y ga.
M roosi will try to te m up with the heroes or follow
them invisibly. She will turn on them when she thinks the
Sewn Sisters are w tching.
MECHANUS WARDROBE
This rem ins simil r to what is in the book. This monodrone
has a mission - to find out what happened to the
corrupted modrons and either s ve them or destroy them.
This monodrone c n help the group figure out how
this level works, as it w s built using modron principles
nd logic. The monodrone refers to itself as "we" (the
concept of individuality terrifies modrons) and has difficulty
perceiving modrons that are more than one rank
hove it. It c n see duodrones, but others are fuzzy at
best.
It is possible that the group could bef1iend this modron
nd te ch it about individu lity. The modron might "go
rogue", which me ns that it begins thinking outside the
box. Other modrons hunt and kill rogue modrons.
NINE HELLS WARDROBE
W ves ofhe t ass il you as red light stre ms out from
thew rdrobe. Appe 1ing in the room is a devil judge
holding a gavel st nding before a podium. 1 devil we ring
fine garb and a shivering half-elf we ring t ttered
rags st nd in front of the podium.
fury Duty. The group is the jury for this tri 1. The
half-elf, a fem le named F thorn, cl ims to have been
tricked into signing an infernal contract. Her sister had
the de th curse, and F thorn signed over her soul to the
devils if they agreed to cure her sister.
The devil's advoc te, Drovili Pettiwhim, (an el'inyes
MM pg 73) points out that the st ndard practice for contracts
of this type is that the devils have 6 days to cure
the sister, but bee use the sister died of other me ns 3
days after the signing of the contrau, r u1u1111~ Mrnv1y
the victim of bad timing and her soul belongs to the Nine
Hells.
F thorn's sister died in a myste1ious fire, which
F thorn cl ims the devils st rted.
Solving the Case. B1ibe1y is done openly. The devils
dvoc te will offer the group m gic, gold, whatever they
Not for res le. Permission gr nted to print or photocopy this document for person I use only.
need in order to gain a guilty conviction.
The group could bribe the judge, but that would
require someone else to willingly signing their
soul to him.
Mistrial. The judge w ms the group th t finding
F thorn innocent without a valid re son will
c use a mistri 1, and F thorn will be brought beck
to the Nine Hells and will have to rem in in custody
for 9 ye rs until she c n be retlied.
Examining the Contract. The group ask to
look at the contract, which is a 9-foot-long piece
of parchment. Most of it is written in common, but
nyone m king a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception)
check will notice a very tiny pass ge at the bottom.
This pass ge is written in infernal, a 1 nguage
that F thorn c n't re d. If a character c n re d infernal,
they will see the following: "If the sister
dies of anything other than the de th curse,
F thorn is rele sed from the terms of the conti·act."
Victory. If the group s ves F thorn's soul, she
thanks the heroes and begs them to rescue the soul
of her sister, which is trapped in the Soulmonger.
The devils are impressed with the group's skill at
navig ting the infern 1 court system.
SHADOWFELL WARDROBE
You gaze out into an ancient cemetery and feel a
dark force w sh over you. A sense of despair and
m laise fills the ir.
The Shadowfell is steeped in despair, which seeps
into the room and attempts to infect the heroes.
E ch character has a vision of a shadowy m ss
hovering in a fie1y 1 ir drawing their souls from
their bodies. E ch char cter must m ke a DC 13
Chaiism s ving throw.
Failing the Save. Those who fail the s ve see
the thing devour their souls w tch as it slowly begins
to transform into some kind of evil god (this
is the atropal, ToApg 214). Chai·acters who fail
suffer from a supernatural fe r, gaining dis dvant
ge on att ck rolls ands ving throws when in are
s of dai·kness. They c n repe t the s ve after
e ch long rest to end the effect.