Tomb of the Nine Gods
Chapter 5: Tomb of the Nine Gods
(pg 125) It works like this: The traps of the tomb kill people. Their souls are stored in the soulmonger. An atropal (a god-fetus-thing) eats the souls. Once the atropal has consumed enough souls, it will become an evil god. Acererak wants it to become a god of death that will kill everyone, so that only undead creatures would be left inhabiting the world.
Three hags created the Soulmonger, in exchange for keeping some of the souls for themselves.
Acererak is not here. He's watching "from afar". The Sewn Sisters are watching over things.
(pg 126) Tomb Inhabitents: Check out this motley crew:
Withers and the Tomb Dwarves: An undead maintenance crew. Located at area 2 (pg 145).
Legendary Monsters: There are two. A beholder guarding a treasure vault in area 44 (pg 156) and an aboleth in an underground lake in area 65 (pg 174).
Skeleton Keys: Little skeletons that wander the dungeon. Seriously! Their heads are in a sort of key shape. When you have all 5, you can open the gate in area 71 (pg 178) Regular skeleton stats are on MM pg 272. You decide where they are located! There's one on each level.
Skeleton Key AC 13 HP 13 +4/+4 to hit, 4 (1d4+2) piercing dmg Spd 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Vul: Bludgeoning
Imm: Poison, exhaustion
When reduced to 0 HP they fall apart, though the skull and bones remain intact.
Skeleton keys do not trigger any trap placed in a room or on a door of the tomb.
The Sewn Sisters: Discussed in area 71, pg 178
Tomb Guardians: Flesh golems (MM pg 169) with AC 17. You're supposed to use them when it feels right. Don't forget, they're medium, not large! They can fit through the hallways just fine. Alternatives
Trickster God Spirits: They are detailed on pg 129.
Fabled Treasures: There are many fabulous prizes to be won! Make a DC 20 History check and learn:
Black Opal Crown: Created by archmage Sadamor, who made a sphere of annihilation that could swallow the world. The yuan-ti think that this crown can awaken Dendar the Night Serpent.
Eye of Zaltec: It has a sharp point and was used in sacrificial rituals. It is in area 62 (pg 172).
Navel of the Moon: Supposedly this item lets you always find your way home. This is in area 56 (pg 168).
Skull Chalice of Ch'gakare: The skull of a king. Located in area 67 (pg 175).
(pg 128) Spell Alterations: Long story short:
Magic Travel is Bad: Casting arcane gate, banishing smite, banishment, dimension door, teleport, teleportation circle, transport via plants, tree stride or word of recall sends you to area 57 (pg 168). "Any creature that tries to enter or leave the tomb using this spell appears in area 57." When I ran this, I had it where any casting of these spells, whether you were trying to leave the tomb or not, brought you to area 57, and I think it worked out nicely.
Divine Aid Not Good: Casting augury or commune get you nothing but lies.
Out of Order: The following spells don't work in the tomb: Astral projection, clairvoyance, etherealness (you can't go through surfaces/doors), find traps, passwall, and stone shape.
No Dimensions: Anything dealing with an extradimensioal space (like rope trick) doesn't work.
Incommunicado: Magical communication over long distance fails.
No Wish! A wish spell can't be used to escape the tomb!
(pg 128) Replacing Dead Characters: It says, basically, just make up a reason that the replacement hero is in there. My favorite is the idea to make the new character a clone of the old one, created by the hags.
(pg 129) Spirits of the Nine Trickster Gods: The spirit of each of the trickster gods is trapped in a magic item. When someone picks it up, they must make a DC 16 Charisma save. Fail: The trickster inhabits them. A very handy handout on page 256, the last page of the book, lays out the effects of each.
Each trickster grants a boon, such as a 23 strength. Each also grants a personality flaw, such as: "I bow before noone and expect others to do as I command."
Leaving a Host: Ways a trickster can be ejected:
Dispel good and evil.
Another trickster god can push them out. All you do is roll a die and randomly decide which trickster wins the struggle.
(pg 130) Roleplaying the Spirits: It talks about encouraging roleplaying flaws by awarding inspiration. It seems like players in a deathtrap dungeon already have the odds stacked against them. I can see plenty of players balking at the idea of hamstringing themselves on purpose.
I think the best approach here is to provide space for them to play out their flaws. Make sure the consequences of roleplaying in good faith make things more interesting rather than more deadly.
I know that's easier said than done. I think (like the book says) in some cases, the best bet is for you to play each trickster like a voice in their head, urging the character to do something but ultimately leaving it up to the player.
Also, if you run the voices in their head, you can actually have those voices help the group find secret doors, give clues to puzzles, and steer them away from fatal mistakes.
Trickster God Rivals: Here is a quick list of the gods and their rivals, alignment, animal representative, and the magic item their spirit is in.
I'jin (CN Al'Miraj, wand of wonder) vs Obo'laka (LN zorbo, ring of protection)
Kubazan (CG froghemoth, bracers of archery) vs. Papazotl (LE eblis, amulet of health)
Moa (LG jaculi, staff of the python) vs. Wongo (CE flying monkey, mace of terror)
Shagambi (NG kamadan, instrument of the bards) vs. Nangnang (NE grung, pearl of power)
Loner: Unkh (N flail snail, robe of scintillating colors)
Things to Do Before the Start: Here are some things you might want to do:
Warn the players that water breathing won't always work when they are submerged in liquids similar to water.
Warn the group that there are a few things in the tomb that don't have to roll to hit you.
Warn the group that there are many things and items that can't be opened or destroyed by any means, which is a bit of a departure from how previous adventures worked.
Pick an NPC who ends up in the body bag (pg 187)
Maybe somehow demonstrate that force damage is effective when other things aren't.
Be aware of which characters are wearing metal armor and useing metal weapons/equipment. There are a lot of magnetic traps in the tomb, as well as traps that destroy all nonmagic metal.
Definitely print out, distribute or draw handouts 23 and 24 on page 255.
(pg 130) Level 1: Rotten Halls
Walls: The walls are covered in moss and decorated with screaming skulls.
Underground River: Difficult terrain, 3 feet deep
1. Acererak's Warning: There are two visible tunnels. In one, you can find a useful amulet. In the other is a nasty trap. The real entrance is a third tunnel, obscured by vegetation. It is spotted with a DC 10 Perception check.
Obelisk: Handout is on page 252. This thing has a riddle that provides clues to a bunch of rooms. If you mess with the obelisk, 3 gargoyles with devil faces swoop down and attack. Break the obelisk: A nalfeshnee appears and thrashes you. It disappears after 1 minute.
3 gargoyles (MM pg 140)
Nalfeshnee (MM pg 62)
(pg 131) 2. Gallery of Tricksters: This has statues of each trickster god. Bringing the corresponding puzzle cubes into this hall lights the braziers in front of the respective statues. Unkh's statue is behind a hidden door. It has an amulet that tugs you toward area 4 and is useful in area 79 (pg 187). If you use the player maps, beware! The hidden room is right there on the map and will spoil this.
(pg 131) 3. False Entrance: Wow. There's double doors in here. There's alcoves for you to place the puzzle cubes. If you place them in the alcoves so that the rivals face one another, a stone block seals the exit and gas that does 10 points of dmg per round fills the room for 6 rounds! Thankfully, the stone block goes back up into the ceiling after that.
What's behind the doors? More gas!!
(pg 131) 4. True Entrance: Puzzle time. You need to put the puzzle cubes into slots in a certain configuration. Each time the group gets it wrong, all within 20 feet take 18 lightning damage!
Success: The wall slides open to reveal the entrance. It shuts after one hour.
(pg 132) 4B. Second Puzzle Door: Get this.. A lever pops out of the wall and an hourglass turns over. The group has ten seconds. Pull the lever? Don't pull the lever?! One choice causes the ENTIRE FLOOR to open up and drop everybody into a pit of poison spikes.
Pit: 1d4 spikes hit each hero. They take 11 (2d10) bludgeoning dmg for the fall. Each spike does 3 (1d6) piercing and 5 (1d10 poison dmg).
(pg 133) 5. Trapped Corridor: A devil face (located at 5b at the intersection)! Its mouth is a well of utter darkness.
5A. Poison Darts: Spotting these trapped tiles is a DC 15 Perception check.
Each time they are triggered, 4 darts shoot out at a random target! +8 (for each dart) to hit, 2 (1d4) dmg and a DC 15 Con save. Fail: 14 (4d6) poison dmg. Success: Half dmg.
5B. Devil Face: Climb in?
Silence (PH pgs 275-276)
Shadow demon (MM pg 64)
5C. Floor Hatch: Lift the grate with a combined Strength of 24 or more. There's a river down there (area 17, pg 139).
(pg 133) 6. Crystal Window: Peer through it, see area 10 (pgs 135-136) See 2 bear statues holding a disc with many eyes. Also see 6 corpses, each wearing a black mask. The heroes can break the window and climb through if they want. When the group enters that room, those eyes see them and here come the undead.
(pg 134) 7. Grand Staircase: Hoo boy. This staircase lets the group go to the other levels of the dungeon! That means you are probably going to need to be familiar with this entire dungeon before the group gets to this point.
They'll see a tomb dwarf for a moment on the flight below. If they go down to level 2, there's a plaque with clues. If they go down to level 4, they'll see another plaque with clues.
Wight (MM pg 300)
(pg 134) 8. Magical Attraction: Man! Anyone wearing metal makes a DC 10 Athletics. Fail: Get magnetically pulled into the statue and all your metal is destroyed (except for artifacts).
It says it happens when they enter the room, or start their turn in the room. So I guess that little triangular area by the hallway counts as "room".
(pg 135) 9. Magical Fountain: My favorite! A random chart! Be careful with #3, that might get weird and lead to a social faux pas. If you have players who you think could get carried away, maybe change this to transforming them into another race or something.
(pg 135) 10. Obo'Laka's Tomb: Obo'Laka is the zorbo trickster god. If the eyes on the disk spot you, the undead rise up. If you wear their masks, the eyes can't see you and it is much easier to open the sarcophagus.
In the sarcophagus is a ring of protection (+1 to AC and saving throws). Whoever touches it must make a DC 16 Charisma save. Fail: You're inhabited by Obo'Laka (pg 256). This ring disintegrates once you leave the tomb.
If the group opens the secret door to the south, the gas in 11 ignites! It looks like only the person opening the door will get hit on this side. DC 15 Dex save. 22 (4d10) fire dmg, half dmg on a successful save.
(pg 137) 11. Gas Pocket: Smells rotten! Open the secret door to 10.. kaboom! DC 15 Dex save. 22 (4d10) fire dmg, half dmg on a successful save.
(pg 137) 12. Trapped Chest: This is a really great trap! Chest hanging from chains, locked. Pick the lock is a DC 22 Dex check. Fail: Your thieves' tools are destroyed. Failed by 5 or more: You are teleported into the chest, the chest drops into the water and sinks to the bottom.
Inside the Chest: The pool is only 5 feet deep, but it is muddy, so you can't really see in it. The character is restrained and after 5 rounds, begins suffocating (PH pg 183): You can hold your breath for your Con mod +1 minutes! Eventually you drop to 0 HP and dying and can't be stabilized until freed.
Chest: AC 13 HP 30 imm: poison, psychic dmg
Remove curse (PH pg 271)
(pg 137) 13. Stone Skull: To get to room 14, you need to walk through the mouth of a huge skull with burning eyes! 2 people can go through safely, then the jaw clamps down on hero #3. +10 to hit, 22 (4d10) bludgeoning and is grappled (escape DC 19). Until the person escapes, they take 5 dmg at the start of each of their turns. Then the trap resets and the next 2 people can safely pass through, etc.
Remember - a skeleton key does not count for etting off traps, so it doen't count as a creature in the skull jaws trap.
(pg 137) 14 Moa's Tomb: Yikes. The skull of a little girl. You have to lie to her and pass three DC 12 deception checks, otherwise she goes full flameskull on you.
Sarcophagus: This holds the bones of Moa, and a staff of the python. Whoever touches the staff must make a DC 16 Charisma save or be possessed by Moa.
There are these warrens in the wall that small creatures can squeeze in to. Lots of spiders in there! Squeezing (PH pg 192): You have disadvantage on attack rolls and Dex checks, and you move at half speed.
Flameskull (MM pg 134)
6 swarms of insects (spiders) (MM pg 338)
Staff of the python (DMG pg 204)
(pg 138) 15. Wind Tunnel: When you step in this hallway, you see a "propeller" of blades halfway down. The blades start spinning (for the first round, they're slowly gaining speed). You're going to have to jump through them!
Catch them when they're slow: DC 20 Acrobatics check. Fail: 33 (6d10) slashing dmg.
When they're spinning fast: DC 20 Acrobatics check. Fail: 66 (12d10)! Holy...
They create a fan effect that could blow you into the pit in Wongo's tomb!
The blades are immune to damage (except for force dmg) and they destroy all nonmagic items jammed in there.
(pg 138) 16. Wongo's Tomb: This one is fun but very, very deadly. There's a good chance frightened heroes are going to have to run through the spinning blades again!
There's three really big, empty chests. Each has a key. You have to climb in and use the key on the lock from the inside. This causes a button to appear on the sarcophagus. When the sarcophagus button is pressed, the chest is unlocked and a trap goes off! Each chest has a different trap:
Onyx: DC 15 Con save or take 75 (10d6+40) force dmg. A character reduced to 0 turns to dust!
Rusty Iron: All nonmagical metal turns to dust.
Silver: DC 15 Con save. Fail: 45 (10d8) cold dmg, half dmg on a success.
The sarcophagus turns to crystal. Smash it, and a mummy wielding a mace of terror rises up! It unleashes a wave of terror: Each creature in a 30 foot radius rolls a DC 15 Wis save. Fail: Frightened (disadvantage on attack rolls/ability checks, can't move closer to source) for one minute and spend your turns trying to move as far away as it can. Can't take reactions, can only dash.
The Mace of Terror contains the spirit of Wongo. DC 16 Charisma save or Wongo has possessed you.
Mummy (MM pg 228)
Mace of Terror (DMG pg 180)
(pg 139) 17. Underground Waterfall: Taking damage on the ledge forces a DC 14 Athletics check. Fail: Fall 100 feet into area 64 (pg 173). The current might pull you into room 65, where the aboleth is. Yikes, I say.
Mimic pg 220
(pg 139) Level 2: Dungeon of Deception
(pg 139) 18. Devil Pit: If the darkness is dispelled, it turns into a swarm of bats. The group can lower themselves into I'Jin's tomb, which is pretty complicated. Remember that they have to step on the tiles in order to open it.
Swarm of bats (MM pg 337)
(pg 139) 19. Gravity Ring: There's a dead body, and a weird intersection where the side-hallway ramps up and makes a circle, like a Sonic the hedgehog ramp. It's magic, so you can walk all the way through the loop without falling.
Doing so puts you in a parallel dimension where there's... another tomb, identical to this one! Every day it magically refreshes. Good gawd.
There's a dead wizard here, half-goat/half-man named Devlin. He's got a spellbook and a staff.
Staff of Striking (DMG pg 203): This thing is cursed. Over the course of three days, you turn into a goat-humanoid. Tieflings are immune to this effect. Cured by remove curse or greater restoration.
Dabus? Is the goat-thing a dabus? The description sounds a bit different, but it might be cool to do it that way. Dabuses are mysterious goat-people who maintain the city of Sigil. They speak using symbols that appear above their heads.
(pg 141) 20. False Tomb: This is very cool. It goes like this:
Open the coffin. The illusory sunlight hits the plaque inside.
An indestructable stone block seals the exit. The heroes have one round to escape before it shuts (if they want to).
Getting crushed by the block does 55 dmg and sends you back into the room (if you're still alive).
Wine starts to fill the room.
After 3 rounds, three "wine weirds" slide in and attack. They're invisible in the wine.
Water breathing magic does not work in the wine.
Visibility in the wine is just 5 feet.
After 12 rounds, the wine fills the room.
I am guessing that one way to survive is to swim into a cistern. I can't tell if the cisterns empty completely, but it does say that they will magically refill in one day.
Water weird (MM pg 299)
If you put a skull key in here, you could use it to help the group find the way out.
That thing about waterbreathing not working seems kind of iffy. Wine is partly water, isnt it? Maybe warn the group well in advance. Water rules:
Swimming (PH page 182): When swimming, each foot of movement costs one extra foot. So, half speed, basically. Swimming in rough water will require an athletics check.
Underwater Combat (PH pg 198): Melee has disadvantage unless it is a dagger, javelin, short sword, spear or trident. Ranged disadvantage to hit unless a crossbow, net or javelin/spear/dart etc, auto-miss if target beyond normal range.
Hold Your Breath: Since a round is 6 seconds, no character would start dying for at least 5 rounds.
Suffocation: You can hold your breath for 1+ your Con mod in minutes (minimum 30 seconds). If they are still underwater when that time ends, they drop to 0 and start dying.
(pg 141) Zombie Door: Three zombies sticking their heads through holes. Ideally, a cleric will turn them, which ends up opening the door. Another option is to kill them and teleport through, or lift the door with a combined 33 Strength.
(pg 142) Papazotl's Tomb: Lots of words, but it's pretty simple. Touch anything, and skeletons start pouring out of the glass cauldrons. Don't forget the shield! I almost did.
Round 1 brings 12 skeletons. Every round after that, another skeleton emerges from each of the 6 glass cauldrons. The adventurers will have to either destroy the cauldrons, or figure out that they have to bow to the chariot to end this effect.
Glass Cauldron: AC 15 HP 22
Vulnerable: bludgeoning and thunder.
Immune: poison/psychic.
Bronze Shield: AC 15 HP 10 immune to all dmg except force!
Once it is removed from the wall, it starts firing arrows: + 10 to hit, 18 (4d8) Force dmg. Lying it flat will make it unable to "see" any targets.
Amulet of Health (DMG pg 214): Touch it, make a DC 16 Charisma save. Fail: You've been Papazotled. Better pizza. Better flavor. Papazotl.
(pg 142) 23. Bottled Genie: She's trapped. She can't grant wishes, as far as I can see, but she will make a series of offers in exchange for letting her out: My group freed her right away with no bargaining. She tried to plane shift away and ended up in room 57.
Gems: Worth a total of 4,000 gp!
Escape: A promise to take them anywhere in the multiverse (she doesn't know this will take everyone to room 57).
Aid: She'll travel with the group and aid them three times with her spells.
Dao (MM pg 143)
(pg 143) 24. Nangnang's Tomb: A sarcophagus surrounded by a circle of salt. Inside the circle is an invisible slaad. It's probably best for the slaad to wait until somebody touches the urn before attacking.
Remember that the slaad is free once a character enters the circle! Scuffing the salt frees the slaad. Inside the sarcophagus is an urn. Whoever touches it makes a DC 21 Wis save or they take 11 dmg per round and are affected by Otto's Irresistable Dance. There's a pearl of power, too. Touch it: Possessed by Nangnang DC 16 Cha save.
Gray Slaad (MM pg 277)
Otto's Irresistable Dance (PH pg 264)
Potion of Supreme Healing (DMG pg 187)
Potion of Poison (DMG pg 188)
Pearl of Power (DMG pg 184)
(pg 144) 25. Scrying Pool: The group can see through the eyes of a flesh golem stomping through the dungeon. You can use it to describe an area they haven't been to yet. The flesh golem pops out of the pool and attacks!
Flesh golem (MM pg 169): AC 17 plate mail
(pg 144) 26. Spiral Staircase: The skulls are of Omuans who were forced to build the tomb.
(pg 144) 27. Forge of the Tomb Dwarves: The room where they make the tomb dwarves and tomb guardians!
The group can obtain the ghost lantern containing the Starfallen. You can use her to steer the group.
5 tomb dwarves (wights, MM pg 300)
Flesh golem (MM pg 169)
(pg 145) 28. Withers's Office: Withers will ask the group questions about the outside world. He will eventually attack them. The group can read his journal to learn msot of the backstory of the tomb (handout 22, pg 254).
Wight (MM pg 300)
7 crawling claws (MM pg 44)
Amulet of the black skull (pg 206)
The grey slaad's control gem (MM pg 274)
Manual of golems (clay) (DMG pg 180)
(pg 146) Level 3 Vault of Reflection
You're going to want to have the beholder eye ray chart ready. This place has tons of purple mold that the beholder, Belchorz the Unseen, can see through. Any time a patch of mold is destroyed, an eyestalk grows out of nearby mold and fires a random eye ray (MM pg 28)
Crystal Eyes: The group will need to find 10 crystal eyes to get into room 44. Here they are
31A (pg 147) There's a crystal eye in each of the hidden alcoves.
32 (pg 148) There's a crystal eye on the corpse.
33 (pg 148-149) There's one in the magic font full of soup.
35B (pg 151) Two on the corpse of Bravus.
37 (pg 149) Two of them on the hands of the statue.
39 (pg 153) Two in the golem pit.
(pg 146) 29. Jackal Mask: Looking through this lets the group see into the past of room 35. They see a dwarf step on a pressure plate and get killed by a locust swarm.
(pg 147) 30. Iron Barrier: You can lift this metal sliding door to continue on. It will suddenly drop back down after 1 minute (10 rounds). If someone is right under it... DC 15 Dex save. Fail: 44 (8d10) dmg!
(pg 147) 31. Reflected Hall: Passing through the curtain of water causes waves to go in both directions, probably splitting the party. DC 15 Str save. Fail: 14 (4d6) dmg, swept to the end of the hall, prone.
There are two secret alcoves in here that contain 2 crystal eyes that the group needs. The water does not pass through the illusion that conceals these rooms.
(pg 148) 32. Rotating Crawlways: You crawl in... it rotates and lowers.
(pg 148) 33. Chamber of Opposition: There's a shadow in here that is a reflection of the first person to enter. Its back is to the group. It mimics the character's movement. It can drink all of the soup and then a crystal eye appears.
I think you should make sure to describe the font as being very, very shallow. I think a lot of players always assume these are pretty deep and wouldn't realize that it is possible to drinking all of that.
Don't forget, anyone who walks sees its face and must make a DC 15 Wis save or drop to 0 hit points!! You're definitely going to want to pay attention the controlling character. If he or she turns around, so does the duplicate, and the group is in huge trouble.
(pg 149) 34. Peephole: This is part of the next room's deal. When you look through it, you see the dial on the block. Basically, you can call out to room 25 which tile should be stepped on next.
(pg 149) 35. I'Jin's Tomb: OK. Here's what you have to do in here:
Press a hidden button to lower the block.
Someone will have to step on one tile for the block to go back up, so that the dial can be used again.
There's a dial with hieroglyphics that correspond to the room. Every time someone steps on one correct tile, the dial moves and points to the next correct tile.
Someone outside the room can look at the dial and use the peephole to tell them the correct hieroglyphic to stand on next.
When someone steps on a tile, anybody standing on the block might get squashed DC 7 Dex save, 55 (10d10) bludgeoning.
Every time someone steps on the wrong tile, the statues unleash locusts. A 15 foot cube of locusts centered on the tile does 44 (8d10) dmg. That cloud remains for 1 minute (10 rounds).
Walking on the correct tile equence is the only way to open the sarcophagus.
The crystal eye is on the dead body in here.
Once the final tile is stepped on, the locusts go away, the whole floor is safe for 24 hours, the block lowers, and the sarcophagus can be opened.
The wand of wonder holds I'Jin's spirit. DC 16 Charisma save or possessed!
Wand of Wonder (DMG pg 212)
(pg 151) 36. Chamber of Respite: A safe place to rest!
(pg 151) 37. Winds of Pandemonium: Platform jumping! The platforms are anywhere from 6 to 12 feet apart. Jumping rules are on PH pg 182. You can jump your strength score in feet. Remember that the crumbly stone causes a DC 13 Acrobatics check or else you fall.
When I ran this, the most important thing was the madness chart. The winds cause it, and the effects work out really well in here.
Pull the Lever: Roll initiative! The statue's fists open and reveal 2 crystal eyes. Also, at the start of your turn, make a DC 20 Wis save or gain short-term madness. The winds give you disadvantage on Str checks.
There's a crawlspace here that leads to super-deadly "rolling barrel" room (area 38c, pg 152).
(pg 152) 38. Revolving Room Trap: OK. This can be a bit confusing. You can see the other two areas, but you can't really get to them from here unless the group ha the ability to shatter a stone wall. From what I can tell, the golem won't attack. Its only job is to pull the lever when somebody goes in to 38c.
Those unfortunate enough to end up in the spin cycle of doom enter into this procedure:
Roll Initiative.
At the start of each of their turns, they must make a DC 15 Dex save or take 11 (2d10) bludgeoning (half on a success).
At initiative count 10 every round, roll on the random chart to see which horrific effect they experience!
Their best bet to escape is to destroy the door (which connects to room 39). The problem is that it is immune to almost everything! AC 17 HP 50 Immune to: Fire, piercing, poison, psychic, slashing, and thunder dmg.
Flesh golem (MM pg 169)
Wall of Stone (PH pg 287)
(pg 153) 39. Golem Pit: There's a golem and a chest in the pit. The pit is covered with an invisible wall of force. You can turn each statue to the right. As soon as you let go of a statue, it rotates back to its original position. Turn Azuth to the right, a creature is teleported out of the pit onto the 3rd plinth. Turn Torm to the right, anyone or anything on the plinth is teleported into the pit.
The golem has a key to the chest on a necklace. Opening the chest by any other means causes gas to fill a 15-foot cube that corrodes and destroys all nonmagic metal (no save).
Flesh golem (MM pg 169)
(pg 154) 40. Curse of the Golden Skull: If you touch the skull, it follows you around and bothers you, giving you disadvantage on all ability checks. Be careful not to be too annoying with this. The game's still supposed to be fun. Nobody wants to get roasted for 3 hours.
To get rid of the skull: feed it 10,000 gp in gems!
(pg 154) 41. Tomb Guardians: Two flesh golems chained together. They actually have a shared pool of hit points, so neither goes down until you've done enough dmg to kill both! They can't be more than 15 feet from each other, which could lead to some fun stuff. Remember that if the chain is broken, they both go berserk.
They have a power that triggers when they hit 40 hit points. So, I'd say track their hit points individually but when one drops to 0, every hit from then on damages the other one. I think it's fun to have one go berserk. It might end up dragging its twin around.
Chained Flesh Golem (MM pg 169): AC 17 HP 93 (Total HP for both: 186)
+7/+7 to hit, 13 bludgeoning plus 7 piercing dmg
Magic resistance, Magic weapons, Immune to any spell/effect that can alter their form
Fire dmg gives them disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of their next turn.
Berserk: Start turn with less than 40 HP, roll a d6. On a 6, I attack the nearest creature I can see until I am destroyed or regain all HP.
(pg 154) Kubazan's Tomb: This is the froghemoth trickster god. You need to perform a ritual wearing masks. The adventurers have to do 4 things:
Donate 5+ gp
Light a candle
Spill the blood of a living creature
Eat a bug!
If the group does something wrong (even donating 10 gold instead of 5), anyone wearing a frog mask turns into a frog, and three wraiths attack. I forgot about the frog part and pretty much ruined the encounter. You might end up with a party of frogs battling wraiths. Yikes.
It says that they're polymorphed into a frog, "as though it had failed a saving throw against a polymorph spell", so I guess that means the effect lasts 1 hour.
Bracers of archery (DMG pg 156)
Polymorph (PH 266)
Frog (MM pg 322)
(pg 155) 43. Veils of Fear: Make sure you are clear on who is where, so you can fairly discern who looks at the boar head. Anyone who does so must make a DC 16 WIS save or be charmed by it. Then you stick your head in there and take 22 (4d10) slashing dmg. You get to repeat the save every time you take damage. Once you make the save, you are immune for 24 hours.
Boar Head: AC 5 HP 22
(pg 156) 44. Vault of the Beholder: To get in here, you need all 10 crystal eyes. This is a "boss fight". The room is a dome.
Floor: The floor is slippery. Enter or start your turn on the floor: DC 10 Dex save or fall prone. When moving on this floor, you'll keep sliding in one direction until you hit the wall.
Magnetic Sphere: There's an orb covered in a sheet hovering 20 feet above the floor. Remove the sheet: It's magnetic. Everyone wearing metal armor is pulled to the sphere and stuck to it. Ranged attacks with metal projectiles have disadvantage due to this orb.
Magnetic Sphere: AC 20 HP 100 Imm: Nonmagic weapons, poison, psychic.
Invisible Enemy: The beholder is permanently invisible! Its antimagic cone will shut down the magnetic sphere, so it has to be careful what direction it's facing (it should probably face a spellcaster).
Beholder (MM pg 28)
Potion of diminution (DMG pg 187)
Bead of Force (DMG pg 154)
+1 shield shaped like a screaming devil face. That's just awesome.
(pg 157) Level 4: Chambers of Horror
(pg 157) 45. Gargoyle Guardians: This room has 10-foot-trall pedestals with gargoyles on them. If the heroes look down as they're coming down the stairs, they can see the tops of the pillars are made of different types of metal: Copper, silver, gold platinum. These pillars have a coin slot in the side. If the group does not put coins in the slots (1 gp for the gold pillar, 1 sp for the silver pillar, etc.) the gargoyles attack when the group tries to leave the room.
The pit drops down into area 58, pg 169.
I had the group destroy a pillar and run. I had the gargoyle remain animated, lurking in the central stairwell. I asked the co-author of this dungeon, Will Doyle, if the other gargoyles stay animated or return to their pillars. He says they return to their pillars.
(pg 158) 46. Lizard Den: This one looks scary, but there's no trap. There is an awakened lizard in here that speaks Druidic. It traveled with the Company of the Yellow Banner, and might be a useful ally.
(pg 159) 47. Elemental Cells: Ok... this is just death incarnate. People are going to die in these things. Basically, you go in a cell and it starts to kill you, and you need to figure out what to do to make it teleport you to the next cell, which also tries to kill you. These cells have an antimagic field! No magic items, spells, nothing! The fields in each cell can be turned off, but figuring out how to do so is hard.
I screwed these up when I ran this. Be ready for the group to stay out in the hallway while messing with the Fire Cell. They ran in and blew the candle. As soon as you enter, down comes the lava. I probably should have had the lava come down after the firt character went in, but I didn't.
As for the Air Cell, remember that suffocation is a nasty thing. Each character suffocate for their Con mod in round (minimum 1), then they're down and dying. My group was very clever and figured out the skeleton, but remember that your description will make or break this! Make sure you at least indicate that the skeleton is removable and that the bones are light and hollow. It's tricky, because you want to hint rather than stick a neon sign on it.
(pg 160) 48. Shagambi's Tomb: After the hellish nightmare of the elemental cells, the heroes appear in a room with what looks to be 48 terracotta statues of warriors. Shattered pottery covers the floor. If the group makes any loud noise, all of the warriors turn and raw their sword partly out of their sheath and stop. Any more noise and they all attack! All of them!
Stepping on a Rune: You teleport to room 50 (pg 163). If you step on the south rune dos teleport, but they also turn into either a baboon, a bat, a flying snake, or a quipper for one hour.
Coffin: Open it... music begins to play which will cause the warriors to attack unless a character can find the trigger wire and use thieves' tools to cut it with a DC 12 Dex check. Inside is an instrument of the gods that contains the spirit of Shagambi. Touch it: DC 16 Charisma save, or you are possesed by Shagambi.
When I ran this, I initially forgot that the statues get two attacks per round! Makes a big difference. My group had the idea that destroying the music box might end the trap. It's a cool idea, but as far as I can tell, that does nothing.
Don't forget about the teleportation rune effects! The north one damages people coming in, and the south one transforms you.
The ceiling in most rooms in the tomb is just 12 feet high. That makes flying and jumping a tough call. Does a character provoke when flying above the warriors? There's a two-foot space. Definitely decide on how you will rule this before hand.
My group used a jump spell. Is jumping over the warriors feasible in here? Again... tough call. I ruled that jumpers provoked one opportunity attack on the way up, and one on the way down.
Also! 48 warriors. You definitely want a map of this room. Knowing where the warriors are is very important. Knowing which spaces are occupied is crucial to running this fairly.
(pg 161) 49. The Maze of Death: To get in, you have to raise your right arm. Once inside, you can take the crown off the throne. Doing so causes the exit to be sealed. Also, two bodaks emerge from the sphere of annihilation. The only way to get out is to raise a right arm that has been severed up to the elbow.
The group will have to stick an arm in the sphere. I think one thing the heroes might try is to cut off the arm of a slain bodak..? Going by the book, that does not work. You have to hold up your own arm.
When I ran this, two characters stayed outside, and the other two grabbed the crown and dimension door-ed. Remember.. dimension door takes you to room 57!!
47A. Fire Cell: Lava starts pouring on you! Enter or start your turn: DC 20 Dex save, 22 (4d10) fire dmg, half on a success. Escape: Blow out the candle (teleports everyone to the air cell) or use water to douse the candle (teleports everyone to the water cell).
47B. Water Cell: There are snails and oysters on the walls. The room starts filling up with water at 1 foot per round. Room will be full in ten rounds. Escape: Removing an oyster or snail from the wall removes the antimagic field. Eating an oyster teleports the eater to area 47C. Eating a snail teleports the eater to the earth cell.
47C. Air Cell: You immediately begin to suffocate in here There's no air, sound, or light. You can feel around in here to find an aarcokra skeleton, an unlit candle, and wall carvings of tornadoes destroying cities. Escape: Taking a bone from the skeleton shuts off the antimagic field. The hollow bones have breathable air in them. Inhaling the air teleports you to room 48.
47D. Earth Cell: Sand begins to fill the chamber at a rate of 6 inches per round. Once the sand reaches 12 inches (aka two rounds unless you block the ceiling holes, which reduces it to 1 inch per round), very bad things happen. There's a carving of a medusa in the wall. There's a button on her. You try to press it, but it doesn't budge. If you use thievery to loosen it and then press it, or you wait until there's 12 inches of sand, a trap door opens and the medusa secret door opens at the same time. DC 15 Dex save. Fail: You fall through grinders, taking 132 (24d10) force dmg! If you succeed, you're on a ledge and you can get through the secret. If the hero survives the grinders, they land on a grate and can push a button that causes the grinders to go away.
Bodak (pg 215)
Sphere of annihilation (DMG pg 201)
Black opal crown (pg 189)
(pg 163) 50. Mirror of Life Trapping: It's a little dicey figuring out who looks at the mirror. As soon as you ask a player, "Do you look into the mirror?" they will say no. I mean, you wouldn't ask unless something was going to happen.
One giant mirror trapping many people. Look at your reflection: DC 15 Cha save. Fail: You're trapped. Shattering it frees everyone. Safe words:
Say "Khomara": Activates or deactivates it, making it safe to look at.
Saying "Blackfire" along with a cell number frees that prisoner.
Stats
Mirror of life trapping (DMG pg 181)
Commoner (MM pg 345)
Invisible stalker (MM pg 192)
Minotaur (MM pg 223)
Troll (MM pg 291)
Drow Mage (MM pg 129)
Doppleganger (MM pg 82)
Giant four-armed gargoyle (pg 221)
Champion (pg 216)
Stirge (MM pg 284)
(pg 163) 51. Ghastly Door: Pour a pint of fresh blood in each of the four statues to open the door.
If the group tries to lift the door open instead, it requires a total of 33 Strength. If they do so, the 6 ghasts are released and they attack.
Ghasts (MM pg 148)
(pg 164) 52. Throne Room: Three blind, undead artists are here painting scenes of things that actually happened to the group in the tomb. The artists are harmless.
If the group harms any of the artists, a tyrannosaurus zombie explodes out of the floor and attacks.
Sit on the throne: Make a DC 16 Cha save or gain 50 temp HP and attack the nearest creature you see. Ending this curse requires dropping the character to 0 HP or casting either a greater restoration or a remove curse spell.
Tyrannosaurus zombie (pg 241)
(pg 164) 53. Crypt of the Sun Queen: In here is Napaka's sarcophagus and a "sun" orb hanging from a chain.
Sun and Chain: AC 15 HP 22 Immune: fire, poison and psychic.
Mess with the orb or the chain: Emit heat in a 20 foot radius. Start turn: 10 (3d6) fire dmg.
Open Sarcophagus: Requires a DC 15 Athletics check.
Remove anything from the Sarcophagus: Sun fires rays at everyone within 30 feet. DC 14 Dex save. Fail: 42 (12d6) fire dmg.
Put on the necklace of fireballs: Each creature in a 20-foot radius must make a DC 15 Dex save or take 56 (166) fire dmg on a failed save, half on a success. The wearer fail the save automatically!!!
Napaka has a scepter that can destroy the juggernaut in area 62 (pg 172) and the key to area 62b.
(pg 166) 54. Rolling Doom: There's a hallway with stairs that go down. At the bottom of the stairs is a treasure chest. When the chest is opened/lifted, a huge ball of stone rolls down the stairs. If you run further, you'll probably fall into an acid pit.
Granite Ball: DC 15 Acrobatics check. Fail: 22 (4d10) dmg and prone.
Acid Pit: (roll with disadvantage if unaware of the pit) DC 15 Dex save, 66 (12d10) acid dmg. Success: Hold onto the edge.
Vial of acid (PH pg 148)
(pg 166) 55. Unkh's Tomb: There's a sarcophagus that changes colors.
You need to touch the maze pattern. This sends you into an extradimensional maze where you can find colored keys.
It also brings 10 minotaur skeletons into the room.
There's a minotaur in the extradimensional maze, which the heroes might encounter.
Once you grab a key in the maze, you return to the room with the key in hand.
You have to put the key in the lock on the sarcophagus when the color is the same color as the key.
Putting a key in at the wrong time teleports the key back into the maze.
When you put the key in at the right time, the sarcophagus opens and you gain a special boon connected to that key.
If you take the robe of scintillating colors, DC 16 Cha save or Unkh possesses you.
Keys and Charms
(Black) Charm of 9 Knives: You can drop to 1 HP instead of 0 HP on nine separate occasions.
(Blue) Charm of the Crystal Heart: For 10 days, you have immunity to piercing and slashing as well as vulnerability to bludgeoning.
(Gold) Charm of Treasure Sense: For 3 days, you can smell gold and gems within 30 feet.
(Green) Charm of the Swollen Hag: You can spit up a frog that obeys you 3 times.
(Purple) Charm of the Maimes: You can grow back a lost appendage once.
(Red) Charm of the Ghoul: You can heal 3d8+3 when you eat flesh from a humanoid that has died less than 24 hours ago. You can do this three times.
Stats
Robe of scintillating colors (DMG pg 194)
Minotaur (MM pg 223)
Minotaur skeleton (MM pg 273)
(pg 168) 56. Grandfather Clock: When the group enters, the clock is at 5d10+5 minutes past the hour. There's a magic egg in the clock, blocked by a locked, invisible door. Getting it out requires the invisible key from the chest in area 54, or a knock spell, or a DC 20 Dexterity check using thieves' tools.
If the clock chimes at the top of the hour, everyone within 30 feet must make a DC 17 Con save or age 10 years!
Navel of the Moon (pg 189)
(page 168) 57. Oubliette: This room is half-full of corpses and home to an otyugh, who is buried under the corpses and will attack only if one person is in the room. There's a devil face in here with a lever in each nostril.
Pull the Left Lever: Everyone must make a DC 11 Dex save or get sucked in and destroyed. A character can try to save another with a reaction that allows the victim to reroll the saving throw.
Pull the Right Lever: The group (and the otyugh) is teleported all the way back to 5B (pg 133).
Return: The next time someone comes in here, the effects of the levers are reversed!
Otyugh (MM pg 248)
(pg 168) Level 5: Gears of Hate
(pg 167) 58. Cog of Rot: This is a harmless area unless the room is rotated. Then the vegetation becomes 3 shambling mounds. You might want to say that Lord Brixton had a backpack full of stuff that he dropped in here, and in it are Ubtao's Blessed Garments, magic clothes from Port Nyanzaru that grant some minor benefit, like.. they always make you smell good (and the wearer can choose the scent). This is to avoid potential awkwardness when area 68 makes people naked.
Shambling mound (MM pg 270)
(pg 167) 59. Cog of Acid: Another harmless room. There is evidence of a trap here, but there is no actual trap.
(pg 167) 60. Cog of Blood: The portcullis won't budge. To get in here, the group will have to rotate the room, or teleport in.
Once inside, the only way to raise the portcullis is to open each of the five wardrobes and deal with what's inside. Creatures emerge from a one-way portal and for the most part, attack the heroes.
Acheron: 1 orc war chief (MM pg 246), 7 orcs (MM pg 246)
Gehenna: 2 mezzoloths (MM pg 313)
Mechanus: 1 monodrone, who does not attack. (MM pg 224)
Nine Hells: 1 bone devil. (MM pg 71)
Shadowfell: 4 will'o'wisps (MM pg 301)
This seems like it might be a drag if your group isn't super-into combat. Area 67 has a similar, more grueling encounter quite like this one. I am thinking of changing this into challenges that need to be overcome:
Acheron: Coirosis the rust dragon sticks her head through and demands tribute or else she will breathe on them.
Gehenna: This is a tough one. I guess we could do a hag thing. Maybe we could say that a hag comes through and warns the group about the Sewn Sisters, and will give them advice in exchange for disgusting spell components.
Mechanus: A modron trying to figure out how to save some corrupted modrons (who are found elsewhere on this level).
Nine Hells: The group becomes a jury for an infernal trial, over whether a damned soul was wrongly damned. The group will be offered bribes by the devil's advocate to rule in his favor. The judge is a pit fiend.
Shadowfell: A sense of despair and malaise washes over the group. They'll have to overcome the bleak possibility that they are all going to die in this tomb.
(pg 170) 61. Control Room: You might find this one really confusing. Just look at handout 24 on page 255. It makes everything very clear. In this room, the group can rotate the cog rooms to access other places.
Blue Dial: Is used to select which configuration you want.
Blue Button: Rotates the cogs to the configuration you set with the blue dial.
Red Button Seals off the exit. Pushing it again does not open the exit!
Red Dial: Everyone in the room has a telepathic link with the aboleth, who has two personalities: childlike/curious and evil adult.
Gold Lever: Pull down: It locks into this position! Aboleth slime pours in the room via the pipes. It fills the room at a rate of 1 inch per round. Unlocking it requires a DC 15 Dex check with thieves' tools.
(pg 172) 62. Stone Juggernaut: Bunch of stuff going on in here:
There is a secret crawlway protected by a lock. DC 21 Dex check with thieves' tools to pick it. Fail by 5 or more: the juggernaut is released. The crawlway leads to the room where the juggernaut is. The Eye of Zaltec is in here, unless the group went through the whole statue thing below.
Broken Statue: You have to put a total of 9 gems in its hands. It will crush them all, and then give the group the Eye of Zaltec. When you take the Eye of Zaltec, it breathes gas that fills the eastern half of the hallway (DC 15 Con save). Those who fail are knocked unconscious and the juggernaut is released!
The Scepter of Napaka: If the group has Napaka's scepter, it can reduce the juggernaut to 0 HP instantly.
Stone juggernaut (pg 231)
Eye of Zaltec (pg 189)
(pg 173) 63. Gas-filled Room: If cog room 58 is rotated to connect to this gas-filled room, the gas oozes into the cog and animates three shambling mounds. Start your turn in the gas: DC 13 Con save. Fail: 18 (4d8) poison dmg, half on save.
Lord Brixton's Corpse: The corpse of the leader of the Company of the Yellow Banner is here. He has a magic sword that gives you the ability to speak and understand draconic.
(pg 173) 64. Base of the Waterfall: Climb the walls: DC 15 Athletics. The current will gently take you to 65, the lake with the aboleth and glowing crabs.
(pg 174) 65. Underground Lake: This 20-foot deep lake has a few things going on:
Glowing Crabs: There are glowing crabs at the bottom.
Tomb Dwarves: Harmless maintenance workers hang from the ceiling, performing maintenance on the cogs.
G'lyh'rul: The aboleth with two personalities: Curious child and evil defender of Acererak's scheme.
(pg 174) 66. Door of Devouring: When approached from outside the stairwell, the mouth on the door demands food. It wants glowing crabs. If the group gives it something else to eat besides the crabs, it pulls a hero into it. The character is teleported into room 57 and is in big trouble.
Obtaining Crabs: The group can use some diving cages to get the crabs. The diving cages grant water breathing. One also offers anvantage on attack rolls. The other grants advantage on saving throws.
(pg 175) 67. Hall of the Golden Minotaur: You can take the star-top off of the lever in area 61 and use it here to make the statue rotate. A block of stone seals the exit. It makes a full rotation each round, setting off an effect:
Round 1: Anyone on the floor takes 10 (3d6) fire dmg.
Round 2: 4 spined devils appear (MM pg 78)
Round 3: 3 bearded devils appear (MM pg 70)
Round 4: 2 barbed devils appear (MM pg 71)
Round 5: 1 horned devil appears (MM pg 74)
Round 6: 1 erinyes appears (MM pg 73)
The group can ward the devils off if a characters signs their soul over to the erinyes. That person's soul becomes trapped in the Soulmonger.
(pg 176) 68. Hall of Decay: Walk into this hallway and all of your nonmagic stuff instantly decays/corrodes. Two things to watch out for:
Make sure you know the marching order and that it is VERY clear who is going in.
The characters will be butt-naked. Some groups will love this, others might not. That's why I stuck those magic garments in area 58.
(pg 177) 69. Mechanus Chain: The group will need to jump or fly across this area. As they step onto the balcony, corrupted modrons attack. It might be fun to say that there is some kind of switch in an open panel on their bodies that will de-corrupt them. That way, groups who aren't so thrilled with a lot of combat have something more up their alley.
The pentadrone flies in a decahedron device: AC 16 HP 50 Fly speed of 30, can hover immune: poison, Resistance: Nonmagic weapons, Vul: Bludgeoning/thunder.
The west balcony is 15 feet higher, meaning the group can't jump up to it - they'll need magic or something clever.
Jumping: 3 DC 10 Athletics checks. Leap to a chain, leap from one chain to another, leap from chain to opposite balcony. Fail: You get one chance to save yourself with a DC 10 Dex save. Otherwise, you fall into the vortex and are competely obliterated.
Pentadrone (MM pg 226)
Quadrone (MM pg 226)
(pg 177) Armillary Sphere: This is a gigantic depiction of the planets and moons. You can climb in a sphere and move them around, creating eclipses or a conjunction.
Once a character starts moving things, a nycaloth bursts out of the moon and attacks. It beheads you whenever it rolls a natural 20!
If a character lines up all the planets in a conjunction, roll on the chart on page 178. The worst result is that the character gets sent to another plane of the DM's choosing.
(pg 178) Level 6: Cradle of the Death God
(pg 178) 71. Lair of the Sewn Sisters. Remember, the sisters aren't here until the group completes the challenges. The skeleton keys cannot be used until the 5 challenges are completed. In this room are three freaky living dolls. If the group befriends the dolls, the dolls might grant them charms:
Strawbundle: You can use an action to cast etherealness three times.
Clay No-Face: You don't need to eat, drink or breathe for 30 days.
Joho: Gives you the benefits of a helm of comprehending languages for 7 days.
Cage: Inside is a clone of one of the heroes! It knows everything the character knows. How sad would it be if the clone was based on a character that died in the tomb?
Black Marble: Don't forget, Peggy Deadbells has a black marble that is crucial to actually leaving this place (it is used in room 81, pg 189).
Night Hag: (MM pg 178)
Commoner (MM pg 345)
Helm of comprehending languages (DMG pg 173)
Etherealness (PH pg 238)
(pg 181) 72. Trial of the Triangle: To move the lever, the group will need to use magic or stand around the cylinder in a triangle formation.
(pg 181) 73. Trial of the Square: You might want to pick out three spells in advance. If the group tries to grab more than three pages, a dust mephit (with mirror image cast on it) appears. It has special powers:
It can make one creature increase in weight by 50 percent
Each creature in the room must make a DC 10 Con save or take 9 (2d8) poison dmg.
Everyone rolls a d20. Whoever gets the lowest (this includes the mephit!) takes 21 (6d6) dmg.
Once the mephit is slain, it turns into a stick of black chalk.
Lever: The lever in here is intangible! The group will need to cast etherealness (putting them on the same plane as the Sewn Sisters) or use the chalk to draw a square around the lever.
Dust Mephit (MM pg 215)
Mirror Image (PH pg 260)
(pg 182) Trial of the Pentagon: Mr. Threadneedle made a delicious meal for the group. Eating different food grants you different effects for 24 hours.
Roast Boar: Adv on Str checks, disadvantage on attack rolls vs. Widow Groat.
Squash Stew: Adv on Con saves, disadvantage on attack rolls vs. Peggy Deadbells.
Iced Cakes: Gain 2d10 temp hp, disadvantage on attack rolls vs. Baggy Nanna.
Frothy Beer: The character can add a d6 to a d20 roll once. If the character is inhabited by a trickster god, the god is suppressed for 24 hours.
There's a devil face hidden in the curtains. Reaching through its mouth, you can pull the lever to open a slot on the skeleton door.
Black Marble: Don't forget, Mr. Threadneedle has a black marble that is crucial to actually leaving this place (it is used in room 81, pg 189).
(pg 183) 75. Trial of the Hexagon: Light the candles, look in the mirror, say the words. A lever appears behind you, but only in the reflection. The hero will need to figure out how to reach back and pull the lever while looking into the mirror.
If the candles aren't lit: 3 wereboars spring from the mirror and attack.
Wereboars (MM pg 209)
(pg 184) 76. Trial of the Octagon: The group needs to read the rhyme backwards. Doing so opens a compartment revealing the lever they need to pull.
Reading the rhyme normally or opening the compartment in some other fashion triggers a horrid trap: Reverse gravity sends the group crashing through the ceiling (those close to the lectern can make a DC 17 Dex save to hold onto it) into a spinning fan of blades and taking 44 (8d10) slashing dmg. The reverse gravity lasts for 1 minute!!
Reverse Gravity (PH pg 272)
(pg 184) 77. Death God's Nursery: This is the big one! Lich phylacteries, lava, all sorts of stuff.
The Soulmonger: AC 15 HP 200
Immune to nonmagic attacks, Vul: Radiant dmg.
If someone attacks the soulmonger or a strut, it starts attacking with a 30-foot tentacle once per round.
Tentacle: AC 15 HP 30 Immune: poison and psychic dmg.
+7 to hit, 24 (4d8+6) dmg, grapple escape DC 16.
Destroying a Strut: AC 20 HP 100 Immune: fire, poison, psychic and nonmagic attacks.
Lava: 55 (10d10) fire dmg per round.
Fighting the Atropal: Remember, the heroes can't heal when within 30 feet of it! If it uses its legendary action to wail in the first 3-4 rounds, the group will be really messed up (exhaustion PH pg 291).
Fighting Acererak: When the atropal is slain, Acererak shows up! Heroes inhabited by a trickster gain 50 temp hp per round (!) and do +3d6 damage to him.
If Acererak's hit points sink below 100, he teleports away in dramatic fashion.
He can use his sphere of annihilation as a legendary action!
A nice thing here is that the staff of the forgotten one and Acererak's stats are on the same two page spread (pgs 208-209) so you can just keep the book open to those pages and run this smoothly.
Don't forget that the staff makes him immune to blind/charm/deaf/fright/petrified/stun.
Stats
Atropal (pg 214)
Acererak (pg 209)
Staff of the Forgotten One (pg 208)
Sphere of Annihilation (DMG pg 201)
Talisman of the Sphere (DMG pg 207)
(pg 186) 78. Chapel of Hate: Weird room. A bunch of nothics. shackled to the walls. In the body bag is a buddy of the heroes!
Nothic (MM pg 236)
(pg 187) 79. Hall of Finality: A room reminiscent of the entrance hallway to the Tomb of Horrors! Very cool. Four arches. Three have paths leading to them. The fourth has a skeleton pointing to it.
Skeleton Arch: Has a secret door guarded by a glyph of warding: DC 24 Dex save, 22 (5d8) cold dmg, half on success. It then triggers a wall of fire. Roll init. It goes on count 15. The wall starts creeping up the hallway at a speed of 10 feet per round. Enter or start turn: 22 (5d8) fire dmg.
Golden Trail: Leads to an archway with a secret door in it. Opening the door triggers a glyph of warding: All in a 20-foot radius roll a DC 24 Dex save, 22 (5d8) thunder dmg, half on save. Reveals a cobwebby hallway that lead to area 80.
Purple Trail: Walk the trail, touch the wall: Wall become gloopy for an hour and you can walk through it to area 80.
Red Trail: Walk the trail, touch the wall: Appear in room 57 (pg 168), the corpse room with the green devil face. Yikes.
Glyph of Warding (PH pg 245)
Wall of Fire (PH pg 285)
(pg 188) 80. Red Library: This one is very weird. An arcanaloth guarding books. X the Mystic has a bunch of quotes in the monster manual and is a pregen in the 1st edition adventure Dwellers of the Forbidden City.
Arcanaloth (MM pg 313)
Create undead (PH pg 229)
Fabricate (PH pg 239)
Resurrection (PH pg 272)
(pg 189) 81. Ebon Pool: Drop one of the black marbles in here and an obelisk forms. Touch it and you appear near the bigger obelisk in Omu (area 1, pg 130).