A creature within 5 feet has one-half con- F. GIANTS CAVE cealment (20% miss chance), and creatures farther away have full concealment (50% miss chance).This cave is home to the three stone giants who are enslavedhere. This is the lair of a trio of spirit nagas. Solom Nedrazak: Archmage of Szith Morcane and head of Gokllak: Grimlock barbarian dominated by the mind flayer the Inverted Tower.Quthnorak in Vournoths Mire. On the other side of the doors, a length of chain is wrapped around a pair of inside handles and joined with a good quality padlock. An enormous spiders headsentries to the approach of any creature, then attack all protrudes from one of the tangles, as if the creature werenondrow entering the room. If the message is delivered, one of those officers hurries to help the sentries here, while the S4. VESTRY S49. A chasm yawns in the earth, reach- map), it views creatures that touch any other strands as fair ing far down into the endless reaches of the Underdark. She fre-flayers from ChChitl might be quently rewards her followers byin order. wards spell is in effect. Fine leather couchesopen, and the sheets lie on the floor, torn into rags. G. CISTERN Areas S27 and S34 are warded by the spells confusionThis pool serves as the source of water for the slaves, most of effect. /r/DMAcademy is a subreddit for Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters to ask questions - new and experienced, all are welcome. Susztam Mar-Shinn: Drow wizard, Head Student at the In- Hamadh the Unseen: Drow shadowdancer, leader of the Hidden verted Tower in Szith Morcane.in Maerimydra. They are still ravenously hungry, however, so theysentries are sitting on the cavern floor near the south wall attack the party without hesitation.when the characters enter, with their weapons close at hand. The trail turns here and continues used to write Common and other languages. D Susztam Mar-Shinn, Inverted Tower Head Student: hp 37; see page 137. appear as plain walls. The doors in Creatures (EL 10): Two guards are posted in S25 at all the halls, as well as the doors leading into the halls, are se-times. Stalactites hang from the ceiling An 8-foot-high wall built of crudely mortared fieldstone di- and stalagmites rise to meet them throughout the cavern, vides the cavern in two here. Thrust through Dorinas belt is an elegant bone scrollcase The pillar, throne, and gaunt drow are all a permanent containing a letter from her mother Irae, written in Elven:image cast by Susztam Mar-Shinn, the head student of the In-verted Tower. A lectern faces the door.head is vaguely canine, with small webbed ears and horns. 2002 Fun Fact: The 5e Monster Manual and Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes include 10 different stat blocks for drow. Re: How do you get into The Undying Temple, City of the Spider Queen? Two strong and cruel-looking drow sembling small cattle or yaks seem to roam about a males stand watch by the opening. Characters playing through G1-3 with AD&D 2E were surprised by how tough the giants suddenly were! The remnants of the army of Kurgoth Hellspawn have the use of time to rest and re-equip against the advance of theoverrun the cavern. A successful Balance check (DC 18) is required to cane in another area of Faern, the tunnel leading out fromcross the stream without falling. A character who casts the challenging, a party of characters may find it difficult teleport spell or uses an ability that duplicates the spell must to rest or re-equip during the course of this adventure. He has thick black hair and almost wears a black tabard emblazoned with a silver spiderweb in- beige skin, and he sports a neatly trimmed moustache and signia. If you prefer to use monsters from the Monster Duneth Wharreil, weakened Maerimydra and led to its fall at theManual, appropriate monster substitutions are suggested in hands of an invading force of goblins, ogres, giants, and demons.Appendix 2 as well. Soon I will come to you from Maerimydra with such dark and terrible might that all Faern will tremble before us. Lots of monsters with class levels, harder to figure out what that means in terms of CR and encounter difficulty in 5e. This same spell is nished, offering no comfort to the guards on duty. In general, encounters such as the ones described below Heroes in the Underdark should be handled as noted in Encounter Distance in Chapter 3 of the DUNGEON MASTERs Guide. 5e monsters manual lacks high CR critters. A monthly program that serves as a "mini-convention" for D&D tabletop play. If From the second fork to Vournoths Mire: 35 miles (oryou wish to customize this adventure by adding your own en-trances, you could easily create dungeons beneath Old Skull or from the second fork to the Yrthak Cavern: 40 miles).Hap Hill. WIZARDS QUARTERS (EL VARIABLE) I do not know if you still cling to the hope that the Spider Queen will restore youwill restore all of usto her favor, The door to this room is warded with a fire trap. Connect with your friends around the world and play D&D with some of the best Dungeon Masters anywhere. Her clerics are agents of vengeance, death. Finding the clerics ofDagger Hills to the caverns of Szith Morcane, a small drow Lolth slaughtered and transformed into undead, the playeroutpost originally founded by colonists from nearby Maerimy- characters (assuming they remain loyal to Lolth) might feeldra. nately, theres a way around this. Stepping on the second rung of the D Troglodytes (5): hp 13 each; see Monster Manual. Chahir is gaunt but very handsome, despite the slightly They have been stripped of arms and armor, but each still feral cast to his features. The we have already brought low the Spider-kissers and seizedsaving throw to disbelieve the illusion has a DC of 25. our rightful place in the realms of the dark. ride. Clean and dry, this small cavern feels more like a roadside campsite than an underground cave. If they peacefully accompany him to the audience hall, he is more The door to this room is protected with a permanent alarm than willing to negotiate an alliance with them. Then I would go through each encounter and total up the XP and the adjusted XP levels. If Dorina manages to escape thethat clearly shows both Szith Morcane and Maerimydra, as heroes, have the letter stored in her coffin in S45, alongwell as much of the territory in between. Alerted Creatures (EL 13): If the Barracks level is in a state of alert, the guard contingent here increases to seven sentries,This is not really a separate room from S5; its actually a hall- plus the quth-maren and one officer. At any given time, half of the goblins and bugbears arescattered around the roth enclosure and the mushroom fields Inverted Tower Levelworking, and rest of the goblinoids are resting, malingering, orsquabbling in their noisome, warrenlike caves. If the charac-ters are completely silent, they find the two demons crawling D Bebiliths (2): hp 104, 89; see Monster Manual.in their webs on the walls of the room.Bebilith Nest 16Part 1 D11. Two alcoves branch off from each VARIABLE) side of the hall. They rarely leave the Inverted Tower level, even when inside-out. Welcome Wanderer! The summoning of the Undying Temple by their leader, Irae T'sarran, has created a growing local corruption in the Weave of magic. On severalDagger Falls if necessary. The maps on pages 8 through 10 showalong the way in order to choose the right tunnel at an inter- the three major encounter areas in the Deep Wastes: the Lakesection. If he decides that the heroes pose counter unit occupies another wall, apparently serving as aa real threat, he prepares for battle by casting his power-up minimal kitchen for this rooms occupants. Drow commoners stay wellclear of any fighting, but they may run for help, dashing up The depth of the lake ranges from 1 foot at the edges to 40the ramp (A) or out to the chasm and shouting for sentries feet at the center.from nearby levels. Tactics: News of fighting at the gate in S21 spreads like wild- S23. They gain no spells. Each book weighs 3 pounds and could bewards trap but have not yet entered the conjury (S32), Solom sold for about 20 gp to someone with an interest in its topic.Nedrazak is here, powered-up and ready to fight if necessary.He does not attack immediately, however, because he would A small secret panel in one wall (Search DC 20) conceals aprefer to learn the reason for the intrusion and see whether he niche where the archmage keeps his coinage and monetarycan use the PCs for his own purposes (see Tactics, below). To get more targeted content, please make full-text search by clicking. corpses line most of the walls of this large room. The Climb check DC for sections of malevolent than a normal vermin, this spider is hardly athe chasm wall that are not covered in webbing is 15. genius. Irae hold, the PCs battle Iraes fiendish and undead minions andTsarrans agents (including her son and daughter) pursued the finally the priestess herself.fleeing refugees to Szith Morcane with instructions to discoverwhether the Lolth-priestesses in the colony had been similarly Character Hooksrobbed of their spells, andif possibleto seize control ofSzith Morcane. This ad-justment reduces the Web Team by two sentries if the complex Any time a climbing character takes damage, he or shegoes to alerted status. The heroicworld. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, please visit www.wizards.com/d20. They arent sup- check (DC 5). tionate retribution (answer any slight a thousandfold). D Arcane Guard (2): hp 33, 32; see page 136. Once every long rest, you can transform into a giant spider. time. The whole lot weighs consist entirely of subterranean races approach the merchants 1,200 pounds. The DMG custom monster rules are very exploitable. A character with Tactics: If the characters made noise outside the mausoleum the Track feat who scours the area for additional tracks may (by trying to force open the door, for example), the vampires attempt a Wilderness Lore check (DC 20) to determine that are ready for them. Only two Trap (EL 8): The trap on the ladder activates whenever a vampires live here, and if they are in S37, there are no guardscreature that does not worship Lolth touches it. The sentries and officerway leading from the chasm to that guardpost. The bug- verted Tower itself (S24) is protected by a trap that is trig-bears and giants are somewhat more determined, but even they gered whenever any creature enters the archway withoutknow better than to take on a powerful band of surface heroes. The magic Irae studies would raise a of the Daggerdale setting.vengeful legion of revenants in full possession of their facul-ties, but slaved to her will. Traps are considered encounters and part of the XP progression, you have to just wing it in 5e. He is backed by the drowHe has cowed even the stone giants through sheer bluster com- overseers, but he skirts a dangerous line between failing tobined with a cruelty that rivals that of the drow. A few such individuals carry on a smallbefore coming here, and they are completely loyal to her and bit of trade between Maerimydras outposts and the drowto Kiaransalee. Its been so long since I payed this, but I cant recall the combat that you are referencing (my DM may have gone off script as well). About 8 feet moved. Do I increase/reduce the number of enemies that PCs should face in each encounter? Lack of templates, you have to reverse engineer a lot of things in 5e instead. Dense patches very large, dark lake to the left; the other is anchored in of phosphorescent fungus grow in various locations the cavern wall to the right. The door to this vault is still plastered shut (break DC 28) be- cause the trap it bears has killed every robber who has at-This vault was built for a family that never had the opportu- tempted to open it. Are there any tricky bits to watch out for (i.e. Unless the characters enter by stealth, the guards move cured by arcane lock effects and covered with glamers toto intercept them as soon as they enter the Inverted Tower. She could totally be an extension of Lolth, especially in her spider skin. Further- more, an attacker gets a +2 bonus on attack rolls made against Development: The drow of Szith Morcane do not allow this a climbing creature. Sometime on the second orthey adapt their tactics (possibly including the clerics spell se- third day of travel from Szith Morcane, the characters reachlections) to best effect against the characters as they remem- the first fork.ber them. Unless the char- Creatures: This post is well guarded by two drow sentries inacters have used extreme caution in concealing their campsite the livery of Irae Tsarran (white tabards with leering blackor simply arent anywhere near the Dordrien Crypts, the skulls), a spellguard wizard (in the traditional purple tunichunter-killer team attacks them during the night. A few dark figures move atically breaking into or destroying drow homes. that the drow call faerzress. D Slave Overseers (2): hp 61, 52; see page 136. His clothing has no insignia of any kind. The five warehouses marked S13 are virtually identical. Here are some things that are "free" for a CR 1/4 monster: Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0, TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History, Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News, http://merricb.com/2014/08/03/the-great-list-of-dungeons-dragons-5e-adventures/, Converting 3.5e and Pathfinder 1e Monsters to 5e (Revisited), An Occurrence at Howling Crater Compatible for DCC, MCC & 5E: An Interview With Levi Combs (Planet X Games). A few traders from othereach keeps a separate spellbook in his chest. Notrouble has ever surfaced there before. Tactics: Dorina trusts that the greater glyph of warding on Motherthe door and the permanent image will keep intruders busy 41Part 1Irae Tsarran dispatches summoned demons to carry messages incompetence (in the drow history) led to the human tri-back and forth to Dorina on a regular basis, and this letter is umph in the dale. Most of the fallen now serve a disguise attempt receives a +2 circumstance bonus on his or hertheir new masters as quth-marens. The cult used the Silence of Lolth to take control of Szith Morcane and is galvanizing the natives of the outpost into increased activity against the surface world. Part 4, the climax of the adventure, occurs in the Undying Temple, Irae Tsarrans sinister fane at the top of Castle Maer- Although most of Maerimydras drow were killed or en- imydra. CRYPT ENTRANCE Another large pair of stone doors is set into the hillside. When any creature passes through, a mental alarm more information.alerts Solom Nedrazak. A review of This barracks is home to eleven drow sentries, though no morethese papers reveals that the guards operate on two alternating than six are ever here at any given time.shifts, but it is impossible to determine when the shifts changebecause the drow dont use surface notations for time. Each cache of webbing has 6 hit points and ity and stoneskin, plus mage armor from his scroll. Then they tore apart the cupboards and set up elements; 3rdbestow curse, deeper darkness, invisibility purge,these coffins as resting places for the three guards who became magic circle against good*.vampires (the two posted in S39 plus the one in S41). Theyre keen on acquiring some booty before up. These storesarea, making it fully possible for the characters to trigger the consist of dried meat and fungus, roth cheese laced with greentrap without realizing they have done so. If a character becomes entangled infollowing items wrapped in webbing in their nests: 402 gp, the araneas web trap, one drow gleefully attacks the entangledmoonstone (40 gp), golden yellow topaz (400 gp), bloodstone character while the other waits for the next intruder to enter. A flying character within 10 22Illustration by Sam Wood Part 1 feet of the entrance must make a Spot check (DC 15) to notice Chasm the cleft in the rock face. The cult of Kiaransalee still defends the villains plots.last redoubt of the drow city, bolstered by large numbers ofundead. No corpse is necessary47, 34; see Monster Manual. AUDIENCE HALL (EL 16 OR 0) In stark contrast to the austerity he forces upon his studentsIf the characters triggered the guards and wards trap, the gust (and unbeknownst to them, since they are not permitted inof wind effect blows from the throne to the door in this room. A character attempting to run or Scratch marks are visible, suggesting that the lids have been re-charge across these floors must make a successful Balance moved, probably with crowbars. The natural caverns on skeletonsanything of value that was buried with them hasthe crypt level (D7D14) are 12 to 15 feet high, and those on either decomposed or been taken by grave robbers.the Underdark level (D15D20) are 14 to 18 feet high. came before. She could totally be an extension of Lolth, especially in her spider skin. Then he attacks with his breath weapon, his area spells (fireball and Aganazzars scorcher), and finally his greatsword, alternat- ing that with touch spells (vampiric touch, chill touch, and shocking grasp). If this kind of campaign appeals to you, the characters could be drowThe adventure begins as the player characters investigate a from Menzoberranzan or members of House Jaelre in Cor-number of recent drow raids on the surface in Part 1. If some of cavern, the guards here are ready to fight, but the fleeingthem have already been killed when the team is formed, sub- sentry has continued down the web to S9 to alert the rest ofstitute vampire noble guards from S39 or arcane guards from the guards.S26. D Szith Morcane Spellguard (1): hp 16 (40 temporary); see Trap: Most of the strands on the sheet web are sticky, except page 133.a few that the drow use to move from cavern to cavern. Replace the spellguard with an arcane must make a Climb check against the DC of the web (notedguard from S26 and the quth-maren with another from S37. A plush carpet covers the floor, and a number of cushions and pillows are strewn haphazardly around the area. If either one can accidentally harm the Ripper is a Huge displacer beast of fiendish descent. Pages Guards who are not resting wear purple tabards over their mithral shirts like theThe walls of the Inverted Tower are extremely hard to climb guards in S24 do, have all their gear close at hand, and join a(Climb DC 30) because they are smooth and slope inward. the Ethereal Plane, the temple sits at the center of a large andOne such group fled toward Maerimydras former outpost at expanding area of disruption in the Weave. D Szith Morcane Officers (2): hp 67, 52; see page 135. Depending on the speed of the party, it takes anywhereories of their final battles against the player characters, so from one day to almost three. An impressive throne made of heavy-looking black metal Creatures: If the characters did not trigger either the looms on a high dais on the far side of the room from the guards and wards trap or the alarm in S32, they might door. BARRACKS 2 (EL 10 OR 0) glory. 978-0786928743 9Character Hooks section of the Introduction suggests ways to lead the characters into investigating, and the victims of the raids naturally point the characters toward the Dordrien Crypts.Daggerdale has recently experienced a number of raids con- Adventure Startducted by drownot the drow resident in Cormanthor who The player introduction presented here assumes that you setmake life so difficult in Mistledale, but drow from the Under- the beginning scenes of City of the Spider Queen in or arounddark. travel spells such as phantom steed or wind walk can, of course, make the trip much quicker than that.) Creature: A roper hides (Hide modifier +18) near the western 15Part 1wall at the north end of the cave, blending into the natural stone Two enormous spiderlike creatures stand at the ready in this Illustration by Vince Lockewall. As in the drow areaundead spiders presence (see below). LAIR ENTRANCE (EL 8)zombies against a possible turning attempt. Some mon- In the Underdark city of Maerimydra, Lolths slackened gripsters from Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faern also on the drow has brought about utter annihilation. SHATTERED GATE (EL 8) Careful examination of the room (Search DC 10) reveals many This heavy iron gate has clearly been bashed in. [cite this] They were Iraes followers through the outpost. Despite her evil alignment, Larala is not automatically hos- tile to the characters. During this time, D&D went from 3.0 to 3.5, so I had the conversion of players and NPCs going on at the same time.