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A. Myconid Gardens and Entrance

This area is the "front porch" of the myconid community. The two fungus patches indicated in purple on the map form the garden of the fungus men, and contains bat guano both from the small number of bats that dwell on the ceiling here and from the great steaming piles in and around area C.

The fungus patches consist mostly of edible fungi and fungus useful to the myconids to produce their potions. There are also at least a dozen shriekers in each of the patches, which means one about every 25-30 yards or so, though the shriekers are motive and therefore might cluster up from time to time. The myconid use the shriekers as an early warning system.

Any party member with an alchemy or fungus-applicable NWP can perhaps gain some useful ingredients for potions and other such items.

At the end of the clear aisle between the two fungus patches is a cave entrance that pierces the wall of the grotto. The entrance is some 20' wide and 20' tall and is the entrance to the Myconid Lair. The DM should refer to that map for details.

At any given time, there will be D12 1HD myconids in each patch, carrying water in large mushroom caps to the fungus patches, scooping bat guano into place, weeding out bad fungus, and harvesting ready fungus. The myconids will, if they see the party approaching, flee into their lair and alert their superiors. They will only fight if cornered. Refer to the Myconid Lair section for statistics of the fungus men.

B. Gargoyle Aeries

This area of the caves is home to a group of gargoyles, led by a small coven of margoyles. This area used to be inhabited by a colony of wall-walkers, which bore cave-like dens high in the cavern walls. When the gargoyles migrated into the area, they coveted these holes and so fought a fierce battle with the wall-walkers. The gargoyles prevailed and drove the wall-walkers into the FUNGUS GROTTO.

The gargoyles now use this place as a base of operations from which to cause havoc and pain wherever they can find it. Being creatures of enchanted stone, they do not need to eat or drink. The gargoyles have come into some conflict with the bi-nou and occasionally grab a myconid, though they have trouble telling the weaker ones from the more powerful ones, and the latter can cause them significant harm.

The gargoyles are ruled by the margoyles, which are ruled by the most powerful margoyle. The margoyles treat the gargoyles brutally, but that is the way of gargoyles and they accept such treatment from their superiors.

The gargoyles always keep a watch over area B and will almost certainly swoop down to attack anyone approaching their lair.

The caves (there are some 32 of them) are for the most part 6' in diameter and pierce the cavern wall between 50' and 60' high. Each aerie is little more than a round den, containing, for the most part, bones of previous victims and a nest of hard limestone.

At any given time, there will be 16-20 gargoyles and 6-8 margoyles present in the caves. The rest (there are a total 24 gargoyles and 8 margoyles in the group) will be out hunting or causing mischief and will likely not return for at least a few hours if not a few days. DMs should subtract from this number any defeated as wandering monsters in this cavern.

Gargoyle (AC 5, MV 9 fl15[C], HD 4+4, hp 25 ea, THAC0 15, #ATT 4, D 1-3/1-3/1-6/1-4, SD +1 or better weapon to hit, AL CE, XP 420 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Margoyle (AC 2, MV 6 fl12[C], HD 6, hp 30 ea, THAC0 15, #ATT 4, D 1-6/1-6/2-8/2-8, SA stone skin (only 20% likely to be seen when against a stone backdrop), SD +1 or better weapon to hit, AL CE, XP 975 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Each gargoyle den will have D100gp and D100sp of varying mints.

Each margoyle den will have double that amount. In addition, the lead margoyle's den has a small cache buried under a large rock:

400cp

175sp

300gp

100pp

An agate and silver bracelet worth 225gp

Potion of Polymorph Self in a crystal vial

C. Fungal Patches

These four areas represent the densest growths of fungus patches in the grotto. This is not to say there are not growths elsewhere throughout the cavern (even outside of area A), but it is at these locations that the growths are almost forest-like. Movement through the patches is at 1/4th normal due to the closely set growths and the prodigious piles of guano.

Buried under the guano in the centre of the northwestern fungal patch is a small pouch made of drow metal mesh. Within are a Gem of Brightness (with 37 charges), and Gem of Musing (refer to Encyclopedia Magica V2 pg 525).

The southeast patch is home to a neo-otyugh, which lairs amidst the filth in the centre of the patch. The beast usually burrows under the guano, which it has piled up as its lair, and so it appears that there is a mound or structure at the centre of the patch. From afar it will be impossible to tell that the structure is dung.

The neo-otyugh usually has an eyestalk out and hidden amongst the nearby fungus and its two tentacles are also outside of the pile, again hidden amongst the flora. When a victim approaches the guano pile within 10' it will attack, giving its opponents a -2 to its surprise roll. As it attacks, it will communicate telepathically with its victim, warning it of its impending demise.

Neo-otyugh (AC 0, MV 6, HD 12, hp 59, THAC0 9, #ATT 3, D 2-12/2-12/1-3, SA grapple (for 2-4 damage and grappling effects with one or both tentacles, bite gains +2 to hit vs grappled foes, use grappled victim as a shield improving AC by 1 [and causing damage to the shield if the attack roll misses by 1] or may actively attempt to have attackers hit the shield by foregoing the 2-4 damage and attacking the grappled victim's AC, STR 18 victims may break free by struggling for 1 round, all others below 18 STR must make an open door roll), disease (bite is 90% likely to inflict a debilitating [80%] or fatal [20%] disease, SD immune to disease, never surprised, AL N, XP 5000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

D. Large Lake

One of three large lakes present in the grotto, the water here is befouled with guano at its surface and at its bottom, though the middle of the body is fresh and clean. Anyone drinking from the lake will likely be a bit disgusted, but the water is actually disease free as it is so cold that the guano is sterilized. The lake itself is steep and drops to a depth of 80' in its centre. Anyone trying to swim in it without protection from the cold will likely go into shock and drown. See the rules for shock in the BRIDGE and FERRY sections for details.

Blind cave fish and albino crayfish dwell in the pool, and a few of these crayfish have grown to dangerous size.

Giant Crayfish (AC 4, MV 3 sw12, HD 3+3, hp 17 ea, THAC0 17, #ATT 2, D 1-8/1-6, SD blind (unaffected by sight-based spells and effects, un hindered by blindness in combat), AL N, XP 120 ea, Source: New)

E. Central Pool

This smallish body of water is surrounded by 4 large stone columns which tend to set this pool off from the rest of the cavern. The pool is amazingly clear and no guano seems to be on its surface. The water is oily smooth and very dark.

The pool is magical. It is some 200' deep and its sides slope straight down, so that the whole is more of a well than a pool. There are no living things within the confines of the pool.

Like the large lake (area D), this water is very cold and will have the same shock effect should someone become immersed in it.

The enchantment of the pool is subtle, which is why it has not been taken over by the duergar or the drow. Anyone drinking from it rolls on the table below. Only one drink may affect a given person, and the water is ineffective if removed from the pool.

01-15	Drinker gains +10' infravision (or gains infravision at 10' if he had only normal sight before)
16-30	Drinker gains +10% Hear Noise (or Detect Noise if a Rogue)
31-45	Drinker gains the ability to identify substances by smell (+1 to Alchemy NWP if that is known now or in the future)
46-60	Drinker gains a sensitive touch such that secret doors are easier to find (+1 in 6 to find them by touch)
61-75	Drinker gains heightened taste such that poison may be (25%) determined from ingesting such a small amount that no harm is done to the drinker
76-85	Drinker gains any 2 of the above
86-93	Drinker gains any 3 of the above
94-98	Drinker gains any 4 of the above
99-00	Drinker gains all 5 of the above

DMs should note that these effects are very subtle. They almost certainly will not be apparent at the moment of drinking from the pool, and will probably only be determinable when the actual bonus makes a difference. For example, a thief with a normal Detect Noise of 25% who gains a +10% will probably first notice the heightened hearing when he rolls a 26-35 result for his Detect Noise roll.

The pool radiates a slight aura of Alteration magic.

F. Small Lake

Like area D, this body of water is coated with guano, though less so than the large lake. It is approximately 60' deep at its centre and its slopes are gentler, approaching a 45-degree angle. The water is extremely cold and those entering it are subject to shock from immersion as per the large lake.

Small blind cave fish dwell within the lake, and buried in the guano and sediment at the bottom of the lake is a duergar skeleton with rotted clothes and corroded armour which wears a silver Circlet of Truth (the wearer may Detect Lie as the spell at all times while wearing it).

G. Sink Hole

Steam rises from this large sinkhole, and at the bottom of it, some 300' down, a warm red glow can be seen.

The sinkhole leads to a pool of lava which has bubbled up from the depths. The magma is superheated, and the steam arises from the moisture that trickles down from the grotto and seeps out of the walls to react with the heat.

Anyone falling into the sinkhole is doomed without magical protection. The heat becomes progressively greater as one descends the sinkhole. After 50' treat the effects as a Heat Metal spell. After 100' a person would suffer D6 damage per round even with no metal. After 150' this would double to 2D6 per round, and after 200' it would increase again to 3D6 per round.

After 250' the heat is so intense that damage would be 6D6 per round and items would have to make a save versus normal fire or be destroyed or set alight.

Anyone falling into the lava is destroyed instantly, and all normal items are as well. Magic items must save vs magical fire at -4 or be consumed.

The walls of the sinkhole are jagged and offer many handholds to allow climbing.

Within the lava pit dwells 7 salamanders. These evil beings guard this lava pit, which is an opening to the Elemental Plane of Fire, and these serve an efreet master there.

Special Note: Should the party possess an Efreeti Bottle (and the historical party did have such a one), then the efreet in that bottle can be determined to be the master whom these salamanders serve. In this case, should the bearer of the bottle approach to within 50' of the sinkhole, the bottle will shake or shudder wherever it is being carried and the salamanders, responding telepathically to the presence of their master, will begin to scale the sinkhole pit (this will take 10 rounds to accomplish).

The salamanders will hiss at the party as they climb, exhorting with threats for the party to turn over their master to them. Should the party ask, they will inform them that the efreet is their master.

If the party does not give up the bottle, the salamanders will, despite the cold of the cave, hunt the party down. They do not sleep and so should be able to catch the party eventually.

Should a fight occur at the rim of the sinkhole, the salamanders will be inclined to grab party members and toss them down the pit, including the one with the bottle.

Salamanders (7) (AC 5/3, MV 9, HD 7+7, hp 42, 38, 47, 45, 47, 48, 43, THAC0 13, #ATT 2, D 2-12/1-6, SA coil and weapon do +D6 damage from heat, SD +1 or better weapon to hit, immune to fire based attacks, immune to Sleep, Charm, and Hold spells, cold based attacks cause +1 damage per die, head and upper body are AC 5 while lower body is AC 3, AL CE, XP 2000 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

H. Bi-nou

This area is where the bi-nou have made their lair. The place is especially rocky and full of stalactites and stalagmites, many joining to form columns. Line of sight is very restricted in here and the bi-nou have chosen this area as their lair in order to take advantage of the camouflage the stone structures provide.

The bi-nou band is extremely territorial and will likely attack the party en masse. Any bi-nou already encountered in the grotto and defeated will be subtracted from those listed here. It should be noted that the bi-nou and allies listed below will not be found all in one place. Assume 3-9 bi-nou and 1-3 rockworms and a single rocklord are in the vicinity, with the rest evenly dispersed through the area. These would take time to respond to trouble in a given area. However, the bi-nou are smart enough to allow the party to come to the centre of their demesne before attacking, and as the party wanders towards the centre, the outlying bi-nou would slowly creep towards them. This would result in the party having to fight the entire group simultaneously.

The bi-nou will use their Wall of Stone powers to hem in or out or entrap any particularly pesky party members.

Bi-nou (24) (AC 1, MV 6, HD 5+5, hp 30 ea, THAC0 15, #ATT 2, D 1-8/1-8, SA squeeze (if both claws hit the bi-nou squeezes for 1-8 per round until the victim frees itself with a bend bars roll), camouflage (70% unnoticed underground), powers, SD powers, immune to blinding effects, immune to mind-affecting and psionic attacks, Passwall stuns them for D4 rounds, Rock to Mud kills instantly, Stone Shape casts as a Heal spell, MR 20%, AL CE, XP 975 ea, Source: Monstrous Compendium 2)

Bi-nou Powers (at 10th level, each usable 1/day): Slow, Dig, Stone Shape, Wall of Stone

Rockworm (10) (AC -2, MV 9, HD 7, hp 41 ea, THAC0 13, #ATT 2, D 1-12/1-12, MR 20%, AL CE, XP 2000 ea, Source: Monstrous Compendium 2)

Rocklords (5) (AC -4, MV 6, HD 10, hp 58 ea, THAC0 11, #ATT 2, D 3-18/3-18, MR 30%, AL N, XP 5000 ea, Source: Monstrous Compendium 2)

Hidden amidst holes in the floor near the back of the area are bi-nou eggs. There are 3 such caches, each with 5 eggs. The eggs are hard and faceted like gems and are valuable to dwarves, duergar, and others.

I. The Lair of He Who Dies

Stone steps lead up to this area, which was once the demesne of a very ancient alhoon (mind flayer lich) who was exiled from his fellows due to his pursuit of magic and his undead state. The alhoon ruled this cavern and the surrounding area millennia ago, but as all liches do, eventually began to deteriorate. Greedily wanting to cling to existence, the alhoon made preparations to continue unlife as a demi-lich.

The area was once a grand lair, full of wondrous magical devices, expensive furniture of ornate and alien design, and ancient arcane laboratories and libraries. The intervening years and neglect have basically destroyed everything. Stone shelves now hold nothing but dust. Stone tables show bits of smooth glass.

Bones of various slaves and servants occupy the area near the entrance to this area, but these are jumbled, many crumbled to dust, and are unidentifiable.

Faded frescoes show strange geometric shapes and scenes of strange purple octopus headed creatures doing strange and unidentifiable things.

The party will have a clear impression that this was once a beautiful and strange place when it was in its prime.

At the far end of the area is the inner sanctum of the once alhoon. A stone platform, that may have been a bed or may have been an altar, lies to one side, and upon it is a pile of dust and some bones. Unlike the bones of the slaves and servants, these are in decent shape and show a three-fingered hand with a long thumb.

At the very back of the area is a large stone chest. Atop the chest is a very interesting skull. It is human sized, but with strangely shaped eye sockets and a round mouth socket surrounded by 4 holes (this is where the tentacles sprout from the skull).

The dust and bones on the platform and the skull atop the chest form the demi lich.

When the final area is entered, the bones and dust will swirl up to form a man-like shape with writhing tentacles on its head. This form will act as a wraith but attacks on it do no damage and instead energize the form. However, the form will stagger form damage as if hurt, thereby encouraging more such damage. When the form has taken 50 points of damage, it will have gained enough energy to coalesce into a ghostly form of a mind flayer.

Ghost (AC 0 (or 8 on the Ethereal Plane), MV 9, HD 10, hp 56, THAC0 11, #ATT 1, D age 10-40 years, SA sight (causes anyone viewing it to age 10 years and flee for 2-12 rounds unless a save vs spells is made [priests above 6th level are immune and all other humanoids above 8th level add +2 to saves]), magic jar (any creature within 60 yards), SD AC 0 when semi-materialized, struck only by silver [half damage] or magical [full damage] weapons when semi-materialized, immune to spells except from ethereal creatures, immune to turning, AL LE, XP 7000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

If the ghost is defeated it sinks back to the platform and cannot reform for 1-10 days.

If anyone touches or disturbs the skull, it will rise up into the air and turn to face the most powerful intruder (usually a spellcaster). It will then unleash a howl which acts as a death ray to all within 20' (save vs death or die).

Next round the skull will Trap the Soul of the most powerful member within range (10 yards). The victim gets a save vs spells and if unsuccessful, the victim's body rots away in a single round and the soul is trapped within one of the skulls' gem-teeth. After this the skull will sink back atop the chest. If again disturbed, the skull will rise up and Trap the Soul again, and will do so each time it is disturbed until all of its gems are filled.

The skull has 7 teeth, each a huge sapphire worth 50,000gp each.

The demi-lich can also pronounce a curse on those who disturb it. Roll below:

01-20 = Suffer the effects of a Slow spell permanently
21-40 = Suffer the effects of a Fumble spell permanently
41-60 = Suffer a -4 to all saving throws
61-80 = Suffer the effects of a Silence spell permanently
81-00 = Suffer the effects of a Wraithform spell permanently

This curse can be removed by a Remove Curse spell, but the victim loses 1 CHA permanently when this is done.

The skull is AC -6 and has 50 hit points. It can only be affected by the following spells:

Forget - sinks back down without attacking
Dispel Evil - does 5-8 damage
Shatter - does 3-18 damage
Holy Word - does 5-30 damage
Power Word Kill - cast by an ethereal or astral wizard will destroy it

It can only be affected by the following weapons:

A warrior or eanger with a +5 weapon or a Sword of Sharpness or a Vorpal Weapon can inflict normal damage

A paladin with a +4 weapon or a Vorpal Weapon or Sword of Sharpness can inflict normal damage

Any character with a +4 weapon or a Mace of Disruption (or any other weapon with Disruption powers) can inflict 1 point of damage each time it strikes

When the skull is destroyed, those inside the gems must save vs spell or be lost forever. If the character survives, the gem glows with a faint inner light and True Seeing will reveal the figure within. If the gem is crushed the soul can be freed and any body within 10 yards (that is dead or soul-less) may be entered. If the soul has no body it is lost.

If fragments of the skull are not immersed in holy water and with a Dispel Magic cast on them the demi-lich will reform in 1-10 days.

A single soul is currently trapped within one of the gems (the rest are empty, the souls having been consumed by the demi-lich). Assume this soul always makes its save should the skull be destroyed. This soul belongs to a deep gnome hero who came to slay the demi-lich in ancient times. Should he be freed into a body, he will manifest as follows. He will be very grateful and will agree to accompany the party on its quest. He will also be able to ally deep gnomes to the party (after he successfully convinces them he is the hero of old) such that the party will gain ready help and aid from them and will likely gain 2-7 deep gnome followers to accompany the hero (the DM may determine the class and level of such followers).

Deep Gnome Hero (named Corvifnil) (AC body +4 bonus, MV body, CL Wa [Breachgnome kit], LV 12, hp 106 [18 CON], THAC0 9, #ATT 5/4, D by weapon (+3 due to mastery, +1 due to STR of 17), Weapons nil, Armour nil, SA mastery (+3 to hit), strength (17 STR means +1 to hit), surprise opponents 90%, Blindness 1/day, summon an earth elemental 1/day (50% chance), kit ability (-1 AC if a solid obstacle is within 3' of flank, -2 AC if both flanks are so covered), kit ability (must make a WIS check to withdraw from any battle he might be able to win [WIS is 16], SD surprised only on a 1 in 10, Blur 1/day, Change Self 1/day, immune to illusions, phantasms, and hallucinations, hide while motionless 60% even to infravision, +2 save vs poison, +3 save vs all other attacks, 90% unlikely to be attacked by an Elemental Earth creature, Non-Detection, MR 65%, AL NG)

Proficiencies:

Warhammer (mastery), Bravery (from Players Option High Level Campaigns) (7), Frighten/Challenge (from Players Option High Level Campaigns) (9), Blind Fighting, Endurance (18), Speak Drow (14), Speak Kuo-Toan (14), Read/Write Drow (15), Detect Slopes (16), Detect Depth (16), Detect Direction Underground (17), Detect Unsafe Stonework (15)

Note that the above assumes the hero is set into a body relatively close to his old self. The DM must adjudicate his abilities should he be transferred to an alien body (for example, a roper).

The stone chest is warded by powerful magicks left from the time when the alhoon was magically active. It is also locked with an adamantium lock. Both the lock and the stone are magically enchanted so as to be virtually indestructible.

The chest is warded by a Fire Trap spell. The trap explodes in mauve flames that seem to gibber and shriek in a most disquieting manner. Despite its unusual appearance, the Fire Trap is standard, bursting in a 5' radius and doing 1-4+16 damage (half if a save vs spell is made).

It is also warded by a Psionic Seal. This will activate unless a command word, uttered in Illithid, is spoken. The victim breaking the seal will suffer 10D6 of psionically generated pain (1/4 damage if a save vs death magic is made). This seal is imprinted into the lock and cannot be removed. It functions 5 times per day and recharges in 24 hours. The seal will affect a victim each time the lock is touched (even with a lockpick) and then let go of. Thus, if a victim who touches the lock can keep his hands on the lock, he can continue to handle it without further harm, but should he let go he would be subject to the effects again.

Within the chest, a glowing Hopelessness Symbol is enscribed. Those not saving vs spell will become dejected and hopeless for 3D4 turns, with a 25% chance per round of being unable to take any action and, if action is taken, a 25% chance the action is to turn back or retire from battle or, in this case, to leave the chest alone and flee the lair of the alhoon.

Atop the items in the chest is a vaguely octopoidal skeleton. The skeleton is inert. It was once a poisonous pet of the alhoon, who fed and took care of it, but it has long since died.

Within the chest are the following:

A Green Sphere Ioun Stone which provides a +1 save vs gas attacks (refer to Encyclopedia Magica V2 pg 615)

A silver ring set with a strange glowing purple gem which has been etched with lines and diagrams unlike any magical runes the party has ever seen. This is a Psionic Seal which heals 2D10 hit points of damage 1/day.

A crystalline amulet set into an electrum chain. The amulet bears strange Psionic Seal circuitry and allows the wearer to resist 1 poisoning attempt per week.

A Psychic Sword, which appears as a strangely shaped longsword whose silver and steel metal is engraved with Psionic circuitry. Anyone grasping the sword will feel a strange tingling in his head and a ringing in his ears. Anyone attempting to wield the sword finds it tends to move with the mind rather than the hands, which seem to serve simply to hold onto the blade. The sword becomes magical based upon its wielder's INT score. Abilities are cumulative (but plusses are not):

03-12 = no bonuses or abilities
13-14 = +1 to hit, no damage bonus, no abilities
15-16 = +2 to hit, +1 damage, non-detection (wielder undetectable by spells or items or psionic detection while blade is drawn)
17-18 = +3 to hit, +2 damage, body equilibrium (affect while drawn, same as psionic devotion of same name)
19+ = ignore enchantment (each swing of sword has a 50% to ignore magical pluses of protection offered by magic armour, bracers, or rings of
protection and the like)

A Brainmate (a 5" diameter globe of translucent material attached to an iron chain, within the globe a small brain floats in heavy fluid), which will answer questions put to it telepathically by its wearer. This piece of the Elder Brain is unaware of its own origins, but is treated as a sage in the following fields:

Underdark
Fungus
Psionics

A pair of Glaregoggles (these allow infravision to be used in the presence of light including direct sunlight, however, it blocks infravision in areas of nil light)

A Striator (a pen or stylus which possesses four small metallic extensions on the nib end, in the hands of a sentient being, thoughts are translated to the pen tips which Psionically raise a four-level striation on parchment or paper as the striator is moved from left to right across the page, these marks are readable by illithids)

6 crystal vials in the shape of pyramids with nothing inside (the potions long ago evaporated)

A phylactery consisting of a strange corded twine attached to a small brain. This is (or was) the alhoon's phylactery, but is now useless except as a curiousity

J. Death from Below

A particularly old and hoary trapper lurks in this area, remaining while the pickings are good only to one day move on to greyer pastures. Currently the trapper subsists on rothe for the most part. However, should it sense more intelligent prey approaching, it is not above shaping its centre into some sort of enticing form, such as a stone chest or perhaps a stone altar.

Trapper (AC 3, MV 3, HD 12, hp 84, THAC0 9, #ATT 4+, D 4+AC per round, SA smother (victim(s) die in 6 rounds from suffocation), disguise (95% undetectable until it attacks), SD immune to heat or cold based attacks, AL N, XP 3000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

K. Prelude to Spiders

This area is choked with stalactites, stalagmites, draperies, and other mineral structures. Within this tangle of obstructions dwells 2 cildabrin with their clutch of eggs. These scorpion/spider hybrids will usually seek to web the party such that a single party member is trapped with them while the rest of the party remains on the other side of the webs. Should the person remaining look like a spellcaster, the creatures will certainly Silence him before attacking. They will save its Darkness spells for an expeditious retreat should one be necessary.

Cildabrins (2) (AC 5, MV 15 wb12, HD 11, hp 59, 57, THAC0 9, #ATT 3, D 1-12/1-12/1-6, SA crush (if a pincer hits the victim must make a bend bars to escape [monsters without STR may save vs paralysis with a -2 if man-sized or smaller] or take 7-12 crushing damage each round thereafter, bend bars may be made each round), poison (stinger injects type O poison - save or suffer paralysis after an onset time of 2-12 rounds for a duration of 2-12 hours), Silence 15' r 3/day, Web 3/day, Darkness 15' r 3/day, SD Spider Climb at will, immune to webs, MR 20%, AL NE, XP 7000 ea, Source: Monstrous Compendium 3)

At the farthest point of the area, in a place set behind a large stalagmite, is a clutch of 23 large purple eggs. Set amidst the eggs is the treasure of these creatures, which includes 7 uncut amethysts worth 100gp each, a rothe leather pouch holding 60gp and 150sp of duergar mint, and a duergar-sized open helm set with golden veins and several agates (AC 4 and worth 250gp).

Myconid Caves

Refer to the Myconid Caves map.

These caves are the lair of the myconids of the grotto and extend from the cave opening in the northern wall of area A of the grotto. Some 100 myconids live here, formed into 5 circles of 20 each. In addition, they are ruled by a single king. The caves are generally 25' tall and relatively clear of stalactites and stalagmites. The caves are damp though, and musty from the various spores and residue given off by the fungus men.

The caves consist of a series of 6 caverns surrounding a large central cavern. Each of the caverns is connected by a small hallway 15' high. Each hallway including the entryway from the grotto into Room 1 is guarded by 2 shriekers. These will emit noise when warm-blooded creatures pass, but are not agitated by the fungus men or the fungus zombies. Thus they serve as excellent watchdogs. The shriekers are kept happy in nice warm mounds of dung and fertilizer, such that they really have no reason to go ambulatory.

Shrieker (AC 7, MV 1, HD 3, hp 14 ea, THAC0 17, #ATT 0, D nil, SD noise, AL N, XP 120 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

1. Entry Cavern

This large cavern serves as a sort of guard chamber for the myconids. Within are the fungus zombie guardians created by the animator spores of the myconid king. There are twenty such zombies here. Of these, half are rothe, one is a gargoyle, and several others are bugbears and troglodytes. They are in various states of decay, but all are partially or fully covered in purple fungus.

Fungus Zombies (20) (AC 10, MV 9, HD 1, hp 4 ea, THAC0 19, #ATT 2, D 1-3/1-3, SD immune to sleep, charm, hold, and mind-affecting spells, are not undead, AL N, XP 65 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

2. Circle Rooms

Each of these chambers is the lair of a myconid circle. Each myconid circle consists of 20 myconids, 4 of each stature (i.e. from 1-5HD).

1HD Myconid (AC 10, MV 9, HD 1, hp 5 ea, THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D 1-4, SD distress spores 1/day (alert other myconids, expands at 40' per round to a limit of 120'), poisonous skin (if eaten), AL LN, XP 65 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

2HD Myconid (AC 10, MV 9, HD 2, hp 10 ea, THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D 2-8, SD distress spores 2/day (alert other myconids, expands at 40' per round to a limit of 120'), reproducer spores 2/day (ejected automatically by a dying myconid), poisonous skin (if eaten), AL LN, XP 120 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

3HD Myconid (AC 10, MV 9, HD 3, hp 15 ea, THAC0 17, #ATT 1, D 3-12, SD distress spores 3/day (alert other myconids, expands at 40' per round to a limit of 120'), reproducer spores 3/day (ejected automatically by a dying myconid), rapport spores 3/day (single person, range is 40' for turns equal to HD of the myconid, if resisted a save vs poison that succeeds thwarts the rapport), poisonous skin (if eaten), AL LN, XP 175 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

4HD Myconid (AC 10, MV 9, HD 4, hp 20 ea, THAC0 17, #ATT 1, D 4-16, SD distress spores 4/day (alert other myconids, expands at 40' per round to a limit of 120'), reproducer spores 4/day (ejected automatically by a dying myconid), rapport spores 4/day (single person, range is 40' for turns equal to HD of the myconid, if resisted a save vs poison that succeeds thwarts the rapport), pacifier spores 4/day (single creature to 40' save vs poison or become unable to do anything for 4 rounds), poisonous skin (if eaten), AL LN, XP 270 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

5HD Myconid (AC 10, MV 9, HD 5, hp 25 ea, THAC0 15, #ATT 1, D 5-20, SD distress spores 5/day (alert other myconids, expands at 40' per round to a limit of 120'), reproducer spores 5/day (ejected automatically by a dying myconid), rapport spores 5/day (single person, range is 40' for turns equal to HD of the myconid, if resisted a save vs poison that succeeds thwarts the rapport), pacifier spores 5/day (single creature to 40' save vs poison or become unable to do anything for 5 rounds), hallucinatory spores 5/day (single creature, range 40', save vs poison or suffer violent hallucinations for 5 turns, see Monstrous Manual for effects of hallucinations), poisonous skin (if eaten), AL LN, XP 420 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Each room has from 2 to 3 moss-covered mounds which are composed of stones and guano and other detritus. The myconids sleep on these mounds, which contain the remains of past dead kings. The circles, when they meld, usually meet and link hands on the largest mound in the room.

Atop each mound in each room is a small stone bowl which holds hollowed out mushroom stems that hold several special myconid potions. These will include:

6 Potions of Fungi Healing (cures D6+1 hit points)
2 Powders of Hallucination (thrown 2/4/6 which bursts in a 20' radius and act as hallucinatory spores

3. Garden

This is the main fungus garden of the myconid king. While the myconids have their two larger patches in area A of the grotto, this special garden includes the rarest and most valuable of the fungi for brewing the myconid potions as well as an emergency food supply. The DM may consult the random fungus table presented in the grotto description should the party decide to partake of these plants.

4. King's Chamber

The king's cavern is over 60' high and is pierced by 4 small pools of clear water which surround a moss-covered mound upon which the lonely myconid king rests. Cut off from the meldings that form the social weave of the fungus men, the king engages himself in quiet contemplation of the colony's problems and tends his special garden (Room 3) brewing the special potions the colony relies upon.

Atop the mound, which is 15' high, is a stone table, several stone and bone alchemical tools, including mortars and pestles, a strange looking balance and scales, various beakers and pots, etc.

Myconid King (AC 10, MV 9, HD 6, hp 44, THAC0 15, #ATT 1, D 6-24, SD distress spores 6/day (alert other myconids, expands at 40' per round to a limit of 120'), reproducer spores 6/day (ejected automatically by a dying myconid), rapport spores 6/day (single person, range is 40' for turns equal to HD of the myconid, if resisted a save vs poison that succeeds thwarts the rapport), pacifier spores 6/day (single creature to 40' save vs poison or become unable to do anything for 6 rounds), hallucinatory spores 6/day (single creature, range 40', save vs poison or suffer violent hallucinations for 6 turns, see Monstrous Manual for effects of hallucinations), animator spores 6/day (animates corpses), poisonous skin (if eaten), AL LN, XP 650, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Set in mushroom stalk jars are several potions:

6 Potions of Fungus Healing (cures D6+1 hit points)
4 Potions of Fungus growth (increases myconid HD by 1 once in a lifetime)
2 Potions of Anointment (creates a new king)
8 Powders of Hallucination (acts as hallucinatory spores in a 20' radius)
3 Potions of Decay (if splashed on a victim, he must save vs poison or die, replaced in D8+1 days by a fungus zombie, Cure Disease will cure the victim within 3 minutes of infection, Cure Disease and Raise Dead will cure if within 48 hours)
3 potions of each type set forth in the Myconid Offer section of the grotto description
12 potions of mind-expansion as outlined in the Myconid Offer section of the grotto description

DUERGAR OUTPOST:

The duergar are one of the two mighty Underdark empires that reside above the lower depths of the illithids and aboleth. They compete directly with the drow and like dwarves and elves on the surface world, share an estrangement of outlook and values with the drow. Unlike their surface cousins, however, the evil nature of both the drow and the duergar make for open warfare and a constant state of hostility. While the drow are certainly more powerful man for man as compared to the duergar, the duergar are far more organized and much less inclined to internecine strife. The duergar are cooperative with one another (though like with any peoples, factionalism and strife can exist) and can hold together long enough to undertake large scale long-term projects. They are as industrious as their surface cousins.

While the duergar worship Yeenoghu the Maug, their worship is more one of mutual convenience than of true reverence. In fact it is unlikely that Yeenoghu is even aware of their worship, and the duergar are certainly uninterested in the Deceiver, his Maugs, or the war on the surface, all of which they consider to be far off events.

This outpost serves as a watch over the frontier between the drow and the duergar. While there are many connections between the two great underground empires to the north, this represents the southernmost terminus of their holdings, and as such each seeks to keep a watch upon the other from this direction. This outpost seeks to keep wandering monsters and the drow from approaching the duergar lands from this direction.

Refer to the Duergar Empire description in the Drow Empire section of this scenario for more details on the duergar.

Reaction to the Party:

The encounter with the duergar can go in many directions, and the outcome of the party's interaction with them will depend on the DM's preference and the actions and demeanour of the party. Certainly the duergar can be approached as hostiles and fought. Such a battle would likely be epic and memorable for the party and there are great rewards for successfully defeating them.

However, should the DM be so inclined, the duergar can also provide an interesting bit of insight into the politics of the Underdark.

It is quite possible for the party to make initially peaceful contact with the duergar. The duergar have little experience with humans, and so are likely to regard them with no special enmity (or favour). Dwarves are ancient hated enemies, but have not been directly involved in the affairs of these duergar for many years. Surface elves are likely to be thought of as pale drow elves initially, and this could cause extreme misunderstandings and hostility unless quick measures are undertaken by the party to get them to understand the difference between the two breeds.

The duergar are smart enough to realize two things about the party (unless they have taken means to disguise themselves):

1. The party is very strong and well-equipped with weapons and magic
2. The party is underground for a reason, and this reason might be beneficial to the duergar

As such, the duergar will be receptive to peaceful overtures from the party. The duergar will seek to better determine the strengths of the party, its outlook towards the drow, its reasons for being in the area, it's potential threat to the duergar, and so on.

Being evil, should the duergar feel the party is easily defeated or dominated or even intimidated, they will not hesitate to take advantage of this, often quite brutally.

However, if the party can convince the duergar that:

1. The party is powerful enough that it would be very costly for the duergar to attempt to rob them or enslave them or kill them, and
2. The party's mission in the Underdark is one that will not harm the duergar and (even better) will harm the drow elves

Then the duergar might be inclined not only to let them proceed, but might even offer some aid.

Here is a possible scenario:

The party walks up to the front gate at Room 1 and knocks on the gates. A duergar guard opens the slit in the gate and questions the party. The party responds that they wish to parley with the master of the outpost. The master of the level is brought forth and he determines that the party is earnest in its desire to parley and are not agents of the drow. He invites them into the outpost and leads them to Room 6 where he invites them to await their leader and to partake of food and wine. Should the party drink freely, the duergar will take note that the party is trusting and gullible.

A while later, after long enough of a wait that the duergar spying through the spyholes can listen to any idle chatter, the commander-in-chief of the outpost will arrive with a small but mean looking guard. He will demand that the party give up their weapons, stating that it is custom to do so. Should the party refuse, he will acquiesce and let them keep their weapons; this being yet another duergar test to see if the party is truly stupid and gullible or if they are easily intimidated.

Whatever the result, as the commander-in-chief speaks with the party, the entire room will be descended to the bottom of the elevator shaft. The master will want to know the party's mission, though if he can be convinced that the mission will harm the drow he will accept vague hints rather than demand full details.

The commander-in-chief will blend intimidation with intelligent reasoning and will certainly make it clear to the party that should the duergar deem them more useful dead than alive that they would never leave the outpost alive. He will even accept matter-of-factly the fact that the party would certainly be able to kill him should a fight develop. Dying in defense of his homeland and race is the paramount virtue of a duergar and would honour him and his family for centuries.

Eventually, should the party divulge and negotiate enough to make it clear that what they attempt will harm the drow; the commander-in-chief will offer to let them leave. Further, he will insist that the party take as companions two duergar, who are to accompany the party in order to observe their mission and to keep the duergar informed as to its progress. This so that, in case the mission brings about true hurt to the drow, the duergar can consider how best to exploit it, up to and including an attack on the drow as a whole. Should the reports from his two duergar cease, the commander-in-chief warns that the party had better run fast and hard to the drow for protection, for the duergar retribution would be swift and unerring.

(Statistics for the two duergar that would accompany the party in the above example are given in Room 21 of Level 2).

Refer to the Duergar Outpost map.

Unless otherwise stated, all walls are of carved interlocking brickwork of granite at least 2' thick and set into the natural stone walls behind them.

Hallways are 10' high and rooms are 15' high unless noted otherwise.

All furnishings are duergar sized and made of stone unless otherwise indicated.

All normal doors are made of iron unless otherwise indicated.

Almost all of the duergar on all three levels of the outpost know of the location and opening mechanism of the various secret doors in the outpost. The only exception to this would be those leading to and from a leader or commander's room(s). These would be known by the occupant of the room, the Commander-in-Chief of the outpost, and the High Priest.

All coins are of duergar mint, showing a triple flail on one side and the image of the current king (or past king if of older mint) on the obverse.

Unless stated otherwise, all duergar warriors have the following NWP:

Blind Fighting, Endurance, Alertness, Dwarf Runes, Local History, Read/Write Duergar, Speak Drow Elvish, Direction Sense, and a Craft Skill.

Unless stated otherwise, all duergar priests have the following NWP:

Read/Write Duergar, Speak Drow Elvish, Read/Write Drow Elvish, Religion (Yeenoghu), Ancient History, Spellcraft, Dwarf Runes, Fungal Herbalism, Alchemy, Fungi Recognition, Direction Sense and a Craft Skill.

Unless stated otherwise, all duergar craftsmen have the following NWP:

Read/Write Duergar, Local History, Dwarf Runes, 1 mundane skill (such as cooking or singing), and 1 Craft Skill.

All duergar have the following skills at their WIS:

Detect Slopes or Grades
Detect New Tunnels or Construction
Detect Sliding or Shifting Walls or Rooms
Detect Stonework Traps, Pits, and Deadfalls
Detect Depth Underground

All duergar are -4 to be hit by certain oversized creatures as per standard dwarves. Many magical items have a 20% chance of malfunctioning when used by a duergar. See general descriptions of dwarves for precise information. The DM should keep this in mind when utilizing the magic items possessed by various duergar.

Duergar as presented in the Monstrous Manual are somewhat different than those presented in the Complete Humanoid Handbook. In Therra, duergar are immune to all poisons, not just magical and alchemical poisons. In Therra, duergar can only use their Invisibility and Enlarge innate abilities once per day, and at a level equal to twice their hit dice.

Also note that duergar priests may specialize in the use of the triple flail. This is a power granted to them by their worship of their god.

The Ethereal Hunters and Wards:

The duergar could not long survive against the drow if they were not able to take extraordinary measures to ensure the sanctity of their strongholds. Given the existence of spells to grant etherealness (both by wizard and priest spells), the duergar have taken measures to cause such attempts at infiltration to run afoul.

First, the entire outpost is protected by multiple castings of the Forbiddance spell. This 6th level priest spell seals the area from Teleportation, Plane Shifting, and Ethereal penetration. The duergar have not set the wards to respond to any passwords, since they do not generally have access to those magicks anyways and they do not wish the passwords to be learned by their enemies. The forbiddances were all cast by a priest of 14th level, and so may not be dispelled by a priest of 13th level or lower.

The Forbiddance does no damage to those of Lawful Neutral alignment (save or simply be forbidden to pass). Those different with respect to law and chaos must save or suffer 2-12 damage. Those who are good aligned suffer 4-24 damage on a failed save. Those who save and pass through feel very uneasy and tense.

In addition to the Forbiddance, the duergar have struck a bargain with a group of maelephants, being of like mind and alignment with these baleful creatures. The maelephants, as is customary of their kind, serve for 100 year intervals, and then the bargain is resealed (usually with blood and magical sacrifices). These maelephants roam the border ethereal throughout the outpost as a guard. They will not leave the border ethereal, for their bargain does not require it, but will attack any intruders who try to escape or infiltrate the outpost by that means.

As a part of their bargain also, they will stick their trunks out of the border ethereal and into the material plane and trumpet a warning should they encounter ethereal intruders. The duergar have forged and fitted the maelephants with enchanted chainmail as part of their payment.

Maelephants (4) (AC -7 (maelephant-sized chainmail +2), MV 12, HD 8+2, hp 52 ea, THAC0 13, #ATT 3, D 1-6/1-6/2-12, SA charge (MV 18, +2 to hit), crush (if both claws hit, opponent is held fast for 1-3 damage per round plus automatic trunk hit, victim breaks free on a STR check at -5 or if 12 hit points are done to the maelephant), vapour (cloud from trunk 3/day, 10' wide and 30' long, save vs poison or suffer complete memory loss until cured by Neutralize Poison, victims wearing clothing covering 50%+ of their body save at +2 since it is a contact poison), maelephant powers, SD +1 or better weapon to hit, regenerate 2hp per round, hearing and smell double human, never surprised, infravision to 240', never check morale, MR 30%, AL LN(E), XP 10000 ea, Source: Planescape Compendium 1)

Maelephant Powers (1/round unless noted):

Alarm
Bind
Blade Barrier (3/day)
Entangle
Gust of Wind
Light
Polymorph Other (3/day)
True Seeing
Warp Wood

Level One - This level is designed almost exclusively to foil intruders. Most of the level is trapped and serves no other practical function, though some small barracks are here to man the doors and to mount an initial defense against invasion. In addition, a chapel is located here.

1. South Entrance

The main entryway into the outpost is well-guarded, as is appropriate for an outpost that borders the lands of the clever and resourceful drow. There is no sign of habitation in the tunnel leading to these doors, for the duergar regard the lands south of this outpost as entirely not their own and unworthy of decoration or claim.

The two doors that gird the end of the passageway are large affairs, fully 5' wide and 12' tall and are made of adamantium with mithril inlays. This makes the doors virtually impossible to sunder. The doors have bas-reliefs of a triple spiked flail (the emblem of Yeenoghu) crossed with an axe.

The doors are magically warded and well locked. The magical wards consists of:

· A glyph on each door that is keyed to react to any being casting a Knock spell on the doors. The glyphs emit an intense brown beam that strikes the caster with the reverse of a Neutralize Poison spell (save or die after a turn of incapacitation). Each glyph fires independently and in sequence (i.e. the right glyph fires upon the first Knock spell and the left on the second such spell).

· A permanent Anti-Magic Shell cast upon the doors. No magic may pass through the doors. This effect is limited to the actual doors themselves, so when the doors are opened, the shell does not cross the doorway.

The door is locked with 6 iron and mithril bars, quite thick and virtually unbreakable. Each bar is openable as indicated in Room 3.

The doors possess slits at 3' height that are suitable for peering out into the passageway and to perhaps fire crossbow bolts out. These slits are triple latched as well.

Finally, if the doors are opened, the pivoting room (Room 5) is engaged to rotate such that its door faces Room 4.

At the location marked 'x' on the map are two stony indentations that protrude out into the hallway. These protrusions mark a "kill zone" the duergar have set up in the hallway. First, the protrusions, on close look are vaguely humanoid in shape, though so crudely that it takes several glances to realize it. Each figure's mouth is open and a tube extends from Room 3 through the walls and out of the figures' mouths. Each figure is 10' tall.

The duergar in Room 3 can, if they choose, utilize the tubes to drop gas pellets down a slot located high up on the walls in Room 3. Glass spheres containing noxious gas are placed into the slot and roll down the tubes until they pop out of the stone protrusions' mouths and burst onto the passageway floor, releasing their gas.

Each pellet will fill a 20' cube with gas for 3 rounds. Typical gasses are listed in Room 3.

In addition, the figures themselves are magical. First they have the ability to detect invisible and ethereal creatures. Any such that pass within 30' of them will elicit a strange earthy keening that can clearly be heard by the duergar within the outpost.

Alternatively, by a mental command from a duergar priest of at least 3rd level within 10 yards, the figures can awaken and attack. Should this happen, gas pellets can still be rolled down the tubes mentioned above, but they simply pop out of a hole in the wall where the back of the figures' heads were.

These figures are treated as Stone Guardians.

Stone Guardians (AC 2, MV 9, HD 4+4, hp 32 ea, THAC0 15, #ATT 2, D 2-9/2-9, SD 1/4 damage from edged weapons, 1/2 damage from cold, fire or electricity, destroyed with no save by a Stone to Flesh, Transmute Rock to Mud, Stone Shape, or Dig spell, AL N, XP 420 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual).

2. West Entrance

Accessed by a smaller passageway than the South Entrance, this way is still well guarded, for the duergar expect and fear and attack from all quarters.

The doors are primarily as described in Room 1, of the same make, dimensions, and with the same wardings cast upon them. However, the doors also have a very realistic carving of a gargoyle-like creature with large wings. The creature is composed in bas-relief of what appears to be solid ruby.

These are actually abishai baatezu, bound into the door as a part of a bargain between the high priest of this place and a baatezu lord. The exact scope of the agreement does not need to be detailed herein, but suffice to say that the priest has or will pay dearly for the benefits he gains from these abishai.

The abishai dwell within the ruby carvings and are released from their binding to attack when the doors are assaulted in any way or if a duergar priest within 10 yards chants the proper words. In addition, the high priest of the outpost may also command them unerringly from any where within 5 miles. The baatezu may use their innate powers while still in ruby form in the doors. In this case their spells and voices will seem to come from the doors themselves.

The abishai may emerge from or meld into the doors at will. However, once they meld back into the doors they may not re-emerge for 24 hours. While in the doors they are pretty much immune from physical harm but may be affected by non-physical spells (like Confusion, etc.).

Red Abishai Baatezu (AC 1, MV 9 fl12[C], HD 6+3, hp 39 ea, THAC0 13, #ATT 3, D 1-4/1-4/2-5, SA baatezu powers, dive from height for +2 to hit and double damage per claw, poison (tail requires save vs poison or die), SD baatezu immunities, +1 or better weapon to hit, regenerate 1 hp per round except for holy water or holy weapons, holy water does 2-8 damage per vial, MR 30%, AL LE, XP 9000 ea, Source: Planescape Monstrous Compendium)

Powers:

Advanced Illusion
Animate Dead
Charm Person
Infravision
Know Alignment
Suggestion
Teleport Without Error (3/week)
Change Self
Command
Produce Flame
Pyrotechnics
Scare

Immunities (damage taken):

Acid - Full
Cold - Half
Electricity - Full
Fire - None
Gas - Half
Cold Iron Weapon - None
Magic Missile - Full
Poison - None
Silver Weapon - Full

Finally, if the doors are opened, the pivoting room (Room 5) is engaged to rotate such that its door faces Room 14.

3. South Guard Chamber

This chamber is decorated with what the duergar call "blood friezes". These are bas-reliefs carved into a wall whose various grooves and indentations have been filled with dried blood. The result is gruesome-appearing, especially in flickering torchlight, and the differing temperature of the old blood as compared to that of the stone walls also makes for an interesting sight via infravision.

The blood friezes herein are mostly martial in nature, depicting duergar wielding all sorts of strange and wicked looking mechanisms against various Underdark foes, including drow. In one section, small tentacles emerge from a crack in the ground and are seen to be dragging a duergar down by the head.

Clearly visible in one of the scenes also is a rendition of the juggernaut guardian (see Room 5).

Steps lead up from the floor of the chamber to a height of 10' where they end at a small platform that gives access to a hole in the wall. The hole is about 2" in diameter and is closed by a metal cap. This cap can be unlatched and glass spheres filled with gas may be rolled into the tubes, emerging as described in Room 1.

The doors to Room 1 are barred by 6 mithril bars, each engaged and then latched into a granite socket also lined with mithril. The whole takes 1 round per person per bar to disengage.

A door to the north is made of iron and emblazoned with the triple-flail emblem of the duergar.

In the centre of the room are three stone tables with a half dozen chairs set around each. Upon the tables are metal eating utensils, plates, mugs and ewers, as well as some metal dice and some rather strange games played on various patterned boards with ornately carved metal figurines, some of geometrical shape and others of monstrous form.

Also here are several weapon racks holding warhammers, footman's picks, light crossbows, and quivers holding quarrels.

Next to the northern door is a lever. If the lever is pulled down it prods a shrieker held captive in a small 3' square room to the north of the door. At the same time, the eastern wall of the shrieker's compartment lowers, so that the sound of the now agitated fungus can reverberate throughout the duergar complex. This functions as an alarm system for the outpost.

Several stone bins are filled with a mixture of fur and some sort of down and this material cradles glass spheres.

There are a total of 3 bins, and each holds the following:

12 sleep spheres - save vs poison or fall asleep as per the Sleep spell but with no level limit

12 acid spheres - take 2-8 damage per round and force a save vs acid for exposed items (save vs breath for half damage and no save needed for items)

12 hallucinatory spheres - save vs poison or suffer the effects of a Confusion spell for 2-8 rounds

6 anti-magic spheres - acts as a Dispel Magic cast by an 8th level priest

12 poison spheres - onset time is 1-3 rounds, causes 1D6 damage the first round and a cumulative additional +1D6 per round until a save vs poison is made

All spheres burst in a 20' radius and the cloud persists for 3 rounds under normal circumstances.

A garrison of 12 duergar is always stationed here, and these are commanded by a war leader and a warpriest. These are relieved by the soldiers in Room 11 once every 8 hours.

These duergar are professional soldiers and will use decades of battle training to their best advantage. They are well aware of wizardly and priestly magic from their clashes with the drow and are extremely unlikely to be taken in by such things as invisibility, especially since they are able to use such a power themselves. Under no circumstances will these duergar utilize the secret doors in this room, as they are aware of the desire of their masters for intruders to enter Room 4 and the trap beyond.

Should they have warning of intruders, half of them will go invisible. One will position himself near the alarm lever (see above) while two others grab glass spheres and head up the two stairs. They will be ready to roll spheres down the tubes to Room 1 or to lob them into this room if the situation warrants. If enough time remains one will use the secret doors (if no intruders are present) to warn the soldiers in Rooms 10 and 11.

Should the party come a-calling peacefully, the duergar warpriest will parley with the party through the slit in the doors while the rest take positions as indicated above. However, in this case a duergar from Room 10 or 11 will head to the next level to alert superiors there. See Rooms 6-7 for how the duergar will likely treat "guests".

Duergar Soldiers (12) (AC 4, MV 6, HD 2+4, hp 16 ea, THAC0 17, #ATT 1, D by weapon, Weapons footman's pick (Av 1D6+1/2D4 kdD8 +2 vs plate), warhammer (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4+1/1D4 kdD8 +1 vs plate), light crossbow (Av 1/r 12/24/36 1D6+1/1D8+1 kdD6 reduce AC by 2 at medium and 5 at short), Armour chainmail, target shield, SA enlarge 1/day (4th level), invisibility 1/day (4th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, AL LE, XP 650 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Treasure:

D100sp, D10gp.

Duergar Warleader (AC 2, MV 10, CL Wa, LV 5, hp 47 [CON 16], THAC0 16, #ATT 3/2 or 1, D by weapon type (+1 for STR), Weapons warhammers (x3) (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D4+1 kdD8 +1 vs plate), Armour platemail, target shield, SA specialized in warhammer (+1 to hit, +2 damage in melee and +1 to hit when thrown), enlarge 1/day (10th level), invisibility 1/day (10th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, AL LE, XP 3000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Magic Items:

Potion of Healing

Warhammer +1

Treasure:

D100sp, D100gp, a silver diadem mounted with a hematite worth 400gp.

Duergar Warpriest (AC 2, MV 9, CL Wa/Pr, LV 6/6, hp 53 [CON 16], THAC0 15, #ATT 3/2 or 1, D by weapon type (+1 for STR), Weapons triple flail (Av 2D4+1/2D4+1 kdD10 +1 vs shields, +2 to trap or offensive disarm), warhammers (x2) (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D4+1 kdD8 +1 vs plate), Armour platemail, target shield, SA priestly powers (see below), specialized in triple flail (+1 to hit, +2 damage), enlarge 1/day (12th level), invisibility 1/day (12th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD +1 save vs mental attacks due to WIS, senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, Spell Points: 70 (15 WIS), AL LE, XP 5000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Priestly Powers:

Unholy flail - when a specially blessed triple flail is wielded by the priest a hit forces a save vs spells or be subject to a Cause Fear spell as if cast by the priest. In addition, the flail counts as a magical weapon with a +1 for every 3 levels (or fraction thereof) of the priest. Finally, all priestly touch spells may be cast through the flail (in other words, a hit by the flail causes the touch spell to work).

Ghoul flail - the same special flail may, 1/day, be invoked to instead paralyze by touch. This invocation lasts only 6 rounds or when a hit is scored. The victim must save vs paralyzation or be paralyzed as if touched by a ghoul for 3-12 rounds (elves are immune to this effect)

Spells Memorized [All (Major), Elemental Earth (Minor), Healing (Minor), Necromantic (Major), Charm (Minor), Protection (Minor), Guardian (Minor)]:

Bless (4), Strength of Stone (6), Cure Light Wounds (6), Sanctuary (6), Hold Person (10), Chant (6), Resist Fire (10), Dispel Magic (10), Animate Dead (10), 2 free orisons

Magic Items:

Potion of Extra-healing

Potion of Remove Curse (as the spell at 12th level of effectiveness)

Ghasts' Teeth (three teeth which, when thrown to the ground instantly grow into ghasts under the command of the one who threw them for 6 turns, ghasts are all at maximum hit points possible)

Ghast (AC 4, MV 15, HD 4, hp 32 ea, THAC0 17, #ATT 3, D 1-4/1-4/1-8, SA stench (10' r save vs poison or attack at -2 to hit), paralyzation (effects elves, 5-10 rounds unless save), SD undead immunities, cold iron inflicts double damage, Protection from Evil requires cold iron to keep at bay, AL CE, XP 650 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Treasure:

D100gp, adamantine holy symbol worn on the neck (shaped like a triple flail), 6 small aquamarines worth 100gp each (which deactivate the juggernaut in Room 5).

4. Gallery

The hallway from Room 3 begins as a 10' wide unadorned passageway that turns sharply east. However, this quickly opens to a large, long gallery some 20' wide and 20' tall which extends northward before ending in a spectacular set of double doors.

The floor of the gallery is of polished marble with veins of blue and silver forming vague wraith-like figures that appear to be flying across the floor.

The walls and ceiling are of dressed stone, but the former are decorated with blood friezes, mostly in the shape of duergar mining and locating fabulous gems of huge size or scooping minerals out of the earth.

Along the west wall, about halfway up the gallery are a set of iron double doors which are unadorned. These doors have a key lock accessible from this side.

At the far north end of the gallery are large double doors, some 7' wide each and over 12' tall, apparently made of silver (but actually of iron covered with silver). Into the face of the doors are carved the image of ghouls feasting on fleeing bugbears with a few drow thrown in for good measure.

A close inspection of the marble floor reveals strange grooves or gouges cut into the floor. These run north and south and while regular are not precise (these are caused by the juggernaut from Room 5).

5. As the Juggernaut Turns

This circular room is the centre of this level of the complex and is the first real trap to foil intruders…and it is a doozy!

Despite the depiction on the map, the room has only two doorways, the one the party used to enter the room, and a similar set of double doors opposite it. The depiction on the map of four doorways merely serves to show the various possible configurations that the operating doorway may have.

The room's ceiling is slanted up to a smaller circle approximately 10' in diameter over the centre of the chamber. The ceiling is 15' high at the edges and approximately 30' high at its apex.

In the centre of the room is a statue of a large duergar warrior. He is entirely of stone and accoutered in stony platemail. Both of his hands are flung upwards into a "Y", and his left arm bears a buckler while the right wields a triple flail whose heads are shaped like ghouls with their long tongues sticking out. The figure's legs are not visible because it is surrounded by a stony pile of fallen foes, difficult to specifically identify but presented as a mass of bodies, bones, broken weapons and armour. This pile of defeated comes to the figure's waist, where the figure's belt and buckle are just visible. Close examination of the belt buckle reveals an indentation in the stone. This indentation fits the aquamarines carried by the duergar perfectly. The statue is a 10' tall affair and the craftsmanship is exquisite.

This room pivots. Its primary function is to funnel intruders into Room 16 and the various trapped rooms beyond it. Only by way of secret knowledge can the room allow access to the chapel (Room 12 and 13) or back to the galleries (Room 4 and 14).

The doorway the party has used to enter this room is the only real doorway. The set of silver-coated double doors opposite the first set are carved with an image of chests overflowing with gold and a pair of fire-rimmed eyes hovering above the riches. This is actually a false set of doors. They are of iron but are built into the wall and cannot be opened except by overwhelming brute force (i.e. they appear to be locked or barred from the other side). Should that happen, the doors will be ripped from their bolts in the wall and may topple over onto the unwary. Behind the doors is naught but dressed granite.

The revolving of the room is accomplished by a series of weights, counterweights, and other ingenious mechanisms which the wily duergar have devised over the centuries. There is no magic involved with its operation.

The room is activated whenever the doors are opened. Five rounds after the doors are opened, they shut suddenly and with great force (the doors open out of this room rather than into it) possibly knocking someone in the doorway into Room 5. Should someone be stubborn and attempt to wedge themselves or something into the closing doors, assume most anything will be crushed, if not by the doors then by the eventual pivoting of the room. The doors once shut are held by heavy weights which can be disengaged by a Knock spell. However, as the doors open outwards, this will only help the party to escape if the doors are opened just as the room pivots past a gallery or hallway.

Once the doors are shut, the room begins to pivot. This pivoting is well designed and is noiseless and very difficult to detect unless a dwarf or other underground creature can detect shifting rooms. The pivoting takes 2 rounds per 90 degrees and always occurs in a clockwise direction as indicated on the map.

The door itself, once it is closed, splits into two sets of double doors, each half as thick as when joined together. This splitting allows for the doors to be closed and appear unmoving both from within Room 5 and from observers in the galleries (Rooms 4 and 14). When the room comes to a stop, the half thick doors in Room 5 once again join mechanically with the half-thick doors in Room 4, 12, 14, or 16 as is appropriate. All locked half-thick doors may be opened by use of a Knock spell. Should one of the outer doors be so opened, the pivoting of Room 5 will be readily apparent.

Thus, when Room 5 pivots, to those in Room 5 nothing is amiss. The statue within turns with the room, and the doors the party entered from remain closed and unmoving. From Room 4 (and 12, 14, and 16) nothing looks amiss either. The doors to Room 5 close and there is no evidence of movement from the gallery or hallway.

Unless secret catches are engaged, the room always pivots so that the door faces Room 16. Once it does so, the double doors will unlock and open inward slightly, inviting the party to enter Room 16.

Other than the automatic pivoting described above, the room may also be actively pivoted as a means of maneuvering around the complex as follows:

If a catch on one of the bones in the pile of defeated foes on the statue is engaged, the room will pivot to face Room 12. If a different catch is engaged it will pivot towards Room 4, and another to Room 14. These catches are only detectable by close examination and a successful roll to find secret doors (and elves cannot note these catches by simply coming within 10' as there is no open space behind them as with a normal secret door).

Of note, the room may also be summoned to pivot to face Room 12 from the lever in the hallways between Room 11 and 12.

While the pivoting of the room is annoying, the real problem for intruders is the statue, for it is actually a juggernaut, a variation of the stone golem. While stone golems are created by wizards for the most part, the duergar, with their love of both mechanisms and stone, have gained the ability for their priests to construct such monstrousities.

The juggernaut is activated if, 5 rounds after the room is entered, an aquamarine of between 100-500gp is not placed in the indentation of its belt buckle. The juggernaut will remain quiescent for as long as such a gem is in its buckle. Should this not occur, the juggernaut will raise up from its 8' deep indentation in which it sits, revealing that its bottom half is actually a huge stone roller. The statue will rise and animate in a single round, seeking to attack all within Room 5. The golem will pursue and attack those whom it observes in the room without fail, and once it is so animated, placing an aquamarine in its buckle will be to no avail. The juggernaut will also attack any beings who were not in Room 5 who attack it or hinder it in any way, and once it deems a being an enemy it pursues it relentlessly. If given multiple enemies to pursue simultaneously, it will pursue the most readily accessible one or will pursue randomly.

The juggernaut will pursue any enemy until it is prone and unmoving. It will then always roll over such an enemy once for good measure before chasing others.

Note that the catches on the statue that pivot the room to face Rooms 4, 14, and 12 are operable from the pit vacated by the juggernaut if a thief can make a find/remove traps roll from within the pit.

Juggernaut (AC 2, MV 3-12 [3 in its first round then increasing by 3 per round to a maximum of 12]. HD 13, hp 104, THAC0 7, #ATT 2, D 2-12 / 2-12, SA crushing (anything caught in the path of the juggernaut may be crushed if the juggernaut makes a to hit roll against AC 0 with modifiers for magical plusses and DEX only, doing 10-100 damage and forcing all items to save vs crushing blow or be destroyed, a save vs death results in half damage taken), SD immune to fire, electricity, magic missiles, and cold, Rock to Mud slows it for 2-12 rounds, Stone to Flesh makes it AC 8 and negates its immunities to fire, cold, magic missiles, and electricity, AL N, XP 7000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

6. Audience Chamber

The double doors to this chamber are normally locked.

This chamber is where the duergar meet and treat with those with whom they so deign. The chamber is appointed with a stone table, and significantly, one portion of the table is raised to fit human-sized guests. Similarly, the chairs set around the table range from duergar sized to human sized.

The walls are decorated with blood friezes, displaying a duergar king sitting on a throne of gems apparently dispensing severe justice to various Underdark denizens.

Significantly, there are 4 iron torch brackets set into the walls here. They are empty however, though 12 torches and some tinder and flint sit in one corner of the room.

In addition to the strange table and chairs, there are places to hang cloaks and rack weapons, several stone barrels containing fresh water, ale, and mushwine (fermented mushrooms), as well as a shelf holding various valuable eating utensils, goblets, ewers, and mugs, most fashioned of silver or gold and studded with semi-precious gems.

The double doors to the east and north are openable and lockable by a key-lock, the keys for which are held by the master of the level (see Room 11). Of note is the fact that the doors may be locked from either side, and each requires a separate key to lock and unlock (though the proper key from the proper side will open the door even if it was locked from the other side).

The door to the northwest is plain and unassuming iron. It also has a lock, but only from the side facing Room 6, though this will not be apparent unless the door is examined from the other side. Its intent is clearly to keep those in Room 7 locked in that chamber.

This is where the commander-in-chief of the outpost will parley with the party should peaceful contact with the duergar be made. All negotiations will take place here and the party will not be allowed to progress any further into the complex. The master will certainly try to invite the party to spend the night, and if so he will show them to Room 7 for their quarters.

Along the southwest wall are several spyholes that allow peering into the room from Room 9. When negotiations or audiences take place, the duergar in room 10 will send a priest and 2 soldiers to spy into this room in order to observe what takes place. The priest will record conversations with a wax tablet and stylus for later analysis. These spyholes are extremely small and allow no targeting of spells in either direction nor any missiles to be thrown through (i.e. they are pinhole in size). They do allow sound to travel into Room 9.

The entire room can be lowered from Room 9. There is a lever there which essentially turns this entire chamber into an elevator. The lever can also raise the room. The lever has 3 positions, up, down, and neutral. When pulled down, the entire room sinks to the next level, taking a full 5 rounds to do so. Should the lever still be pressed down, the chamber will sink further to the lowest level in another 5 rounds. The reverse holds true should the lever be pulled up. Putting the lever in neutral stops the room at the floor to which it was heading. A rope with a bead set into the wall marks the current location of the room in the vertical plane. This lever is synchronized with similar levers on levels 2 and 3 such that all three levers are always in the same position. Should different people on different levels try to operate the elevator, the lower-most lever always has priority.

The room is elevated with 6 thick iron chains attached to its ceiling and wheels on the sides which steady the ascent and descent.

The doors into this room are actually attached to this room, so if they were closed it would take someone able to detect sinking rooms to be able to tell that the room had elevated or de-elevated. Anyone in Room 4 or 7 who looks will see the door to Room 6 sink into the ground, followed by solid stone passing by. There is no open space above Room 6.

This elevator is used for several purposes. First, it can transport large numbers of troops from the second level to the first. Second, it can trap those lured into it into the lower levels where they can be dealt with.

7. Guest Chamber

This chamber is adorned with still more blood friezes showing the duergar enslaving bugbears, quaggoth, drow, and derro. There is also a grisly scene of them chopping up and feeding svirfneblin to some strange fishlike creatures that are too fishy looking to be kuo-toans.

The room is spartanly appointed, with four 10' square and 2' high stone platforms against the north wall which serve as bases for beds, 2 stone tables along the south wall, two large stone chamber pots filled with a smelly yellow fungus that consumes waste, and against the southeast wall are two stone barrels, one filled with water and another with mushwine. All of the furniture here is built into the stone floor, possibly by use of Stone Shape spells.

As in Room 6, there are spyholes above the barrels that allow those in Room 9 to observe all but the farthest west portion of the room. This portion is clearly viewed by similar spyholes in Room 8 which look through the secret door there.

In addition to the spyholes, there are two stone tubes which connect from this room to the barrels in Room 7. The duergar can use these tubes to poison the drink within the barrels. Refer to Room 9 for details on what poisons are stored there.

The entire room is a trap as well. From Room 8 is a lever which, when activated, causes the floor of the room to suddenly tip upside down, becoming the ceiling of the room below it and dropping the inhabitants into the room below (refer to Room 7 on Level 2). The same lever can also be used to flip the floor back to its normal position.

The duergar use this room to house guests and to, sometimes, abduct them as well.

8. Spy Room

This small chamber is only 6' high and is used to spy on Room 7. It will always be manned by 2 duergar from Room 10 if Room 7 is occupied. At least one of these will be a priest from Room 10, and he will have a wax tablet and stylus so as to record everything that occurs in Room 7. Should the masters decide to abduct guests, a lever set into the north wall here can be pulled down, causing the floor of Room 7 to suddenly turn upside down, dumping everyone within into Room 7 on the level below. Pulling up the lever returns the floor of Room 7 to its normal position.

The spyholes in this chamber are at duergar height and are far too small to throw missiles or to cast spells through.

9. Spy Chamber

This chamber is only 6' high and is used to spy on Room 6 primarily but also portions of Room 7. In addition, a lever on the south portion of the east wall operates the elevator function of Room 6.

There are small tubes on the north wall which run to the stone barrels in Room 7. Near the tubes are vials of poison on a stone shelf.

Stored in the vials are the following ingested poisons:

Type I (onset 2-12 minutes, 30 points of damage, 15 if save is made)

Type S (onset time 1-3 minutes, save or fall into a catatonic slumber for D8 hours, save means a second save is needed, if that is failed the effects of a Fumble spell take place for D3 hours, otherwise the victim is merely Slowed for D3 hours)

Type Special (onset time 2-12 minutes, save or suffer discord, arguing with those nearby and 50% likely to erupt into violent disagreement, lasts for 2-12 turns)

There is enough of each type to dose 12 human sized beings.

When Room 6 or 7 are occupied, there will always be a priest and 2 soldiers from Room 10 here, the former with a wax tablet and stylus to record what transpires.

10. West Barracks

This room is one of two main barracks on this level of the complex. The place is spartan, as soldiers do shifts here before descending below to take more productive work. The room contains triple rows of bunks along the walls, a total of 50 of them. Each bunk can be drawn up to the wall by a chain so as to set flush with it. Carved into the wall next to each bunk is a niche some 2' deep and 2' high holding the personal effects of each soldier.

In the centre of the room are weapon racks, several tables and chairs, barrels with fresh water, and 3 stand-alone beds made of metal and covered with rothe fur.

In the far southeast corner are several privies which are covered holes that lead down a shaft to who-knows-where.

Within the barracks can be found 37 duergar warriors. Of these, 30 are normal soldiers and 4 are warleaders, 2 are captains, and 1 is the barracks commander. These sleep on the bunks, along with 13 empty bunks for those duergar on watch in Room 15.

On the stand-alone beds sleep the priests. There are 2 such priests here one of which is a priest and the other a priest/rogue, with the third on watch duty in Room 15.

Near the stairs going down is a chime and metal striker used to alert those below.

These duergar will be half in armour, with the other half asleep or at leisure. The ones that are not sleeping will generally be engaging in normal soldierly off-duty activity, including gambling, eating meals brought from the level below, wrestling, torturing small vermin, conducting rat races, etc.

Duergar Soldiers (30) (AC 4, MV 6, HD 2+4, hp 16 ea, THAC0 17, #ATT 1, D by weapon, Weapons footman's pick (Av 1D6+1/2D4 kdD8 +2 vs plate), warhammer (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4+1/1D4 kdD8 +1 vs plate), light crossbow (Av 1/r 12/24/36 1D6+1/1D8+1 kdD6 reduce AC by 2 at medium and 5 at short), Armour chainmail, target shield, SA enlarge 1/day (4th level), invisibility 1/day (4th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, AL LE, XP 650 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Treasure:

D100sp, D10gp.

Duergar Warleaders (4) (AC 2, MV 10, CL Wa, LV 5, hp 56, 50, 51, 51 [CON 16], THAC0 16, #ATT 3/2 or 1, D by weapon type (+1 for STR), Weapons warhammers (x3) (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D4+1 kdD8 +1 vs plate), Armour platemail, target shield, SA specialized in warhammer (+1 to hit, +2 damage in melee, +1 to hit when thrown), enlarge 1/day (10th level), invisibility 1/day (10th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, AL LE, XP 3000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Magic Items:

Potion of Healing

Treasure:

D100sp, D100gp, a silver diadem mounted with a hematite worth 400gp.

Duergar Captains (2) (AC 1, MV 9, CL Wa, LV 7, hp 61, 74, THAC0 14, #ATT 2+1 or 3/2+1, D by weapon type, Weapons footman's pick (Av 1D6+1/2D4 kdD8 +2 vs plate), warhammer (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D4+1 kdD8 +1 vs plate), light crossbow (Av 1/r 12/24/36 1D6+1/1D8+1 kdD6 reduce AC by 2 at medium and 5 at short), Armour platemail, target shield, SA specialized in shield and weapon style (may get a shield bash as an offhand attack), ambidextrous and specialized in 2 weapon style (suffer no penalty when using offhand), specialized in footman's pick (+1 to hit, +2 damage), enlarge 1/day (14th level), invisibility 1/day (14th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD proficient in small shield (+1 to AC), senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, AL LE, XP 5000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Magic Items:

Captain #1 -

Potion of Healing

Potion of Fire Breath

Captain #2 -

Potion of Healing

Potion of Speed

Gem of Dispel (possesses 5 charges, each may be used 1/day, casts a dispel magic as if a 6th level priest had cast the spell)

Treasure:

D100gp, silver diadem mounted with a sapphire worth 4,000gp.

Duergar Commander (AC -3, MV 11, CL Wa, LV 8, hp 103 [CON 18], THAC0 13, #ATT 2+1 or 3/2+1, D by weapon type (+4 due to 18/77 STR), Weapons footman's pick (Av 1D6+1/2D4 kdD8 +2 vs plate), warhammer (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D4+1 kdD8 +1 vs plate), light crossbow (Av 1/r 12/24/36 1D6+1/1D8+1 kdD6 reduce AC by 2 at medium and 5 at short), Armour platemail +1, target shield +1, 16 DEX, SA +2 to hit due to STR, specialized in shield and weapon style (may get a shield bash as an offhand attack), ambidextrous and specialized in 2 weapon style (suffer no penalty when using offhand), specialized in footman's pick (+1 to hit, +2 damage), enlarge 1/day (16th level), invisibility 1/day (16th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD proficient in small shield (+1 to AC), senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, AL LE, XP 6000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Magic Items:

2 Potions of Extra-healing

Potion of Invulnerability

Potion of Speed

Platemail +1

Target Shield +1

Footman's Pick +1

Treasure:

10xD100gp, silver diadem mounted with sapphires and diamonds worth 15,000gp.

Duergar Priest (AC 2, MV 9, CL Pr, LV 8, hp 71 [CON 16], THAC0 16, #ATT 2 or 3/2 or 1, D by weapon type (+1 for STR), Weapons triple flail (Av 2D4+1/2D4+1 kdD10 +1 vs shields, +2 to trap or offensive disarm), warhammer (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D4+1 kdD8 +1 vs plate), Armour platemail, target shield, SA priestly powers (see below), specialized in triple flail (+1 to hit, +2 damage), enlarge 1/day (16th level), invisibility 1/day (16th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD +1 save vs mental attacks due to WIS, senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, Spell Points: 105 (15 WIS), AL LE, XP 7000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Unholy flail - when a specially blessed triple flail is wielded by the priest a hit forces a save vs spells or be subject to a Cause Fear spell as if cast by the priest. In addition, the flail counts as a magical weapon with a +1 for every 3 levels (or fraction thereof) of the priest. Finally, all priestly touch spells may be cast through the flail (in other words, a hit by the flail causes the touch spell to work).

Ghoul flail - the same special flail may, 1/day, be invoked to instead paralyze by touch. This invocation lasts only 6 rounds or when a hit is scored. The victim must save vs paralyzation or be paralyzed as if touched by a ghoul for 3-12 rounds (elves are immune to this effect)

Ripper flail - the same special flail may, level divided by 2/day, be invoked to cause grievous mystical wounds. Each invocation lasts for a single swing (or 3 rounds) and is used whether the swing hits or not. If the swing hits, the flail causes an extra 3-18 points of unholy damage. Such damage is corrupt and may not be healed by any means without first having a Remove Curse spell cast on the wound (1 spell will allow all such wounds on a given being to be healed)

Spells Memorized [All (Major), Elemental Earth (Minor), Healing (Minor), Necromantic (Major), Charm (Minor), Protection (Minor), Guardian (Minor)]:

Bless (4), Detect Magic (4), Command (6), Cause Fear (6), Strength of Stone (6), Chant (6), Hold Person (10), Aid (6), Silence 15' radius (10), Dispel Magic (10), Remove Paralysis (15), Free Action (22)

Priestly Powers:

Magic Items:

Potion of Extra-healing

Potion of Remove Curse (as the spell at 12th level of effectiveness)

Potion of Intensity (refer to Encyclopedia Magica V3 pg 873)

Rod of Cancellation (shaped like a jet stick 2' long and covered with white bones bats along its length)

Treasure:

D100sp, D100gp, onyx and silver unholy symbol shaped like a triple flail worn around the neck (worth 600gp), a drow slave bracelet (adamantium and engraved with drow script marking the house whose property the slave is) worth 150gp [this duergar escaped from drow captivity, as the gruesome marks on his back and thighs attest], 12 aquamarines worth 100gp each (and useful for deactivating the juggernaut in Room 5).

Duergar Priest/Rogue (AC 6, MV 10, CL Pr/Ro, LV 5/5, hp 39 [17 CON], THAC0 18, #ATT 2, D by weapon type, Weapons short sword (Fa 1d6/1d8 kdD6), warhammer (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4+1/1D4 kdD8 +1 vs plate), triple flail (Av 2D4+1/2D4+1 kdD10 +1 vs shields, +2 to trap or offensive disarm), Armour leather, 16 DEX, SA enlarge 1/day (10th level), invisibility 1/day (10th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), backstab (x3 damage), ambidextrous (no penalty for wielding 2 weapons), SD senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, Spell Points: 40, AL LE, XP 7000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Priestly Powers:

Unholy flail - when a specially blessed triple flail is wielded by the priest a hit forces a save vs spells or be subject to a Cause Fear spell as if cast by the priest. In addition, the flail counts as a magical weapon with a +1 for every 3 levels (or fraction thereof) of the priest. Finally, all priestly touch spells may be cast through the flail (in other words, a hit by the flail causes the touch spell to work).

Ghoul flail - the same special flail may, 1/day, be invoked to instead paralyze by touch. This invocation lasts only 6 rounds or when a hit is scored. The victim must save vs paralyzation or be paralyzed as if touched by a ghoul for 3-12 rounds (elves are immune to this effect)

Spells Memorized [All (Major), Elemental Earth (Minor), Healing (Minor), Necromantic (Major), Charm (Minor), Protection (Minor), Guardian (Minor)]:

Curse (4), Bless (4), Detect Magic (4), Invisibility to Undead (4), Sanctuary (6), Aid (6), Dispel Magic (10)

Thief Skills:

PP 25 OL 45 FRT 70 MS 30 HS 35 DN 35 CW 70 RL 05

Magic Items:

Potion of Extra-healing

Potion of Remove Curse (as the spell at 12th level of effectiveness)

Shortsword +1/+2 vs elves (on a natural roll of 20 versus elves that results in a hit causes a save vs death or the elf also suffers D3 levels of energy drain)

Treasure:

D100sp, D100gp, and 6 aquamarines of 200gp value (useful for deactivating the juggernaut in Room 5).

11. East Barracks

This room serves as the main barracks for the upper level, though supplemented in great part by the barracks at Room 10. The master of the level is stationed here, a high level warrior and priest who is in charge of the maintenance, security, and operations of this entire level. He reports only to the Commander-in-Chief of the outpost.

The room is appointed much like Room 10, with triple levels of bunks dotting the walls, 90 in total, each hung from an iron chain and each foldable to set flush against the wall. Next to each bunk is a niche (2' x 2') for each soldier's personal effects.

Several stone tables and chairs are placed around the centre of the room, along with 4 stand-alone beds made of iron and stuffed with rothe fur and down. Several weapon racks also dot the floor, along with stone barrels full of fresh water. Mugs, goblets, plates, utensils and the like are scattered over the tables, along with the remains of meals.

In the far southeast corner are several privies which are covered holes that lead down a shaft to who-knows-where.

Near the stairs going down is a chime and metal striker used to alert those below.

The soldiery herein is half asleep and out of armour and half at the ready in armour. They are engaged in a variety of activities, including sleeping, eating, practicing combat, gambling, fighting or racing vermin, et al. A few are engaged in making various gew-gaws or even cutting and polishing gems.

There are 70 soldiers stationed in the room, along with 4 warleaders, 2 captains, and 1 commander. There are 3 priests here, including the Master of the Level, a warrior/priest, a priest, and a priest/rogue.

Duergar Soldiers (70) (AC 4, MV 6, HD 2+4, hp 16 ea, THAC0 17, #ATT 1, D by weapon, Weapons footman's pick (Av 1D6+1/2D4 kdD8 +2 vs plate), warhammer (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4+1/1D4 kdD8 +1 vs plate), light crossbow (Av 1/r 12/24/36 1D6+1/1D8+1 kdD6 reduce AC by 2 at medium and 5 at short), Armour chainmail, target shield, SA enlarge 1/day (4th level), invisibility 1/day (4th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, AL LE, XP 650 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Treasure:

D100sp, D10gp.

Duergar Warleaders (4) (AC 2, MV 10, CL Wa, LV 5, hp 50, 46, 50, 51 [CON 16], THAC0 16, #ATT 3/2 or 1, D by weapon type (+1 for STR), Weapons warhammers (x3) (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1Dd4/1D4+1 kdD8 +1 vs plate), Armour platemail, target shield, SA specialized in warhammer (+1 to hit, +2 damage in melee, +1 to hit when thrown), enlarge 1/day (10th level), invisibility 1/day (10th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, AL LE, XP 3000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Magic Items:

Potion of Healing

Treasure:

D100sp, D100gp, a silver diadem mounted with a hematite worth 400gp.

Duergar Captains (2) (AC 1, MV 9, CL Wa, LV 7, hp 60, 73 [CON 16], THAC0 14, #ATT 2+1 or 3/2+1, D by weapon type, Weapons footman's pick (Av 1D6+1/2D4 kdD8 +2 vs plate), warhammer (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D4+1 kdD8 +1 vs plate), light crossbow (Av 1/r 12/24/36 1D6+1/1D8+1 kdD6 reduce AC by 2 at medium and 5 at short), Armour platemail, target shield, SA specialized in shield and weapon style (may get a shield bash as an offhand attack), ambidextrous and specialized in 2 weapon style (suffer no penalty when using offhand), specialized in footman's pick (+1 to hit, +2 damage), enlarge 1/day (14th level), invisibility 1/day (14th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD proficient in small shield (+1 to AC), senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, AL LE, XP 5000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Magic Items:

Captain #1 -

Potion of Healing

Powder of Power (refer to Encyclopedia Magica V3 pg 907) - 2 uses

Powder of Olibanum (refer to Encyclopedia Magica V3 pg 907) - 3 uses

Captain #2 -

Potion of Healing

Potion of Spiderclimb

Treasure:

D100gp, silver diadem mounted with a sapphire worth 4,000gp.

Duergar Commander (AC -3, MV 12, CL Wa, LV 8, hp 81 [CON 16], THAC0 13, #ATT 2+1 or 3/2+1, D by weapon type (+1 due to 17 STR), Weapons footman's pick (Av 1D6+1/2D4 kdD8 +2 vs plate), warhammer (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D4+1 kdD8 +1 vs plate), light crossbow (Av 1/r 12/24/36 1D6+1/1D8+1 kdD6 reduce AC by 2 at medium and 5 at short), Armour platemail, target shield +1, 17 DEX, SA +1 to hit due to STR, specialized in shield and weapon style (may get a shield bash as an offhand attack), ambidextrous and specialized in 2 weapon style (suffer no penalty when using offhand), specialized in footman's pick (+1 to hit, +2 damage), enlarge 1/day (16th level), invisibility 1/day (16th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD proficient in small shield (+1 to AC), senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, AL LE, XP 6000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Magic Items:

2 Potions of Extra-healing

Potion of Superior Healing (refer to Encyclopedia Magica V3 pg 891)

Potion of Reflection (refer to Encyclopedia Magica V3 pg 886)

Target Shield +1

Warhammer +1

12 quarrels +1

Treasure:

10xD100gp, silver diadem mounted with sapphires and diamonds worth 15,000gp.

Duergar Priest (AC 2, MV 9, CL Pr, LV 7, hp 57 [CON 16], THAC0 16, #ATT 2 or 3/2 or 1, D by weapon type (+1 for STR), Weapons triple flail (Av 2D4+1/2D4+1 kdD10 +1 vs shields, +2 to trap or offensive disarm), warhammer (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D4+1 kdD8 +1 vs plate), Armour platemail, target shield, SA priestly powers (see below), specialized in triple flail (+1 to hit, +2 damage), enlarge 1/day (14th level), invisibility 1/day (14th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, Spell Points: 78 (14 WIS), AL LE, XP 6000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Priestly Powers:

Unholy flail - when a specially blessed triple flail is wielded by the priest a hit forces a save vs spells or be subject to a Cause Fear spell as if cast by the priest. In addition, the flail counts as a magical weapon with a +1 for every 3 levels (or fraction thereof) of the priest. Finally, all priestly touch spells may be cast through the flail (in other words, a hit by the flail causes the touch spell to work).

Ghoul flail - the same special flail may, 1/day, be invoked to instead paralyze by touch. This invocation lasts only 6 rounds or when a hit is scored. The victim must save vs paralyzation or be paralyzed as if touched by a ghoul for 3-12 rounds (elves are immune to this effect)

Ripper flail - the same special flail may, level divided by 2/day, be invoked to cause grievous mystical wounds. Each invocation lasts for a single swing (or 3 rounds) and is used whether the swing hits or not. If the swing hits, the flail causes an extra 3-18 points of unholy damage. Such damage is corrupt and may not be healed by any means without first having a Remove Curse spell cast on the wound (1 spell will allow all such wounds on a given being to be healed)

Spells Memorized [All (Major), Elemental Earth (Minor), Healing (Minor), Necromantic (Major), Charm (Minor), Protection (Minor), Guardian (Minor)]:

Detect Magic (4), Bless (4), Strength of Stone (6), Protection from Evil (6), Cure Light Wounds (6), Chant (6), Resist Fire (10), Hold Person (10), Dispel Magic (10), Dictate (15)

Magic Items:

Potion of Extra-healing

Potion of Remove Curse (as the spell at 12th level of effectiveness)

Triple flail +1/+2 vs elementals and elemental-kin

Treasure:

D100sp, D100gp, onyx and silver unholy symbol shaped like a triple flail worn around the neck (worth 600gp), 12 aquamarines worth 100gp each (and useful for deactivating the juggernaut in Room 5).

Duergar Priest/Rogue (AC 7, MV 9, CL Pr/Ro, LV 6/6, hp 49 [16 CON], THAC0 18, #ATT 2, D by weapon type, Weapons short sword (Fa 1D6/1D8 kdD6), warhammer (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4+1/1D4 kdD8 +1 vs plate), triple flail (Av 2D4+1/2D4+1 kdD10 +1 vs shields, +2 to trap or offensive disarm), Armour leather, 15 DEX, SA enlarge 1/day (10th level), invisibility 1/day (10th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), backstab (x3 damage), ambidextrous (no penalty for wielding 2 weapons), SD senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, Spell Points: 70, AL LE, XP 8000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Priestly Powers:

Unholy flail - when a specially blessed triple flail is wielded by the priest a hit forces a save vs spells or be subject to a Cause Fear spell as if cast by the priest. In addition, the flail counts as a magical weapon with a +1 for every 3 levels (or fraction thereof) of the priest. Finally, all priestly touch spells may be cast through the flail (in other words, a hit by the flail causes the touch spell to work).

Ghoul flail - the same special flail may, 1/day, be invoked to instead paralyze by touch. This invocation lasts only 6 rounds or when a hit is scored. The victim must save vs paralyzation or be paralyzed as if touched by a ghoul for 3-12 rounds (elves are immune to this effect)

Spells Memorized [All (Major), Elemental Earth (Minor), Healing (Minor), Necromantic (Major), Charm (Minor), Protection (Minor), Guardian (Minor)]:

Detect Magic (4), Bless (4), Invisibility to Undead (4), Command (6), Sanctuary (6), Silence 15' radius (10), Withdraw (10), Dispel Magic (10), Stone Shape (15), 1 free orison

Thief Skills:

PP 30 OL 40 FRT 70 MS 40 HS 45 DN 40 CW 70 RL 05

Magic Items:

Potion of Extra-healing

Potion of Remove Curse (as the spell at 12th level of effectiveness)

Rod of Flame Strikes (as the spell as if cast by an 8th level priest, has 10 charges remaining)

Treasure:

D100sp, D100gp, and 6 aquamarines of 200gp value (useful for deactivating the juggernaut in Room 5).

Duergar Level Master Warpriest (AC 0, MV 9, CL Wa/Pr, LV 8/9, hp 84 [CON 17], THAC0 13, #ATT 2 or 3/2 or 1, D by weapon type (+1 for STR), Weapons triple flail (Av 2D4+1/2D4+1 kdD10 +1 vs shields, +2 to trap or offensive disarm), warhammers (x3) (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D4+1 kdD8 +1 vs plate), light crossbow (Av 1/r 12/24/36 1D6+1/1D8+1 kdD6 reduce AC by 2 at medium and 5 at short), Armour platemail +1, target shield +1, SA priestly powers (see below), specialized in triple flail (+1 to hit, +2 damage), enlarge 1/day (18th level), invisibility 1/day (18th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD +3 save vs mental attacks due to WIS, senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, Spell Points: 155 (17 WIS), AL LE, XP 11000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Priestly Powers:

Unholy flail - when a specially blessed triple flail is wielded by the priest a hit forces a save vs spells or be subject to a Cause Fear spell as if cast by the priest. In addition, the flail counts as a magical weapon with a +1 for every 3 levels (or fraction thereof) of the priest. Finally, all priestly touch spells may be cast through the flail (in other words, a hit by the flail causes the touch spell to work).

Ghoul flail - the same special flail may, 1/day, be invoked to instead paralyze by touch. This invocation lasts only 6 rounds or when a hit is scored. The victim must save vs paralyzation or be paralyzed as if touched by a ghoul for 3-12 rounds (elves are immune to this effect)

Ripper flail - the same special flail may, level divided by 2/day, be invoked to cause grievous mystical wounds. Each invocation lasts for a single swing (or 3 rounds) and is used whether the swing hits or not. If the swing hits, the flail causes an extra 3-18 points of unholy damage. Such damage is corrupt and may not be healed by any means without first having a Remove Curse spell cast on the wound (1 spell will allow all such wounds on a given being to be healed)

Spells Memorized [All (Major), Elemental Earth (Minor), Healing (Minor), Necromantic (Major), Charm (Minor), Protection (Minor), Guardian (Minor)]:

Cure Light Wounds (6), Bless (4), Detect Magic (4), Curse (4), Hold Person (10), Resist Fire (10), Silence 15' radius (10), Aid (6), Dispel Magic (10), Animate Dead (10), Emotion Control (15), Poison (22), Adamantite Mace/Flail (22), Slay Living (22)

Magic Items:

Potion of Extra-healing

Potion of Remove Curse (as the spell at 12th level of effectiveness)

Potion of Superior Healing (refer to Encyclopedia Magica V3 pg 891)

Platemail +1

Target Shield +1

Wand of Spiritual Hammers (as the spell as if cast by a 6th level priest, but 1 strike per charge, has 62 charges, may only be used by a priest)

Stone of the Phantom Steeder (a polished stone of black onyx fused with green agate, when wielded by a duergar priest it can summon 1/day a phantom steeder spider, which will serve unerringly for 3 turns, if the spider is killed the stone becomes useless)

Phantom Steeder Spider (AC 0, MV 15 fl24[A], HD 8+8, hp 64, THAC0 11, #ATT 1, D 1-8, SA soul venom (see below), SD +1 or better weapons to hit, undead immunities, MR 50%, AL NE, XP 10000, Source: Special)

A Phantom Steeder Spider appears like a larger than normal steeder spider, but coloured ghostly white and whose body seems slightly misty and wavering. The beast is undead but is corporeal and can bear a rider.

Soul Venom: This horrible magic venom requires a save vs death or the victim's soul will become corrupted and then consumed by the spider. The victim loses 1 INT, WIS and CHA per round until one reaches zero, in which case he becomes completely unable to do more than stand and gape stupidly. When INT, WIS, and CHA reach zero, the victim's soul is completely corrupted and can then be sucked out by the spider, as long as it is within 100 yards. This sucking will be visible to those as a black mist being sucked from the victim's eyes into the spider. The poison can be halted by killing the spider, which then reverses the poison effect at a rate of 1 INT, WIS and CHA per round.

A person whose INT, WIS, or CHA drops below class minimums cannot use that class' abilities. He also loses bonus spell points if not already used (assume they are the last to be used) and the ability to cast higher level spells as per the Players Handbook. When a statistic reaches below 3, the victim is no longer sentient and will act on instinct alone.

If a person's soul is entirely sucked out by the spider, the spider may then control the victim's body. The victim's body is entirely under the control of the spider and the spider may wield any magic items normally wieldable by the victim (the sucked soul provides innate knowledge of command words). The victim fights as an 8HD monster.

Should the spider be slain after having fully sucked out a victim's soul, the soul will return to the body and regain INT, WIS and CHA as indicated above. However, there will always be something a little "off" with the victim's soul from that time onward.

An "off" soul suffers the following:

1. Protection from Good spells work at half effect against them, as do Protection from Evil spells if the person was already good aligned.

2. Turning Undead is made with a -1 penalty to the attempt roll.

3. Aura reading spells can determine a black blotch on the aura of the person.

4. If the person dies, there is a 5% chance that an evil entity of some sort notices the death and inhabits the body.

Treasure:

2D100gp, adamantine holy symbol worn on the neck (shaped like a triple flail), 12 small aquamarines worth 200gp each (which deactivate the juggernaut in Room 5), keys to the doors to Room 6, 7, and 17 on a iron chain around his neck (6 keys in all, 1 for each side of each set of double doors, one to the door between Room 6 and 7, and one for the double doors between Rooms 16 and 17).

In the hallway between this room and Room 12 is a lever that, when depressed, summons the door to Room 5 to face Room 12.

12. Unholy Hallway

This hallway is dedicated to the deeds and feats of the god of the duergar, the dread Maug Yeenoghu the Torturer. The floor of this hallway is decorated in onyx and black marble shot through with gold veins that have somehow been shaped to form the image of a tall, emaciated gnoll wielding a triple flail.

The hallway is a full 20' high and on the ceiling are blood friezes depicting steeder spiders and ghouls leaping down as if onto those walking the hallway.

Standing at attention spaced every 10' down the hallway are the undead honour guards of the temple. These will attack anyone of non-duergar race who sets foot in the hall unless accompanied by a duergar priest of Yeenoghu. The guards are intelligent and will pursue violators or remain as they deem fit. They are not tied or bound to any particular area of the complex and will take instruction from any duergar priest in the outpost.

The guardians appear as duergar skeletons wearing black shadowy armour that is semi-transparent, so that their bones show through. They have red flames burning in their eye sockets. Each wields a triple flail and target shield.

Direguards (AC 6, MV 12, HD 4+4, hp 28 ea, THAC0 15, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons triple flail (Av 2D4+1/2D4+1 kdD10 +1 vs shields, +2 to trap or offensive disarm), SA Magic Missile (2 missiles every 3 rounds at targets up to 60' away), SD Blink (1/turn as wizard spell for up to 4 continuous rounds), undead immunities as skeleton, type S or P weapons do half damage, turned as wraith, see invisible objects and creatures, AL NE, XP 1200 ea, Source: Monstrous Compendium 1)

The double doors at the far end of the hallway, leading to Room 13, are large affairs, some 7' wide and 12' tall. Each has a bas-relief of a gnoll's head blurring into the form of a duergar. Above this is a carving of the ever-present triple-flail.

The doors are warded by a glyph of warding, one on each door. These glyphs cast a Polymorph Other spell on the victim into the form of a steeder spider. They will activate against any non-duergar priest who touches one of the doors, and the second will only activate against a touch after the first has so activated.

13. Unholy Chapel

This large room is 35' high and is the centre of worship of the duergar outpost. As such, the DM can rule that at certain times a service will be conducted. Such a service will include half of the priests from Rooms 3, 10, 11 and 15 but none of the soldiery. There will, however, be a room full of duergar soldiers from below, as well as the high priest of the outpost who will be officiating. Services involve sacrifice of sentient beings, and this is often a bugbear or orc, but on special occasions a drow is sacrificed should one be at hand.

The walls of this place are almost every inch covered with blood friezes, these depicting ghouls and a ghoul king giving obeisance to an emaciated gnoll-like figure, duergar doing the same, and the same figure eating drow and dwarves.

The eastern wall of the chapel is where the worship takes place. Here, set on a raised dais that is some 3' above the floor, is an altar made of granite into which bones and skulls have been poured before it set. Various precious gems of all sorts, but featuring predominantly 24 aquamarines of 200gp each and 10 sapphires of 5000gp each, are set into the altar, and dries bloodstains have run down the sides of the altar, creating a sort of crude blood frieze. The altar has the same effect as unholy water to any being touching it.

Flanking the altar are triple censers that resemble a triple flail hanging upside down from the ceiling. These are filled with dung. A silver font rests on a stone table near the altar, and this holds 25 vials worth of unholy water. A permanent Protection from Good 10' radius has been enscribed into the floor around the altar on the dais. Hanging behind the altar are various black and brown vestments, ornamental helms, and tabards for use during worship services.

On a shelf near the vestments are various horrific implements of sacrifice and torture, including jagged knives, corkscrews, various prongs and pincers, all made of silver and gold and all ornamented with semi-precious gems and ghastly etchings.

Projecting west from the dais are stone pews to hold the laity.

To the north, just off of the dais, is a column of clear crystal, some 10' in diameter and progressing from floor to ceiling. The crystal is clear enough that in anything but bright light (as from a Continual Light spell) the crystal might not be noticed at all (infravision using creatures will certainly notice it). Within the crystal is a circle of protection and within the circle is a demon, which appears as a tall skeleton covered by dark form-fitting leather. A great horn protrudes from the back of its skull and its long, wicked claws are covered with dirt, blood, and decaying flesh. Its leathery flesh is covered with a slick-looking, dark red jelly.

The crystal is the demon's prison, and for all intents and purposes it can be treated as a Wall of Force, except sound can pass through the wall in both directions. In addition to certain magics being able to bring it down, a good strike from the ornamental knife on the shelf next to the altar can cause the crystal to crack and then shatter.

The demon trapped within was a favoured servant of a drow mistress. The duergar were particularly angry at this drow for trying to raise an army to wipe out the duergar once and for all. The drow was not very popular with some of her fellows because of this idea, but her access to this demon allowed her to survive any attempts to put her down. The duergar, learning of all of this from spies within the drow empire, captured the drow mistress' demon and subtly let her rivals know that the demon was gone. The drow mistress did not survive the week.

The demon is very irate at being imprisoned here, and although it does not bear any sorrow at its mistress being slain, it certainly does not like these duergar at all. As such, the demon is quite eager to escape. Should it see the party, the demon will be very surprised and will remark at the unusualness of seeing surface dwellers here, especially those not serving the Deceiver. It will then try to find out who the party is and why they are here, but in any case, it will attempt to persuade the party to set it free. The demon will offer its services if it must, for up to a week, but it much prefers to give information, and it can certainly tell the party where the entrance to the drow outpost is.

The demon knows how to be set free from its prison (i.e. the knife). The circle around its feet must also be broken, but any blade can pry up the metal inset into the floor.

The demon will keep any promises it makes to the party, but only literally, and will seek to pervert any promises to its advantage. It does not serve or owe loyalty to the drow and so will not be inclined to betray the party in that fashion. An example would be for the demon to agree to serve a specific person in the party for a week and then try to lead that person into danger and get him killed, thus freeing its obligations.

The freed demon will probably not attack the party unless they are weak-seeming, as he does not wish to be re-imprisoned.

Babau Tanar'ri (AC -3, MV 15, HD 8+14, hp 63, THAC0 13, #ATT 1 or 3, D 2-5/2-5/2-8 or by weapon type +7 for STR, SA gaze (20' range, save vs spells or be affected as a Ray of Enfeeblement), +3 to hit (19 STR), tanar'ri powers (see below), SD tanar'ri immunities (see below), +1 or better weapon to hit, corrosion (its jelly halves damage from type S and P weapons and has a 20% per hit of corroding a metal weapon, normal weapons must save vs acid or corrode completely, magical weapons lose a plus each time they corrode, if the jelly contacts skin it burns for 1-6 acid damage), MR 50%, AL CE, XP 17000, Source: Planescape Compendium 1)

Powers:

Darkness 15'r
Infravision
Teleport without Error (5/week)
Dispel Magic
Fear
Fly
Heat Metal
Levitate
Polymorph Self

Immunities (damage taken):

Acid - Full
Cold - Half
Electricity - None
Fire - Half (magical), None (non magical)
Gas - Half
Cold Iron Weapon - Full
Magic Missile - Full
Poison - None
Silver Weapon - Half

Thief Skills:

Backstab for x4 damage
PP 30 OL 30 FRT 25 MS 95 HS 80 DN 35 CW 90 RL 30

14. Gallery

The hallway from Room 15 opens to a large, long gallery some 20' wide and 20' tall which extends southward and then eastward before ending in a spectacular set of double doors.

The floor of the gallery is of polished marble with veins of blue and silver forming vague wraith-like figures that appear to be flying across the floor.

The walls and ceiling are of dressed stone, but the former are decorated with blood friezes, mostly in the shape of duergar mining and locating fabulous gems of huge size or scooping minerals out of the earth.

At the far north end of the gallery are large double doors, some 7' wide each and over 12' tall, apparently made of silver (but actually of iron covered with silver). Into the face of the doors are carved the image of ghouls feasting on fleeing bugbears with a few drow thrown in for good measure.

Along the south wall, about halfway to the end of the gallery is a plain iron door, which leads to a small hallway. At the end of this hallway are a set of iron double doors which are unadorned. These double doors have a key lock accessible from this side.

A close inspection of the marble floor reveals strange grooves or gouges cut into the floor. These run west and east and do not process beyond the turn to Room 15. While regular, these gouges are not precise (these are caused by the juggernaut from Room 5).

15. West Guard Chamber

This chamber is decorated with what the duergar call "blood friezes". These are bas-reliefs carved into a wall whose various grooves and indentations have been filled with dried blood. The result is gruesome-appearing, especially in flickering torchlight, and the differing temperature of the old blood as compared to that of the stone walls also makes for an interesting sight via infravision.

The blood friezes herein are mostly martial in nature, depicting duergar wielding all sorts of strange and wicked looking mechanisms against various underdark foes, including drow. In one section, a beholder is seen casting a ray at duergar. Knowledgeable folks can tell that the beholder carving is of newer work than the rest.

Clearly visible in one of the scenes also is a rendition of the juggernaut guardian (see Room 5).

The doors to Room 2 are barred by 6 mithril bars, each engaged and then latched into a granite socket also lined with mithril. The whole takes 1 round per person per bar to disengage.

A set of double doors to the south are made of iron and emblazoned with the triple-flail emblem of the duergar.

In the centre of the room are three stone tables with a half dozen chairs set around each. Upon the tables are metal eating utensils, plates, mugs and ewers, as well as some metal dice and some rather strange games played on various patterned boards with ornately carved metal figurines, some of geometrical shape and others of monstrous form.

Also here are several weapon racks holding warhammers, footman's picks, light crossbows, and quivers holding quarrels.

Next to the southern double doors is a lever. If the lever is pulled down it prods a shrieker held captive in a small 3' square room to the south of the door. At the same time, the eastern wall of the shrieker's compartment lowers, so that the sound of the now agitated fungus can reverberate throughout the duergar complex. This functions as an alarm system for the outpost.

A garrison of 12 duergar is always stationed here, and these are commanded by a war leader and a warpriest. These are relieved by the soldiers in Room 10 once every 8 hours.

There are also 2 steeder spiders here, and they tend to lair upside down on the ceiling. These will drop to attack any intruders.

These duergar are professional soldiers and will use decades of battle training to their best advantage. They are well aware of wizardly and priestly magic from their clashes with the drow and are extremely unlikely to be taken in by such things as invisibility, especially since they are able to use such a power themselves. Under no circumstances will these duergar utilize the secret door in this room, as they are aware of the desire of their masters for intruders to enter Room 14 and the trap beyond.

Should they have warning of intruders, half of them will go invisible. One will position himself near the alarm lever (see above). If enough time remains one will use the secret doors (if no intruders are present) to warn the soldiers in Rooms 10 and 11.

Should the party come a-calling peacefully, the duergar warpriest will parley with the party through the slit in the doors while the rest take positions as indicated above. However, in this case a duergar from Room 10 or 11 will head to the next level to alert superiors there. See Rooms 6-7 for how the duergar will likely treat "guests".

Duergar Soldiers (12) (AC 4, MV 6, HD 2+4, hp 16 ea, THAC0 17, #ATT 1, D by weapon, Weapons footman's pick (Av 1D6+1/2D4 kdD8 +2 vs plate), warhammer (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4+1/1Dd4 kdD8 +1 vs plate), light crossbow (Av 1/r 12/24/36 1D6+1/1Dd8+1 kdD6 reduce AC by 2 at medium and 5 at short), Armour chainmail, target shield, SA enlarge 1/day (4th level), invisibility 1/day (4th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, AL LE, XP 650 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Treasure: D100sp, D10gp.

Duergar Warleader (AC 2, MV 10, CL Wa, LV 5, hp 43 [CON 16], THAC0 16, #ATT 3/2 or 1, D by weapon type (+1 for STR), Weapons warhammers (x3) (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1d4/1d4+1 kdD8 +1 vs plate), Armour platemail, target shield, SA specialized in warhammer (+1 to hit, +2 damage in melee and +1 to hit when thrown), enlarge 1/day (10th level), invisibility 1/day (10th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, AL LE, XP 3000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Magic Items:

Potion of Healing

Potion of Polymorph Self

Treasure:

D100sp, D100gp, a silver diadem mounted with a hematite worth 400gp.

Duergar Warpriest (AC 2 [-1 vs certain weapons - see Magic Items], MV 9, CL Wa/Pr, LV 6/6, hp 53 [CON 16], THAC0 15, #ATT 3/2 or 1, D by weapon type (+1 for STR), Weapons triple flail (Av 2D4+1/2D4+1 kdD10 +1 vs shields, +2 to trap or offensive disarm), warhammers (x2) (Fa 1/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D4+1 kdD8 +1 vs plate), Armour platemail, target shield, SA priestly powers (see below), specialized in triple flail (+1 to hit, +2 damage), enlarge 1/day (12th level), invisibility 1/day (12th level), surprise (-2 to opponent's rolls), SD +1 save vs mental attacks due to WIS, senses (surprised 1 in 10), magic (save vs magic at +4), immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells, poisons, if attacking brightly illuminated foes [i.e. Continual Light] -1 to hit and opponents gain +1 to saves, Spell Points: 70 (15 WIS), AL LE, XP 5000, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Priestly Powers:

Unholy flail - when a specially blessed triple flail is wielded by the priest a hit forces a save vs spells or be subject to a Cause Fear spell as if cast by the priest. In addition, the flail counts as a magical weapon with a +1 for every 3 levels (or fraction thereof) of the priest. Finally, all priestly touch spells may be cast through the flail (in other words, a hit by the flail causes the touch spell to work).

Ghoul flail - the same special flail may, 1/day, be invoked to instead paralyze by touch. This invocation lasts only 6 rounds or when a hit is scored. The victim must save vs paralyzation or be paralyzed as if touched by a ghoul for 3-12 rounds (elves are immune to this effect)

Spells Memorized [All (Major), Elemental Earth (Minor), Healing (Minor), Necromantic (Major), Charm (Minor), Protection (Minor), Guardian (Minor)]:

Bless (4), Strength of Stone (6), Cure Light Wounds (6), Sanctuary (6), Hold Person (10), Chant (6), Resist Fire (10), Dispel Magic (10), Dispel Magic (10), 2 free orisons

Magic Items:

Potion of Extra-healing

Potion of Remove Curse (as the spell at 12th level of effectiveness)

Girdle of Yeenoghu (this rune covered leather belt gives a +3 AC bonus versus swords, arrows, and crossbow bolts, but no protection against other attacks)

Quaal's Feather Token - Stone Token (type VII refer to Encyclopedia Magica V2 pg 466)

Treasure:

D100gp, adamantine holy symbol worn on the neck (shaped like a triple flail), 6 small aquamarines worth 100gp each (which deactivate the juggernaut in Room 5).

Steeder Spiders (2) (AC 4, MV 12 wb12, HD 4+4, hp 30 ea, THAC0 15, #ATT 1, D 1-8, SA stickiness (when in melee, an attack to cling vs AC10 [adjusted for DEX and magic only] will cling spider to victim, suffering -2 to hit and damage and allowing automatic bite; cling may be broken with a STR or DEX roll at -10), poison (save or die), leap (240' with rider, counts as a charge), SD move on walls and ceilings at half rate with rider, AL CE, XP 975 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

16. Entry Hall

This short hallway ends in iron double doors, these adorned with semi-ornamental stones (over 100 on each door, each worth 1D6gp per stone) and a bas-relief depicting duergar mining these stones with pickaxes.

The doors are locked by a key lock, the key to which is possessed by the master of the level (see Room 11).

The marble floor bears duergar runes which promise confustication and death to those who dare violate duergar holdings.

There are no traps on the locked door, but the lock itself could serve as a deadly obstacle to the party should the juggernaut still be animated.

17. Nexus of Traps

This room is only 10' high and is entirely unadorned except for the rather disconcerting leering skull inlaid into the otherwise jet black floor. One could swear the skull's visage is one of mocking laughter.

Aside from the double doors leading from Room 16, there are 6 iron doors in this room. Each is emblazoned with a bas-relief of a leering skull which is being smashed by a triple flail.

18. The Slide

This trap is an insidious design by the duergar, who take sadistic trap design as an art form. The trap is activated when a pressure plate 30' down from the door to Room 17 is stepped on by 10 pounds or more. It is also automatically activated 5 rounds after the door is opened. Once activated there is no way to stop the trap from springing.

First, the floor from the doorway to the end of the spiral that forms this room drops into a slide. At the same time slippery grease squirts out of small holes in the walls (pinhole sized) coating the floor. Anyone on any portion of the floor will fall and slide down the spiral towards area "a". The grease also coats the walls to a height of 4', so one cannot arrest one's fall by grabbing onto the wall.

It will take a single round to slide from the top of the slide to the bottom. Those farther down the passageway will take correspondingly less time to traverse the slide.

Second, searing jets of flame will shoot from holes in the wall at a height of 5'. These jets of flame will last for 1 round and may be treated as a Burning Hands spell as if cast by an 8th level wizard.

While these flames will serve as a nasty surprise to levitating and flying person, the real purpose is to ignite the grease that has coated the walls and floor of the slide, for the grease is highly flammable.

At the bottom of the slide is area "a", which is a 5' cube pool that the slide dumps people into. This pool is first filled with flammable oil. In addition, the back wall of the pool, where people finishing their slide are likely to hit with some force, is coated with wickedly barbed iron spikes. These will do D6+AC damage [do not count DEX or shield] (save vs paralyzation for half damage) and those who do not save are stuck on the spikes and will take the same damage pulling themselves from the backwards-pointing barbs. After the first person hits the spikes, the next person only has a 50% chance of hitting the spikes, with the other 50% chance resulting in them hitting the first victim, causing them to re-impale themselves or to take half spike damage again from the impact.

DMs can rule that each person that enters the pool after the second will not hit spikes, as the first two will have covered all of the spiky areas.

Once the flame jets ignite the hallway, the flames will roar down, following the draining grease which is flowing towards the pool at area "a". When the flames hit area "a", the entire pool of oil ignites, causing a fireball-like ignition. The entire hallway up to the door to Room 17 fills with a flash fire, causing those within to save vs. breath or suffer 8D6 damage. Those who save take half damage. The entire passageway will then, for the next round, burn like oil and will act in all respects like flaming oil from then on, lasting 3 rounds. The oil will do 2-12 on the round after the flash fire, 1-6 the next round, and 1-3 on the final round.

Smoke will obscure the entire room for 1 turn after the fires go out, obscuring vision (including infravision) to a range of 1-2' and causing coughing fits.

After the third round of burning the trap will have run its course. The fires will die down and most of the grease and oil will have been evaporated. The slide can now be climbed with a normal climb walls roll. It is still too steep and slippery to walk up normally.

19. The Door Ajar

This unassuming hallway is decorated with blood friezes depicting duergar torturers putting out the eyes of drow elves who are strapped to various restraining tables.

At the far end of the hallway is what appears to be a slightly ajar secret door. This is actually a decoy, a bit of stone in the wall carved to protrude as if from a pivoting wall section. The "door" is actually carved rock and does not open at all but is truly a part of the granite wall. A bit of cloth has been set at the base of the "door" so as to look as if someone closed the door in haste and accidentally caught the hem of their robe in the door, thereby exposing it to the party.

The floor of the hallway is slightly uneven and is made up of smoothed natural rock. A dwarf or other stone expert would be able to tell by close examination that the floor has been recently smoothed out and that the rock underneath contains a great many stress fractures.

There is a very sensitive pressure plate built into the decoy secret door. Should any portion of it be touched even slightly, the pressure plate will click and the trap will be sprung.

The trap is very deadly. The entire ceiling, supported by iron brackets, is dropped. The ceiling is a stone block of granite that is as wide and tall as the room. Unless someone is within jumping distance of the door, they are doomed. The block will fall, smashing the victim and killing him or her instantly, with no saving throw. Creatures of size H or larger might survive, if they save vs death magic they will take 10-100 damage for a size H and half that for a size G.

The block is immensely heavy, and even giant strengthed individuals will have trouble budging it. One way to recover a body is to turn the stone block into mud via a Rock to Mud spell or to cast Stone to Flesh or Passwall on it. The duergar lift it by means of mechanical devices and magics that lighten the stone.

20. Hall of Fun

This room is actually composed of 4 different traps.

At the end of the hallway are two iron doors, both unadorned. Door "a" covers a room which is filled with spring-loaded darts and javelins. Anyone opening this door will launch the missiles, which will fly out of room "a". Many of these will hit whomever is standing in front of the door. Assume anyone in the 10' square in front of the door is subject to D6 missiles, each of which attacks as a 10th level warrior. Assume half of these missiles are darts and the other half are javelins.

Worse still, at least some of the missiles (there are over 30 of them) will pass by the party and hit the door at "b".

The door at "b" is strange. Although it appears to be a heavy iron door it is actually amazingly light. This is because the iron is just a thin veneer no more than 1/16th of an inch thick. An extremely precise examination of the door reveals that it bulges ever so slightly out into the hallway, as if some pressure were pushing on it from the other side.

Behind the door is a room filled with gas. The gas is under enough pressure that should the door be opened it will whoosh out in a cloud. In addition, should the missiles from "a" be launched, some will puncture the door at "b" causing the gas to spew out of the holes into a cloud. Obviously, the door at "b" is airtight when closed. This is accomplished by insect wax of some sort which has been used to seal the edges of the door. This wax is placed on the inside of the door and so is not visible from the hallway.

The gas cloud, by whichever method it is released, will immediately fill the 10' square between area "a" and "b" and the two 10' squares to either side. The gas will persist for D6 rounds before dissipating.

The gas is a noxious brew invented by the duergar but too volatile to be placed into hand held weapons. It is somewhat akin to the breath of a green dragon in that it is a chlorine derivative.

Anyone exposed to the gas must make two saves. The first is vs. breath weapon and determines if the victim was able to duck and roll out of most of the gas in time. Those failing suffer 4D6 if acid damage. Those who save take half damage. The victims must also save vs poison. Those making the save take no poison damage. Those who fail have inhaled the vile mixture and begin to hack and cough violently as if within the effect of a Stinking Cloud spell. The poison also causes 1D6 damage per round for 1D20 rounds.

At area "c" is hung a Mirror of Opposition. This item will form a duplicate of the viewer(s) of the mirror who will then attack the party. The duplicate will try to get the party to fight within sight of the mirror, thus creating more duplicates. A given person can only be duplicated once in a 24-hour period by this mirror. The mirror is built into the wall at the end of the hall and is actually a part of the wall and therefore cannot be moved. It appears as if an oval shaped portion of the granite wall was somehow rendered reflective and then surrounded by runes chiseled into the granite.

At area "d" is a stone pedestal upon which the preserved head of a medusa sits. The medusa is quite dead, but it was preserved within 2 days of its death, and so those viewing the head gain a +3 save vs petrifaction and must so save or be turned to stone.

21. Cube Squared

This large room appears normal and unadorned. The ceiling is 10' high. Along the north wall (to either side of the secret door) are stone chests, a total of 8 of them, very large and apparently locked by a thick metal padlock.

5 rounds after opening the door to this room the trap will activate unless it is properly de-activated. The way to de-activate the trap is by pushing the ring handle to this door into the door and then twisting it to the right before opening it (doing so will result in a satisfying click as the trap is de-activated). This will neutralize the trap until such time as the door is closed.

If activated, the door to this room from Room 17 will close and lock suddenly. The locking mechanism is a heavy weight built into the floor beneath this room, and as such, a Knock spell will not open the door. A thief can open the door with a successful pick locks roll if he has a tool kit with him. Otherwise, the door will have to be Reduced or otherwise bypassed. Refer to Room 5 for more details on a weighted door.

In addition to the door closing and locking, various 10' square sections of the floor will rise into the air. Each floor section is actually the roof of a little elevator that holds a gelatinous cube. The 9 little elevators will rise up in 1 round. Each is basically two stone platforms separated by 4 10' long iron poles. Anyone examining the chamber each elevator emerges from can see that the chamber below is 10' square and just large enough to hold the cube.

Keep in mind gelatinous cubes are extremely difficult to see, being transparent, and so it may initially appear to the party as if 9 empty elevators have risen from the ground, perhaps even beckoning the party to try to get onto them.

Gelatinous Cube (9) (AC 8, MV 6, HD 4, hp 29 ea, THAC0 17, #ATT 1, D 2-8, SA paralyzation (save vs paralyzation or be anesthetized [i.e. paralyzed] for 5-20 rounds, difficult to see (-3 to opponent surprise rolls), SD immune to electricity, polymorph, and mind affecting attacks, cold causes damage only if a save is failed (in which case it takes 1-4 damage and is slowed by 50%), AL N, XP 650 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

The locked stone chests are empty.

22. Hall Pit

This entire hallway is trapped. When a pressure plate is tripped on the floor approximately 10' down the hallway, or 2 rounds after the door is opened in any event, the entire east end of the hallway suddenly drops so what was once a horizontal hallway becomes a vertical shaft, with area "a" at its bottom.

At area "a" is a gelatinous cube. Anyone falling down the newly created pit will suffer no falling damage but will automatically be hit by the cube for full damage and paralytic effect. On subsequent rounds, the victim will begin to be absorbed by the cube, suffering automatic attacks each round if paralyzed, otherwise gaining AC for non-DEX based contributions.

But it gets worse, for at the same time the hallway pivots, a trap door in the now ceiling of the vertical shaft opens, dropping another gelatinous cube. This cube, which fits the hallway dimensions, will essentially sweep down into the pit anything in the pit area, including those clever enough to be flying or levitating. Such opponents will be surprised with a -6 to the die roll, and should they fall between the two cubes will be subject to attacks from both.

Getting out of the pit if both cubes are slain is not a major problem. If the cubes are alive however, climbing will allow opportunity attacks.

Gelatinous Cube (2) (AC 8, MV 6, HD 4, hp 26 ea, THAC0 17, #ATT 1, D 2-8, SA paralyzation (save vs paralyzation or be anesthetized [i.e. paralyzed] for 5-20 rounds, difficult to see (-3 to opponent surprise rolls), SD immune to electricity, polymorph, and mind affecting attacks, cold causes damage only if a save is failed (in which case it takes 1-4 damage and is slowed by 50%), AL N, XP 650 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

In the ceiling above the doorway is a small secret niche with a small lever inside which deactivates this trap. This allows the cube in the ceiling to be fed and kept alive.

23. The Labyrinth

This area forms a maze of sorts, with various surprises around many corners. Each area is described below.

a. At this point in the hallway is a statue of a duergar female wielding a two handed axe. She is armoured as if for battle and in her eyes are two very large diamonds.

This is a caryatid column, which will activate against anyone who comes within 10' of it. When it activates, its movement causes an iron portcullis to drop as indicated on the map. Raising the portcullis requires a bend bars or lift gates roll or the tripping of a hidden lever in a secret compartment located near the door between this room and Room 17.

Caryatid Column (AC 5, MV 6, HD 5, hp 22, THAC0 15, #ATT 1, D 2-8, SD +4 to saves, non-magical weapons inflict half damage, magical weapons gain no plusses, weapons shatter when hitting (25% minus 5% per plus), destroyed by Stone to Flesh, Transmute Rock to Mud, or Stone Shape, AL N, XP 420, Source; Monstrous Manual)

b. Spider web filaments treated to be transparent have been laid across the 10' square section just to the east of area "b". These are placed about every 6 inches from floor to ceiling, and so this trap is likely to get those flying or levitating as well.

When the trap is sprung, a mechanism in area "b" releases poisoned darts. There are 12 such darts, and they release in a spray such that all of those in the 10' square east of area "b" will be subject to attack from D8 of them. Each dart attacks as if from a 6th level warrior with a +1 to hit for STR and does normal dart damage plus 1 for STR. Each dart is coated with type D poison (onset of 1-2 minutes, 30 damage [2-12 if save is made]).

c. The entire length of this hallway, as indicated on the map, is of natural stone, smoothed by the passage of feet or time; it is impossible to say which. Scribed upon the wall here at area "c" proper is a Glyph of Warding. The glyph will be activated by any non-duergar priest who rounds the corner. It turns the entire passage as marked on the map into mud as per the priestly version of the Transmute Rock to Mud spell. The mud is 10' deep.

d. A stone guardian stands here, shaped like a duergar wielding a maul. It will attack any non-duergar it sees and will pursue them through the labyrinth. It knows of the traps and has been instructed to avoid them.

Stone Guardian (AC 2, MV 9, HD 4+4, hp 36, THAC0 15, #ATT 2, D 2-9/2-9, SD 1/4 damage from edged weapons, 1/2 damage from fire, cold, and electricity, no damage from normal missiles, destroyed by Stone to Flesh, Transmute Rock to Mud, Stone Shape, or Dig, AL N, XP 420, Source: Monstrous Manual)

e. At this place in the labyrinth stands a minotaur skeleton. It wields a rusty poleaxe. The skeleton is animated and has instructions to attack all those who are not duergar priests. It is aware of the traps in this level and has been instructed to avoid them.

Monster Skeleton (AC 6, MV 12, HD 6, hp 38, THAC0 15, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapon poleaxe (Sl 1D10/2D8 kdD12), SD undead immunities, half damage vs edged or piercing weapons, AL N, XP 650, Source: Monstrous Manual)

f. Scribed onto the wall of this alcove is a Glyph of Warding that causes paralysis (as a ghoul's touch) in a 30' radius from the glyph. The glyph also opens the secret panel at area "h", releasing the stone guardian to potentially attack paralyzed victims.

g. Stone steps lead down 15' to a landing that curves out of sight.

The steps themselves are trapped. At about midway down the steps is a pressure plate built into two of the steps. If this is depressed, the steps act like piano keys, depressing when stepped upon. The problem is that each step is also made up if 2 razor sharp metal blades which do not depress when stepped upon. The result is that the weight of one's foot depresses the stone steps and causes all of the foot's weight to fall upon the blades.

In addition to the pressure plate, set into the wall above the two pressure plate steps is a Glyph of Warding that acts like a Dispel Magic cast by a 10th level priest. This will drop flying or levitating creatures onto the two pressure plate steps.

The initial triggering of the trap will cause 1D3 damage to anyone placing weight on his feet. In addition, those so affected must make a DEX+CON roll on D100 or fall in pain. Unfortunately, falling down on these steps is a very bad idea, and will cause even more blades to slice into the body. A victim who falls prone on the steps suffers 1D4 plus AC (not counting shield or DEX) damage plus 1D3 damage for each round so prone. Getting back onto one's feet is treated like a new step taken (see below).

For each new step taken another 1D3 damage will be suffered. If no step is taken, 1 point of damage is suffered per round simply from the blades the victim is currently standing upon. There is not enough room between blades to step safely even if one knows where the blades are. They are also placed at slightly irregular intervals on each step, so that even tiny feet cannot fully predict where to step.

h. This area is concealed by a stone panel. The panel is set to activate and move aside when the glyph in area "f" is activated. When the panel slides aside it will release a stone guardian, shaped like a duergar wielding a maul. It will attack any non-duergar it sees and will pursue them through the labyrinth. It knows of the traps and has been instructed to avoid them.

Stone Guardian (AC 2, MV 9, HD 4+4, hp 36, THAC0 15, #ATT 2, D 2-9/2-9, SD 1/4 damage from edged weapons, 1/2 damage from fire, cold, and electricity, no damage from normal missiles, destroyed by Stone to Flesh, Transmute Rock to Mud, Stone Shape, or Dig, AL N, XP 420, Source: Monstrous Manual)

i. This 10' square section of floor is a combination pit trap and glyph trap. When the area is entered, a Glyph of Warding is activated on the ceiling, casting a Dispel Magic as if from a 10th level priest. Simultaneously, the 10' square floor section opens into a pit.

Obviously, the intent here is to catch fliers and those levitating. The pit is 40' deep (4D6 damage) and at the bottom dwells a necrophidius, placed by the duergar to slay those who fall into the pit. The creature dwells in a small alcove out of the way of falling persons and will likely surprise those who have fallen in (-4 to their surprise roll).

Necrophidius (AC 2, MV 9, HD 2, hp 16, THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D 1-8, SA silence (-2 to opponent surprise rolls), Dance of Death (save vs spells or immobilized as the Hypnotism spell), bite (save vs spell or be paralyzed and unconscious for 1-4 turns), SD immune to poison and mind-influencing spells)

24. Steeder Breeder

This room is not trapped per se, but it can be quite harmful to any who enter. This is a breeding chamber for the steeder spiders so favoured by the duergar. When female steeders breed, they become very protective and very hostile to male steeders, and so they must be placed in a chamber away from the male spiders. In addition, the males have a tendency to consume the eggs of their progeny, which provides another reason for the segregation.

Within this cavern are 12 female steeder spiders along with many egg sacks and approximately 48 young. The smallest young will tend to be disbursed around the room and will attack only if approached. The larger young are aggressive and will attack. The young cannot form webs and all of the spiders can and do use the walls and ceiling to scurry about (though at half rate on those surfaces).

Aside from the spiders, the room has a few webs here and there (mostly used to secure the egg pouches high up on the walls, female steeders can secrete webbing during pregnancy and nursing) and the desiccated corpses of past meals, including rothe, jermlaine, and even a male drow body.

The female adult spiders are very protective of their young, and so are immune to fear and emotion-affecting spells including charm and hold spells except for those spells specifically designed to affect arachnids (these they gain a +4 saving throw bonus against). The females also gain +2 to hit and fight until they are brought to -11 hit points, at which case they have been hacked apart so thoroughly that they simply drop dead. The females will even attack duergar except for those specially trained to handle and approach maternal female steeders and their progeny (these duergar are described in Room 24 of level 2).

Female Steeders (12) (AC 4, MV 12 wb12, HD 4+4, hp 25 ea, THAC0 15 (13 due to young), #ATT 1, D 1-8, SA stickiness (when in melee, an attack to cling vs AC10 [adjusted for DEX and magic only] will cling spider to victim, suffering -2 to hit and damage and allowing automatic bite; cling may be broken with a STR or DEX roll at -10), poison (save or die), leap (240' with rider, counts as a charge), attack until brought to -11 hp, SD move on walls and ceilings at half rate with rider, immune to charm, hold, fear, and emotion-affecting spells, AL CE, XP 975 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Large Young (18) (AC 8, MV 6 wb12, HD 1+1, hp 6 ea, THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D 1, SA poison (onset 15 minutes, save at +2 or take 15 damage, none if save is made), AL CE, XP 175 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Large young are treated in most ways as large spiders, but with Low intelligence.

Small Young (30) (AC 8, MV 12 wb12, HD 1-1, hp 4 ea, THAC0 20, #ATT 1, D 1, SA poison (save at +2 or suffer 1- to AC and to hit rolls and -3 to DEX, onset time 1 round, duration 2-5 rounds), AL CE, XP 65 ea, Source: Monstrous Manual)

Small Young are treated in most ways as hairy spiders.

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