The document provides an overview and details of Level 1 of the Tombwood Crypts, an underground burial site in Fallcrest that contains the remains of citizens from over centuries. It describes various rooms and encounters that may occur, including skeletons, zombies, wights, and other undead. Reconsecrating certain areas can provide benefits or quests. The crypts connect to underground catacombs and other levels below.
The document provides an overview and details of Level 1 of the Tombwood Crypts, an underground burial site in Fallcrest that contains the remains of citizens from over centuries. It describes various rooms and encounters that may occur, including skeletons, zombies, wights, and other undead. Reconsecrating certain areas can provide benefits or quests. The crypts connect to underground catacombs and other levels below.
The document provides an overview and details of Level 1 of the Tombwood Crypts, an underground burial site in Fallcrest that contains the remains of citizens from over centuries. It describes various rooms and encounters that may occur, including skeletons, zombies, wights, and other undead. Reconsecrating certain areas can provide benefits or quests. The crypts connect to underground catacombs and other levels below.
The document provides an overview and details of Level 1 of the Tombwood Crypts, an underground burial site in Fallcrest that contains the remains of citizens from over centuries. It describes various rooms and encounters that may occur, including skeletons, zombies, wights, and other undead. Reconsecrating certain areas can provide benefits or quests. The crypts connect to underground catacombs and other levels below.
Overview: the first level of the Tombwood Crypts holds the majority of Fallcrest's dead over the centuries. It was looted and despoiled by the Bloodspear Orcs during the sack of Fallcrest. As a result, undead mill about the area, though rarely do they leave their resting place.
Wandering Monsters: The dead rest uneasily and wander about. Each short rest or when a room is searched, make a roll (1d6); a 1 indicates an encounter. Roll on the following table to determine the nature of the encounter.
1 Skeletons - 3 skeletons, 2 decrepit skeletons
2 Zombies - corruption corpse, 2 zombies, 2 zombie rotters 3 More skeletons 4 More zombies 5 Goblins - 3 goblin warriors, 2 goblin lurkers, running for their lives! 6 Wights - 2 wights, 1 deathlock wight
(Optional) Zombie Hordes: If you want to give the game a more zombie-movie like feel, roll once every time the PCs make noise. This includes every round in combat and any time they force open a door or something to that effect (to be quiet, they must succeed at a DC 11 Stealth check). If you get a wandering monster, make it any mix of zombies or skeletons with an XP budget of 500.
1. Stairs Up. These stairs are covered in a grimy filth. At the bottom of the stairs there is a stout stone door in the north wall. A corridor heads south for 40' from the stairs. In the western wall at the end of the corridor is an archway. DM's notes: The filth is cave slime; characters who enter these squares must succeed at a DC 10 Acrobatics check or fall down the stair (1d10 damage). Characters can identify it with a DC 15 nature check. It burns easily, though the stench may alter wandering monsters (1 on 1d6). The stone door leads to area 2. It is stuck; Athletics DC 15/Theivery DC 20 to open. If either roll is failed, roll for wandering monsters as the noise attracts attention.
2. Communal Area This looks as though it was once a shared communal area. An old disused shrine with empty candleholders stands against the wall, some old bronze wash tubs, although dirt and debris cover most of the floor now. There are bone shards scattered around. -exits to 1, 3, and 7? DM's notes: This room is empty. If the shrine is re-consecrated (treat as a Gentle Repose ritual, making wandering monster checks every 5 minutes), it will create a radiant field that gives undead a -2 penalty to attack rolls. Award the PCs a level 1 minor quest if they re-consecrate the shrine. 3. Major Crypt (XP 250+) -tons of bodies buried in the floor -pillars holding up the vaulted chamber -skeletons in heaps on the ground -5 exits: to 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 DM's notes: The dead do not rest easily here. If any character - including undead - go over certain squares, skeletons and zombies will spring to un-life and attack anything living. PCs can spot these squares with a DC 15 check: the stone slabs that cover the resting places are loose.
4 decrepit skeletons and 2 zombies are already wandering about the room. They will spot the PCs unless they succeed at a DC 18 Stealth check (and they must keep behind the pillars). If they fail, place the PCs near one of the pillars and roll initiative. Optional Resolution: You can draw out the battlemap for this room and roll initiative. Each PC must remain hidden. Skeletons spot if the PC fails a DC 12 check, zombies on DC 10. If one spots a PC he will attack or head toward that square, and others will on their turns as well; otherwise, skeletons move 1d6 squares in a random direction and zombies move 1d4.
4. Funeral Hall -funerals were held here -altar -old rotted pews -leads to 3 DM's notes: Empty room. If the altar is re-consecrated (this time requiring a DC 25 Religion check and a Gentle Repose ritual), any creature who is lain on the altar and given final rites is considered to have the Gentle Repose ritual cast upon it without any expenditure of sanctified incense. Award a level 1 minor quest reward. A secret trap door under the rotting pews (Perception DC 20, only detectable if searched) leads to the second level of the crypts. An inscription in common is on the altar but it has been scratched out. A Make Whole ritual will restore it; it says, "Bring Peace to the Beloved Departed". This simple prayer is required to open the secret door in the Sanctuary (area 9.).
5. Hall of Bones/Dark Mass (XP 900)
-2 one way doors to/from area 3 -large vaulted chamber -filled with bonework -not damaged much at all -stairs at the western end lead to an altar raised on a dais -stained-glass window backlit with unearthly purple glow -door hidden in an alcove leads to areas 8 + 9 DM's notes: A mad wraith floats at the altar, babbling an insane sermon to an audience of 2 zombies, 2 skeletons, and 4 decrepit skeletons. The wraith will notice PCs unless they succeed at a DC 17 Stealth check. Treasure: Hidden in a secret panel in the altar (Perception DC 15) is 276 gp, 89 sp, 70 cp, the last collection.
6. New Crypt (XP 500)
-room was once walled off, but the brick has been clawed through -more bodies buried in the floor -leads to area 10 DM's Notes: A ghoul and 2 skeletons lurk here. The orcs walled off three soldiers whom they discovered hiding in the crypts and left them to die. One of them ate the other two and when he died he turned into a ghoul. He clawed his way through the wall and now roams around the crypt with his friends. The ghoul initially attempts to talk, ordering his two men to hold back; as the conversation goes on he gets hungrier and hungrier until he attacks. PCs can keep him from attacking with a DC 20 Diplomacy check. If they do this, award them with a level 1 minor quest reward along with the XP for defeating them! (Don't award XP for defeating him a second time, though.)
7. Mosaic Room (XP 200/0)
-number of mosaics on the ground -some still glow with an inner light -most destroyed -leads to area 2, 17, & 15 Mosaic Poltergeist Elite artillery DM's notes: The mosaic has been possessed by a Lvl 1 poltergeist, the spirit of the artisan who created the XP 200 mosaics in this room. It will attack with vicious anger in No xp if encountered a second time a swirl of porcelain shards. It will not attack anyone of Init +1; Per +1 (darkvision); HP 56/28; AC 15, Fort 16, Ref 13, Will 15 the squares where the mosaic has been left untouched. resist necrotic 5; vulnerable radiant 5 Action Points 2; Saves +5 Speed 6, fly 8 (hover) Characters who make a DC 15 Religion check will Traits realize that the poltergeist will reform shortly after being Whirling Tiles Aura 1 destroyed. The only way to destroy the poltergeist is to 2 damage, difficult terrain for areas in the aura fix the tiles; making use of the Make Whole ritual will Standard Actions repair 4 squares. There are a total of 16 squares that Tile smash need to be repaired; each quarter repaired reduces the Attack: +8 v AC Hit: 1d6+3 and prone. number of hit points of the poltergeist by the same ratio. Whirlwind (close burst 3); recharge 5, 6 Award the PCs with a level 1 minor quest if they put the Attack: +6 v Fort poltergeist to rest. Hit: 1d6+3, push 3. Spout of tiles; ranged 10 Attack: +6 v Reflex Hit: 1d10+3 and difficult terrain in square. Triggered Actions Tile dust; Encounter Trigger: when hit by a melee attack Attack: +6 v Fort Hit: 1d6+3, blind (save ends). More tile dust; Encounter Trigger: when first bloodied Effect: use animate tiles again. Skills Str: +3 Con +3 Dex +1 Int -2 Will +1 Cha -2
8. Haruspex's Fane (XP 665)
-hole in the ground belches fumes -hot fire burns in hole
-smoky -leads to 3, 5, 9, and 11 DM's notes: The entire room is covered in fumes, granting concealment. Near the hole, the fumes grant total concealment and a mind-numbing sensation. If a character is in the cloud of fumes on the beginning of his turn, make an attack: Poison; +4 v Fort; -2 to attacks (save ends). First failed save: dazed (save ends). Second failed save: unconcious (save ends). Fire damage burns away the cloud for 1 round, negating concealment. The corpses of the 8 haruspices lurk here, reanimated as zombies. One is a corruption corpse, 2 are zombies, and 5 are zombie rotters. PCs must succeed on a DC 19 Stealth check or the zombies will notice them. They will press the PCs: "Haruspex: What do you see?" and hold their guts up to them. PCs will know that this is an ancient form of divination if they succeed on a DC 15 Religion check. If the PCs stutter and stammer - or rather, if the players do - the corruption corpse will cry, "The entrails portend fell times!" and throws his liver at the PCs, gaining a single surprise action. He is smart enough to use the cloud as cover, moving in and out of it. If the PCs make a "prophecy", have them make an attack against all zombies, even those that they cannot see: roll Int (+2 if Trained in Religion) vs. Will; on a hit, the zombie is stunned (save ends). The zombie considers the prophecy and takes no actions. Add a +2 bonus if animal guts are used. They can take continue to do this as standard actions during the combat. 1 of the zombies and 2 of the rotters are hidden in the cloud. They will attack on their turn as normal, though by this time they may have surrounded PCs going after the corruption corpse. The hole links to the Elemental Chaos, a bit of it trapped in the world. Characters who fall into it take falling damage (1d10). If the fumes are collected and refined (a long process, taking 12 hours and proper tools and a DC 15 check), they can gather 1d6gp worth of mystic herbs or sanctified incense. PCs may use this as a steady income flow, though they'll need to hire someone at a rate of 2gp/day. 9. Sanctuary
-Vaulted chamber -leads to 5, 8, 10, 12
-Torn apart -empty DM's notes: A DC 15 Religion check will reveal that this was the sanctuary of those who held service for the dead. Treasure: A secret door opens up into a small (10x10) chamber in the wall; the secret door can be noticed with a DC 20 Perception check, and requires a simple prayer to open: "Bring Peace to our Beloved Departed". PCs may know this with a DC 25 Religion check. Within the chamber is a skeleton resting peacefully, wearing a suit of frozen plate armour +1. 10. Old Priest's Tomb (XP 850)
-large room, 60x60 -body in the corner, shining dagger in his chest -leads to 6, 9, 12 -stench of death -symbols on the ground -stones capping graves in the ground DM's notes: The symbols are symbols of an Orcus cult, the Ashen Covenant, the one active in the Cairngorms. A Religion check (DC 10) will reveal the symbol as that of Orcus; DC 20 reveals it as the symbol of the Ashen Covenant. It has been placed here within the past few weeks. In the corner, an Ashgaunt is playing possum; PCs can see through his bluff with a DC 18 Insight check. He uses a winged dagger +1 to draw the attention of curious treasure-hunters. If he is approached, he attacks, and 3 zombies and 1 corruption corpse rise and attack. The zombies rise from loose graves; their location can be noticed with a DC 15 Perception check (and that the stink in the room is coming from one of them). The Ashgaunt is intelligent and will bargain for its (un-)life if it is sorely pressed. It can trade information on the Ashen Covenant, though it's doubtful this will save him.
Ashgaunt: lvl 7 soldier (leader) XP 300
see The Ashen Covenant from WotC
11. Vault -Vaulted chamber -Once held treasures -empty
12. New Priest's Tomb (XP 500+)
-newer construction, showy, less stable -lots of rubble on the ground -only half of the graves are capped -leads to 9, 10, 13 DM's notes: As the PCs cross through the middle of the room, a group of 4 zombies shambles forth after them from a random entrance. If the PCs engage the zombies in the room, it may trigger a cave in (1-3 on 1d6). Roll each round PCs can notice the chance of cave-in here with a DC 15 Dungeoneering check.
Cave-In: lvl 2 lurker (trap)
Init +4 Trigger: when strenuous activity occurs in the room Attack: Standard rection; close burst 3; +5 v R; 2d6+3, miss 1/2; continues to attack for 1d4 rounds. Countermeasures: DC 20 Dungeoneering to stabilize room; requires 3 successes; any failure triggers attack.
13. Rough Cave
-leads to 11, 12, 14 -strange markings on wall DM's notes: PCs who speak goblin can translate the markings: North: Gutwound Post. East: Gutwound Lair.
14. Wealthy Tomb
-leads to 13, 15 -looted DM's notes: 2 wights and a deathlock wight lair here. If alerted to the PC's actions by combat, they will follow them and strike when they are vulnerable. PCs will spot them with a DC 14 Perception check.
15. Hall of Gruumsh (XP 977)
-rough-hewn walls -source of despoiling -symbols of Gruumsh carved into cavern walls -piles of skulls loaded before it DM's notes: A secret door (DC 20) just north of the Hall leads to the third level of the Tombwood Crypts: The Gutwound Hobgoblin Lair. This place pulses with the hatred of Gruumsh. A curse is in effect: hatred overwhelms all living creatures in the area, compelling them to destroy the weak. At the start of each character's turn, make an attack: affects living creatures only; +4 v W; target makes a basic melee attack against the nearest creature (roll randomly if more than one), charging if necessary. This does not count against the character's actions for the round. In addition, corporeal non-minion orcish undead rise again as decrepit skeletons if reduced to 0 hp. A deathlock wight lairs here, stacking skulls before a large eye painted in blood and viscera on the wall. When PCs come in, he attacks, calling 4 rotting orcish zombies, 2 skeletons, and 3 decrepit skeletons to "protect the eye!" Characters who wish to disrupt the curse in some way (knocking the pile of skulls away, destroying the eye on the wall, saying holy rites) must succeed at a complexity 1, level 1 skill challenge. Failure means that the curse has proven to be too powerful for them; all orcish undead gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls. This will not give the dead peace, but it is worth a level 1 minor quest reward, and if you're using the zombie horde wandering monster option, stop it. A spectre lurks in the cave, invisible at the start of combat. It will not enter combat until it has a perfect strike set up. Treasure: In the skulls, PCs can find 116 gp, 33 sp, 70 cp + 3 turqoise gems (100 gp each) and a sacrificial axe +2.
16. Cave-In -rope hangs down from Barrow Mound. -strange writings on wall DM's notes: Empty room. Check out the Barrow Mound to see what the goblins will do if the rope is disturbed. PCs can hear low growling if they make a DC 12 Perception check. A character who succeeds in this check can make a Nature check (DC 17) to identify the sounds as guard drake growls. Characters who speak goblin can make out a waymarker that says: Up: Gutwound Post.
