Arcane - Heists - 2022 10 26
Arcane - Heists - 2022 10 26
Arcane - Heists - 2022 10 26
Swashbuckle your way through exotic locales as you and your party execute dangerous
heists. Every heist is a rescue mission to save yourselves.
The immortal being Sollus the Many has reincarnated into different forms countless times across the aeons. Having unlocked
powers of time manipulation, they've orchestrated events such that dozens of their reincarnations are all born at the same time.
It's only a matter of time until each reincarnation unlocks memories of their past, and can join Sollus the Many to achieve total
spiritual enlightenment.
Unfortunately, Sollus the Many has been imprisoned in a secret, impregnable lair, and most of their reincarnations have been
kidnapped by evil yugoloth mercenaries. It's up to you to rescue these reincarnations one by one so they can all become their true
selves. And, hey, maybe you'll find yourselves, too, along the way.
How? By planning a series of elaborate heists.
3
Book Details
Artist Pages
Sources Natali Art Collections 81
The following publications are referenced in this book. In-text T.M. van Dalen 83, 141, 143
page references for Arcane Heists use the abbreviation "AH". P.J. Pirrello 83, 130, 133
You can find the abbreviations for the other books below. Ede László 93, 126-127, 129, 132
Sourcebook Publisher Abbreviation Required Iurii 95
Wizards Aranga87 116, 121
Player's Handbook of the PHB Yes Khius 117, 125
Coast
Fran_kie 122
Wizards
Monster Manual of the MM Yes Art Furnace 137, 156, 169
Coast Kerem Gogus 146, 148, 150
Wizards Bhooparva 154
Dungeon Master's
of the DMG Yes Estevez 155
Guide
Coast
Corona Borealis Studio 157
Elemental Evil Wizards
Oleg Ivchenko 159
Player's of the EE Yes
Companion Coast Anna Anikina 162
OUTCLASSED: SimpleB 163
The NPC Statblock Will Rotor NPC Optional K3Star 163
Compendium James Cole 164, 168
Wizards Boscorelli 176
Mordenkainen's
of the MTF Optional
Tome of Foes Agsandrew 179
Coast
Wizards Warm Tail 180
Xanathar's Guide
of the XGE Optional Bruce Rolff 182
to Everything
Coast
Formatted using GMBinder, a tool created by /u/iveld
Please support WOTC by purchasing PHB, MM, and DMG. Styles by Alice Witchfire
Watercolour stains by Jared Ondricek
Credits
Author Contribution
Copyright
Adventure Bundles The Tranquil Prison DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast,
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William Rotor Most of the rest of the book! names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards
of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters
Artist Pages and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the
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89-90, 92, 98-99, 105-108, 114-115,
the United States of America. Any reproduction or
Luadthuong 119, 136, 138, 140, 144-145, 149, 168,
unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein
170-171
is prohibited without the express written permission of
Wizards of the Coast.
BlueCrayola 1, 48, 77 ©2022 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton,
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Rotor 84, 111, 147, 150 Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.
Iosif
Arcane Heists is an unofficial work of Fan Content
Chezan
53 permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not
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used are property of Wizards of the Coast.
"At what point does the I get separated from the we?"
-- The Nameless One, Planescape: Torment
5
Table of Contents
Part 1: Adventure Background AH 6
How to Use This Book AH 7
Foreword AH 8
Dramatis Personae AH 9
The Opalescents AH 10
Planar Travel AH 12
Heists AH 14
Part 2: Friends and Foes AH 15
Statblock Index AH 16
The Seven Heavens of Sollus the Dead AH 18
Denizens of The Reef AH 21
Yugoloths AH 25
Reef Creatures AH 35
Unique Heist Statblocks AH 39
Orzeg's Vinchies AH 45
Voidships AH 47
Part 3: Adventure Introduction AH 53
Border
AH 54
by William Rotor
The Reef AH 65
Part 4: Heists AH 89
Create Your Own Heist AH 90
Escape from Gleaming Beacon
AH 92
by William Rotor
Void Pirates
AH 107
by William Rotor
The Tranquil Prison
AH 116
by Adventure Bundles
In Remembrance
AH 126
by P.J. Pirrello
Mine-Work Make-Work
AH 136
by T.M. van Dalen
Teetering Imbalance
AH 145
by William Rotor
The Crimson Terror of Yenneth
AH 154
by William Rotor
Sawtooth
AH 163
by William Rotor
Part 5: Adventure Conclusion AH 169
But Food for Worms
AH 170
by William Rotor
Denouement AH 184
PART 1
Adventure Background
7
Foreword
The Rundown Quirks of This Book
This is a collection of swashbuckling heist adventures for a Read The Tale of the Knotted Snake (AH 179) first.
party of 8th-and-above level characters. Different versions of Most heists in this book are written by different authors in
the same person, the immortal Sollus the Many, have all been the DnD adventure writing community, and can have
kidnapped by evil yugoloth mercenaries, and it's the party's dramatically different styles. Every heist has a good mix of
job to elaborately plan a heist to rescue each one of them. exploration, roleplay, and combat, but some are very
The party operates out of a secluded demiplane in the socially focused, others are more like dungeon crawls, and
Border Ethereal known as The Reef, a sea of chaos and void still more are just plain weird, in the best way.
within which powerful creatures and useful allies hide. Each heist begins with a dramatic splash page introducing
Similar to the book Candlekeep Mysteries, published by the title and author. On the second page of each
Wizards of the Coast, Arcane Heists collects heists written by adventure, you'll find an author information page, listing
a variety of contributors. These heists are intended to the author's bio, notable works, and social media. It also
celebrate independent adventure writers in the D&D includes any additional credits associated with the
community, showcasing their unique writing style and adventure, primarily illustrators.
talents. Some important NPCs have ties to factions in the
Forgotten Realms. The Order of the Gauntlet, the
Group Expectations Harpers, the Lords' Alliance, the Emerald Enclave, and
the Zhentarim have faction representatives in the book.
The recommended starting level for this adventure is 8th. The party has a base of operations, The Reef, where they
This is meant to signal that your group should be well-versed can take a break between adventures and interact with a
in the rules and expectations of Dungeons and Dragons 5th host of unique characters. Each character in the Reef
edition, and that the Dungeon Master should be confident offers a service to the party, such as clerical healing,
and experienced. The adventures in this book all have adventurers' tools, or a space to conduct research, and the
different styles, which means a certain degree of flexibility denizens of The Reef also frequently visit and interact
will be needed to make the most of what they can offer. with each other with or without the party.
It is recommended that each player has, on an individual The locations are all intended to be interesting, unique
level, cumulatively levelled characters up to at least 8th, and locations, locations which are difficult to reach through
the DM has successfully run at least one major adventure of normal means. Instead, the party makes use of a few travel
any kind. options to reach the location of each heist. Most likely,
they'll use Thesea, a sentient ship that can create
High Concept teleportation gates for herself. Thesea is an example of a
voidship, a magical vehicle built to travel through the void
The overarching story that connects all the heists can be of The Reef.
quite high concept and is best introduced to the players Every heist includes yugoloth guards, the Opalescents.
gradually over time, unlocking pieces as they go along based Yugoloths are fiendish mercenaries. They are effectively
on their interactions with the NPCs in The Reef and the immortal, able to resurrect themselves in only a few days,
yugoloths they keep fighting. However, as a DM, you should meaning that killing one is never permanent and the party
probably skip straight to the last section, the Denouement, will likely fight the same yugoloths many times throughout
and read Sollus Ipsus the Many: The Tale of the Knotted their adventures. The intent is that the party forms long-
Snake to get a better sense of what's actually going on. term adversarial relationships with these enemies.
The first heist is always the same: a prison break from a
Content Summary border realm where the party is introduced to the
yugoloths, Sollus the Many, and the structure of coming
Part 1: A list of key NPCs, a guide for the enemy faction The up with and executing an elaborate plan to escape.
Opalescents, rules for planar travel and voidships, and Similarly, the last heist is always the same: the party
special abilities players can use during heists. blasts through the walls of a secure prison facility and
Part 2: Loads of statblocks arranged as follows: The Seven rescues the original Sollus the Many from their torment.
Heavens of Sollus the Dead, Denizens of the Reef, Successfully rescuing Sollus the Many means the end of
Yugoloths, Reef Creatures, Unique Heist Statblocks, the campaign.
Orzeg's Vinchies, and Voidships. Other than the first and last heist (Border and But Food
Part 3: The first heist of the adventure, and a detailed for Worms), the heists can be completed in any order the
description of The Reef, the party's base of operations. party chooses, and in any number they are happy with. It
Part 4: An anthology of heists created by various authors in is not necessary to complete every heist, and there is no
the DnD adventure writing community. recommended order. You're free to do whatever you like!
Part 5: The final heist and a denouement that explains the Anything from this book not mentioned to have been
backstory and what happens after the adventure. created by another author was created by William Rotor.
9
Dramatis Personae
The Seven Heavens of Denizens of The Reef
Sollus the Dead The Reef is a demiplane connected to the Border Ethereal,
where creatures of all variety congregate. It has been turned
Sollus Ipsus the Many is an eternal, timeless being, forever into a base of operations for the reincarnations of Sollus the
cursed to reincarnate into new bodies with all memories Many who hope to work together to rescue the original
wiped. Due to some time-travel shenanigans, it just so Sollus. The Reef is used for other purposes as well, and quite
happens that a huge number of these reincarnations are alive a few independent souls have made their home here.
at the same time, and they are starting to become aware of
who they truly are. Thesea. (THEE-see-a) A sassy sentient voidship with
One such reincarnation was Slarmfell, a powerful wizard teleportation powers, ready and willing to assist the party.
who was a key member of the Lords' Alliance. The wizard Gaundr. (GAUN-der) A salamander blacksmith sought after
learned of Sollus' true location: locked away in the depths of by the forces of evil for her skill at her forge.
an impregnable secret prison in the Great Unknown. If he Pythagoras. (py-THA-ger-us) A rogue tridrone who has built
can gather enough reincarnations of Sollus to work together a massive three-dimensional printing machine.
to create a machine that will burrow through the Border Narcissa. (nar-SISS-a) A princess of the arch devil Mammon.
Ethereal defenses, he can rescue his true self, become one, She disobeyed her father and became a cleric of Levistus.
and finally put an end to the suffering. Through Levistus she has answered Sollus' cries for help
Unfortunately, Slarmfell was captured by yugoloths while from Tartarus.
he defended the city of Waterdeep. The yugoloths whisked Yaukiss. (YAUK-iss) A disgraced githyanki knight who has
him away to planes unknown, tortured him, and eventually collected a large assortment of magic items in his travels
killed him, though his memory lives on through magical through the planes. He hides in The Reef rather than face
remnants of who he once was. his misdeeds.
The following characters are all fractured remnants of Alexandria. (al-ik-ZAN-dree-a) A librarian marut who
Slarmfell who carry on his mission for him posthumously. teleported her entire library into The Reef rather than let it
fall into the wrong hands.
Simulacrasollus. (sim-yoo-LACK-ra-SAUL-us) A semi-perfect Binterkell. (BIN-ter-kel) A trinket-collecting coin-vomiting
replica of Slarmfell created through the spell simulacrum. sprite from the Feywild who will buy basically anything the
He is made out of snow and is painfully aware of his party offers.
limited time, for he cannot heal or repair his quickly- Aries. (AIR-eez) A half-dragon artificer who used to be a
degrading body nor learn new spells to slow his decline. professional voidship engineer before she rescued Thesea
Illusosollus. (il-LOO-zoh-SAUL-us) An axiomatically-minded from being mulched and fled to The Reef.
illusion of Slarmfell created through the spell programmed Ariadne. (air-ee-AUD-nee) A githyanki craftswoman who
illusion and enhanced with other types of magic. He disobeyed her queen and now obsessively seeks new skills
contains a database of important information and acts as a to master.
coordinator for The Reef, the base of operations for the Quinobi. (kee-NOH-bee) A githzerai spiritual teacher who
mission. conscientiously objected to his people's warmongering
Skelesollus. (SKEL-oh-SAUL-us) Slarmfell's skeletal ways.
remains, reanimated with necromancy. Obeys simple Achilles. (a-KIL-eez) An incubus of bloodthirst, former
commands and doesn't tend to think for itself. quartermaster from the Blood War.
Crawllus. (CRAUL-us) Slarmfell's severed hand, reanimated Karen. (KAIR-un) A yugoloth defector, a merrenoloth who
with necromancy. Crawllus is deeply protective of offers her ferry services and information about the other
Skelesollus, but will serve as a familiar with some goading. yugoloths to the party.
Will-o'-Sollus. (WIL-oh-SAUL-us) Fragments of Slarmfell's
soul recollected in a ghostly border demiplane in the form Opalescents
of a glowing wisp. Part of the very soul of Sollus the Many. The ultroloth Broken Opal has been paid to attend to an
Spectrasollus. (SPEK-tra-SAUL-us) A ghastly apparition important mission: guard the various reincarnations of Sollus
created from the emotional agony of Slarmfell's torture by the Many across the afterlife. Make sure they cannot be
the arcanaloth Orzeg. Persists only in pursuit of revenge. brought together. To achieve this end, Broken Opal has been
Shadowsollus. (SHA-doh-SAUL-us) Slarmfell's shadow, assigned leadership over a troupe of lesser yugoloths, each
ripped from his body and twisted into a creature of with their own strange quirks.
darkness, a servant to its ultroloth master Broken Opal. Yugoloths cannot be permanently killed; they invariably
return from Perdition to fight another day. This means that
the Opalescents will likely form long-term adversarial
relationships with the party.
10
The Opalescents are listed in order of seniority. Kegnoth. (KEG-noth) Dhergoloth. Extremely stubborn. She
will hyperfocus on whoever killed her last and keep
Broken Opal. (BROH-kun OH-pul) Ultroloth. Brains of the throwing herself head first into that person. She has a
operation. Avid chess player. Likes mind games. Studies thick skull -- literally -- poking through the skin over her
the tactics of the party for ways to overcome them. Never scalp.
gets her hands dirty, always trying to be the last one alive if Caraxus. (ka-RAK-sus) Mezzoloth. Extremely keen sense for
she is even fighting at all. On her big forehead she has a the leader of the group. Tries to get everyone else to
tattoo of the Queen piece of chess. More secretly, she also question the leader. Leadership in Caraxus' eyes is not a
has a tattoo of the knotted snake that she has no memory right but a responsibility; he will respect a leader that
of receiving, though she believes with every fibre of her actually motivates those underneath them even if it means
being that this is just a coincidence. less glory for themselves. The strongest need not lead: only
Zigazan the Boiler. (ZIG-a-zan) Oinoloth. Rarely seen, the wisest. The contradiction of Caraxus' obsessions with
extremely dangerous. He is a fallen ultroloth. His skin has what it means to be a leader and his total powerlessness in
turned translucent and fluids have built up under each boil. the yugoloth hierarchy goes completely over his head.
He generally travels to places the party has been spotted Organus. (or-GAN-us) Mezzoloth. Huge bully. Will only target
and infects the entire region with a terrible plague until the one character even if it puts him at a disadvantage.
denizens tell him what happened. Constantly makes fun of his target with petty schoolyard
Rorknir. (ROARK-neer) Yagnoloth. Contract writer. Often insults. Indigo blue skin.
seen as the negotiator with other planar beings for Other Yugoloths. Also at Broken Opal's disposal are cannon
yugoloth protection against the party. She prefers not to fodder yugoloths like skereloths (pathetic wimps) and
fight, but if she does fight, she does so by relentlessly voorloths (agile shock troopers). She uses corruptoloths
criticising the party for breaching implied contracts. She liberally to turn the odds in her favour, and piscoloths when
wears a purple cape. she really wants to deal irreparable damage to everything
Orzeg. (OR-zeg) Arcanoloth. The interrogator for each in the immediate area.
version of Sollus. Does not like torture but isn't afraid to
exercise it now and then as a reminder that she is not your Other Notable Beings
friend. Many versions of Sollus have painful reminders of
the spells Orzeg has experimented on them with. Her Sollus Ipsus the Many. (SAUL-us IP-sus) Little is known
spellbook is a bloodthirsty mimic book that drools at the about Sollus' true identity, only that they are locked away in
prospect of dangerous magic; it gives her suggestions an impregnable prison and have somehow managed to get
constantly. their soul reincarnated into dozens of people
Queen Ursula McVale. (ER-suh-la mik-VAIL) Nycaloth. simultaneously through time travel.
Originally a beautiful and terrible human queen who Shaundakul. (SHAWN-da-kul) When travelling through the
plunged her kingdom into war. She was corrupted by greed Border Ethereal, the party must deal with Shaundakul, a
and was transformed when her people revolted against her, mysterious former god of travel, exploration, and discovery.
banishing her to the afterlife. Ursula seeks to find one Fallen from grace, the Rider of the Winds is now the
powerful enough to restore her at her throne in her caretaker of the Reef, appearing to those who wish to use it
kingdom and will avoid fights if the party brings her for planar travel. He appears as a wisened but strong old
symbols of royalty. man with a great white beard and a robe of stars.
Tirikan. (TEER-ee-kan) Nycaloth. Extremely proud. Looking Asmodeus, Lord of the Nine. (az-muh-DAY-us) The devil of
for his most evenly matched opponent. Will cycle through devils, Asmodeus has his claws in every scheme across the
party members to test each of them, and when he finds multiverse, always working towards the security of his
someone he likes, he'll challenge them to 1 on 1 duels to station and the inexorable creep of his power over all of
help him improve his fighting capabilities. creation itself.
Beck. (BEK) Canoloth. Loyal companion to Tirikan. He can Queen Vlaakith of the Githyanki. (vla-KITH) The undead
lock onto someone's scent and detect their location, even queen of the githyanki is an intensely powerful
across different planes of existence. Luckily, it seems like necromancer and a brutal tactician. She holds an entire
The Reef is safe. demiplane together for her githyanki subjects where they
Toda. (TOAD-a) Hydroloth. Toda is Karen's manager, always work agelessly and tirelessly in her name.
annoyed at her seeming laziness. Luckily for her, he is easy Kierk the Guard. (KYERK) A powerful yugoloth acting as the
to bribe and quite stupid. He's wising up a bit, however, and warden of the prison dimension Tartarus. He is trapped in
it's only a matter of time until he stumbles on the truth. Tartarus just the same as his prisoners and has spent
Ral'Romon. (ral-ruh-MON) Gachaloth. Spy and shock thousands of years absorbing their life experiences to train
trooper, alliance always in question. for the day when he might escape.
Karen. (KAIR-un) Merrenoloth. Secretly working against the
other yugoloths. Allied with the party.
11
The Opalescents
B
roken Opal made a mistake. A demonic
incursion on Perdition left a hundred and fifty of
her yugoloths dead, their souls destroyed, Villain Moves
thousands of years of experiences erased. She After each heist, roll for a villain move.
has one chance to redeem herself. The
incursion was not entirely her fault; Zigazan the d8 Villain Move
Boiler should have been there to prevent it. The 1 Five Dimensional Chess
council of oinoloths have demoted Zigazan, put him under
her command, and tasked the two of them with kidnapping 2 Planar Beacon
and guarding reincarnations of Sollus of Many, for one of 3 Search Party
those demons bore his tattoo. Completing this task is a 4 Spider Among Termites
matter of pride. One final chance to demonstrate her 5 Astral Assassination
strategic military mind. And if she fails ... well, she'll deserve
what she gets. 6 Devilish Equipment
7 Demonic Infusion
Random Opalescents 8 Logistics Management
Broken Opal's army of yugoloths, called the Opalescents, is 1: Five Dimensional Chess. Broken Opal spends sleepless
now quite small after the demons scoured her forces. Many nights on her balcony, brooding, thinking, and sipping
yugoloths left in the aftermath, as well, not confident with her whiskey. She switches the next incarnation of Sollus that
ability to lead. Those who remain are her most loyal the party encounters with an Opalescent under the effects
followers, or the most desperate to claw their way up to her of disguise self. Roll on the Random Opalescent table,
position and take control themselves. rerolling for results that don't make sense.
Roll randomly on the following table if you need a yugoloth 2: Planar Beacon. Broken Opal convinces a Great Oinoloth
in your heist. to pledge her the power to summon yugoloths from
anywhere in the planes. Every Opalescent gains its variant
d12 Opalescent summoning feature, if it has one (MM 313, 314), with
1 Broken Opal, ultroloth (MM 314, AH 25) 100% chance of a success for other Opalescents.
2 Caraxus, mezzoloth (MM 313, AH 5) 3: Search Party. Broken Opal scours the border worlds to
5 Kegnoth, dhergoloth (AH 26) hunt for the party's base. Henceforth, when the party
approaches The Reef after completing a heist, they run
3 Organus, mezzoloth (MM 313) into a yugoloth meteorship patrolling the area; it doesn't
4
Orzeg, arcanaloth (MM 313, AH 25) and 6 know the exact location of The Reef, but it's closing in.
vinchies (AH 45) Randomise the crew and passengers using the tables
6 Queen Ursula McVale, nycaloth (MM 314, AH 25) provided (AH 51), rerolling for results that don't make
8 Ral'Romon, gachaloth (AH 28) sense.
4: Spider Among Termites. This problem has plagued
7 Rorknir, yagnoloth (AH 27) Broken Opal for a while, but a minor slip up, a small
9
Tirikan, nycaloth (MM 314, AH 26) and Beck, inconsistency, blows the case wide open. She discovers
canoloth (AH 26) that Karen has been feeding the party information. She
10 Toda, hydroloth (AH 29) kidnaps her and entrusts her with Orzeg. See Teetering
11 Zigazan the Boiler, oinoloth (AH 30) Imbalance by William Rotor (AH 145).
12 Roll twice and take both results.
5: Astral Assassination. If she can't find The Reef, she'll
bring it to her. Broken Opal lures an important NPC out of
The Reef by playing to their flaws and then kills them.
Other Opalescents Choose an NPC that the players are attached to.
The merrenoloth Karen is also an Opalescent, but she does 6: Devilish Equipment. Broken Opal completes a contract
not participate in combat. Additionally, Broken Opal has the for a devil, slaying a powerful demon. All Opalescents
following generic yugoloths to round out her forces if she receive +2 weapons (DMG 213).
requires backup or extra muscle. 7: Demonic Infusion. Broken Opal bathes in the blood of
demons. Roll on the Wild Magic Surge table (PHB 104)
4 mezzoloths (MM 313), 1d4 in an encounter for each Opalescent when it rolls initiative.
12 skereloths (AH 32), 2d6 in an encounter 8: Logistics Management. Broken Opal consults a logistics
6 corruptoloths (AH 31), 1d6 in an encounter officer. Henceforth, add one more Opalescent to all
4 voorloths (AH 32), 1d4 in an encounter Opalescent encounters. Roll on the Random Opalescents
2 piscoloths (AH 31), 1d2 in an encounter table, rerolling for results that don't make sense.
12
Planar Travel
U
sing the voidship Thesea to pass through the
Reef and the Border Ethereal is the quickest Voidships
and safest method of travel to the exotic
locales included in this adventure collection. Drifting through the Reef, voidships dazzle onlookers with
However, travel is not so easy, as these their sleek, aerodynamic designs and rippling auras of power
halfway places are protected by Shaundakul, and fear. Their hulls slice through the emptiness, and their
The Rider of the Winds. magical wards protect all on board from the chaos that would
otherwise threaten to disrupt their minds.
Voidships automatically create a breathable environment
Gates for all crew and passengers. While within an area of
Planar gates are halfway spaces that glow with conjuration antimagic, or if the ship is reduced to 0 hit points, the ship
magic when observed with spells like detect magic. Passing can't change its speed, and crew and passengers suffocate.
through them has no effect; they must first be unlocked with
a gate key. Piloting a Voidship
If a traveller possesses a gate key, they can unlock the gate, To pilot a voidship, you need to be proficient in Vehicles
allowing it to be used to travel between two set places as per (Void). Since this isn't a proficiency found in the Player's
the spell gate, i.e. passing through the "front" instantly Handbook, a player can swap one tool proficiency for this one
transports a creature to a pre-set destination, spitting them at the beginning of the adventure, as long as they can justify
out in an empty space within 5 feet of the exit. A gate key can how their character learned it in the past.
re-lock a gate as well, preventing its use. Staying on course in the Reef requires a DC 10 Wisdom
Gate keys are magic items that glow with abjuration magic (Perception, Survival, or Vehicles (Void)) check. On a failed
when observed with spells like detect magic. The spell check, use the Reef random encounter table (AH 68) to
identify reveals an item to be a gate key, as well which gate it determine what the party runs into.
matches and which location it specifically leads to. When setting out on a journey through the Reef, roll 1d4;
If you would like to create your own gate key to use in your this is the number of weeks of travel it takes to arrive at the
adventures, simply roll on the trinket table (PHB 160-161). intended destination. The pilot must make the
aforementioned navigation check once at the beginning of
Shaundakul each week of travel, and for each week of travel, increase the
Using planar travel to get into or out of the Reef draws DC of the navigation check by 1.
attention from The Rider of the Winds, Shaundakul, a fallen
god of travel, exploration, and discovery. He appears as a
wisened but strong old man with a great white beard and a
robe of stars. Being a former divine being, Shaundakul has Subtle Knife
no statblock; he is immune to all forms of attack or influence. simple weapon (dagger), melee or ranged weapon,
He is now the Gatekeeper of the Reef, and he demands that a legendary, requires attunement
sacrifice be made before a traveling party is granted entry or
exit from this realm. You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls
To make a sacrifice, the party satiates Shaundakul by made with this weapon, and it deals force damage
expending a number of spell slots whose total value equals or instead of piercing damage.
exceeds 5 (for example, a 1st and 4th level spell slot). A While wielding the subtle knife, you can attempt a
character can choose to instead sacrifice 10 hit points as the DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check to unlock a
equivalent of 1 value of spell slot. Any number of party teleportation gate, stabbing through the gate's
members can contribute to feeding the portal, and it can be a material with the dagger. On a failed attempt (or if
combination of spell slots and hit points. you choose), the gate is destroyed. On a successful
If Shaundakul is fed, the party can safely pass, reaching attempt, the gate is unlocked.
their destination. If Shaundakul is not satiated, he transports
the party to a random location in the Material Plane of Toril. While attuned to this weapon, you can use it as a
spellcasting focus to cast the following spells by
expending charges. The dagger has 7 charges and
Horizon Walkers regains 1d4 charges when its user enters a plane of
Horizon walker rangers have a class feature that allows them existence they haven't reached before.
to innately locate planar gates. Give them a bone. 7 charges: plane shift
5 charges: teleport
Subtle Knives 3 charges: dimension door
Hidden throughout the multiverse are knives forged of 1 charge: misty step
stardust whose blades are so fine they can cut through the
fabric of existence itself.
13
Voidship Statistics Crew and Passengers. Underneath each statblock, a
suggestion for creatures to populate the crew and
A voidship has the following elements to its statblock that passengers is included. These are suggestions; you can
differ from a normal creature statblock. populate the voidship as you like.
Healing. Casting the spell mending on a voidship heals it by
Vehicle. Vehicles are objects; as such, unless the voidship is 1 hit point, as does 10 minutes of work by a trained
sentient, abilities that target creatures can't target a shipwright. If the voidship is reduced to 0 hit points, its
voidship. magic is permanently lost. Only a wish can restore it.
Hit Points. Voidships have a damage threshold attached to
their hit points. If the voidship takes fewer points of
damage than its damage threshold, it instead takes 0 Sentient Voidships
damage. If the damage threshold is reached, no damage is
subtracted. Most voidships are merely vehicles. Sure, they are
Speed. Voidships have three speeds: water, air, and void. warded with powerful magic and propelled through
Water speed determines how fast the ship travels on water; the void with nothing but wishes and dreams, but
not all voidships have the capability to do so. Air speed if you tore them apart, you'd find only wood, metal,
determines how fast the ship travels while flying through and simple charms.
an atmosphere. Void speed determines how fast the ship In rare cases, however, a voidship possesses a
living soul. This soul can be gifted to the ship by a
travels in the Reef and other environments that are mostly god impressed by its resilience, or it may manifest
void. While in void, the voidship maintains its current speed spontaneously after a particularly harrowing
and direction until the pilot changes it. Antimagic stops the experience.
pilot from changing speed or direction. Two sentient voidships are included in this
Initiative. Voidships act on their own initiative in combat. adventure: the ghostly wraithship, and the friendly
Since voidships don't have ability scores, their initiative is Thesea.
noted separately. Voidships are creatures, rather than objects,
Ability Scores. Voidships aren't creatures; an array of ability though they have a (vehicle) tag to indicate that all
scores doesn't make sense for them to have. Sentient effects targeting vehicles can also target them.
voidships have ability scores, however. They have ability scores as creatures do. Most
Creature Capacity. A voidship only needs 1 crew (unless it's sentient voidships can also cast spells or have
sentient, in which case it doesn't need any crew), but it's other magical abilities. A sentient voidship requires
often worth having multiple people on board who have the no crew and can travel independently if it so
capability to fly the ship in an emergency. The crew chooses.
number determines the maximum number of people on
board who can reasonably be given responsibility over the
ship. As for passengers, this determines the maximum
total number of (medium-sized) creatures that can
reasonably fit on the ship at once, not including crew. A
Large creature counts as 4 passengers, a Huge creature as
9, and Gargantuan creatures don't usually fit on a voidship.
Saves. Voidships automatically succeed on Intelligence,
Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws, unless they are
sentient. The voidship must still make Strength, Dexterity,
and Constitution saving throws, the bonuses of which are
listed on its statblock. If the voidship isn't piloted and isn't
sentient, it automatically fails Strength, Dexterity, and
Constitution saving throws.
Actions. A piloted or sentient voidship takes one action per
turn. It can't use the same action two turns in a row. Some
ships have multiattack; taking an action as part of
multiattack does not prevent the ship from using that
action on the next turn. For example, the skiff (AH 49) can
fire two laser cannons as part of multiattack, and then fire
one laser cannon on the next turn. Antimagic prevents the
voidship from taking actions. Voidships can't take attacks
of opportunity.
14
Heists
M
ake a plan, watch as it crumbles, implement the perfect Plan B, watch as that crumbles too, and improvise a
hasty solution on the fly that leads to a daring escape from the wreckage. This is the way of the cat burglar.
And now, my son, the technique passes to you.
Make copies of this page for each player. Hand them out.
Statblock Index
The following statblocks refer to named characters and monsters created for this adventure.
Name Page Name Page
Achilles AH 21 Penny Featherlight MM 214, AH 95
Airship AH 47 Piscoloth AH 31
Alexandria AH 22 Pythagoras MM 225, AH 71
Ariadne AH 22 Queen Ursula McVale MM 314, AH 25
Aries AH 23 Quinobi AH 24
Beck AH 26 Ral'Romon AH 28
Binterkell MM 253, AH 75 Reef Clownfish AH 35
Bloodspatter AH 39 Reef Eel AH 35
Broken Opal MM 314, AH 25 Reef Megalodon AH 36
Captain Quasar AH 42 Reef Octopus AH 36
Caraxus MM 313, AH 25 Reef Stingray AH 37
Chest of the Knotted Reef Whale AH 37
MM 220, AH 114
Snake Rorknir AH 27
Corruptoloth AH 31 Seerloth AH 33
Crawllus MM 44, AH 19 Serpasollus MM 214, AH 128
Erronys Resistance AH 38 Shadowsollus AH 20
Gaundr MM 266, AH 70 Simulacrasollus AH 19
MM 347 or NPC 187, AH Skelesollus AH 20
Gimlen
138
Skereloth AH 32
Githyanki Brig AH 49
Spectrasollus MM 147, AH 19
Githyanki Skiff AH 49
Supermassive Black Hole AH 52
Harpy Matron AH 43
Sword Sprinter AH 44
Illusosollus AH 19
Thesea AH 48
Karen AH 25
Tirikan MM 314, AH 26
Karen's Gondola AH 47
Toda AH 29
Kegnoth AH 26
Vinchy AH 45
Kierk the Guard AH 34
Vizea AH 40
Leonardo AH 45
Void Pirate AH 41
Modron Conveyer AH 50
Void Pirate Mate AH 41
Mountain Titan AH 43
Void Pirate Sorcerer AH 42
Narcissa AH 23
Voorloth AH 32
Nautiloid AH 50
Will-o'-Sollus MM 301, AH 19
Oozeloth AH 33
Wraithship AH 51
Organus MM 313, AH 25
Yaukiss AH 24
Orym the Alarmed MM 342, AH 122
Ynthriss AH 44
Orzeg MM 313, AH 25
Yugoloth Meteorship AH 51
Oskhar AH 40
Zenh AH 39
Pascorpticon AH 46
Zigazan the Boiler AH 30
17
The following statblocks are from officially released publications, including statblocks that were adapted for NPCs; for example,
Alexandria's statblock is based on the marut from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes.
Name Page Name Page
Aboleth MM 13 Knight MM 347
Air Elemental MM 124 Mage MM 347
Arcanaloth MM 313 Marut MTF 213
Astral Dreadnought MTF 117 Medusa MM 214
Attuner NPC 187 Merreneloth MTF 250
Basilisk MM 24 Mezzoloth MM 313
Camel MM 320 Mimic MM 220
Canaloth MTF 247 Mind Flayer MM 222
Cockatrice MM 42 Mind Flayer Arcanist MM 222
Commoner MM 344 Monodrone MM 224
Couatl MM 43 Mummy MM 228
Crab MM 320 Nycaloth MM 314
Crawling Claw MM 44 Oinoloth MTF 251
Cyclops MM 45 Otyugh MM 248
Deva MM 16 Pegasus MM 250
Dhergoloth MTF 248 Pentadrone MM 226
Dire Wolf MM 321 Pixie MM 253
Displacer Beast MM 81 Planetar MM 17
Duodrone MM 225 Priest MM 348
Earth Elemental MM 124 Quadrone MM 226
Elephant MM 322 Quasit MM 63
Erinyes MM 73 Red Slaad MM 276
Fire Elemental MM 125 Saber-toothed Tiger MM 336
Fire Snake MM 265 Salamander MM 226
Flameskull MM 134 Shadow MM 269
Flumph MM 135 Skeleton MM 272
Gas Spore MM 138 Sprite MM 283
Gibbering Mouther MM 157 Tridrone MM 225
Ghost MM 147 Ultroloth MM 314
Giant Ape MM 323 Unicorn MM 294
Githyank Knight MM 160 Veteran MM 350
Githyanki Warrior MM 160 Vrock MM 64
Gnoll MM 163 Water Elemental MM 125
Gray Ooze MM 243 Wereboar MM 209
Harpy MM 181 Will-o'-Wisp MM 301
Hell Hound MM 182 Wraith MM 302
Hydraloth MTF 249 Xorn MM 304
Incubus MM 285 Yagnoloth MTF 252
Intellect Devourer MM 191 Young Red Dragon MM 98
18
Simulacrasollus Illusosollus
Medium construct, neutral good neutral
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
-3 +1 +0 +4 +0 +0 -- -- -- +10 +0 +0
Shadowsollus Skelesollus
Medium undead, neutral evil Medium undead, neutral
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
-2 +3 +2 +0 +0 +2 -3 +2 +2 -1 -1 -3
Mace of Demonbane
simple weapon (mace), melee weapon, very rare
When you hit a demon with this magical mace, it
takes an additional 10 (3d6) force damage. If the
demon has 25 hit points or fewer after taking this
damage, it must succeed on a DC 20 Charisma
saving throw or be killed instantly.
You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls
made with this weapon.
22
Alexandria Ariadne
Large construct, lawful neutral Medium humanoid (githyanki), neutral
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+9 +1 +8 +4 +2 +0 +1 +3 +0 +3 +2 +0
Saving Throws Int +9, Wis +7, Cha +5 Skills Acrobatics +5, Alchemist's Supplies +5,
Skills Insight +7, Investigation +9, Perception +7 Animal Handling +4, Brewer's Supplies +5,
Damage Resistances thunder; nonmagical Calligrapher's Supplies +5, Cobbler's Tools +5,
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing Dragon's Dice +5, Glassblower's Tools +5, Flute
Damage Immunities poison +5, History +5, Jeweler's Tools +5,
Condition Immunities charmed, paralyzed, poisoned Leatherworker's Tools +5, Lute +5, Lyre +5,
Senses truesight 30 ft., passive Perception 17 Medicine +4, Nature +5, Navigator's Tools +5,
Languages all Painter's Supplies +5, Performance +2, Sleight of
Hand +5, Survival +4, Thieves' Tools +5, Tinker's
Aura of Truth. Alexandria automatically extends a Tools +5, Vehicles (Land, Sea, Void) +5, Viol +5,
magical aura out to 30 feet. While within her aura, a Woodcarver's Tools +5
creature that tells a lie takes 20 force damage and is Senses passive Perception 12
stunned until the end of Alexandria's next turn. Languages Common, Gith
Immutable Form. Alexandria is immune to any spell Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). Ariadne's innate
or effect that would alter her form. spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13).
Magic Resistance. Alexandria has advantage on She can innately cast the following spells, requiring
saving throws against spells and other magical no components.
effects.
At will: mage hand (the hand is invisible)
Actions 3/day each: jump, misty step
1/day: telekinesis
Unerring Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: automatic hit,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 30 force damage, and Jack of All Trades. When Ariadne makes an ability
the target is pushed up to 5 feet away from check relying on a skill or a tool she does not have
Alexandria if it is Huge or smaller. proficiency with, she adds +1 to the result.
Actions
Welding Flame. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) fire damage.
23
Aries Narcissa
Medium humanoid (dragonborn), neutral Medium humanoid (tiefling), neutral evil
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+2 +2 +2 +3 +0 +2 +0 +2 +2 +0 +3 +3
Skills Tinker's Tools +7, Woodcarver's Tools +7, Skills Deception +6, History +3, Religion +3
Smith's Tools +7 Damage Resistances cold, fire
Damage Resistances fire Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Senses passive Perception 10 Languages Common, Infernal
Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish
Innate Spellcasting. Narcissa's innate spellcasting
Spellcasting. Aries is a 4th-level spellcaster. Her ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +6 to hit with
spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, spell attacks). She can cast the following spells
+5 to hit with spell attacks). She knows the innately.
following artificer spells.
At will: ray of frost, thaumaturgy
Cantrips (at will): light, mending 1/day each: armor of agathys (2nd level), hellish
1st level (4 slots): absorb elements, grease, identify, rebuke (deals cold damage)
jump
Spellcasting. Narcissa is a 10th-level spellcaster. Her
2nd level (3 slots): continual flame, enhance ability,
spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13, +5
pyrotechnics
to hit with spell attacks). She knows the following
Actions cleric spells.
Light Hammer. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 Cantrips (at will): guidance, mending, resistance,
to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: spare the dying
4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage. 1st level (4 slots): create or destroy water, cure
wounds, detect evil and good, inflict wounds
Fire Breath (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). 2nd level (3 slots): augury, gentle repose, prayer of
Aries breathes fire in a 15-foot cone. Each creature healing
in the area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving 3rd level (3 slots): bestow curse, create food and
throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, water, protection from energy, revivify, sleet storm
or half as much damage on a successful one. 4th level (3 slots): death ward, freedom of
movement, ice storm
5th level (2 slots): cone of cold, greater restoration,
mass cure wounds, raise dead
Tomb of Levistus. Narcissa's armor class becomes
18 if it isn't already higher.
Actions
Rapier of Levistus. Melee or Weapon Attack: +8 to
hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) piercing
damage plus 14 (4d6) cold damage. This is a +3
magic weapon that melts when wielded by anyone
other than Narcissa. If it is melted, she can reform
the weapon as a bonus action at will.
Reactions
Parry. Narcissa adds 3 to her AC against one melee
attack that would hit her. To do so, she must see the
attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
24
Quinobi Yaukiss
Medium humanoid (githzerai), neutral good Medium humanoid (gith), neutral
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+3 +3 +2 +2 +5 +2 +4 +2 +2 +3 +2 +2
Skills Athletics +4, History +4, Insight +7, Saving Throws Con +5, Int +6, Wis +5
Persuasion +4 Skills Deception +5, Glassblower's Tools +6, History
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened +6, Perception +5
Senses passive Perception 12 Senses passive Perception 15
Languages Common, Gith Languages Common, Duskrise, Gith
Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). Quinobi's innate Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). Yaukiss' innate
spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15). spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14).
He can innately cast the following spells, requiring He can innately cast the following spells, requiring
no components. no components.
At will: mage hand (the hand is invisible), levitate At will: mage hand (the hand is invisible), mending
(self only) 3/day each: misty step, telekinesis, tongues
3/day each: enhance ability, shield 1/day: creation (glass only; 1 hour)
1/day: augury
Psychically-Enhanced Weapons. As a bonus action,
Actions
Quinobi empowers his cobalt blade, which ripples Multiattack. Yaukiss makes two attacks with his
with psychic energy. While empowered, it becomes silver greatsword.
a +2 magic weapon that emits bright light out to 5
feet and dim light for 5 feet beyond that. Quinobi Silver Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) slashing
can end the empowerment at any time.
damage plus 10 (3d6) psychic damage. This is a +3
Actions magic weapon. If used by a creature other than
Yaukiss, the psychic damage is inflicted on the
Multiattack. Quinobi makes two attacks with his wielder instead of the target.
cobalt blade.
Cobalt Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach
5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage.
Cobalt Blade (Empowered). Melee Weapon Attack:
+7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5)
radiant damage.
25
Yugoloths
Broken Opal
Broken Opal uses the generic ultroloth statblock (MM 314) Karen
with the following changes. Medium fiend (yugoloth), neutral
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 40 (9d8)
Loyal Goons. When Broken Opal is targeted by an Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
attack and an ally is within 5 feet of her, her ally can
use its reaction to swap places with her, and the ally
becomes the target instead. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Mastermind. Broken Opal can take the Help action +1 +3 +0 +3 +2 +1
as a bonus action. When used to assist an ally in
attacking a creature, the target of the attack can be Saving Throws Dex +5, Int +5
within 30 feet of Broken Opal. Skills Arcana +5, Deception +3, History +5,
Perception +4
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
Caraxus and Organus Damage Immunities acid, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Caraxus and Organus use the generic mezzoloth statblock Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive
(MM 313) with the following changes. Perception 14
Languages Abyssal, Common, Gith, Infernal,
telepathy 60 ft.
Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, Innate Spellcasting. Karen's innate spellcasting ability
is Intelligence (spell save DC 13). She can innately
reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6
+ 5) piercing damage, or 9 (1d8 + 5) piercing cast the following spells, requiring no material
damage when held with two claws and used to make components.
a melee attack. This is a +1 magic weapon. At will: charm person, glyph of warding, hex,
levitate, Nystul's magic aura
3/day: freedom of movement (can target her
Orzeg gondola)
1/day: glibness
Orzeg uses the generic arcanaloth statblock (MM 313). She Magic Resistance. Karen has advantage on saving
replaces the material and somatic components of her spells throws against spells and other magical effects.
with her spellbook, a chaotic evil mimic (MM 220) that has
an Intelligence of 10 (+0) and can speak Abyssal. Magic Weapons. Karen's weapon attacks are magical.
Teleport. As a bonus action, Karen magically
Queen Ursula McVale teleports, along with any equipment she is wearing
or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space
Queen Ursula McVale uses the generic nycaloth statblock she can see.
(MM 314) with the following changes.
Actions
Oar. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
Innate Spellcasting. Queen Ursula McVale's innate Intimidation Gaze. Karen targets one creature she can
spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 see within 60 feet of her. The target must succeed
to hit with spell attacks). She can innately cast the on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become
following spells, requiring no material components. frightened for 1 minute. The frightened target can
At will: charm person, crown of madness, repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its
enlarge/reduce (self only), protection from energy, turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
mirror image
26
Tirikan Beck
Tirikan uses the generic nycaloth statblock (MM 314) with Medium fiend (yugoloth), lawful evil
the following changes.
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 120 (16d8 + 48)
Speed 50 ft.
Innate Spellcasting. Tirikan's innate spellcasting
ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with
spell attacks). He can innately cast the following STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
spells, requiring no material components. +4 +0 +3 -3 +3 +1
At will: branding smite, command, compelled duel,
invisibility (self only) Skills Investigation +3, Perception +9
1/day: death ward (self only) Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
Damage Immunities acid, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., truesight 120 ft., passive
Perception 19
Languages understands Abyssal and Infernal, but
Kegnoth can't speak; can communicate simple ideas with
Medium fiend (yugoloth), neutral evil Tirikan through telepathy up to a range of 60 ft.
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 119 (14d8 + 56) Dimensional Lock. Other creatures can't teleport to
Speed 30 ft. or from a space within 60 feet of Beck. Any attempt
to do so is wasted.
Magic Resistance. Beck has advantage on saving
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA throws against spells and other magical effects.
+3 +0 +4 -2 +0 -1
Magic Weapons. Beck's weapon attacks are magical.
Saving Throws Str +6 Uncanny Senses. Beck can't be surprised while he
Skills Perception +3 isn't incapacitated.
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing Actions
Damage Immunities acid, poison Multiattack. Beck makes two attacks: one with his
Condition Immunities poisoned tongue or his bite, and one with his claws.
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive
Perception 13 Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft. one target. Hit: 25 (6d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) slashing damage.
Magic Resistance. Kegnoth has advantage on saving
throws against spells and other magical effects. Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 30
ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d12 + 4) piercing damage.
Magic Weapons. Kegnoth's damage is magical. If the target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled
(escape DC 15), pulled up to 30 feet towards Beck,
Actions and is restrained until the grapple ends. Beck can
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., grapple one target at a time with his tongue.
one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) slashing damage.
Reactions
Flailing Whirlwind. Kegnoth moves up to her walking Recall Training. When Beck hears Tirikan call for him
speed in a straight line, without incurring attacks of or receives telepathic communication from Tirikan
opportunity, and targets each creature within 5 feet ordering him to return, Beck can magically teleport
of her during her movement. Each target must to an empty space within 5 feet of Tirikan. Any
succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take creatures Beck is grappling teleport with him.
22 (3d12 + 3) slashing damage.
Teleport. Kegnoth magically teleports, along with any
equipment she is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet
to an unoccupied space she can see.
27
Ral'Romon was created by Adventure Bundles and is featured in the heist The Tranquil Prison.
29
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Magic Resistance. Toda has advantage on saving throws
Hit Points 135 (18d8 + 54) against spells and other magical effects.
Speed 20 ft., swim 40 ft., fly 15 ft. (hover) Magic Weapons. Toda's weapon attacks are magical.
Secure Memory. Toda is immune to spells and other
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA magical effects that would steal or modify his
memories or detect or read his thoughts.
+5 +1 +3 +4 +0 +2
Actions
Skills History +8, Perception +4
Multiattack. Toda makes two melee attacks.
Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Damage Resistances cold, lightning; nonmagical Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.
Damage Immunities acid, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned Steal Memory (1/Day). Toda targets one creature he can
Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 14 see within 60 feet of him. The target takes 14 (4d6)
Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft. psychic damage, and it must make a DC 16 Intelligence
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) saving throw. On a failed save, the target loses all
proficiencies, it can't cast spells, it can't understand
Adaptable. Toda can breathe in any environment. language, and if its Intelligence and Charisma scores are
higher than 5, they become 5. Each time the target
Innate Spellcasting. Toda's innate spellcasting ability is finishes a long rest, it can repeat the saving throw,
Intelligence (spell save DC 16). He can innately cast the ending the effect on itself on a success. A greater
following spells, requiring no material components. restoration or remove curse spell cast on the target
ends this effect early.
At will: clairvoyance, detect magic, dispel magic,
invisibility (self only), protection from evil and good
3/day each: counterspell, zone of truth
1/day each: scrying, wall of force
30
Armor Class 17 (natural armor) At will: blindness/deafness (5th level), detect magic,
Hit Points 204 (24d8 + 96) dispel magic, invisibility (self only)
Speed 30 ft. 1/day each: eyebite, disintegrate, feeblemind, gate
Magic Resistance. Zigazan has advantage on saving
throws against spells and other magical effects.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Magic Weapons. Zigazan's weapon attacks are magical.
+4 +3 +4 +4 +3 +4
Actions
Saving Throws Con +8, Wis +7
Multiattack. Zigazan uses his transfixing gaze. Then, he
Skills Deception +8, Intimidation +8, Perception +7
can make two claw attacks or cast a spell with a casting
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical
time of 1 action.
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
Damage Immunities acid, poison Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Condition Immunities poisoned target. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) slashing damage plus 22
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive (4d10) poison damage.
Perception 17
Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft. Corrupted Healing. Zigazan touches a creature within 5
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP) feet of him that is at half its hit point maximum or
lower. The target regains all its hit points, and Zigazan
Bringer of Plagues (Recharge 5-6). As a bonus action, can additionally end one disease on the target or
Zigazan blights the area within 30 feet of him. The remove one of the following conditions from it:
blight lasts for 24 hours. While blighted, all normal blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned. The target
plants in the area wither and die, and the number of hit then gains 1 level of exhaustion, and its hit point
maximum is reduced by 7 (2d6). This reduction can be
points restored by a spell to a creature in that area is
halved. removed only by a wish spell or by casting greater
restoration on the target three times within the same
Furthermore, when a creature moves into the blighted hour. The target dies if its hit point maximum is
area or starts its turn there, that creature must make a reduced to 0.
DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a successful save, Teleport. Zigazan magically teleports, along with any
the creature is immune to Zigazan's Bringer of Plagues equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to
for the next 24 hours. On a failed save, the creature an unoccupied space he can see.
takes 14 (4d6) necrotic damage and is poisoned.
Tranfixing Gaze. Zigazan targets one creature he can see
The poisoned creature can't regain hit points. After within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC
every 24 hours that elapse, the poisoned creature can 16 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or be
repeat the saving throw. On a failed save, the creature's charmed until the end of Zigazan's next turn. While
hit point maximum is reduced by 5 (1d10). This charmed in this way, the target is restrained. If the
reduction lasts until the poison ends, and the target target's saving throw is successful, the target is
dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0. The immune to Zigazan's gaze for the next 24 hours.
poison ends after the creature successfully saves
against it three times.
31
Additional Yugoloths Piscoloth
Huge fiend (yugoloth), neutral evil
Skeroloth Voorloth
Small fiend (yugoloth), neutral evil Large fiend (yugoloth), neutral evil
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+3 +3 +3 +1 +0 -2 +5 +4 +4 -1 +1 -3
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical Skills Athletics +8, Perception +7
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical
Damage Immunities acid, poison bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
Condition Immunities poisoned Damage Immunities acid, poison
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Condition Immunities poisoned
Perception 10 Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive
Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft. Perception 17
Challenge 3 (700 XP) Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Easily Frightened. The skereloth becomes frightened
of the first creature to deal damage to it in a round. Axiomatic Mind. The voorloth can't be compelled to
The skereloth is frightened in this way until the end act in a manner contrary to its nature or its
of its next turn, at which point the next creature to instructions.
deal damage to it triggers this trait again.
Innate Spellcasting. The voorloth's innate spellcasting
Innate Spellcasting. The skereloth's innate ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 10). It can
spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 11). innately cast the following spells, requiring no
It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.
material components.
At will: detect magic, dispel magic, invisibility (self
At will: blindness/deafness, detect magic, dispel only)
magic, invisibility (self only)
Keen Smell. The voorloth has advantage on Wisdom
Magic Resistance. The skereloth has advantage on (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
saving throws against spells and other magical
Scentless. The voorloth can't be detected by
effects.
Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Magic Weapons. The skereloth's weapon attacks are
Magic Resistance. The voorloth has advantage on
magical.
saving throws against spells and other magical
Pitiful. While the skereloth is frightened, creatures effects.
have disadvantage on attack rolls against the
Magic Weapons. The voorloth's weapon attacks are
skereloth. Any creature that hits a frightened
magical.
skereloth automatically scores a crit against it.
Siege Monster. The voorloth deals double damage
Actions against objects and structures.
Multiattack. The skereloth makes two claw attacks. Actions
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., Multiattack. The voorloth makes three lash attacks.
one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.
Lash. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 20 ft.,
Teleport. The skereloth magically teleports, along
one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage.
with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to
60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. Teleport. The voorloth magically teleports, along
with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to
60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
33
Wardenloths
These yugoloths are sequestered in Tartarus, and can only be Oozeloth
found in that plane. Medium fiend (yugoloth, shapechanger), neutral evil
Kierk the Guard Magic Weapons. Kierk's weapon attacks are magical.
Medium fiend (yugoloth), neutral evil Spellcasting. Kierk is a 20th level spellcaster. His
spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 25,
Armor Class 26 (plate +3, shield +3) +17 to hit with spell attacks). He has the following
Hit Points 280 (20d8 + 200) wizard spells prepared.
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover) Cantrips (at will): chill touch, mage hand, minor illusion,
prestidigitation
1st level (4 slots): alarm, magic missile, shield, silent
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA image
+10 +10 +10 +10 +10 +10 2nd level (3 slots): arcane lock, augury, enhance ability,
knock, web
Skills Acrobatics +24, Alchemist's Tools +24, Animal 3rd level (3 slots): bestow curse, counterspell, dispel
Handling +24, Arcana +24, Athletics +24, Brewer's magic, fireball, major image
Supplies +24, Calligrapher's Supplies +24, 4th level (3 slots): arcane eye, phantasmal killer, stone
Cartographer's Tools +24, Cobbler's Tools +24, shape, wall of fire
Cook's Utensils +24, Deception +24, Glassblower's 5th level (3 slots): creation, telekinesis, wall of stone
Tools +24, History +24, Insight +24, Intimidation 6th level (2 slots): contingency, disintegrate, eyebite,
+24, Investigation +24, Jeweler's Tools +24, Otto's irresistible dance
Leatherworker's Tools +24, Mason's Tools +24, 7th level (2 slots): mirage arcane, power word pain,
Medicine +24, Nature +24, Navigator's Tools +24, reverse gravity
Painter's Supplies +24, Perception +24, Performance 8th level (1 slot): antimagic field, dominate monster,
+24, Persuasion +24, Potter's Tools +24, Religion maze
+24, Sleight of Hand +24, Smith's Tools +24, Stealth 9th level (1 slot): foresight, invulnerability
+24, Survival +24, Thieves' Tools +24, Tinker's Tools
+24, Vehicles (Voidship) +24, Violin +24, Weaver's Actions
Tools +24, Woodcarver's Tools +24 Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Damage Vulnerabilities necrotic target. Hit: 12 (1d4 + 10) bludgeoning damage.
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing Extract Memories. Kierk touches an incapacitated
Damage Immunities acid, poison creature. The target takes 36 (8d8) psychic damage
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned and Kierk copies its memories and skills into his brain.
Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 34
Teleport. Kierk magically teleports, along with any
Languages all, telepathy 60 ft.
equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to
Challenge 25 (75,000 XP)
an unoccupied space it can see.
Cheater. Kierk can concentrate on as many spells Legendary Actions
simultaneously as he likes. If he loses concentration, all
spells he is concentrating on end. Kierk can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the
options below. Only one legendary action can be used
Crippling Fear of Death. When Kierk takes necrotic at a time, and only at the end of another creature's turn.
damage, he automatically fails any rolls to maintain Spent legendary actions are regained at the start of
concentration as a result of taking this damage. each turn.
Innate Spellcasting. Kierk's innate spellcasting ability is Teleport. Kierk uses his Teleport action.
Intelligence (spell save DC 25). He can innately cast the
following spells, requiring no components. Swift Caster. Kierk casts a spell with a casting time of 1
action.
At will: detect magic, detect thoughts, dispel magic,
freedom of movement, hold monster, greater Reset (Costs 2 Actions). Kierk ends all spells and other
invisibility (self only) magical effects targeting him, as well as any conditions
3/day: scrying he chooses, and then takes 5 necrotic damage
1/day: death ward, forbiddance (doubled to 10). Kierk can take this action even if he is
incapacitated.
35
Reef Creatures
These creatures travel the infinite astral demiplane of The Reef.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+2 +5 +2 -4 +0 -4 +2 +6 +3 -4 +1 -4
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+4 +6 +2 -1 +3 -1 +8 +4 +5 -5 +4 -3
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+4 +3 +3 -4 +0 -4 +5 +0 +5 +0 +4 +2
The Erronys resistance was created by Adventure Bundles and is featured in the heist The Tranquil Prison.
39
Bloodspatter Zenh
Medium celestial, chaotic evil Large fiend (devil), lawful evil
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+2 +1 +3 -2 +0 -2 +4 +3 +4 +1 +2 +3
Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 10 Saving Throws Int +4, Wis +5, Cha +6
Languages Gnoll Skills Insight +5, Persuasion +6
Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and
Blood Frenzy. Bloodspatter has advantage on melee slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren't
attack rolls against any creature with blood that silvered
doesn't have all its hit points. Damage Immunities fire, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Blood Rager. When Bloodspatter has taken more Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12
than 10 damage since finishing their last turn, they Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
add an extra 10 damage to the first attack they hit
with this turn. Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede
Rampage. When Bloodspatter reduces a creature to Zenh's darkvision.
0 hit points with a melee attack on their turn, they
Magic Resistance. Zenh has advantage on saving
can take a bonus action to move up to half their
throws against spells and other magical effects.
speed and make a bite attack.
Actions Actions
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft.,
Multiattack. Bloodspatter makes three melee weapon
one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage.
attacks: one with their bite and two with their claw.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
Reactions
one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage. Rebuke the Violent. When Zenh sees an attacker
within 30 feet of her deal damage with an attack
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
against a creature other than her, she can force the
one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.
attacker to make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw.
On a failed save, the attacker takes necrotic damage
equal to the damage it just dealt. On a successful
Bloodspatter, Zenh, Oskhar, and Vizea are featured in the save, it takes half as much damage.
heist Escape from Gleaming Beacon by William Rotor.
Zenh's hammer of gravity reversal is located in Penny's office.
Oskhar Vizea
Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil Medium monstrosity, lawful evil
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+4 +0 +4 +0 +2 +2 +0 +2 +3 +1 +1 +2
Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +5 Skills Deception +4, Insight +3, Perception +3,
Skills Deception +5, Intimidation +5, Religion +3 Religion +3
Senses passive Perception 12 Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Common Languages Common
Spellcasting. Oskhar is a 10th-level spellcaster. His Blinded. While wearing her blinder, Vizea is blinded.
spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 She can't see, she automatically fails any ability
to hit with spell attacks). He has the following check that requires sight, her attack rolls have
paladin spells prepared. disadvantage, and attack rolls against her have
advantage.
1st level (4 slots): command, compelled duel,
hellish rebuke, hex Petrifying Gaze. When a creature that can see Vizea's
2nd level (3 slots): ray of enfeeblement eyes starts its turn within 30 feet of her, she can
3rd level (2 slots): bestow curse force it to make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw
if she isn't incapacitated and can see the creature. If
Psychically-Enhanced Weapons. As a bonus action,
the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is
Oskhar empowers his garnet blade, which ripples
instantly petrified. Otherwise, a creature that fails
with psychic energy. While empowered, it becomes
the save begins to turn to stone and is restrained.
a +2 magic weapon that emits bright light out to 5
The restrained creature must repeat the saving
feet and dim light for 5 feet beyond that. Oskhar
throw at the end of its next turn, becoming petrified
can end the empowerment at any time.
on a failure or ending the effect on a success. The
Actions petrification lasts until the creature is freed by the
greater restoration spell or other magic.
Multiattack. Oskhar makes two attacks.
Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) bludgeoning creature does so, it can't see Vizea until the start of
damage. its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If the
creature looks at Vizea in the meantime, it must
Garnet Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach
immediately make the save.
5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.
If Vizea sees herself reflected on a polished surface
Garnet Blade (Empowered). Melee Weapon Attack:
within 30 feet of her and in an area of bright light,
+9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d6 + 6)
she is, due to her curse, affected by her own gaze.
radiant damage.
While wearing her blinder, this trait is suppressed
Dreadful Aspect (Recharges after a Short or Long
for Vizea.
Rest). Each enemy within 30 feet of Oskhar must
succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be Actions
frightened for 1 minute. If a frightened target ends
its turn more than 30 feet away from Oskhar, the Snake Hair. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5
target can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage plus
on itself on a success. 14 (4d6) poison damage.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+1 +3 +1 +0 +2 +0 +1 +3 +1 +1 +2 +2
Skills Acrobatics +5, Athletics +3, Perception +4, Skills Acrobatics +5, Athletics +3, Perception +4,
Survival +4, Vehicles (Void) +4 Survival +4, Vehicles (Void) +6
Senses passive Perception 14 Senses passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Celestial, Thieves' Cant Languages Common, Celestial, Thieves' Cant
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Hover Jets. While wearing hover jets, the pirate has a Cunning Action. The pirate can take the Dash,
fly (hover) speed of 30 feet and has disadvantage on Disengage, or Hide actions as a bonus action on its
Dexterity (Stealth) checks. turn.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+0 +2 +0 +1 +1 +4 +4 +4 +2 +1 +2 +5
Senses passive Perception 11 Skills Athletics +7, Intimidation +11, Perception +5,
Languages Common, Celestial, Thieves' Cant Survival +5, Vehicles (Void) +5
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and
slashing
Gasp of the Void. The pirate doesn't trigger Senses passive Perception 12
opportunity attacks when it flies out of a hostile Languages Common, Celestial, Thieves' Cant
creature's reach. Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)
Hover Jets. While wearing hover jets, the pirate has a Beard is on Fire. Captain Quasar takes 1 fire damage
fly (hover) speed of 30 feet and has disadvantage on at the start of each of his turns. Putting out his
Dexterity (Stealth) checks. beard requires an action. Captain Quasar will never
Innate Spellcasting. The pirate's spellcasting ability is willingly put out his beard.
Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell
Hover Jets. While wearing hover jets, the Captain
attacks). The pirate can cast the following spells
Quasar has a fly (hover) speed of 30 feet and has
innately.
disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
At will: gust, shocking grasp, thunderclap,
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When Captain Quasar
thunderwave
fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed
3/day each: gust of wind, shatter, thunderous smite
instead.
1/day each: call lightning, storm sphere, warding
wind, wind wall Rage Beyond Death. When Captain Quasar is reduced
to 0 hit points, he remains alive and conscious until
Leyline Channeler. All damage from the pirate's spells
he ends his turn after neither taking nor dealing
is force damage.
damage since the beginning of his previous turn
Actions while still remaining at 0 hit points.
Force Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 Reckless. At the start of its turn, Captain Quasar can
to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls
7 (2d4 + 2) force damage, and the target must during that turn, but attack rolls against him have
succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or advantage until the start of his next turn.
be stunned until the end of its next turn. This is a
magic weapon. The dagger ceases to exist if the
Actions
pirate is killed. Multiattack. Captain Quasar makes three attacks with
his void scimitars and one with his hand crossbow.
Reactions Then, he uses his Vicious Reputation, if available.
Void Lash. When the pirate is hit by an attack, it can
use its reaction to force its attacker to make a DC Void Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach
15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) force damage.
target takes 14 (4d6) force damage and is pushed The scimitar ceases to exist if Captain Quasar is
20 feet in a direction of the pirate's choice. On a killed.
successful save, the target takes no damage and is Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit,
pushed 10 feet. range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4)
piercing damage.
Vicious Reputation (Recharge 4-6). Each hostile
creature within 60 feet of Captain Quasar that can
see him must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving
throw or become frightened of Captain Quasar until
the end of its next turn.
43
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+3 +2 +2 –1 +1 +1 +7 +2 +5 +0 +1 –1
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+1 +2 +1 +0 +0 +0 +2 +4 +0 +1 +0 +5
Orzeg's Vinchies
W
hirring and grinding, the automatons expel Recharge. A long rest only takes 4 hours for you, which you
blasts of hot air that sizzle against skin. Their spend largely motionless and inactive yet still aware of your
armor gleams with flecks of copper and their surroundings.
skeletal limbs skuttle across superheated Vinchy Spellcasting. You can cast absorb elements once
stone. with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you
finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast
cloud of daggers once with this trait and regain the ability
to do so when you finish a long rest. Constitution is your
Vinchy Player Race spellcasting ability for these spells.
Vinchies are mechanical creature powered by steam and Languages. You can speak, read, and write Abyssal and
magic. They take on many forms, from slender and insectoid Infernal.
to hulking and unbalanced. What they share is their origin:
the fevered designs of the arcanoloth Orzeg.
When playing a Vinchy as a player character, you have
managed to break free of Orzeg's influence. Choose an Vinchy
explanation or roll on the following table. Medium construct, lawful evil
d6 Escape
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
A surge of wild magic gave you the gift of Hit Points 22 (4d6 + 8)
1
sentience. Speed 30 ft.
You fell into a crevice and were abandoned by other
2
vinchies. Eventually, you crawled out yourself.
Your mistake caused great harm to Orzeg. You fled STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
3 +1 +1 +2 -1 -1 -4
rather than face her cruel and unusual punishment.
You were rescued by a strike team of devils who
4 reprogrammed you to only obey others under Damage Immunities poison
express contractual obligation. Condition Immunities paralyzed, poisoned
Senses passive Perception 9
You were always built to be different. Orzeg never
5 Languages Abyssal, Infernal
counted on how different you would be.
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
You never left Orzeg's control; you are secretly still
6
working for her. Axiomatic Mind. The vinchy can't be compelled to
disobey its creator.
Vinchy Traits
Innate Spellcasting. The vinchy's innate spellcasting
You have the following racial traits. ability is Constitution (spell save DC 12). It can
innately cast the following spells.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution increases by 1,
and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1. At will: absorb elements
Creature Type. You are a construct. 1/day: cloud of daggers
Size. You stand between four and five feet tall. You are Melting. When the vinchy takes acid or fire damage,
Medium. it takes an additional 1d6 damage.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet. Relentless (1/Day). When the vinchy is reduced to 0
Armored Casing. Your outer shell is a copper or bronze alloy. hit points and not killed outright, it can choose to
While you aren't wearing armor, your armor class is 15. drop to 1 hit point instead.
False Life. When you are targeted with a healing spell that
ordinarily can't affect constructs, such as cure wounds, you Overcharge. When the vinchy is killed, it explodes
gain temporary hit points equal to the amount of hit points with superheated air in a 20-foot radius around it.
you would have gained from the spell. Each creature in the radius must make a DC 12
Mechanical Nature. You have resistance to poison damage Constitution saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) fire
and immunity to disease, and you have advantage on damage on a failed save or half as much damage on
saving throws against being paralyzed or poisoned. You a successful one.
don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe. Actions
Overcharge. When you drop to 0 hit points or fail a death
saving throw, you release a blast of superheated air. All Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
creatures within 20 feet of you must make a DC 15 one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.
Constitution saving throw, taking 4d6 fire damage on a
failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
46
Voidships
Karen's Gondola Airship
Huge vehicle (20 ft. by 5 ft.) Huge vehicle (60 ft. by 15 ft.)
Saves Str -2, Dex +2, Con +0 Saves Str +0, Dex +0, Con +0
Damage Immunities poison, psychic Damage Immunities poison, psychic
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened,
exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed,
petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious
Antimagic Susceptibility. The gondola's actions and Enslaved Fire. The airship is powered by an
features, other than this one, don't function in an incapacitated fire elemental (MM 125). If the fire
area of antimagic. elemental is destroyed or freed, the airship loses its
air speed.
Insured. The gondola's speed can't be reduced as
long as it has greater than 0 hit points. Actions
Merrenoloth Comfort. Creatures Karen chooses to While the airship is crewed, it can take one of the
take on the gondola can breathe in any environment following actions on its turn. It can't use the same
and aren't discomfited by wind or weather, though action two turns in a row. For every action taken, the
this effect doesn't protect against damage. enslaved fire elemental takes 1d6 force damage.
Reliable. The gondola always stays on course to the
destination Karen names. Flare. The airship moves 60 feet vertically.
Warded (1 Use). Using glyph of warding, Karen has Fire Blast. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 60
warded her gondola against intruders. Any creature ft., up to two targets. Hit: 14 (4d6) fire damage, and
that steps foot on her gondola without her if the target is a vehicle, it catches on fire. The
invitation becomes targeted with disintegrate (spell flames can be doused with a Wisdom (Survival)
save DC 13). check with a DC equal to 10 plus the amount of fire
damage the vehicle has taken this round (max DC
Actions 25). While the vehicle is on fire, it takes 14 (4d6)
fire damage at the start of its turn. Then, the fire
While Karen captains her gondola, it can take one of spreads, and on subsequent turns, the fire damage
the following actions on its turn. It can't use the increases by 2d6.
same action two turns in a row.
Contractual Guarantee. The gondola regains 22
(4d10) hit points. Airships are featured in the adventure Mine-Work Make-Work
Yugoloth Teleportation. The gondola teleports up to by T.M. van Dalen.
30 feet in any direction. While the party rides in an airship, any party members who
can speak Ignan or can cast comprehend languages or
The Customer is Always Wrong. The air within 60 feet tongues can communicate with the airship's fire elemental.
of the gondola becomes filled with howling wind.
Until the start of the gondola's next turn, that area is
He begs them to release him.
difficult terrain, and when a Medium or smaller The gnomish engineer Gimlen can transform an airship
creature flies into that area or starts its turn flying into a voidship in 1 week, granting it a void speed of 90 ft. as
there, it must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving well as the other benefits of a voidship (AH 12-13).
throw or be knocked prone.
Crew
4 gnome veterans (MM 350)
Crew Passengers
Karen (AH 25) 6d6 gnome commoners (MM 344)
Thesea 3/day each: detect evil and good (120 foot range), find
traps (600 foot range)
Gargantuan construct (vehicle) (60 ft. by 15 ft.),
1/day: Rary's telepathic bond
chaotic good
Show-Off. Thesea has disadvantage on Dexterity
Armor Class 18 (Stealth) checks.
Hit Points 200 (damage threshold 10)
Speed water 15 ft., air 60 ft., void 90 ft.
Actions
Creature Capacity 30 passengers Thesea can take one of the following actions on her
turn. She can't use the same action or cast the same
spell two turns in a row.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Multiattack. Thesea makes two attacks with her ballistas.
+2 +2 +2 +0 +2 +5
Ballista. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range
Saves Str +7, Wis +7 100/400 ft., one vehicle. Hit: 22 (4d10) piercing
Skills Performance +7 damage.
Damage Immunities poison Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Condition Immunities exhaustion, incapacitated, vehicled. Hit: 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage.
poisoned, prone, unconscious
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12 Create Gate (1/Day). See travel rules (AH 12). Thesea
Languages understands Celestial and Common but can't creates a teleportation gate large enough for her to fit
speak; telepathy with creatures on board through. Thesea must specify the target destination in
general terms. The party must make a sacrifice to
Shaundakul as usual. The gate deposits Thesea's
Innate Spellcasting. Thesea's innate spellcasting ability is
Charisma (spell save DC 15). Thesea can cast the passengers in a random empty space within 10 miles of
following spells innately, requiring no components. her destination, then drags Thesea temporarily back
into The Reef.
At will: daylight
49
Saves Str +2, Dex +0, Con +5 Saves Str -2, Dex +5, Con +0
Damage Immunities poison, psychic Damage Immunities poison, psychic
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened,
exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed,
petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious
Battering Ram. If the brig moves at least 30 feet Evasion. When the skiff is piloted and subjected to
towards a hostile creature or vehicle and then hits it an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving
with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no
an additional 44 (8d10) bludgeoning damage. damage on a successful save, and only half damage
on a failed save.
Psychic Shielding. All creatures on board the brig
have resistance to psychic damage. Psychic Shielding. All creatures on board the skiff
have resistance to psychic damage.
Actions
While the brig is piloted, it can take one of the
Actions
following actions on its turn. It can't use the same While the skiff is piloted, it can take one of the
action two turns in a row. following actions on its turn. It can't use the same
action two turns in a row.
Precision Laser Cannon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10
to hit, range 600 ft., one target. Hit: 33 (6d10) Multiattack. The skiff makes two laser cannon
radiant damage. attacks.
Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., Laser Cannon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,
one target. Hit: 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage. range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d8) radiant
damage.
Laser Storm. The brig releases a barrage of laser
blasts from its broadsides. Each creature or vehicle Boost. The skiff moves up to its speed in a straight
in a 150-foot cube either on the brig's port or line.
starboard side must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving
throw, taking 55 (10d10) radiant damage on a failed Reactions
save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Evasive Maneuvers. While the skiff is piloted, when it
Hull Shielding. The brig's AC increases by 5 until the is targeted by a ranged weapon attack, it can impose
start of its next turn. disadvantage on the attack.
Crew Crew
1 githyanki knight (MM 160) 1 githyanki warrior (MM 160)
2d6 githyanki warriors (MM 160)
Passengers
4d12 githyanki warriors (MM 160)
1 young red dragon (MM 98)
1d4 skiffs (AH 49)
50
Saves Str +2, Dex -2, Con +2 Saves Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2
Damage Immunities poison, psychic Damage Immunities poison, psychic
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened,
exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed,
petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious
Axiomatic Direction. The conveyer is immune to Battering Ram. If the nautiloid moves at least 60 feet
effects that would move it or change its course. towards a hostile creature or vehicle and then hits it
with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes
Disintegration. If the conveyer is destroyed, it an additional 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage.
disintegrates into dust, leaving behind any creatures
or objects it was carrying. Actions
Actions While the nautiloid is piloted, it can take one of the
following actions on its turn. It can't use the same
While the conveyer is piloted, it can take one of the
action two turns in a row.
following actions on its turn. It can't use the same
action two turns in a row. Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage.
Brace of Javelins. The conveyer releases a barrage of
sharp javelins from its broadsides. Each creature or Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach
vehicle in a 150-foot cube either on the conveyer's 30 ft., up to four creatures. Hit: The target is
port or starboard side must make a DC 10 Dexterity grappled (escape DC 15).
saving throw, taking 35 (10d6) piercing damage on
Reel. The nautiloid reels in all grappled creatures,
a failed save, or half as much damage on a
depositing them in the nautiloid's storage.
successful one.
Psychic Blast. The nautiloid lets loose a disruptive
Summon Modron. The conveyer summons a modron
shriek. Each creature within 120 feet of the
from Mechanus to replace a destroyed modron
nautiloid that isn't a mind flayer must make a DC 15
(same type) from its set of passengers.
Intelligence saving throw, taking 16 (3d10) psychic
Paralysis Gas. The conveyer expels a 60-foot cone of damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on
gas. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC a successful one. A creature reduced to 0 hit points
10 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 by this effect is stabilised and paralyzed for 1 hour.
minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at The area excludes the nautiloid itself.
the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on
itself on a success.
Crew
Crew 1 mind flayer arcanist (MM 222)
1d4 mind flayers (MM 222)
1 monodrone (MM 224)
1 duodrone (MM 225) Passengers
1 tridrone (MM 225) 1d10 intellect devourers (MM 191)
1 quadrone (MM 226) 1d100 commoners (MM 344), of which 1d10 are infested
1 pentadrone (MM 226) with additional intellect devourers (MM 191)
Passengers
63 monodrones (MM 224)
31 duodrones (MM 225)
15 tridrones (MM 225)
7 quadrones (MM 226)
3 pentadrones (MM 226)
51
Actions
The wraithship can take one of the following actions
Crew
on its turn. It can't use the same action or cast the d6 Crew
same spell two turns in a row. 1 Rorknir (AH 27) and Organus (AH 25)
Apparition. The wraithship (and its passengers) 2 Orzeg (AH 25) and Caraxus (AH 25)
become invisible until the start of its next turn. 3 Queen Ursula McVale (AH 25) and Kegnoth (AH 26)
Halting Creak. The wraithship creaks and groans with 4 Tirikan (AH 26) and Beck (AH 26)
the agony of age. Each hostile creature and vehicle 5 Toda (AH 29) and Karen (AH 25)
within 120 feet of the wraithship must make a DC
12 Constitution saving throw, taking 16 (3d10) 6 Broken Opal (AH 25) and Zigazan the Boiler (AH 30)
psychic damage and 16 (3d10) necrotic damage on
a failed save, or half as much damage on a Passengers
successful one. A vehicle that fails its saving throw
has its speed reduced to 0 ft. until the end of the d6 Passengers
wraithship's next turn. 1 1d4 + 1 mezzoloths (MM 313)
2 2d6 skereloths (AH 32)
3 1d4 + 1 voorloths (AH 32)
Passengers 4 1d6 + 1 corruptoloths (AH 31)
1 wraith (MM 302) 5 1d2 piscoloths (AH 31)
1d6 specters (MM 147) 6 Roll again on the Crew table
3d6 skeletons (MM 272)
52
Supermassive Black Hole Boarding Party. 1d10 + 5 of the ship's crew swing to a
vehicle within 40 ft. of the ship, landing safely in an
Gargantuan vehicle (80 ft. by 25 ft.)
empty space on the targeted vehicle.
Armor Class 17 Boost. The ship moves up to its speed in a straight line.
Hit Points 300 (damage threshold 20) Cannon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 300
Speed air 30 ft., water 60 ft., void 120 ft. ft., one vehicle. Hit: 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage.
Creature Capacity 5 crew, 50 passengers
Initiative +5 Disguise Ship. The ship magically disguises itself as
another voidship. The changes wrought by this spell fail
to hold up to physical inspection. To discern that the
Saves Str +0, Dex +5, Con +2
ship is disguised, a creature can use its action to
Damage Immunities poison, psychic
inspect its appearance and must succeed on a DC 15
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, Intelligence (Investigation) check.
exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed,
petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious Grape Shot. The ship targets a vehicle within 300 ft. of
it. Each creature aboard the vehicle must succeed on a
Battering Ram. If the ship moves at least 30 feet DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 5 (1d10)
towards a hostile creature or vehicle and then hits it bludgeoning damage, 5 (1d10) piercing damage, and 5
with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes an (1d10) slashing damage.
additional 44 (6d10) bludgeoning damage. Hull Shielding. The ship's AC increases by 5 until the
Well Oiled Machine. The ship can take two actions, start of its next turn.
instead of one, each turn. Mending. The ship regains 11 (2d10) hit points as long
as it has available crew.
Actions
Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
While the ship is piloted, it can take two of the vehicle. Hit: 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage.
following actions on its turn. Once it has used an
action, it can't use the same action until it has finished Teleport. The ship teleports up to 90 ft. to an empty
its next turn. space the pilot can see.
Crew
Captain Quasar (AH 42)
2 void pirate sorcerers (AH 42)
6 void pirate mates (AH 41)
24 void pirates (AH 41)
PART 3
Adventure Introduction
William Rotor
William Rotor is a writer, educator, designer, and creative professional with a love for
unusual mediums of expression. He lives and works in Australia and is an active member of
the local film and theatre scene. You can find more of his work related to Dungeons and
Dragons on his subreddit, /r/williamrotor.
Notable works include ...
56
Border
Q
uicksilver platforms smash together in a The sickly creature is Zigazan the Boiler (AH 30), and the
cacophony of sound and light. Pockets of insectoid creature is Caraxus, a mezzoloth (AH 25).
jiggling fluids stretch in the void and pop
as they collide. The githzerai have made
this their home by taming the chaos Sequence Break
through sheer mental fortitude. The Even in these early stages, the party can attempt to
slaad have made it their home by escape by bending the iron bars of the cell, leaping
embodying the realm's chaos in themselves. out into the void, seizing Caraxus' trident, erasing
the antimagic wards, or anything else they can
Summary think of. Remember that everyone is at 3 levels of
exhaustion and therefore has disadvantage on all
The party is trapped on a prison in a demiplane in the Border ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws.
Ethereal created by yugoloths. While waiting for the yugoloth Chains require a DC 15 Strength check to break.
leader, Broken Opal, to arrive, the party meets various
versions of the dead wizard Sollus. The party overpowers Bend the Bars. A character requires a Strength score
their oinoloth and mezzoloth jailers and accepts the help of of 15 to make the attempt, and the DC is 15. If
the merrenoloth Karen, who ferries them into a safe haven in they succeed, Zigazan the Boiler reasserts his
the Reef. control over the environment with a psychic
By the end of this adventure, the party will have ... blast. The iron bars resume their ordinary shape.
The party will need to remove the oinoloth if
Learned of Sollus Ipsus the Many. they want to have any permanent effect.
Planned and implemented a daring escape. Leap Into the Void. A character that reaches any part
Arrived at the Reef. of themselves into the chaos is sucked in. They
can save themselves with a DC 10 Strength
Zigazan's Prison saving throw. On a failed save, they tumble into
the void. Eventually, they tumble right back into
The party has no equipment except common clothes, and the cell. Zigazan swings it around to catch them.
they each have 3 points of exhaustion. Read the following Seize Caraxus' Trident. This requires a DC 5 Strength
introduction to the players. check to rip it away from Caraxus. It's easy
because Caraxus allows them to take it with a
A howling wind, almost like the wail of a banshee, blasts
bemused sneer. He teleports his trident back
into his claws with a snap of his fingers. He jeers
through your hair. A soft blue light flickers in the distance. at the party in infernal: "You take only what I
allow, for Caraxus is your master!" If the player
You sit in an iron-barred cell on a floating rocky platform in thinks fast, they can declare that their character
the midst of a slurry of ghostly chaos on the edge of life and maneuvers the trident through the bars and pulls
death. You are each chained within a long, narrow cell, the it fully into the antimagic field of the cell,
back of which is wide open to the cacophony of screaming requiring a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. If
they do, Caraxus throws an impotent hissy fit
damned behind you. Chaos licks at the stone. Any magic
and loses his trident. The promise to return his
within you is choked out by an enchantment cast on the walls. trident may be used later to help convince him
to turn on Zigazan the Boiler. His trident is a +1
At the front edge of the rocky platform stands a horrid magic item when outside of the antimagic field;
creature, the shape of a man but with none of the sturdiness. Caraxus will attack anyone who keeps it.
His skin is sickly pink with bruised pustules and blisters Erase the Antimagic Wards. They're on the outside
covering every exposed inch. He concentrates hard, and you
of the cell and they are branded into the metal.
Removing Zigazan the Boiler might compromise
can feel his sickening presence in the very stone you stand
the integrity of this place and disrupt the
upon. Behind him, running a three-pronged spear against the antimagic wards.
iron bars, is a man-sized chitinous insect creature with Other Creative Ideas. If the players think of another
clacking mandibles and red eyes that swim with surprising solution, set the DC of any ability checks they
must make to 15. The party shouldn't be able to
intelligence. The creature laughs as you flinch from the
escape just yet, but whatever they accomplish
banging of the iron. can help them escape when the time is right.
You might reward them with an introduction to
other helpful NPCs that are hidden at this time,
such as Spectrasollus or Illusosollus.
57
58
Once things have settled down, note to the party that, inside
of the cell with them, lies the skeletal remains of what once
was a wizard.
These bones are frail and bleached, very old, still wearing
tatters of what must have been a blue starry robe. One of the
skeleton's hands is bone, but the other seems to have been
preserved through mysterious means. Its flesh is still on the
bone. Weirdly, neither the skeleton nor its hand have shadows,
and you always get the sense that they are watching.
Sequence Break
There's not much sequence left to break, but the
party may realize that the antimagic field doesn't
extend out into the chaos. This means that they
can leap into the chaos and cast a spell before they
get reeled back in. Remind the party it's wise to
formulate a full escape plan before attempting
such a risky maneuver.
Failure to Escape
If, for whatever reason, the party either fails to
escape or is killed in the process, all party
members are revived back in their prison cell. A
few days later, Broken Opal the ultroloth (AH 25)
arrives via gondola.
Heist Completion
Upon completing this introductory mission, the party
proceeds to their hub world, the base of operations known as
The Reef (AH 35). Other heists can be accessed from The
Reef by speaking with Simulacrasollus, Illusosollus, or
Karen.
By rescuing Simulacrasollus, for as long as he stays alive
(and the slaad tadpole remains dormant), the party can select
the following bonus as their teamwork bonus when they
begin a heist.
The Reef
G
rey void wraps you in a hug amidst an endless
sky that twinkles as distant stars push through Quick Reference
the haze. There is no gravity in this place, and d12 Location Character Page
bits of junk from parallel dimensions float by at
a pace that initially seems leisurely, only for, 1 Armor Forge
Gaundr, salamander AH
now and then, a meteor sixty miles wide to blacksmith. 70
terrifyingly whip past. 2
Equipment
Pythagoras, rogue tridrone.
AH
Pieces of coral -- enormous megastructures of solid Wholesale 71
organic matter perforated with tunnels and tubes -- drift in 3
Healing Narcissa, tiefling cleric of AH
the astral wind. Nestled in the caves in the coral are hovels Palace Levistus. 72
within which you can find the humble denizens of this plane. 4
Magic Item
Yaukiss, githyanki exile.
AH
A dozen, roughly. The kind of person who would stay in such Haberdashery 73
a place is no stranger to hardship and alienation, for life's Research Alexandria, marut of AH
greatest burdens are their oldest and closest friends. 5
Library preservation. 74
This is a liminal place, suspended in the Border Ethereal, Binterkell, sprite coin AH
where one can finally just take a breath away from it all. 6 Scrap Grotto
vomiter. 75
Aries, half-dragon
AH
7 Shipyard shipwright, with Thesea,
General Features 76
sentient airship.
The following features are consistent throughout Ariadne, githyanki AH
the Reef. 8 Tool Hovel
tradeswoman. 78
Sea of Chaos. Curtains of magic weave gently. AH
9 Training Dojo Quinobi, githzerai teacher.
Enormous meteors, called coral, provide enough 79
shelter to sustain life. Enormous shimmering Weapon Achilles, incubus of AH
10
creatures of the void swim past intermittently. Coliseum bloodthirst. 80
Lonely Void. The Reef is a demiplane that is, for all Karen, merrenoloth, with
intents and purposes, infinitely vast. The Yugoloth AH
11 Illusosollus, programmed
overwhelming majority of this place is Database 81
illusion.
completely empty. Just like in outer space, only a Simulacrasollus,
few small pockets of it are inhabited, and these Burrower AH
12 simulacrum, with other
areas are quite dense with activity. Hangar 84
reincarnations of Sollus.
Safety from Outsiders. The Reef is a sequestered,
shielded, hidden demiplane. It is impossible to
view or detect the Reef with divination magic. If a character is away from their usual location, you can roll
Dreamlike Gravity. There is no gravity in the Reef, randomly for where they've travelled to in the table above.
except when within the caves of the coral, where
gravity keeps you comfortably on solid ground.
Chill in the Air. The air in the Reef is bitterly cold,
Reef Travel
requiring at least two creatures to stick close The party can travel to the various coral structures
together for warmth when travelling. Inside the throughout the reef in the following ways.
coral caves, most denizens have jury-rigged a
heating system to keep them warm. Karen's Gondola. While Karen is in the Reef, she is content
The Reef Whale. A great whale passes through the to ferry the party from place to place as they wish (AH 47).
most densely-inhabited part of The Reef once Doing so is safe, quick, and easy. However, Karen is not
per day, though she is not on a set schedule and always in the Reef as she must maintain appearances at
won't come if she is abused in any way. The Reef her job as a ferrywoman under Broken Opal.
Whale's gullet is a natural teleportation gate, a Thesea. The sentient airship Thesea can be called to the
safe way of entering and exiting The Reef party with Illusosollus. She is overjoyed to assist, but she
unnoticed. When she is near, her song can be tends to bring with her uneasy interlopers from other
heard reverberating throughout the demiplane. planes, not all of which are friendly (AH 67).
Manual Jumping. The party can manually jump from coral to
Ambience coral. This is dangerous, as the non-euclidean spacetime
For ambient sound of The Reef, I recommend the means that an encounter with random interplanar
following videos. creatures is practically guaranteed for each jump (AH 68).
Deep Sea Soundscape Communication between the corals is made easy by
Lucid Dream Hypnosis Music Illusosollus, who can materialise anywhere in the Reef at will.
Whale Sounds Ambience
67
d20 Stowaway
Thesea's Stowaways A sarcophagus guarded by a mummy (MM 228).
Each time Thesea offers to ferry the party through The Reef, The mummy appears hostile, but it's actually
roll a d20. On a roll of 15-20, creatures stowed in her hold 16 trying and failing to warn the party that the
will emerge to confront the party. sarcophagus is a mimic (MM 220). The mummy's
wrappings are also a mimic.
d20 Stowaway 2d8 gray oozes (MM 243), hostile. When the party
1 2d6 flumphs (MM 135), friendly. Just touring. 17 boards Thesea, all they initially observe is that her
deck and walls are slimy.
1d6 + 1 mindflayers (MM 222), hostile. Seeking
2 gith to kill. Yaukiss, Ariadne, and Quinobi join the Thesea warns the party not to board. Her entire
party to kill the mindflayers. 18 lower deck is infested with beholders! The
beholders are actually 2d8 gas spores (MM 138).
1 githyanki knight (MM 160) riding a young red
dragon (MM 98) and 1d6 githyanki warriors (MM 19 10d100 crabs (MM 320), indifferent.
3
160), indifferent. Seeking rumours of two 20 Asmodeus.
githyanki who have abandoned their queen.
1 deva (MM 16), indifferent. Seeking Achilles' Asmodeus
forbidden love. Patrochlus met Achilles on the
4 front of the Blood War and has spent a century If Asmodeus arrives on Thesea's ship, he appears to the party
trying to find him again. If reunited, Achilles is in in the body of an enslaved planetar (MM 17), whose type is
such good spirits he halves his prices. fiend and whose eyes flash with crimson flame.
8 monodrones (MM 224), 4 duodrones (MM 225),
2 tridrones (MM 225), and 1 quadrone (MM 226), "A most uncertain proposition," says the corrupted angel.
5 hostile. Thesea warns the party that if the modrons "Not one offered under any but the most exceptional of
aren't destroyed, they'll return in greater number circumstances. To a singular being, existence is experience, so
and scour The Reef.
what of a being whose experiences are wiped away? The
1d8 fire snakes (MM 265), friendly, seeking Xanathar's beloved goldfish swims eternally in a prison of
6 Gaundr. They claim to be her children, but she
denies it. glass. The world outside is as alien to such a creature as the
Far Realms are to a humble goatherd. By the time the goldfish
7 1d4 fire elementals (MM 125), indifferent. Lost.
circumnavigates its prison, its memories have been rewritten,
8 1d4 water elementals (MM 125), indifferent. Lost.
and the world is new once more. You and the goldfish are
9 1d4 air elementals (MM 124), indifferent. Lost.
kindred spirits. An eternal circumnavigation, rediscovering
10 1d4 earth elementals (MM 124), indifferent. Lost.
only what has already been experienced, always within the
1 xorn (MM 304), friendly. Made a wrong turn
11 confines of a prison you hardly realize is there. There is no
looking for the Gem Dimension.
prison but yourself. But we speak frivolously of matters of
2 hell hounds (MM 182), indifferent. Both wearing
a spiked collar and name tags ("Abe" and "Cainel") philosophy when there is work to be done!
with a note that shows a crude devilish sigil. "If
12 Lost, Call Ann Anwyn". The sigil summons an "When you finally flagellate yourself so thoroughly that your
Erinyes (MM 73), Ann Anwyn. She is overjoyed to jailers release you, do me a favour and let me out as well. Then,
see her two good boys again. She thanks the party finally, I can stretch my legs. I could end the Blood War with a
by gifting them a flame tongue (DMG 170). snap of my fingers. I could close all the gates of the Abyss.
1 vrock (MM 64), hostile. Mindlessly destructive, And with no more work to be done, I could release all the poor
13 wreaking havoc in Thesea's store room. Thesea
wretches in Baator to live in the peacable kingdoms for
demands the party kill or banish the demon.
eternity. Listen to the words out of the mouth of a being that
3d6 bats roosting in Thesea's hold, which appear
to be docile and indifferent. Once the party's is incapable of lying ..." The planetar gestures to itself. "... The
14
guard is down, however, the bats reveal their true throne of Baator is as easily washed away as human life. My
form of hostile quasits (MM 63). work may soon be over. The devil of devils will rest."
Shadowsollus (AH 20) awaits in disguise as a dark
shadow in Thesea's hold, intending to ambush and With that, a flame incinerates the planetar from within.
15
assassinate at least one party member. If slain,
Broken Opal will ritually resummon the shadow.
Anyone who interrupts this sick villain monologue takes
4d12 psychic damage for not appreciating it enough!
68
Visitors
Roll on the following table to determine which denizens of
the Reef might be visiting Achilles at his coliseum.
d20 Visitor Discussion
Achilles ritualistically enchants a
1-7 Breaktime
weapon for himself.
8-
Away Achilles is away from the coliseum.
Voice. Deep, brutal, yet smooth, like freshly-flowing blood. 10
"I'm the devil that sits on your shoulder, whispering your Mammon. Narcissa wants to know the
darkest desires in your ear. We both know there's no angel 11- role her father Mammon has played in
sitting next to me." 13
Narcissa
the Blood War. She is disheartened to
Personality. I'm unabashedly on the side of the devils. The hear how little he has contributed.
demons are filthy creatures, and the only good thing they A Farewell to Arms. Achilles wants to
bring the world is the feeling of joy one feels as one 14- study Yaukiss' silver blade, but Yaukiss
separates their heads from their body. Same could be said 16
Yaukiss
only wishes to reminisce on how they
of the gods up there in the heavens. both fled from an unjust war.
Faction. Achilles is a fiendish warlock patron that offers the An Even Fight. Quinobi and Achilles
pact of the blade to any who call upon his name when they share a great deal of mutual respect
slay their foes. He favours warlocks who destroy demons 17- for their ability to train others to fight.
and other chaotic beings. 20
Quinobi
They often spar for the express
Ideal. Bloodthirst. I'm an incubus, and this is the seduction I purpose of improving one another's
choose: the seduction of seeing one's foes driven before abilities.
you. Take my hand and we'll forge together a weapon that
will let you carve your name in the annals of history.
Bond. I learned a terrible secret about the Blood War. It
could end at any time, so why hasn't it? What does it mean
for the war to continue? What is my part in this injustice?
Flaw. I know that a powerful weapon will never achieve glory
in the hands of an incompetent wielder, but I put weapons
in the hands of the desperate anyway.
81
Yugoloth Database Heists
Heist Description Author Page
A hunk of coral has been glamoured to appear as a mausoleum
where each headstone represents a topic of inquiry. Touching
Rescue an
imprisoned Sollus
a headstone holographically reveals information from Escape from from a celestial
Illusosollus' database. Most of it has to do with the yugoloths William AH
Gleaming rehabilitation
Beacon Rotor 92
and Sollus Ipsus the Many. center that
purports to turn
There's a small voidport along the side with enough space evil creatures good.
for Karen's gondola. If she stops by The Reef, she'll be found Outswash and
here chatting with Illusollus. outbuckle a crew of
William AH
Void Pirates dangerous void
Rotor 107
pirates to retrieve a
The merrenoloth, Karen (AH 25), has the following mysterious chest.
characteristics. Dive into the mind
of an entrapped
The Tranquil Sollus to convince Adventure AH
Prison him to leave his Bundles 116
self-imposed
isolation.
Rescue a petrified
In Sollus from a AH
P.J. Pirrello
Remembrance Greece-inspired 126
mountain village.
Convince a
gnomish Sollus to
Mine-Work T.M. van AH
abandon his
Make-Work Dalen 136
eternity of lonely
drudgery.
Climb the slopes of
Perdition to face
Teetering down Orzeg, the William AH
Imbalance arcanaloth, in her Rotor 145
Voice. Like a 60-year-old smoker. "You gotta use those laboratory of
shambling robots.
awkward silences to your advantage. Sit in a gondola with
someone and stare at them, they'll start blabbing." The Crimson Sneak through the
AH
Personality. I'm disgruntled with the yugoloths. I'll help out Terror of lair of an ancient Anonymous
154
Sollus on his little quest, and then I'm taking my gondola Yenneth dragon.
and striking out into the big wide world to forge my own Sawtooth
Delve the bowels of Chopper AH
path for once. a gargantuan shark. German 163
Ideal. Ferryship. Life is a path from A to B. We linger at A, we
fret about B, but nobody pays attention to the path. Nobody
except me.
Bond. I've pledged to help Sollus Ipsus the Many escape
from his incarceration in Tartarus.
Flaw. My tongue's as loose as those who ride in my gondola.
Treachery against my people doesn't come naturally to me.
Offerings
The party can automatically succeed on any Intelligence
(Arcana or History) check they make in the database as long
as Illusosollus would reasonably have the answer stored.
Additionally, Karen provides information on one or more of
the following heists for the party. Provide at least two and
allow the party to choose which they would like to pursue.
82
Escape from Gleaming Beacon Void Pirates
Karen reports that Broken Opal has hired out some Karen's gaunt face is twisted into a smirk, a rare expression
Opalescent mercenaries for a prison in the heavenly realm of for her. She reveals the following information to the party.
Firmament. The pay is terrible, so she must have a good
reason to accept the contract. It's practically guaranteed that
one of the prisoners is a reincarnation of Sollus. Infiltrate the Broken Opal found a mysterious chest marked with
prison and find out who it is before the yugoloths do. the symbol of the Knotted Snake, the very same
symbol depicted in the tattoo that all
Karen squeezes your shoulder twice. Her dead eyes sink into reincarnations of Sollus share. On her way home,
your soul. "Remember, if they find out the real reason you're in her meteorship was ambushed by pirates and
destroyed. She woke up on Firmament and
Firmament, the whole plan is a bust. The angels are not on our
immediately started pulling favours to put together
side. Never forget that they are warriors of law as much as they a few more meteorships and track down the ship.
are warriors of light, and we are agents of neutrality, which These void pirates have the chest, now. If you
they despise. Do not, under any circumstances, let the angels can find the void pirates and steal the chest before
Broken Opal and her meteorships arrive, you might
figure out your mission."
have a chance at putting another piece of the
puzzle together.
Karen gives the party four dossiers, each on one of the four
prisoners of Gleaming Beacon. You can find the dossiers on Karen also gives the party the following rumours that Broken
the first page of the heist (AH 94). Opal uncovered about the captain of the void pirate ship,
The Crimson Terror of Yenneth Captain Quasar.
Karen tells the party about an ancient red dragon, Gauss, that He once ate a live stirge.
has kidnapped a princess at the orders of Broken Opal. The His beard ends up on fire in every battle he's in, almost
dragon lives on an 'earthberg' in the realm of Yenneth deep in always by accident.
a mountain with kobolds and yugoloths defending his hoard. One time he jumped off his ship and fell for so long and so
Detailed information can be found on the first page of the far that he eventually landed right back on the deck.
heist (AH 156). He's been shot, stabbed, poisoned, crushed, burnt,
Sawtooth
shredded, and made fun of, and that was just one
encounter with a bone devil.
Karen informs the party that Broken Opal placed a tracker on He is literally immune to being killed.
a reincarnation of Sollus. The tracker somehow ended up
inside of a shark; its gullet seems to lead to a private Additionally, Karen directs the party to Aries (AH 76), who
demiplane of some sort. Karen's already sent a few of her has heard of Captain Quasar and the void pirates before. She
Opalescents into the shark to retrieve it, but they were killed can evaluate Thesea to determine if Thesea is up to the
and came back muttering about "water bears" or something. challenge of fighting the pirate ship, Supermassive Black
She's sending a fresh batch in. The party might have a chance Hole, directly.
to get there first. For Thesea to be considered a suitable match, she needs:
Hull II
Shields II
Void Speed I
At least 3 upgrade features
Regardless of whether Aries believes Thesea can handle the
fight, Thesea is gung-ho.
"Come on. You guys always do stupid stealth missions. I can
take the bastards. Give me a shot!"
83
The Tranquil Prison Mine-Work Make-Work
Karen puts the party in contact with another traitorous Karen informs the party that Tirikan has left her to care for
yugoloth, Ral'Romon. She describes the gachaloth and gives his canoloth, Beck, while he does a shift in Castor, a layer of
the party coordinates to the realm of Erronys where they can the plane of Gemini. An incarnation of Sollux is likely being
meet up with him. held captive here. The yugoloths keep tabs on all voidships
that pass through Castor, but Karen believes that they can
reach Castor by crossing over from the layer of Pollux, which
Ral'Romon hates Broken Opal. He has been sits upside down in Castor's sky.
ridiculed for his inability to acquire one particular While in Perdition, feeding Beck the souls of the damned
reincarnation of Sollus. Orym the Alarmed has lost forever in the great ethereal rivers, Karen picked up the
sequestered himself away in Erronys, unreachable following map that Tirikan left out on his desk.
to fiendish creatures. However, his eagerness to
hide away has also trapped him there, lost in his
own mind, forever. With Ral'Romon willing to
screw over Broken Opal out of spite, this might be
an excellent opportunity to rescue and recruit
Orym, a knowledgeable traveller of the planes.
In Remembrance
Karen gives the party the following information.
"Penny Featherlight. So what?" "I think we're past these concerns." Serpasollus looks at her
hands and closes one eye, then the other, over and over. "I
"Seems like you've learned at least one thing."
have memories of both versions of me. It's like living two
Simulacrasollus looks like he's seen a ghost. "I ... huh." lives. I think most would say I'm lucky. Like I've lived twice as
long."
"Let's pick this up tomorrow. Tell me everything you've
learned in that time." "Do you consider yourself lucky?"
"I don't think so. But luck is an illusion. All you have are
Chest of the Knotted Snake choices. You make of them what you will."
"I want to put it behind me. It was boring." "A little bit at a time," says Gimlen. "Or I might go all zany."
"So if I went there right now, I wouldn't find anything." "I think you'd be alright."
"Well, you'd find a dragon. There was one a few floors "You ever lit a torch in a dark room? It'll blind you."
down."
"Do you really feel like you're blind?"
"Tell me about the dragon."
"I just have to wait for my eyes to adjust."
The chest seems to light up. It slides a bit closer to Penny as
it gushes. "Most frustrating debate partner in the whole
dungeon because as soon as you'd convince her of something Leonardo
she'd claim that it was always her position from the beginning!
"Have you thought about freeing the vinchies?" asks Penny.
I'd always try to angle myself to catch adventurers before they
ever got to her just to deny her the satisfaction!" "No," says Leonardo. "They're not smart like I am."
"Seems like it wasn't so boring after all." "Maybe you haven't given them a chance."
The chest frowns, then hisses. "No! I got out! I'm not talking "I don't need to. I'm the only one with a soul."
about it!"
"What if nobody had given you a chance? What if you'd
been sent out onto the magma of Perdition and melted before
you ever realized who you really were?"
Penny Featherlight
Gimlen
Gepetto
Setting
When creating a heist, develop an imaginative setting that
speaks to the players through allegories and dreams.
Abandon all thought of the ordinary world. Your setting
should be weird.
NPC
Each heist is a rescue mission for an NPC that is a
reincarnation of the immortal being Sollus Ipsus the Many;
see Dramatis Personae (AH 9) for a description of Sollus.
Your NPC can be any race, come from any background, and
demonstrate skills from any class. There are literally no
restrictions at all -- they can even be an inanimate object if
you think it would be dramatically interesting. Already in the
book you can find a unicorn, a sentient mimic, and a statue.
There are no rules.
When your party rescues your NPC, include three rewards.
1. Magic item.
2. Teamwork-focused feature for the party to select before
they begin their next heist.
3. Add-on to the burrower, a machine that will ultimately
break through the prison within which the original Sollus
the Many is kept hidden.
Browse the other heists of this book for examples of how
other creators have implemented them.
Opalescents
Browse the list of Opalescents, yugoloth guards (AH 10, 11,
25-34), and add them liberally throughout the heist.
91
Cover your bases, but don't go overboard.
5 Stage Heist The question is, of course, why doesn't the party just hire a
The 5-Stage Heist model is a modified version of the 5 Room whole bunch of people to storm the prison and avoid all this
Dungeon model of adventure building. You don't have to use malarkey? Well, the answer is that planning an elaborate heist
the 5 Stage Heist format, but it's a good way of structuring a is its own reward.
heist adventure if you're unsure how to begin! The more serious answer is that if the party makes too
Before beginning your dungeon, keep in mind the following much of a splash, they'll be swarmed by angels upholding the
general tips. law and armies of yugoloths that finally take the threat
seriously.
Bigger numbers don't make better stories.
Remember that the goal is to provide a prison for your 3: Gotcha
NPC. All of the elements should be related to keeping The party won't be going into the heist with perfect
them locked up -- waste no details. information. Establish which parts of the prison the party will
You're designing a puzzle box for the players to unpack. be made aware of through their yugoloth informant, and
You don't want to prescribe a solution -- you might not which parts of the prison are secret gotchas that will throw a
even have one in mind. Go for problems, not puzzles. wrench in the party's plan.
Focus on one obvious identifying feature that sets your The best gotcha moments happen while the heist is already
heist apart from the rest. Memorability is significantly in motion, forcing the party to improvise. A gotcha doesn't
more important than cleverness. have to be negative, just a complicating or surprising factor.
Don't be afraid to get metaphysical or navel-gazey. That's
the good stuff. That's why we're here. 4: Climax
The 5-Stage Heist model is a guide. Treating it as more
than that is folly. The party has gotten past the gatekeeper, implemented their
plan effectively, pivoted through the gotcha, and is now close
1: Mark to successively extracting your NPC. However, there is one
All good heists involve a mark. While you should be using final challenge for the party to overcome if they are to achieve
yugoloth guards liberally, they won't be the only people success in their mission. You can include one or more of the
involved in imprisoning your NPC. following climactic elements, or make up your own.
Come up with some typical denizens of your setting that Decision: Choose between two costly trade-offs.
will have knowledge of the person being imprisoned Escape: Escape before time runs out.
within their domain. Puzzle: Solve a difficult puzzle under pressure.
The party has a mole in the yugoloth ranks, Karen, who Showdown: Fight a boss monster, or perhaps someone
they left for dead who's back for round two.
can give them information about anyone relevant to the Click!: You've set off a dangerous trap, but you have time
heist. to deactivate it if you're careful.
Your mark should be someone with a vested interest in the
prison you've devised, or who encapsulates the philosophical 5: Twist
concepts of your heist's setting. This is your opportunity to The twist of your heist is your opportunity to get really
establish the ideas you'd like to explore in your writing. creative.
The mark doesn't have to be a combatant, but they do have You can reframe the entire heist from a new perspective.
to be a gatekeeper of some kind. Without getting them out of Maybe it was all a devious ploy by the yugoloths to trap the
the way, the party won't be able to enter. main characters. Maybe the NPC was actually a body double
the whole time. Maybe the NPC banked on the whole heist in
2: Problem order to make a quick buck. Maybe it was an elaborate lesson
A heist that can be completed without planning is not a heist on gun safety.
at all. Think about the steps necessary to imprison your NPC, It's also an opportunity to include a memorable closing
and think about the quirks of your setting. scene to the adventure.
As mentioned before, the idea is to design a problem, not a From the players' perspective, they have the chance
puzzle. You set in motion a set of challenges and limitations throughout the heist to decide that their character secretly
on what the party can do, and they must plan out a creative anticipated everything that has happened, similar to the
solution around it using all the resources at their disposal. flashback mechanics of Blades in the Dark. These rules are
A good way of doing this is thinking about it from the included at the beginning of this book (AH 14). Your heist
perspective of someone who desperately wants to keep should be flexible enough to take these in stride.
roving bands of adventurers out. How would they set up their
prison so that it would theoretically be impregnable even with
powerful magic? The arcanaloths are powerful spellcasters
that can set up magical defenses, and their countless aeons
of mercenary work in the Blood War means you can
reasonably justify any yugoloth owning any magic item.
William Rotor
William Rotor is a writer, educator, designer, and creative professional with a love for
unusual mediums of expression. He lives and works in Australia and is an active member of
the local film and theatre scene. You can find more of his work related to Dungeons and
Dragons on his subreddit, /r/williamrotor.
Notable works include ...
94
F
irmament claims to be a world of inerrant good
whose angels uphold the rightful rule of law in
the universe. The darkness of Baator captures
the imagination of writers and artists from the Oskhar
Material Plane, but Firmament is just as vast Conqueror of the Solstice Islands,
and boasts just as complex a political structure Breaker of Oaths
as any created by devils. Within this world of
perfect law is a prison, Gleaming Beacon, created by the Human. Right-hand man of the Black King. Powers
unicorn Penny Featherlight, that exists for the purpose of granted by Beshaba. When the Black King's throne
room was stormed by warriors of light, Oskhar saw
proving that evil creatures can be turned good. his son amidst the warriors and betrayed his king.
Was not accepted by his son despite this act.
Summary Known Zhentarim operative.
The party infiltrates Gleaming Beacon, an institution that
claims to rehabilitate naturally evil creatures. The party must Travelled to Firmament directly to escape servitude
convince an angel that they deserve to be in the prison, to Beshaba upon death. Expresses remorse for
actions, though he is a proven oath breaker and liar;
determine which other prisoner is a reincarnation of Sollus, cannot be fully trusted. Watch carefully.
and extract them, preferably without raising suspicion.
By the end of the adventure, the party will have ...
1. Infiltrated the prison.
2. Identified which prisoner is a reincarnation of Sollus.
3. Escaped from Gleaming Beacon.
Bloodspatter
Hook Wicked Snarling Slasher of Throats
Karen knows that Broken Opal has allowed the Opalescents Gnoll. Child of Yeenoghu. Possessed by endless
to be hired out as guards for Gleaming Beacon, and therefore hunger for flesh as all gnolls are. Killed by a paladin
there must be a motive beyond profit (as the pay isn't very of Torm. Appeared in Firmament after death. Best
good). There must be a reincarnation of Sollus somewhere in court angels couldn't determine why a gnoll would
the prison. Karen secretly copies dossiers on the prisoners end up here. Featherlight's bleeding heart may be
from Broken Opal's bid for contract. literal if this thing ever gets its hands on her, but
she's not giving up.
Requires twice daily live meat; enters a blind rage
otherwise. Chauntea has granted Gleaming Beacon a
blessing of livestock. Mostly squealing pigs.
Payment
30 gp and 3 meals of ambrosia per day per Real piece of work. Handle with care.
yugoloth, expenses covered
Zenh Vizea
Stone Death
The Unhollowed Medusa. Beheaded by the same paladin of Torm as
Osyluth (colloquially, bone devil). Former lieutenant Bloodspatter. Interesting coincidence. Appeared in
to Gruzma, pit fiend commander for the forces of Firmament after death. Claims she was a loyal priest
Avernus in the Blood War. Deserted and climbed her of Athena. Never deliberately inflicted harm on
way to Firmament. those undeserving. Angels could not detect a lie.
Obsessed with Zariel. Claims to want to rise to She covers her eyes with a white half-mask. Now
grace in the opposite way Zariel fell from grace. carries a cane. Voluntarily blind.
Severed her own tail and grafted dragon bone wings Be careful of her snakes. Some suspicion that she
to her shoulders (non-functional) before reaching exaggerates her lack of coordination to bump into
Firmament. Guards have serious concerns about guards she hates. Give a wide berth when possible.
self-mutilation. Monitor closely.
95
What the Party Knows
In addition to the dossiers, Karen gives the party the map on this page and information about the staff of Gleaming Beacon.
Penny Featherlight. A unicorn (MM 294) who believes with all her heart that evil can be redeemed.
Zacharie. A deva (MM 16) who is disgruntled and doesn't think Gleaming Beacon will work. He wrote the dossiers. Night shift.
Aya. A deva (MM 16) who enjoys inflicting pain on the prisoners. She is dangerously close to falling, but doesn't realize it. Day
shift.
Hepzakatl. A couatl (MM 43) architect who designed Gleaming Beacon and now works in its kitchens. He takes pride in his work.
Ivorall Soaringwings. A pegasus (MM 250) who works as a scout around the perimeter of Gleaming Beacon. Desperately in love
with Penny Featherlight. Penny returns his feelings but can't act on them because she needs to be professional.
Ishim. A planetar (MM 17) who comes in once per week as a favour for Penny. His power of detecting untruths is very useful for
Penny's interviews with the prisoners. He has invested a lot of money and time in Gleaming Beacon.
96
Gleaming Beacon Map Main Hall
The party is given the map of Gleaming Beacon, but they are The prisoners eat here on a schedule. The guards eat
not privy to the following information. They will have to figure whenever they have a spare moment.
out this information for themselves. Schedule
Walls 9:00 AM: Breakfast.
12:00 PM: Lunch. Vizea eats her lunch in the yard.
The walls are solid stone, fifteen feet high and five feet thick. 5:00 PM: Dinner. Bloodspatter has eaten their fill by now.
They form a perimeter around Gleaming Beacon, about Preferred Meals
1,000 feet by 1,000 feet. The walls are magically enchanted
with a barrier, and this barrier extends in an invisible dome Celestials. The celestials eat ambrosia. Anyone who eats
above Gleaming Beacon about 1,000 feet high at its apex. ambrosia falls under the effects of death ward indefinitely.
The barrier does not extend underground. When a celestial Penny also eats grass.
passes through the magical barrier, the barrier automatically Bloodspatter. The gnoll eats hog meat and drinks blood.
deactivates for six seconds. Oskhar. Oskhar eats plain porridge, eggs, salad, roast
chicken, and peanut butter sandwiches, as well as other
Schedule staples of human cuisine.
Aya. Aya enters Gleaming Beacon at 8:00 AM and leaves at Vizea. Vizea eats the same type of food as Oskhar, plus at
8:00 PM. She and Hepzakatl travel together. least one live mouse for her snake hair each meal.
Hepzakatl. Hepzakatl enters Gleaming Beacon at 8:00 AM Zenh. Zenh does not need to eat or drink, and chooses to
and leaves at 8:00 PM. He and Aya travel together. abstain. She still sits with the others for meals.
Ishim. Once every seven days, Ishim passes through the Kitchen
barrier at 1:45 PM to assist Penny with her interviews. He
leaves after debriefing with Penny about the interviews and Hexakatl prepares meals in the kitchen. It does not much
the level of success of Gleaming Beacon so far, usually at resemble a kitchen; instead, it's a shrine or ritual space where
around 6:45 PM or 7:00 PM. Hexakatl provides prayer offerings to various gods who
Ivorall Soaringwings. The pegasus passes through the magically provide him with the materials he needs to prepare
barrier at the crack of dawn (5:30 AM) each morning. He meals. Given the needs of Bloodspatter, Hexakatl has set up a
justifies the risk because he must give Penny a report on trough where he slaughters the pigs and drains their blood.
the surrounding area, but he uses the opportunity to spend
time with her. He leaves again through the barrier at 6:00 Chauntea. A flower to the Earthmother grants Hexakatl two
AM. live pigs each day, plane shifted squealing and prone into
Zacharie. Zacharie enters Gleaming Beacon at 8:00 PM and his ritual circle. She also provides him with all the food he
leaves at 8:00 AM, handing over from Aya and Hepzakatl. needs for Oskhar and Vizea each day.
Ilmater. A single lash upon Hexakatl's back from his tail in
Yard reverence to Ilmater grants him a live mouse each day to
Gleaming Beacon's yard is spacious and beautiful. The be fed to Vizea's snake hair.
ground itself fills any who walk upon it with feelings of bliss. Office
While touching the grass, a creature can't attack or cast a
spell that doesn't heal a creature. At the beginning of a Penny runs the administration of Gleaming Beacon from her
creature's turn, it can attempt a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw, office. Once per day, she brings in each of the prisoners for an
suppressing the effects until the end of its turn on a success. interview, attempting to get them to question and reevaluate
Penny Featherlight sleeps outside here at night. their beliefs in the hope that eventually they will fully become
good and bring positive change on the world.
Schedule All dangerous equipment the prisoners might have (AH 39-
Bloodspatter. Bloodspatter is let out into the yard to wear 40) is hidden in a safe in the office: DC 14 Wisdom
themselves out at 8:30 PM each day. They do ten full laps (Perception) check to locate it and Dexterity (Thieves' Tools)
of Gleaming Beacon at a full sprint, exhausting themselves, to open it.
at which point they collapse and Zacharie must drag them Schedule
back inside. If they don't have the chance to wear
themselves out, they won't sleep through the night. They'll 6:00 AM: Penny finishes her report with Ivorall
howl and cackle at ear-splitting volume until morning. Soaringwings and enters her office to conduct her duties.
Oskhar. Oskhar meditates in the yard at 3:00 PM each day 9:00 AM: Penny eats breakfast with the prisoners for half an
for one hour, supervised by Aya. hour.
Vizea. She works on the gardens for four hours each day 12:00 PM: Penny takes a 15-minute break in the yard.
starting at 11:00 AM. Hepzakatl takes her her lunch at 1:00 PM: Penny interviews Zenh.
12:00 PM. 2:00 PM: Penny interviews Bloodspatter.
Zenh. She takes a 1-hour walk twice a day in the yard, 3:00 PM: Penny interviews Vizea.
supervised by Aya, at 9:30 AM and at 6:00 PM. 4:00 PM: Penny interviews Oskhar.
5:00 PM: Penny frolics in the yard for the rest of the day.
97
Lounge Oskhar
The room is dark and gloomy, packed with books on great
The lounge room is perfectly blank, but a celestial heroes and villains of old. Bioluminescent mushrooms grow
modification of the spell mirage arcane provides a sensory from the walls (deliberately planted there for mood).
and tactile illusion tailored to each of the prisoners.
9:00 AM: Main Hall
Schedule 9:30 AM: Oskhar's Room
Bloodspatter. The lounge appears to be the aftermath of a 12:00 PM: Main Hall
battle. Bloodspatter tries and fails to eat the rotting bodies, 12:30 PM: Oskhar's Room
but no matter how much they try, they can never get a good 2:00 PM: Lounge
grasp. They don't realize it's an illusion. The gnoll spends 3:00 PM: Yard
almost all their time here, starting from 9:30 AM until 4:00 PM: Office
12:00 PM, from 12:30 PM until 2:00 PM, and from 3:00 5:00 PM: Main Hall
PM until 8:30 PM. 6:00 PM: Oskhar's Room
Oskhar. The lounge is an old cottage on a peaceful autumn Vizea
afternoon, almost a perfect representation of his family's The room is the one place where Vizea feels comfortable
old family home by the lake. He usually takes a warm tea removing her blinders. The curtains are always drawn,
and an apple with him at 2:00 PM. preventing her from looking out or anyone looking in. She
Vizea. The lounge is a shrine to Athena, meant to be a private spends most of her time playing board games against the
place where Vizea can remove her blinders. However, snakes in her hair or painting pictures from memory of
Vizea never uses the lounge. priests of Athena that she once knew.
Zenh. The lounge is a great council hall where old
recordings of discussions between planetars and solars are 9:00 AM: Main Hall
played on repeat. Zenh takes fervent notes on the debate 9:30 AM: Vizea's Room
on the nature of good versus evil and law versus chaos. She 11:00 AM: Yard
usually goes in at the same time as Oskhar. 2:00 PM is the 3:00 PM: Office
only time when Bloodspatter isn't hogging the place. 4:00 PM: Vizea's Room
5:00 PM: Main Hall
Rooms 6:00 PM: Vizea's Room
Spare Room Zenh
Evrey room in Gleaming Beacon is comfortable and large. The room is wallpapered with posters of Zariel in various
The beds are soft with silky sheets, big windows provide states of angelhood or devilhood. Zenh usually has at least
plenty of light from the sun, and bookshelves and board three or four paintings on the go of Zariel that she makes
games are freely available to browse. herself, although most of her posters were special requests
In case other evil creatures are assigned to Gleaming that Penny was happy to fulfill for her. Penny also brought
Beacon, a spare room is always available. If more than five her half a dozen biographies of Zariel to read.
prisoners are present, each room can be shared between up 9:00 AM: Main Hall
to three prisoners at a time. 9:30 AM: Yard
11:00 AM: Zenh's Room
Bloodspatter 12:00 PM: Main Hall
The room's walls are padded (and now shredded with claws) 12:30 PM: Zenh's Room
and includes a tap and bucket where blood from the kitchen 1:00 PM: Office
is supplied at will for Bloodspatter to drink. The curtains 2:00 PM: Lounge
have been ripped up, the bed has been torn into pieces 3:00 PM: Zenh's Room
(Bloodspatter sleeps on the floor), and Penny wisely removed 5:00 PM: Main Hall
all the books and games from the room before Bloodspatter 6:00 PM: Yard
could ruin them, too. 7:00 PM: Zenh's Room
9:00 AM: Main Hall
9:30 AM: Lounge Yugoloth Guards
12:00 PM: Main Hall Gleaming Beacon has contracted yugoloths from the
12:30 PM: Lounge Opalescent army so that the devas Aya and Zacharie aren't
2:00 PM: Office spread so thin in their guard duties. The yugoloths work
3:00 PM: Lounge tirelessly at all hours and are paid with ambrosia and gold.
8:30 PM: Yard
9:00 PM: Bloodspatter's Room Caraxus (AH 25) patrols the yard with Toda.
Organus (AH 25) patrols the interior, mostly the rooms.
Rorknir (AH 27) patrols the interior, mostly the main hall.
Toda (AH 29) patrols the yard with Caraxus.
98
Infiltrate the Prison
Thesea drops the party off nearby Gleaming Beacon in the A DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals a longing look
plane of Firmament. Karen's words echo in the party's mind. shared between Penny and Ivorall.
"Remember, if they find out the real reason you're in
Firmament, the whole plan is a bust. The angels are not on our
side. Never forget that they are warriors of law as much as they
are warriors of light, and we are agents of neutrality, which
they despise. Do not, under any circumstances, let the angels
figure out your mission."
General Features
Silver Sky. During the day, the sky is strangely dark,
with a dim silver star bathing the world in a
pleasant grey and white light. During night, the
sky shimmers with silver linings, as though it
once was shattered and then reforged.
Bountiful. The plane smells of fresh spring. All
plants are edible, and any food consumed here is
under the effects of purify food and drink. Water
on this plane is always holy water.
Evergreen. The temperature here is always pleasant,
and the weather always warm without being
stuffy. Beautiful forests cover the valleys and
mountains, though these forests are unnatural,
planted by celestials based on what would look
good rather than what naturally would grow.
Truth-Tellers. Food turns to ash in the mouth of any
creature on Firmament that has told a lie in the
past hour.
The grass grows tall and wild, then collapses under its own
weight to reveal a unicorn, as though she was always here. She
bows down in greeting just as Ivorall the pegasus soars above
your heads to resume his patrol. The unicorn speaks.
After the party waits for another hour or so, they hear a
digging and scratching sound underneath their feet. Shortly,
a ragged claw emerges from the dirt. A dirty, ferocious hyena
monster, a gnoll, claws its way out from under the walls and
howls at the dim star in the sky. It makes a break for it.
The party has the opportunity to stop Bloodspatter (AH
39) from escaping through any means necessary.
Ishim the planetar (MM 17) shows up not long afterwards.
He has little patience for the party, though if they've
prevented Bloodspatter's escape, he regards them with
appreciation. A DC 10 Intelligence (Religion) check reveals
that he is obviously an angel, the kind that can detect lies
automatically, and the kind that can see through illusions.
The angel is mossy green, ten feet tall, with shining skin and
stern, fatherly features. His sword hovers at ease from his
waist, held aloft by faith alone. His voice is slow and
deliberate, every word chosen with care.
Teamwork Bonus
Burrower Bonus
The burrower grows a massive spiralling drill that can pierce
through any substance. Also, it smells faintly of pine needles.
William Rotor
William Rotor is a writer, educator, designer, and creative professional with a love for
unusual mediums of expression. He lives and works in Australia and is an active member of
the local film and theatre scene. You can find more of his work related to Dungeons and
Dragons on his subreddit, /r/williamrotor.
Notable works include ...
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Void Pirates
O
ut in the seas of the Border Ethereal, great
rivers of matter and void course through the Locating the Void Pirates
planes of existence like lifeblood through
veins. Incredible experiences can be found To reach the void pirates in the first place, the party must
here, as well as incredible dangers. And where travel through The Reef. They need two things to do so and
there are explorers, there are pirates. successfully locate the void pirates.
First, the party needs a plan to attract or locate the pirates.
They might loudly advertise their position and all the
Summary wonderful booty they're carrying, or they might use divination
The party hunts for a pirate ship in the expanse of The Reef. spells to narrow down where the pirates might be hiding.
They must defeat the pirates and rescue their booty, a Second, while travelling through The Reef, the party will
treasure chest bearing the mark of the Knotted Snake. need to roll for two Random Reef Encounters (AH 68) and
By the end of the adventure, the party will have ... resolve them before they encounter the void pirates.
Swashbuckled Encountering the Void Pirates
Acquired booty
As massive columns of seaweed split apart into a clearing in
Hook The Reef, you spot a chunk of meteor rocketing past.
40 gp Captain Quasar AH 42 1 12
a potion of climbing (DMG 187)
A hatch (DC 10 Strength check) reveals a ladder into area 14.
9: Pirate Quarters III
This room is a little nicer than pirate quarters I and II, having 12: Starboard Cannons
only six hammocks, a little bit less cramped. Asleep in one of The cannons here are on the right-hand side of the ship.
the hammocks is a void pirate mate. They're unmanned while the ship isn't in combat, though
they're already all loaded up with ammunition and
Page Passive gunpowder. Firing a cannon alerts the entire crew; everyone
Enemy Reference Numbers Perception in area 11 will immediately investigate.
Void Pirate The cannons can be sabotaged with a DC 15 Dexterity
Mate
AH 41 1 9 (Thieves' Tools) check, preventing them from firing.
The party can attempt a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) 13: Port Cannons
check to search for hidden loot. Making this check wakes up The cannons here are on the left-hand side of the ship.
the void pirate mate regardless of success or failure. On a They're practically identical to the cannons in area 12.
success, the party finds the following loot.
Bottom Deck
50 gp
2 diamonds, one worth 100 gp and one worth 500 gp 14: Cargo Hold
a lantern of revealing (DMG 179) The cargo hold can be accessed from a hatch in area 11. The
winged boots (DMG 214) ceiling is about 4 feet high; taller characters must stoop,
reducing their movement speed by 15 feet.
10: Pirate Quarters IV The ship's supplies and treasures are found down here.
The door to this room is closed and locked, requiring a DC 15 Four void pirates are debating amongst themselves whether
Dexterity (Thieves' Tools) check to open. The final room of to try to open up the mysterious chest or not. They decide to
the pirate quarters is the nicest of the four, containing two leave it alone as the captain would probably be mad.
comfortable beds with down pillows and fluffy sheets. A small
bookshelf has light reading about ship maintenance, astral Page Passive
winds, and magical leylines. The room is unoccupied. Enemy Reference Numbers Perception
A DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals the Void
AH 41 4 14
following loot. Pirate
a jasper puzzle box set with a star ruby (250 gp) The following loot can be found down here if the party has at
5 diamonds, each worth 500 gp least 10 minutes to hunt around. If they don't, the only
a brocade robe trimmed with lynx fur (250 gp) obvious piece of loot is the chest; the rest is just
20 vials of perfume in a pouch (100 gp) miscellaneous crates and trinkets. They can discover the rest
a folding boat (DMG 170) with a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check.
Quaal's feather token (DMG 188)
Chest of the Knotted Snake
a barrel of 330 platinum pieces
a black sapphire (5,000 gp)
a jade salt cellar engraved with
draconic runes (2.500 gp)
3 potions of superior healing (DMG 187)
100 bottles of fine wine (1,000 gp)
10 Large crates of magically preserved
food (100 gp)
10 Medium barrels of magically purified
water (10 gp)
The chest is a mimic (MM 220) with an Intelligence
of 10 and the ability to speak Common, Celestial, and
a bit of Thieves' Cant picked up from the pirates. The
chest itself has the soul of Sollus the Many, as
evidenced by its Knotted Snake tattoo.
As soon as you start to move the chest, it lashes out with a
slurping purple appendage. "Hey! Stop that!"
Additional Credits
Aranga87
KHIUS
Tithi Luadthong
Liu Zishan
fran_kie
Watercolor splotches by Jared Ondricek
118
T
he Tranquil Prison is an adventure for four 8th Now he lives on the banks of the Great River Erronys, the
level characters. The heist is set on Erronys, a memories of the yugoloth chases and Sollus ancestry lying
demiplane of extreme nature, but if you want deeply suppressed in his entrapped mind.
to include it in a Planescape campaign, you
can pick Eronia, the second layer of Elysium Ral'Romon
for the setting. Ral'Romon is a hideous being who has infiltrated yugoloth
The party travels to the good aligned enemies countless times, and always successfully. Ral'Romon
demiplane Erronys (AIR-uh-niss) to witness firsthand the will claim that his life back in the yugoloth ranks is in danger.
natural and mental hazards the the demiplane poses, hazards
that will make the party hope they were facing enemies that The Lie
can be beaten by blade. According to him, he has angered his superior, Broken Opal
the ultroloth, because he was responsible for extracting
Summary Orym from Erronys. Broken Opal dislikes the delay and has
The party is contacted by the gacholoth Ral'Romon. He threatened to turn him into a canoloth.
claims that his kind has been chasing a Sollus reincarnation, Therefore, he helps the party instead, as he needs
an elf by the name Orym the Alarmed. They tracked him all protection. Should they succeed in extracting Orym, he'll
the way to the demiplane Erronys. Ral'Romon, being a traitor, want to follow them to the Reef, where he can serve as a
brings this information to the party with the hope that they'll source of information for all things considering yugoloths.
get to him before the yugoloths manage to find a way to But even if the party denies him the position, he sees their
overcome the effects Erronys has on them. success in getting Orym before the yugoloths as a last
Although Ral'Romon knows the exact location of Orym, he punishment against his pushy superior.
can't get to him because of the plane's effects on evil The Truth
creatures and because he cannot navigate the Great River Ral'Romon is an infiltrator like few in the multiverse. His
Erronys. only role is to fool the party into extracting Orym from a place
Apparently, Orym live on the banks of the river with a small yugoloths cannot reach. Upon success, it will be easier for
community of planetravelers who, like Orym, have fallen him to steal Orym from the party. Upon failure, like in the
victim to the plane's entrapping effect. This means Orym's chance that the party also gets entrapped in Erronys, he has
prison is one without bars. He is a prisoner in his own mind. dealt with the headache of the party once and for all.
He has no will to leave this place.
Ral'Romon has come into possession of a rod that has a
single charge. This allows up to 10 people to enter a person's Once in Erronys
mind and witness their memories, desires, and secrets, while Erronys is a place of rugged rocky terrain, filled with crevices
also being able to influence their decision making. and jagged cliffs that are impossible to traverse. The only way
The party will have to find passage to the community of going forward is by rafting the Great River Erronys,
entrapped people, enter Orym's mind, and convince him or something that is by itself an impossible task for one who
force him to leave this place. doesn't know the lay of the land and the dangers it might
Little do they know that Orym has been here willingly. He pose.
knows yugoloths are chasing him and knows that they cannot Ral'Romon will be waiting for the party at a rendezvous
reach him for they cannot travel Erronys. He entrapped point on a spot on the banks of the Great River Erronys that
himself to escape, as deep inside he is fully aware of who he is barely possible to stand without a harness.
really is: a reincarnation of Sollus.
Razor sharp cliffs and mountains with jagged edges are visible
Orym the Alarmed as far as the eye can see. Few plants interrupt the scenery, as
Orym is an elf, old even for his race. He has been a they protrude from the cliff sides, especially along the fast
planetraveler, scholar, and researcher for most of his life. flowing, massive river that flows between the cliffs. The sound
It was some 10 years ago that, upon researching the being
known as Sollus out of pure curiosity, he found out he is one it makes is nearly deafening, making it hard to have a normal
of their reincarnations. Other than a spike of scholarly conversation as it masks all other noises for hundreds of feet
interest and joy, he didn't put much more thought into this around.
information.
It was only when yugoloth soldiers started tracking him, On a spot that is covered with thick grass stands a creature
trying to kidnap him and imprison him that he realized how with ebony black skin and four long legs with sharp claws
dangerous his ancestry is. So, to escape the yugoloths, he attached to them. His face is ape-like, with an abnormally large
chose to travel to Erronys and stay long enough to be mouth. He is currently perched on the cliff side, clinging to
entrapped in the plane. safety with his claws buried on the rocks.
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Teamwork Bonus
In future heists, Orym can grant the party the following
teamwork bonus.
Additional Credits
Ede László from the Worlds Without Number art pack
Maps by P.J. Pirrello
Watercolor splotches by Jared Ondricek
128
In Remembrance
I
n Remembrance is an adventure for four to five
characters of 11th to 13th level and is optimized for a Adventure Hook
party of four characters with an average party level of
12. This heist is set in Peloponessos (pel-uh-puh- One of Sollus' clones (known as Petrasollus) was recently
NESS-iss), primarily amongst the rolling hills and spotted near the village of Arginth in a picturesque corner of
olive groves with a small jaunt to the dusty wastes of the realm. Her presence was quickly discovered by the
Kefallonia (keh-fah-LONE-ee-a). yugoloths, and Tirikan and his faithful hound Beck were
dispatched to capture and imprison her. That's all the info
Karen is aware of, but she urges the party to travel to Arginth.
Background With any luck they can recover Petrasollus before Tirikan
Yugoloths have tracked an incarnation of Sollus to the small manages to find and imprison her.
town of Arginth in Peloponessos. Karen discovers this when
Toda brags to her about how he discovered this new Sollus. The Town of Arginth
He knows that Tirikan and Beck have been dispatched to find The town of Arginth is designed in such an orderly fashion
and imprison this new version.
This is where things get ... complicated. This incarnation of that it is unsettling. It is surrounded by a wall that is precisely
Sollus is actually fractured into two parts. The part that 25 feet tall, with a single gate perfectly centered on the
Tirikan found, a female aasimar named Petrasollus, is northern wall that is 10 feet wide and 15 feet tall. The wall is
haunted by dreams and visions of another life. The other exactly 295 feet on each side.
part, a medusa named Serpamne, has no memory of her life Within the walls, the town is divided into nine identically-
beyond a few days ago, exactly when Petrasollus arrived in sized blocks. The center block is a well-tended garden that
Peloponessos. The only way for the two parts to be reunited serves as a meeting place. A large fountain in the center of
is for Petrasollus to be petrified and her memories -- her the garden provides fresh drinking water for the residents.
essence -- to be freed from her stone form to reunite with The remaining eight blocks each have an identical
Serpamne's physical form. structure built upon them, with twelve small shops on the
In a stunning display of incompetence (or just plain bad bottom floor and twelve residences above them. Each also
luck), Tirikan brought Petrasollus to the temple where has a central courtyard bordered by an arcade on both the
Serpamne lives, and convinced the medusa to turn first and second floor. A pair of circular, stone staircases
Petrasollus to stone. He then left Serpamne and the host of provide access to the second floor.
other monsters that live on the path to the mountain temple Individual shops and residences are almost
to guard the statue. He does not know that he has indistinguishable from one another. The shops each have a
inadvertently done half the party's work for them. couple of tables with various goods on them. Intimate cafes
The characters must find a way up the mountain and past containing only a few tables serve coffee and mostly light
the monsters that surround the temple. Then they'll have to fare, such as roasted vegetables and olives.
convince Serpamne to help them. She'll inform them that the The party is free to wander the town, as its inhabitants are
only way to return Petrasollus back to life is to retrieve the unafraid of strangers. Children will run up to the characters,
Nero Eleftherias -- the water of freedom -- from the labyrinth curious about their odd dress and unusual weaponry.
below the temple. Tirikan will wait for their return and will If the characters are friendly, the residents will happily talk
have set an ambush for them as they are leaving the to them and tell them what they know:
labyrinth. After getting past Tirikan, they can finally use the 1. A beautiful female aasimar, Petrasollus, arrived in the
Nero Eleftherias, which will free the part of Sollus' essence town exactly ten days ago.
from the stone body of Petrasollus and return it to Serpamne, 2. While friendly, the woman seemed to have a dark cloud
reuniting the two parts into Serpasollus. hanging over her. She claimed to have no memory of her
Just when they think they've won the day, the mountain will life before she arrived in Peloponessos and seemed
shake beneath them. The Nero Eleftherias will not only have desperate to uncover her past.
freed Sollus' essence, it will have freed an evil that had been 3. Petrasollus would have visions, often waking her from
imprisoned under the mountain for ages. The party will have sleep. In these visions, she would look through the eyes of
one last fight on their hands before they can finally make someone, or something, else: a creature, part woman, part
their way back to the reef with Serpasollus in tow. snake.
4. Yesterday, two creatures, like demons, arrived in town.
They promised not to hurt anyone and said that they were
only here for the criminal, Petrasollus.
5. Petrasollus cried and pleaded for help, but the creature
assured them it was all a trick and that Petrasollus was a
violent criminal.
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6. These demons hauled Petrasollus off to the northeast. 9. They also know of the cyclopes, and that a small family of
The only thing nearby in that direction is an ancient pixies near the temple might be able to offer aid should
temple atop Mnemnos Peak. the characters prove their intentions are pure.
7. The townsfolk will warn the characters that Mnemnos
Peak is a very dangerous place, once the home of a Mnemnos Peak
monstrous titan that was vanquished by the followers of
an ancient god. They built a temple there, but it was under Mnemnos Peak appears short for a mountain, even more so
constant assault by all manner of monsters and was with a much greater peak looming over it in the distance, the
eventually overrun. homeland of the gods. A gentle, sloping path winds up the
8. They know that harpies (MM 181) seem to fly a set mountainside, eventually leading to a small plateau. Toward
pattern which could help the characters circumvent them the northeast edge of the plateau, the ultimate peak rises
if they were to figure it out. another 150 feet. A large, round temple sits at the crest of the
peak, looking down upon the plateau below. A second
structure, similar to the temple but smaller, sits on a ledge
below the temple.
Effects of Peloponessos
Peloponessos in general is vastly different from the small and General Features
orderly town of Arginth where the players have tracked Unless otherwise stated, all areas have the
Sollus. It is a plane full of drama, where feelings and following features.
emotions run high, and it can affect anyone not accustomed Illumination. It is perpetually late afternoon, and
to its effects. In combat, each character must make a DC 20 the warm sun brightly lights the mountaintop.
Charisma saving throw at the start of its turn. On a failed Flora and Fauna. The grass is lush, and the bushes
save, the character is afflicted with battle lust until the start of and trees are healthy and thick with leaves. Anyone
their next turn, gaining advantage on all attack rolls. If the hiding behind bushes or trees can benefit from
character makes an attack while under the effect of battle one-quarter cover. Small animals abound as well;
lust, their reckless demeanor grants all creatures advantage squirrels, chipmunks, and all manner of small birds
on attack rolls against them until the start of their next turn. chitter in the trees.
1. Mountain Path
This lightly-trod dirt path rises and falls gently as it winds its
way across the plateau from the mountain trail toward the
peak to the northeast, crowned with a round-domed temple
that gleams white in the afternoon sun.
2. Olive Grove
This dense grove of olive trees offers protection from the sun
and from any prying eyes that might be watching from above.
It offers an excellent view of the small stand of trees on the
slopes above that the harpies use as an aerie. Players
watching the harpies and succeeding on a DC 15 Wisdom
(Perception) check will notice the following:
1. After a minute of watching, the characters will notice that
one harpy is much larger than the others. 4. After 15 minutes of watching, the characters will see the
2. After 5 minutes of watching, the characters will notice harpies dive into the trees to the northeast. After a few
that there are 11 different harpies in the aerie, but there minutes on the ground, they fly slowly back to the aerie,
generally seems to be only two in the air at any given time. carrying a small buck between them.
3. After 10 minutes of watching, the characters will discover If the characters continue to watch, they will see the
that the harpies fly a set pattern around the temple, pattern repeat itself with every changing of the guard. The
gliding in a lazy arc from the west by the aerie, around the harpies will fly their set path, and on their final pass, will dive
rear of the temple over to the east side and back. They into one of the nearby stands of trees or bushes, emerging a
mostly seem to ignore the southern side of the peak. few minutes later with a fresh kill to feast upon.
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3. Fairy Ring 8. Aerie
A large ring of toadstools grows in a small clearing amongst a This stand of uncommonly large cypress trees houses a small
stand of cypress trees. A small community of pixies makes congregation of harpies, along with their matron leader. The
their home here. If the characters investigate around the ring, harpies guard and hunt along the cliffs north of the ancient
the pixies' leader, Briar Cricketwhite, appears in the branches temple. Anyone approaching their home will be attacked
of one of the taller trees and greets the characters. Briar is a swiftly and without mercy. The harpies aren't the best of
short, female pixie dressed in a white, silken tuxedo complete guards, however, and anyone watching can time the route
with vest and top hat. She is friendly, albeit more serious than they take and find ways to bypass their patrols. Two of the 10
most pixies. Briar is trying to gauge the characters' motives. normal harpies will always be out on patrol and depending
The characters can attempt to convince her of their good on where they are in their route, will join any fight after 1-3
intentions, either through good role-play or with a successful rounds.
Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Deception) check If captured, the players may be able to convince the harpy
contested by Briar's Wisdom (Insight) check. matron to use her powers of divination to assist them in their
Should the characters convince Briar and her pixies to quest. If they manage to do so, she will offer the following:
assist them, she will tell them about the cyclopes that live Encounter. 1 harpy matron (AH 43) and 10 harpies (MM
above them to the north. She will reveal that the cyclopes 181).
raise sheep as food and she'll offer them some pixie dust
which, when sprinkled on the sheep, will put the cyclopes to 9. Thorn-Covered Cliffs
sleep when they eat them. The cliff on the north side of the peak is covered with thick,
Encounter. 12 pixies (MM 253). thorny vines. It would be a nearly vertical 150-foot climb
4. Pond through the thorns to reach the temple at the top of the peak.
Anyone attempting to scale the rock face must make a
Water rushes down the mountainside, cascading over the Dexterity (Athletics) check for each round worth of
cliffs in multiple waterfalls, finally collecting at the base of the movement. A failed check means the character takes 2 (1d4)
peak in a small pond. The creatures on the peak all gather piercing damage from the thorns. The harpies from area 8
water from the various small pools to slake their thirst. Reeds watch this side of the mountain closely and will attack anyone
and lily pads grow around and on the surface of the largest they catch trying to climb the cliffs.
pool at the base of the rise.
10. Sollus Temple Prison
5. Cyclops Plateau When the characters enter the temple, read or paraphrase
A tiny tribe of cyclopes live on the ledges and terraces leading the following to them:
up to the temple. The three brutes know that Serpamne lives
in the temple above and fear her enough to leave her alone. This large, round building contains several pieces of light
They will wander between areas 5 through 7, napping olive-colored furniture and decoration. The center of the room
beneath the trees, tending to their flock, or resting in the
small domed structure on the ledge below the temple. features a fountain adorned with an incredibly lifelike statue of
Encounter. 3 cyclopes (MM 45). a winged woman, water trickling out from its base and flowing
southward through a hole in the wall to cascade down the
6. Sheep Pasture or Titanic Prison? mountainside.
A small flock of sheep grazes on the sloping, grass-covered As you enter the room, you glimpse someone darting
ledge. Several odd-looking, moss-covered rock formations jut
from the ground and escarpments to the north. Cyclopes behind one of the elegant chairs against the northern wall. As
from area 5 will wander in among the sheep, occasionally you try to get a closer look, a slightly reptilian head peeks from
grabbing one and plopping the whole animal in its mouth as behind the chair, her hair a mass of writhing snakes. From the
a snack. Regardless of how many sheep the cyclopes eat, the look in her eyes, she is more afraid of you than you are of her.
flock never seems to thin at all.
Once the characters recover and use the Nero Eleftherias,
the imprisoned titan here will break free and attempt to The creature is Serpamne, one half of this particular
prevent their escape. incarnation of Sollus. She will not attack the characters and
will avoid defending herself in a way that might hurt them,
7. Cyclops Parlor mainly trying to hide and retreat while begging for her life.
This small structure is surprisingly well-appointed when one If the characters try to speak with her, she will seem fearful
considers its inhabitants. Whenever the cyclopes decide to but will be forthcoming with them. She knows the following:
take a longer rest, they will retire to this building to sleep on 1. The first thing she remembers is waking up here in this
its couches and settee. The two tables here appear to get temple 10 days ago.
little use, as the giant oafs tend to devour their fleecy meals 2. Food and water are plentiful, but the other creatures on
fresh from the flock. the plateau and peak harry and herd her back to the
temple whenever she tries to leave.
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3. Two days ago, two demonic-looking creatures arrived Effects of Kefallonia
along with a beautiful female with wings. Under threat of
death, they had Serpamne turn the poor creature to stone While on this layer of Peloponessos, a great sense of
and place her petrified body on the platform at the center emptiness and lethargy threatens to overtake the characters.
of the fountain. While here, characters use their Charisma rather than their
4. They told Serpamne to guard the statue, threatening to Dexterity bonus when rolling initiative, as it is only by the
come back and kill her if anything were to happen to it. sheer force of their personality that they can goad themselves
5. She doesn't know how she knows it, but she feels certain into action.
that the characters are here to rescue both her and her
victim.
6. She knows how to access a secret staircase that leads
down to a labyrinth safeguarding the only thing that can General Features
save the unfortunate, petrified woman. She knows the Unless otherwise stated, all areas have the
general layout of the labyrinth, and can provide the players following features.
with a simple map. Floors, walls, and ceilings. All surfaces throughout
7. She also advises the characters that they must retrieve an the labyrinth are made of various shades of light
item from each of the labyrinth's three areas in order to gray stone. The passages are all 10 feet wide and
recover the Nero Eleftherias. 10 feet tall.
Illumination. Although there is no visible source
Encounter. 1 medusa (MM 214). of light, all areas in the labyrinth are well-lit by a
stark, slightly blue-tinted light.
The Labyrinth of Nero Sounds. Noise behaves oddly within the
labyrinth. Echoes seem to be erratic and may seem
Eleftherias to come from any and all directions at once. A
creature walking down a hall may hear their own
The stairs are enchanted, and lead to a labyrinth on footfalls echoing in front of them one moment and
Peloponessos' third layer, Kefallonia. The labyrinth was built suddenly behind them the next. Different creatures
centuries ago, its original purpose lost to history. It is split may perceive the same noise as coming from
into four main areas: The Entrance, The Door, The Lock, and different directions.
The Key. All areas are of similar build and design, but have Creatures. Each area of the labyrinth has its own
their own unique quirks specific to the item they hold. distinct set of creatures. A creature will not
willingly leave its native area. Should a creature be
forced from its home area, it will teleport back to a
random point within its original zone.
134
As the characters explore the labyrinth, periodically roll Under most circumstances, this doorway does nothing
1d6. On a result of 6 an encounter will occur. The encounter special. If the characters, standing outside of the pedestal
varies depending on the area in which the characters room, place the door from area 4 in the opening, the lock
currently find themselves. from area 5 in the door, and close the door, an audible *click*
In the Door area, they encounter 2d4 cockatrices (MM 42). will be heard as the door locks itself. If anyone is inside the
In the Lock area, they encounter 1d4 flameskulls (134). pedestal room when the door is closed in this manner, it will
In the Key area, they encounter 2d4 will-o'-wisps (MM not lock. If the characters then use the key from area 6 to
301). unlock the door, the Nero Eleftherias will appear atop the
pedestal. The lock can be picked with a successful DC 30
1. Entrance Dexterity check with thieves' tools. If the door is unlocked in
this manner, however, the room beyond will contain 4
Read or paraphrase the following to the party when they basilisks (MM 24).
descend the stairs from the temple: Encounter. 4 basilisks (MM 24)
Treasure. If the characters assemble and unlock the door
You lose track of how many steps you've descended. The to this room, the Nero Eleftherias will be resting upon the
enclosed, spiral staircase winds down for what seems like an pedestal.
impossible distance, with barely any perceptible change the
further down you go. The stone of the stairs and the walls
3. Cockatrice Coop
slowly darkens, shifting from nearly pure white to a light gray, Two large enchanted chicken coops sit against the walls of
like the color of fine dust on glass. The lighting also changes this small room and the floor is covered in hay. At all times
as you descend, going from the warm white of a sunlit
there are 24 cockatrices within the "door" segment of the
labyrinth. Any time a cockatrice is killed, a new one emerges
afternoon to a harsh, cold, blue light that feels unnatural. from one of the coops. Some of the 24 are always in this
Finally, after what feels like ages, the stairs open up into a room.
small, square room that is empty save for the staircase and an Each coop has 50 hit points, an AC of 15, and is immune to
exit set in the center of each of its four walls. all damage except fire damage and attacks from adamantine
weapons. Destroying both coops will prevent any defeated
cockatrices from returning.
1. Entrance Encounter. 6 cockatrices (MM 42). Each time one of them
Read or paraphrase the following to the party when they is killed, another will emerge from one of the two coops.
descend the stairs from the temple: 4. The Door
You lose track of how many steps you've descended. The Hidden behind a secret door, this small room contains a
enclosed, spiral staircase winds down for what seems like an mound of coins with a massive wooden door wedged into the
impossible distance, with barely any perceptible change the
pile. The coins are basically worthless, being made of bronze.
Treasure. The door. The door is a large, thick, heavy oak
further down you go. The stone of the stairs and the walls
door with bulky cast-iron bands and hinges. There is a small
slowly darkens, shifting from nearly pure white to a light gray, hole where it appears the lock has been removed. It weighs
like the color of fine dust on glass. The lighting also changes 250 pounds. One or multiple characters can carry the door. If
as you descend, going from the warm white of a sunlit carried by a single character, it requires two hands to carry
afternoon to a harsh, cold, blue light that feels unnatural.
and provides a +6 bonus to AC. A character can also tie the
door to his back. If carrying the door in this way, the
Finally, after what feels like ages, the stairs open up into a character has disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability
small, square room that is empty save for the staircase and an checks. If, at any point, the door is not being carried by a
exit set in the center of each of its four walls. character and is not in the doorframe at area 2, it will teleport
back to this room.
Encounter. Once the characters have recovered the Nero 5. The Lock
Eleftherias, Tirikan (AH 26) and Beck (AH 26) will be
waiting for them here, prepared to attack and relieve them of This cross-shaped room is empty save for a bulky brass lock
their treasure. hanging from a heavy iron chain in the center of it.
Treasure. The lock. A bronze lock, shaped to fit perfectly in
2. Pedestal the small opening in the door from area 4. Whoever holds the
A marble pedestal sits upon a stone dais in the middle of this lock is paralyzed. If that person takes any damage, they drop
otherwise empty room. the lock, which instantly teleports back to the place where it
The northern entranceway is open, but it appears to be was found.
crafted to hold a large door. The halves of three hinges are
strongly attached to the inner wall of the portal. A hole in the
inside wall across from the hinges is likely used for some
kind of locking mechanism.
135
6. The Key Her explanation is cut short as the ground convulses. The
roof of the temple cracks and showers the characters with
Hovering in a dusty alcove at the end of the hallway is a tiny debris, threatening to collapse on them.
metal key. The key floats in a narrow beam of bright blue As the characters flee the temple to avoid being crushed,
light. they immediately notice that clouds now blot out the sun and
Treasure. The key. A delicate and ornate metal key that the sky has turned an angry, grayish orange. On the plateau
looks like it would fit the lock from area 5. Anyone holding the below them, they see a massive figure, apparently made of
key levitates uncontrollably. If they touch any surface before rock, rising from under the stone of the mountainside. It
leaving the key area, the key will teleport back to where the thrusts both hands into the ground pulling out an axe made
characters found it. of glossy black stone.
If the townsfolk of Arginth told the characters about the
Releasing Petrasollus titan of Mnemnos Peak, they will recognize this as the
creature from those legends. The titan slowly looks around
With the Nero Eleftherias in hand, the characters can return before bellowing, "Who has found the Nero Eleftherias and
to the temple. Serpamne tells them that, in order to free freed me from my prison?! Let them step forward and have
Petrasollus, they simply need to pour the contents of the vial the honor of being the first to fall before my overwhelming
over the statue. might!"
If the characters do as she advises, read or paraphrase the Encounter. 1 mountain titan (AH 43)
following to them: Treasure. Stonehewer, a greataxe made of obsidian that
functions as a dwarven thrower (DMG 167)
The water washes over the statue, light flashing off of the little
rivulets as they stream down the smooth stone and mix with Conclusion
the water of the fountain. Glowing cracks appear across the
As the titan collapses back into the earth, a bright ray of
surface of the statue, rapidly growing more intense as a low sunlight bursts through the clouds, illuminating the corpse of
hum fills the air. the fallen giant. The single sunbeam broadens quickly,
dispersing the clouds. It doesn't take long for the sun to bathe
The glow quickly intensifies to a blinding brilliance, causing the plateau in its warm, welcome light. Serpasollus quickly
you to avert your eyes. Suddenly, a sharp crack echoes joins with the characters and suggests they depart quickly
throughout the temple, and the light instantly fades. Looking before the Yugoloth return.
back at the statue, you see it now lies in pieces at the center Karen waits for them just outside Arginth, ready to ferry
of the fountain, the head rolling slightly on the pedestal before
them back to the reef. The trip back is uneventful. Once back
to the safety of the reef, Serpasollus excuses herself, saying
coming to rest.
she just knows that she must contribute to the great machine
Serpamne's eyes grow wide with disbelief as she sees what
to free her other incarnation.
Serpasollus will set to work assembling a massive
has happened. Before she can do or say anything, small motes serpent's tail that will help propel the machine as it burrows
of light rise from the various broken pieces of the statue. They through the walls of the prison in which Sollus is held.
float around each other, combining and splitting multiple By rescuing Serpasollus, the party can select the following
times before coalescing into a single glowing mass undulating bonus as their teamwork bonus when they begin a heist.
several feet above the ground.
The rippling light hovers in the air for a few seconds before
streaking at Serpamne and striking her in the chest. She The Immobile. Once per day per party member, as an
staggers backward, her back arched and her head thrown back. action, a character can choose to become magically
Light streams from her eyes and mouth, eventually fading as
fixed in place. Until they use another action to end
the effect, the character does not move, even
her body appears to relax and her head slowly turns to stare in defying gravity. The character can support up to
your direction. 8,000 pounds of weight. More weight causes this
ability to deactivate and the character to fall. A
She shouts, "At last! I am whole once more!" creature can use an action to make a DC 30
Strength check, moving the character up to 10 feet
on a success. The effects automatically end after 1
Serpamne and Petrasollus reunite to form Serpasollus, the hour.
one true incarnation of Sollus that had come to this plane.
She'll explain how she was trapped in this split form and that
the party has reunited her, thereby freeing her.
T.M. van Dalen
T.M. van Dalen makes hand-crafted adventures and supplements for Dungeons & Dragons
and other table top roleplaying games. Based in Amsterdam, his adventures focus on
Dungeon Master ease-of-use, allowing anyone to pick them up and have a good time with
less prep time. You can find more of his work and sign up to get free maps at
rpg.timvdalen.nl.
Notable works include ...
Additional Credits
Tithi Luadthong
Art Furnace
Maps by T.M. van Dalen; high resolution at https://rpg.timvdalen.nl/assets/prison-maps.zip
Special thanks to Dave Coulson for his work on Bytopia in Codex of the Infinite Planes
Watercolor splotches by Jared Ondricek
138
Mine-work Make-work
D
ay breaks on Pollux. The sky becomes lighter
even though there is no sun in sight. Gnomes Adventure Background
work tirelessly in the fields, fighting the
destructive nature of the plane itself. On Castor, The incarnation of Sollus that's trapped on Castor is called
wild beasts fight those who try to carve out a life Gimlen, a gnome of about 90 years. When he was just 2 years
for themselves, however short. old, he was taken from his clan by a group of yugoloths.
The Twinned Isles of Gemini are places of Gimlen was raised in Pollux by his captors, never realizing
hard work that does not go unrewarded. Pollux is a land of that he was a prisoner. The knotted snake symbol appears as
pastures and farms, of commerce and tinkering. Opposite an a birthmark in the inside of his elbow. Use the attuner (NPC
empty patch of sky, Castor is wild, untamed. On both layers, 187) or mage (MM 347) stat block for Gimlen.
the mostly gnome population is hard at work to fight the When he turned 40, he got a "job" working in a "factory"
destructive nature of the plane itself, maintaining their tools, that builds stab-o-lizers, a small constructed item that makes
houses and workshops. While a productive day of work is its life in Gemini a bit easier by limiting the rate of decay of
own reward, it is also currency in this place. buildings, in turn lengthening the time between the chore of
A reincarnation of Sollus is trapped in a mine on Castor, maintenance. Gimlen is the only worker in the factory,
unaware of his history, future and place in the multiverse. something that has never struck him as strange.
The party has discovered one possible flaw in the prison's He is responsible for mining the raw material, for smelting
highly effective defenses: a gnome called Ribbles who comes and forging it, and for assembling the final stab-o-lizers. His
by every fortnight to collect the stab-o-lizers. tasks are busywork designed to keep him from worrying
about his true place in the world, but the stab-o-lizers actually
turn a nice profit as well. Gimlen works all day, rotating
between the various tasks to keep production moving along.
At night, he retires to his private chambers, located in the
outer ring of the prison factory.
Once every two fortnights, Ribbles Nackle, a gnome
veteran (MM 350), comes by to collect the finished product.
He then travels from Castor to Pollux using one of the larger
mountain passes and sells the stab-o-lizers in one of the
bigger cities before returning back to Castor.
Road to Castor
Planar travel isn't an exact science. Whether they travel by
gate or by voidship, when the party arrives in Gemini, they
land on the layer of Pollux. Their destination, the prison mine
where Sollus is trapped, is located on Castor.
To get there, they will have to locate a way to cross the
empty sky and safely land on the other side. This section
gives guidance for how to handle travel on Pollux, the journey
between the layers, and travel on Castor.
139
Pollux If the characters would like to keep the peace and calm down
the angry group of gnomes, they must make a successful DC
Making your way across Pollux is easy enough — the weather 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If the characters join in
is always temperate and the terrain consists of rolling with the hecklers, they are invited to help with chores to earn
grasslands, divided by numerous small rivers that flow down a hearty meal.
from the high mountains.
When traveling in Pollux, it is likely the party will come 3: Otherworldly Wolves
across one or more small settlements. These settlements are The party is attacked by a pack of 2d4 dire wolves (MM 321)
typically made up of mostly gnomes. Everyone will be hard at who crossed over from Castor using an unstable gate (see
work. If they want to earn a meal or shelter for the night, all "Gate" below). If they follow the wolf tracks with a successful
the characters have to do is help do some chores. DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check, they might be able to find
To give life to the layer, you can have the party encounter a the gate and cross over to Castor.
few other random things. These encounters can happen as 4: Traveling Merchants
often as you like, though you should keep in mind that using
too many of them can slow the story down significantly. While traveling along a small road, the party encounters a
Consider checking for a random encounter twice per group of traveling merchants. The merchants are on their
adventuring day, once during the day and once during a long way from Prosperity, the largest city in Pollux. There, they
rest. If you do, roll a d20. If the result is 18 or higher, a purchased various goods to distribute among the smaller
random encounter occurs. settlements of Pollux.
If the party thinks to ask, they reveal that, among other
Random Encounters in Pollux things, they bought stab-o-lizers in Prosperity, though a small
d4 Encounter
bribe of 1 cp is required to tell the characters that they
purchased the items from a gnome called Ribbles.
1 Barn Repair
2 Lazy River Crossing the sky
3 Otherworldly Wolves The empty area between the two layers of Gemini is about 20
4 Traveling Merchants miles. Once you cross the barrier in between the layers (10
miles up), gravity 'flips', allowing you to go down the other
1: Barn Repair side. Gnome merchants sometimes use a system of hot air
The characters encounter a group of gnomes that are in the balloons to allow goods to cross the barrier, but this system is
process of repairing a barn. The group consists of 10 not safe for humanoid travel.
commoners (MM 344). The party might be able to convince a flying mount to bring
The gnomes are installing stab-o-lizers in the barn, which them to the other side, but the easiest ways to cross to the
should keep the barn standing for longer, and require less other layer are through a gate, climbing a mountain or using
maintenance going forward. If the characters offer to help an airship.
with repairs, they can spend the day working with the
gnomes. In return, the gnomes offer a place to sleep (in the Gate
newly repaired barn) and a warm meal. While all planar gates end up in Pollux, there are some
Any character that participated in the repair and slept in temporary lesser gates that lead between Pollux and Castor.
the barn wakes up feeling refreshed from the satisfaction of a These gates typically are the result of extremely violent
job well done, gaining a Bootstraps die. Once within the next storms on Castor. By helping the locals, the party might be
8 hours, the character can roll a d6 and add the number able to locate one of these gates.
rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it Mountain
makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20
before deciding to use the Bootstraps die, but must decide In several places in Gemini, there are mountain ranges with
before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once peaks high enough to touch the other side. While the journey
the Bootstraps die is rolled, it is lost. isn't easy, there are passes and paths in these mountains that
allow relatively safe travel between the two layers.
2: Lazy River
Airship
From a distance, you hear voices. "Lazy bums!" one calls out. For the modest price of 20 gp per creature, airships allow the
well-to-do Geminian to cross the sky in style.
"Why don't you make yourselves useful for a change?" you Airships (AH 47) can be found in most larger settlements
hear another one yell. in Pollux. An airship consists of an enormous balloon tied to
a gondola. To rise up in the air, the crew (4 commoners (MM
344)) activates the furnace that has a fire elemental (MM
If they approach, they see that the source of the noise is a 125) magically trapped inside it.
group of 5 gnomes standing on the bank of a river. They're When an airship nears the center point of the sky,
shouting at three gnomes that are lazily drifting down the everybody moves below deck and the furnace is deactivated.
river, enjoying the weather. All of the gnomes are commoners Then, the whole airship flips in mid-air and starts descending
(MM 344). to the target layer.
140
Teetering Imbalance
T
here are two reasons to come to Perdition: to
bring ruin, or to be ruined. The difference is Entering Perdition
whether the yugoloths are willing to make a
deal. The realm of Perdition was once a prison As Thesea sails through the gate to Perdition, you’re hit with a
world, only fit for torment, until the yugoloths thick blast of hot air on your face. Spouts of lava jet up into
conquered it and made it their own, reshaping
the land in their own image. And yet, for every the black sky, then slide down the infinite slope. Thesea bucks
change they made, the world teetered ever more steadily to and twists under the unusual gravity: the horizon doesn’t line
the side, as if to tip them over the edge to oblivion. up. Everything is slanted. Everything is wrong. She sets down
on an island of black igneous rock, flapping her wings hard to
Summary keep from sliding down the slope. Steam and lava rise all
around you. “Alright, babes, can’t bring you much closer than
The party is here in search of Orzeg, an arcanoloth inventor
and torturer. They may be here on an assassination mission this. You see that big estate uphill, the one with all the gears
for Spectrasollus, or they may be here to rescue Karen, if she and tubes? That’s where the bad bitch does her thinking. You
is kidnapped. The party storms Orzeg’s laboratories and got it from here. Good luck!” She leaves you on the slope and
fights off her wicked inventions. Orzeg offers the party a deal: takes off before the yugoloth meteorships patrolling the skies
she’ll spy on the yugoloths and provide the party with access can close in on her.
to her inventions if it means they can get rid of Broken Opal
and Zigazan the Boiler eventually. Thesea rescues the party
from Perdition under heavy fire from yugoloth meteorships.
By the end of this adventure, the party will have ...
Braved the landscape of Perdition. Perdition General Features
Infiltrated Orzeg's laboratory. Slanted Ground. Gravity pulls you awkwardly to one
side. All saving throws and ability checks that
Carried out a daring rescue of a poor tortured soul. rely on Dexterity or Strength are made with
Made an explosive escape. disadvantage unless you have a way of
counteracting the gravitational forces.
Hook Hot and Dry. The horizon glows a dull red against
an otherwise black sky. It is eternal night here, lit
A few potential hooks may lead the party to Perdition. only by the glowing magma just beneath the
Revenge of the Fallen. Orzeg tortured and killed a wizard crust. The entire plane is in dim light. The air is
whose ghost, Spectrasollus, now seeks vengeance. He superheated thanks to wells of magma that boil
wails something about her book and demands her up to the surface and leak down the side of the
execution. He can lead them to Perdition. slanted plane. Taking a long or short rest is
impossible for anyone who isn’t immune or
Rescue Mission. For one reason or another, Karen has been resistant to fire or adapted to hot climates and
discovered to be a traitor and has been taken back to doesn’t have a way of cooling off.
Perdition to be tortured for information by Orzeg. The Orbital Bombardment. Meteors occasionally rain
party launches a daring rescue mission to retrieve her. down, each about 40 feet by 40 feet wide of
Before setting off on their mission, the party receives the solid rock. These meteors slam into the ground
following layout of Orzeg's laboratory from Illusosollus. every 3d10 minutes, and it’s very obvious where
the next one will hit. If you stand under a meteor
when it lands, it deals 20d6 fire damage and
20d6 bludgeoning damage in a massive
explosion of lava, shrapnel, and superheated air.
Yugoloths sometimes ensnare these meteors
mid-flight, hollow them out, and transform them
into meteorships that they use to patrol
Perdition and explore The Reef. Orzeg's
laboratory wards off the meteors with a massive
laser cannon formed from superheated mirrors
which melt the meteors into goop before they
can land.
Yugoloth Homeworld. If a yugoloth is killed on
Perdition, their death is permanent. They are all
aware of this fact and therefore avoid conflict.
148
Broken Opal has assigned six skereloths (AH 32) to watch
over Orzeg and patrol the terrain around her laboratory.
They're not guarding against intruders, but guarding against
Orzeg. Distrustful of the skereloths, Orzeg has constructed
fiendish automatons, called vinchies (AH 45), to do the job of
defending her fortress more effectively. The skereloths hate
the vinchies.
You come across a camp of yugoloths. Less out of necessity
and more for general comfort, six skereloths sit around a
magical freezing lodestone like how humans would sit around
a fire during winter. They cool their red-hot metal tridents. Just
as you start to plan your approach, you hear a horrible
clanking, and from around a corner three horrific clockwork
monstrosities approach the camp. The skereloths bristle with
distaste, but let the machines come closer anyway. Once clad
in suits of armor, these skeletal machines strain with every
movement, barely held together. Bits of them have melted
from the extreme heat, but they persist, perhaps out of sheer
stubbornness.
Main Hall
Gothic architecture
Glorious glass chandelier Factory Floor
Double stairway leading up to the hall to the torture
chamber; secured with arcane lock (see Torture Chamber) Belching pipes, spinning gears, churning conveyer belts
4 treasure chests on display, unlocked, three with a CR 1-4 Robotic arms twitching and picking and grasping
Treasure Hoard (DMG 133-136) and one being a mimic A vinchy is being assembled; DC 20 Intelligence check to
(MM 220) program it to fight for the party; artificers have advantage
Personal effects stolen from victims displayed in glass 4d6 vinchies (AH 45) fight the party while 1d6 vinchies
cases: dozens of mundane swords, helmets, shields, and (AH 45) attempt to escape to warn Orzeg
spears, plus 12 trinkets (PHB 160-161) The factory can be shut down by dealing 50 damage to the
Second time the party enters the hall, a pascorpticon (AH machines (AC 15, resistance to slashing and piercing)
46) arrives via elevator under the floor and immediately If Orzeg is warned: the omnipresent robot arms attack
animates the objects in the display to attack the party everyone on initiative count 20: DC 15 Dexterity saving
If Orzeg is warned: the pascorpticon is already waiting throw to avoid 7 (2d6) slashing damage
151
Alchemy Workshop
Bubbling concoctions, boiling cauldrons Orzeg's Notes
Prototypes of strange devices are scattered around, most
seemingly useless or non-functional Note 1: DC 10
Blueprints for terrible machines line the walls: stealing put up blueprints to improve resilience of
them and spending a week of effort to improve Thesea meteorships and maybe other voidships -- hull
and/or the Burrower using the blueprints grants the strengthening, take more hits -- yet to test
vehicle an extra 50 hit points
A half finished weapon lies on a work bench, a laser rifle Note 2: DC 15
(DMG 268) similar to the big laser cannon on the spire; vinchy came out wrong, doesn't follow orders --
requires a DC 20 Intelligence check to finish; artificers need further study, keeping it in torture chamber --
have advantage on this check; on a failed check, it must be a bug in its programming
explodes, dealing 14 (4d6) fire damage to everyone who
fails a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw Note 3: DC 20
5 potions, DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check to identify disobedient vinchy keeps insisting it has a soul --
each: potion of climbing (DMG 187), potion of fire breath found a strange marking, like a closed "S" branded
(DMG 187), potion of fire resistance (DMG 188), potion of into its metal plates, never put there myself --
invisibility (DMG 188), and potion of greater healing could it be another reincarnation of Sollus? how
(DMG 187) lucky would that be, easiest million gp I ever made
4 vinchies (AH 45) clean the workshop and attack the
party on sight; one will attempt to escape to warn Orzeg,
potentially drinking the potion of invisibility to sneak away
Three notes can be found with Intelligence (Investigation) Laser Cannon Control
checks to carefully search the Workshop; see the Orzeg's Enormous hulking laser cannon that glows red hot with
Notes sidebar: result of check determines how many of energy, drawing power from the lightning rods connected
the notes are found, e.g. result of 20 reveals all three notes to the black spires of the laboratory
The workshop can be rendered unusable by dealing 50 Plated metal dome that swivels and adjusts swiftly to aim
damage to the various prototypes lying around (AC 10, the laser cannon in various directions
resistance to slashing and piercing) Complex arcane computing device that triangulates
All throughout the workshop, incessant whispering can be positions of meteors; DC 15 Intelligence check to disable
heard: after each minute spent in the workshop, every the device and prevent the cannon from aiming properly;
party member must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving see Cannon Disabled sidebar
throw or fall under long-term madness (DMG 258-259) The cannon and its computing device can be destroyed by
Dealing any damage to any vinchy or prototype activates dealing 150 damage (AC 20, resistance to slashing and
the workshop's traps; see the Orzeg's Traps sidebar piercing); see Cannon Disabled sidebar
If Orzeg is warned: the traps are ready to go immediately 8 vinchies maintain the area and attack the party on sight;
2 attempt to escape to warn Orzeg
If Orzeg is warned: 16 vinchies instead of 8 and DC 25 to
Orzeg's Traps disable the arcane computing device
Orzeg has laid traps for anyone who messes
around too much in her alchemy workshop. These
traps activate as part of initiative, as per the Cannon Disabled
initiative counts below. Every 1d10 minutes, a meteor smashes into the
20: Jets of fire blast from vents, which are exhaust laboratory.
from the laser cannon (they don't function if it's Every creature must make a DC 15 Strength
been disabled). Each creature must succeed on a saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 7 (2d6)
DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone. On a
fire damage. There are two vents which can be successful save, it takes half damage and isn't
covered up with an action; the damage is knocked prone.
reduced by 1d6 for each vent covered. Vinchies
can use their action to uncover a vent. First Strike. The laboratory holds up for now.
10: Hidden elevators built into the floors deposit a Second Strike. The entrance to the laboratory
fresh vinchy (AH 45) into an empty space in the collapses, becoming impassable.
room. There are four vinchies available to be Third Strike. The factory floor is destroyed. The
deposited in total. The elevators can be laboratory is dangerously close to destruction.
discovered by taking an action to make a DC 10 Fourth Strike. The workshop is destroyed. One
Wisdom (Perception) check and then plugged more hit will destroy the laboratory entirely.
up with another action; only one action is Fifth Strike. The laboratory is destroyed, killing
required to plug all elevators. everyone inside in a massive explosion.
152
Torture Chamber Orzeg, clutching her dark book of red flesh
The tridrone (MM 225), permanently blinded
To get into the torture chamber, the party must get past the A vinchy (AH 45), not hostile, bound in chains despite
locked door. being one of Orzeg's own creations
Depending on the party's adventure thus far, Karen and/or
A sign is on the door: "torture in progress do not disturb" Penny Featherlight, restrained but unharmed
The door is secured with arcane lock, setting the DC to
pick the lock or break down the door to be 30 Additionally, if Orzeg was alerted to the party's presence
The spell knock can suspend the arcane lock for 10 beforehand, she'll have 10 (3d6) vinchies (AH 45) in the room
minutes, but alerts Orzeg and the vinchies of the party's with her for extra protection, though they won't attack the
presence party unless the party attacks first. The chained-up vinchy
Orzeg is clever and has hidden a glyph of warding (DC 15 looks at the others with a mixture of pity, anger, and disdain.
Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Arcana) to spot) that Orzeg offers to join forces with the party. She hates Broken
activates upon casting of dispel magic: it activates fireball Opal, she's bored to tears with the banality of her job as a
with a save DC of 15 centered on the caster, which also torturer, and anything that would humiliate her yugoloth
alerts Orzeg and the vinchies of the party's presence superiors is desirable to her. Also, if she can get out of this
Every hour, if the party is undiscovered, a vinchy delivers a job and just focus on making vinchies all day, she can cut out
potion of greater healing (DMG 187) to Orzeg; the vinchy any risk to yugoloth lives by just sending in her legions to do
gets past the arcane lock with the codeword "Vetruvian" all the work. She therefore wishes to assist the party in
gathering the rest of the reincarnations of Sollus.
Once the party gets past the door, they can enter the torture
chamber. It twists and curves back in on itself in a
labyrinthine tour of Orzeg's depravity. There is more up
ahead, but along the way the party encounters various Orzeg's Explanations
torturous instruments. No sign of life. If asked about her prisoners, Orzeg can give the
party the following information. Any Wisdom
Brightly lit with cold fluorescent bulbs (Insight) check reveals she is telling the truth, and
Sterile white walls and metal walkways she'll happy drink one of those truth potions as
Complex instruments of torture: a stretching rack, an iron well, just to prove a point.
maiden, several tonnes of chains and manacles, and The Tridrone. "Last modron alive after Broken Opal
various knives, pokers, and red-hot metal brands blew up one of their conveyer voidships. It
5 potions, DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check to identify doesn't seem to have a sense of individuality,
each: 2 poison vials (PHB 153), a potion of healing (DMG just like my vinchies. Tried to give it a new
187), and 2 potions that force the drinker to fall under the purpose, but it's axiomatic. Nothing works. So,
effects of zone of truth for 10 minutes I've been taking it apart and using it to improve
All throughout the torture chamber, incessant whispering the designs of my vinchies. Feel no more pity for
can be heard: after each minute spent in the torture this thing than you would for a termite."
chamber, every party member must succeed on a DC 10 The Vinchy. "Part of the reason I persisted for so
Wisdom saving throw or fall under long-term madness long with that modron was because of this
(DMG 258-259) vinchy right here, which proves that the capacity
for individuality exists even in a construct. This
Continuing on to the main area of the chamber, the party vinchy doesn't obey me like the others. It claims
finds Orzeg in the midst of her interrogations. it has a soul. Perhaps it's the same soul that you
all share. Perhaps it's another version of Sollus! I
Orzeg delicately plucks out the eye of a machine you get paid a cool million for each one I capture, so
recognise to be a modron, very similar in appearance to that's perfect. You may call him Leonardo if you
wish. I must keep him chained up, unfortunately,
Pythagoras from the Reef. The tridrone releases several jets of
as he has threatened to kill me many times."
steam and squeals in pain. She places the mechanical eye in a Leonardo himself refuses to speak on the matter.
kidney dish (the third such eye removed) and turns to face Karen. "Never gave me the chance to offer myself
you. Her head is that of a cunning fox, and squeezed tight up as a co-conspirator. Oh well, it worked out
anyway. We both share a hatred for Broken Opal.
under her armpit is a book bound in red flesh, the source of
Such a shame we never connected until Karen
that horrible whispering you've heard in your minds. was placed right in my lap. What an opportunity
for disobedience! I am very excited." Karen isn't
"I was hoping you would come along," says Orzeg. "I'm glad so excited about teaming up with Orzeg, but she
you made it. Had to make it difficult for you to avoid begrudgingly agrees that having two traitors is
suspicion. The truth is, I've been looking for a way to destroy better than one, and she believes that Orzeg, at
Broken Opal for quite some time. If that means helping you the bare minimum, is telling the truth.
The Book of Red Flesh. "Oh, don't say such nasty
rescue the various reincarnations of Sollus, so be it."
things about him. He's such a good boy."
H
idden well in the perilous mountains at the
heart of Yenneth bides the ancient dragon
Gauss. Though Yenneth is filled to the brim
with heroes who wish to test their mettle, he Kobolds: KOBOLDS ARE KNOWN FOR LAYING
lies undefeated in his lair. Occasionally, TRAPS. THEY ARE ALSO KNOWN FOR EMPLOYING
offerings are brought to him, and deals are TACTICAL POSITIONING IN COMBAT. THEY
made, but Gauss is a dragon who revels in his OFTEN SERVE POWERFUL DRAGONS. KOBOLDS
loneliness. Only the promise of riches beyond imagining has
enthralled him to the service of the Opalescents. Just a few USE SLINGS AND DAGGERS AS WEAPONS,
months, they say. A few months of tolerating the yugoloths THOUGH MANY DRAGONS OUTFIT THEIR KOBOLDS
and their prisoner. WITH MORE POWERFUL WEAPONS. SOME KOBOLDS
ARE BORN WITH WINGS OR SPELLCASTING
Adventure Background CAPABILITIES. THEY DESPISE THE LIGHT.
What Karen Knows
"Simple as can be. This assignment is in Yenneth, Realm of
Great Heroes and Greater Villains. Gauss the red dragon has Sollus Reincarnation
been given a princess to guard for the time being, her and a The database in The Reef tells the party the following
few nobodies from her court like the jester and her maids. information about the Sollus reincarnation they must rescue.
Broken Opal has assigned a nycaloth on duty, the mad Queen
Ursula McVale. Ursula has ranted and raved about the
Name. Ynthriss
Race. Dragonborn (Red)
unfairness of her assignment. 'Broken Opal just wants me to
Age. 29
suffer through reminders of what I've lost!' she's shrieked. And Gender. Female
in fairness, that old bitch Ursula was once a queen. Making her Languages. Common, Draconic
guard a princess is no doubt a power play by Broken Opal, but Tattoo of the Knotted Snake. Thumb on the right hand
Ursula should know better than to complain. It shows Statblock. AH 44
weakness. That's probably why Broken Opal herself is there -- The party does not yet know the following information.
aside from chess with the red dragon, I think she just wants to
Appearance. Ynthriss is a deceptively nimble dragonborn
gloat. Oh, and we can't forget the freakish little thing called with brilliant crimson scales. Her horns are pierced with
Kegnoth who patrols through the tight crawlspaces. I think royal amethyst rings, a gift from the king. She wears a puffy
there are a few burrowing skereloths in there as well. They harlequin jester's uniform that has now been dulled and
share a kindred spirit with the kobolds." ripped.
Profession. Ynthriss is a jester.
Self-Perception. I have not yet awakened to the knowledge
of my true self, Sollus Ipsus the Many.
What Illusosollus Knows Voice. Melodic. "Sing sweet songs of sleep, my dear, you
slumber slow and deep. Sing sweet songs of rest, my dear,
Yenneth: BEST KNOWN FOR THE 'EARTHBERGS'
sleep deep at my behest."
Personality. I'm implacable. I make the best of my situation.
FLOATING THROUGH THE GREAT RIVER AND FOR Ideal. Control. What I like best about my profession is being
THE OPPORTUNITY FOR LEGENDARY HEROES TO able to control the emotions of even the most powerful
FACE LEGENDARY MONSTERS.
kings and queens.
Bond. My princess was eaten by Gauss, my kidnapper. I have
to set aside my terror for now: my best chance of escape is
Gauss the Dragon: ALSO KNOWN AS THE to seduce him.
CRIMSON TERROR OF YENNETH, GAUSS IS A Flaw. As long as I make it out with an interesting story, I
don't mind who gets hurt, as long as it's not me.
RED DRAGON OF AGE 2,403. HE EMPLOYS
KOBOLDS IN HIS MOUNTAIN LAIR.
157
Entering Yenneth
Backstory
Thesea crashes down into a white water rapid and slams into
Ynthriss was a court jester for a beautiful human
princess, Lady Dine of Gonerley. One day, while the far bank. The water smashes into her side and spins her
riding in the royal carriage, yugoloths attacked and until she's being carted downstream. Before she can free
kidnapped Lady Dine and her entourage, including herself, she's launched off the edge of an infinite waterfall and
Ynthriss. The knights were slain by the yugoloths
is sent tumbling down through the endless sky. She manages
immediately.
The yugoloths brought them all to the domain of to right herself and regain control just before she hits a
the red dragon Gauss, where the maid was quickly floating disk of earth -- a disk that must be hundreds of miles
sacrificed to the dragon as a show of good faith. in every direction, for an enormous mountain rises up from its
Gauss worked out a deal with the yugoloths and center. The mountain belches black smoke from its peak, and
agreed to watch over Ynthriss and Lady Dine.
sinister red clouds gather. "This must be the Mountain of the
Gauss had his kobolds set out a beautiful dinner
for the two women, and had them join him in his Crimson Terror!" shouts Thesea, and even in your mind it is
treasure hoard, displaying his wealth to them as a difficult to hear her voice over the wind. "I'm dropping you lot
show of power. Lady Dine attempted to negotiate off here. I'd try to get you closer, but the clap of my thick sails
with the dragon: if she were to be kept alive, her
would alert the guards. Kisses!" With that, she's gone.
father would send courtiers to offer immense
wealth for her release. Gauss promptly ate her.
By the time the party arrives, Ynthriss has been
entertaining Gauss for several months. She is
hoping to seduce him so she can gain his trust and
The Earthberg
escape. Heroes in Yenneth seeking glory have The party must cross the earthberg to reach the mountain.
reported a beautiful voice emanating from Gauss' Queen Ursula McVale (AH 25) patrols the skies, instantly
cave, and having experience with sirens and detecting anyone who attempts to fly to the peak; there is no
banshees, they've all wisely stayed away. opportunity to hide while flying without invisibility. If she
spots someone, she will approach, but won't attack outright
unless it's clear the party isn't going to offer her anything
nice. If attacked, she will teleport into the mountain to alert
Broken Opal and Gauss.
158
A stealthier approach is by land, where plenty of volcanic
rock, molten rivers, and foxholes provide cover. Unknown to
the party, much of the terrain here is patrolled underground General Features
by burrowing skereloths (AH 32), who send information back The following features of the lair are omnipresent.
to Queen Ursula McVale through a relay of telepathy. This Dark. It's pitch black. The kobolds and yugoloths
means Ursula's passive Perception is 19, but there is a 12- rely on their darkvision to see.
second (2-round) delay before she receives the information Loud. The banging of metal on metal in the
she needs to find the party. Ursula will swarm the party with forges, the screaming of kobolds, and the deep
8 skereloths (AH 32) before teleporting back to the mountain roar of a terrible creature in the depths make the
to raise the alarm. atmosphere oppressive and frightening.
The distance to the mountain is 2,000 feet. At 1,000 feet, it Hot. It's boiling in here, only comfortable for
becomes clear that the entrance to the mountain is quite those who are resistant or immune to fire damage.
close to the top. Everyone else must drink water every 10 minutes
or cool themselves off in some other way. If they
The Climb can't, they must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution
check to avoid incurring a level of exhuastion.
The entrance to the mountain is near the top, about 1,000 Claustrophobia. Party members of size Medium
feet high. Jagged precipices and craggy outcrops provide a or larger must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving
tough but manageable climb. The conditions for remaining throw. On a failed save, the target becomes
stealthy are otherwise the same as they are on the ground. If claustrophobic until they return to The Reef. While
Ursula has a grudge against a particular party member, she claustrophobic and in tight spaces (less than 10
may try to throw them off the mountain before teleporting feet wall to wall), their movement speed is halved
inside to raise the alarm. and their attack rolls are made with disadvantage.
For every 300 feet climbed, a party member must succeed The spell heroism ends the effect, as well as any
on DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take a level of spell or ability that cures the frightened condition.
exhaustion. The use of climbing gear such as ropes and Burrowing Ambushes. If the party deliberates on a
pitons grants a character advantage on this save. decision for too long, 1d4 skereloths (AH 32)
burrow out from the walls and attack. If the lair has
been alerted to the party's presence, this is an
The Entrance ambush (anyone with a passive Perception lower
than 13 is surprised). Otherwise, the skereloths are
Heaving with effort, you finally make it to the top where a as shocked as the party to be there.
huge black entrance looms before you. It seems as though the
mountain is bigger on the inside than the outside, like that
darkness could eat you up and swallow you whole. you don't Fork in the Lair
know how the dragon Gauss is able to enter or exit this place, As the party ventures deeper into the lair, they come to a fork
for compared to the size of an ancient dragon, the opening in the path. Both paths are narrow, claustrophic, oppressive.
seems rather small. The left path sounds like something spinning, or digging, like
a machine. The right path sounds like draconic screeching.
You hear a voice from within: "Sing sweet songs of rest ..."
The Left Path
Once the party has made significant headway through the
The entrance to the lair appears unguarded, but a DC 15 claustrophobic tunnels, they hear a strange whirring noise
Wisdom (Perception) check reveals a web of fine tripwires coming from up ahead.
strewn across the entire opening. There is a gap in the
tripwires near the bottom where characters can safely crawl The whirring grows louder and louder until it's nearly
through, an easy feat for a kobold. unbearable, approaching faster than you thought. There, at the
If the wires are tripped, everyone in the party must succeed edge of your vision, you see it: a scaly, nightmarish creature
on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be blasted with jets of with five arms whipping like fan-blades around its torso. The
flame, taking 28 (8d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as
much damage on a successful one. The tripwires also set off fiend's skull is so thick that it pushes through the skin and
an alarm that alerts everyone in the lair. scales on its scalp. It spots you and charges, galloping on its
three scaly insectoid legs at a frightening pace.
The Lair
If the party has alerted the denizens of the lair to their Kegnoth (AH 26), the dhergoloth, attacks the party in the
presence, the passive Perception of all hostile creatures is narrow tunnel. She is determined enough to attack them until
increased by 5. she is dead, never giving up. If combat takes longer than 2
rounds, or if a significant amount of noise is made, the lair is
alerted before the party moves on.
The Right Path Second Fork in the Lair
The party enters the kobold warrens and travels for some The party comes across another fork. To the right, they can
time before they find the source of the screeching. hear the sounds of the path they did not take the first time
Not Alerted (e.g. if they took the right path, they now hear the strange
The party comes across a group of 2d8 kobolds (MM 195) whirring of the left path). The new path sounds like the roar
roasting a boar to eat. Anyone who speaks Draconic can hear of a terrible monster, and it burns with heat, even more so
them bickering over whether the boar has enough meat on its than usual for this lair.
bones to feed them all. The way forward is totally blocked by The New Path
the kobolds, and their argument won't end any time soon. The heat here is more oppressive than usual. A gust of hot
And the party can hear something else burrowing behind wind blasts through the tunnel. Everyone must succeed on a
them, inching ever closer ... DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take 1d4 fire damage.
The party must find a way to distract, stun, or slaughter the As they press on, they enter a chamber that is blissfully
kobolds quickly. If they take too long, 1d4 skereloths (AH 32) spacious. In the middle of the chamber is a great stone
burrow into the room and join the fight. Any survivors of the archway with runes that appear to be written in Draconic. It's
fight alert the rest of the lair of the intruders. slightly too far away to make out the runes, even with
The lair is also alerted if evidence of the party's presence darkvision.
(such as dead kobolds) are left lying around for the skereloths A tripwire is placed across the entrance to the chamber;
to find. anyone who steps closer to read the runes will trip it unless
Alerted they spot it with a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check.
The party comes across an empty room that seems to be a Anyone with a passive Perception of 17 or higher notices the
dining area for the kobolds. A skewered hog is still hanging tripwire immediately. If the wire is tripped, the runes activate
on a spit, freshly cooked, steaming hot. and explode. Everyone must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving
throw, taking 28 (8d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as
2d8 kobolds (MM 195) have quickly set up a trap for the much damage on a successful one. This also alerts the lair of
party. They've hidden in alcoves in the walls. As soon as the the party's presence.
party is in the center of the room, they attack; anyone with a The runes are written in Draconic and say "In Case of
passive Perception lower than 12 is surprised. 1d4 Intruders, Break Wire".
skereloths (AH 32) burrow up from underground and join
the fight as well.
160
Alerted
If the party had already alerted the lair before entering the Oddly enough, you do not see a dragon. However, two beings,
room, 1d8 kobolds (MM 195) wait in alcoves to ambush the a man and a woman, sit on opposite thrones. They are playing
party. Party members with a passive Perception of less than chess with pieces of fine silver. You don't recognise the man,
12 are surprised. but the woman is a yugoloth, an ultroloth. On her forehead is
the tattoo of the black queen. Broken Opal.
Gauss' Door
Finally, the party reaches a dead end of the claustrophobic
warrens. At this dead end is a stone door with four symbols The man is Gauss in human form, a stern old commoner
of dragon scales chiseled into it. If the party relies solely on (MM 345) with sharp, angry features. He has polymorphed
darkvision to see, these scales look identical in every way. If himself into a commoner, so his commoner form shares his
the party uses lights, they can see that each symbol is painted Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma ability scores, and if he
a different colour: silver (first), white (second), gold (third), is reduced to 0 hit points, he will instantly transform back
and red (fourth). into his dragon form.
Instructions are written on the door in Draconic: "May the The party has the opportunity to take a stealthy approach.
most glorious scale bear entry." They first need a way to safely get down from the peninsula
To open the door, the party must present a scale of their (it's a 100-foot drop).
own (or one taken from a kobold or yugoloth, or a fake scale) Once down, the party may take the time to collect gold and
and place it upon fourth symbol on the door, the red scale. other treasures. A character can take an action to grab as
If the party places the symbol on the wrong scale, the scale much treasure as they can find, rolling on the Challenge 5-10
explodes violently. Everyone must make a DC 17 Dexterity Treasure Hoard table for what they can grab. If they choose
saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) fire damage on a failed save, or to do so, however, they must make a new Dexterity (Stealth)
half as much damage on a successful one. This also alerts the check with disadvantage.
lair of the party's presence. Assuming they make it to Ynthriss, they must convince her
If the party takes too long with the puzzle, 1d4 skereloths to come with them. She explains her plan to seduce Gauss.
(AH 32) show up. The party must come up with at least two flaws in her plan. A
few examples are listed below.
Alerted
If the party had already alerted the lair to their presence Gauss may actually be less likely to let Ynthriss leave if he
before arriving here, the following trap has also been placed is in love with her.
by kobolds. Gauss is a big ugly murderous dragon and seducing him is
When the door opens, a small jet of flame erupts. Anyone morally inexcusable.
within 5 feet of the door must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity The yugoloths are also preventing her escape, and
saving throw or take 7 (2d6) fire damage. Ynthriss can't seduce all of them, too.
Ynthriss has rescuers right here in front of her. No need to
make it more complicated than it has to be.
Gauss' Treasure Room If they can poke holes in her plan, all they need is a DC 10
Not Alerted Charisma (Persuasion) check to convince her to come along.
On a failed check, she alerts Ynthriss and Broken Opal to the
The warm red glow of rivers of molten rock comes as a party's presence.
pleasant surprise as you enter the central chamber of the
Alerted
mountain. You stand upon a peninsula overlooking the vast
chamber, and from your high perch, you can see more treasure The warm red glow of rivers of molten rock comes as a
than you thought could have ever existed in the multiverse. pleasant surprise as you enter the central chamber of the
The gold glitters and dazzles. Your heart soars with the mountain. You stand upon a peninsula overlooking the vast
thought of all you could do with such riches. chamber, and from your high perch, you can see more treasure
than you thought could have ever existed in the multiverse.
You hear Ynthriss before you see her.
The gold glitters and dazzles. Your heart soars with the
"Sing sweet songs of sleep, my dear, you slumber slow and thought of all you could do with such riches.
deep. Sing sweet songs of rest, my dear, sleep deep at my
But before you can survey the room, you come face to face
behest ... no, that's not right ... sing sweet songs of ... hmm."
with the great red dragon Gauss, who stares deep into your
Her voice is entrancing, and every note is carried by the souls. You can almost feel the sheer gravity of his size pulling
strum of a beautiful harp. You follow her voice to see her lying you in. Smoke billows from his nostrils, but instead of
on a hammock strung between two golden statues of gods. incinerating you, he smashes his claws onto the peninsula and
She seems relaxed. sends you tumbling down into the treasure trove.
161
He goes to swallow you all up, but a red dragonborn stands Alerted
before him. Ynthriss. "No!" she says. "Don't eat them like you 1d4 kobolds (MM 195) wait to ambush the party from behind
did to Lady Dine!" the doors. A party member with a passive Perception lower
than 12 is surprised.
"And why shouldn't I?" huffs Gauss. His voice is like an
On initiative count 1, a jet of flame erupts from the treasure
earthquake in your bones. room behind the party. Everyone must make a DC 24
Dexterity saving throw, taking 91 (26d6) fire damage on a
"Because," says Ynthriss. "It would make me like you less." failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The
kobolds are instantly cooked.
Sawtooth
W
hen the world was young and the void was
thin, the great megalodons were the masters The Bowels
of existence. But the top of the food chain isn't
so secure when beings so small can fight with The shark's gullet leads to the demiplane known as The
the fury of a thousand sharks. The Reef Bowels, loosely mapping to the shark's internal organs.
Megalodons are a fraction of the size they
once were. Let it be a reminder that no
creature, no matter how important it thinks it is, is truly General Features
invincible. The Bowels has the following general features.
Bioluminescence. Jellyfish-like single-celled
Summary organisms cling to the walls of the caverns, lighting
the Bowels with a dim, eerie, silvery-blue glow.
The party dives into the maw of a powerful shark and rescues Cartilage. The walls, ceilings, and floors are
two twins of Sollus. By the end of the adventure, the party supported by a structure of cartilage, which
will have ... resembles a skeletal spine. The cartilage is flexible
and doesn't snap or break unless under extreme
explored a dungeon in the twisting bowels of a shark stress, much more than a Medium-sized creature
could muster.
Hook Squishy. Walls of flesh and cartilage make for a
squelching, squishy ambiance. Every footstep
Karen informs the party that Broken Opal placed a tracker on squeaks. Every sound is swallowed up by the
a reincarnation of Sollus. The tracker somehow ended up background drone of internal organs and a steady,
inside of a shark; its gullet seems to lead to a private low heartbeat.
demiplane of some sort. Karen's already sent a few of her Like a Sauna. It's uncomfortably hot. Creatures
Opalescents into the shark to retrieve it, but they were killed that can sweat do so profusely. It's a little bit
and came back muttering about "water bears" or something. difficult to breathe, and an extended stay is
She's sending a fresh batch in. The party might have a chance obviously inadvisable.
to get there first.
The Shark 1: Stomach
The party must travel through the Reef to locate the reef A river of acid flows through the center of the tube of
megalodon (AH 36). The most obvious method of travel is
with Thesea (AH 76). Roll for Random Reef Encounters (AH stomach lining. Boiling, bubbling yellow acid threatens to eat
68). Encounter 4, the reef megalodon, is the third encounter through the soles of your shoes. It's only safe on the banks of
unless it's triggered earlier. the river, but you can hear, more than see, half-digested
creatures still clinging desperately to life down here.
Encountering the Reef Megalodon
It's hard to judge distances out here, but even so, you can tell The walls are fleshy. They jiggle periodically. A river of acid
how massive this shark is just by how long it takes for it to flows across the floor; it is 30 feet wide and is up to 30 feet
grow bigger in the distance. Just when you think it's getting deep in the middle. Banks of flesh give 10 feet of space on
close, it's another several minutes to go. The sheer size of this either side, though the acid frequently splashes from side to
side. It runs the entire length of the Bowels. Touching the
thing seems to draw you in through gravity alone. It opens its
acid immediately deals 5 (1d10) acid damage, and starting
mouth wide, and like water funnelling into a drain, you tumble one's turn immersed in acid deals 27 (5d10) acid damage. In
into its gullet, watching row upon row of teeth like skyscrapers this demiplane, acid can be affected by spells and other
whooshing past until the mouth closes and you are doused in magical effects that would ordinarily only affect water, like
darkness. control water and whirlpool, though it can't be frozen,
purified, or have its nature changed to anything except acid.
On the ceiling near the entrance, a hole leads to Area 2, the
brain. It is guarded by 2 tapeworms using the grick statblock
(MM 173), a fluke using the giant octopus statblock (MM
326), and a hookworm using the grell statblock (MM 172). All
of these parasites are immune to acid damage.
On the map, the tapeworms appears as worms, the fluke as
an octopus, and the hookworm as a scorpion.
166
2: Brain
Tapeworm
Slithering and slimy, the worm would be a mile long if it wasn't The brain is cramped, with pink wrinkly walls closing in all
knotted all up like a wet rope. around you. This doesn't feel like the brain of a sentient being
at all. Too small, too narrow, too much like a birth canal than
Fluke anything else. This shark operates on instinct and everything
Flagellating tendrils pull this tongue-shaped creature along the else is perfunctory. Hunt, kill, eat. Keep moving or die.
walls with wet, sucking slurps.
Hookworm Within the brain swim two reef sharks (MM 336), baby reef
Rearing up like a tarantula, the hookworm's signature hooked megalodons that have recently hatched but haven't made
teeth are as long as your arm.
their way out of their mother yet. They are murderously
hostile. The brain, somehow also functioning as the
megalodon's uterus, has two eggs yet to hatch, one in each of
In the floor, through the acid, a hole leads to Area 3, the liver. the side chambers of the brain. Any damage destroys an egg.
A whirlpool gives away its location. It is guarded by two If 50 damage is dealt to the brain, the megalodon dies and
flukes using the giant octopus statblock (MM 326), a very its body immediately starts to rot.
large tapeworm using the grick alpha statblock (MM 173), 3: Liver
and a tardigrade using the chuul statblock (MM 40). The
tardigrade is immune to acid damage. The acid draining from the stomach is absorbed by the liver
walls, leaving a pleasant hollow space with much milder
Tardigrade temperatures. The liver seems to grant the megalodon
Rolls of fat covering soulless eyes. These must be the 'water buoyancy; you float in mid-air as though there were no gravity
bears' that the yugoloths had wailed about. They look almost at all.
piglike with a little sucker on their fat little mouths. Their eight
chunky legs move sluggishly but steadily. Something tells you
In the liver is a docile fluke, a giant octopus (MM 326) and a
that these things can take a hell of a lot of punishment. table with three humanoid figures sitting and drinking tea
from makeshift animal-skin bladders.
167
Burrower Bonus
Gepetto adds internal automated repair arms that can
automatically cast mending on the Burrower once per
minute.
PART 5
Adventure Conclusion
William Rotor
William Rotor is a writer, educator, designer, and creative professional with a love for
unusual mediums of expression. He lives and works in Australia and is an active member of
the local film and theatre scene. You can find more of his work related to Dungeons and
Dragons on his subreddit, /r/williamrotor.
Notable works include ...
172
H
ow do we measure a soul? If you lose all of Gaundr. One set of +2 armor (DMG 152), perfectly tailored.
your memories and start again from scratch, Pythagoras. A portable 3D printer that generates infinite
what difference is there from being dead? food, water, and ammunition.
How can we say that two people who share a Narcissa. Three castings of death ward.
soul are truly the same person? These Yaukiss. His +3 silver greatsword, all psychic damage
questions weigh on the mind of Kierk the disabled. They'll need the sword more than he will.
Guard, for he has no soul at all. This life is all Alexandria. A spell scroll of symbol, regretfully ripped from
he has, and he's spent it wasting away in his own prison. the pages of one of her favourite books.
Binterkell. A ring of regeneration (DMG 191).
Summary Aries. Two immovable rods (DMG 175).
Ariadne. A wand of enemy detection (DMG 210) that she
The party launches an assault on the prison world of Tartarus used to escape from the clutches of Queen Vlaakith.
to rescue Sollus Ipsus the Many, the original owner of the Quinobi. A ring of mind shielding (DMG 191). He warns the
soul they all possess. By the end of this heist, the party will party not to become trapped inside it.
have ... Achilles. A vorpal longsword (DMG 209). Don't lose your
Breached the walls of an unbreachable prison head.
Fought their way through powerful defenses Thesea alights upon the massive Burrower like a butterfly upon
Defeated an undefeatable foe
Unlocked their true selves one's nose. "You should know by now I'm a clingy little bitch.
I'm coming with you. There's nothing you can do about it."
It's often a cliche to say "I have to do this for myself." In the feel in your bones that you will not be the first.
case of the party, it couldn't be more true. There's nothing From within the Burrower, you are knocked from one side
really stopping everyone else in The Reef from coming along,
aside from the fact that it will likely be a suicide mission, and to the other until you manage to grab hold of something -- a
yet it just doesn't feel right. This is something only for the handle, an immovable rod, one another -- while the whole
reincarnations of Sollus to do. vessel shakes powerfully back and forth. In your mind, you
The Reef denizens gather in the Burrower Hangar. As long hear Thesea's scream, "What the hell is that thing?!"
as they have a reasonably positive relationship with the party,
they each come bearing a final gift. You'll never find out. Everything goes dark.
Oddly enough, Karen isn't here for the launch. No idea
where she's gone. That's a shame.
173
Broken Opal. Block Zigazan's allies with fire storm.
A Shared Vision Orzeg. Block Zigazan's allies with wall of fire.
Assign each player one of the following characters. Tirikan. Cast compelled duel on anyone that targets Broken
Opal to get them off of her. Disable the meteorship's
Broken Opal (MM 314, AH 25) controls with a DC 15 Strength check.
Karen (AH 25) Karen. Call her gondola to make an escape. Avoid direct
Orzeg (MM 313, AH 25) combat when possible. She can summon the gondola right
Tirikan (MM 314, AH 26) outside of the meteorship. Broken Opal and her allies must
Beck (AH 26) move directly onto the gondola, no teleporting.
Beck. Beck's Dimensional Lock prevents all of the yugoloths
If you have more than five players, give the rest of them a from teleporting. Beck will stay behind and try to stay alive
voorloth (AH 32) that they can name themselves, each of as long as possible to give Karen's gondola enough time to
which is allied with Broken Opal. get away.
Voorloths. Disable the meteorship's controls with a DC 15
Zigazan stands over you, smirking, his boils popping. "I found Strength check, made with advantage due to their Siege
your tattoo!" Queen Ursula McVale holds you down. Monster trait.
When Broken Opal and her allies have made their escape,
You are Broken Opal, the leader of the Opalescents. You they finally have a chance to catch their breath and take stock
push off the snarling nycaloth and glare at Zigazan with your of what's happened.
yellow eyes. He doesn't know what he's talking about.
Broken Opal is a reincarnation of Sollus.
But he's not backing down. He signals to Ursula and she She was tasked with killing all of the reincarnations of
shoves you right back. Zigazan smirks. "It's all starting to make
Sollus, but went against her orders and secretly told her
underlings to imprison them instead.
sense, now. If the council told you to kill them, why did you Karen, Orzeg, Tirikan, Beck, and Caraxus pledged
make us waste our time guarding them in all those ridiculous themselves to Broken Opal's cause; the rest were
prisons? Unless you're one of them. Then it makes perfect unaware.
sense." The reincarnations of Sollus kept escaping on their own,
stymying her efforts to reunite them.
"I told you!" squeals Caraxus, the little twerp. "I told you She decided to embrace that, so she started feeding
something was up! I knew it! I knew she was a bad leader all information to Karen to give to The Reef.
along! Sent us all to a prison world to rot! If we die here, it's
She followed the Burrower into Tartarus.
When the yugoloths realized they had no way back out of
just like on Perdition -- we die for real!"
Tartarus, Caraxus betrayed them out of fear.
Zigazan the Boiler immediately took charge and rallied
Through the portholes of the meteorship, you can see the
the other Opalescents against Broken Opal.
impenetrable stone sphere of Tartarus underneath you as you
orbit the planet-sized prison. You're in the plane of Tartarus. You drift in Karen's tiny gondola towards the impossibly big
There's no going back now. Time to show your hand. prison. The planet is cracked down the middle, spewing
streams of magma that harden into a dense column of
The Opalescents are all on the meteorship together. They asteroids. Karen assures you her gondola will survive entry.
divide themselves into opposing sides, Broken Opal versus You're not so sure. But it can't all have been for nothing.
Zigazan the Boiler.
Those crazy bastards in the Burrower better make it.
Broken Opal's Allies Zigazan the Boiler's Allies
Karen Caraxus
Beck Organus Barriers to Tartarus
Tirikan Kegnoth
Orzeg Queen Ursula McVale You're jolted awake. The Burrower rockets towards the surface
of the prison planet. You slide open the portholes to look out
Voorloths
Toda for anything that might get in your way. Where's Thesea? She's
(if more than 5 players)
Rorknir nowhere to be seen.
Ral'Romon
It's going to be a bumpy ride. You can see meteorships
Zigazan's allies are slow to act, taking their turns on initiative making a beeline for your position. These aren't the
count 5. meteorships that the Opalescents used. In fact, you've never
Broken Opal is clearly outmanned and overpowered. She seen ones like this before. They glow with magma, still cooling
and her allies have already made a plan in case this happens. from the core of the planet.
The following barriers prevent the Burrower from reaching For ability checks and saving throws, everyone must make
the prison. If the Burrower has an appropriate bonus, it can the roll. It's an overall success if over half succeed. You can
overcome the barrier without having to roll, but that same roleplay this requirement as the Burrower gaining strength
bonus can't be used again. from the convictions of its passengers. Get them all to hold
If a barrier can't be overcome, one character on the hands and make a prayer.
Burrower can sacrifice themselves to save the others. All of the DCs are 10.
If no burrower bonus can be used, half or more of the party
1. Check if a Burrower bonus overcomes the barrier. If no fails their ability check or saving throw, and no one can be
Burrower bonus is relevant ... sacrificed, the Burrower is destroyed and everyone on board
2. Make checks or saves to overcome the barrier. If half or is killed, ending the campaign.
more of the party's checks or saves fail ... There are thirteen barriers. Go through them sequentially
3. Sacrifice a character to overcome the barrier. If the with the party as follows.
character is death warded, they survive but lose the spell.
175
Barrier 1 Barrier 7
An enormous chunk of rock hurtles towards the Burrower. You A couple smaller voidships land a few shots on you, causing
can see small gaps in the rock, like honeycomb. It's too big to the Burrower to jolt, then they dash away. Should you let them
dodge, but maybe you can thread the Burrower through the escape? They'll just come back in greater number.
gaps.
You are Broken Opal. You are the leader of the Opalescents.
The party has a brief opportunity to roleplay how their There aren't many of them left, but you're still the leader. You
characters brace for impact. have a brain the size of a planet. And the one thing going
through your brain is this: Yugoloths have been too much like
The last thing you see is Thesea streaking through the sky,
devils for much too long. It's time to be more like a demon.
pursued by a great tentacled monster the size of a mountain.
Then the Burrower hits the ground. You black out. Maybe Each of the cell doors unlock from the outside.
you'll wake up when the Burrower's drilled down into the
Time to make some chaos.
prison. Or maybe you won't wake up at all.
When Broken Opal and her allies start opening the cell
Another Shared Vision doors, alarms sound and the white walls turn blood red.
Horrific monsters emerge from the cells, most of them from a
The players take control of the same yugoloths they time long forgotten. Guards swarm the party's position. A few
controlled earlier. Some of those characters may be dead; the of the monsters join in the fight.
players will have a chance to take control of a new character
in a moment.
177
When there is one seerloth remaining, the fight abruptly
The guards are naked, wrinkled, older than you could have
ends: the entire hallway collapses. The Burrower drills
possibly imagined. They have a three tiny eyes on their tiny straight through the ceiling, killing the last seerloth instantly.
head, and their tiny mouths are layered with tiny needle teeth.
The rest of their bodies are that of huge brutes. The only You watch the massive machine burrow deeper into the
weapon they wield is a club, but you can tell they are prison, boring a huge hole. You all look at one another and
brimming with arcane force. start to carefully teleport down after it, stopping level by level
to release even more of the prisoners.
But, you need to do a double take. You knew that the guards
would be yugoloths, but you didn't realize how much kinship
you would feel for these things just by looking upon them.
And, for just a moment, you can sense they feel the same way Deep Into Tartarus
about you: kinship.
The Burrower eventually runs out of steam. Your knuckles are
You are the likely the first yugoloths they've seen in tens of white, head sweaty, heart racing. Finally, the machine shudders
thousands of years. to a stop. This is as far as it will go.
The moment passes. They have a job to do. They attack. The hatch opens. You see sterile white cubic hallways. You
can hear guards approaching, though it's hard to tell where
they're coming from or how far away they are.
The guards are seerloths (AH 33). There are three of them.
Any players who don't have a character can control one of
the monsters that have been released from the cells. Choose The NPCs in the Burrower tell the party members to go on
one from the following list. Players can pick the same without them. They need to stay to defend the Burrower. It's
monster if they like. the only way back to the surface.
The party moves through the prison, and after a few turns,
the Burrower is totally out of sight.
Babbling Void Thing Down in these depths, the cells all seem empty. A DC 10
This formless, gooey monster moves like liquid Intelligence (Investigation) check of a cell reveals through the
magnetized metal, smooth, shiny, and poisonous viewing slit creatures so old and emaciated that they are
to the mind. It sizzles and giggles as it moves. hardly alive at all.
The babbling void thing uses the statistics of a
gibbering mouther (MM 157). A few of them, you can see their eyes flick upwards, and their
mouth open to let out a single breath of air. It's the most
movement they've done in a thousand years. This place is
starting to feel less like a prison and more like a tomb.
Mass of Tentacles and Teeth
Perhaps this thing was once something like an
octopus, but one hundred thousand years locked The walls around here are suspiciously clean. A DC 15
up in a cell have caused it to mutate into a shape Intelligence (Arcana or History) check suggests that the
that doesn't read as anything terrestrial at all. jailers probably use gelatinous cubes to clean this place.
The mass of tentacles and teeth uses the The party wanders moving deeper and deeper into
statistics of an otyugh (MM 248). Tartarus over the course of an hour. A voice booms through
their minds, aged and fierce.
"I'm not responsible for kidnapping any of you. No, I don't
Imaginary Beast have any say who comes into Tartarus, and I can't
You recognise this thing from your nightmares, a communicate with anyone outside of this prison. If anyone is
dark shape that is somehow everywhere at once. responsible for kidnapping all of the reincarnations of Sollus
You know everyone else sees it as their own
Ipsus the Many, it is Sollus themselves."
personal nightmare as well. You're not even sure
it's a real monster and not just an illusion.
The imaginary beast uses the statistics of a
displacer beast (MM 81) with the aberration type. This is the voice of Kierk the Guard (AH 34). The party can
respond to the voice and attempt to negotiate.
Kierk the Guard is hostile to the party, and he can't be
dissuaded from his hostility, but he would prefer to at least
talk before things devolve into violence.
178
On initiative count 20 of the first three rounds, Kierk the
Kierk the Guard Guard telepathically communicates with everyone in the
Personality. Kierk has the confidence of invincibility. He's battle, his voice echoing through their minds. He addresses
lived so long that an end seems practically inconceivable. Broken Opal in particular.
He is narcissistic, self-obsessed, and for the most part,
justified in the high opinion he holds of himself. Round 1
Ideal. Identity: Kierk believes that all creatures should hold "I saw you betray that oinoloth during your approach. We have
themselves to a high standard and value their own
personal identity above all else. He has spent the last forty a lot in common, Broken Opal. We both distrust the council.
thousand years doing nothing but training himself to be the Neither of us are satisfied with bending the knee to a power
best at literally everything by absorbing the experiences structure unworthy of our respect."
and memories of the prisoners of Tartarus.
Bond. Kierk was once an oinoloth on the high council, and
was cursed to be the jailer of Tartarus when he led a revolt Round 2
against the other oinoloths. He still believes he could run
yugoloth society better if he was the only one making the "It has been fifteen thousand years since a yugoloth has
decisions. entered Tartarus. I had hoped to be able to talk. If you need to
Flaw. Kierk has a crippling fear of death. He's spent tens of fight to get it out of your system, then be my guest. But know
thousands of years training. If he were to die before he can that in the end, we will work together, and we will escape. It's
escape Tartarus, all of his talent and power would be
wasted. the only way out of here. You can thrash, you can squirm, but
Secrets. Kierk the Guard has no real attachment to Sollus if you want to go home, it will be side by side with me."
the Many. He knows he's locked up a powerful being, but
While speaking to Kierk the Guard, any party member with a Round 3
passive Perception of 15 or higher will spot the gelatinous
cube (MM 242) blocking the path ahead. If the party earlier "You might have the tattoo, but you're not Sollus. You're
realized gelatinous cubes were likely used in Tartarus, they
only need a passive Perception of 10. Broken Opal. That's what it means to be a yugoloth. You are
The gelatinous cube attempts to engulf the party. only beholden to yourself."
As soon as the gelatinous cube is reduced to 0 hit points or
bypassed in another way, we transition back to the Burrower.
Round 4
Defending the Burrower Kierk the Guard kills all of the remaining seerloths and
oozeloths with a powerful psychic blast. He repeats:
You run your sword through the back of the dripping green
"You are only beholden to yourself."
guard, and as the life of this ancient being is extinguished, it
collapses into goop and sinks through the cracks in the
architecture beneath your feet, right next to the Burrower.
The players can choose to play this fight in the role of Broken advance. You can hear the voice of Kierk the Guard in your
Opal, any of Broken Opal's yugoloth allies that are still alive, head, louder now, as though you're getting closer and closer.
or any of the reincarnations of Sollus left behind to guard the
Burrower. See the statblock index (AH 16) for where to find "I can see that you aren't going to stop. I would have asked
the statistics for each character. you to help me escape. But you're here for one thing only. So,
If there are more available characters than players, the I've contracted some old friends of yours to give you a bit of a
Burrower starts to slip down into the hole it's created, and stern talking to."
anyone not controlled by a player frantically works to keep
the machine upright and functional while the battle goes on. With a blast of magic and a skurry of flailing limbs, half a
The reincarnations of Sollus and the Opalescents are squad of yugoloths materialises in front of you, badly singed
attacked by 4 oozeloths (AH 33) and 2 seerloths (AH 33). from fire, seething with anger.
"The demons and the devils tore each other to pieces over a
matter of technicality, and I'd bet my life that the Blood War
Zigazan the Boiler (AH 30) leads the remnants of his
allies. He is immediately hostile and acts with deadly force. still rages even now! That's not what a yugoloth is supposed to
If any yugoloths are still alive after the first fight against be! We are better than this!"
Broken Opal, they appear here with him: Caraxus and
Organus (AH 25), Kegnoth (AH 25), Queen Ursula McVale
(AH 25), Toda (AH 29), Rorknir (AH 27), and Ral'Romon (AH Zigazan perishes long before the little speech is finished. It
28). If Beck sacrificed himself by staying behind, he managed falls on deaf ears.
to kill one of them before he went down (other than Zigazan), Once the battle is done, Kierk the Guard addresses the
up to the choice of the player who played Beck during the party directly.
fight. Additionally, any damage taken and resources lost by
any yugoloth have not been recovered from the first fight. "The only thing still standing between you and Sollus is me.
On initiative count 20, the weaker yugoloths (Caraxus, You won't get past me. I have done nothing but train for the
Organus, and Kegnoth) plead pathetically for their lives. They past forty thousand years. I'll finally have a chance to test my
can be turned against the other yugoloths with a successful powers on someone that can take it. Consider this a warning.
DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation) check as an action each.
As Zigazan is cut down and the life of this thousand-year- Be ready to face oblivion. As though anyone could be ready."
old oinoloth fades away, the last thing he hears is Kierk the
Guard angrily cussing him out.
Ahead is the gate to Kierk the Guard's chambers, the heart of
the prison. Beyond that is the cell of Sollus Ipsus the Many.
"This is why Broken Opal had forsaken you! Because you were
The party has the chance to take a short rest and get their
useless! Yugoloths aren't meant to harbor grudges or spite affairs in order. This is the last chance they'll have to reaffirm
one another over technicalities! We are agents of neutrality!" their bonds and reflect on everything they've learned. Once
the short rest is over, the only thing left to do is face Kierk the
Guard in person.
Kierk the Guard
The architecture folds up over itself. The walls sink away.
Before the great vault doors of the cell of Sollus the Many
stands the warden of the prison himself, Kierk the Guard. He is
dressed head to toe in fiendish armor that gives off a powerful
abjurative aura. He has done nothing except train for
thousands upon thousands of years. He couldn't be more
ready.
Denouement
T
he denouement refers to the wrapping up of
loose ends and the tying off of narrative Broken Opal
threads. It includes the answers to lingering
questions and epilogues of each character. The With the death of Kierk the Guard, and the entire prison
denouement for this adventure is bittersweet. planet risking annihilation without a warden, Broken Opal
The heroes won, but the victory was plunged her blade into the earth and pledged her infinite
metaphysical and the sacrifice was great. servitude to the forces of neutrality in the multiverse.
Discussions of characters in this chapter assumes that they As the new warden, Broken Opal makes significant
are alive and that the story played out mostly as written. changes to the plane. Firstly, the hostile architecture of the
Adjust the endings to suit the specifics of your party's story. prison planet is thrown away, and most of the prison is moved
to the surface. The land is terraformed to be diverse and
complex, with some regions resembling the slanted
Sollus Ipsus the Many: The mountains of Perdition, some the grey valleys of Firmament,
some the wild jungles of Castor, and other such places she
Tale of the Knotted Snake has encountered in her travels through the planes.
Sollus Ipsus the Many was originally a demon who led an Tartarus becomes less of a place where creatures rot for
incursion on the yugoloth homeworld of Perdition. The eternity, and more like a colony that must fend for itself by its
yugoloths, devastated at the destruction, trapped Sollus in own rules. It requires a lot of work to maintain. It's a difficult
Tartarus. A curse placed on them by the yugoloths meant that life. But, unlike how it used to be, at least it is a life. As for the
they experienced time much slower, and so what was a few other yugoloths ...
thousand years felt practically indistinguishable from eternity. Karen resumes her work as a ferrywoman, travelling from
Sollus spent so long in Tartarus that their physical form continent to continent reporting on the progress of Broken
disintegrated, leaving only a bare soul. Being unable to Opal's planet-wide renovations.
escape through normal means, their only hope was to die and Orzeg builds herself another laboratory and starts populating
reincarnate elsewhere in the multiverse, but they had no entire regions with vinchies, some of which even start to
power to do so. They reached out psychically for help and develop an intelligence.
were answered by Levistus, who sympathised with their Tirikan builds a small mausoleum to Beck, sheds a tear, and
situation, and Asmodeus, whose motivations are always hangs up his axe forever. He takes on a job as a builder,
mysterious. Through the devils, Sollus was able to reach focusing on construction rather than destruction.
through time and orchestrate events such that almost all of Caraxus does some serious self-reflection, then takes on a
the people they would eventually reincarnate into were alive few displaced seerloths and oozeloths under his wing. He
at the same time, thanks to time travel shenanigans. tutors them to act as stewards for the prisoners who work
One by one, Sollus and the devils awakened each of the on rebuilding Tartarus.
reincarnations to their true identity, but the yugoloths, who Organus keeps trying to torture the prisoners, so Broken
had imprisoned Sollus in the first place, caught wind and Opal puts him among their ranks so he can see how it feels
murdered the first few, including Slarmfell, a wizard who to be in a disadvantaged position. It doesn't work, but
intended to find the others. Luckily, a powerful ultroloth, there's lots of time to keep trying.
Broken Opal, discovered that she too was a reincarnation of Kegnoth gets a job as a wheat thresher. She's very efficient
Sollus and secretly pledged to rescue the original from with a scythe or five.
Tartarus. She was tasked by the High Council of Oinoloths
with killing the other reincarnations, but she ordered her Thesea
followers to imprison them instead. One by one, the prisoners
awakened, escaped, and worked together to free the rest. One of the guardians of Tartarus is a mountain-sized
This leads to the events of Arcane Heists. Eventually, the aberration born before the first sentient being existed to
reincarnations will break into Tartarus, overpower its observe the multiverse. It's power without a mind, blind
defenses, and kill the original Sollus, allowing their soul to destruction, pure void. Thesea led it as far away from the
escape to the multiverse and reincarnate into new bodies. Burrower as she could, then doubled back, confident she had
Through time travel, the soul will pass through every single lost it. She arrives on Tartarus a month or two later (she did
reincarnation, always ending up, ironically, back in Tartarus. lead it far away) and links up with the rest of the survivors.
Such is the fate of a soul. She's devastated to learn that there's no real way out of
Tartarus. She had thought the Burrower would have a special
way of getting out, but in the end it's just a machine that's
really good at burrowing.
Her next big project is to find a way to turn the Burrower
into a sentient voidship like her. There's plenty of spellcasters
in Tartarus. She'll figure something out. The poor thing
deserves it after all it went through.
The Seven Heavens of
Sollus the Dead
Simulacrasollus dies when the slaad tadpole hatches.
Skelesollus, Crawllus, Spectrasollus, and Will-o'-Sollus
decide to raise the tadpole as their own. They name it Sim.
The Reincarnations
They diligently protected the Burrower, only to realize that
the Burrower can't actually get them back at all. Tartarus is
dimensionally-locked. You can enter, but you can't leave. It
just can't be done.
Penny Featherlight. This is the perfect place to continue her
life's work of rehabilitating evil creatures. She gets to work
immediately.
Chest of the Knotted Snake. This is an entire planet that's
been turned into a dungeon and then terraformed back into
a planet. It's the perfect place to reinvent oneself. The chest
transforms into a stool for tired prisoners to sit. That'll
keep the chest occupied for a few years.
Orym the Alarmed. If one is looking for a safe place to rest,
this is as good a place as any, and unlike the Retreat of the
Content, it's massive and ever-changing.
Serpasollus. Like the chest, Serpasollus sees Tartarus as an
opportunity to reinvent herself, to decide who she is as an
individual, rather than as a memory of other people.
Gimlen. Gimlen resolves to explore the entirety of Tartarus.
He joins up with Karen as a ferryman.
Leonardo. Leonardo returns to Orzeg and offers an olive
branch. He still doesn't trust her, because of the whole
imprisonment and torture thing, but he thinks that they can
potentially work together to improve the other vinchies and
make them sentient like him.
Ynthriss. She becomes a music teacher in the hopes of
reminding the people here that not everything needs to be
about pure productivity. There must be time for merriment.
Eventually, one by one, each of them will die of old age and
escape from Tartarus in the same way that the original Sollus
did, allowing their soul to reincarnate elsewhere in the
universe and, inevitably, return in a new form in the past to
join themselves again, right here, their final resting place.
The Denizens of The Reef
While trapped on Tartarus, there's no way of knowing what's
happening on the other planes. Unless everyone on The Reef
travels to Tartarus, dooming themselves, their fates will
remain unknown.
The reincarnations of Sollus will occasionally get together
by campfire and discuss what they think happened to their
old friends, where they are now, what they've accomplished. It
brings them comfort, even if it's just stories.
And that's how this story ends, with an uncertain past and
an uncertain future, but with a present that brings comfort.
Stories are how we make sense of an absurd existence.
They're the most important thing we can do for one another.
And this one has drawn to a close.
Changelog
2021-12-13: Original version
2022-06-03: Corrections and formatting adjustments
2022-10-26: Minor formatting changes and corrected attributions
Current Version: 2022-10-26