3.0 EPILOGUE It is certain that Xusia will find some way to escape, should a party be able to best his allies. Whether he teleports away, or appears to die (remember his tendency to use clones) but doesn't, or whatever, he will end up in some other, smaller lair. In this place, he will rest and regain his strength, making new plans and rebuilding his forces. The most probable location of this minor lair is in the Riftcanyon, within the region of that crevasse with the densest monster population. It has no physical entrance or exit, since it is just a pocket within the earth. Xusia knows this location well, and can teleport there without error. The hideaway contains copies of all his spellbooks, his more useful tomes and reference books, and his journals. A number of magical items are also stashed there. Once in this place, Xusia will take no less than one whole year to develop new plots and schemes. After that, the world had best beware, for he will not sit around idly for long... 4.0 MAPS Unfortunately, I can't translate my maps to ascii, so a little improvisation is required here. I've designed a "room flowchart" to show which rooms lead to which - you'll have to take that and run with it. I did design this dungeon to radiate outward, so no rooms should really border on any others. Hopefully a map won't be too hard to construct from the room descriptions and this diagram: Keep 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 | 4 - 5 --> Dungeon 1 Dungeon 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-s-8-9-10-11-12-13 | | | 14-15 | -16-17-18-19-20-21 | -22-23-24-25-26 | -27 --> Innser Sanctum Inner Sanctum 1-2-3-4 | -5-6-7-8 | -9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16 | -17-18-19-20-21 | -22-23 "s" = secret door "i" = illusionary door ************************************************************************** APPENDICES ************************************************************************** APPENDIX I : NEW MONSTERS Mist Golem Storm Giant Skeletons Giant Skeletal Kitty Giant Cockroaches Death Knight Undead Golem Greater Vampire Undead Dragon --------------------------- Spectral Warrior Fire Elemental Lord Ice Para-Elemental Lord Pit Fiend Titan Arch-Lich Nycadaemon --> All new monsters' descriptions appear in the text, within their encounter area APPENDIX II : NEW MAGIC ITEMS Seeds of Ostoxanbanoi Eye of the Marid Staff of Ta'Bid Wand of Petrification Helm of Death Marbles of the Magus Cloak of Steel Mace of Crushing Rod of Elemental Command Book of Yesh --------------------------- Dagger of Assassination Screaming Arrows Flare Arrows Arrows of Summoning Sword of Rusting Ring of Frost Resistance Foefriend Red Armor of Kalispathon Invisible Shield Boots of Silence Heating Stone Quill of Dictation Stone of Ages Staff of Lengthening Weatherproof Tent Earring of Truth Everfull Quiver Headband of Silesh Indestructible Boots Indestructible Gloves White Orb Tears of the Gods Bigby's Talisman Sword of Yol Divine Tome of Stellar Bodies Spectral Blade Wand of Elemental Change Plate of the Deep Brush of Creation Dreaded Staff of Count Astoc Ithalmar (the Redeemer) Lusan's Mirror Rod of Death Unholy Robes Ring of Recall Seeds of Ostoxanbanoi This is a bag with about 30 small white pebbles inside. When these are placed in the ground and left there overnight, they will grow into skeletons which will serve the planter until the fall of the next night. Eye of the Marid This is a copper amulet bearing an aquamarine stone. It has in it part of the power of a marid, which is a greater water elemental. The wearer cannot drown or be harmed by water or creatures of the water. Water will reject his body and creatures of the element will shy away from him. It has no other notable effects, and the powers wear off in a year and a day. Staff of Ta'bid This four foot long staff of ancient, petrified wood is a very powerful item. It has fifty charges, which may be expended at a variable rate, as needed. Each use of a charge dismisses one level worth of extra-planar being to its plane of origin if the bearer can strike that being with it and if the being fails its save. Extra charges can be expended to lower the save, at -1 per extra charge. Wand of Petrification This appears as a typical wand. Each time a charge is used (once/round at most), a black beam shoots forth at the target creature. This creature must make its save or be turned to stone. This effect is permanent unless undone. Helm of Death This item radiates a strong aura of magic and evil. If donned, it produces numerous metal spikes on the inside, which penetrate the victim's skull, killing him instantly. Marbles of the Magus Each of these marbles will become a creature when a command word is uttered. Such creatures will serve the possessor in any way possible. The type of creature produced will be from the level I-III monster tables, determined randomly. All creatures produced will serve their creator faithfully for 2-5 days, and then leave to lead their own lives. Cloak of Steel This cloak will provide its wearer with the protection of armor; roll percentile dice to determine the cloak's ac: Die Roll AC 01-20 7 21-40 6 41-55 5 56-70 4 71-80 3 81-90 2 91-95 1 96-00 0 Mace of Crushing This mace is a normal +4 weapon, but on an unmodified "to hit" roll of 20, the victim's head is crushed like an egg, rendering him dead if such damage will kill him. This weapon could be considered the blunt equivalent of a vorpal sword. Rod of Elemental Command This powerful item confers numerous powers upon its wielder, at various charge costs (the rod has 50 charges initially): NO CHARGES: wielder's head is always surrounded by a bubble of fresh air water breathing fire resistance stone tell ONE CHARGE: fly, 3 hours gust of wind water walking part water wall of fire dig wall of stone TWO CHARGES: summon elemental (maximum of one of each type in any one week period; 16 HD variety) THREE CHARGES: plane travel (one way) to an elemental plane only There exist versions of this rod attuned to the para-elemental planes. The rod cannot be recharged. Book of Yesh This is a treatise on the myriad ways of necromancy. It has chapters which contain valuable information on the various sorts of undead, the negative material plane, assorted gods of death, the different necromantic mage and priest spells, undead dragons et al, the lichdom process, etc etc. The exact details and value of this item may vary from campaign to campaign. The book is bound in black leather and bears a skull emblem on the front. Dagger of Assassination This is a dagger of +3 to +5 enchantment, but on a natural "to hit" roll of 20, it causes a critical hit, killing the victim if it is susceptible to edged weapon damage. Only a thief can use the assassination power of the weapon. Screaming Arrows These arrows have no magical bonus, but upon being fired, they will emit a wail of considerable volume for the next 2-5 rounds. Flare Arrows These arrows have no magical bonus, but upon being fired, they will burn as a powerful torch for one round. Arrows of Summoning These arrows are useless as weapons, but upon lodging in an inanimate object they will become some random monster. The course of action taken thereafter by the creature may vary, depending on the circumstances and its alignment. Sword of Rusting This +1 weapon inflicts damage upon any ferrous metal that it contacts, causing such items to save vs acid at -3 or be thoroughly rusted and ruined. Items with magical bonuses get a saving throw modifier equal to their bonus. Ring of Frost Resistance Rings of this sort are identical to rings of fire resistance, except that they provide immunity/protection from cold-based attacks. All numerical quantities are the same. Foefriend This cursed broadsword is +5 to hit and damage, and does double damage on every hit. However, every third foe slain by the sword will be brought back to life completely healed and rejuvenated one round after its demise. There will be no sign that the slain enemy was restored by the sword. Red Armor of Kalispathon This +3 plate mail renders its wearer immune to all fire and heat damage. Once per day, the wearer can immolate as a type VI demon (such creatures do 6-48 points of heat damage to all within ten feet). The armor is a bright red in color, and includes a great helm and gauntlets. Invisible Shield Shields of this sort are totally invisible. They can be of any size and type, and any magical bonus. Boots of Silence These powerful boots render the wearer's footsteps totally inaudible. Heating Stone Upon command, this round stone will give off heat equal to a large campfire but without light or flames. It will not ignite other materials, though it will burn anyone who touches it for 2-12 hp of damage. Quill of Dictation This quill will write whatever it is told to, all by itself. Stone of Ages This ordinary-looking rock becomes warmer in direct proportion to the age of any nonliving object it touches. Staff of Lengthening This staff is normally 6' long. By expending one charge (it has 1-100), its length can be doubled or halved. This can be done many times, until it is either about 1" long or 96' long. It is made of magical wood and is almost unbreakable, and has a +2 combat bonus. Weatherproof Tent This 10'x20' tent is totally immune to all natural weather effects (cold, wind, rain, hail, snow, etc.). Earring of Truth The wearer of this earring cannot hear lies; he will simply see a liar's lips move, with no sound. Everfull Quiver This quiver will always have arrows inside, replenishing its supply via powerful magic. The arrows will always be normal flight arrows, and nothing else will fit into the quiver. Headband of Silesh This cloth band, when worn around the head, allows the wearer to hear all sounds within 20' of himself (e.g. an approaching thief). Indestructible Boots and Gloves These normal-seeming cloth garments are made from heavy, worn leather. They cannot be harmed by anything less than the direct action of a demigod. Thus, dangerous substances can be walked upon or handled safely by one wearing these items. White Orb This holy item appears as a small (4" diameter) translucent sphere of white crystal. It sheds light in a five-foot radius at all times. When presented to an undead creature (or creatures), the orb causes them a great deal of pain (-3 on attacks, damage rolls, and saves) as long as they view it. Better yet, the orb can also be used a single time in an explosive fashion, similar to that of certain magical staves. If so commanded, the item will begin to glow brightly and pulsate; one round later, it will explode in a great blast of positive energy. This release of holy energies causes the effects of an earthquake and a power word, stun simultaneously. In addition, all beings within a fifty-foot radius are inflicted with 18d8 hit points of damage. Undead creatures take an additional 18 points of damage from the searing light. The being who activated the orb's self-destruction must save vs. death to avoid being incinerated; a successful save indicates transferral to the plane of the Seven Heavens. Tears of the Gods These strange crystals are very rare. They glow with an unearthly light and are as hard as diamonds. If one is retained for a fortnight by any individual, it will disappear and the character will be endowed with an additional level, with all of the advantages thereof. This level gain is permanent, and may extend beyond natural level limits due to race (thus, tears of the _gods_). Bigby's Talisman This potent item is a rod about one foot long, with a small hand at one end (about the size of a halfling's). The talisman can cast each of the various Bigby's hand spells once/day, at the level of ability of the wielder. Only mages can use this item. Sword of Yol This +4 longsword is unusual only in that it carries an enchantment to allow mages (only mages, and only single-classed mages) to use it. In the hands of any other class, it is but a normal sword. The mage will of course have to use a proficiency slot for the sword, but it will only be useful with this sword. Divine Tome of Stellar Bodies This arcane work plots the location and significance of every major star in the sky. It adds three proficiency levels to an astrologer's skill level and is worth quite a bit to astrologers and star-gazers. Spectral Blade This weapon appears as a metallic handle with a faint, flickering semi- material "blade". It is +3 "to hit" and damage (as a longsword), and any successful hit will lower the victim's Constitution by 2 points. This loss will gradually weaken an opponent, and when his ability score reaches zero, he is dead. Lost points will be recovered within one day. Wand of Elemental Change This wand can alter a 10' cube of one element into its opposite, by expending one charge. For these purposes, opposite pairs are earth/air and fire/water. The wand will also affect para-elements, e.g. magma/ice and smoke/ooze, though it is doubtful that the wand user will think to use it in this way. The wand will affect elementals as follows: 75% chance to dissipate the elemental, or 25% chance to convert it into the opposite element (this will drive the monster insane, and it will attack the nearest creature immediately). Plate of the Deep This bluish full plate mail suit carries a +4 enchantment (conferring base ac -3). Additionally, it has great powers when immersed in water. The armor will never rust or incur damage from a water-based source. The wearer may move underwater as if he was in air, and is protected by a water breathing effect. All items inside the suit remain dry underwater. Neither suit nor wearer are subject to the cold or high pressure found at great depths. Also, the wearer may see out to a distance of 50 feet, even in the murkiest water. Finally, anything the armor wearer says to a denizen of the water will be heard by said creature in its native language, and vice versa; thus, the wearer can communicate with all creatures of the water, provided he is indeed underwater. Brush of Creation This normal-looking paintbrush is incredibly powerful. Quite simply, whatever it paints becomes real. The painter must have some proficiency at this, of course. Paintings must be done on some surface (wall, canvas, etc.) and can take from ten minutes to ten hours to ten days, depending on the subject matter and complexity. A character can only paint something he knows about, otherwise the creation will most definitely turn out wrong, if at all. Much of the same advice applicable to the use of wish spells holds for this item as well; greedy characters will seldom benefit from this item, as some terrible cursed effects may manifest themselves. For example, one who paints a mighty army but happens to neglect facial details may find that an army of undead has been created. Dreaded Staff of Count Astoc This +5 wooden staff has glowing runes all along its sides. It is a holy relic of surpassing power. Upon touching any undead, the staff emits a bright burst of holy flame, doing 6d12 hp damage to the offender. Also, once every two rounds, the staff can fire a cone of similar holy fire, 50' long and 10' in radius at the end, which inflicts 4d12 damage to any undead or demons who are caught within its blazing path. Any successful hit upon a demon will inflict 4x normal damage. Finally, once per month the staff may banish a demon to its home plane for a year and a day. Legends say that this item has been hidden away by the demons, for fear of it being used against them. Ithalmar, Fist of Vinusa (the Redeemer) This +4 holy sword may not be held by any creature not aligned good. Its power is very great, for any evil person or creature slain by this weapon will be reincarnated the next round as a good-aligned version of its old self. The body, mind, class, level, etc. will be the same as before, but the being's basic alignment will have changed to good. It will have memories of its old life, but all traces of evil will be utterly gone. The sole limitation of this power is that affected creatures must be from the Prime Material plane. Thus, demons, devils, et al are unaffected by this redemption power. It will affect evil characters, undead, etc. of course; for example, an arch-lich might find itself transformed into an arch-mage, while a death knight might become a paladin. Obviously, this weapon is muchly feared by evil forces everywhere. Lusan's Mirror This is a gigantic oval mirror (10' on long axis by 6' on short axis) set in an adamantite frame, with two side legs to allow swivelling movement. Upon command, the mirror will display any location commanded, even if it is upon another plane. Note that while this item can easily be used to intrude in the affairs of powerful beings, it may well draw their attention to the user, for better or for worse. Rod of Death This unique item was created by the arch-lich Xusia over a period of decades. It has three properties of note. First, when touched to any living (non-undead, non-construct) being, that being must save vs. death at -5 or be instantly slain. Even with a successful save, the being still suffers 5-50 hp of life energy loss. Second, when the rod is touched to any dead being (including remains and fragments), the creature is brought back to life (!) as an undead, of a type roughly appropriate to its original power level in life. Extremely good and/or powerful beings may get a save versus this effect; if successful, the rod will never work on that being's body. Third, the undead-creating effect is contagious! Undead created by the rod can touch other dead bodies and cause them to be converted into undead. Obviously, there is potential for great mayhem with this item... Unholy Robes These evil garments reek of death and decay. They provide protection equal to various types of armor (ranging from ac7 to ac0), and also have the useful property of protecting the wearer from all clerical turning, should he/she/it be undead. Ring of Recall This powerful ring will teleport its wearer to a predetermined location once per day, if desired. The idea is to have a safe place in mind, in case of a battle which is going badly. Up to 500 coins (50 lbs.) of non- living matter (e.g. possessions) may be transported with the ring bearer. APPENDIX III : NEW SPELLS Mage Priest (1) FIRE DARTS (5) FINGER SNAKES (6) SANDSTORM TRANSMUTE FLESH TO WOOD (7) DEHYDRATE (7) PLAGUE LIFE LEECH (8) BLIZZARD ERIDOR'S EBON BOLT MASS TELEPORT PYROMANIA SYMMETRY (9) BLAZE OF GLORY SEAL SOUL SUCK TSUNAMI Life Leech Level: 7 Range: Touch Components: V,S,M Duration: Instantaneous Casting Time: 1 round Area of Effect: Creature touched Saving Throw: None When this spell is cast, the mage drains years from the victim's mind and body and adds them to his own. This spell affects one creature, who must be touched for the spell to take place. There is no specific target, so if the mage accidentally touches the wrong person, they will suffer the effects. The victim loses 10-40 years when touched, effective immediately after contact, and this may have detrimental effects on his or her ability scores. At the same time, the spell caster gains these years, and any effects of age will be reversed of he or she becomes sufficiently young. This spell is permanent, though potions of longevity could be quaffed to reduce the aging. Undead are not subject to this spell. The material components for the spell are a pinch of dust and a bit of ectoplasm from a ghost's body.