Page 89 - Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations

13. FALSE SANCTUM and an ivory and silver snuff box (200 gp) containing dust of
This chamber is lined with shelves and tables. All are loaded disappearance.
with books, papers, beakers, skulls, and countless containers of

unidentifi able exotica, including herbs, animal parts, stones of Sarkt: Mind flayer sorcerer 4; CR 10; Medium aberration; HD
odd shapes and colors, broken glass, powders, ointments, and 8d8+24 plus 4d4+12; hp 80; Init +8; Spd 30 ft.; AC 23, touch

foul-smelling liquids. 16, flat-footed 19; Base Atk +8; Grp +8; Atk +12 melee (1d4,
tentacle); Full Atk +10 melee (1d4, 4 tentacles); SA extract,
The room presents the perfect image of what most people improved grab, mind blast, psionics; SQ darkvision 60 ft., spell
expect a wizard’s or sorcerer’s study to look like. resistance 25, telepathy 100 ft; AL LE; SV Fort +6, Ref +7, Will
+13; Str 10, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 16, Cha 21.
A DC 15 Knowledge (arcana) check reveals that the “material
CHAPTER 4 THE MIND FLAYERS components” are stale, spoiled, have no magical properties, defensively), Craft (alchemy) +8, Diplomacy +14, Disguise +5
Skills and Feats: Bluff +11, Concentration +18 (+22 casting
or are simply not what the labels claim them to be. Most of
(+7 acting in character), Hide +10, Intimidate +12, Knowledge
the books and scrolls are of little value to a spellcaster, being
(arcana) +13, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (the
tracts on philosophy, history, or magical theory. The few that
do contain practical knowledge are worm-eaten or mildewed
Spellcraft +10, Spot +11, Survival +3 (+5 other planes); Craft
to the point of illegibility. planes) +10, Listen +8, Move Silently +10, Sense Motive +8,
Sarkt constructed this room to look like its study, in case Wondrous Item, Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Spell
the kuo-toas it preys on or the illithids that drove it from its Penetration, Weapon Finesse.
home ever tracked the fugitive here. It hopes that creatures Languages: Undercommon, Qualith, Abyssal, Aquan,
unsophisticated in the ways of magic will be fooled into think- Common, Draconic.

ing that they have found Sarkt’s sanctum and be satisfied by Extract (Ex): A mind flayer that begins its turn with all
destroying it. four tentacles attached and that makes a successful grapple
Behind a bookcase is a secret door in a section of wall that check automatically extracts the opponent’s brain, instantly
has been patched to match the natural stone that lines the rest killing that creature. This power is useless against constructs,

of the chamber (DC 25 Search check to find). The bookcase elementals, oozes, plants, and undead. It is not instantly fatal
is mounted on hidden casters that allow it to be rolled aside to foes with multiple heads.
easily, allowing access to the secret door. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a mind flayer must

hit a Small, Medium, or Large creature with its tentacle
14. SARKT’S SANCTUM (EL 10) attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action
This roughly star-shaped chamber contains a table, a stool, odd without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it wins the
writing implements such as four-tipped styluses and sheets of grapple check, it establishes a hold and attaches the tentacle

parchment, and many books and scrolls. to the opponent’s head. If a mind flayer begins its turn with

This is Sarkt’s true sanctum, where the mind flayer stores its at least one tentacle attached, it can try to attach its remain-
most precious magical tomes, treasures, and devices. Upon ing tentacles with a single grapple check. The opponent can
first exploring the shrine, Sarkt discovered this chamber and escape with a single successful grapple check or an Escape

was intrigued by the odd shape. Sarkt does not know why Artist check, but the mind flayer gets a +2 circumstance

the kuo-toas excavated this room in the shape of a star, and bonus for every tentacle that was attached at the beginning
neither did any of the kuo-toa clerics it enslaved. The room’s of the opponent’s turn.
original purpose is lost to everyone. After moving in, Sarkt Mind Blast (Sp): This psionic attack is a cone 60 feet long.
devised the secret door and the false sanctum to divert any Those caught in the cone must succeed on a DC 19 Will save
potential attackers. or be stunned for 3d4 rounds. This ability is the equivalent of
Sarkt spends most of its time here. Naturally, it seeks to a 4th-level spell.
immediately slay any uninvited strangers who suddenly Psionics (Sp): At will—charm monster (DC 19), detect thoughts
drop in. If warned by any outcry from Oristel in the room (DC 17), levitate, plane shift, suggestion (DC 18). Caster level 8th.
above, Sarkt casts mage armor and invisibility and awaits the Sorcerer Spells Known (6/8/4 per day; caster level 4th): 0—acid
intruders. splash (+12 ranged touch), daze (DC 15), detect magic, disrupt
Sarkt is even less inclined toward melee combat than the undead (+12 ranged touch), ghost sound (DC 15, if interacted

average mind flayer. If it begins the encounter invisible, it with), read magic; 1st—mage armor, magic missile, silent image
maneuvers into a place from which it can stun as many crea- (DC 16, if interacted with); 2nd—invisibility.
tures as possible before unleashing its mind blast. It saves its Possessions: ring of protection +2, potion of cure moderate wounds,
last invisibility spell for escape in case the fight goes badly. scroll of web, wand of darkness (12 charges).

Various coffers and urns in this room contain 2,200 sp,
1,100 gp, and 45 pp; a gold-inlaid drow skull worth 2,000 gp;

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