Page 114 - Tales from the Yawning Portal

Thereafter, you can shorten the description o · e con- takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls, ability checks, saving
tact stones they encounter to avoid repeti ion. throws, and saving throw DCs.
Normal Doors. The Doomvault's door are ,uod rein- A reduced threat creature that is based on a creature
forced with steel, and they open easily. Mo t door lack bigger than Large is instead Large. Some specific re-
latches, bars, or locks. Those that are locked require a duced-threat creatures also make changes to the abil-
· uccessful DC 15 Dexterity check to pick or a ucce sful ities they can use. A reduced-threat creature is worth
DC 20 Strength check to force open. half the normal XP earned for defeating it.
Secret Doors. A successful DC 20 Wisdom (Percep-
tion) check is required to find a typical secret door. DUNGEON STATE
False Doors. A character must succeed on a DC 20 This adventure describes each area as it exists when the
Intelligence (Investigation) check to determine that a characters first arrive in the Doomvault. As they explore,
door is real or false without opening it. they change the dungeon's state. Record the state each
Light. Insubstantial magic orbs provide bright light area is in when the characters leave. You need to track
in areas that indicate no other illumination conditions. which rooms have been explored, which monsters have
Boxed text meant to be communicated to the players as- been defeated, which secrets remain undiscovered, what
·umes that someone can see the described area. treasure has been taken, and so on. If the characters
Pit Traps. A typical pit trap is under a 5-foot-square return to an area, your notes can remind you what is dif-
section of floor, which forms a lid hinged on the inner ferent from the original text.
side and lined with lead. A character within 5 feet of
he lid might notice it with a successful DC 20 passive RESTING
Perception check. A character who searches the area
notices the lid with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Per- The incursion into the Doomvault is intended to be a
-eption) check. A lid can be jammed so that it remains fast-paced assault in which the characters have little
dosed by a character who makes a successful DC 15 time for typical rests. A few areas of the dungeon offer
Dexterity check. Otherwise, the lid falls open when a access to special magic that allows characters to gain
mall or larger creature places weight on it. the benefit of a rest.
A creature that triggers the lid must succeed on a DC The adventure assumes the characters stay in or close
15 Dexterity saving throw or fall 20 feet onto a bed of to the dungeon for the duration of their exploration. If
· tone spikes, taking 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage and 13 you want the characters to be able to leave and return
2dl2) piercing damage. The pit walls are smooth stone. to the Doomvault, Syranna can use the circles in the
The lid closes magically 5 minutes after being triggered. gatehouse to send the party just about anywhere (except
The lead on the lid prevents the magic of a closed trap the Temples of Extraction or the Phylactery Vault). She
can also allow the characters to return by giving them
from being detected.
spell scrolls of teleportation circle keyed to the circles
DUNGEON DENIZENS in the gatehouse. If you allow the characters to leave the
The Red Wizards, aided and abetted by their Thayan Doomvault through the gatehouse, the characters can
servants, hold sway over the Doomvault. In addition to take normal rests outside the dungeon. Doing so has an
battling the monstrous residents of the dungeon, the effect on the alert level.
characters will need to contend with these humanoids. Resting within the Doomvault is risky, because of ran-
Thayans as Foes. Thayan humanoids in the dungeon, dom encounters and the rising alert level (see below).
especially Red Wizards, prefer to survive encounters ALERT LEVEL
""·ith the characters. (All Thayans in the dungeon are
non-good in alignment, and most of them are lawful.) The Doomvault is an active complex. As effects of the
·\'hen hard pressed, a few might be convinced to surren- characters' assault grow more widespread or easily
der, by the use of Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) detected, the alert level of the dungeon's inhabitants
checks. Under interrogation, however, most of these rises. This level starts at O and can go no lower than 0. It
• .·illains lie or otherwise mislead the characters, aiming increases by 1 every 4 hours the characters spend inside
:o kill them with misinformation. Thayans who escape the dungeon, including resting. The alert level affects
me characters' assault and have no other purpose either the frequency and difficulty of random encounters.
eave the Doomvault through the gatehouse or join pa- For each 24 hours the characters spend outside the
trols that attempt to hunt down the characters. dungeon, the alert level decreases by 1. During this
Prisoners. Most humanoid prisoners are terrified and time, the Doomvault returns to a state more stable than
have only enough strength to avoid battle. Prisoners do when the characters left. Monsters might be recaptured
hard labor or end up as food for the dungeon's monsters. or replaced, and new challenges could be set up to foil
They have no glyph keys and can't leave their zone with- incursions. Alter the dungeon's contents as you see fit to
out help. If able, freed prisoners beg for aid in escaping. account for the returning party's previous actions and
If given glyph keys, they head to the gatehouse. Use the the reactions of their foes.
commoner for prisoners if needed. A few other events specified in the adventure can raise
or lower the alert level.
REDUCED-THREAT MONSTERS
DREAD WARRIORS
A reduced-threat monster uses a normal monster·s sta-
jstics, but it has half the normal hit point maximum and Szass Tam devised the ritual that enables the creation
of dread warriors (described in appendix B). The lich

CHAPTER 5 DEAD IN THAY
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