Page 116 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat
P. 116
who succeeds on a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check away, but the portions that remain suggest serpentine
spots the pressure plate. The trap triggers whenever a images that were probably quite fearsome.
weight of 50 pounds or more is placed on the pressure Statues. Four statues of winged serpents stand to the
plate. Darts fire from holes in the walls against the crea- north, two in the water and two above the waterline.
ture that triggered the trap, making a ranged weapon at- (Torbit, a bullywug assassin, hides behind the par-
tack (+7 to hit) that deals 10 (4d4) piercing damage. The tially submerged statue in the northwest corner.)
trap resets each round. Platform. Between the two middle statues, a mostly
A search of the walls and a successful DC 20 Wisdom submerged ramp rises to the top of a dry platform,
(Perception) check is sufficient to spot small holes in the at the back of which is a closed door that opens
serpent carvings. The characters can spend 1 minute to into area 19c.
plug the holes, which prevents the trap from attacking. Torbit might have become king of the Blacktongues if
The pressure plate can be disabled with a successful not for his devotion to Kuketh. He jealously protects the
DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. temple that is his master's seat of power, killing any who
enter without permission. Torbit is an assassin, with
1 8B. STANDING GATE TO LEVEL 11
Two pillars with giant stone snakes wrapped around these changes:
them rise from the muck. Chiseled into the lintel stone • Torbit is chaotic evil.
across the top are the words "DON THE CRYSTAL • He has these racial traits: He can breathe air and
CROWN" in Dwarvish. This gate's rules are as follows: water. He speaks Bullywug, and can speak with frogs
and toads. He has a walking speed of 20 feet and a
• The gate opens for 1 minute if a creature wears King swimming speed of 40 feet. His long jump is up to 20
Melair's crystal crown (see level 6, area lld) while feet and his high jump is up to 10 feet, with or with-
standing within 5 feet of it. out a running start. He has advantage on Dexterity
• Characters must be 11th level or higher to pass (Stealth) checks made to hide in swampy terrain.
through this gate (see "Jhesiyra Kestellharp," page • In addition to his weapons, Torbit carries one piece of
10). The first creature to pass through the gate trig- a shattered jade staff (see "Treasure" below).
gers an elder rune (see "Elder Runes," page 12).
• A creature that passes through the gate appears in Treasure. The foot-long piece of jade that Torbit car-
area 1 la on level 11, in the closest unoccupied space ries was found in the muck. He doesn't realize that it's
next to the identical gate located there. a fragment of a jade staff crafted by ancient yuan-ti that
was discarded in Undermountain by Halaster years
19. YUAN- TI TEMPLE before. See area 39b on level 6 for more information on
this yuan-ti device and how it can be reassembled. By
The roof of this cavern soars to a height of 80 feet, and
the muddy water throughout is 2 feet deep. Dominating itself, the jade fragment is worth 100 gp.
the cavern is a ruined yuan-ti temple filled with statues 19D. APSE
depicting the same winged serpent with its fanged This 30-foot-high chapel has the following features:
mouth open. A character who succeeds on a DC 15
Intelligence (Religion) check recognizes the statues as Mud-Caked Statue. Dried mud has been heaped onto
depictions of Sseth, a yuan-ti deity. Flickering torches a large, winged snake statuE; to the north, giving it
on the sides of the temple illuminate the structure. a vaguely frog-like appearance. Poor-quality carved
offerings and worthless stones are piled before
19A. AMPHIBIOUS GUARDS the statue.
Eight bullywugs and three giant frogs stand guard Altar. A stone altar in the center of the room bears carv-
in the water outside the temple. The bullywugs try to ings of serpents.
paralyze intruders using their spears, the tips of which Any character who inspects the altar and succeeds
are coated with carrion crawler mucus. Characters on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices that
paralyzed by the bullywugs' spears or swallowed by the one of the altar's carvings has a button carved to look
giant frogs are brought to area 19d and held there until like a serpent's eye. If this button is pressed, a secret
Kuketh can be summoned from area 20 to devour them. compartment on the north side of the altar opens. Inside
this compartment is a slender red taper (see "Treasure"
19B. NARTHEX below). Kuketh and the bullywugs are unaware of the
A 10-foot-tall statue of a winged serpent stands at the altar's hidden compartment and the treasure within.
entrance of the temple between two submerged stone Treasure. The red taper is a candle of invocation
ramps. The ramps are slippery and rise to meet the floor dedicated to Sseth, the neutral evil yuan-ti god. If the
of a 20-foot-high antechamber, the floor of which is sub- candle is removed from the altar by a creature that is
merged under 1 foot of murky water. not a yuan-ti, green mist billows up through cracks in
Decorative columns carved to look like intertwined
snakes line the chamber's walls. the floor and coalesces into two yuan-ti abominations.
These temple guardians attack any creature that is not
a yuan-ti. When reduced to 0 hit points, they revert to
19c . NAVE
clouds of green mist and disappear without a trace.
Water. Murky water covers the floor to a depth of 1 foot. If the yuan-ti abominations are not killed, they rid the
Ceiling Fresco. This chamber has a vaulted ceiling 30 temple of enemies and turn it into their lair.
feet high. A fresco on the ceiling has mostly crumbled
l.£VF.L 8 I SLJTH£RSWAMP
115

