Page 131 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

an armored male human (Muiral) in the middle. Each The tiefling introduces itself as Professor Figment
figure's name is stitched into the tapestry below it. Any and invites new arrivals to sit on the benches and make
character who succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (His- themselves comfortable. It then begins to tell lengthy
tory) check recognizes these figures as the Seven. stories about famous illusionists and their art, in a
If it is set on fire, the burning tapestry produces toxic rather exhaustive and encyclopedic manner. A success-
green smoke that coalesces into an efreeti and attacks ful dispel magic spell (DC 17) cast on Professor Figment
all creatures in the room. The efreeti remains in the ends the illusion. The first creature that tries to dispel
room thereafter, until set free by Halaster. the illusion of Professor Figment and fails is targeted
by a phantasmal killer spell (save DC 22) as the tiefling
31. HALASTER'S SECRETARY instructor briefly and vividly transforms into the target's
A nothic is chained to the floor of this otherwise empty worst nightmare; then it calmly continues with "Now,
room. The nothic's chain is short enough to prevent the where was I?"
creature from reaching the doors but long enough to let The illusory objects and wildlife seem real to the
it attack anything that enters the room. The chain can senses. The illusion of the villa, the fountain, the sun-
be broken with a strike from a magic weapon or an ad- light, and the wildlife can be ended with a successful
amantine weapon, or with a successful DC 25 Strength dispel magic spell (DC 19). The first time an attempt to
(Athletics) check. dispel the illusion fails, all creatures in the room are tar-
geted by a weird spell (save DC 22) as the surroundings
Strapped to the nothic's head is a crystal helmet-like
transform to reflect each target's worst nightmares.
contraption with leather straps, copper coils, and flash-
ing glass diodes attached to it that emits buzzing noises.
Hal aster cast a geas spell on the nothic to prevent it 34. TRANSMUTATION CLASSROOM
from removing the helmet. Light. The 20-foot-high room is lit by continual flame
While the nothic wears its bizarre helmet, all send- spells cast on wall sconces spaced 15 feet apart. The
ing spells that would normally be received by Halaster flames shift color every minute.
Blackcloak are instead received by the nothic (see Circle. Inscribed inside a 20-foot-diameter circle on the
"Sending Spells," page 11). Any other creature that floor is a triangle. In the middle of the triangle stands
dons the helmet becomes the new recipient of these a golden statue of a human boy, his arms raised in vic-
messages. Halaster gets an average of one sending tory. (The statue is a wyvern transformed by magic.)
spell message per hour. Most of the messages are from Iron Cage. A 10-foot-square, 15-foot-tall iron cage
desperate, deranged mages inquiring about apprentice- stands empty, its large door hanging open. (The cage
ships. Vulgar taunts from adventurers are also common. door has no lock built into it, since the wizards use
arcane lock spells to hold it shut.)
TREASURE
Spite Harrowdale used a true polymorph spell to turn
If the word "xunderbrok" (Dwarvish for "secret trove")
a wyvern into a golden statue of himself. Characters
is spoken aloud in this room, a small stone chest mate-
rializes on the floor in the northwest corner. The chest who have met Spite will recognize the statue's likeness.
is unlocked and contains 750 gp and three potions of The statue doesn't detect as magical, but removing it
from the circle causes the true polymorph effect to end,
greater healing. (See level 6, area 39c, for the signifi-
whereupon it reverts to a wyvern and attacks.
cance of the word "xunderbrok.")
THAUMATURGIC CIRCLE
32. STEEL-SHEATHED HALL
A detect magic spell reveals an aura of transmutation
The walls of this 10-foot-high corridor are covered in magic around the symbol on the floor. Any character
10-foot-square steel panels made from swords and who studies the circle and succeeds on a DC 20 Intel-
shields melted together by magic. The vague outlines of ligence (Arcana) check can ascertain its properties.
these items are still visible in the shimmering steel. The check is made with advantage if the character
is a wizard whose arcane tradition is the School of
33. ILLUSION CLASSROOM Transmutation.
Powerful illusion magic has turned this unlit, 20-foot- When a creature or an object under the effect of a
high room into the courtyard of a Waterdavian villa lit by transmutation spell is fully contained in the circle, the
the warm midday sun. It has the following features: effect of that spell doesn't end until the circle is broken
or until the target is removed from inside it. A creature
Decor. White marble benches encircle a central foun- under the effect of a transmutation spell is physically
tain with a trident-wielding sahuagin statue as its trapped in the circle and can't leave on its own while the
centerpiece.
spell remains in effect.
Flora and Fauna. Ivy creeps up the walls, and birds
flutter about as they perch on the trickling fountain's 35. NECROMANCY CLASSROOM
stony protrusions.
Ghastly Decor. Plastered to the walls and roof of
Tiefting. Standing next to the fountain is a male tiefling
this domed, 25-foot-high room are hundreds of
wizard with long horns and golden robes. (This figure,
humanoid skeletons, arranged in a decorative but
like its surroundings, is illusory.)
ghastly manner.

LEVEL 9 I DW£0M ERCORE