Page 166 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

12B. !RON SPIDER surrenders and orders the males to do the same, hoping
Several tunnels leading to this 30-foot-high cave are fes- her captors try to ransom her. She betrays any of the
tooned with web cables. The south tunnels slope down male drow in a heartbeat to save herself- and the males
gently to areas 11 and 18. do the same to her. '
Drow scouts use the giant lizards as mounts. Each
Guards. Four male drow are on guard here. comes equipped with a saddle, reins, stirrups, and sad-
Iron Spider. A giant iron spider stands motionless in
dlebags containing 30 days of rations (dry moss and
the middle of the cave. mushrooms). The giant lizards have the Spider Climb
The drow (named Freb, Rylzzt, Urlimar, and Vanal- trait (see the "Variant: Giant Lizard Traits" sidebar in
fein) all carry signal horns that sound an alarm loud appendix A of the Monster Manual), which allows them
enough to be heard in areas 10 through 19. They raise to climb over the web cables and exit this area.
the alarm at the first sign of intruders, bringing rein- Treasure. Fastened to Talabsyn's cloak is an ob-
forcements from areas 12a, 12c, and 12d. sidian scarab engraved with the insignia of House
The iron spider is a Large unaligned construct that Freth (25 gp).
stands 7 feet tall. It has AC 19, 80 hit points, and immu-
nity to poison and psychic damage. Its ability scores are 13. ROUNDABOUT
as follows: Strength 18, Dexterity 10, Constitution 10,
A bore worm- a metal construct similar in size
Intelligence 3, Wisdom 3, and Charisma 1. Its climbing and shape to a purple worm-hollowed out this
and walking speeds are 30 feet, and it can climb difficult donut-shaped chamber as part of excavating the
surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without passage that leads down to level 13. Characters who
needing to make an ability check. It has blindsight out to descend to level 13 encounter the worm (see "Bore
a range of 60 feet and is blind beyond this radius.
Worm," page 171).
As an action, the iron spider can shoot out a 6-inch- Once an hour, the bore worm makes its way up the
thick web cable up to 50 feet long, attaching the far end tunnel from level 13 and circles this area clockwise
of the cable to a solid surface up to 50 feet away from before returning below. The worm doesn't fill the entire
it. As a bonus action, it can detach the other end of the tunnel, so smaller creatures can try to slip past it. When
cable from itself and attach it to a solid surface within the worm enters a smaller creature's space for the first
10 feet of it. Once it creates 200 feet of web cable, the time on a turn, that creature must make a Dexterity
spider can't produce any more cable until the next dawn. saving throw. On a successful save, the creature avoids
The iron spider exists solely to produce web cables. It being crushed between the worm and the tunnel wall.
has no attacks and no instinct for self-preservation. On a failed save, the creature takes 22 (4dl0) bludgeon-
Like a scaladar, the iron spider has a control ring
ing damage.
(possessed by Drivvin Freth). The iron spider obeys the
commands of whoever wears its control ring. The spider 14. D EAD END?
is incapacitated in the area of an anti magic field spell. If
This 15-foot-high cave extends beneath area 15. It con-
targeted by a dispel magic spell, the spider must succeed
tains the following features:
on a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell
save DC or fall unconscious for 1 minute. Web Cables. Web cables crisscross the tunnel that
leads into this area.
12C. QUAGGOTHS Rock Formation. A 10-foot-high, 10-foot-wide rock
This 30-foot-high cavern and the tunnels leading to it formation shaped like a huge clawed hand thrusts up
are strung with web cables (see the "Web Cables" side- from the floor in the west end of the cave. (A secret
bar). Nine quaggoths creep along the cables, attempting door is built into the ceiling directly above the claw.)
to hide from any creatures that enter the area. The quag-
The claw is a natural rock formation and shows no
goths drop to the floor or crawl down the walls to attack
sign of having been sculpted. Creatures can easily climb
intruders they don't recognize.
up onto it. Lying on the floor next to the claw, in plain
12D. GIANT LIZARD PEN sight, is a stubby iron key with a head shaped like a tiny
bulbous nose. This key unlocks the iron doors of Zox
Monsters. Ten docile giant lizards are tethered to iron
Clammersham's palace (see area 7 on level 13).
spikes pounded into the cave floor. Five drow, one fe-
The secret door in the ceiling can be reached by any-
male and four males, watch over the lizards.
one who stands atop the rock formation. The door is
Fungi. The 20-foot-high walls are covered with ripple-
an 8-foot-square, 1-foot-thick slab of stone that pivots
bark (see "Fungi," page 59), which the drow feed to
on a central axis. Pushing or pulling it open from be-
the giant lizards.
low requires a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics)
The leader of this group is a female drow named check. The secret door remains open until it is manually
Talabsyn Freth, the youngest of Erelal's seven daugh- closed again.
ters. The others are unfaithful male subordinates
named Beleth, Cazimir, Ryldgar, and Zakth. At the first 15. CRICKETS
sign of trouble, Talabsyn untethers the nearest giant
The characters hear the incessant chirping of crickets
lizard and tries to escape on its back, fleeing to her fam-
as they approach this 20-foot-high cavern. The area has
ily's fortress by the safest route while the males cover
the following features:
her escape. If her escape routes are cut off, Talabsyn
LEVEL 12 I MAZE LEVEL