Page 168 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

18C. NORTHWEST TOWER FORTRESS DEFEN SES
This tower has a male drow mage named Vrebbeth Im- The 30-foot-tall outer walls and the 40-foot-high towers
phiz'zal on the roof and eight male drow inside. In addi- that stand along them are fashioned from smooth black
tion to defending the tower, these drow are responsible stone. The tops of the walls are tapered and lined with
for quelling uprisings in the nearby slave pen (area 18h) 5-foot-tall stone spikes spaced 10 feet apart. The spikes
have sticky webs strung between them like barbed wire to
and gardens (area 18i). hinder creatures attempting to cross over. For the effects
Treasure. Vrebbeth carries a spellbook bound in of sticky webs, see "Dungeon Hazards" in chapter S of the
stitched grimlock flesh that contains all the spells he Dungeon Master's Guide. Each tower has a flat roof encir·
has prepared, plus arcane Jock, gust of wind, and sleep. cled by crenellated battlements.
Fastened to his robes is a bone scroll tube that holds a If an alarm is raised, the residents of the fortress mo-
spell scroll of telekinesis. bilize quickly. Twenty drow emerge from the barracks in
areas l 8e and l 8f, joining Riina Freth (from area l 9c) and
18D. SOUTH TOWER four drow elite warriors (from area 19a). These drow take
This tower has a male drow mage named Yrrlcheb up defensive positions in the courtyard, spreading out to
Beltorzza on the roof and eight male drow inside. dilute the effect of area attacks. Against unusually strong
foes, Riina releases the prisoners in areas 18g and l 8h,
Treasure. Yrrlcheb carries a spellbook bound in sup-
ple fiumph hide that contains all the spells he has pre- forcing them to fight for House Freth. But the moment
the fight turns against the drow, the prisoners turn against
pared, plus jump, mirror image, and sending. Fastened their captors.
to his robes is a spider silk pouch holding 31 pp. In addition to the drow in the courtyard, invaders must
contend with the drow in the guard towers, who can target
18E. SOUTH BARRACKS
creatures both inside and outside the courtyard. Each of
This 20-foot-high curved structure has a stone door with the guard towers (areas l 8a through l 8d) is utilitarian
no lock. The building houses ten off-duty male drow and unfurnished. A tower has the following features
who are variously spending their idle hours sharpening and defenses:
and poisoning their weapons, eating, or meditating on • The tower's stone doors are reinforced and barred
curved stone benches spaced along the walls. from the inside. Siege weapons are needed to break
them down.
18F. NORTH BARRACKS • Arrow slits on the first and second floors provide
I This building and its residents are identical to area 18e. three-quarters cover to those standing behind them. The
rooftop battlements provide variable cover, depending
18G. GARDEN SLAVE PEN on the angle of attack.
The foul stench of troglodytes is obvious to any char- • Iron ladders and trapdoors connect each level of a tower,
acters who approach this 40-foot-square enclosure, and the trapdoor in the roof can be bolted shut from
which has 20-foot-high walls of smooth stone, an iron- below. Breaking through a bolted trapdoor requires a
barred gate, and a 5-foot-thick roof of sticky webs with successful DC 27 Strength (Athletics) check.
five giant spiders atop it. The pen currently holds five • Each tower contains eight male drow (four on each of
adult troglodytes and four troglodyte children (Small the first and second floors) who fire light crossbows
through the arrow slits. This attack is the same as the
noncombatants), as well as a minotaur chained to the
drow's hand crossbow attack, except it has a range of
ground. The minotaur's horns have been sawed off, and 80/320 feet and deals 6 (ld8 + 2) piercing damage.
prolonged exposure to the troglodytes' stench has ren- • A male drow mage stands watch on the rooftop.
dered the minotaur immune to its effects. Characters who have House Freth escorts or who wear
The spiders attack anyone who tries to tear through clever drow disguises can approach the fortress openly.
the webs or free the slaves trapped in the pen. The mage atop the gate tower (area 18a) demands to
Any creature that enters the webs or starts its turn know who they are and why they have come, granting entry
in them is restrained. A restrained creature can use its only if their answers raise no suspicions. As the visitors
action to try to pull itself out of the webs, doing so with a make their way through the tower, the drow mage sum·
successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Ac- mons a quasit and instructs it to notify Riina Freth of the
robatics) check. Each 10-foot-square section of webs has new arrivals. The quasit assumes bat form and flies to area
AC 10, 10 hit points, vulnerability to fire, and immunity 19c to deliver the news. Riina decides what to do with any
to bludgeoning, piercing, and psychic damage. visitors and leads those who seek an audience with her
The pen's sturdy iron gate is held shut with an arcane sister, Erelal, to area 19k.
lock spell that only drow (including drow characters)
can ignore. Forcing it open requires a successful DC 25 19, 30 hit points, resistance to fire and piercing damage,
Strength (Athletics) check. and immunity to poison and psychic damage.
Prisoners. The drow use the troglodytes to tend their
gardens (area 18i). The minotaur is too violent to be 18H. GOBLIN SLAVE PEN
enslaved, so the drow are starving it until it either capit- This pen has the same features as area 18g, except that
ulates or grows so weak that the troglodytes can kill and the stench of troglodytes is absent here, and there are
devour it. The minotaur is restrained but can butt foes no giant spiders on the web roof. The contents of the
with its head instead of making gore attacks, dealing 11 pen are as follows:
(2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage on a hit. Its thick chains Goblins. Twelve armed but weary-looking goblins are
require a successful DC 30 Strength (Athletics) check gnawing on bones and resting on straw pallets.
to break, or they can be attacked. The chains have AC

LEVEL 12 I MAZE l.EV!::l.