Page 181 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

POLYMORPH TRAPS double door is a sconce sculpted to resemble a skele-
Throughout Arcturiadoom lie magic traps designed to tal hand, with a continual flame spell cast in its palm.
polymorph humanoids. (Creatures that aren't humanoids Monsters. A pair of stalagmites flank the double door.
are unaffected.) These traps are marked Pon map 14. The Hiding behind each stalagmite is an invisible drow
hobgoblins are aware of these traps and do their best to mage and an invisible quasit.
avoid them. Rock Formations. Around the edges of the cavern are
A polymorph trap is marked by a nearly invisible glyph
inscribed on a l 0-foot-square section of floor. A character more stalagmites and stalactites. More of these forma-
searching the area for traps can detect the glyph with a tions fill a smaller cavern to the southeast (area lb).
successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check. The first The two drow mages are males named Hulziin and
humanoid to pass over the lO·foot-square area triggers the Yrrprek. Each wears a cloak pin bearing the insignia
glyph and must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw of House Freth. They arrived here shortly before the
or be transformed into a monster with average hit points. adventurers and have greater invisibility spells cast on
All items worn or carried by the creature are absorbed into
them. The drow and their two quasit companions try to
its new form. The new form is hostile toward all other crea-
remain hidden, allowing adventurers to move into Arctu-
tures and must attack any other creatures it can see.
Roll a dlO to determine the creature's new form: riadoom ahead of them. Once the path is clear, they pass
through areas 3 and 35 on their way to area 38.
l . Carrion crawler 6. Hook horror One of their kin, Vanar, arrived early to scout and has
2. Chimera 7. Manticore already slipped inside. The characters might encounter
3. Fire elemental 8. Otyugh
4. Gelatinous cube 9. Owlbear him and his shadow demon in area 29.
5. Gorgon 10. Wyvern
lB. STALACTITES AND STALAGMITES
When the polymorphed creature drops to 0 hit points, it This damp, dripping cave contains a veritable forest of
reverts to its original form and is stable at 0 hit points.
stalagmites and stalactites.
Once a glyph is triggered, it disappears, rendering its
space safe to pass through until Arcturia sees fit to replace
le. CLAW- SHAPED CAVE
it. A successful dispel magic spell (DC 17) cast on a glyph The drow have hidden supplies in the deepest arm of
removes it.
this otherwise empty cave. A search reveals three back-
packs made of woven spiderwebs. Each pack contains
are hobgoblin patrols. A typical patrol consists of four a mess kit, 10 days of rations (dried mushrooms, moss,
hobgoblins. Their marching footsteps and clanking and boiled cockatrice eggs), 50 feet of spider silk rope,
armor can be heard well in advance of their arrival, and and a full water skin made from a lizard's bladder.
characters can't be surprised by them. Combat with a
patrol is sure to alert other creatures in the vicinity. 2. NATURAL CAVES
If any hobgoblins are defeated while on patrol, sub·
This small network of caves lies outside the dungeon
tract their numbers from the guards in area 32a.
proper and serves as home to one of Arcturia's mon-
HOUSE FRETH strous experiments.
Three drow mages have infiltrated Arcturiadoom in the 2 A. DEFORMED DUERGAR
hope of securing powerful magic to conquer other levels Characters who enter this cave are soon attacked by a
of Undermountain. These drow belong to House Freth hideously deformed duergar. The creature has enlarged
(see level 12). They avoid violent confrontations with itself to a height of 9 feet.
adventurers and instead try to turn them against the fire This creature used to be two separate duergar, a male
giants and the hobgoblins. named Blork and a female named Muatha. Arcturia
fused them together into a single creature by using
EXPLORING THIS LEVEL magic that only a wish spell can undo. Both skulls
merged into one bulbous head that has three ears, three
All location descriptions for this level are keyed
eyes, two noses, and two mouths. It has a third arm on
to map 14.
the right side of its body, and its left leg splits into two at
the knee, giving it three feet. The transformation drove
1. ENTRANCE TO ARCTURIADOOM
the poor creature insane, and it regards all other crea-
These caverns lie at the end of the worm-bored tunnel tures as threats that must be destroyed.
leading down from level 13. The creature is a duergar, with these changes:
lA. WORM TuN NEL • The creature has 40 hit points.
The bore worm on level 13 wanders down here occa- • It has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and
sionally, looping around a central column of rock before on saving throws against being charmed, frightened,
traveling back up. This column supports the cavern's stunned, or knocked unconscious.
30-foot-high roof. The cavern also has these features: • As a bonus action, it can make an attack with
its javelin.
Double Door. A double door is framed with carvings of
worm-ridden skulls. Carved into the lintel above the 2B. DuERGAR's CRIB
The deformed creature in area 2a sleeps here on a bed
of spongy black mold that grows at the back of the cave.

LEVEL 14 I ARCTURIAOOOM
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