Page 197 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

Any nonmagical weapon that strikes a statue for the before stepping on it discovers the hidden alarm system
purpose of dealing damage to it turns to dust. with a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check.
A secret door in the west wall opens into area 3, and
MAGIC MOUTH north of the room is a hidden pit trap.
In Halaster's voice, the magic mouth speaks the follow-
ing words in Common before disappearing: "Welcome COVERED PIT
to the Obstacle Course! Place all weapons and magic This hidden pit (see "Covered Pits," page 194) is 20
items in the carts for safekeeping. You won't need them. feet deep, but the bottom 10 feet is occupied by a gelat-
Hurry! Time is running out." inous cube. Any creature that falls into the pit takes
10 (3d6) acid damage as it sinks into the cube and is
MINE CARTS
automatically engulfed by it. If the cube is attacked from
The axles, wheels, and brake handles of the mine carts
above, it rises out of the pit on its turn and tries to engulf
are rusted in place. A prestidigitation cantrip or similar anything in its path.
magic can free the mechanisms and render a mine cart
functional for the spell's duration, but it still squeals 3. STUFFED MONSTERS
loudly when rolled across the floor.
The secret doors leading to this chamber are 10 feet
The characters are under no compulsion to heed
square. It takes a singular or combined Strength of 16
Halaster's magic mouth spell. Any items they place in
to push open each door. The room is choked with dust
the carts and leave there are safe for 24 hours. After
and cobwebs. Five dead creatures stuffed with sawdust
that, all unattended objects in the carts disappear-
and displayed in lifelike poses are crammed into the
taken by Halaster to area 5 on level 23. Characters can
northern half of the room. The stuffed monsters and
find the missing items waiting for them there.
their weights are summarized below:
COVERED PIT • An aarakocra with wings spread, clutching a javelin
This 40-foot-deep hidden pit (see "Covered Pits," page (120 pounds)
194) is located between the two northernmost statues. • A reared-up ankheg (600 pounds)
Halaster has cast a glyph of warding spell at the bottom • A young brass dragon with wings tucked in, head low-
of the pit, set to trigger a fireball spell (save DC 22) when ered, and jaws agape (750 pounds)
a creature lands on the pit floor. The fireball is created • An ettercap with its arms raised menacingly
using a 7th-level spell slot, engulfs all creatures in the (200 pounds)
pit, and deals 42 (12d6) fire damage on a failed save, or • A hell hound with a continual flame spell cast in its
half as much damage on a successful one. Creatures in gullet (150 pounds)
the pit have disadvantage on the saving throw, as there's
precious little space to maneuver. 4. CAUGHT IN THE TENTACLES

Ceilings. The central portion of this chamber has a
TELEPORT TRAP
domed ceiling 20 feet high. Wings to the east and west
Halaster has placed a teleport trap (see "Teleport
have 15-foot-high arched ceilings.
Traps," page 194) between the two southern statues.
Crevasse. Orange light and intense heat spill from a cre-
A creature teleported by this trap arrives at a location
vasse that splits the room nearly in two. (The source
determined by rolling a d20 and consulting the fol-
of the light is a river of lava 30 feet below, which wid-
lowing table:
ens toward the southeast, originating in area 40d.)
d20 Teleport Destination
Statues. Two life-size iron statues of mind flayers sit in
1-12 The teleport trap in area 10 opposite corners of the central chamber, facing one
13-18 The teleport trap in area 19 another with their tentacles outstretched.
19-20 The teleport trap in area 40c
Halaster placed the mind flayer statues here and
trapped them. A detect magic spell reveals auras of abju-
Additional Eff ect: Elder Rune. The first time a crea- ration and evocation magic around each one. It doesn't
ture triggers this teleport trap, an elder rune (see "Elder require an ability check to realize that a humanoid head
Runes," page 12) appears in the air between the two would fit nicely inside each mind flayer's tentacles.
southern statues a split second after the creature disap- Any humanoid that passes between the statues must
pears, and at the same moment a booming voice shouts,
succeed on a DC 22 Intelligence saving throw or be
"Teleported!" Draw a card from the Elder Runes Deck charmed by the statues for 1 minute. The charmed crea-
(see appendix B) to determine which rune appears. This ture must use all of its movement on its turn to move
rune targets all creatures within 60 feet of it with the toward the nearest statue and stick its head between the
same effect (bane or boon, determined randomly). tentacles. (A Small humanoid must climb the front of the
statue to do so.) Only one creature at a time can place
2. C LACKING FLOOR
its head between the tentacles. A humanoid that places
The stones that comprise the floor of this 10-foot-high its head between the tentacles is no longer charmed but
chamber make clacking noises when stepped on-a is stunned and remains so until another creature sepa-
crude but effective alarm system installed by dwarves rates it from the statue or until the statue is destroyed.
long ago. A character who searches the floor for traps

LEVEL 15 1 OBSTACLE COURSE