Page 260 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

10. MAD MAGE'S PUZZLE The statue is a Medium object with AC 17, 30 hit
points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.
Indentation. A 4-inch-deep, 8-foot-wide, 10-foot-long
A detect magic spell reveals an aura of transmutation
rectangular indentation is carved into the floor of this
magic around it. Whenever a nonmagical object weigh-
20-foot-high cavern. ing 10 pounds or less is placed in the statue's cupped
jigsaw Pieces. A loose pile of carved, painted stones hands, it turns into a different object as determined by
stands near the south wall. rolling percentile dice and consulting the Object Trans-
The pile contains ninety-nine chunks of stone, each formation table. The statue becomes nonmagical if it
weighing 25 pounds and carved in the shape of a jigsaw loses more than half its hit points.
puzzle piece. The pieces form an image of Halaster, his
head thrown back in laughter as he rides a great blue OBJECT TRANSFORMATION
dragon. With a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investi- dlOO New Object
gation) check, a character can fit all the puzzle pieces to-
01-10 Bag of20 caltrops (2 lb.)
gether with 1 hour's work. If other characters assist, the
11- 25 Bar of soap (1/4 lb.)
character gains advantage on the check, but the time to
26- 35 Clay bowl containing 20 candied plums (1 lb.)
complete the puzzle is not reduced. When all the pieces
are placed, the characters realize that one puzzle piece 36-50 Dead, rotting fish (2 lb.)
51- 60 Full water skin (5 lb.)
is missing. (It can be found in area 9b.)
When all one hundred jigsaw puzzle pieces are placed 61- 75 Hunk of moldy cheese (1/4 lb.)
properly in the rectangular indentation on the floor, an 76-90 Stirge meat pie (1 lb.) served piping hot
elder rune appears above it and targets a random crea- 91- 00 Magic Halaster doll (1 lb.) that says something
ture in the cave (see "Elder Runes," page 12). Draw a each time it is squeezed
card from the Elder Runes Deck (appendix B) to deter-
mine which rune appears. Each time an object is removed from the statue's
cupped hands, there is a 20 percent chance that the
11. WEIRD MAGIC white toadstools growing out of the statue's broken
Halaster fills these caves with magical effects designed head release a cloud of milky-white spores. The cloud
to confound adventurers. fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on the statue and
lasts for 1 minute. Any creature that starts its turn in
llA. H AMMER TIME the cloud must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving
throw or contract a disease called blinding sickness,
Motes. This 20-foot-high cave is dimly lit by dozens of
which lasts until cured with a lesser restoration spell or
tiny, tinkling motes of light that flit about like moths.
Golem. Swinging ineffectually at the lights is a stone similar magic. Pain grips the diseased creature's mind,
golem that has stone mallets at the end of its arms and its eyes turn milky white. Until the disease is cured,
the creature is blinded and has disadvantage on Wis-
instead of hands.
dom checks and Wisdom saving throws.
The hammer-handed golem is carved to resemble Sunlight or any effect that deals fire damage or radi-
Halaster (see "Stonecloaks," page 253) and is hostile
ant damage destroys the toadstools.
toward any creature that doesn't look like the Mad
Mage. When the golem hits a creature with one of its llc. UNRELIABLE ORACLE
mallets, the target must succeed on a DC 17 Consti- This empty, 10-foot-high cavern has a large question
tution saving throw or be stunned until the end of its mark carved into the east wall. If anyone asks a question
next turn. in this cave, a whispering voice replies with an answer
A character disguised as Halaster can make a Cha- dsetermined by rolling percentile dice and consulting
risma (Deception) check contested by the golem's Wis- the Oracle Answers table.
dom (Insight) check, with advantage on the check if the
portrayal is particularly convincing. On a successful ORACLE ANSWERS
check, the golem is indifferent toward that character.
dlOO Answer
The magical light motes are harmless but attracted
01-25 "No more answers today! Come back tomorrow."
to movement, and they swirl around any creatures that
pass through the cave. The lights can't be dispelled, but The oracle then ceases to function for 24 hours.
they are suppressed in the area of an antimagic field 26- 40 "You already know the answer."
spell or similar effect. 41-65 "Ah, one of life's great mysteries."
66-80 "Can you please rephrase the question?"
llB. STATUE OF TRANSFORMATION 81- 00 "Hold, please." This answer is followed by ldlO
This dead-end cave has a domed ceiling 15 feet high. A minutes of instrumental music, during which time
5-foot-tall statue stands atop a 2-foot-tall granite plinth
the oracle answers no further questions. When the
near the east wall. The ancient-looking statue depicts a music ends, roll again on this table.
hooded woman with her hands cupped in front of her.
Part of the statue's head has broken off, and spongy
white toadstools are growing out from the broken stone.

LEVEL 20 I RUNESTONE CAVERNS
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