Page 293 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

5. MAGICAL REPOSITORY Shield. The room is empty except for a steel shield
hanging on the south wall. The shield is cast in the form
Ceiling. This room has a 30-foot-high vaulted ceiling.
of a serene, angelic visage wreathed in bronze feathers.
Statues. Four statues, each one carved to look like a A detect magic spell reveals an aura of abjuration
20-foot-high purple worm bursting up through the magic around the otherwise ordinary shield, inside
floor, fill the corners of the room. (These statues are which is trapped a pit fiend named Kastzanedes. Any
harmless.)
ability that detects the presence of fiends, such as a pala-
Dome. A deep, 20-foot-high alcove in the north wall con-
din's Divine Sense class feature, reveals the presence of
tains four invisible stalkers trapped inside an invis-
such a creature bound within the shield.
ible, dome-shaped wall of force rising from the floor. If an identify spell is cast on the shield, or if it is
(Any items that Halaster removed from the mine carts brought within 10 feet of its sister shield in area 9b,
in level 15, area 1, lie on the floor inside the dome. The
the pit fiend is released. It appears within 5 feet of the
dome appears to contain nothing else.)
shield's bearer or in the nearest unoccupied space. The
The dotted circle on map 23 marks the edge of the freed pit fiend attacks any other creatures it can see, tar-
dome, which was created by a wall of force spell made geting celestials above all others.
permanent by Halaster. The dome can't be dispelled by While trapped in the shield, the pit fiend can commu-
dispel magic, but a disintegrate spell destroys it, freeing nicate telepathically with the shield's wielder. It pretends
the invisible stalkers within. to be a sentient magic item that is unwilling to disclose
The invisible stalkers attack any creature other than its secrets, trying to goad the characters into casting
Halaster that enters the dome using magic (such as a di- identify on it. If that tactic doesn't work, the pit fiend
mension door or misty step spell). They also attack if the tries to talk the shield's wielder into undertaking a quest
dome is destroyed. The stalkers like to gang up on one to find its sister shield. The pit fiend suspects that the
opponent at a time. other shield is nearby, but does not know its location.
6. WIZARDLY WARDS 6c. COMPONENTSSTOREROOM
This room contains wooden trestle tables laden with
A trapped hall (area 6a) guards two of Halaster's vaults material components for spells, including linen-wrapped
(areas 6b and 6c).
slabs of butter, casks of licorice root shavings, bottles of
snake tongues, a terrarium filled with glowworms, and
6A. LIGHTNING PILLARS
wax-sealed jars of rotting eggs.
This two-chambered hall has a 20-foot-high ceiling
supported by ten copper-plated pillars of iron. The pil-
7. ThLEPORTATION PILLARS
lars generate arcs of magic lightning, as well as bolts
that leap from one pillar to another. Creatures standing Eight black marble pillars form a circle in this 20-foot-
outside the hall are safe, as are creatures within the high room. Carved into each pillar is a symbol repre-
20-foot-square space marked on map 23. A creature that senting one of the eight schools of magic (Abjuration,
ends its turn in any other space in the hall is struck by Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation,
lightning from the nearest pillar and must make a DC Illusion, Necromancy, and Transmutation).
15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) lightning The first time a character enters the circle of pillars, a
damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a magic mouth spell activates on the floor and speaks the
successful one. following riddle in Common before vanishing:
A character who uses an action to study the pillars A crown festooned my dwarven brow.
and succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) I rest beneath the mountain now.
check notices a pattern in the lightning discharges and Who am I?
gains advantage on saving throws made against the pil-
lars. In addition, the character identifies the safe space The answer is "Melair," the dwarf king who is buried
in the middle of the hall. on level 6. The characters can use divination magic to
determine the correct answer if they can't work it out.
6B. ANGELIC SHIELD Speaking Melair's name aloud while standing in the
Mounted on the door to this chamber is a bronze room causes the symbols on the pillars to glow bright
knocker shaped like Halaster's mad visage, his beard colors. The symbols continue to glow for 1 minute.
entwined around the knocker's ring-shaped handle. A During that time, any creature that enters the area in-
tiny bronze plaque mounted below the knocker reads in side the pillars or starts its turn there is teleported to a
Common, "Knock first before entering." similar location in area 8, along with anything it is wear-
Using the knocker triggers a glyph of warding spell ing or carrying.
cast at 8th level. The glyph creates a 20-foot-radius
sphere of magical flame. Each creature in the area must 8. ThLEPORTATION PILLARS
make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw, taking 45 (10d8) Eight black marble pillars stand in a circle near the
fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage walls of this 20-foot-high room. A fist-sized yellow sap-
on a successful one. The tiny glyph can be found on the phire is embedded in each of the five easternmost pillars
backside of the knocker's handle with a successful DC at a height of 10 feet, such that all five gemstones face
22 Intelligence (Investigation) check. inward. Each of the remaining three pillars, in the west
side of the room, bears an empty indentation where a

LEVEL 23 I MAD WIZARD'S LAIR