Page 67 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

15. SLIPPERY SLOPE Chuul. Circling the island's perimeter is a chuul that
attacks anyone who sets foot on the island.
Stench. A rotting stench fills this 30-foot-high cavern. Petrified Otyugb. In the middle of the island, wearing
Slimy Corpses. The slime-coated floor slopes toward a crude net as a cloak, is a petrified otyugh that the
an underground river. Lying in the slime are the putrid
kuo-toa adopted as a god and named Bulba-Slopp.
corpses of three kuo-toa and four troglodytes.
Treasure has been piled around the statue's three
Aboleth Projection. As the characters make their way stumpy legs.
along the tunnel leading west, an aboleth crawls out
of the water and confronts them. This aboleth is a Before the kuo-toa arrived, this island was inhabited
magical projection created by Illuun to intimidate the by an otyugh. Halaster turned it to stone and lured kuo-
characters. toa to the grotto, knowing that the insane fish folk would
come to worship the petrified otyugh as a god. The
Illuun the aboleth can sense the characters' presence
kuo-toa named it Bulba-Slopp, and it served as their god
and creates a magical projection of itself to interact with
until the aboleth came on the scene. After Bulba-Slopp
them. The projection lasts for as long as the aboleth failed to protect the kuo-toa, the archpriest Noolgaloop
maintains concentration, as if concentrating on a spell. set out to craft a new god, and Bulba-Slopp was wor-
Although the projection is intangible, it looks, sounds,
shiped no more.
and moves like the aboleth.
Treasure. Piled around the petrified otyugh's feet are
Illuun can sense, speak, and use telepathy from the
3,300 cp, 670 sp, and 350 gp.
projection's position as if the aboleth were present at
The net draped over the otyugh is woven with worth-
that location. If the projection takes any damage, it dis- less shells and bones. Tied to the net are two trinkets
appears. The aboleth has had unpleasant dealings with (roll twice on the Trinkets table in chapter 5 of the Play-
adventurers in the past and maintains a healthy fear of
er's Handbook), a rusty gauntlet, a leather boot, and an
them. It uses the projection to warn characters that it
amulet made of composite wood and iron. The boot and
will not tolerate incursions into its domain and urges the amulet are both magical:
them to withdraw or face extermination. It suggests the
characters take the south passage to the river, then fol- • The boot is one of two boots of elven kind. A single
low the current down to Wyllowwood (level 5). It's happy boot is useless without its companion. The matching
to Jet them descend to lower levels of Undermountain, boot was swept downriver and eventually found by a
for it plans to conquer those levels eventually itself. goblin werebat named Vool (see level 5, area 17).
If the characters seem adamant about pressing deeper • The amulet controls the wandering shield guardian on
into the aboleth's lair, Illuun telepathically commands level 1 (see "Shield Guardian," page 14). A rune on
the eighteen troglodytes in area 24 to circle around be- the back of the amulet matches a similar rune on the
hind the characters (using the passage that enters area construct.
15 from the south) while it keeps the characters engaged
16B. LAKE OF THE ABOLETH
in conversation. At the same time, it calls the three
chuuls from area 16 to come at the characters from the Monsters. Illuun the aboleth and two chuuls lurk in
west, trapping them in the tunnel. As soon as the chuuls the water, which is dark, slimy, and fouled by the abo-
and the troglodytes arrive and begin their attack, the leth's presence.
aboleth projection disappears. Underwater Tunnel. A 10-foot-high, 20-foot-wide under-
water passage connects this cavern to area 16c.
16. GROTTO OF MADNESS
The aboleth and the chuuls prefer to fight underwater.
llluun the aboleth has turned this flooded cavern into In addition, the aboleth makes use of lair actions on this
a den. The cavern is also defended by three chuuls that level of the dungeon. Although the aboleth wants more
are under the aboleth's sway. slaves, preserving its own life is more important. If its
The water varies in depth from 20 to 50 feet, and the chuul bodyguards are killed, the aboleth telepathically
cavern's domed ceiling is 30 feet higher than the water's summons the two chuuls from area 17 as it withdraws
surface. The walls are coated with slime but have abun- to area 16c, where it makes its final stand.
dant handholds. A successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) The water in the northeastern half of the cave plunges
check is required to climb them. to a depth of 50 feet. As one travels toward the south-
west wall, the lake's depth shrinks to 20 feet.
16A. LOST ISLAND OF BULBA- SLOPP
Rising out of the water is a rocky island upon which the 16c. TREASURE TROVE
kuo-toa raised a shrine to their old god: An underwater passage leads to this 30-foot-high cave.
The water here is slimy and fouled by the aboleth's pres-
ence, and every surface of the cave is covered in slime.
A kuo-toa whip and two kuo-toa stand guard atop
a pebbled beach strewn with dead crabs, rotting fish,
and treasure. These kuo-toa have been magically
enslaved by the aboleth. While enslaved, the kuo-toa
remain in constant telepathic contact with the aboleth,
but they can't take reactions. Whenever an enslaved
kuo-toa takes damage, it can make a DC 14 Wisdom