Page 110 - ghosts-of-saltmarsh

statue does not move until the undead have been turned A character who has a passive Perception score of 16
or have joined battle against the intruders. The statue or higher notices the secret door behind the strongbox.
then attacks the nearest trespasser. Like the undead, A character who searches the room carefully and who
the statue attacks until all intruders have been killed or makes a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check
driven from the complex. The statue does not pursue also finds the door.
any targets beyond area 11 and returns to its original False Treasure. The shining contents of the treasure
position once intruders have been dealt with. chests and urns are deceptive. They consist of noth-
ing more than gold-painted wooden coins, iron rings
13. FALSE T REASURE ROOM painted silver, and bits of colored glass.
The door leading to this room is trapped with a vial
of poisonous gas hidden above the door. A thin wire 14. TREASURE R OOM
connects it to the latch of the door. A character who has
a passive Perception score of 16 or higher notices the 1
wire. A character who is searching carefully and who This room is a large square whose ceiling is held up by
makes a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check two massive gray granite pillars. The walls, floor, and
also finds the trap. A character can disarm the trap ceiling are made of shiny black iron, and several bags,
by making a successful DC 12 Dexterity check using chests. and urns lie scattered about. You notice a shim-
thieves' tools.
mer in the air, like heat rising from a fire.
The trap triggers if a character opens the door. or if an
Suddenly, the shimmering passes between you and
attempt to disarm it fails. When the trap triggers, a vial
one of the pillars, and you see two humanoid forms
of poisonous gas falls to the floor and releases gas in
a 10-foot-by-10-foot area. Creatures caught in the gas's made of the same iron as the walls. l
area must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw,
taking 9 (2d8) poison damage on a fajled save or half as
The walls in this area are under the effects of a major
much on a successful one. Creatures that fail this saving image spell (cast at 6th level) and appear to be made of
throw are poisoned for 1 minute. solid iron.
When the party enters the room, read:
Two living iron statues (see appendix C) guard this
• area. They immediately attack anyone entering the room
Chests. urns. and a large strongbox stand in alcoves set l who is not a resident of the abbey.
uniformly along this chamber's walls. Some chests are The statues have been constructed purely as fighting
machines. Their heads are smooth, featureless iron
open, and you see jewelry and coins spilling out. Colored
balls. Their torsos are short and broad, and their legs
flashes of light sparkle with the promise of gems and
are thick and stumpy. The right forearm of each one is
jewels. In the center of the room is a green stone statue a razor-sharp sword blade, and the left arm ends in a
1 of a beautiful elf. j hammer head instead of a hand.
Treasure. If the characters overcome the statues and
search the bags, chests, and urns, they find 480 gp and
The statue is actually a vampiricjade statue (see ap-
1,200 sp. Another 1,000 gp in gems and jewelry can be
pendix C). lts face becomes a dreadful fanged mask found in the urns. A large chest in the northwest corner
when it attacks. If the characters attack the statue or contains five bolts of rare silk worth 100 gp each, two
touch a chest. an urn, or the strongbox, the statue at- potions of healing. a bag of holding, and a suit of Me-
tacks and pursues them ceaselessly until either it is dium mithral armor (your choice of type).
destroyed or the party is driven from the Winding Way.
It will not pursue beyond area 11. CONCLUSION
Trapped Strongbox.. The strongbox is locked and
trapped. A character who studies the chest carefully If the characters cannot reach the abbey and are forced
before trying to open it and who makes a successful DC to retreat, they receive nothing from the mariners' guild
16 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds the trap. A other than the return of deposits on borrowed equip-
character can disarm the trap by making a successful ment. If the characters clear or find a path through the
DC 12 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. A character Skull Dunes but do not remove the abbey's occupants,
who makes a successful DC 12 Dexterity check using they receive a 100 gp reward.
thieves' tools can open the strongbox, whether or not The characters are given the full reward if they clear
the trap is disarmed. a path through the Skull Dunes and kill, deport, or cap-
The trap triggers if it is not disarmed before the ture the abbey's survivors. Captured survivors are held
strongbox is opened or if an attempt to disarm it fails. by the mariners' guild until it has secured the island and
When the trap triggers, a poisoned needle fires out. A the construction of the lighthouse is well underway.
creature standing in front of the chest's locking mecha- Once the mariners take control of the island, it is
nism when the needle fires must make a DC 14 Dexter- unlikely that the cult that built the abbey tries to retake
ity saving throw or take 18 (4d8) poison damage. it. Doing that would require a much larger force than
The strongbox contains nothing but old rags, bits of they are capable of mustering at present. The cult will
metal. and a small piece of paper with the message: certainly not forget about the island or the charac-
"Dear thief: A lot of work for nothing, wasn't it?" ters, though.

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