Page 49 - ghosts-of-saltmarsh

THE CURSED LUCKSTON E Treasure. The table holds small stacks of gold coins
Do nothing to prevent the characters from being misled totaling 47 gp. Examining the table closely reveals a
regarding the stone carried by the alchemist in area 23, as concealed drawer that contains the spellbook the al-
well as the book and the golden objects found in his lab chemist used when he was alive. The book's contents
in area 24. include dancing lights, comprehend languages, Tenser's
In truth, there is no such thing as a philosopher's stone,
floating disk, and shatter. The chemical apparatus on the
although the characters might put two and two together bench is worth 20 gp.
and decide otherwise if they claim the stone from the
alchemist, see the unlikely golden objects, and also deci-
pher the book. THE CAVERNS
They might become excited at the idea of possessing an The passages and caverns beyond the secret door in the
actual philosopher's stone! Of course, once a character south wall of room 21 all decline perceptibly toward the
attunes to the stone, the sad truth is revealed. sea. The passage that runs north of areas 25 and 26 and
the interior of areas 27, 28, and 29 are well-lit by torches
24. LABORATORY set in crude brackets on the walls. Areas 25 and 26 are
dark. Area 30 is open to daylight. The walls are slimy
' and the floors are moist, though the smugglers have laid
The secret door opens toward you to reveal a clutter of matting in places to make them more easily passable.
broken glass and earthenware piled on the floor beyond. All these passages and caverns are natural, though
Three small copper pots lie amid the debris. there are signs of worked stone here and there; such evi-
l dence is found on the stairs leading from the secret door
and in places where narrow passages were widened.
As the party enters and sees the rest of the room, read: It is likely that the characters have dealt with mem-
bers of Sanbalet's gang before entering the caverns.
The following area descriptions assume that the smug-
l A bench runs down the west wall of what seems to be a
glers have responded (see ''Smugglers on Alert" in the
laboratory. On the bench are jars of powders and liquids "Background'' section), so that Sanbalet and a few of the
and several pieces of chemical apparatus. smugglers await the characters in area 27 and 28.
There is a table against the south wall, forming an lf the smugglers are caught off guard, most of them
L-shape with the bench. A book is open on the table. are scattered throughout the caverns. Be sure to place
them in a way that does not overwhelm the characters,
Also on the table is a candlestick, with a tiny stump of
but once combat begins in the caverns, it likely won't
unlit candle still in it, and a variety of other items that,
stop until the gang is entirely dealt with. Jf Sanbalet is
even in the dim light, shine with the warmth of pure gold. slain, consider having any remaining smugglers flee.
One of these objects looks like a human skull. The following locations are identified on map 2.2.
25. SLIMY CAVERN
Book. Before the alchemist died, he was reading the
book that lies open on the table. Its title is Ye Secret of
Ye Philosopher's Stone, no author acknowledged. The This uneven, naturally formed cavern is about twenty feet
book is worth 50 gp to the right buyer. in diameter.
I
Though it is written in Common, the book is too pro- •
found and recondite a work to be fully understood by
anyone other than the appropriate specialist, but a char- Two patches of green slime (see "Dungeon Hazards"
acter might be able to deduce the general subject matter. in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide) hang at a
Gaining that knowledge requires 8 hours of study and a point on the ceiling roughly halfway between the two
successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check. The book passage mouths. They drop on characters (or smug-
contains instructions for the creation of a "philosopher's glers) who pass below, landing with a distinctively
soggy slap.
stone," then describes how that object can be used to
convert base metal into gold.
26. NATURAL CAVERN
Golden Objects. The objects on the table are made of
pure gold-but were manufactured this way, nor magi- •
cally transformed. Although the characters might infer J This roughly circular, naturally formed cavern is about
that they are the results of successful experiments with
1 twenty-five feet in diameter.
the philosopher's stone. the truth is that the alchemist l
had them crafted to deceive a potential buyer into believ-
ing that the stone was real. The collection includes the If the smugglers are not yet aware of the characters'
following items: presence, three scouts are resting here while they await
instructions. There is nothing else of note in this area.
• A human skull (20 gp)
• An apple (5 gp)
• A rose (5 gp)
• A set of five small discs (balance weights, 5 gp each)

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