TEXT:  
   
   
  
   
  2 
  TABLE OF CONTENTS 
  FOREWORD.................................................................. 3 
  L4: THE TWISTED CAVERNS................................. 4 
  Areas of Note .............................................................. 5 
  Epilogue .................................................................... 11 
  L5: WYLLOWWOOD ............................................... 12 
  Areas of Note ............................................................ 15 
  Epilogue ...................................................................  23 
  L6: THE LOST LEVEL ...........................................  24 
  Areas of Note ...........................................................  25 
  Epilogue ...................................................................  31 
  L7: MADDGOTH'S CASTLE .................................  32 
  Areas of Note ...........................................................  35 
  Salvaged Spellbooks ................................................  39 
  Epilogue ...................................................................  44 
  L8: SLITHERSWAMP ..............................................  45 
  Areas of Note ...........................................................  50 
  Epilogue ...................................................................  56 
  APPENDIX A: MAGIC ITEMS ..............................  57 
  APPENDIX B: NPCS & MONSTERS  .................  60 
   
   
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  3 
  FOREWORD 
  Dungeon of the Mad Mage is a tough nut to crack. Even 
  after digesting its twenty-three chapters, you're left 
  wanting, wondering. What, exactly, is this campaign's 
  story? What aims are there beyond gold or glory or 
  power—beyond just delving into the deeps? 
  The Dungeon of the Mad Mage Companion is aimed at 
  fleshing out what would be an otherwise skeletal module. 
  Through narration blocks, variants, and actual narrative, 
  the Companion should make running DotMM easier for 
  you and more satisfying for your players. No adventure is 
  perfect, but DotMM's lack of a narrative is glaring—hence 
  the founding reason for the Companion.  
   
  SHORTHAND 
  With even just five chapters per document, this 
  supplement is massive. The following shorthand must be 
  implemented to reduce the strain on your printer or the 
  scroll wheel of your poor, poor mouse: 
  DoTMM refers to this module, Dungeon of the Mad Mage.  
  LX refers to a level of Undermountain (e.g. "L1"). 
  Appx refers to an Appendix, either of the of the 
  Companion or Dungeon of the Mad Mage itself.  
  Ch. refers to a chapter. Intuitive, right? 
  HG refers to Halaster's Game, the overview chapter of 
  the Companion & DotMM.  
   
  STRUCTURE OF THE COMPANION 
  Each chapter of the Companion follows this structure: 
   
  PREAMBLE OR "RUNNING LEVEL X" 
  The Companion opens with notes on how to best run that 
  level of Undermountain. It always includes quick notes 
  for the DM but might also break down the story of that 
  level, outline its factions, detail additional loot you can 
  add, or criticize how that chapter was written, providing 
  you with alternative ideas to running it.  
  Halaster's Game. The Companion depicts the Mad 
  Mage as a deranged gameshow host whose program, 
  Dungeon of the Mad Mage, is broadcasted across the 
  multiverse. In specific chapters of the Companion, 
  however, this also includes wide-reaching variants that 
  you can utilize to flesh out or improve that level.  
   
  AREAS OF NOTE 
  The Companion fleshes out areas of a particular level that 
  need it. Sometimes this is simply a narration block to read 
  to your players. Sometimes it includes tactics used by 
  NPCs there or additional loot. Often it includes tips to 
  better run that area, even if it alters DotMM.  
  Special Events. Many levels have special events written 
  that can occur in a multitude of areas. These serve as 
  narrative devices to shake things up. Use them at your 
  own discretion.  
   
  EPILOGUE 
  The epilogue details any possible paths that might occur 
  after finishing a level, as well as reminding you of what 
  level the party should reach. 
  Send-Offs. Each chapter of the Companion is written 
  with a narration you can use to cap-off your session. 
  Every send-off includes one in which the Mad Mage 
  telepathically speaks to the adventurers and the audience. 
  These messages may include quips, a moral to the story, 
  warnings, jests, foreshadowing, or even an announcement 
  of the next dungeon level. 
   
  APPENDIX A: MAGIC ITEMS 
  Magic items—and sometimes mundane items—are 
  detailed in Appendix A. The location thereof is also 
  included. Some chapters of the Companion add additional 
  loot to the mix since Undermountain often seems 
  deprived of any useful items. Spell scrolls, however, 
  aren't ever described in Appendix A. 
   
  APPENDIX B: NPCS & MONSTERS 
  The statistics of the NPCs and monsters that inhabit a 
  level are provided for you in Appendix B. Additionally, 
  some chapters of the Companion include new or different 
  monsters you can add to the level; these statistics are also 
  provided for you.  
  Exceptions. Over 230 unique creatures are in Dungeon 
  of the Mad Mage. To avoid bloating these supplements, 
  CR 0 creatures such as cats aren't included. So too are 
  spellcasters with different spells prepared than their 
  original statblock, as well as creatures whose variants are 
  just too trivial to detail—such as a wood elf bandit who 
  merely gains an additional 5 feet of movement or the 
  additional hit points an enlarged mimic might have.  
  Additionally, the many petrified creatures of Level 2, 
  Area 26 are not included. 
   
  ROLEPLAYING THE MAD MAGE 
  As always, the Halaster Blackcloak has been rewritten as 
  a deranged gameshow host whose program, Dungeon of 
  the Mad Mage, is broadcasted across the multiverse. 
  Countless souls watch—apparently—as Halaster hurls 
  challenge after challenge at an adventuring party in 
  Undermountain, filming their every struggle and victory. 
  It's this insidious game that the player characters have 
  found themselves trapped in. 
  See Halaster's Game of the Companion for more details 
  on roleplaying the Mad Mage in this manner. 
   
   
   
  
   
  4 
  LEVEL IV: THE TWISTED CAVERNS 
  "See, this is the part of the story where I experimented with 
  religion. Namely, creating one. Alas, somewhere between 
  worship and ritual sacrifice, my disciples got it wrong. I said, 
  'love thy labors,' not 'thy neighbor.' And they welcomed that 
  new neighbor with open arms—right up until it shattered their 
  minds and made them slaves." – the Mad Mage on being a god 
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  • 
  The atmosphere you're looking to cultivate for the 
  Twisted Caverns is one of madness, desperation, and 
  hopelessness, using the themes of horror to hone this 
  level into a demented arcane in which foul things lurk 
  below the water and sweet nothings are whispered 
  into the characters' minds. 
  • 
  Per the rules of horror, the aboleth should be heard, 
  not seen, for as long as possible. Explaining it too 
  early destroys the suspense; it tears apart that cloud of 
  the unknown—and the unknown is what terrifies 
  men. None of the drow or kuo-toa know for certain 
  what Illuun is, for those that have actually seen it are 
  now slaves to its will. 
  • 
  Aboleths glean a creature's greatest desire when they 
  use their Probing Telepathy feature. Make sure to find 
  out well before running this chapter what those are for 
  the adventurers so Illuun can promise it to them.  
  • 
  Your players decide their path, but the optimal order 
  for the narrative is to steer them towards the drow first 
  in Area 12 who, in exchange for their lives, lead them 
  to Area 11 to parley with Melith Auvryndar. 
  Afterwards, the party ought to visit the kuo-toa (Areas 
  20 & 21), and finally the Grotto of Madness (A16) by 
  means of A17. 
  • 
  Rafts are found in A14; the party can use them to skip 
  this level for the next by sailing down the river. The 
  aboleth sends its forces to ambush the party. See 
  Special Events for more information.  
  • 
  Your adventurers will encounter their first navigable 
  Gate, which they can take to Level 2, Area 5. It’s 
  found at the Drow Outpost, Area 11. However, at 
  your discretion, the Mad Mage has shut it down so as 
  to strand the drow (see Halaster's Game below). 
   
  PREVIOUSLY ON DUNGEON OF THE MAD MAGE 
  In Chapter 3 of the DotMM Companion, a quaal's feather 
  token (swan) was handed out on the Sargauth Level, 
  allowing the adventurers to ply the river. Thwart it on this 
  level with the "Ambushed!" Special Event. 
  ILLUUN: THE LOVER IN THE DARK 
  So seldom do we get to play with aboleths that you need 
  to make the most of Illuun. Use it to its full potential. 
  Make this place hell. Make it a den of madness from 
  which the adventurers may never escape.  
  Variant. Illuun, as written in DotMM has a healthy fear 
  of adventurers and is fine with the adventurers passing 
  straight to Wyllowwood (Level 5) so long as they don't 
  cause any trouble to its plans. Yawn. Given the 
  roleplaying suggestion below, consider forcing the 
  adventurers into a conflict with the aboleth as it covets 
  them as trophies and disciples. If the adventurers try to 
  sail on by, it sends its slaves to apprehend the adventurers 
  (see Special Events in Areas of Note below). This 
  supplement is written with this new personality in mind. 
  Roleplaying Illuun. Illuun has been thwarted countless 
  times by mortals over the eons and has grown obsessed 
  with its own flawed concept of love. It's deluded itself into 
  equating tyranny to love; obedience to love; and worship 
  to love. It seeks to unite all creatures under its command 
  ("love") and, armed with that power, overthrow the gods 
  themselves one day.  
  Illuun has the following traits: 
  Ideal. "All will know my love. All will love me." 
  Bond. "Together we will be invincible." 
  Flaw. "No god may rival me." 
   
  WHISPERS FROM THE DARK 
  Illuun can whisper into the mind of any sentient creature 
  in the Twisted Caverns. Deliver these messages secretly 
  to your players, either through index cards or instant 
  messaging. A few examples are provided below. Most 
  whispers are heard while near the River of the Depths.  
  • "You… will be… mine." 
  • "Together… we will be invincible." 
  • "They'll all betray you in the end. But not I… Never, I." 
  • "I will be your sun, your stars. I will be your everything."  
  • "All will love me. One day. One day soon." 
  • "My love will wash over you, body and soul." 
  • "This place is His prison. I will free him. I will make it 
  mine. All will be mine." (Illuun is referring to Halaster 
  Blackcloak.)  
  • "I was old when the gods were young." 
  • "The end… is cold. Yours will be warm with love. My 
  love." 
   
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  Halaster takes a backseat on this level, for it's not the 
  adventurers playing his game for once, but the kuo-toa 
  and drow. The former have been rewritten as worshippers 
  of the Mad Mage; the latter are trapped in the Twisted 
  Caverns, for Halaster has shut off the arcane gate (see 
  A11) that the drow rely on to leave this wretched place.  
  
   
  5 
  THE KUO-TOA: SERVANTS OF HALNGALOON  
  The kuo-toa instead worship the Mad Mage, not a mere 
  petrified otyugh. However, they don't know his identity as 
  anything but "Halngaloon the Mad God." The tribe's 
  collective worship empowers Halaster, but the aboleth's 
  conquest has dealt quite a blow to both the kuo-toa's faith 
  and morale. The Mad Mage doesn't need nor care for the 
  extra power afforded by the tribe, but their worship 
  amuses him nonetheless. 
  Creation Myth. If asked of their god, the kuo-toa can 
  describe "the Ascension." Once but mundane fish 
  "Halngaloon" tore them from the River of the Depths and 
  imbued them with power, giving them the power to speak 
  and walk. Yes, that's right. During one particularly boring 
  period of his near-immortality, Halaster created this tribe 
  by reshaping them through wish spells.  
  Promised Salvation. The Mad Mage yet whispers to 
  Noogaloop, his most devoted disciple, promising the kuo-
  toa archpriest salvation for his people if they can 
  complete but one task: bring an effigy of the Mad God to 
  the Grotto of Madness and perform a ritual therein. The 
  ritual actually has no magic to it whatsoever; it's a 
  hilarious mundane dance that amuses Halaster and 
  involves the kuo-toa unknowingly debasing themselves 
  before a statue.   
  Changes to DotMM. Halaster's Game changes the 
  following details regarding the kuo-toa of this level: 
  • The petrified otyugh statue of A16 is instead a perfect 
  statue of Halaster, albeit with some strange deformities 
  that better represent Halngaloon, the Mad God. 
  • Noogaloop is instead creating an effigy of Halaster in 
  Area 21. The kuo-toa does not decide on a whim that an 
  adventurer's head must adorn the effigy. Instead, it 
  expects the adventurers to escort him and his warriors 
  to the Grotto of Madness. 
   
  HOUSE AUVRYNDAR: SICK, STRANDED, MAD 
  Our familiar heels have come 'round again: the drow of 
  House Auvryndar. They occupy an outpost, watching the 
  conflict between the kuo-toa and aboleth. Vlonwelv, the 
  matriarch of House Auvryndar, has sent a force to occupy 
  the upper reaches of Undermountain. Melith, daughter of 
  Vlonwelv, commands the drow on this level. 
  Sick. The drow could never have foreseen the aboleth's 
  arrival and far too many drank from the poisoned River of 
  the Depths. Countless elves have languished in their 
  newfound sickness; even more died to it.  
  Stranded. The drow had, at first, encountered few 
  losses and planned to attack the victor of the kuo-toa's 
  desperate war. Now, however, they find themselves 
  stranded while Illuun whispers from the dark. These 
  caverns have since become the drow's personal hell. 
  Halaster deactivated the arcane gate that brought the drow 
  here in the first place. 
  Mad. Without reinforcements, without a means of 
  escape, the drow have had no choice but to hunker down 
  and wait for salvation—all while supplies dwindle and the 
  aboleth whispers from the dark. In short, the elves are 
  going mad. They're desperate for anything or anyone that 
  can deliver them from this hell. 
  Changes to DotMM. Halaster's Game changes the 
  following details regarding the drow of this level: 
  • The arcane gate of A11 has been shut off by the Mad 
  Mage so as to strand the drow here. 
  • Magical communication fails to leave the Twisted 
  Caverns. Spells of sending and the like can only be 
  transmitted to creatures within Level 4.  
  • An exodus occurred, but ended in ruin. Dozens of drow 
  deserted the Auvryndar outpost but only made it to Area 
  1, the Fungus Forest, before succumbing to the 
  poisoned water or the aboleth's foul disease. Those that 
  survived have already fled to the Sargauth Level above 
  and were cut down by the hobgoblins.  
   
  AREAS OF NOTE 
  The following areas are of note: 
   
  THE RIVER OF THE DEPTHS 
  The river—the mythic River of the Depths—sings in the 
  darkness, sparsely lit by iridescent fungi. In the eerie 
  pallor you can make out dead fish that cloud the river and 
  a thin sheen of slime that coats every inch and stone of 
  this place. The current is too slow to pose a threat—and 
  yet some distant part of your mind shudders at the sight 
  of the water.  
  To get through this wretched place, all the adventurers 
  must do is follow the River of the Depths' current. It will 
  spirit them away to Level 5, Wyllowwood. While the 
  chapter assumes that the adventurers have no means of 
  rafting (and they can secure it by aiding the drow), your 
  players may already have something of the sort, say a 
  magical item like a quaal’s swan feather token, that 
  allows them to navigate the river.  
  Depth. Assume that a portion of the river is as deep as 
  it is wide. Areas adjacent to the river may be at water level 
  or tower above as ledges a few feet up.  
  Special Event. The aboleth's forces slither beneath the 
  waters and can ambush creatures plying the river. See 
  Ambushed! in Special Events below.  
   
  1. FUNGUS FOREST 
  There’s but one way to go and its forward. The passage 
  spirals down into the bowels of the earth, terminating at a 
  forest of fungi. Zurkhwood mushrooms tower over mossy 
  paths that meander through patches of trillimac fungi. A 
  river’s song roars in the distance, echoing throughout the 
  caverns.  
   
   
  
   
  6 
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  The first area of the Twisted Caverns must be wholly 
  committed to suspense. Thus, add the following:  
  Drow Corpses. Dead elves litter the forest, most 
  clutching at their bellies or drowned in both bile and 
  blood. A foul stench clings to their corpses. No wounds 
  can be found. Before the elves knew of the aboleth, many 
  drank from the River of the Depths and were poisoned by 
  its influence. Others succumbed to the aboleth’s foul 
  touch: their skin is translucent and slimy and corroded. 
  These elves literally dried to death, for without moisture 
  their skin could only burn. See the “Tentacle” action in 
  the aboleth statblock for details on this foul disease.  
  Read the following as the adventurers explore more of 
  the Fungus Forest: 
  The forest is littered with dead elves, all drow, all 
  clutching at their bellies or drowned in a soup of bile and 
  blood. Those that did not succumb to this… this sickness 
  instead fell to something far worse. Their flesh, you see, 
  is translucent, slick with slime, and mottled with burn 
  marks. What a helluvah way to die.  
  Lone Survivor. One drow yet lives, but she's doomed to 
  succumb to the aboleth’s drying disease. Sarka's her name 
  and she sputters out, “It listens from the tide,” before 
  fatally convulsing. Only a heal spell or the like of 6th-
  level or higher can save the elf—and while she’ll show 
  her gratitude, once returned to her brethren in Area 11, 
  any loyalty she has to these outsiders dissolves.   
   
  2. JIBBER-JABBER  
  Sometimes true beauty is found only within. Jibber-
  Jabber is proof of that. While most ettins are foul-
  mannered, murderous giants, this one is what few folk 
  ever are: content. That being said, Jibber-Jabber has but 
  one desire and it's treasure to ogle. The ettin is friendly 
  and curious, as it rarely gets visitors. 
  Roleplaying the Ettin. Each of an ettin’s two heads has 
  its own personality and mind, so utilize that for Jibber-
  Jabber. Jibber is quiet and clever (for an ettin) and Jabber 
  is loud and gregarious. If you’re capable of accents or 
  voices, assign one to each head. 
  Special Event. Jibber-Jabber doesn't know what danger 
  lurks below the tide. After the adventurers leave, the ettin 
  approaches the river one too many times and Illuun 
  enslaves Jibber-Jabber. See the Special Event "Jabbering 
  Madness" below for more information. 
   
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  Dead drow are found here as well. Jibber-Jabber, ever 
  sympathetic, did his best to save the elves but was 
  powerless. Their deaths have reduced the giant into a 
  blubbering mess and, when the party arrives, he demands 
  their help, even though it’s too late to save the two 
  survivors who are in the grips of a fatal seizure.  
  Jibber-Jabber does not understand how or why they’re 
  dying but mentions the “many little people from the 
  river.” He suggests they speak to the Alchemist in Area 4.  
   
  3. DEATH FROM ABOVE  
  The passage is fanged with stalactites. As you crane your 
  neck to view them, a bit of water drips from above, 
  landing on your face. It's thick and cloudy and reeks like 
  a barracks—spittle. Not water, but spittle. The stones 
  rattle above as something squirms—a stalactite comes 
  crashing down and a single eye opens up on its side!  
  C'mon, you're gonna let only one piercer drop? You want 
  an action montage of the party rushing through a passage 
  that's crashing down upon them. Roll initiative for two 
  groups of piercers, four apiece so that one bad initiative 
  roll doesn't render all the piercers impotent.  
  Tactics. The piercers have already taken the Ready 
  action, preparing to use their Drop attack and continue do 
  so until a creature passes underneath.  
   
  4. THE ALCHEMIST 
  A stone block sits at the center of the cavern, stocked with 
  vials, bottles, alembics, distillers, and other alchemical 
  equipment. Out from a small, makeshift hut comes a 
  robed young man cradling wooden gourds that rattle 
  against his breast. His surprise breaks into a warm smile. 
  "Well, hello there!" 
  Players are quick to distrust those they meet, and nothing 
  is more suspicious than a friendly young man living 
  peacefully in Undermountain. Fortunately, these aren't the 
  first adventurers to happen across the Alchemist, and it's 
  more than equipped to quash their suspicions.  
  Hut. Halaster was kind enough to give the Slaad a hut 
  to reinforce the Alchemist's disguise. A detect magic spell 
  reveals that the entire hut reeks of conjuration magic, 
  since Halaster snatched the entire thing from a halfling 
  village a week's ride from Waterdeep. The hut is likewise 
  decorated in typical strongheart halfling taste; a halfling 
  character can identify it as such. The hut contains a 
  bedroll, a small stove, and cabinets stocked with 
  untouched rations. Mottled drapes cover the windows—
  and a smart character might wonder what use those are in 
  a subterranean cavern.  
  Lost in Translation. Slaad, only speak Slaad. To 
  communicate with other creatures, they rely on telepathy. 
  Alas, the Alchemist can't resort to that, lest its true nature 
  be known. Why else would it brew potions of 
  comprehension? It's heavily implied that not only is it 
  under the effects of one when visitors arrive, but it also 
  relies wholly on them to communicate with humanoids. 
   
   
  
   
  7 
  Thus, whenever the adventurers use slang or 
  colloquialisms, the Alchemist expresses confusion as 
  comprehend languages only allows it to understand the 
  literal meanings of words it hears. If the party ever returns 
  unannounced to Area 4, it's possible the Slaad has not 
  drank one of these potions, trapping him in a precarious 
  situation.  
   
  11. DROW OUTPOST 
  The drow that inhabit this outpost had no idea what they'd 
  sign themselves up for. None, not even Melith or Thirza 
  know for certain what lurks beneath the water, but they 
  "hope like hell it isn't an aboleth."  
  Sick Drow. You can keep the number of forces 
  described in DotMM and add dozens of other drow, all too 
  sick to fight. Poisoned by the river or afflicted by Illuun's 
  touch, they rant and rave as death approaches. The drow 
  have some supplies to treat their sick, but Melith has 
  already written these soldiers off. On sweat-drenched 
  bedrolls the elves lie while the survivors watch with grim 
  resignation.  
  Halaster's Game. The Mad Mage has trapped the drow 
  here by shutting off the gate to Level 2. The surviving 
  drow are desperate to escape but are held in check by 
  Melith, who suspects "the Lover in the Dark" is waiting 
  for them to take to the water.  
   
  MELITH AUVRYNDAR 
  Melith commands an air of confidence and strides out to 
  meet the adventurers at the gate. Thirza is at her side, 
  clinging close enough to suggest the two's intimacy. The 
  other drow look to these two with a tangle of hope and 
  resentment.  
  Melith can mention any of the following: 
  • "Something lurks out there. Something that hungers not for 
  flesh but… obedience. Those of mine that have already 
  succumbed to its tyranny call it 'Illuun.' Even more called it, 
  'the Lover in the Dark.'  
  • "Listen to me, and listen to me well, adventurers: we're both 
  trapped here. You're a fool if you don't think that thing is 
  waiting out there for us, even now. Once you see its jaws or 
  feel its touch, that's it. You won't be dead, but you will be 
  done. So, if you want to escape this wretched place, we're 
  your only hope." 
  • "I've turned to Lolth, but my goddess demands independence. 
  That I prove myself worthy of her love. My sorceress here 
  has turned to our brethren, but the Mad Mage has silenced all 
  magical communication. I've turned to lore and found only 
  the barest hints on what this 'Lover' might be, and I hope like 
  hell it isn't an aboleth." 
   
  THIRZA: LOVER AND BETRAYER 
  Thirza is feared by all. She alone can whisper into 
  Melith's ear, thwarting those that would oppose her and 
  crushing those that try to usurp or surpass her. Though she 
  loves Melith, there's a darkness in the mage's heart, one 
  that her lover would never suspect.  
  Halaster's Game. Using this variant, Thirza is unable 
  to cast spells of sending. Thus, she cannot inform House 
  Auvryndar's matriarch, Vlonwelv, of the adventurers until 
  after the aboleth is defeated, after which the Mad Mage 
  grows bored and lifts the ban on the spell.  
  Ancient Lore. Thirza has spent more of her life 
  studying lore than deploying magic on a battlefield, but 
  even she cannot be certain what Illuun is. All signs point 
  toward an aboleth, but gods know that there are other 
  horrors from the depths, many unknown to both drow or 
  man. She can describe the aboleth in the following ways, 
  provided Melith orders her to. 
  • Aboleths are tentacled horrors of the depths that predate even 
  the gods arrival to this earth. They enslave other creatures' 
  minds with just a glance.  
  • The presence of an aboleth poisons natural bodies of water, 
  killing off fish and sickening those that drink from the tainted 
  sources.  
  • An aboleth's touch begets a foul disease that proves fatal if the 
  individual doesn't remain submerged in water.  
   
  11C. ARCH GATE TO LEVEL 2 
  The gate here leads back to Level 2, Area 5—just outside 
  the Goblin Bazaar. You'll need to refresh yourself on the 
  actions your players took while there and consider the 
  aftermath of the level. Consider the following: 
  • The Rustbone goblins are (or were) led by Yek, who was 
  transformed into a human by a magic circlet. Other 
  goblins may have asked the party to steal the circlet so 
  their beloved brother would return to his true form. 
  • Two Xanathar Guild outposts pock the Arcane 
  Chambers. If the Guild was crippled or eradicated, the 
  goblins have claimed the territory for their own. As 
  their territory expands, the goblins might lose sight of 
  their mercantilist focus and return to their warlike roots. 
  Or, a golden age has begun—your choice. 
  • A wererat gang is led by a drow agent of House 
  Auvryndar and Zhentarim named Rizzeryl. If the 
  Xanathar Guild was defeated, he may have seized 
  control of the Rustbone tribe. If the Guild was defeated 
  in Skullport, he plans to expand the Zhentarim's 
  influence therein.  
  Halaster's Game. The Mad Mage has no love for the 
  drow and has stranded them in this weeping hell by 
  shutting down the gate. Every time a character feeds a 
  gold coin into the keystone’s slot, the gate shudders and 
  produces Halaster’s voice. It says, “Undermountain 
  belongs to but one master. Pride goeth before the fall, elf. 
  And you’ve got a helluvah fall left to go.” 
  Once Illuun has been defeated, Halaster reactivates the 
  gate. There’s little point left to his game with it dead.  
  
   
  8 
  12. BAT CAVE 
  The two drow elite warriors stationed here apparently 
  welcome the opportunity to practice melee combat—why, 
  though, would they give up their advantage, especially 
  when outnumbered? 
  Your goal in this area is to provide a challenging 
  environment for combat: the bridge, the ledges, the 
  crevasse all blended together. Make it cinematic.  
  Drow Tactics. The drow wait for the adventurers to be 
  split across the zurkhwood bridge. Ryld is on a ledge 10 
  feet from the cavern floor; Llauzdrar is on one 30 feet up. 
  Once some adventurers start across the bridge, they fire.  
  Quaggoth Tactics. The noise is enough to draw the 
  attention of the eight quaggoths lurking below in the 
  crevasse who cling to the underbelly of the bridge and the 
  chasm's walls. They nimbly throw themselves across gaps 
  and through the air, strafing the adventurers (and 
  providing opportunity attacks against them). Rule of Cool 
  is prevalent here, as the quaggoths need no ability checks 
  to leap and hurl themselves—consider even bumping up 
  their jump distance to achieve this.  
  Falling. If a creature falls into the crevasse, they take 
  4d6 bludgeoning damage. Any remaining quaggoths 
  might leap down from above to maul that hapless hero.  
   
  13. ZURKWHOOD GROVE 
  What’s the point of throwing in awakened trees if they 
  can’t speak? At your discretion, allow them to speak 
  Gnomish. Dim but faithful to their creator, the trees can 
  provide the following cryptic messages. Perhaps, 
  however, they only treat with druids, rangers, and other 
  characters with a magical or exceptional bond to nature 
  itself—up to you.  
  • "The water has been fouled and the fish suffer under a dirge. 
  Our father has fled, his work unfinished. The End Times have 
  certainly come." 
  • "The gray dwarf came armed for murder, and so we gave it to 
  him." (This refers to the duergar lumberman that the 
  awakened trees murdered). 
  • "The Maiden calls us to Wyllowwood. Alas, we cannot reach 
  it… and she yet beckons." (The tree is referring to Wyllow, 
  the primary antagonist of Level 5). 
  • "A tyrant slithers below the surface, in the blackest depths of 
  the river. In its grotto it lies, coveting all." 
   
  15. SLIPPERY SLOPE 
  Illuun is aware of the adventurers and projects an image 
  of itself in an effort to intimidate them. However, keeping 
  with the "hear, don't see" rule of horror, it's suggested that 
  Illuun merely whisper to the adventurers rather than 
  project itself. Ultimately, there are three options at your 
  disposal, described below. These descriptions are written 
  to be in line with Illuun's "loving tyrant" personality.  
  Seen. The projection crawls out from the water and 
  confronts them. Read: 
  Water crashes upon the shore and out from the brine 
  crawls a three-eyed horror with flesh as pale as moonlight. 
  Its fanged maw seems to smile as a voice blooms in your 
  skulls: "Our love will be a beacon that rivals even the 
  brightest stars. Come. The grotto awaits. I await." 
  Glimpsed. The projection plays out so that the 
  adventurers only catch a glimpse of a tail as the aboleth 
  dives below the waves. Read: 
  Wet flesh slithers against stone—and as you cast your 
  eyes down the flooded tunnel to the west, you glimpse a 
  finned tail that dips below the waterline.  
  Heard. Illuun projects itself close enough so as to 
  telepathically whisper to the adventurers, gleaning their 
  greatest desires. It keeps the projection below the water, 
  hidden below the surface. Read: 
  The waters lap gently against the shore of a tunnel to the 
  west… and out from it drifts a whisper so sweet it makes 
  you shudder with a tangle of fear and need: 
  "Embrace me and live forever."  
   
  16. GROTTO OF MADNESS 
  The waters lap gently against some far-off shore at the 
  heart of this lightless grotto. All's quiet. All's still. Dread 
  chokes your heart while your mind shudders beneath 
  some looming shadow—a psychic presence you can't 
  shake, a gaze you can't escape. That velvet voice slithers 
  through your eyes to deep into your skull once again: 
  "We will be one." 
  The adventurers have come to Illuun's waiting arms at 
  long last, and together, with the aboleth's three chuuls, 
  Illuun shall usher in a new age, a golden age.  
  Halaster's Game. The otyugh statue on the island 
  instead depicts the Mad Mage perfectly. 
   
  TACTICS 
  You owe it to yourself and your players to make this fight 
  as vicious as possible. Hold nothing back.  
  Illuun's Tactics. A legendary creature, keep in mind the 
  following for the aboleth's tactics: 
  • Don't forget legendary and lair actions! 
  • Illuun and its minions prefer to fight in the water.  
  • Despite coveting the adventurers as its newest disciples, 
  Illuun is ready to kill those necessary and enslave any 
  survivors once they're weakened.  
  • Illuun attacks well before the adventurers reach the 
  island, knowing that once they're on land, it will be 
  disadvantaged.  
  • Illuun thwarts characters on land by using a lair action 
  to cause the tide to pull them into the lake. 
  • All the aboleth's attacks have a reach of 10 ft., forcing it 
  to come close to the water's surface and to beach itself 
  if the adventurers are on the heart of the island. Thus, 
  it's imperative that Illuun uses his Enslave ability early 
  to split the adventurers.  
  
   
  9 
  • If it seems that an enslaved creature is about to be freed 
  or killed, Illuun targets it with Psychic Drain legendary 
  action so as to regain hit points.  
  • With a +5 to Strength (Athletics), a reach of 10 ft., and 
  three Tentacle attacks, Illuun makes amble use of 
  grappling weak creatures and pulling them into the 
  water if its chuuls haven't already.  
  • Illuun wants a character to touch or attack it while in 
  melee range underwater, so as to infect them with its 
  Mucous Cloud feature. If infected, that character can 
  only breathe underwater—thus limiting them to Illuun's 
  home turf.  
  • Using a lair action, Illuun creates illusory boats or 
  islands that the adventurers might make for, only to find 
  out the hard way how wrong they were. Alas, those that 
  fall prey to phantasmal force always rationalize why 
  things didn't pan out… 
   
  Chuuls' Tactics. The chuuls are completely in sync with 
  their master's stratagem. Keep these in mind: 
  • The chuuls attack the weakest targets (already 
  determined by Illuun), hauling grappled characters into 
  the water and paralyzing them with a Tentacles attack.  
  • Invisible or hidden (if it has a magic item) characters 
  can't hide from a chuul, per its Sense Magic feature.  
  • The two chuuls from Area 17, if alive, reach the Grotto 
  of Madness on the third round of combat. 
   
  Additional Forces. If you find that your adventurers are 
  wiping the floor with Illuun and its chuuls, add 1d4 
  creatures randomly composed of drow, kuo-toa, or 
  trologdytes (all enslaved with a DC 14 Wisdom saving 
  throw on taking damage to break free).  
   
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  If you use the variant described in this supplement, 
  Noogaloop, the kuo-toa archpriest, a kuo-toa whip, and 
  three kuo-toa tag along with the adventurers as they 
  invade the Grotto of Madness. They're effectively 
  noncombatants, for their entire turns are consumed by 
  performing a ritual to regain their god's favor. Noogaloop 
  leads the three kuo-toa in the ritual while the whip stands 
  guard. Noogaloop must perform the ritual for three 
  consecutive rounds; if he becomes incapacitated, the 
  ritual is interrupted and must be started anew.  
  The Ritual. The ritual is completely mundane and 
  requires no magic at all, but Noogaloop adds his own flair 
  anyway. A character that observes the kuo-toa realize that 
  this dance is just an abasement: the fishfolk debase 
  themselves before their god with gestures that would 
  otherwise be mistaken as a jest. 
  Salvation. If Noogaloop successfully performs his 
  ritual, the Mad Mage's theme song plays: the kuo-toa has 
  "won" Halaster's Game. Read the following: 
   
   
  Music thunders throughout the cavern; Illuun's conscious, 
  a constant presence you can sense like a looming shadow, 
  shudders, dwindles. Halaster Blackcloak's voice booms:  
  "Well done! Well done, Noogaloop! My man, my star! 
  You've gone and won my game! Never shall your great 
  people forget your name, for paradise is theirs at last! 
  Your faith has been rewarded, your devotion rewarded, 
  your foolishness—rewarded!" 
  A wind ripples throughout the cavern, a violet tempest 
  that encircles the kuo-toa, spiriting them into the air. With 
  the crash of thunder, a rift materializes above: you catch 
  sight of some angelic grotto lit by a swollen moon. That 
  violet tempest hurls the kuo-toa through the rift and into 
  that watery paradise yonder—and just as quickly as it 
  came, the portal snaps shut and winks out of existence. 
  The music comes to a shuddering halt and the Mad Mage's 
  voice evaporates.  
  Halaster teleports Noogaloop and any other kuo-toa out 
  of the Grotto of Madness to a pocket dimension. If the 
  adventurers return to Area 20, they find all the kuo-toa 
  gone, also spirited away to that realm.  
   
  17. PICK AND CHUULS 
  Assuming the adventurers approach this area by raft or 
  boat and have a light source, read the following: 
  A thin film of slime on the surface gleams in your 
  lamplight as you make your way through the flooded 
  passage. Stalagmites jut out like fangs and a rusty miner's 
  pick lies buried in the wall, just above the water line.  
  The two chuuls lurking here have advantage on Dexterity 
  (Stealth) checks to remain undetected. When they attack, 
  read the following: 
  A whisper crawls up your spine and into your mind: 
  "They love me. So shall you." 
  The waters ripple, churn—and some foul crustacean 
  bursts from the depths, its pincers reaching out for prey 
  all while its tentacled maw clacks amusedly! 
   
  ILLUUN'S PROJECTION 
  Once the chuuls are slain, Illuun projects itself into the 
  passage. However, unlike in DotMM, Illuun, as the 
  archetypal loving tyrant, instead invites them further on 
  into its lair. Read the following: 
  Just as the last monster falls below the tide, the waters are 
  consumed by a viscous ichor. An eye gleams just above 
  the waterline, followed by two more as this thing rises 
  above the surface. Rows of fangs line its gaping maw and 
  its tentacles gently caress your vessel. Its voice blooms 
  deep within your skulls, a velvet whisper timed perfectly 
  with your heartbeat: 
  "Come. Deeper on, I await. We'll be together at last—
  and never will we part." 
   
   
  
   
  10 
  Having seen the adventurers, the aboleth gleans their 
  greatest desires and uses it to its advantage. This can take 
  the form of additional dialogue, visions implanted in a 
  character's mind, or a sudden urge or yearning that chips 
  away at the heart. Go nuts. 
   
  20. KUO-TOA REFUGE 
  The cavern reeks with sickness and shines with slime, that 
  ubiquitous slime coating every surface. Caltrops made of 
  sharpened bones litter the beachhead while the few kuo-
  toa fighters left sway like drunkards after a hard night. 
  There's a chorus here, a chuffing chorus. Fishfolk breathe 
  in ragged breaths, their gills swollen and red, languishing 
  on wooden pallets.  
  You can inflate the number of kuo-toa here (from thirty-
  two) to impress your players. Additional kuo-toa are too 
  sick to fight and are effectively noncombatants. 
   
  21. ARCHPRIEST'S CHAMBERS 
  Chanting echoes across the cave as a corpse-stench assails 
  your senses. Rotting in piles are the mutilated remains of 
  monsters: troglodytes, darkmantles, a bugbear, hook 
  horrors, and carrion crawlers swarming with maggots. At 
  the center of this morgue is a robed kuo-toa working on a 
  macabre effigy made of corpses.  
  Noogaloop, the kuo-toa archpriest, labors over his 
  effigy. He can explain any of the following to the 
  adventurers: 
  • The "tyrant of the deeps" came from upstream a few weeks 
  ago. It started out slow and cautious, only whispering to a few 
  kuo-toa and picking off lone stragglers. Once these few were 
  enslaved, it sent them to "proselytize [it's] heresy" to the tribe.  
  • After its initial messengers were imprisoned or banished, the 
  "tyrant" began to whisper directly to Noogaloop and other 
  prominent members of the tribe, promising its "love." Some 
  obliged. Some were kidnapped by its thralls and thrown into 
  its arms.  
  • The drow arrived three weeks ago. After an initial assault 
  against the kuo-toa, the "tyrant" arrived, ushering in an 
  unofficial armistice.  
  • Noogaloop's dreams are haunted by the tyrant. It can be 
  described as a three-eyed horror with moonlit flesh and 
  poisonous tentacles.  
   
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  The kuo-toa instead worship Halaster Blackcloak himself. 
  This "god" has told Noogaloop that, if an effigy of him is 
  brought to the Grotto of Madness, and a ritual is 
  performed, the Mad Mage will deliver the fishfolk from 
  this hell.  
  If you use this variant, the following changes have been 
  made to this area: 
  God Statue. The statue is made of zurkhwood planks 
  glued to a bugbear's spine with the limbs of a troglodyte. 
  A beard of moss hangs below the rusty lantern, in which 
  the Slaad control gem rattles.  
  Sacrifice. Unlike what's written in DotMM, the 
  archpriest doesn't seek to decapitate one of the 
  adventurers to replace the effigy's head. He instead fully 
  expects the adventurers to escort him to the Grotto of 
  Madness to perform the ritual.  
  Once the adventurers see the makeshift effigy, or the 
  archpriest explains the situation, the Mad Mage speaks 
  telepathically to the adventurers. Read: 
  That voice again. The voice of the Mad Mage, this time… 
  with a hint of embarrassment: 
  "See, this is the part of the story where I experimented 
  with religion. Namely, creating one. Alas, somewhere 
  between worship and ritual sacrifice, my disciples got it 
  wrong. I said, 'love thy labors,' not 'thy neighbor.' And 
  they welcomed that new neighbor with open arms—right 
  up until it shattered their minds and made them slaves." 
   
  22. HOOK HORROR HOMESTEAD 
  Claws scrape against stone and strange clicking noises 
  echo off the cavern's walls, blending together into some 
  eerie concert to which you're the only invitees. 
  While the seven hook horrors know better than to attack 
  large groups of individuals, if the party is wounded up the 
  beasts might abandon caution.  
   
  SPECIAL EVENTS 
  You can run any of these events for Level 4: 
   
  AMBUSHED! 
  From nowhere but the depths of your mind comes a 
  whisper: 
  "You would leave me? You would forsake my love?" 
  If your party prematurely attempts to leave—or whenever 
  they’re on the water—you can ambush them, ensuring the 
  destruction of their raft. While Illuun is written in DotMM 
  to prefer the adventurers leaving its domain, that wouldn't 
  be in line with the loving tyrant we've written it to be.  
  First come the aboleth’s whispers then its forces. 
  Inevitably a force of six enslaved kuo-toa, an enslaved 
  kuo-toa whip, and a chuul ambush the adventurers. They 
  make good use of their spears to punch through the 
  vessel's hull and their nets to haul characters into the 
  water. Every time an enslaved kuo-toa takes damage, it 
  makes a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw, breaking free from 
  Illuun's control on a success. They swim towards Area 20.  
  If their vessel is mundane, the creatures first breach the 
  hull. If the vessel is magic, the chuul snatches at its keel 
  with its pincer and smashes the vessel into a rock 
  outcropping, arresting its movement. Creatures aboard 
  must make a DC 14 Strength saving throw or fall into the 
  water. 
  Poisoned Waters. Characters that swallow the river 
  water must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw 
  or be poisoned for 10 minutes. This sudden illness is 
  followed by vomiting after six minutes. 
   
   
  
   
  11 
  JABBERING MADNESS 
  Jibber-Jabber roamed near the river one too many times 
  and has now paid for that mistake with its will—but only 
  Jabber's mind has been enslaved. Jibber, the timid head 
  that always took a backseat in sharing the same body, now 
  must witness Jabber's blooming madness. The ettin now 
  rampages through the Twisted Caverns, smashing or 
  capturing itinerant drow all while searching for the 
  adventurers—whom Illuun wants brought to the Grotto of 
  Madness. 
  When. This event occurs at least eight hours after the 
  adventurers first arrive to the Twisted Caverns. Should 
  they leave and return, it becomes inevitable. 
  Where. This event can occur in several areas. The most 
  cinematic area is Area 12, the Bat Cave—Jibber-Jabber 
  leaps across the crevasse and brings his morningstar down 
  on the closest creature.  
  Additional areas include his lair (A2); the Mad Wizard's 
  Retreat (A7) wherein he attempts to capture Darribeth 
  Meltimer the mage; and the Crossroads (A8).  
  Freeing Jibber-Jabber. Every time the ettin takes 
  damage, it can repeat a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw to 
  shake off the aboleth's chains. Otherwise a spell that 
  removes the charmed condition such as greater 
  restoration also frees Jibber-Jabber.  
   
  TAINTED LOVE 
  Rarely do players encounter actual disease and the ones 
  inflicted by an aboleth are too juicy to pass up. While the 
  adventurers are near or on the River of the Depths, Illuun 
  passes unseen in the dark waters below. It makes a few 
  tentacle attacks from below the surface. It aims not to kill 
  or maim, but only infect characters with its disease (see 
  "Tentacle" attack in its statblock), so negate any 
  bludgeoning damage on a hit. 
   
  EPILOGUE 
  Once the adventurers have cleared this level, they should 
  progress halfway to 9th-level.  
  Use the narration below to cap-off your final session in 
  the Twisted Caverns, before the adventurers descend to 
  Wyllowwood. Unlike in other "episodes" of Dungeon of 
  the Mad Mage, Halaster has no send-off for the 
  adventurers, for it was not them playing his game but the 
  kuo-toa instead. 
   
  THE STANDARD SEND-OFF 
  This send-off assumes Halaster's Game was run. 
  Despite all attempts to steel yourselves, the Mad Mage 
  has once again crept up to your shoulder and surprised 
  you with yet another twisted secret of his. To think those 
  fools would worship him. To think that he would abandon 
  them to such an insatiable tyrant. Did it amuse him? you 
  wonder. Had to. Of course, it had to. All of 
  Undermountain is a series of failed experiments made 
  only to entertain the Mad Mage. You're just the latest one. 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  12 
  LEVEL V: WYLLOWWOOD 
  "Walk lightly, my contestants—for Wyllowwood is not 
  part of my game but hers," – the Mad Mage 
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  • 
  This level is an exercise in restraint. The adventurers 
  will find themselves facing a druidess whose power 
  dwarfs theirs in a terrain that happily bends itself to 
  her will. They must navigate this Woodland Queen's 
  draconian laws or face her wrath. You as the DM 
  want them embroiled in this conflict, as it offers a 
  unique foe capable of unchecked guerrilla warfare, an 
  antagonist deluded by her own sense of "justice." 
  • 
  Wyllowwood is a narrative chapter, not an 
  exploratory or combat-oriented one. It's divided into 
  several acts, described below.  
  • 
  It's autumn when the party arrives. Day is darkening 
  into dusk and a full moon is due to rise.  
  • 
  Your adventurers are likely wounded from Level 4. 
  You want to steer them towards taking a long rest 
  once they reach Wyllowwood, but only after meeting 
  Wyllow, as many of the Special Events written in this 
  supplement should occur at night or while the 
  adventurers are resting. Steer them into waiting until 
  Act III: Omens by Second Light.  
  • 
  Tunnels on this level lead to Levels 6 & 7, and the 
  adventurers are free to use them. If you don't want 
  them skipping this level, force them to require 
  Wyllow's permission to leave, lest they incur her 
  wrath. See Act II under "A Web of Dread." 
  Alternatively, cause rocks to fall, blocking the way. 
  • 
  Three of Halaster's gates are on this level: one to 
  Level 2, one to Level 3, and one to Level 6. As for the 
  latter, the party is too low level to open.  
  • 
  There are cloakers in Area 4. They can speak in both 
  Deep Speech and Undercommon, so prepare some 
  dialogue if the party can speak either those two 
  languages or use what's provided in this supplement. 
   
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  As described in the previous edition of DotMM 
  Companion, the Mad Mage has been written in the spirit 
  of a deranged gameshow host.  
  On this level of Undermountain, however, Halaster 
  takes a backseat. At most, he appears only to share the 
  backstory of Wyllow—preferably as the adventurers are 
  resting at night. See Halaster's Visit in "Special Events" 
  under Areas of Note for more details.  
  WYLLOW: A HIDDEN EVIL 
  Wyllow is a fantastic villain for but one reason: no one 
  ever suspects druids being capable of evil. And make no 
  mistake: that elf has great evil in her. Her alignment may 
  officially be chaotic neutral, but hunting down 
  adventurers, promising genocide, and eradicating a cult 
  for the lowly mistake of hunting too many boars does not 
  make for a good-hearted person. Alas, Wyllow believes 
  herself to be just and right—and that's what makes her 
  evil, what makes facing her so daunting.   
   
  ROLEPLAYING WYLLOW 
  Wyllow is a creature of unparalleled kindness—for 
  wildlife. People, however, stoke the coals of her paranoia 
  and remind her of all she's lost. She nurses two fears: 
  growing attached to another person; and realizing that the 
  awakened sycophants she's surrounded herself with aren't 
  enough to satisfy.  
  On the Dragon. The party might be shocked to learn 
  that the druidess considers the dragon a valued member of 
  the forest. Wyllow demands that visitors show "Tearulai" 
  due respect and warns them from trying to steal its 
  treasure.  
  On the Werebats. Wyllow describes the werebat 
  goblins as insatiable vermin. They have no "natural" place 
  in her woods but were tolerated until recently. Gluttony 
  will prove to be their undoing, and though they banished 
  Vool, the most voracious of all werebats, Wyllow sees it 
  as only a matter of time when the werebats overfeed 
  again, especially when their young grow up. Wyllow now 
  wants them gone. Permanently.  
  On Her Crimes. That's the thing. Other than the death 
  of her late husband, Yinark, Wyllow sees none of her 
  deeds as wrong. Killing Crissann was a necessity, as his 
  mind had been bent by Halaster. Slaughtering the Cult of 
  Malar was justified, for they abused the forest's wildlife. 
  And the adventurers? They all had it coming. Wyllow 
  doesn't lie or cover up her deeds but instead owns them—
  with pride.  
  On Druids & Rangers. Despite her vow—sworn after 
  Crissann's death—to never let a mortal touch her heart 
  again, Wyllow still yearns for companionship. The 
  trouble, she rationalizes, was being with men of the blade 
  or the Arcane. If any of the adventurers are druids, 
  rangers, or even Nature clerics, she may seek them out as 
  a consort, offering them a place in her sanctum.  
  
   
  13 
  A WEB OF DREAD 
  Wyllow will not be met just once by the adventurers, nor 
  should her evil be immediately known.  
  So, how do we weave a web in which the party will find 
  themselves trapped? First, we play upon the stereotype of 
  a druid and the party's assumptions (druids are all peace-
  loving hippies, right?). Then we paint an innocent body 
  as a foe: the werebats. The goal is to push the party into 
  always siding with Wyllow, to never suspect her of evil, 
  to accuse others of whatever heinous crimes they find 
  evidence of.  
  Consider the entirety of Wyllowwood and this level's 
  story to be divided into the following acts: 
   
  I. ARRIVAL TO WYLLOWWOOD 
  The adventurers reach the splendor of Wyllowwood. The 
  shock of its beauty will be thawed soon enough when they 
  realize this isn't the idyllic wonderland it's painted as. 
  They first find Wyllow's sign in Area 2, then the discarded 
  objects in Area 5. This is necessary foreshadowing of 
  Wyllow's evil—but to foil it, Tearulai, the young green 
  dragon is seen soaring above the canopy to his platform 
  (Area 9).  
   
  II. AUDIENCE WITH THE WOODLAND QUEEN 
  The adventurers find themselves face-to-face with 
  Wyllow in any of the following ways: 
  • The party sights the tower (Area 6) and may press on 
  towards it. Or, a sparrow under the effect of an animal 
  messenger spell invites them to visit. Sky's the limit, 
  right? 
  • While traveling along the river or through the woods, 
  they find Wyllow bathing. Ever confident, she emerges 
  from the water to greet the party, inviting them to her 
  tower for a "more formal audience than this." She takes 
  her leave by shapeshifting into a raven and making for 
  Area 6.  
  • The adventurers come across a glade in the woods. 
  Napping at its center or in the boughs of a tree is 
  Wyllow. If woken, she smiles and greets the 
  adventurers, inviting them to her tower. She takes her 
  leave by shapeshifting into a raven.  
  Once the adventurers meet Wyllow at her tower, she 
  introduces herself and explains just how a forest has 
  thrived so deep underground. So long as the adventurers 
  don't harm the forest or its wildlife, she guarantees them 
  safe harbor.  
  Leaving Wyllowwood. While all those that enter 
  Wyllow's demesne can find peace and can peacefully 
  leave, this supplement has twisted that. Entering 
  Wyllowwood is easy; leaving requires the druidess's 
  permission, which she only grants if the adventurers wipe 
  out the werebat colony in Areas 12-16. Wyllow describes 
  them as parasites that have fed too gluttonously and as 
  "criminals" that disobey her laws. See Area 6A in Areas 
  of Note for dialogue and details on this quest.  
  All werebats, Wyllow insists must be put to the 
  sword—and little do the adventurers know now that that 
  includes the children too. If the adventurers refuse to cut 
  down the babes and return to her, they incur Wyllow's 
  wrath. See Wyllow's Hunt below. 
   
  III. OMENS AT SECOND LIGHT 
  After meeting with Wyllow and accepting her quest, the 
  remaining omens must be broadcasted to the adventurers. 
  They serve to sow doubt in the players' minds and to push 
  them into questioning Wyllow's morality—or side with 
  their preconceived notions on druids. See, every time 
  they're confronted by the evidence of Wyllow's dark 
  deeds, they should wonder: was it the druidess or the 
  dragon or some other outside force? Surely sweet little 
  Wyllow couldn't be capable of this. 
  The following omens are left to be seen: 
  Alcoves of the Dead. In Area 7 lie the skeletal remains 
  of sixty humans. Alas, no burn or weapon marks mar the 
  corpses, suggesting they died from something toxic. 
  Didn't the party already catch sight of a green dragon 
  nearby? 
  Malar's Haven. The abandoned complex (Areas 18-20) 
  once housed by the cult of Malar should force the 
  characters to wonder what tragedy befell them. After all, 
  all possessions lie untouched. It's as if the people never 
  knew what hit them.  
  Vool the Outcast. Having seen the visitors enter this 
  domain, the werebat pariah seeks them out. The most 
  optimal time is if the adventurers camp out for the night, 
  but the werebat is desperate enough to enter during the 
  daytime, shielding its sensitive eyes from the sunlight 
  above. See A Desperate Vool in Special Events under 
  Areas of Note below for details and dialogue on this 
  occurrence.  
   
  IV. VALDEMAR'S LAST-DITCH EFFORT 
  Sensing visitors to this realm, Valdemar, the young green 
  dragon, uses the last of its will to send secret messages to 
  the adventurers by reshaping twigs and leaves or by 
  leaving whispers on the wind. All say, "Free me. Please." 
  Pepper them in as you see fit.  
  Should they free Valdemar by pulling Tearulai from its 
  skull, the dragon promises its wrath if the party confronts 
  Wyllow. This is a lie—unless the battle overwhelmingly 
  turns in the party's favor. With Wyllow dead, the dragon 
  will rule this land. 
  If Wyllow learns that the adventurers have freed 
  Valdemar, she sets out to destroy them. 
   
  V. WYLLOW'S WRATH 
  At last, the climax of this level. The adventurers incur 
  Wyllow's wrath—or confront her over her many crimes—
  and must face a guerrilla fighter armed with the entirety 
  of the forest. See Wyllow's Hunt for the play-by-play of 
  how this turns out.  
   
  
   
  14 
  WYLLOW'S HUNT 
  When the adventurers incur Wyllow’s wrath, her “justice” 
  is swift and brutal. A sadist deluded by her own lies, this 
  predator hunts down the party in a myriad of ways. Facing 
  her is a lesson in guerrilla warfare, for this one-woman 
  army is a nightmare to behold. Never will they face her in 
  a stuffy room or enclosed environment and never will she 
  offer them a fair fight. 
  Wyllow stages a series of ambushes, mainly determined 
  by location or your own whimsy. The adventurers will 
  lack for an easy battle, for the druidess strikes surgically 
  from afar, armed with potent magic, loyal servants, and a 
  terrain she knows better than anyone. This confrontation 
  is not so much a battle but a desperate escape from the 
  druidess's wrath, punctuated by motes of fire and fanged 
  beasts.  
  Calendar Stone. When Wyllow begins her hunt, she 
  visits her tower (Area 6) and sets the Calendar Stone to 
  night (if any of the adventurers lack darkvision) and 
  winter to sap their energy, turning all of Wyllowwood into 
  an area of extreme cold. It will take a day or two for snow 
  to fall, but she doesn't need it to. She herself is immune to 
  the cold, anyway. 
  Extreme Cold. Every hour a creature exposed to the 
  cold must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw 
  or take one level of exhaustion. Creatures with resistance 
  or immunity to cold damage automatically succeed on the 
  saving throw, as do creatures wearing cold weather gear 
  (thick coats, gloves, and the like) and creatures naturally 
  adapted to cold climates. 
  Tactics. Wyllow is a seasoned veteran of a harsh world 
  and has defeated countless foes in her time. She's no 
  stranger to combat and abides by the tactics below. She 
  also has shapeshifting (with up to CR 6 elementals and 
  beasts) at her disposal and favors a few forms, the 
  statblocks of which have been provided in Appendix B.  
  • Before ever fighting, Wyllow casts foresight on herself 
  and collects the crystal bulb from Area 6G that 
  summons Halaster. If she has an hour to kill before 
  attacking the party, she also attunes to the hide armor 
  of lightning resistance in 6B. 
  • If near death, Wyllow plants the bulb that summons 
  Halaster Blackcloak, begging him to save her.  
  • Wyllow never fights fairly. She utilizes her darkened 
  demesne and sends her loyal beasts to fight in melee 
  range for her.  
  • Wyllow can cast spells while in her Wild Shape! 
  • Druids are masters of guerrilla warfare. Wyllow hits and 
  runs—constantly. If things turn south, she retreats, 
  knowing she will outlast and outsmart her foes.  
  • Armed with shapeshifting, Wyllow has three separate 
  pools of hit points—more than any boss would have.  
  • Wild Shape. In the form of an earth elemental, Wyllow 
  ambushes prey with the Earth Glide feature. 
  • Wild Shape. In the form of a giant eagle, Wyllow 
  swoops down and scoops up weak prey, then flies up to 
  100 feet where she then drops it.  
  • Wild Shape. In the form of a giant shark, Wyllow 
  attacks prey that are on the water, aiming to at first 
  destroy whatever vessel they have.  
  • Wild Shape. Wyllow, in the form of a white panther 
  (using the stats of an allosaurus), her displacer beast, 
  and a pack of blink dogs ambush prey.  
  • Wild Shape. If her prey flee or if she's cornered, Wyllow 
  assumes the form of a white stag (using the stats of a 
  triceratops but with a size of Large, not Huge).  
   
  AMBUSHES 
  Wyllow prefers to stage a series of ambushes against the 
  party, rather than face them in a single titanic fight. 
  Whenever an ambush turns south, Wyllow retreats only 
  to attack a few minutes later. 
  By Fire Be Purged! Wyllow entraps the adventurers 
  with a wall of fire spell, cast from 120 feet away: 50 feet 
  up in a tree, 100 feet away. Creatures that enter the ring 
  take no fire damage, and so, Wyllow sends four awakened 
  brown bears and an awakened elk through the wall to 
  attack the adventurers. On her second turn, she unleashes 
  a firestorm spell, choosing that local plant life is 
  unaffected. Future turns are spent casting produce flame 
  and maintaining concentration on wall of fire. 
  Ride of the Valkyries. While in the form of a giant 
  eagle, Wyllow is accompanied by eight giant bats. She 
  swoops down and attempts to grapple the weakest 
  character, then flies up to 100 feet up and drops her prey. 
  Just for added flavor, Halaster chooses this moment to 
  drown Wyllowwood under Ride of the Valkyries. Play the 
  song at your tabletop during this encounter.  
  She’s in the Trees! Using the tree stride spell, Wyllow 
  rains hell on the adventurers from afar while a pack of five 
  blink dogs strafe the party. Every round of combat, 
  Wyllow teleports to a new tree, appearing 50 feet up 
  amongst the boughs and branches and uses the produce 
  flame cantrip (dealing 4d8 fire damage on a hit).  
  The Trees Have Eyes—and Fists. The adventurers 
  enter a grove secretly composed of eight awakened 
  shrubs and three awakened trees which attack. Wyllow 
  appears, using her actions on a sunbeam spell, aiming to 
  capture as many of the adventurers as possible. 
   
   
   
  
   
  15 
  OTHER CONSIDERATIONS 
  Consider the following, as both phenomena can impact 
  your campaign: 
   
  WEREBAT LYCANTHROPY 
  If they face the werebat colony, one or more of the 
  adventurers may become cursed with lycanthropy. It is, 
  however, your game—just because a werebat lands a bite 
  doesn't mean a character has to or gets to roll to become 
  cursed. If you do call for it, do so sparingly as nothing 
  causes a game to jump the rails more than giving 
  immunity to nonsilvered, nonmagical attacks to a player 
  character. If, however, an adventurer is cursed, you can 
  play with it in several ways: 
  Wyllow's Wrath. Sour over their past behavior, Wyllow 
  will not tolerate any more lycanthropes in her domain. 
  She demands the cursed character submit to a cleansing 
  ritual in her tower or be banished from her demesne.  
  An Excuse for Bloodshed! Hey, if one character is 
  virtually immune to most attacks, that just means you can 
  amp up combat from here on out, right? Halaster 
  telepathically tells them, "Now that you're cursed, I have 
  no excuse to hold back. Enjoy!" You, as the DM, now 
  have carte blanche to add all sorts of baddies to future 
  encounters.  
  Halaster's Prank. Halaster can cause a ray of sunlight 
  to always shine above the lycanthrope, disadvantaging it 
  per the Sunlight Sensitivity trait.  
   
  TEARULAI: THE EMERALD BLADE 
  Your campaign might be drastically altered if the 
  adventurers take Tearulai, the sentient sword of sharpness 
  lodged in the green dragon's skull (see A9). Not only is it 
  an incredibly powerful weapon, it also has the will and 
  drive to return to the place of its creation—with its 
  wielder forced to come along for the ride. 
  If the adventurers claim this sword, you must be 
  prepared for the campaign to take a sudden detour as 
  Tearulai attempts to return to Myth Drannor by means of 
  its wielder—or just scrap that entirely. It would be far less 
  disruptive to your game to give Tearulai patience, but then 
  there's no danger or drawback to using the sword.  
  Assuming you keep this danger in play, if its wielder's 
  goals run counter to its own, Tearulai attempts to take 
  control of its wielder (subjecting it to a DC 17 Charisma 
  saving throw). On a failure, the wielder is charmed for 
  1d12 hours, during which Tearulai attempts to reach the 
  surface, using transport via plants to Myth Drannor. 
  Personality. Tearulai admires great beauty, music, fine 
  art, and poetry. Vain, the weapon strives to improve its 
  appearance. It craves gemstones and seeks out better ones 
  with which to adorn itself. Most of all, it longs to return 
  to the forests around Myth Drannor, where it was created.  
  AREAS OF NOTE 
  The following areas are of note: 
   
  1. THE RIVER OF THE DEPTHS 
  The River of the Depths twists below the mountain, 
  sometimes lit by iridescent fungi but more often cloaked 
  in darkness. The farther on you go, the quicker it grows 
  until the waters swell into rapids and its roar into thunder. 
   
  SKILL CHALLENGE.  
  If the party arrives to Wyllowwood by means of a boat, 
  you can kick off this level with a skill challenge. The river 
  hits nasty rough water before spilling out into this idyllic 
  wonderland. The party must navigate the rapids. 
  What's This Then? Skill challenges are a relic of 4th 
  Edition that recently made an unofficial comeback in 5E. 
  Rather than fight, players must navigate a danger through 
  their skills (making ability checks) Many prominent 
  figures in the D&D community, such as Matt Collville, 
  have discussed implementing skill challenges in 5E. 
  Check them out if you have further questions. 
  Rules. The party must succeed on four ability checks 
  before failing three. Once a character has used a specific 
  skill, they personally cannot use it again for the remainder 
  of the challenge. This is to spur creativity and not let the 
  rogue repeatedly use his +9 Acrobatics skill. Players 
  suggest skills to overcome obstacles, such as Perception 
  to sight the stalactites ahead before hitting them. At your 
  discretion, a player can only use a skill they're proficient 
  with, so as to lend importance to it.  
  Conducting the Challenge. The challenge is divided 
  into obstacles, described below. Roll initiative simply to 
  have an order for the players to go in. They don't need to 
  adhere to the order, but it does help critical thinking. On 
  their turn, each player suggests a skill or tool to overcome 
  an obstacle. Not coming up with a solution carries no 
  penalty, unless no one can, in which case the party 
  accumulates one failure—the price of indecision.  
  Failure. Failing an ability check merely means the 
  vessel takes damage. On the third failure, the vessel is 
  destroyed, and the characters are overcome by the rapids. 
  Eventually, they spill out into Wyllowwood after 
  suffering 4d8 bludgeoning damage. 
   
  SUGGESTED OBSTACLES.  
  The following obstacles have been written for you; 
  replace them as you see fit. The DCs of all ability checks 
  are left up to you, though they ought to be high 
  considering the party is 8th level.  
  1. Rough Water. The party encounters rough waters 
  that soon swell into rapids. Suggestions include vehicle 
  (water) checks or Survival to navigate the channel without 
  crashing into rocks.  
   
   
  
   
  16 
  2. Grimlocks! A band of grimlocks are spearing fish 
  along the river. Suggestions include Stealth to remain 
  undetected (as grimlocks are blind); Performance to 
  sound like a predator; Perception to detect them long 
  before they can; or Sleight of Hand to toss an object so as 
  to distract them. On a failure, the grimlocks hurl four 
  spears (+5 to hit, 1d6 + 3 piercing damage) at the 
  characters or their boat. 
  3. Breached! The hull is breached by stones below the 
  surface and water fills the vessel. With a successful 
  Sleight of Hand check, one could be quick enough to bail 
  water, while carpenter's tools could patch up the hole, 
  provided there's adequate material.  
  4. Stalactites! Stalactites hang from the ceiling and are 
  avoided—but where there are stalactites so too are there 
  stalagmites, likely under the water's surface. Characters 
  proficient in Nature or Survival are likely to know that, 
  and you can call a check for it, rather than the players 
  suggesting it.  
  5. Capsized! The river takes a sudden turn and the 
  vessel crashes into rocks—not enough to arrest their 
  movement but to overturn the boat. Suggestions include 
  Athletics to overpower the momentum or snatch a falling 
  comrade; or Insight to predict it.   
  6. Illusory Hydra. Halaster manifests an illusion of a 
  hydra, whose many heads rise up from the waters. The 
  beast opens its maws and acid boils up from its legion 
  throats—but true hydras don't spit acid, and a discerning 
  character can make an Arcana or Nature check to know 
  that; or an Investigation check to see through the Illusion 
  (DC 16). All these checks can be called for by you, rather 
  than be suggested by the players. If characters bail from 
  the boat or attack the hydra, they accumulate a failure—
  for it was all a ruse to distract them from a waterfall that 
  Halaster has cloaked and silenced under an illusion. A 
  waterfall that was otherwise easily navigable given time 
  and effort.  
   
  2. FOREST 
  The river spills out into a vast cavern—no, not a cavern 
  but a valley green with life: trees dyed in the autumnal 
  shades of yellow and orange, and brush as thick as a 
  vagrant's hair. You hear birds singing on the wind—yes, 
  that's right, actual wind.  
  You cast your eyes skyward, and lo' and behold there 
  shines the sun. The actual sun. A breeze kisses your 
  clammy skin and promises well-needed respite. Can this 
  be real?  
  As if it to answer your question, there on the pebbled 
  banks of the river stands a wooden sign upon which a 
  warning has been written in three languages: 
  BEHOLD WYLLOW'S WOOD. HARM NOT, LEST YE BE 
  HARM'D. 
  Once your players express their skepticism about this 
  place, on whether it's real, add this in for atmosphere: 
  Your surprise is immutable, the splendor of this place 
  titanic. Your very heart shudders. Is this paradise? A 
  pocket of paradise shelved between the oppressive 
  shadows of Undermountain? Surely it must be a trick. 
  Surely. And yet it still draws a tear to your eye to see even 
  a shadow of the world above you left behind.  
   
  2A. RIVERSIDE FOREST 
  The pebbled beaches rise from the River of the Depths to 
  towering pines and great oaks whose tangled canopies 
  block out the sun. Down the river, bears fish in the 
  shallows while the birds above sing together.  
  Green Dragon. While the adventurers are here, they 
  glimpse the dragon flying out from the west, until finally 
  settling on the platform of Area 9 to the south.  
   
  2B. ETTERCAP FOREST 
  Deeper through the woods you delve until all around you 
  are webs. Webs as thick as a mother's love. Webs 
  festooned with desiccated beasts cocooned in silk.  
  Fighting the giant spiders is a Catch-22, for Wyllow 
  "considers these creatures to be part of Wyllowwood's 
  natural ecosystem," as written in DotMM. It can be 
  assumed that that means killing even one provokes 
  Wyllow's wrath. It's up to you to enforce that, however.  
   
  2C. MOANING FOREST 
  Wind ripples through these woods, and on it rides an odd 
  sound. A moan. An incessant and eerie moan that drifts 
  far from the northwest. Curious and cautious, you 
  continue through the brush.  
  There it is again … But as you scan the woods, your 
  eyes fall west where a stone tower stands before the 
  setting sun. Stony boughs made to resemble branches 
  protrude from its walls and darkened figures hang from 
  these crumbling limbs like ornaments. Bats? Birds?  
   
  2D. OLD GRAVE 
  Thin rays of light penetrate this ancient grove. The trees 
  above are bearded with moss but those closer to the 
  ground are burned and long-since dead. Between them 
  lies a gravestone carved in the likeness of a rose. It reads: 
  "HERE 
  LIES 
  CRISSANN, 
  HUMAN 
  FRIEND 
  AND 
  COMPANION."  
  Your adventurers might find this place naturally or be led 
  by the will-o'-wisp that haunts this place. See Special 
  Events below for more details.  
  Roleplaying the Will-o'-Wisp. Remember that these 
  malevolent spirits are intelligent undead and speak the 
  languages they knew in life. This one, however, is 
  obsessed with revenge, not suffering. It has a shard of 
  Crissann's personality and is not one for lengthy 
  conversation. Rather than attack the party for refusing to 
  kill Wyllow, it's recommended that it instead turns 
  invisible and continues to rant and rave about how "the 
  elven witch" must be put down.  
   
  
   
  17 
  2E. WESTERN FOREST 
  The forest gives way to silence. Your feet crunch beneath 
  twigs and autumnal leaves. Amidst the brush you find an 
  elk carved from stone. Its hind leg is missing, and the 
  years have worn down much of its antlers, but other than 
  that, the detail is remarkable.  
  The basilisk lies buried nearby under mud and leaves, 
  with all but its eyes and snout uncovered and can only be 
  detected by characters with passive Perception scores of 
  20 or higher (although noticing its eyes leaves one 
  vulnerable to the Petrifying Gaze, as they might find). 
  The basilisk doesn't just jump out at the adventurers. In 
  fact, it never moves or betrays its location until harmed. It 
  just matches eyes with a character and uses its Petrifying 
  Gaze feature to force the character to roll a DC 12 
  Constitution saving throw. Do not tell your players 
  anything, just force the roll. On a failure, read: 
  Your body seizes, tightens. You try to flex your fingers 
  and find them stiff instead. You hear… a sort of crackling. 
  Your eyes dart down to your hands and with mounting 
  horror you realize your body is turning to stone.  
  Turning to the Queen. If a character falls prey to the 
  basilisk's petrification and the party lacks the greater 
  restoration spell, they can turn to Wyllow for aid. Alas, 
  this favor is anything but free and the druidess has the 
  party agree to wiping out the werebat colony in Areas 12-
  14 first before casting greater restoration on the petrified 
  character. As added insurance, she leaves a portion of the 
  character's body as stone, such as an arm or hand until 
  their "debt" is paid—to the tee.  
   
  AUDIENCE WITH THE WOODLAND QUEEN 
  While the adventurers are traveling through the woods, 
  they may come face-to-face with Wyllow. Choose either 
  of the two options written below. 
  Nymphic Meeting. The party finds Wyllow as she 
  bathes in a nearby spring. Once seen, she confidently 
  introduces herself and invites the party to her tower to the 
  west for "a more formal audience." Read the following: 
  As you comb through the woods you hear a seraphic voice 
  humming on the wind. You break through the brush and 
  find a spring dazzling under the sunlight. Bathing in its 
  waters is an elven maiden of such unimaginable beauty 
  you find yourself thinking it must be a glamour. The water 
  itself bends to her will, snaking up to wash the dirt from 
  her pale flesh and sweep through her raven-black hair.  
  A Brief Respite. The party finds Wyllow napping in an 
  idyllic glade. She invites them to her tower after a brief 
  introduction. Read the following: 
  The woods give way to a glade serenaded by two blue 
  jays. Their duet, however, falls short once you emerge 
  from the brush. The silence swells, interrupted only by the 
  snoring of a young elven lass laying amongst the branches 
  of a great oak. 
   
  3. GUARDHOUSES 
  On higher ground squat two stone guardhouses braided 
  with moss and vines. Marble walkways at least twenty 
  feet from the forest flower converge on this knoll, snaking 
  out in all cardinal directions. To where they go, you don't 
  yet know but clearly someone, or many someones, have 
  brought a shred of civilization to these strange woods.  
   
  3B. SOUTH GUARDHOUSE 
  Arch Gate to Level 2. Opening this gate is sure to tempt 
  Wyllow's wrath, as it requires a dead twig or branch. 
  Perhaps the druidess won't notice?  
  The gateway leads to Level 2, Area 12, a dwarven 
  smithy just outside the Goblin Bazaar. Refresh yourself 
  on the past antics of your players while they were there, 
  and consider the following: 
  • The Rustbone goblins are (or were) led by Yek, who was 
  transformed into a human by a magic circlet.  
  • Two Xanathar Guild outposts pock the Arcane 
  Chambers. If the Guild was crippled or eradicated, the 
  goblins have claimed the territory for their own. As 
  their territory expands, the goblins might lose sight of 
  their mercantilist focus and return to their warlike roots. 
  Or, a golden age has begun—your choice. 
  • A wererat gang is led by a drow agent of House 
  Auvryndar and Zhentarim named Rizzeryl. If the Guild 
  was defeated, he may have seized control of the goblins. 
  If the Guild was defeated in Skullport, he plans to 
  expand the Zhentarim's influence therein.  
   
  4. CLOAKER DEN 
  As written in DotMM, Wyllow may ask the party to 
  eradicate the cloakers that dwell here.  
  Cloakers, however, are intelligent creatures capable of 
  Deep Speech and Undercommon. Don't waste the 
  opportunity for these creatures to communicate with the 
  party if any characters are fluent in those languages. The 
  cloakers have rasping voices that undulate with moans 
  and can say any of the following, although some are lies: 
  • "We're but humble folk and refugees of war, eking out our 
  meager existence in these woods." 
  • "These lands are ours! Always, ours! The elf has slaughtered 
  our people and stolen our home. Not even our dead are 
  honored. She's cursed with madness and must be put down 
  for the good of these woods." 
  • "The elf has sold her body and soul to the dragon; she is but a 
  puppet of its will and wrath." 
  • "The goblins to the southeast clamor for aid, for respite, from 
  the druid's wrath." 
   
   
   
  
   
  18 
  5. INNER FOREST 
  You break from the brush and onto a glade, but there can 
  be no serenity found here. At the glade's center are piled 
  rusty weapons, burnt torch stubs, greasy glass bottles, 
  armor of all shades and material, and other paraphernalia 
  left behind by adventurers.  
  Your players will express suspicion and curiosity. Then 
  they'll ask you if they notice anything suspicious or 
  curious, as they're wont to do. That's why you tie the 
  druidic totems Wyllow's made to passive Perception—to 
  give your players a sense of achievement that they found 
  a "secret."  
  Read the following to the character with the highest 
  passive Perception score, no matter how low it is: 
  You scan the trees and find no danger—but amongst the 
  branches you notice them. Totems. Totems fashioned 
  from twigs, feathers, tattered cloth… and, crudely, always 
  crudely, they resemble dolls. You look about and find 
  dozens of them. Dozens, all peering at you with their 
  sightless eyes. 
   
  6. WYLLOW'S TOWER 
  Amidst the splendor of Wyllowwood stands this tower, 
  squat and stone and carved in the likeness of a tree. Its 
  twisted boughs reach from its walls for the sky and 
  massive bats hang from these limbs like holiday 
  ornaments. At the tower's base is a twelve-foot-high arch 
  framing stone double doors. A rope hangs by the door, 
  just begging to be tugged.   
  If the adventurers ring the bell, add: 
  A bell echoes across the tower, across the woods. After a 
  brief moment of uncertainty, the doors open. A tree whose 
  trunk is carved suspiciously in the likeness of the Mad 
  Mage greets you: "Ah, visitors! My fair lady will be 
  pleased to receive you. In! In, I beg ye, in!" 
   
  6A. WYLLOW'S THRONE ROOM 
  Stone pillars carved into trees frame an audience hall at 
  the heart of which sits a crystal throne. There she sits, an 
  elven maiden with emerald eyes and jet-black hair. At her 
  side is a tentacled panther, purring at her touch, one eye 
  closed in ecstasy, the other staring warily at you.  
  The elf smiles at you. Already you've seen the sun today 
  and not even it can compare to her smile. "Welcome to 
  my domain. You may call me Wyllow. Of Wyllow's 
  Woods. Harm not these lands, lest you too be harmed." 
  Unless the adventurers have already pissed her off, 
  Wyllow is kind and open to the adventurers, relaying any 
  information about her domain except Yinark and 
  Crissann's fates. She does not offer the party rest in her 
  tower 
  but 
  invites 
  them 
  to 
  enjoy 
  camping 
  in 
  Wyllowwood—and assures them that tonight's full moon 
  will be all the light they need.  
  The Rule of Law. Wyllow wastes no time outlining her 
  laws: logging, firestarting, killing an animal, or any 
  similar act of destruction will not be tolerated. She pats 
  her throne and insists that so long as she sits upon it, she'll 
  catch wind of their crimes (in truth, she has animal spies 
  that will watch the party).  
  Combat. If attacked, Halastree and Crissann cover 
  Wyllow's retreat. She wild shapes into a bird (or earth 
  elemental) and flees from the tower. She then readies for 
  her hunt (see Wyllow's Hunt above).  
  Crime and Punishment. Wyllow offers the adventurers 
  her permission to leave and the knowledge on how if they 
  complete a quest: slaughtering the werebat colony in 
  Areas 12-16. Read the following text: 
  The elf straightens. Her voice sharpens into a blade all its 
  own. "Vermin infest my demesne, threatening the delicate 
  balance of these woods. Goblins cursed with lycanthropy. 
  They wield the Curse of the Bat as a cudgel with which 
  they decide who amongst my children die. They've worn 
  out their welcome, and though it pains me to order this, 
  they must be put to the sword. All of them. Let none live 
  to spread their foul disease." 
  Wyllow provides directions to the werebat colony but not 
  the tunnels to Levels 6 or 7, nor Halaster's gates, until they 
  complete her quest. If the adventurers return and inform 
  her of their success, she relies on the crystal throne to help 
  determine if they're lying.  
   
  6I. ARCH GATE TO LEVEL 3 
  The gate here leads to Area 15B on Level 3. The cave they 
  arrive to deposits them in the no man's land between the 
  Legion of Azrok and House Auvryndar. Refresh yourself 
  on your party's history, particularly which side, if any, 
  emerged triumphant. If the Legion triumphed, their 
  victory is short-lived as Xanathar's mind flayer, Ulquess, 
  implants more intellect devourers in goblinoid skulls.  
   
  6J. OSSUARY 
  Bones line the walls of this ghastly chamber, some 
  gnawed, others scorched black, many yellowed with age, 
  but all sick testimonies to the druidess's crimes. To count 
  even all the skulls would take you the better part of the 
  hour. And never mind the elf's artful arrangements of the 
  bones.  
  Speaking with the Dead. A character that casts speak with 
  dead on a skull will be told in the plainest terms possible 
  that Wyllow fell upon them with all the mercy of a storm 
  at sea.   
   
   
   
  
   
  19 
  6K. CALENDAR STONE 
  A mechanism dominates this chamber. Two concentric 
  rings of stone are decorated with carven images. The 
  stone at the mechanism's heart is engraved with Wyllow's 
  smiling image as birds and beasts celebrate her presence. 
  The inner ring is carved with plants and animals all 
  weathering the change of seasons. The outer ring depicts 
  the sun at varying heights and the moon in all its phases.  
  Beneath the din, you can hear the mechanism at work. 
  The outer ring turns ever so slightly as day darkens into 
  night. A small arrowhead on the outer edge points to dusk, 
  a full moon, and autumn.  
  Clearly, manually changing the calendar stone's setting 
  would alert Wyllow. However, if this change is swiftly 
  corrected, it's sure to provoke nothing more than 
  admonishment, if the party has done nothing else to anger 
  the druidess.  
   
  7. ALCOVES OF THE DEAD 
  As you traipse through this woodland realm you cross an 
  alcove roughly-hewn into a cavern wall—and in the din 
  you catch sight of it, them. Your heart lurches. Skeletons. 
  All picked clean, all unceremoniously dumped into this 
  alcove and left to let the wind of this place wear bone into 
  dust—however long that might take.  
  The skeletons here are picked clean and so ancient that no 
  Medicine check can discern the cause of death, only an 
  absence of symptoms: no broken bones, save what 
  scavengers may have broken off; no burn marks, et cetera. 
  Speaking with the Dead. If a character casts speak with 
  dead on any of the corpses and ask what befell them, read 
  the following: 
  Bones begin to move beneath your gaze. Jaws test 
  themselves out, measuring themselves against their 
  ancient purpose and summarily decide one last act is in 
  order: 
  "The mist… Emerald. Ephemeral. The winds pounded 
  under the drake's wings. The sword sang and its chorus 
  was but one word: 'justice.' But what crimes were we 
  guilty of but devotion to our lord? Bildrath shot the boar. 
  That gods-damned boar. The boar that would spell our 
  doom. She wrought our doom. Ordered it. Forged it. 
  Brought it. Rejoiced in it." 
  The skeleton's eyeless sockets regards you, and for a 
  moment, you can see the ghost of its pupils, peering out 
  from its empty sockets. Its jaws flex one last time, and its 
  spectral voice whispers, "It's the right of the strong to cull 
  the weak. We were strong. Or so we thought."  
   
  8. UMBER HULK TUNNEL  
  A tunnel gapes before you, spiraling down into the depths 
  of the earth. You don't need to be a mason or a dwarf to 
  know that it was made fairly recently—and without a 
  steady hand or any craftsmanship whatsoever. No, a 
  creature made this tunnel, a hulking creature capable of 
  burrowing through earth and stone with ease. 
  Should the adventurers press on, they'll descend hundreds 
  of feet to Level 6, the Lost Level: a complex devoted to 
  the dwarven god Dumathoin, the Keeper of Secrets. 
  Duergar raiders have scoured the complex in search of 
  riches.  
  Retrieve Azrok's Dagger. The quest offered by 
  Lurkana, on Level 3, to retrieve her husband's magical 
  dagger can be completed on this level.  
   
  BLOCKING THE PATH 
  If you don't want your players skipping Level 5, you can 
  stymie their progress through one of three methods, 
  described below. 
  Egress Denied. Wyllow has placed a ward here that 
  triggers a cave-in or a sudden wall of thorns spell when a 
  creature approaches the tunnel without saying the 
  command word, which she only gives to those that earn 
  her permission to leave. Only by completing her quest 
  (see Act II) will she give it.  
  Rockfall. As the adventurers delve deeper, the tunnel 
  collapses. All characters must make a DC 10 Dexterity 
  saving throw or be pelted by debris for 3d10 bludgeoning 
  damage, or half as much on a success. The way forward 
  is conveniently buried. Armed with shovels, four 
  characters could clear the tunnel in twelve hours. Wyllow, 
  however, can use an action to clear it with a flick of a 
  wrist.  
  Umber Hulk. An umber hulk stumbles upon the party 
  in its eternal quest for food, bursting from the wall in a 
  shower of earth and dust. Creatures within 10 feet of the 
  blast must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or be 
  pelted by debris, dealing 2d6 bludgeoning damage. 
  Creatures within 5 feet must also make a DC 14 
  Constitution saving throw or be blinded by the sudden 
  dust until the end of their next turn. The ceiling groans 
  under the sudden destruction and collapses in two rounds, 
  conveniently blocking the path to forward. See "Rockfall" 
  above for more details.  
   
  9. DRAGON'S PLATFORM 
  Two marble walkways terminate at a stone platform upon 
  which a tower stands with a commanding view of the 
  river. The battlements are crumbling, and a dragon's 
  snores dominate the sour air.  
  Behind the platform spans a bridge across the River of 
  the Depths, leading to a yawning cave's mouth.  
   
   
   
  
   
  20 
  VALDEMAR'S LAST-DITCH EFFORT 
  You catch a whisper on the wind pleading, "Free me. Pull 
  the sword from my skull, for its evil cannot be contained 
  much longer…" 
  Whenever the dragon sleeps, Tearulai goes dormant—
  allowing a shadow of Valdemar to emerge and subtly 
  affect the world around it. When the adventurers approach 
  Area 9, they hear a whisper on the wind, pleading them to 
  remove Tearulai from its skull. The dragon is, of course, 
  lying when it describes the sword as a source of evil. 
  Freeing Valdemar. To pry Tearulai from Valdemar's 
  skull requires a DC 13 Strength check, using an action, 
  while the dragon is incapacitated. The characters only get 
  one chance to do it while the dragon is asleep, otherwise 
  Tearulai awakens and attacks. As in DotMM, Wyllow 
  comes to the dragon's aid, having heard its roar—
  however, it will take at least two minutes for her to arrive 
  from Area 6. By then Valdemar may be in control of itself 
  again. If so, when Wyllow arrives it unleashes its Poison 
  Breath on Wyllow. Shocked, the archdruid immediately 
  retreats and follows the events and tactics lain out in 
  "Wyllow's Hunt" at the start of this supplement.  
  Aftermath. The dragon is grateful to those that restore 
  its freedom and promises its wrath against Wyllow "when 
  the time comes." Truthfully, it intends to use the 
  adventurers to soften up the archdruid. If their fight goes 
  badly, Valdemar hangs back and bides its time. If the 
  adventurers win, with or without Valdemar's aid, the 
  drake turns on the adventurers, attacking while they're 
  weakened. It seeks not only to add their loot (and 
  Tearulai) to its hoard but to also claim Wyllowwood as its 
  lair.  
   
  10. MOSSY STONE BRIDGE 
  A rough-hewn tunnel gapes before you, promising only 
  darkness. You cast a glance to the sky above. Real or not, 
  you're loath to give up this sunlight so easily, to surrender 
  the breeze caressing your skin and the warmth of vibrant 
  life singing so vivaciously all around you.  
  The tunnel spirals deep down into the earth until arriving 
  at Level 7, Maddgoth's Castle. There the adventurers find 
  a family of stone giants tormented by amnesia and one 
  jackass of a faerie dragon.  
   
  BLOCKING THE PATH 
  If you don't want your players skipping Level 5, you can 
  stymie their progress through one of three methods 
  described in "Blocking the Path" of Area 8. 
   
  11. WE ALL FLOAT DOWN HERE 
  If any of your players have seen or read Stephen King's It, 
  you'll be loath to pass this opportunity up. Throw it at your 
  players just when they arrive to Wyllowwood, especially 
  if their vessel was destroyed in the Skill Challenge 
  described in Area 1. 
  The disguised mimic wastes no time in escaping with 
  its prey. Once one character boards it, the mimic untethers 
  itself, drifts 15 feet away, and sprouts a tangle of 
  pseudopods—and that's when you roll initiative. With its 
  False Appearance feature, the mimic inherently surprises 
  the entire party.  
  It Speaks. Mimics, by default, can't speak but this one 
  can, at your discretion. If so, it whispers to its prey, "We 
  all float down here. You'll float too." 
   
  14. WEREBAT BOSS 
  Precious little light touches this rank cave. A grotesque 
  creature hangs from the ceiling, using a knife to whittle 
  wood. The shavings fall like autumnal leaves. Its left eye 
  is milky with an untreated cataract and a shock of white 
  hair contrasts his piss-yellow fur. 
  Mobar is smitten with Wyllow and worries that merely 
  banishing Vool was not enough. To prove his love to her, 
  he wants the werebat killed and presented to her as a 
  trophy—an overture he himself will personally conduct, 
  if given Vool's body. Even if the adventurers agree to and 
  complete this task, Mobar doesn't act in good faith. He 
  tries to rob and strand them so as to take complete credit 
  for the kill.  
   
  16. WEREBAT CAVES 
  Like Areas 12-15, this area has been written with the 
  assumption Wyllow has given a quest to the party to 
  eradicate the werebats.  
   
  16B. WEREBATS IN GOBLIN FORM 
  This area serves as a contrast to Wyllow's murderous 
  desires: the werebat raconteur spins a tale of triumphant 
  negotiations with the archdruid, none the wiser that she's 
  sent the adventurers to kill them all. 
  When the party approaches, read the following: 
  The cave echoes under a storyteller's powerful voice. It's 
  bombastic, it's intriguing, it's honed to perfection, all to 
  the harsh tunes of Goblin.  
  If any characters can understand Goblin, go on ahead and 
  read the following: 
  The storyteller's moving voice continues: 
  "And so, faced with destruction, we cast out that 
  glutton, the Fool-named-Vool. Hardly the first pariah to 
  be exiled for the greater good!" 
  The goblins in attendance echo, "The greater good." 
  "And with the Fool-named-Vool gone, peace has been 
  assured. The archdruid welcomes us again with open 
  arms, promises us sanctuary—and believe me, brothers, 
  sisters, this is sanctuary. This is as good as it'll get. The 
  dragon is tamed, the druid appeased, and all will be well 
  so long as our people continue to act in the greater good." 
  Once again, the goblins echo, "The greater good." 
  
   
  21 
  16C. WEREBAT NURSERY 
  The cave lies in dank quiet. Two goblins rest in a corner 
  under heaps of moldering blankets. By happenstance, a 
  stone finds the audacity to stand before your foot and 
  careens across the floor—and that's when the first goblin 
  babe begins to cry from under the blankets, sparking a 
  thunderous chorus as the other infants wake.  
  It was nap-time. The matrons here cradled the young 
  under their blankets and also fell asleep. They scream 
  with terror when they wake, if the adventurers seem 
  threatening (which, let's be honest, they likely will). 
  If Wyllow issued the quest to slaughter the werebats in 
  return for her permission to leave Wyllowwood, or the 
  knowledge how, then read: 
  With a shudder, you look about at the babes all while 
  Wyllow's words come back to haunt you: "They must be 
  put to the sword. All of them. Let none live to spread their 
  foul disease." 
   
  17. VOOL'S REFUGE 
  If the adventurers find themselves in Vool's Refuge, the 
  werebat takes the opportunity to try and turn the 
  adventurers to his cause: overthrowing Wyllow. 
  However, it's unlikely that the party actually ventures to 
  this secluded spot. It's more likely that Vool seeks them 
  out. See Special Events below for this occurrence and 
  borrow the dialogue and details written there if the party 
  instead comes to this area.  
   
  SPECIAL EVENTS 
  You can run any of the following events for this level of 
  Undermountain, preferably in this order: 
   
  A LIGHT BETWEEN THE TRESS 
  As described in Area 2D, the will-'o-wisp that is 
  Crissann's disembodied spirit attempts to lead the 
  adventurers to his grave. It's assumed that dusk has fallen, 
  and the adventurers have yet to strike up camp.  
  As day darkens into dusk, you catch a whisper on the 
  wind, but its message is lost. Alert now, you scan the tree 
  line—and flitting between the trees is a wisp of ivory 
  light. It seems to dance amongst the brush and that 
  wordless whisper once again hounds your ear, imploring 
  you to follow it. 
  The wisp leads the party to Area 2D. Run the area as 
  written in DotMM, with the exception of one detail: the 
  spirit doesn't attack them for refusing to destroy 
  Wyllow—these are hardly the first visitors to 
  Wyllowwood the spirit has turned to.  
   
  A DESPERATE VOOL 
  Vool, the werebat pariah, seeks out the adventurers and 
  warns them of Wyllow's "evil." This event preferably 
  occurs at night, but the werebat can also approach under 
  the cover of a thick canopy.  
  Vool knows he cannot return to his people so long as 
  the threat of Wyllow hangs over their heads. For his part, 
  he earnestly believes her to be a tyrant that must be 
  deposed. Never mind that his own people would feed 
  unchecked if given half the chance. Desperate to return to 
  the fold, and nursing fantasies of leadership, Vool turns to 
  the adventurers for aid. When he arrives, read the 
  following: 
  "Psst. Hey!" calls a voice in broken Common. You look 
  about and find nothing on the forest floor and search the 
  trees instead. Perched upon a branch is a grotesque, 
  goblin-esque creature with the wings of a bat and 
  needlelike fangs.  
  "You're fools to brave these woods," the creature tells 
  you. "Alas, so am I." 
  Once the party strikes up a rapport, Vool cuts to the chase. 
  Read the following: 
  Vool preens his wings and when he shows his teeth again, 
  they're messy with squashed grubs. 
  "The Woodland Queen is a tyrant," Vool tells you. "She 
  offers nothing but genocide for those that don't live 
  happily under her draconian laws—and my people cannot 
  survive much longer. We need the scarlet. We need blood. 
  My people are no gluttons, but she's condemned us 
  already. We cannot run and we cannot hide. We cannot 
  pick up and leave nor can we stand and fight. My people 
  need a hero. Many heroes. We need you." 
  If the adventurers refuse to overthrow Wyllow, Vool 
  takes his leave. If he senses that they need something 
  more than the satisfaction of saving a colony from 
  genocide, he offers the curse of lycanthropy as a reward 
  to one character—but without describing the insatiable 
  need to feed. If that's not enough, his last ditch effort is 
  offering a "magic boot" of his (one of the two boots of 
  elvenkind, without the pair of which is useless).  
   
   
   
  
   
  22 
  HALASTER'S VISIT 
  While the adventurers are resting, Halaster pays them a 
  visit to share the backstory of Wyllow and her late 
  husband Yinark. The most cinematic experience would be 
  at nighttime as the adventurers are camped out for the 
  night with only the faux stars above as light. When 
  Halaster's ready to spin his yarn, read: 
  "Gather round, fools, and listen to an old man's tale," says 
  the Mad Mage. With a wave of a hand, he conjures a 
  highbacked leather chair and a pipe full of tobacco. As he 
  reclines and gathers his thoughts, the pipe blazes. 
  "Wyllow… Sweet Wyllow. I tried to make her happy, 
  you know. Tried so very, very hard. All this. This entire 
  forest—my work. I willed the trees to grow, I birthed the 
  sun- and starlight that fills this domain, I stocked it with 
  birds and beasts galore, all to make my dear Wyllow 
  happy, for you see, there was a time when she wasn't.  
  "After her and Yinark, her husband—her late husband, 
  mind you—came to live and work with me two centuries 
  ago, Wyllow fell to blue clutches. After living her life in 
  the woods, Undermountain could feel like nothing more 
  than a prison. So, I shaped this place to her liking. And 
  she liked it for a time—but even this wasn't enough for 
  my dearest Wyllow. Her husband, that damned fool, 
  forbade her to return to the surface—forbade, can you 
  believe it? And she obeyed! 
  "Well, time sours all things and their marriage fell apart. 
  Soon violence was the only solution our dearest Wyllow 
  could grasp, like all prisoners. Alas, she was a druidess 
  and Yinark a wizard. Should've seen the destruction, 
  phew. Miles long. At the deepest crater lay Yinark's 
  shattered body, and at his side, his wife, her fury abated, 
  and her heart broken. She's remained here ever since, a 
  prisoner of her own guilt." 
  The Mad Mage shares the look of a bewildered father 
  that's tried everything but talk to his daughter. "I've tried 
  everything," he tells you, "but I'm afraid Wyllow's too far-
  gone. Walk lightly, my contestants—for Wyllowwood is 
  not part of my game but hers." 
  Halaster neglects to mention that Wyllow later fell in love 
  with a mercenary by the name of Crissann, whose mind 
  Halaster bent to turn him against Wyllow. He has the 
  barest recollection of the experience and avoids taking 
  responsibility for it whenever he can actually recall the 
  incident.  
  After spinning this yarn, Halaster winks out of existence 
  without any fanfare. One moment he's there in his chair, 
  another there's nothing but the barren chair. Given a few 
  days, the werebats pinch it. Thereafter it can be found in 
  Area 14.  
   
  MAD INTERVENTION 
  As noted in her tactics under "Wyllow's Hunt," the 
  archdruid collects the crystal bulb from Area 6G that, 
  when planted in soil, summons Halaster Blackcloak. She 
  resorts to this if she's at the brink of death with no possible 
  escape. Read the following: 
  Bloodied and desperate, the druidess pulls from her robes 
  a small crystalline bulb, leaving red smears across its 
  glass. A figure dances within the orb, animated by some 
  strange magic. With her free hand, the elf digs a small 
  hole in the ground and goes to plant the orb—it slips from 
  her hand! Wyllow cries out in panic—and the wind itself 
  twists to deliver the orb back to her! 
  "Halaster!" the elf screams as she scoops dirt over the 
  planted orb. "Halaster!" 
  The Deathblow. At your discretion, have the closest 
  character to Wyllow reroll their initiative in a contest with 
  Wyllow's. If they succeed, they can take one turn before 
  the druid plants the orb to summon the Mad Mage. If they 
  kill her, Halaster is never summoned.  
  If the character in question loses this initiative contest, 
  or fails to strike Wyllow down then and there, read the 
  following: 
  Before you can deliver that deathblow, time itself halts. 
  Your blood stops. A sparrow above is frozen in mid-
  flight. Only the orb moves. Only the orb maintains its 
  temporal autonomy as it spins and cracks and shatters—
  and the tiny figure that danced inside grows into a form 
  you're well acquainted with: the Mad Mage. 
  Halaster Blackcloak, arriving not in a storm of fire but 
  in a chill, throws his arms around the druid. You catch his 
  words just before a rift opens beneath his feet: 
  "Shh. Shh, it's all right. They can't hurt you anymore. 
  Halaster's here. Halaster will always be here." 
  The rift widens below the Mad Mage's feet, consuming 
  both the two. In a single flash, they're gone. Time thaws. 
  Only the shattered orb remains, a testament to your sanity. 
  Halaster teleports himself and Wyllow to his lair on Level 
  23 of Undermountain where she remains in critical 
  condition for a week. See Aftermath below for more 
  details.  
   
   
   
  
   
  23 
  EPILOGUE 
  Once the adventurers have cleared this level, they should 
  ascend to 9th-level. Beware: this is a major power spike 
  for spellcasters as they acquire 5th-level spells.  
  If the adventurers defeated Wyllow only for her to be 
  saved by Halaster (see Mad Intervention above) then then 
  you should award them the 8,400 experience they would 
  have earned had they killed her.  
   
  AFTERMATH 
  The aftermath of the adventures' conflict with Wyllow, if 
  they have one at all, depends on whether they felled the 
  archdruid, if she escaped, or if Halaster saved her.  
   
  WYLLOW SURVIVES 
  After saving Wyllow, the Mad Mage returns her to 
  Wyllowwood. Her pride bruised, and her fear stoked, she 
  readies herself for vengeance on the party if they ever 
  cross into her domain again. To avoid her, they'll have to 
  carefully navigate Halaster's gates.  
  While 
  she's 
  resting 
  in 
  Halaster's 
  Lair, 
  treat 
  Wyllowwood to the same fate detailed in "Aftermath" of 
  Level 5 of DotMM.  
   
  WYLLOW FALLS 
  If Wyllow falls, the spirit of Wyllowwood itself rushes to 
  save her corpse. Vines sprout immediately to protect her 
  body while a horde of awakened beasts and plants emerge 
  from the brush. They guard Wyllow's corpse at all costs. 
  After the elf's death, Wyllowwood suffers under the 
  events described in DotMM's "Aftermath" of Level 5. 
   
  TEARULAI ON THE MOVE 
  Finding Tearulai is the culmination of one of 
  Undermountain's secrets (see The Emerald Blade in 
  Appendix C, DotMM). If the adventurers take the sword 
  as their own, however, prepare for the campaign to take a 
  sharp turn. Either the sword is cowed into submission 
  (temporarily, always temporarily), or it seizes control of 
  its wielder and makes for the forests of Myth Drannor to 
  return whence it came.  
   
  THE SEND-OFF 
  You can cap-off your session with either of the two 
  narrations: one by you, or telepathically spoken by the 
  Mad Mage himself.  
   
  THE STANDARD SEND-OFF 
  Read the following to your players when they take their 
  leave of Wyllowwood: 
  With great disappointment, you turn once again from the 
  sun—faux as this one may be—to the blackened depths 
  of Undermountain. Certainly, you've learned that not all 
  that glitters is gold, and though life might thrive, it is no 
  less cruel than the darkest of dungeons. You only hope 
  that where next you go, light truly shines with all the 
  radiance and hope of a wintry dawn. 
   
  THE HOST'S SEND-OFF 
  Halaster telepathically communicates a message to the 
  adventurers. It assumes they learned of Wyllow's tragic 
  backstory. It can be adapted for whether the druid died, 
  escaped, or was rescued by Halaster (see Mad 
  Intervention in Special Events). 
  Read the following: 
  The Mad Mage's voice worms its way into your mind: 
  "'Never look a gift horse in the mouth,' they say. 
  Sometimes though… You ought to. I carved this place. 
  Grew every tree. Furnished these woods with river and 
  rock, beast and bird. I made this place for my dearest 
  Wyllow. But it was no gift. Only a prison. Do not pity her, 
  though, my contestants, do not indeed—for, truly, if the 
  druid wanted to leave, she would have found the will to 
  defy mine.  
  "But you? You have that will, that drive, that 
  foolishness. That's why she'll spend her life frolicking in 
  these gloomy woods and you'll rest amongst the graves of 
  failed champions. The worst, I promise you, has yet to 
  come." 
   
   
   
  
   
  24 
  LEVEL VI: THE LOST LEVEL 
  "I always felt this level lacked… Pizazz. But after a few 
  brief experiments in conjuration, I'm confident that this 
  arc of the season will impress,"  
        – the Mad Mage on the Lost Level 
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  • 
  To paint an otherwise dull and barren level as 
  something worthwhile, the themes of horror must be 
  invoked via Halaster's Game, described below. 
  • 
  This level is, well, humongous—and empty. Sixteen 
  of forty-eight rooms have no content whatsoever and 
  that's fine. Just don't let your game grind to a halt as 
  the players comb through each room. See Areas of 
  Note for a list of which rooms have actual content.  
  • 
  With dozens of paths they can take in this nonlinear-
  but-barren level, there's no way to anticipate the 
  players progression. Just know that the central story 
  revolves around Areas 15, 16, and 29. 
  • 
  Given how nonlinear this level is, you may be 
  tempted to screw with the map, at least in the 
  beginning—the mere possibility of the party taking a 
  right in Area 1, instead of a left, dramatically changes 
  their path, making it difficult for you to plan ahead.  
  • 
  To liven up this level, use the invisible stalkers to 
  your advantage (described in Halaster's Game 
  below). They can be hurled at your players no matter 
  the path they take or the content of the current room. 
  Establish this theme of horror early in the level by 
  attacking the players or having random duergar die in 
  the most gruesome fashion before their very eyes.  
  • 
  There is no central villain on this level. There's 
  actually no villain—unless you run Halaster's Game. 
  Thus, the Mad Mage himself indirectly antagonizes 
  the adventurers. 
  • 
  Cloakers are allied with duergar on this level. Don't 
  forget that they can speak Deep Speech and Under-
  common! 
  • 
  A whopping ten of the Mad Mage's gates are on this 
  level. The party is of a level to open four of them, 
  leading to Levels 2, 4, 3, and 5. Refresh yourself on 
  the party's antics while they rampaged through those 
  levels and consider the aftermath. 
  • 
  It's a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check to spot 
  hidden doors. This level has a lot! 
   
  PREVIOUSLY ON DUNGEON OF THE MAD MAGE 
  Keep in mind the following: 
  Retrieve Azrok's Dagger. The quest offered by Lurkana 
  of Azrok's Legion on Level 3 reaches its culmination here. 
  Skella Ironeye considers it her property by conquest—
  stolen fair and square—but she's more than willing to 
  trade it for the party's assistance in opening the Heart of 
  the Mountain.  
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  As always, the Mad Mage has been written as a deranged 
  gameshow host whose program is apparently broadcasted 
  across the multiverse.  
  On this level of Undermountain, Halaster has trapped 
  several contestants in a quest to open the "Heart of the 
  Mountain" (Area 16). To open it, however, requires the 
  hand of a dwarven king, living or dead. Thus, the 
  adventurers must find the true tomb of Melair, ancient 
  dwarven king of Undermountain. Hunted by invisible 
  stalkers, the duergar here are desperate to open the Heart. 
  It's this hunt the party find themselves embroiled in.  
  No Escape. All exits from this level have been sealed: 
  when characters approach, a steel gate materializes to 
  block their path. Only until they open the Heart will these 
  obstacles disappear. Halaster's arcane gates, however, 
  work normally.   
  The Impenetrable Dark. To screw with the duergar, 
  Halaster has lain a spell upon this level which nullifies the 
  darkvision of mortal humanoids. Monsters and constructs 
  such as the invisible stalkers and gray slaad are 
  unaffected. When in doubt, assume it only affects the 
  adventurers and the duergar. If none of the adventurers 
  have light sources, they find four lanterns with adequate 
  oil seemingly left for them by the Mad Mage—which he 
  has. The quartz pillars described in DotMM continue to 
  shed light.   
   
  INVISIBLE STALKERS.  
  These malicious entities summoned by Halaster have 
  been cutting down duergar left and right—unlike in 
  DotMM wherein they remain indefinitely in Area 47. 
  Rather than attacking indiscriminately, they each select a 
  specific target to hunt down. After a successful kill, the 
  stalkers retreat. A duergar might just simply drop dead 
  amidst its fellows, hurling the survivors in a mad dash to 
  escape an unseen threat, lest they be next. The dwarves, 
  in short, are terrified and desperately searching for 
  Melair's tomb so as to win the Game before it's too late. 
  You, My Darling. It's inevitable that the stalkers target 
  the adventurers. Use them at your discretion to constantly 
  hound the party. Although only two lurk on this level, you 
  can include as many as you want, but they only ever attack 
  one at a time and retreat when wounded. Combat should 
  be lightning-fast. 
  It Follows. Patient and sadistic, the stalkers walk after 
  prey; if the entire party spends its turns running away, 
  they can easily outrun the stalkers—but if they ever pause, 
  the stalker will catch up. When it first attacks a target, the 
  stalker whispers in Auran, "You, my darling." Don't 
  expect or stage a straight-up fight with the party; use hit-
  and-run tactics or just an unstoppable force that will 
  follow its prey. If you've ever seen the film It Follows, it 
  should be reminiscent of that.  
  
   
  25 
  DUERGAR 
  The raiders of Clan Ironeye came here to loot and pillage 
  but found themselves trapped instead and hunted down by 
  unseen entities capable of wanton slaughter. If the duergar 
  can find Melair's secret tomb and use the king's hand to 
  open the basalt doors to the Heart of the Mountain, 
  Halaster promised, they can leave alive this place alive. 
  So desperate they are to escape, they see the adventurers 
  as potential saviors, not adversaries.  
   
  ADVENTURERS 
  Once the adventurers arrive to Level 6, they too become 
  embroiled in Halaster's Game. Only by opening the basalt 
  doors to Area 15 will they be able to leave Halaster's 
  domain by foot. The gates scattered across this level are 
  still operable, but the Mad Mage seals the tunnels to 
  Levels 5 and 7 respectively with his magic, described in 
  Areas of Note below.  
   
  ADDITIONAL LOOT 
  The Lost Level is rich with artifacts, gemstones, and the 
  like—but not magic items. One has been added to Area 
  29F: a belt of dwarvenkind belonging to King Melair's 
  corpse—alas, Dumathoin, the dwarven god of secrets, is 
  sure to be angered by those with the audacity to steal it. 
  See Area 29F for details.  
   
  ON DWARF CHARACTERS 
  This level should have a special place in the heart of dwarf 
  characters. The exploits of King Melair are the stuff of 
  legends. Dwarves all across the Sword Coast were raised 
  on these fables, most of which have more than a grain of 
  truth in them. 
  Additionally, the Heart of the Mountain (Area 16) is an 
  excellent roleplay opportunity. Any dwarf attuned to the 
  Heart can cast the divination spell, and while the spell 
  only concerns the future, you can broaden it to include the 
  past. A dwarf character could finally learn the truth of his 
  brother's death, his father's infidelity, or any other great 
  mystery of their lives. If any the player characters are 
  dwarves, you'll want to refresh yourself on the character's 
  history, or encourage the player to expand on it.  
   
  AREAS OF NOTE 
  The following areas are of note: 
   
  AN ABUNDANCE OF EMPTINESS 
  With nearly fifty rooms to this level, you can't be expected 
  to remember which have actual content in them. Sixteen 
  rooms (a whopping third of the level) are empty or 
  otherwise uninteresting. Rooms of actual note are listed 
  below, their contents described. 
  AREAS OF ACTUAL CONTENT 
  Area Contents 
  Area Contents 
  1 
  Entrance to Level 6 
  26 Umber Hulks 
  5 
  Treasure (450 gp) 
  27 Gate to L4 
  7 
  Duergar, Cloaker 
  28 Story/Secret Door 
  8 
  Gate to L9 
  29 Story/Treasure/NPCs 
  9 
  Trap 
  31 Rest Area 
  10 Gate to L5 
  32 Gray Slaad 
  11 Story/Treasure 
  33 Undead Bulette 
  12 Duergar, Xorn 
  34 Gate to L8/NPCs 
  13 Treasure (spell scroll) 
  35 Halaster Regional Eff. 
  14 Secret Door 
  36 Gate to L3 
  15 Story/Duergar 
  37 Fire Elemental 
  16 Story/Gate to L10 
  39 Treasure (Jade Staff) 
  18 Helmed Horrors 
  40 Gate to L11 
  20 Treasure (600 gp) 
  41 Gray Slaad 
  22 Xorn 
  42 Trap 
  24 Gate to L2 
  43 Way to Level 7 
  25 Key to Area 10 
  47 Gate to L13 & 18/NPC 
   
  You, My Darling. So, how do we liven up these 
  otherwise empty rooms? We can't be expected to flesh out 
  every single one of them, nor do we want to. So, instead 
  we throw in the invisible stalkers described in Halaster's 
  Game. Your goal is to have the adventurers rush through 
  rooms as this malicious, invisible entity slowly chases 
  them down. As the party encounters other mortals, such 
  as duergar, the stalker pauses to cut them down. In short, 
  you want a frenzied, desperate montage. If you've seen the 
  film It Follows, it should be reminiscent of that.  
   
  THE PATHS AHEAD (IN SHORT) 
  This level is nonlinear and that exacerbates your ability to 
  plan ahead. We can divide the paths ahead from Area 1 
  into three separate routes. Ultimately, you want to steer 
  the party towards Area 15.  
  Right. Going right leads to Areas 22-29. 
  Left. Going left leads to Areas 4-10. This is the 
  preferred route if you use Halaster's Game.  
  Straight. Going through Area 2 leads directly to Area 
  15, putting them in contact with Skella Ironeye, perhaps a 
  bit too early.  
   
  1. UMBER HULK TUNNEL 
  The air is cloudy with darkness and dust. Beneath your 
  boots crunch rubble and debris left by whatever creature 
  dug this tunnel. For so very, very long all you hear is the 
  sound of your own footfalls until finally the tunnel evens 
  out and breaks through the smooth-stone walls of what 
  might be a tomb or stronghold.  
   
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  Using the variant described above, Halaster has used his 
  magic to nullify the darkvision of mortal humanoids (see 
  "The Impenetrable Dark"). He also seals the tunnel behind 
  the adventurers, pitting them in his insidious game.  
  
   
  26 
  The Impenetrable Dark. Once the party leaves the 
  tunnel, read the following. The script assumes characters 
  with darkvision are present, and it's aimed at them. Adjust 
  accordingly if, somehow in 5th Edition, the entire party 
  lacks darkvision.  
  The air here is stale… but clean. Something's amiss, 
  though. Something's strange. You blink about and find 
  nothing but darkness. An impenetrable darkness. Have… 
  Have you gone blind? With a start, you realize that your 
  eyes cannot pierce this night. You feel… naked. Like a 
  singer without their voice or a warrior without his arms. 
  Halaster's Game. Read the following when Halaster lays 
  out the terms of the game: 
  You look behind you—and without any noise or flash, 
  without any fanfare at all, now stands a steel gate in the 
  tunnel, tall and impenetrable. A voice slips in not through 
  your eyes but up your spine and into your brain: the 
  ragged voice of Halaster Blackcloak: 
  "Behold: the Lost Level. The tomb of Melair, king of 
  the ancient dwarves of this mountain. Never has his tomb 
  been found—and so, none have ever escaped this place 
  alive. See, I've always felt this level lacked… Pizazz. But 
  after a few brief experiments in conjuration, I'm confident 
  that this arc of the season will impress.  
  "At the heart of this place lies the Temple of 
  Dumathoin—and behind its black basalt doors, a place of 
  power. The Heart of the Mountain. Behold it and you may 
  leave this place. Fail and this too shall be your tomb.  
  "Ah… but opening the Heart is no easy task. And 
  beware: others lurk on this level. Others hunt for the tomb. 
  And others hunt the hunters." 
  The gate, they find, is impenetrable and impervious to 
  damage. Any time a character attacks a gate or attempts 
  to circumvent it, they take 1 point of psychic damage and 
  hear Halaster chiding them for cheating.  
   
  5. LOOTED RELIQUARY 
  The reliquary lies in ruin. Shadows teem amongst the 
  wreckage and the smell of blood is fresh on the air.  
   
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  Before the adventurers reach this room, they hear a crash 
  and a scream: a duergar has just been slain by an 
  invisible stalker in the most horrific way possible. When 
  they enter, read the following: 
  A dwarf lies dead amongst the wreckage: a duergar 
  wearing his torn-out esophagus as a bloody tie.  
  The invisible stalker reached deep inside the screaming 
  dwarf and pulled hard. It yet remains in the room and 
  makes no attempt to hide as it leaves; its amorphous shape 
  outlined by the disturbed dust.  
   
  7. LIBRARY & SCRIPTORIUM 
  Rarely do dwarves commit words to paper—and so now, 
  as you walk in upon this library, you cannot help but 
  gawk. To gaze. To wonder what secrets could lurk on 
  these countless shelves. So high do those shelves climb, 
  sliding iron ladders are necessary to reach them. Several 
  stand scattered about the room. And so do duergar. 
   
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  Assuming the adventurers approach from Area 8 to the 
  west, you can use this variant: the duergar here don't 
  attack the adventurers but try to help them. Loose an 
  invisible stalker behind the party and motivate them into 
  flight. When they approach this area, the duergar shout, 
  "Hurry! Hurry, before it cuts you down!" They then slam 
  the door shut, denying the invisible stalker entry—
  hopefully. How, after all, can they tell?  
  The duergar here are in a frenzied search for "the tomb 
  of King Melair." Going off a hunch that a secret 
  mechanism that unlocks the tomb is hidden behind the 
  scrolls on the shelves, they're wantonly sweeping off the 
  texts. They only recently arrived and have quite a bit of 
  area to sweep, considering the shelves are up to 15 feet 
  tall and require a ladder to reach.  
  The duergar hurriedly share any of the information 
  below as they desperately comb through the library in 
  search for this believed-mechanism.  
  • The Mad Mage has trapped them in "some infernal 
  game" and only if they find the lost tomb of King Melair 
  will the attacks from "the unseen stalkers" stop. Over a 
  dozen Ironeye duergar have been bludgeoned, 
  strangled, or eviscerated by these invisible entities.  
  • The Ironeye leader, Skella, can be found in the Temple 
  of Dumathoin (Area 15). They can provide directions. 
  Skella's a "woman of her word," they promise, and trust 
  her to offer the party peace.  
  • Melair was the king of the mythic Melairkyn dwarves of 
  Undermountain. They found great veins of mithral here 
  and carved out an entire kingdom—until the ancient 
  duergar (these duergars' probable ancestors) laid waste 
  to the kingdom.  
  • Relics and treasure of unimaginable worth can surely be 
  found in King Melair's tomb. 
  • While here earlier, a fifth duergar was bludgeoned to 
  death by an invisible stalker. His skull is caved in and 
  his brain matter is smeared across the floor.  
   
  10. ROYAL ARMORY 
  Dwarf-sized mannequins are awash in an ivory light 
  emitted by glowing quartz pillars. Battleaxes and war 
  picks, strangely without rust, are mounted on the walls… 
  and set into the back of a deep alcove is one of the Mad 
  Mage's infamous gates, engraved with the image of 
  dancing dwarves.  
   
  
   
  27 
  ARCH GATE TO LEVEL 5 
  This gate leads to Area 9 on Level 5, Wyllowwood. The 
  safety of using this gate relies heavily on the party's 
  history on Level 5, for not only does this gate open upon 
  the lair of the green dragon Valdemar (perhaps freed from 
  Tearulai's dominance), but Wyllow's realm is stocked 
  with spies. Whether the druidess is alive or dead, her 
  awakened beasts are sure to accost the adventurers out of 
  vengeance.  
   
  11. KING'S WALK 
  The following descriptions are written assuming the party 
  goes through Areas 11A-11E sequentially. To dwarven 
  characters, these chambers should hold great value—if 
  not for them, then for their people. 
   
  11A. TRAINING YEARS 
  Frescoes on the wall chronicle the birth of a dwarven lord. 
  Beside his crib are gathered weatherworn parents and 
  unimpressed visitors—but below the earth a divine figure 
  watches with great interest. As the years progress, the 
  dwarf enters into a great struggle: first as a brewer, then 
  as a metalsmith, and last as a stonecarver. 
  The Dwarvish reads, "The Birth of Melair. Neither Time 
  nor Gods can turn his glory into dust." 
   
  11B. PROSPECTING YEARS 
  The frescoes are here too as well to chronicle this mighty 
  dwarf's life. In one image he works to build a bridge over 
  raging waters. In another, he and a sun elf share tea and 
  mead together. Others show him prospecting for ore and 
  gems in the hills and hiding from rampaging orcs. The last 
  shows him locked in a deadly battle with a wyvern, his 
  war pick about to pierce the beast's skull. 
   
  11C. CORONATION 
  The frescoes here depict the same dwarf discovering veins 
  of mithral beneath the mountain—and in droves other 
  dwarves flock to these Underhalls to crown him king. 
  There in that hall they offered him gifts and honor. 
  The Dwarvish reads, "With mithral found, Melair called 
  for kith and kin to share this wealth, to come to these halls, 
  to Melairbode. They called him 'King' and he called them 
  'family.'" 
   
  11D. CRADLE AND CROWN 
  Here the frescoes show the dwarven lord with his lady 
  wife and children—and their children's children, all with 
  the blood of a king. 
  The Dwarvish reads, "Might they carry the torch with 
  pride, long after Great King Melair has become one with 
  the Mountain." 
   
  11E. LIFE IN UNDERMOUNTAIN 
  Alas now the frescoes depict what may not be glory but 
  regret. The dwarven lord seems to chase mithral through 
  the depths, obsessed and determined to purge all 
  infestations from Undermountain: drow, duergar, 
  beholders. His end, curiously enough, is not depicted. 
   
  15. TEMPLE OF DUMATHOIN 
  What this place is can only be described as a temple to the 
  gods—to one god, in particular. Quartz pillars shed their 
  queer, ivory light. Duergar lean against these pillars, 
  nursing their wounds while one dwarfess, notably tanner 
  than her brethren, paces about the room. Her Dwarvish 
  cussing floats out like sheet music.  
  The nave of this temple leads to a dais of golden marble. 
  Behind it stand black basalt doors, flanked by glowing 
  pillars of ivory light. Its lintel bears a bas-relief carving of 
  a mountain with a gem at its heart.  
  For all its beauty, death is still here. The stench of blood 
  and brain matter stains the very air… and you can make 
  out four corpses on the dais, beaten to bloody pulps.  
  It's been about two days since the Ironeye Raiders came 
  to this place, and it shows—many are shell-shocked and 
  broken. All are desperate. Well over a dozen of their dear 
  comrades have been murdered by those invisible entities.  
  Skella, for her part, feels emboldened, for during that 
  doomed foray towards the dais, she quickly read the 
  Dwarvish inscriptions upon the basalt doors. Armed with 
  the knowledge that she needs the hand of a dwarf king, 
  she's sent her agents scouring the Lost Level for King 
  Melair's tomb. She wastes no time enlisting the 
  adventurers in this search, promising peace and safe 
  passage until even after the Heart of the Mountain is 
  opened.  
  Roleplaying Skella. Other half-duergar may feel the 
  need to prove themselves to their kin, but not Skella. 
  While she's as dour as most, she does not hide her 
  obsession for artistry and beauty. Despite the onslaught 
  facing her men, she's done a remarkable job of holding 
  them, and herself, together. Being lawful, she's a woman 
  of her word and keeps up her end of all bargains.  
   
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  Shortly after the adventurers arrive to this area, an 
  invisible stalker murders a duergar. Read: 
  A dwarf's shriek pierces the quiet—but it's soon cut short 
  as its esophagus is ripped out through its mouth by an 
  invisible hand. The duergar takes two steps before falling 
  dead, vomiting up blood and entrails. His brethren swear, 
  cuss, scream, appeal to the gods. One dwarf, you notice, 
  even rocks in a fetal position, quietly crying to himself.  
  Fear. Fear does awful things to a man.  
   
   
   
  
   
  28 
  16. HEART OF THE MOUNTAIN 
  The basalt doors open upon a carved chamber veined with 
  glittering mithral. A tapestry depicting a dwarven 
  kingdom under a mountain hangs from the ceiling. This 
  very place is suffused with power, almost tangible to the 
  hand and sharp to the soul. Not oppression but... grandeur. 
   
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  Reaching this sacred place represents the crux of Skella's 
  desperate mission—but there's one last twist, imposed by 
  the Mad Mage. Read the following: 
  The Mad Mage's voice thunders across the temple, 
  shaking every stone: 
  "Secrets lost have been found again and here at the heart 
  of Undermountain, you have but one last trial. Attune to 
  the Heart, Ironeye. Attune and ask of your people's future 
  in this realm—my realm." 
  Skella instinctively knows she can cast divination in this 
  room; attunement, however, takes an hour, and during 
  that time, invisible stalkers and a gray slaad attack the 
  duergar, pitting the dwarves into a desperate last stand 
  until Skella can divine this answer.  
  The players can lend their strength to the last stand—
  this is especially preferable if none of the adventurers are 
  dwarves. If they don't and leave the area, then off-camera, 
  Skella succeeds but at the cost of nearly three quarters of 
  her men.  
  If the adventurers do stick around, then a total of three 
  waves assail these forces over the course of an hour: two 
  invisible stalkers at a time with a gray slaad at the rear 
  (using fireball and fear spells). The stalkers fight without 
  concern for their survival, but the slaad retreats whenever 
  it takes half its hit points. It relies on its Regeneration 
  feature to heal. In between waves, an invisible stalker 
  picks off a duergar here or there before vanishing.  
  The gray slaad is the one described in A32 and appears 
  in the form of the Mad Mage. If it was already slain, use 
  either of the two gray slaads from A36C.  
  A Vision of the Future. The question Skella asks upon 
  casting divination is, "What fate awaits my people?" What 
  Skella sees is up to you, but suggestions include: the 
  party's betrayal, forcing her to attack them; or incoming 
  destruction wrought upon the Ironeye demesne by the 
  Mad Mage as punishment for not killing the adventurers. 
  If the party has been exceptionally loyal or kind to her and 
  her men, and she made a deal with them, she warns them 
  to go now before she changes her mind. 
   
  17. HEMISPHERE OF HORRORS 
  The helmed horrors here understand Dwarvish but can't 
  speak—but let's just change that, shall we? When they 
  attack the party, one shouts in a hollow, ringing voice, 
  "You dare seek the secrets of Dumathoin? Then take 
  them!" in Dwarvish. Reward the player that recognizes 
  that reference with Inspiration.  
  27. ARCH GATE TO LEVEL 4 
  The adventurers may be loath to return to the Twisted 
  Caverns if Illuun, the aboleth, yet lives. This gate in 
  particular delivers travelers to the web-enshrouded Drider 
  Lair (Area 10) on Level 4. 
  Opening the Gate. Skella holds the elf figurine 
  necessary to open this gate and is loath to part with it—
  but will use it as leverage in a possible deal.  
  Aftermath. The Twisted Caverns may be in an even 
  worst predicament than when the party first arrived. If 
  Illuun emerged victorious, House Auvryndar is sure to 
  fall prey to its influence. Even if the kuo-toa emerged 
  victorious, they stand little chance against the drow 
  forces—and House Auvryndar's agents would crawl 
  across the caverns, accosting the adventurers. Any deals 
  made between them and the party back then are sure to be 
  null and void by now.  
  28. FALSE TOMB 
  The tomb is lit with the light of heaven itself—and filled 
  with the rusted trophies of conquered foes, all glaring in 
  the light emitted by those quiet, quartz pillars. Helms, 
  shields, armor fragments, weapons—all lie before a 
  shattered stone sarcophagus. 
   
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  When the party investigates the room, add: 
  You've done it. Hunted by unseen entities, you found the 
  tomb of Melair. The ancient king and lord of 
  Undermountain… Now what? 
  Halaster is strangely quiet when the adventurers arrive. 
  Shouldn't he announce some… culmination of his game? 
  His silence should confound the party. 
  Helmed Horrors. You can add two helmed horrors 
  that knit themselves together from the rusted arms and 
  armor on the floor. They hurl themselves at the 
  adventurers, dwarves or not, and shout in Dwarvish, "You 
  seek the secrets of King Melair? Then take them!" This is 
  the only thing they can say. 
   
  29. KING MELAIR'S LOST TOMB 
  Halaster's Game is nearly at an end, so long as the party 
  or duergar can brave Melair's tomb and commit 
  themselves to desecrating the corpse of a good king. 
   
  29D. GODS AND DEMONS 
  Four stone, imperious dwarves keep an eternal vigil over 
  this chamber. On the far side hangs a great tapestry 
  depicting King Melair, his war pick bloodied and 
  gleaming as he leads his men against a gargantuan purple 
  worm whose mandibles have torn the very stone to shreds. 
  Trapped Demons. The glabrezu makes telepathic contact 
  with the adventurers as they enter the room. It poses as 
  "Ghorn," one of King Melair's elite bodyguards who 
  volunteered to keep eternal vigil over this place. In the 
  eons since, Ghorn has come to regret his decision and 
  
   
  29 
  wishes to be free. He pleads with the party. Dwarven 
  characters know that "Ghorn" is a typical male shield 
  dwarf name.  
  True to its nature, the demon is sly and cunning. It can 
  mimic a dwarven accent and has a +7 to any Charisma 
  (Deception) checks it makes. It does not, however, know 
  anything but the basics of dwarven history. It can relate 
  superficial knowledge of the Melairkyn dwarves, but 
  outside that, knows nothing special that might convince 
  wary characters.  
  When the demon reaches out, read the following: 
  A voice slithers into your mind—and for once, it isn't the 
  Mad Mage of Undermountain. No, this voice is… weak. 
  Haggard. Desperate. 
  "Please," the voice pleads, "Our king is with the gods. 
  There is no need to watch over this tomb any longer. Our 
  spirits languish under the duty we swore to so long ago." 
  After being freed, the glabrezu casts dispel magic on the 
  tapestry, granting access to Areas 29E and 29F. While the 
  adventurers desecrate the tomb of Melair, the demon frees 
  its brethren from the statues. The sounds of shattering 
  stone can be easily heard, but the barlgura casts 
  invisibility on itself.  
  Tactics. On its very first turn, the glabrezu attempts to 
  free its brethren if they aren't free already: using its 
  Multiattack, it casts confusion on the party, and makes 
  two pincer attacks against nearby statues. If a single statue 
  takes 10 or more damage, it releases its occupant 
  demon—who should already have its initiative rolled. The 
  demons focus on remaining their brethren. If you need a 
  visual, imagine the barlgura leaping across the room to 
  smash a statue.  
   
  29F. TRUE TOMB 
  The DC to spot the secret door in Area 29E is 20, as 
  described in DotMM's "Undermountain Overview." The 
  adventurers are sure to find it. Once they do, read the 
  following: 
  Not in ivory light but blackness is this place painted. A 
  stone dais supports the dwarven lord's sarcophagus—a 
  perfectly cut slab of white marble, etched with silvered, 
  Dwarvish lettering. No treasure glitters here. No glory is 
  sung on fresco or tapestry. Just as his beginnings were 
  humble, so too it seems was Melair's end. Fitting.  
  Additional Loot. A belt of dwarvenkind has been added to 
  this location. It's clasped about King Melair's waist.  
  Dumathoin's Curse. Wresting the belt of dwarvenkind 
  from Melair's body incurs the enmity of Dumathoin, 
  dwarven god of secrets. Only characters with the blood of 
  Melair himself running through their veins avoids this 
  enmity. This character must make a DC 14 Charisma 
  saving throw or be cursed with the following flaw, "I can't 
  keep a secret, no matter how trivial or dire." A spell of 
  remove curse or the like rids the character of the flaw. 
  Every day at dawn, there is a 50% chance that the 
  character wearing the belt must repeat the saving throw or 
  be cursed again with the same flaw.  
  31. REST AREA 
  This chamber lies empty—and for once it feels that that's 
  an invitation, not a trap. 
   
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  Despite what's in DotMM, do not let this place be an area 
  of rest. If the adventurers try, an invisible stalker picks 
  one of them as its quarry and attacks, interrupting the rest. 
  If wounded, the stalker retreats to attack an hour later—
  repeat ad nauseum.  
   
  33. GHOHLBRORN'S GRAVE 
  Perhaps it's a printing error in DotMM, but the module 
  mentions, " Once all four exits are blocked by the statues, 
  the undead bulette erupts from the floor and attacks all 
  creatures in the room," without ever mentioning that the 
  statues move.  
  Assume that an enchantment on the room triggers when 
  the first half of the party enters the room, the statues 
  dissolve into mud and then instantly reform to block each 
  exit (with the eastern one appearing right behind Area 
  33B, the hidden spiked pit. That's when the undead 
  bulette attacks. 
  The statues have an AC of 15, 50 hit points, immunity 
  to poison and psychic damage and resistance to piercing 
  or slashing damage. The adventurers will have to bust 
  them down to get in or out of the chamber.  
   
  36C. ARCH GATE TO LEVEL 3 
  This gate is the most convenient means to complete the 
  Retrieve Azrok's Dagger quest as it deposits them right in 
  the heart of Azrok's Hold (Area 21P). Much may have 
  changed during the party's absence, so refresh yourself on 
  your party's history, particularly which side, if any, 
  emerged triumphant: the Legion of Azrok or House 
  Auvryndar. If the Legion triumphed, their victory is short-
  lived as Xanathar's mind flayer, Ulquess, implants more 
  intellect devourers in goblinoid skulls.  
   
  43. UMBER HULK TUNNELS 
  Peerless dwarven masonry has once again been smashed 
  into rubble. A roughhewn tunnel leads to darkness, 
  twisting down towards the bowels of the earth.  
  This tunnel leads down to Level 7, Maddgoth's Castle, 
  wherein the adventurers will find a family of stone giants 
  cursed with amnesia and tormented by one jackass of a 
  faerie dragon.  
   
   
  
   
  30 
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  Using this variant, Halaster has sealed off the tunnel 
  leading down to Level 7. Only after they find the tomb of 
  King Melair will they be able to progress. When the 
  adventurers approach, read the following: 
  Bricks and broken stone clutter this area. You find another 
  roughhewn tunnel of an identical nature to the one that 
  delivered you to this level of Undermountain originally… 
  And as you approach that yawning dark, reality shimmers. 
  A 
  sterling 
  steel 
  gate 
  materializes 
  before 
  you, 
  accompanied by the Mad Mage's grating voice: 
  "Indeed, the depths await you—but not yet. My game is 
  not yet won, fools." 
   
  47. HALLS OF THE FAITHFUL 
  As mentioned before in "Halaster's Game," the invisible 
  stalkers that were stationed here by the Mad Mage are 
  now hunting down mortals throughout the entire level. 
  They can still attack when the adventurers enter this 
  chamber, however.  
   
  SPECIAL EVENTS 
  You can run any of these events regardless of the current 
  location of the adventurers. It's preferable that It Follows 
  precedes A Single Glimpse so as to take advantage of 
  desperate characters.  
   
  IT FOLLOWS 
  As described countless times already, invisible stalkers 
  have been loosed as part of Halaster's Game. They can be 
  thrown at the party at any time or place. This special event 
  can occur multiple times. When in doubt, rely on this 
  event. Aim for it to occur at least twice in the level.  
   
  IT FOLLOWS 
  d6 Event 
  1 
  A stalker fills the corpse of a duergar, causing it to shamble 
  towards other living creatures.  
  2 
  A stalker is already waiting when they enter the room and 
  wraps its intangible arms around a character. 
  3 
  A stalker tries to force glass or rubble down a character's 
  throat. Use the Slam attack, dealing slashing damage on a 
  hit. 
  4 
  A stalker enters the fray mid-combat with other monsters, 
  attacking a single target.  
  5 
  As the party flees from one stalker, they see it clearly in the 
  dust, putting distance between them and it. Upon entering 
  the next room, a new stalker attacks. Halaster telepathically 
  whispers, "No escape. No hope. No chance," to the party.  
  6 
  A duergar sprints down the hall, screaming—but crashes to 
  his knees. The closest character can make a DC 12 Dexterity 
  saving throw to snatch his hand before the stalker hauls him 
  off into the darkness to have his neck snapped. Loudly.  
   
  A SINGLE GLIMPSE 
  Under this special event, the glabrezu trapped in Area 29 
  is endowed with greater omniscience and telepathy—a 
  boon from Halaster. While the adventurers search for the 
  tomb of Melair, the demon psychically reaches out to one 
  character, offering them the location and its secrets in 
  return for "one glimpse through your eyes." 
  The demon masquerades as a trapped guardian spirit—
  one of Melair's elite bodyguards who volunteered to 
  watch over their beloved king's tomb for all eternity. Alas, 
  in the millennia since that oath, "Ghorn" has come to 
  regret his choice and dreams of seeing the real world one 
  more time—for his world is nothing but darkness.  
  If the character declines the offer, the demon backs off, 
  hoping to contact one of the duergar instead or any other 
  character it believes can be influenced. 
  If the character accepts, they feel a presence invade their 
  mind. Then or later, the demon attempts to possess the 
  character, subjecting them to a DC 17 Charisma saving 
  throw. On a success, the character shunts out the demon. 
  On a failure, they are charmed by it for 1d6 hours and the 
  glabrezu can see through their eyes and cast the 
  suggestion spell on the character at will, no matter the 
  range. Pass or fail, the character is unaware of this outside 
  influence. 
  The glabrezu's immediate goal is to have its statue 
  destroyed in Area 29. It will pursue this goal through its 
  host at all costs but is coy enough to not arouse suspicion 
  in others.  
   
  RAMPAGE! 
  Throughout their time in the Lost Level, the adventurers 
  can hear umber hulks busting through walls or breaking 
  down stone doors far, far in the distance. Thus, when it 
  grows quiet, they should find cause for alarm. As the party 
  explores, remark time and again about that distant thunder 
  and then, eventually, seed in a few comments on how "it's 
  quiet." Then, at your leisure, an umber hulk attacks 
  through either of the two (or both) methods:  
  Down the Hall! The umber hulk comes barreling down 
  a long hall way, thundering throughout the darkness. Until 
  it reaches the party, it takes the Dash action. If you happen 
  to be a sadist, this is all just a distraction for the event 
  below: 
  In the Walls! An umber hulk crashes through the wall 
  in a spray of rubble. Creatures within 10 feet of the impact 
  must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or be pelted 
  with debris, taking 2d10 bludgeoning damage. It 
  immediately tries to snatch up the weakest prey and 
  devour them.  
   
  
   
  31 
  EPILOGUE 
  Using Halaster's Game, it's actually encouraged that the 
  party does not kill the duergar. If they instead work 
  together and pull off opening the Heart of the Mountain, 
  award them 200 XP per each duergar they saved from a 
  cruel death in Area 15, as well as the 3,900 XP per each 
  cloaker.  
  Once the adventurers finish this level, they should be 
  half way to 10th-level, gods help the fools.  
   
  A PREMATURE DEPARTURE 
  The gates scattered about this level are still accessible to 
  the party, while all paths by foot are sealed off (per 
  Halaster's Game). If the party departs by one of these 
  gates and is not back within the hour, they return to find 
  all the duergar dead, their entrails draped throughout the 
  Temple of Dumathoin and the halls smeared red with their 
  blood. The invisible stalkers yet remain and continue to 
  attack until the Heart of the Mountain is opened.  
  Perhaps, if the party takes too long to return to the Lost 
  Level, other adventuring parties make their way to this 
  place and find themselves also trapped in the Mad Mage's 
  infernal game.  
   
  THE END OF HALASTER'S GAME 
  Upon prevailing in their attempt to open the Heart of the 
  Mountain, the adventurers, and the duergar (if any live) 
  hear all steel gates being raised. The sound is like thunder, 
  thunder so fierce it rattles the stones of the Temple of 
  Dumathoin. While in transit to these exits, the invisible 
  stalkers cease their attacks, though other dangers yet 
  remain. 
   
  THE SEND-OFF 
  You can cap-off your session with either of the two 
  narrations: one by you, or telepathically spoken by the 
  Mad Mage himself. 
   
  THE STANDARD SEND-OFF 
  No good king rules forever, much to the lament of the 
  Melairkyn dwarves. Their king, their hero, father, 
  leader… He too, despite being larger than life, could only 
  hope to lead one. Could they ever predict their fall? you 
  wonder. Could they have ever foreseen Halaster 
  Blackcloak laying claim to this mountain and turning 
  what was once a beloved nation into a trove of 
  monstrosities? 
   
  THE HOST'S SEND-OFF 
  The Mad Mage telepathically communicates this to the 
  party. It's written to assume that they survived his game 
  and opened the Heart of the Mountain. 
  The Mad Mage whispers to you, his voice slick with 
  sadism: 
  "Fear does awful things to a man, and the worst venom 
  of all is the fear of the unknown. More's to come. More of 
  my games—but you know that. Half the multiverse 
  knows that. To them, I say 'tune in next week to see The 
  Castle of Maddgoth,' but to you, all I say is 'good luck.'" 
   
   
   
  
   
  32 
  LEVEL VII: MADDGOTH'S CASTLE 
  "A while back, I crafted this castle for guests. Spared no 
  expense, either. Stained glass, adamantine hinges—the 
  works. Then… Then I found out guests are overrated. 
  Whatever vagrants huddling here now have my blessing." 
  – the Mad Mage 
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  • 
  This level is entirely optional and quite a let-down. 
  The variant Maddgoth's Dance has been written to 
  bring life to an empty chapter of DotMM.  
  • 
  Maddgoth's Castle has no bearing on the party's 
  advancement unless you contrive a reason to prove 
  otherwise. You can contrive it that Otto the faerie 
  dragon has hidden the tunnel to Level 8 with illusion 
  magic, thus forcing the party to investigate the castle. 
  • 
  The stone giants have nothing to do with the castle's 
  inhabitants, except other than being a target of Otto's 
  tomfoolery. 
  • 
  Neither Otto the faerie dragon or Maddgoth's 
  homunculus can speak. The giants only speak Giant. 
  • 
  Stone giants value artistry and graceful athleticism 
  over violence and treasure. The endeavors of this 
  family are to carve out both a breathtaking home and 
  a prosperous life. Unfortunately for them, they chose 
  to dwell in Undermountain.  
  • 
  Maddgoth's castle is a source of great wealth for 
  wizard characters: spellbooks galore can be found in 
  Area 25, which the character can copy.  
  • 
  The themes of this supplement are tragedy 
  (concerning the stone giants) and dread (concerning 
  the arrival of Maddgoth and all that follows). Use 
  them to color an otherwise lifeless level.  
  • 
  A character that falls from Maddgoth's castle takes 
  20d6 bludgeoning damage! 
   
  MADDGOTH'S DANCE 
  Without the infamous serial killer, Level 7 is just a 
  disjointed level of amnesiac giants and one jackass of a 
  faerie dragon. Where's the pop? The excitement? To liven 
  up this level, this supplement has written in Maddgoth 
  himself, whose return to the castle occurs half-way 
  through the adventurers' time there. Unlike in the 
  "Aftermath" section of DotMM, Maddgoth arrives while 
  the party is here in their first foray to the castle—and not 
  without ample foreshadowing to leave the players 
  shaking.  
  When Maddgoth arrives (as an NE archmage), it's with 
  a human mage by the named of Khodnar in tow. Little 
  does Khodnar know that Maddgoth will teach him the 
  lesson of death rather than the secrets of lichdom. The 
  adventurers' presence confounds Maddgoth, who, despite 
  his great intellect and greater power, is incredibly fixated 
  in his methodology. He isn't used to bystanders and is now 
  struggling to go through his usual song-and-dance. To 
  merely fireball the adventurers lacks tact, however, and 
  so Maddgoth resorts to the role of a gracious host—and 
  plans to eliminate each of his guests, preferably in one 
  sweeping stroke.  
  Maddgoth's first order of business is to reclaim his helm 
  from the magic mirror in Area 25B, rendering him 
  impervious to damage while in the castle. If another 
  character already possesses the helm, the archmage stops 
  at nothing to reclaim it: first trying subtlety, then relying 
  on the nycaloths of Area 44. 
  Areas denoted with Maddgoth's Dance are written as 
  variants you can use at your discretion. Otherwise ignore 
  them.  
   
  ROLEPLAYING MADDGOTH 
  Serial killers fall into one of two categories: disorganized 
  and organized. Maddgoth absolutely belongs to the 
  archetypal charming, cunning organized killer. He plans 
  to such detail it can well be considered a fault; if he has 
  the slightest inkling something is wrong, he abandons his 
  current plot. Maddgoth balances his ambition and 
  bloodlust with a healthy degree of caution, always falling 
  back and falling back until the game is one swift ploy 
  from being won.  
  You'll want to play Maddgoth off as charming, if not a 
  little strange. His gaze lingers just a little too long. His 
  curiosity seems a little too piqued. If there's one feeling 
  the adventurers should get, it's "eerie." 
  On the Mad Mage. If asked, Maddgoth claims to have 
  great respect for Halaster Blackcloak. This is a lie; not 
  only does Maddgoth despise Halaster, he intends to one 
  day grow powerful enough to kill the Mad Mage. 
  Repeatedly—for Maddgoth knows that Halaster cannot 
  die but will be reborn again and again. To kill the greatest 
  mage of this world over and over again—that is 
  Maddgoth's sweetest dream.  
  On the Players. Maddgoth is less repulsed at the 
  adventurers' intrusion and giddier at the prospect of 
  having either an audience or new victims. If one or more 
  of the arcane spellcasters are one the "promising" targets 
  of his, he takes great interest in them. See Area 36 for 
  more details; Maddgoth may have a dossier detailing one 
  of these characters.  
   
   
  
   
  33 
  On Khodnar. On his guest, Maddgoth claims to be an 
  admirer of his work. If he feels that the party won't attack 
  him over it, he'll reveal that he and Khodnar plan to 
  research the secrets to lichdom together. This is, of 
  course, a lie. Khodnar's soul is due for the Nine Hells by 
  first light.  
  On Undermountain. "This place is as good as any," 
  Maddgoth will admit, with a shrug. He readily tells 
  anyone who asks that he commandeered this castle years 
  ago (many, many years ago). He considers the Mad 
  Mage's silence consent to his presence, though the two 
  have never crossed paths. Perhaps the party will wonder, 
  "why?" 
   
  MADDGOTH'S TACTICS 
  Wizards aren't into direct combat. The best battle for a 
  wizard is one where he's two miles away with a vial of his 
  target's blood. Alas, Maddgoth will be surprised to find 
  guests in his humble abode, robbing him of the advantage 
  of preparation. Facing Maddgoth, an archmage, is still no 
  trivial fight. 
  Maddgoth's Helm. Removing Maddgoth's helm (see 
  Appendix A) is paramount to fighting the archmage, for 
  so long as he wears it, he is immune to harm. While 
  Maddgoth is grappled, a character can attempt a DC 16 
  Strength saving throw to remove the helm. During the 
  struggle, they feel Maddgoth's immense will bearing 
  down on them, a force of pure rage and ego.  
  Maddgoth's Backup. Maddgoth never goes anywhere 
  without his homunculus as muscle. If necessary, he'll 
  release the gray slaad from Area 33, order it to remain 
  invisible, and guard him from harm. Likewise, he can 
  release the nycaloths from Area 44, ordering them to 
  remain invisible as well.  
  Tactics. A veteran of magical combat, Maddgoth 
  seamlessly relies on the following tactics in a scrape: 
  • Before ever entering combat, Maddgoth casts mage 
  armor and mind blank upon himself.  
  • When faced with a powerful, single target, Maddgoth 
  casts banishment. Due to his horned ring, he can bypass 
  Undermountain's restrictions on magic, defenestrating 
  a foe's dumb ass from this plane of existence. 
  • When below half health or when he fears his life is in 
  danger, Maddgoth casts teleport to escape.  
   
  ROLEPLAYING KHODNAR 
  Khodnar, a LN mage, is surprisingly friendly. He's in a 
  good mood, since Maddgoth has promised to research the 
  secrets of lichdom with him. He never suspects 
  Maddgoth's true intention until it's too late. 
  Khodnar's Will to Live. Once the mage realizes that his 
  host intends to murder the guests, Khodnar sides with the 
  party and does his best to escape with them. He isn't 
  prepared to give up his life for strangers, however, and 
  can be deluded by Maddgoth into believing he'll be safe—
  that it was only these "trespassers" that are to be 
  "punished." 
  THE DANCE 
  Maddgoth's Dance unfolds across three acts: 
   
  I. A JOURNEY WELL-FINISHED 
  Half-way through their venture into the castle (assuming 
  the party goes at all), Maddgoth returns with Khodnar, his 
  guest, in tow. This should occur after the party finds Area 
  25, discovering the countless spellbooks the serial killer 
  has taken from his victims. This is to breed tension and 
  fear amongst the adventurers.  
  Maddgoth arrives in the courtyard (Area 23), 
  teleporting in with Khodnar. His priority, especially after 
  learning that there are intruders, is to recover his helm 
  from Area 25B, so as to be impervious to all damage 
  while in the castle.  
  If Otto the faerie dragon is yet alive, it tries to flee from 
  Maddgoth and may assist the party later. Alternatively, if 
  it catches Maddgoth's attention, the archmage brutally 
  murders Otto with a magic missile straight through the 
  drake's eyeball.  
   
  II. THE GRACIOUS HOST 
  Even if the party hides from Maddgoth, his homunculus 
  betrays their presence by its telepathy. Upon facing the 
  party, Maddgoth cracks a grin and insists they stay for 
  dinner—and refuses to take "no" as an answer. "Dinner" 
  quickly becomes "stay the night" as the serial killer tries 
  to eliminate all targets, including Khodnar, by midnight.  
  Before the Meal. After inviting them to dinner, 
  Maddgoth gives the party an hour to "freshen up" while 
  he prepares his insidious plot. He casts mind blank and 
  mage armor upon himself and frees the gray slaad from 
  Area 33 and goes to Area 45 to retrieve Midnight Tears 
  poison. Thereafter, he can be found in Area 27B, the 
  kitchen, guiding his living unseen servants as they 
  prepare tonight's meal. While there, he poisons the wine 
  with Midnight Tears, a terrible poison that takes effect at 
  the stroke of midnight. See Area 27B, "Maddgoth's 
  Dance."  
  Dinner is Served. Once the meal is ready, Maddgoth 
  brings his guests to the dining room, using his 
  homunculus as muscle if necessary. During dinner, he 
  plays with his food (the adventurers) by asking probing 
  questions or suggesting feats of daring and high-stakes 
  wagers. If he couldn't poison their food earlier, Maddgoth 
  casts time stop to drop a dose into their meals. See Area 
  27, "Maddgoth's Dance" for more details.  
  After-Dinner Entertainment. Assuming his guests 
  consume the poison, Maddgoth suggests watching an 
  "operatic illusion." It's the highlights reel of his scarlet 
  career. See Area 46 for details. 
   
   
   
  
   
  34 
  III. ETERNAL SLEEP 
  After dinner, Maddgoth invites the party to stay the night 
  in the castle. He sends his living unseen servants to 
  prepare the guest rooms (Areas 29-32). If the party 
  refuses, he pretends to not be bothered—but immediately 
  excuses himself to Area 37, the Console, wherein he locks 
  down the castle. See Area 37, "Button 4" for details on the 
  lockdown. 
  If they do agree to stay, Maddgoth bides his time until 
  midnight. The Midnight Tears poison is actually a sort of 
  insurance and precaution. The serial killer would much 
  rather murder any arcane spellcasters in a duel and leave 
  the mundane adventurers to die to the poison. He'll even 
  go so far as to wake any sleeping spellcasters before 
  midnight. No one else is worth his time nor attention.  
  Midnight Tears. If the poison is gone, Maddgoth relies 
  on splitting the party, and using his minions (see 
  "Maddgoth's Backup above) to distract them.  
   
  THE STONE GIANTS 
  This level's factions suffer from a disconnect. What 
  occurs in Maddgoth's Castle has nothing to do with the 
  stone giants and vice versa. Assuming the adventurers 
  don't murder the giants on sight, their only contribution to 
  Dungeon of the Mad Mage is to once again demonstrate 
  how screwed up Halaster is. Without any tie-in to the 
  castle, their only value to the players are as passerby—
  and that assumes that the adventurers actually speak 
  Giant.  
  The Language Barrier. It's really astounding that this 
  entire level is stocked by creatures that don't speak 
  Common or can't speak at all. If you'd like to hand-wave 
  this language barrier, Halaster may have placed a spell on 
  these caverns that converts all spoken speech into Giant. 
  Characters speak aloud and hear that the words they 
  intended are being instantly changed; therefore, they're 
  aware that a spell is at work. When these characters hear 
  Giant, it's mentally translated into the character's native 
  tongue. This magic does not extend to Maddgoth's castle.  
   
  MEET THE FAMILY 
  The stone giant family numbers six in all, but we can add 
  a seventh (see below) for the sake of narrative.  
  Gravillok. The patriarch of the family can be parleyed 
  with, but his first instinct is to treat the small folk as 
  vermin and the second as invaders. See 6A. 
  Speleosa. The mother of the family, the giantess 
  tolerates no intruders. She offers violence at the first sight 
  of the party. See Area 13B.  
  Rhodos. Rhodos is curious and tolerates small folk. He 
  doesn't initially mistake the adventurers as invaders. See 
  Area 13A. 
  Qurrok. His body like a temple, Qurrok spends his time 
  training in Area 15 or searching the cavern floor of Area 
  16. He never shies away from a fight and has a boisterous, 
  aggressive personality.  
  Obsidia. Like her brother Rhodos, Obsidia is more 
  inclined to listen to the party and only resorts to violence 
  if attacked. See Area 13A. 
  Xorta. 
  This 
  timid 
  giantess 
  longs 
  to 
  explore 
  Undermountain but has been forbidden to by her parents. 
  Music is her only refuge. See Area 10 for more details. 
   
  THE SHADOW OF GHNORSH 
  Under this supplement, a third son has been added to 
  Level 7: Ghnorsh, who died to an adventuring party 
  approximately a month ago. None of the giants can 
  remember his existence but their hearts cry out in 
  inexplicable pain. The family is trapped in this turmoil, 
  doomed to relive it every 8 hours: the heartbreak, the 
  confusion, the longing for something or someone they just 
  can't name or put a face to.  
  The adventurers can find Ghnorsh's rotting corpse in a 
  caved-in cavern between Areas 9 and 13. Beside him are 
  two crushed adventurer corpses. The cave-in has made the 
  entrance too small for the giants and they've never cared 
  enough to clear the rubble. If proof of his demise is shown 
  to Speleosa, she makes a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. 
  On a success, she breaks free from Halaster's magic and 
  has her memories restored. She then promptly falls to 
  despair over the death of her son and the magical amnesia 
  forced on her family.  
  Despite Halaster's magic, fragmented memories of 
  Ghnorsh haunt the family. This shadow persists through 
  every memory wipe and colors the giants' personalities, 
  behavior, and desires.  
  Gravillok. The patriarch of the stone giant family finds 
  himself searching for something every day: a small, 
  handheld mosaic carved by Ghnorsh for Gravillok when 
  the giant was young. When the party finds him in Area 6, 
  he isn't chiseling at the ceiling but turning over every 
  stone in search for the mosaic. 
  Speleosa. An image of another giant chases Speleosa no 
  matter where she goes, but with no name to attach to him. 
  Some days, she receives flashes from Ghnorsh's 
  childhood or images of all her children together: five, not 
  the four here. Alas, these memories are fleeting. While her 
  mind forgets, her heart does not. 
  Rhodos. Amongst the carvings on the ceiling of Area 
  13A lies one message, written in Giant: "Ghnorsh." Its 
  presence torments Rhodos, who can't bring himself to 
  chisel it away. Every day, he encounters the name and 
  squirms under the turmoil it wreaks upon his guts and 
  mind. Every so often, he's convinced it's a spell carved 
  into the stone and that to erase it would invite great doom 
  upon his family.  
  Qurrok. Qurrok cannot erase "the pale man" from his 
  mind: Maddgoth. On one return to the castle, the 
  archmage lit up the castle via the Console (see Area 37) 
  and took a walk amongst the Central Cavern. Qurrok 
  believes (wrongly) that the "pale man" is the key to 
  undoing the amnesia afflicting his family.  
  
   
  35 
  Additionally, his pet cave bears (Area 14) are struck 
  with sorrow—for they alone remember Ghnorsh, and 
  were his bears originally, in fact.  
  Obsidia. Whenever Obsidia wakes, it's from the dream 
  of her childhood: a childhood spent with a younger 
  brother: Ghnorsh. She can never remember her dream, but 
  it guides her fingers when clutching a chisel. Area 13 is 
  decorated with carvings of this giant, often upon 
  mountain peaks or below the earth. 
  Xorta. Someone taught Xorta how to play her first 
  chords. A novice she may be, but someone showed her 
  the ropes: her older brother, Ghnorsh. Though Xorta 
  knows not why, whenever she plays her flute, she weeps 
  silently as some inexplicable sorrow washes over her.  
   
  BREAKING THE AMNESIA 
  If you or your players care at all about the stone giants' 
  plight, you'll want to convince them that there's a way to 
  break Halaster's spell. A character can make a DC 16 
  Intelligence (Arcana) check to ascertain a solution: 
  casting mind blank on the giants. The spell, however, 
  belongs to the "eighth circle of magic" and only a 
  powerful mage can cast the spell. 
  Under this supplement, spell scrolls of mind blank have 
  been added to Otto's Den (see Area 43). Yet not even an 
  hour later, after the adventurers have freed the giants, they 
  come across Halaster Blackcloak himself on foot, on his 
  way to undo their efforts. He makes no effort to hide his 
  intentions. If left unchallenged, the Mad Mage afflicts the 
  giants with amnesia again. 
   
  AREAS OF NOTE 
  The following areas are of note: 
   
  1. UMBER SHELLS 
  The air grows thick here, so far below the earth. There's a 
  sour taste to it and a harsh pressure. You swallow, 
  popping your ears. The cave floor is littered with molted 
  carapaces, some larger than a suit of plate armor.  
  In the distance, you hear the dull crash of thunder, 
  echoing throughout the caverns… And even more dimly 
  is the sound of upbeat, jubilant music.  
  The "thunder" is the distant comings-and-goings of the 
  stone giants. Foreshadowing! 
   
  MADDGOTH'S DANCE 
  When the party arrives, Halaster Blackcloak sends a 
  cryptic, telepathic message. The Mad Mage has divined 
  several of the possible futures and has foreseen 
  Maddgoth's attempt to poison the party with Midnight 
  Tears: an ingested poison that claims its victims at the 
  stroke of midnight.  
  Read the following: 
   
  That loathsome voice squirms its way into your mind, the 
  voice of the Mad Mage: 
  "Do you hear it? The distant thunder? The footfalls? 
  And that music… Slow, insidious. Venom wrapped in 
  velvet. Go to it, my contestants. Go, and quickly, for night 
  falls even here below the earth and when midnight tolls… 
  It tolls for thee." 
  The music Halaster refers to is the wand of conducting in 
  Area 8 (which, per this supplement, is playing on its own). 
  It's an intentional red herring that Halaster throws at the 
  party.  
   
  3. STONE THRONE 
  From a large jutting of jagged rock, a throne has been 
  carved. Blue quartz crystals glitter from its sides. It's 
  utterly massive. Just the idea of sitting upon that throne 
  brings back old memories of you trying on your father's 
  clothes as a young child.  
  Upon the throne lies a tablet bearing a mosaic of a 
  mountain split in twain beneath a blue sky. 
  The mosaic on the tablet lying on the throne was carved 
  by Ghnorsh (see The Shadow of Ghnorsh) long, long ago 
  for Greatfather's Day, a giant holiday honoring one's 
  father. It's a size of Small, weighs 50 lbs. and is worth 250 
  gp. A giant can hold it in its palm. Gravillok is grateful to 
  any creature that brings him the mosaic or points out its 
  location to him. 
  Otto's Game. Whenever he gets the chance, the faerie 
  dragon often hides the mosaic through illusion magic to 
  screw with Gravillok.  
   
  4. SILT PIT 
  You know, we just don't get enough environmental 
  hazards in our dungeon delving these days.  
  Quicksand. When a creature enters the area, it sinks 
  1d4+1 feet into the quicksand and becomes restrained. At 
  the start of each of the creature's turns, it sinks another 
  1d4 feet. As long as the creature isn't completely 
  submerged in quicksand, it can escape by using its action 
  and succeeding on a Strength check. The DC is 10 plus 
  the number of feet the creature has sunk into the 
  quicksand. A creature that is completely submerged in 
  quicksand can't breathe (see the suffocation rules in the 
  Player's Handbook). 
  A creature can pull another creature within its reach out 
  of a quicksand pit by using its action and succeeding on a 
  Strength check. The DC is 5 plus the number of feet the 
  target creature has sunk into the quicksand. 
   
   
   
  
   
  36 
  6. CRAFT HALL 
  Unfinished carvings, all abstract and all hauntingly 
  beautiful, litter the cavern walls. The rap-rap-rap of a 
  chisel echoes from deeper in the dark.  
  If you're using The Shadow of Ghnorsh variant described 
  in the "Stone Giants" section of this supplement, replace 
  the chiseling with the heavy footfalls of Gravillok and the 
  occasional clattering of stone. The giant is searching 
  every nook and cranny for Ghnorsh's mosaic (see Area 3). 
  He leaves, literally, no stone unturned.  
  Roleplaying Gravillok. The giant's revulsion to small 
  folk is blunted by his desperate search for "the mosaic." 
  He's grateful to any creature that helps him find it, even 
  vouching for them to the rest of the family, and thus 
  allowing them safe transit through this realm… for now. 
  In less than eight hours, he'll forget both the mosaic's 
  location and his gratitude, making for a nasty surprise for 
  the party that takes a long rest in these caverns.  
   
  7. SILT PIT 
  See Area 4 for information on the quicksand. If a giant is 
  nearby, they might rescue the sinking character out of 
  pity, like how a human might save a dog from traffic.  
   
  8. STRANGE ROCK FORMATION 
  The wand of conducting's cool. It's just cool. Have it 
  already playing orchestral music when the adventurers 
  arrive to Level 7. Until it's removed from the petrified 
  basilisk, it continues on a loop. Your song of choice could 
  be the theme song, if any, for Dungeon of the Mad Mage: 
  Halaster's extraplanar program apparently broadcasted 
  across the multi-verse for millions to enjoy. Choose 
  whatever fits your campaign.  
  Once removed, the music halts but the same song can 
  be replicated. Halaster can also remotely activate it 
  whenever he wishes, often using it to play music at the 
  most inopportune of moments, namely if the party is 
  attempting to hide from a foe.  
   
  10. XORTA'S FLUTE 
  Halting music haunts the caverns, sometimes talented, but 
  more often made by an obvious novice.  
  As you approach, you see bats the size of dogs squirm 
  up above. Guano occasionally falls like disparate rain. 
  Lairing here is a giantess wielding a massive flute carved 
  from stone. 
  A character with a passive Perception of 14 or higher can 
  hear sobbing as well as the music.  
  Roleplaying Xorta. When the small folk arrive, Xorta 
  treats them as a welcome distraction from her music. On 
  any given day, she would be delighted to meet outsiders, 
  for her heart yearns to explore Undermountain. While she 
  would vouch for the party if her siblings confronted them, 
  she's too timid to stand alone against her parents. 
  The Shadow of Ghnorsh. While Xorta believes she 
  wishes to explore Undermountain, truly her heart wishes 
  to leave this place, to escape the shadow of Ghnorsh's 
  death. Ghnorsh taught Xorta how to play music (though 
  those lessons fell short with his untimely death). Her mind 
  cannot remember Ghnorsh, but her heart does, and 
  playing the flute only gets her weeping.  
   
  11. DISPOSAL CAVE 
  The air is awash with the stink of filth and rot and death.  
   
  11A. FACES OF HALASTER 
  The likeness of the Mad Mage is carved across the cavern 
  walls. To count would be a waste of your time: they're 
  innumerable. Is this just another manifestation of 
  Halaster's ego, the blind devotion of a sycophant, or 
  something… Something new?  
  You're reminded of the old tales. Of primitive men that 
  would put a face to their gods.  
   
  11B. SILT PIT 
  See Area 4 for details on quicksand. If any character falls 
  in, Xorta (see Area 10) may investigate their screams and 
  can pluck the character out. 
   
  13. GIANTS' LIVING QUARTERS 
  Here the adventurers meet the family's matriarch.  
   
  13A. OBSIDIA AND RHODOS 
  You come across a most curious sight: two giants 
  together, one standing on the other's shoulder. The 
  giantess wields a chisel and is carving an abstract design 
  into the ceiling. As you look about, you find dozens just 
  like it, all across the cave.  
  When the giants notice their visitors, they loudly ponder 
  the adventurers' existence aloud and together. Assuming 
  the adventurers can understand Giant (such as if you use 
  the "Language Barrier" variant described in "The Stone 
  Giants"), read the following: 
  The giantess regards you with a puzzled look. "What by 
  Stonebones' beard are these… tiny things?" 
  The male giant, still bearing the other on his shoulders, 
  says, "Why I've read about these creatures—" 
  "You don't read," the giantess interrupts. 
  "I read sometimes." 
  "With what? We've no books." 
  "I've… I've my means." 
  "You mean you've got means to lie. Look at that fat 
  tongue o' yours, bloated and all." The giantess squints at 
  you again. "You there! Small folk! Doesn't my brother—
  Rhodos, stick out your tongue—doesn't my brother have 
  a liar's tongue? Is it not bloated and silvery and all?" 
   
   
  
   
  37 
  If the adventurers don't understand or reply in Giant, the 
  giants consider them to be of the same intelligence a 
  human would assign to a dog. They then act accordingly, 
  treating the adventurers as innocent animals to protect—
  until ordered by their parents to dispose of the "little 
  mongrels." 
  Roleplaying Obsidia. The shadow of Ghnorsh darkens 
  Obsidia's dreams. Her mornings are spent absentmindedly 
  carving images of this mysterious giant amongst her other 
  designs in the area. They're often unfinished and 
  overlooked by Rhodos. If confronted over it, she mumbles 
  confusedly as the dreams come back to her. Tears then 
  follow as she almost comprehends who and what the giant 
  is. 
  Roleplaying Rhodos. Each day, Rhodos looks over his 
  previous work and finds "Ghnorsh" carved into the wall 
  by his own hand. The name confuses him but seems 
  familiar. He swishes it around his mouth like a piece of 
  hard candy, often muttering it aloud as if it will one day 
  become clear.  
   
  13B. GIANTS' HOME 
  This cavern is furnished with the furs of slain beasts. 
  Shallow pools of water are fed by the disparate rain 
  filtered through the limestone above. A giantess sits 
  cross-legged at the center of the cavern, polishing 
  gemstones with a patch of bat fur.  
  This is where the party should most expect violence, for 
  Speleosa tolerates no intruders in her home. Any giant but 
  Xorta is willing to defy her orders, however, possibly 
  protecting the adventurers from harm—especially if the 
  giants view them as pets.  
  Roleplaying Speleosa. Somber and distant since the 
  death of her son Ghnorsh, Speleosa has found herself in 
  an inexplicable depression. Memories float out from the 
  darkness, memories of better days she can't quite wholly 
  grasp. Always is there a feeling of longing. When a 
  particularly sharp memory thrusts itself into the 
  foreground, she sometimes mumbles to herself things like 
  "Put down the boulder!" and "No, no, mother's here." 
  Sometimes Speleosa even hums lullabies. Whenever their 
  memories reset, the other giants find themselves avoiding 
  Speleosa, fearing that she may be mad.  
  Otto's Game. Once the faerie dragon arrives to create 
  mischief, read the following: 
  A soft gust of wind flows throughout the cavern bringing 
  with it the scent of freshly cut grass and lilacs—and on it 
  rides a mischievous giggle. A few short words in a barbed 
  language are then uttered, and where there was once 
  stone, a forest now flourishes.  
  The "barbed language" is Draconic, Otto's chosen 
  language for verbal components of spells. The giants 
  panic under the sudden change. Speleosa demands blood, 
  whereas Obsidia or Rhodos may warn the characters to 
  flee.  
   
  13. TREASURE ALCOVE 
  The elemental gem of air found here summons an air 
  elemental, the statistics of which are provided in 
  Appendix B of this supplement. 
   
  14. CAVE BEAR DEN 
  The air is foul with the sharp odor of scat and rotting flesh. 
  In the distance something heavy and pawed makes its way 
  across the cavern floor. 
  Speaking with the Beasts. If speak with animals is cast, 
  the bears here explain that a seventh giant, Ghnorsh, was 
  slain some time ago (without a moon to guide them, the 
  bears have no frame of reference for the passing of time). 
  The "small men" came with iron and fire and cut him 
  down, they say. They've since gravitated to Qurrok as 
  their new master.  
   
  16. CENTRAL CAVERN 
  The cavern spans far into the dark, far beyond what even 
  the sharpest eye can see, or the brightest torch can reveal. 
  Ledges hug the walls, giving way to a bowl-shaped 
  canyon. Heavy steps fall like thunder in the distance. 
  Roleplaying Qurrok. A memory of Maddgoth haunts 
  Qurrok. As the giant searches the cavern floor for 
  valuables, he finds himself sometimes muttering about the 
  "pale man" (such as "Come out, come out pale man" and 
  the like). His muttering echoes across the cavern. When 
  he meets the party, he asks if they've met the pale man, 
  and, if they say yes, Qurrok asks if he's brought back "the 
  cure to this madness."  
  Like every foray here, Qurrok has tried to scale the 
  mithral spindle at the center of the cavern and been 
  repulsed. Hoping the party knows anything about it, he 
  quickly brings it up. He then spits in the spindle's general 
  direction, condemning it.  
   
  REACHING THE CASTLE 
  As written, the front door to the castle (Area 17) is 80 feet 
  off the ground. There's no ledge or step outside the door; 
  it opens upon the empty air. Given the mithral spindle's 
  repulsion field, flight is ostensibly necessary to reach the 
  castle. Conventional methods like scaling, erecting a 
  ladder, or throwing down a rope doesn't work—though it 
  would be comedic to watch the adventurers try. Other 
  methods may include: 
  Teleportation. Spells like dimension door are now 
  available to the party. A creature only shrinks when it 
  enters or is inside the field of magic, so the distance of a 
  teleportation spell remains unaffected. 
  Hurled. Ever curious to what lies above the mithral 
  spindle, Qurrok can be persuaded to hurl a character 
  upwards. The creature begins to shrink, but the relative 
  momentum is enough to carry them towards the door. If 
  you want to leave this up to chance, a hurled character 
  must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw to snatch at 
  
   
  38 
  the door's handle. On a failure, a creature hurtles back 
  down to the cavern floor; Qurrok can make a DC 10 
  Dexterity saving throw to catch the falling character.  
  "Pretty Please." The adventurers can appeal to 
  Halaster who, of course, is watching. His arcane eye can 
  be seen floating around the cavern. If they turn to him for 
  aid, each character is spirited towards Area 17, and they 
  watch with horror as the world grows in size around them.   
   
  17. MAIN ENTRANCE 
  The entrance to this castle hangs on empty air. No stoop 
  or ledge is there for a visitor to step foot upon. Nay, the 
  fool that rushes out through this door will surely fall to his 
  doom. What, you can't help but wonder, happens to the 
  fool that rushes in?  
  After a character opens the door, which is unlocked, an 
  alarm spell is triggered; it's audible and sounds like a rung 
  handbell. It lasts for 10 seconds and alerts both Otto and 
  the homunculus that visitors are here.  
  Read the following once the spell is triggered: 
  You turn the knob, finding it unlocked. It opens upon a 
  darkened hall made of—an alarm rings! A shrill bell rings 
  throughout the halls—an alarm set off by your intrusion! 
  Yet as it fades, and you crane your ear, you hear nothing. 
  No movement, no guards. Nothing and no one at all... 
  Once the adventurers enter the castle, Halaster Blackcloak 
  speaks telepathically to them, shedding some light on the 
  history of this castle: 
  The voice of the Mad Mage worms its way into your 
  mind, paying no heed to whatever barriers you've tried to 
  erect against his various intrusions. 
  "A while back, I crafted this castle for guests. Spared no 
  expense, either. Stained glass, adamantine hinges—the 
  works. Then… Then I found out guests are overrated. 
  Whatever vagrants huddling here now have my blessing."  
   
  23. COURTYARD 
  The courtyard yawns to the distant cavern ceiling above, 
  furnished with gardens of glittering crystal. Commanding 
  the center is a statue of a wizard. A wizard wearing a helm 
  with blade-like fins. His spellbook lies open, arcane sigils 
  engraved into stone. The plaque reads: MADDGOTH. 
   
  MADDGOTH'S DANCE 
  If you run Maddgoth's Dance, it's to this area that the NE 
  archmage teleports to with Khodnar (LN mage) in tow. 
  See "Master's Home" in "Special Events" for more details.  
   
  25. MADDGOTH'S STUDY 
  Maddgoth's study represents, perhaps, the greatest source 
  of wealth for a wizard character. If that wizard can harvest 
  the tomes here, expect a trip to Skullport or the surface to 
  purchase enough materials to copy over the spells found 
  in these spellbooks.  
  This location is also important to find before 
  Maddgoth's return, for it evokes a sense of dread that will 
  be capitalized on in Maddgoth's Dance.  
   
  25A. HOMUNCULUS LAIR 
  Roleplaying the Homunculus. Roleplaying a character 
  that can't speak can be challenging for your table, 
  especially if it's virtual. You'll need to rely on hand 
  gestures, crude drawings, body language, and narration 
  ("the homunculus gives you a pensive stare") and the like. 
  The homunculus is a ticking time bomb full of pent-up 
  rage; rage that seeps into every interaction it has, every 
  gesture, every glare.  
   
  25B. MADDGOTH'S STUDY 
  The walls are decorated in hard-won trophies: wands, 
  staves, rods carved in arcane runes and orbs that 
  undoubtedly once held tremendous power. A lacquered 
  desk sits nearby, and on closer inspection, you can see that 
  it's made entirely of books engraved with sigils and other 
  symbols of arcane study: spellbooks.  
  This… This monument, for it can be called nothing else, 
  radiates an air of malice. Of ego. Pride, and obsession. 
  The trophies are beyond number and the magi that once 
  owned them unknowable. Unknowable, except for by the 
  scorch marks and acid burns and blood stains.  
  If the desk and chair in Area 25B are smashed, twelve 
  spellbooks can be recovered. Their contents have been 
  predetermined for you below. Some spellbooks have a 
  theme (such as "Conjurer" or "Necromancer") while 
  others have little rhyme or reason to its spells, suggesting 
  the wizard was scatterbrained or took the time to copy any 
  spell they happened across. They're described below: 
  A Guide to Amateur Illusionism. A retired adventurer 
  published this guide, selling it to gullible apprentices 
  around the world.  
  Conjurer's Tome. An up-and-coming conjurer had 
  been traversing the planes—and irritated Halaster in the 
  process. The Mad Mage used his inscrutable ways to put 
  the mage on Maddgoth's radar. 
  The Diplomat's Best Friend. A young half-elf wizard 
  by the name of Theodren belonged to the diplomatic corps 
  of Silverymoon. Fancying himself an up-and-comer, he 
  etched the tome's title into his spellbook. Poor bastard had 
  great ambition.  
  Epitaph of the Apparent Diviner. A court wizard that 
  caught Maddgoth's attention is immortalized in the serial 
  killer's note, written on the first page: "He never saw it 
  comin,' poor bastard." 
  Flintrinser's Tome. Belonging to a deep gnome 
  traveler, Flintrinser was never an intended target of 
  Maddgoth. It was only by happenstance that the serial 
  killer found the gnome. Maddgoth shrugged and decided 
  not to look a gift horse in the mouth.  
   
   
  
   
  39 
  SALVAGED SPELLBOOKS 
  Some spells found in these tomes cannot be found in the 
  Player's Handbook but instead Xanathar's Guide to 
  Everything and are therefore marked with "XGE". 
   
  A GUIDE TO AMATEUR ILLUSIONISM  
  Level Spells 
  1st 
  detect magic, disguise self, illusory script, magic 
  missile 
   
  CONJURER'S TOME 
  Level Spells 
  1st 
  find familiar, fog cloud, mage armor, shield 
  2nd 
  cloud of daggers, dust devilXGE, misty step, web 
  3rd 
  gaseous form, glyph of warding, summon lesser 
  demonsXGE, tidal wave 
  4th 
  banishment, conjure minor elementals, dimension 
  door, Leomund's secret chest 
  5th 
  dominate person, infernal callingXGE, planar binding, 
  teleportation circle 
  6th 
  arcane gate, Drawmij's instant summons, scatterXGE, 
  wall of ice 
   
  THE DIPLOMAT'S BEST FRIEND 
  Level Spells 
  1st 
  comprehend languages, disguise self, grease, shield 
  2nd 
  gentle repose, invisibility, misty step, Nystul's magic 
  aura 
   
  FLINTRINSER'S TOME 
  Level Spells 
  1st 
  catapultXGE, color spray, feather fall, ice knifeXGE 
  2nd 
  gust of wind, knock, see invisibility, shatter 
   
  "HOW TO CHARM FOLKS AND INFLUENCE FOES" 
  Level Spells 
  1st 
  charm person, expeditious retreat, thunderwave, 
  unseen servant 
  2nd 
  crown of madness, hold person, magic mouth, mirror 
  image 
  3rd 
  clairvoyance, counterspell, dispel magic, slow 
  4th 
  charm monster, confusion, fire shield, phantasmal 
  killer 
  5th 
  geas, hold monster, mislead, scrying 
  6th 
  flesh to stone, mass suggestion, move earth, 
  programmed illusion 
   
  JALEN'S SPARE SPELLBOOK 
  Level Spells 
  1st 
  identify, sleep, shield, thunderwave 
  2nd 
  alter self, darkvision, detect thoughts, knock 
  3rd 
  flame arrowsXGE, major image, nondetection, sending 
  4th 
  confusion, control water, ice storm, polymorph 
   
  "IF FOUND PLEASE TELEPORT TO…" 
  Level Spells 
  1st 
  burning hands, mage armor, snareXGE, Tenser's 
  floating disk 
  2nd 
  enlarge/reduce, flaming sphere, hold person, levitate 
   
  MEMOIR OF THE APPARENT DIVINER 
  Level Spells 
  1st 
  detect magic, identify, magic missile, sleep 
  2nd 
  blur, detect thoughts, locate object, mind spikeXGE 
  3rd 
  clairvoyance, dispel magic, fly, tongues 
  4th 
  arcane eye, locate creature, polymorph, wall of fire 
   
  NOVICES NOTES 
  Level Spells 
  1st 
  mage armor, sleep, silent image, ray of sickness 
   
  PAGES OF ANGUISH 
  Level Spells 
  1st 
  color spray, false life, find familiar, fog cloud 
  2nd 
  misty step, rope trick, ray of enfeeblement, 
  skywriteXGE 
  3rd 
  gaseous form, remove curse, sending, tongues 
  4th 
  Evard's black tentacles, fabricate, Mordenkainen's 
  faithful hound, polymorph 
  5th 
  control winds, dream, geas, hold monster 
   
  TOME OF FLESH 
  Level Spells 
  1st 
  false life, protection from evil and good, ray of 
  sickness, witch bolt 
  2nd 
  arcane lock, blindness/deafness, hold person, magic 
  mouth 
  3rd 
  animate dead, fear, feign death, hypnotic pattern 
  4th 
  arcane eye, blight, locate creature, stone shape 
  5th 
  cloudkill, danse macabreXGE, modify memory, scrying 
  6th 
  create undead, circle of death, eyebite, guards and 
  wards 
   
  VISTANA'S SPELL TOME 
  Level Spells 
  1st 
  disguise self, jump, mage armor, protection from evil 
  and good 
  2nd 
  darkness, gust of wind, invisibility, see invisibility 
  3rd 
  bestow curse, dispel magic, protection from energy, 
  remove curse 
  4th 
  charm monster, control water, hallucinatory terrain, 
  stoneskin 
   
   
   
  
   
  40 
  "How to Charm Folks & Influence Foes." This 
  incomplete guide was started by a mage by the name of 
  Felix Brittle. He fancied himself to be a powerful 
  enchanter—until Maddgoth snuffed his flame out. The 
  first half of the spellbook are actual tips on influencing 
  others with and without magic: everything from body 
  language to "tricks" to help produce more powerful spells.  
  "If Found Please Teleport to…" This spellbook has no 
  name in it and its cover has been torn off but can be 
  identified as a standard blank tome handed out to the 
  students of a local mage's university. Careful analysis of 
  the sigils and a successful DC 18 Intelligence (Arcana) 
  check reveals that the teleportation address is to 
  somewhere in Waterdeep, likely one of the lesser known 
  mage colleges.  
  Jalen's Spare Spellbook. This spellbook, written by a 
  halfling wizard, has traveled the world, being passed from 
  individual to individual. At one time a half-orc used it to 
  block a crossbow bolt, leaving a gaping hole in its cover 
  and the first third of its pages. By incredible serendipity, 
  it found its way back to Jalen (a tale scrawled in the back 
  of the tome) just in time for Maddgoth to find and murder 
  him.  
  Novice's Notes. These scorched notes belonged to 
  Maddgoth's earliest victim: an elven maiden by the name 
  of Salandre. Maddgoth lectured at her university long, 
  long ago and, after months of careful planning and 
  rehearsal, Maddgoth finally made his first true kill.  
  Pages of Anguish. This spellbook belonged to a tiefling 
  by the name of Anguish. By the end of it all, the poor fool 
  truly earned that name—at the hands of Maddgoth 
  himself. The pages are water-stained, suggesting 
  Maddgoth froze the fool to death.  
  Tome of Flesh. This tome, made of stitched-together 
  flesh, belonged to a necromancer by the name of Andal 
  the Sideswept. It details his ambitions for lichdom, the 
  names of his victims, many of whom were raised into 
  minions afterward or whose souls were consumed in 
  Sideswept's dark magic.  
  Vistana's Spell Tome. A Vistana, one of the traveling 
  gypsy folk, emerged from fabled Barovia long ago before 
  falling to Maddgoth's cloud of daggers spell. The tome is 
  nicked, and its cover is slashed, rendering the first third of 
  the tome illegible. 
   
  27. DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN 
  This area represents Act II of Maddgoth's Dance.  
   
  MADDGOTH'S DANCE: BEFORE THE MEAL 
  After acquainting himself with his guests, Maddgoth 
  retrieves the Midnight Tears from Area 45. He then 
  instructs his living unseen servants to begin dinner: roast 
  pork with lemon gremolata, paired with wine brewed 
  from cave fisher blood (see Volo's Guide to Monsters for 
  cave fisher lore; a DC 14 Intelligence (History) check 
  reveals that the creature's blood is highly alcoholic and is 
  used for spirits; dwarves know this automatically).  
  In Area 27B, Maddgoth poisons the wine in an 
  unconventional method. Rather than uncorking a vial and 
  dripping it into the meal like some sort of two-bit villain, 
  Maddgoth instead teleports the contents of the vial into 
  the wine bottle. He later makes a big show of uncorking 
  the wine in front of the adventurers during dinner to put 
  to rest any suspicion. This magic costs him a 2nd-level 
  spell slot. Thereafter, the wine bottle reeks of conjuration 
  magic if scrutinized under a spell of detect magic.  
  If the adventurers enter the kitchen while he's there, 
  Maddgoth holds back from poisoning the wine. 
  Characters can sense that the archmage is frustrated with 
  a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Insight) check. As a last-
  ditch effort, especially if he's under observation, 
  Maddgoth casts time stop to poison the wine without the 
  characters' awareness—after leaving the kitchen so they 
  don't see him using the somatic and verbal components of 
  the spell.  
  Plan B. If the wine can't be poisoned, Maddgoth's plan 
  continues without the assurance of an easy kill at 
  midnight. He settles for tackling the adventurers with his 
  minions and magic instead. 
   
  MADDGOTH'S DANCE: DINNER IS SERVED 
  With his guests convened for dinner, Maddgoth begins to 
  revel in this newfound opportunity. So rarely has he ever 
  been presented with such a delicious challenge—and with 
  a priggish air, he's stepping up to the plate. 
  With living unseen servants acting as waiters, 
  Maddgoth stations his homunculus in the room as a 
  precaution. If the gray slaad from Area 33 is still alive, 
  it's here either invisible or in the form of Zartem, the old 
  man. If Maddgoth does not have his magical helm (see 
  Area 25B), he also stations the two nycaloths from Area 
  44 in here as well. The fiends remain invisible until a 
  conflict breaks out, but the adventurers might detect their 
  presence before that.  
  The killer wants to wine and dine his guests, to see what 
  makes them tick, to persuade them into acts or admissions 
  they'd never consider before. He's effectively playing 
  with his food. 
  A Toast! As described above, Maddgoth has attempted 
  to poison the wine by teleporting the Midnight Tears 
  poison into it. He then makes a big show of uncorking the 
  wine (brewed from cave fisher blood) so as to quash any 
  suspicion. After all glasses are filled, he proposes a toast 
  ("To the serendipity of our crossing! Might this night 
  bloom into eternal friendship forevermore!"). Any 
  creature that drinks their wine ingests the poison, the 
  effects of which are described below. Maddgoth relies on 
  either his magical helm or the antidote to avoid the 
  poison's effects. Creatures notice no immediate effects. 
   
   
  
   
  41 
  Midnight Tears. A creature that ingests this poison 
  suffers no effect until the stroke of midnight. If the poison 
  has not been neutralized before then, the creature must 
  succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 9d6 
  poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage 
  on a successful one.  
   
  29-32. GUEST ROOMS 
  Each room's bed can comfortably fit two guests. 
  Ship in a Bottle. Found in Area 30, this knick-knack 
  was once a fully manned longship. Halaster, determined 
  to furnish the castle, answered the prayers of the crew 
  when they were lost at sea. He offered to "bottle" them up 
  and bring them "home." They never could've guessed 
  what the Mad Mage actually meant. A legend lore spell 
  cast on the bottle reveals this. A DC 20 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check is necessary for a character to realize 
  that there are tiny bones littering the ship; the crew starved 
  to death.  
  Charred Victim. If a spell of speak with dead is cast 
  upon the charred skeleton found in Area 31, he reveals 
  himself to be a mage and poet by the name of Robert 
  Hellfrost who was lured to this castle by Maddgoth. 
  Maddgoth promised to take him on as an apprentice, 
  mighty as Robert already was. He awoke to Maddgoth 
  splashing oil on him and his bed and then setting it aflame 
  with a burning hands spell.  
  Brass Hookah. The brass hookah found in Area 32 is 
  treasured by Maddgoth; he likes to smoke with a guest the 
  night before he murders them. He often then sleeps in the 
  bed they were going to take, bringing the hookah there. 
  Sufficient pipeweed can be found in a case next to the 
  hookah. A DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check 
  reveals that the spots on the brass are scorch marks.  
   
  MADDGOTH'S DANCE 
  If the adventurers stay the night, they find themselves split 
  across the four guest rooms (Area 31's corpse has been 
  removed by then and the room cleaned). Fearing that his 
  first victim will be a screamer or alert their fellows by 
  magic, Maddgoth stations his minions outside the other 
  rooms (the gray slaad and the two nycaloths). His 
  homunculus roams around the hall, ready to lend its 
  strength where its necessary. It can communicate with 
  Maddgoth via its Telepathic Bond feature. Once all forces 
  are ready, he attacks. Maddgoth has the antidote on his 
  person.  
   
  33. SLAAD IN THE OCTOBASS 
  A massive octobass dominates this chamber—and in it 
  squirms something. A small hole has been made in the 
  instrument, and from it peers the face of an old man. 
  "You there! Help me, for the love of all gods, help me!" 
  the old man shouts, "Free me, before Maddgoth wakes!" 
   
  MADDGOTH'S DANCE 
  You have a few options on how to run this encounter. It 
  would be more beneficial to Maddgoth's Dance if 
  "Zartem" didn't attack the adventurers, thus preserving his 
  life until the slaad is needed as extra muscle for the 
  archmage. Alternatively, it attacks the adventurers and 
  flees when wounded, relying on its Regeneration trait to 
  heal its wounds. The slaad hits-and-runs until Maddgoth 
  arrives.  
  Civility. If "Zartem" holds back, it instead tries to score 
  sympathy with the adventurers. It's forbidden to leave the 
  castle by Maddgoth (who has its control gem). It'll make 
  a show of reaching the main entrance of the castle and 
  casting fly on itself and leaving the party's field of view 
  before going to the roof (A47). 
  Another Guest. If "Zartem" doesn't leave the castle, 
  Maddgoth returns in time to invite the adventurers to stay 
  for dinner. Zartem then becomes yet another guest but is 
  ready to aid Maddgoth in a moment's notice. When it 
  makes its first attack, the disguise sheds, revealing its true 
  appearance and nature. The adventurers will learn again 
  why they ought not trust anyone.  
  Adjust Maddgoth's Dance accordingly to account for 
  this additional guest. However, as the creature lacks 
  immunity or even resistance to poison damage, it's loathe 
  to drink the poisoned wine (see Area 27). Unfortunately, 
  it must obey Maddgoth's command and roll the dice later. 
  Characters can notice that "Zartem" is troubled or upset 
  with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check after the 
  wine is poured and during Maddgoth's toast.  
  34. MADDGOTH'S SUITE 
  From behind this door, emblazoned with a stained glass 
  "M," floats heavy snoring. Perhaps the lord of this castle? 
   
  34A. MASTER BEDROOM 
  No dust can be found in this room. Not on the massive 
  Dragonchess set nearby. Not on any of the six portraits of 
  a portly, smiling wizard. Not on the four-poster bed—the 
  one in which a hefty figure lies snoring.  
  Wands. Statistics for the flying swords have been 
  prepared (see "flying wands of magic missile" in 
  Appendix B). If they're activated, read the following: 
  The portraits suddenly change: smiles turn to scowls as 
  the wands clutched by that wizard spring into existence, 
  floating through the bedchamber. With a flick of its wrist, 
  each portrait causes the wands to unleash a barrage of 
  magic missiles!  
   
  36. RECORDS 
  If you have any arcane spellcasters in your party, or your 
  players have retired any from previous campaigns, you 
  can take the time to flatter them by having a detailed 
  dossier, written by Maddgoth, marking that spellcaster as 
  a "promising" target.  
   
  
   
  42 
  37. CONSOLE 
  This otherwise unremarkable chamber sports a strange 
  console. Three brass levers protrude from its side, the 
  outer two in the up-position, and the middle lies down. 
  Five brass buttons set into the dash just beg to be pushed. 
   
  MADDGOTH'S DANCE 
  The console can be utilized in various ways: 
  The Gracious Host. If the adventurers accept his dinner 
  proposal, Maddgoth turns on the interior lights (middle 
  lever) and plays music (Button 1). Choose your favored 
  orchestral music, playing it for your table.  
  Eternal Sleep. If the adventurers try to escape 
  Maddgoth's castle, such as by refusing his invitation to 
  stay or by sneaking out in the middle of the night, 
  Maddgoth or one of his minions locks down the castle (via 
  Button 4). He then floods the castle with fog (Button 3). 
  If he needs to confront the party head on, he has Button 2 
  pressed, teleporting all creatures (including his minions) 
  to the roof, Area 47.  
  The Stone Giants. This level suffers from a disconnect 
  between its factions. What occurs in the castle has little 
  effect on the giants and vice versa. Here's a simple fix to 
  bring them into the climax: with the interior lights on, the 
  giants can now see the castle. Qurrok in particular wants 
  to investigate it but finds himself repulsed by the mithral 
  spindle. He then resorts to the traditional stone giant 
  solution: hurling rocks. Qurrok hurls boulders at the 
  castle; even with the shrinking magic, the momentum is 
  not lost, and the boulder deals its usual damage (see Area 
  47 for more details). 
  While the castle is impervious to damage, this siege has 
  the added benefit of distracting the residents, including 
  Maddgoth if you run Maddgoth's Dance. The adventurers 
  may be able to seize on this opportunity to escape or 
  snatch the antidote. 
   
  43. OTTO'S DEN 
  See Area 25A for roleplaying the homunculus. 
   
  BREAKING THE AMNESIA 
  As described under "The Stone Giants" above, there may 
  exist a solution to their amnesia. If you decide one exists, 
  it's here in the form of five spell scrolls of mind blank. 
  Bards and wizards can use these scrolls to break Halaster's 
  magic. If the character cannot normally cast 8th-level 
  spells, then they must make a DC 18 ability check using 
  their spellcasting ability, otherwise the spell fails.  
  Alas, there are only five scrolls and six giants. Which 
  one will they choose to live a life cursed with amnesia? 
  Which other five will be condemned to caring for that fool 
  for the rest of their lives? 
   
  44. WIZARD'S ARMORY 
  A window to this chamber has been made: one of the 
  door's glass panes have been punched through, allowing 
  you a peek inside. Two bats flutter about in the gloom. A 
  framed scroll sits behind a pane of glass, the plaque of 
  which reads "Break glass in case of emergency." 
  If released, these fiends can turn the castle into a 
  nightmare. Nycaloths are infamous for striking from the 
  shadows then teleporting away before their foes have a 
  chance to retaliate. A pair can wreak havoc on the party, 
  engaging in a deadly hit-and-run.  
  Roleplaying the Nycaloths. Nycaloths are the most 
  loyal of their kind, and these two are no different. Yzig 
  and Gorzog not only respect Maddgoth, but enjoy his 
  employment. They especially enjoy his operatic illusions 
  whenever he visits, each detailing his newest kill. As 
  ageless creatures, the nycaloths have an overabundance of 
  patience and can weather the monotony of this room for 
  eons to come.  
   
  MADDGOTH'S DANCE  
  Maddgoth relies on the fiends for various purposes: 
  Retrieving the Helm. If his helm has been taken, he 
  releases the fiends to steal it back, who utilize their 
  teleportation magic to come in, rip off the helm, and 
  teleport away.  
  Eternal Sleep. If Maddgoth's Dance progresses to Act 
  III, the archmage releases the nycaloths and positions 
  them outside the guest rooms to attack intervening 
  characters.  
  Rooftop Battle. If necessary, Maddgoth uses the 
  Console in Area 37 to teleport all creatures to the rooftop, 
  which includes the nycaloths.  
   
  45. ALCHEMIST'S LABORATORY 
  The laboratory is a scattered mess. Alchemical equipment 
  teeters atop their tables, threatening to crash and fall. The 
  slightest wind could turn this place into a glass orchestra. 
   
  MADDGOTH'S DANCE: BEFORE THE MEAL 
  Amongst the cluttered equipment, a small, velvet-lined 
  wooden case holds a vial of Midnight Tears, a powerful 
  poison whose effects are described below. The antidote is 
  included as well in the form of a smaller vial. Maddgoth 
  intends to use this poison to eliminate the adventurers 
  during dinner. Both vials are enough to poison and cure 
  five creatures. Maddgoth uses locate object to find the 
  case. 
  A character that spends ten minutes searching through 
  the cluttered library can make a DC 18 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check to notice the box, which is underneath 
  the refuse strewn across the floor. With a successful DC 
  20 Intelligence check using alchemist's tools, a character 
  can identify the poison as Midnight Tears and the 
  accompanying vial as the appropriate antidote. 
  
   
  43 
  Midnight Tears. A creature that ingests this poison 
  suffers no effect until the stroke of midnight. If the poison 
  has not been neutralized before then, the creature must 
  succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 9d6 
  poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage 
  on a successful one.  
  Plan B. If the poison is gone, Maddgoth's plan 
  continues without the assurance of an easy kill at 
  midnight. He settles for tackling the adventurers with his 
  minions and magic instead. 
   
  46. MADDGOTH'S THRONE 
  A monstrous throne of iron and stained glass commands 
  this chamber, its clawed armrests groping out for some 
  unseen prize. Laid before that throne is a rug—fifteen feet 
  in diameter—bearing the image of a large gaping maw. 
   
  MADDGOTH'S DANCE: AFTER DINNER 
  The killer wants his cake and to eat it too. It's not enough 
  to just strike at midnight; Maddgoth wants to send his 
  guests off to bed drenched in dread. So, after dinner is 
  served, Maddgoth invites the party to join him for some 
  after-dinner entertainment. Khodnar conveniently retires 
  for the evening, exhausted from travel, and thus sparing 
  him from the knowledge that his host is a serial killer. 
  Assuming the party joins him, Maddgoth sits atop his 
  throne and weaves an operatic illusion—a highlights reel 
  of his career as a killer of magi. After every image fades, 
  Halaster Blackcloak's visage flashes across the illusion, 
  so fast to be almost imperceptible, suggesting that 
  Maddgoth's ultimate target is the Mad Mage. 
  Maddgoth's Backup. Maddgoth enters the room with 
  his homunculus in-tow. The gray slaad stands invisibly 
  in a corner, ready to defend its master. If attacked without 
  his helm on, Maddgoth casts misty step to escape while 
  his minions guard his retreat. He then goes to Area 44 to 
  free the nycaloths. 
  Confrontation. If confronted on these kills, Maddgoth 
  assures the party that they all had it coming—he paints 
  himself as the victim faced with countless adversaries. 
  Read the following: 
  Smiling from his throne, Maddgoth tells you, "Power, you 
  see, is a ladder. Every rung can only be climbed over the 
  corpse of a rival. I never sought out conflict. Conflict 
  sought me out. My rivals and I… came to an impasse. 
  They grew without my consent. And like a gardener 
  encountering weeds, I laid my shears to the green and…" 
  Maddgoth makes a cutting gesture. 
  If the adventurers remain passive, Maddgoth finishes his 
  operatic illusion and invites the party to stay the night. If 
  they refuse, he acquiesces—but secretly goes to Area 37 
  to shut down the castle (see the Console sidebar). 
   
  47. ROOF AND BATTLEMENTS 
  The cavern ceiling yawns above, an impenetrable 
  darkness that, seemingly, stretches on forever—like the 
  ocean on a moonless night.  
   
  MADDGOTH'S DANCE 
  If necessary, Maddgoth himself or a minion presses the 
  button on the Console (see Area 37) to teleport all 
  creatures to the roof. This includes his minions. Maddgoth 
  makes this the stage of his last attempt to kill the 
  adventurers. 
  The Stone Giants. As described in Area 37, turning the 
  castle's interior lights on allows the giants to see the 
  castle. Qurrok, after failing to scale the mithral spindle, 
  resorts to his favored solution: hurling rocks. He throws 
  boulders at the castle, which are shrunk by the spindle's 
  magic. The momentum, however, is not lost, and the 
  boulder deals its normal damage (using the stone giant's 
  Rock attack). The attack, however, is made with 
  disadvantage. While wearing his helm, if Maddgoth is 
  struck and fails his Strength saving throw, he's impervious 
  to the damage but is pinned underneath the boulder until 
  the start of his next turn. This gives the adventurers an 
  opportunity to rip off his helm or snatch the antidote.  
   
  SPECIAL EVENTS 
  You can run any of the following events on this level, and 
  should, for otherwise, the level is quite bereft of content.  
   
  MASTER'S HOME 
  The castle shudders with an unseen force. Soft thunder 
  echoes out from the heart of the courtyard and a pale 
  brilliance lights up the halls for just a moment. Someone's 
  come to the castle. Its master, perhaps? 
  The timing of this event is up to your discretion. Ideally, 
  it occurs as the party is either cornered by Otto or vice 
  versa; or after a short or long rest, and only after they've 
  discovered the following areas Areas 25B, 31 and 46, for 
  each foreshadow Maddgoth and his murderous ways: 
  Maddgoth's return instantly turns on all the interior 
  lights in the castle, if they aren't on already, as if the 
  middle lever of the Console (Area 37) was pulled. The 
  homunculus cracks a grin and literally jumps with joy; 
  Otto cowers in fear like a child whose mother is about to 
  discover the mess he made.  
  Maddgoth and Khodnar loudly discuss their evening 
  plans. If he sees signs of intruders, Maddgoth does not let 
  his surprise show and acts with an air of confidence. The 
  archmage's first order of business is retrieving his helm 
  from Area 25B (see Maddgoth's helm in Appendix A) and 
  then gets his house in order.  
   
   
   
  
   
  44 
  THE GENTLEMEN BASTARDS PASS THROUGH 
  An adventuring party passes through Level 7 by means of 
  the tunnels leading to the Expanded Dungeon. This 
  encounter foreshadows an event written into the next 
  chapter of the Companion, in which the very same party 
  has been captured by the Ssethian Scourges and the 
  Blacktongue bullywug tribe of Level 8.  
  The adventurers call themselves "The Gentlemen 
  Bastards." They've braved many parts of Undermountain, 
  encountering strange and perilous places outside the 
  players' usual route. They have no interest in exploring 
  Maddgoth's castle or taking on additional members (out 
  of a well-earned fear of theft or betrayal). They likewise 
  have no interest in fighting the stone giants, lest they be 
  flattened like pancakes. Their only goal is to reach the 
  next level of Undermountain, hoping for more riches.  
  Despite their wishes, the Gentlemen Bastards run afoul 
  of the stone giants. The players might intervene, 
  otherwise they're forced to kill Gravillok. When they 
  encounter the players, they treat them cordially all while 
  trying to find their exit. The Bastards have been burned 
  before by other adventurers and try to avoid them. 
  Eventually, the Bastards conveniently find a path while 
  "off-screen" by using the Expanded Dungeon tunnels. 
  Thus, the players can't piggyback off their success. 
  The Gentlemen Bastards are detailed below; their 
  statistics are included in Appendix B. Ultimately, they are 
  a cautious folk that never enter into a fight they aren't sure 
  of winning. They're largely neutral and self-serving. They 
  aren't without compassion or civility, however.  
  Grel Momesk. A LN human champion, Grel seeks the 
  riches necessary to lift his family out of poverty. He leads 
  the Bastards, often to his own peril. The Bastards, for their 
  part, tolerate his occasional mistakes and fragile 
  temperament.  
  Jocelyn of Daggerford. A NE human warlock of the 
  archfey, Jocelyn serves the Queen of Air and Darkness. 
  Hers is a quest to discover "the secrets" of Undermountain 
  (namely, the Knot in the Weave, described in DotMM's 
  Overview chapter). She was once a member of the Fine 
  Fellows of Daggerford (see L2) but was kicked out for 
  being too "unsettling."  
  Perlos. A NE halfling assassin, Perlos is a wanted man 
  in Waterdeep, Baldur's Gate, and Neverwinter. The name 
  attached to his various crimes varies. He joined up with 
  the Bastards to escape his life of contract killing in the 
  hope of retiring to the countryside a rich man. At night, 
  he's haunted by those he's slain for coin.  
  Ilinar. Devoted to the elven god of war, Shevarash, this 
  NG moon elf war priest is a veteran of several conflicts. 
  After years of serving in the Waterdeep City Guard, he 
  found employment as a mercenary. He eventually gave 
  that up too before finally setting out as an adventurer. 
  Ilinar is crass and impatient. His holy symbol bears a 
  broken arrow over a single teardrop.  
  EPILOGUE 
  Once the adventurers finish this level, they should ascend 
  to 10th-level, gods help your campaign.   
  Use either of the two narrations to cap-off your session; 
  both assume Maddgoth's Dance was run and that the 
  archmage survived.  
  Maddgoth's Dance. If you ran Maddgoth's Dance and 
  the archmage survived, he finds himself not filled with 
  rage or slighted by the adventurers' audacity but instead 
  curious. More curious than he's ever been—especially if 
  one of the surviving characters was an arcane spellcaster. 
  Once the intruders leave his castle, Maddgoth returns to 
  his records room (Area 36) to write or update the dossier 
  detailing this up-and-coming spellcaster. The serial killer 
  resolves to keep a close eye on his new target, determined 
  to meet them again one day without the protection of their 
  peers.  
   
  STANDARD SEND-OFF 
  Truth can be stranger than fiction and the tale you could 
  tell would be regarded as fantasy. A castle well-below the 
  earth, cocooned in shrinking magic. A hefty wizard who 
  has stalked and slain countless magi. Giants cursed with 
  amnesia and tortured by one jackass of a faerie dragon. 
  Gods above, there's no tavern on this earth you can tell 
  this tale in and still earn a coin. No bard would ever share 
  this tale, and no listener would ever believe it. 
  All in all, it's just another day in the dungeon of the Mad 
  Mage.  
   
  THE HOST'S SEND-OFF 
  The Mad Mage again, his voice dancing inside your 
  heads. You can hear the sneer on his lips: 
  "Guests, as I said, are overrated. Only a fool deigns to 
  play host, just as only a fool dares to enter a lord's sanctum 
  of power. Our contestants tonight were hardly the first to 
  find themselves facing Maddgoth. Maddgoth, whose kills 
  are innumerable, whose hunger can never be satisfied. 
  They were hardly the first but are surely one of the first to 
  leave this castle alive. How often now have they danced 
  away from the brink of death? How many more times can 
  they prevail in the face of adversity? 
  "Find out next week on Dungeon of the Mad Mage as 
  these poor fools plod through the squalor and muck and 
  brine of Slitherswamp." 
  Additionally, after Halaster ends tonight's "show" he then 
  contacts the adventurers once more to admit to the 
  adventurers that he too is a target of Maddgoth. Read the 
  following: 
  After a brief moment, the Mad Mage's voice comes to you 
  again. "Yeah, that guy's been trying to get me into that 
  castle for years. Thinks I don't know what he does with 
  other wizards. Sheesh. Some folks, right?" 
  
   
  45 
  LEVEL VIII: SLITHERSWAMP 
  Slitherswamp is an exploratory level with immense 
  potential as a narrative-driven chapter if we can achieve 
  one, if not both, of the following events, described below. 
  Do everything short of railroading your players to set 
  these events in motion because, otherwise, the 
  adventurers might as well pass through this level for the 
  next, albeit without its experience or loot.  
  Out from Under the Rod involves the adventurers 
  falling prey to the nagas' rod of rulership. If they all 
  succeed on their saving throw and escape, the event 
  ceases unless the naga succeed on the next attempt. 
  The Blacktongue Breakout involves the party being 
  rounded up by the bullywugs. Kuketh, the death slaad 
  overlord is joined by a blue slaad servant which will 
  infect prisoners with chaos phage, potentially turning the 
  adventurers into red slaadi. Kuketh hopes to use these 
  new brethren to defeat the Ssethian Scourges.  
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  • 
  Something's amiss with the rod of rulership. If it can 
  only be used each dawn and its effects are magically 
  increased to 12 hours (up from 8) when in the hands 
  of the nagas, then the only possible explanation is that 
  both must be alive to increase the duration to 24 
  hours. Thus, if one is slain, the remaining naga 
  struggles to hold onto its thralls at least until its 
  brother is reborn 1d6 days later.  
  • 
  The northern half of Slitherswamp is bullywug 
  territory; the west lies unclaimed; and the south is 
  dominated by the Ssethian Scourges.  
  • 
  A gate back to L6 can be found in A3. This is 
  noteworthy because the party can take a gate on L6 to 
  L2 and quickly get out of the dungeon—giving them 
  a fighting chance of curing their chaos phage if 
  infected in The Blacktongue Breakout event.  
  • 
  Kuketh's seat of power is Area 19, the Yuan-ti 
  Temple. He can be placed there or his private sanctum 
  of Area 21.  
  • 
  You can run both Out from Under the Rod and The 
  Blacktongue Breakout simply by changing gears. If 
  the party is captured by bullywugs while charmed by 
  the rod of rulership, the enchantment wears off in Act 
  II of BB. If the party completes BB, they may still be 
  enthralled by the nagas.  
   
  THE GENTLEMEN BASTARDS 
  Added by the Companion in both Halaster's Game and 
  Level 7: Maddgoth's Castle, the Bastards are an 
  adventuring party that the players may already be familiar 
  with. They're utilized for both events of this chapter. If 
  they were already slain for some reason in your campaign, 
  adjust accordingly.  
  The Bastards' leader, Grel Momesk, is featured in the 
  Out from Under the Rod event. The remaining three are 
  captives of the bullywugs and are met during The 
  Blacktongue Breakout event.  
  The Bastards. The Gentlemen Bastards are cautious 
  opportunists who only enter fights they're sure they'll win. 
  While Grel Momesk and Ilinar are alive, the Bastards tend 
  to lean towards NG. However, without Grel, Jocelyn of 
  Daggerford quickly pushes the remaining Bastards 
  towards evil. 
  See The Gentlemen Bastards Pass Through of Level 7's 
  Special Events above for descriptions of the Bastards.  
  Fate 
  of 
  the 
  Bastards. 
  When 
  they 
  reached 
  Slitherswamp, the Bastards fell prey to the Blacktongue 
  bullywugs. Three—Jocelyn, Perlos, and Ilinar—were 
  paralyzed and dragged off. While plotting their rescue, 
  Grel Momesk was ambushed by the Ssethian Scourges 
  and subjected to the rod of rulership. 
  Out from Under the Rod. Grel Momesk is utilized in 
  this event, serving as a mouthpiece the adventurers will 
  hopefully trust, thus luring them into the Ssethian 
  Scourges' trap. Like other thralls, Grel refers to the nagas 
  as "thine lords." If freed from the spell, Grel aids the 
  adventurers in their endeavors. He will not, however, 
  leave Slitherswamp without the remaining Bastards. 
  The Blacktongue Breakout. The remaining Bastards 
  are being subjected to Kuketh's plot to turn them into 
  slaadi. Once freed, it's highly likely that the Bastards turn 
  on the adventurers in an event reminiscent of the 
  Zul'Farrak ziggurat encounter of World of Warcraft. See 
  Act III of The Blacktongue Breakout below.  
   
  OUT FROM UNDER THE ROD 
  Out from Under the Rod (hereafter "OUR") sets the 
  adventurers up to be enslaved by the Ssethian Scourges. 
  The deceitful serpents lure the party to their lair when—
  surprise, surprise—the rod of rulership recharges. In one 
  fell swoop, the nagas refresh the duration of their spell on 
  existing thralls and attempt to loop in these adventurers as 
  well. The Ssethian Scourges inevitably intend to sic the 
  adventurers and their forces on the bullywugs. 
  Here's the kicker, though: each player must roll their 
  DC 15 Wisdom saving throw in secret. They're not meant 
  to know which of their comrades fell prey to the rod's 
  influence. Three outcomes are possible: 
  All Fall. If all players fail their Wisdom save, you can 
  inform them of this fact.  
  Split Sympathies. This is the most desirable outcome, 
  narratively. Half or more of the party is charmed by the 
  nagas and those that weren't must pretend to be under that 
  spell too, lest they be imprisoned by the Ssethian 
  Scourges' thralls. 
  
   
  46 
  Strong of Mind. All players succeed on their save. They 
  might pretend to be enslaved up until they can escape, but 
  they'll find few opportunities, for the nagas intend to send 
  all their forces to wipe out the Blacktongue bullywug 
  tribe. 
   
  THE PASSAGE OF TIME 
  OUR can last several days, even weeks, if the adventurers 
  continue to be charmed by the rod of rulership. You don't 
  need to spend too much time at the table devoted to this. 
  Simply describe the day's task, give characters that aren't 
  charmed a chance to escape or force their allies to 
  abandon their post, and then skip to the next dawn where 
  all thralls are subjected to the rod once again. There is 
  immense roleplay opportunity here as characters watch 
  their comrades fall prey to the rod's influence.  
  The characters are fed while in the nagas' grip. Their 
  rations (along with any other useful gear) however, are 
  taken and added to the collective supplies. Thus, even if 
  they escape, they'll have to recover their stolen 
  possessions or find replacements. 
   
  ACT I: KNEEL OR DIE 
  All thralls of the Ssethian Scourges have orders to bring 
  new potential thralls to their lair in A15. Thus, if the 
  thralls discover the party, such as in A11, they first 
  attempt diplomacy and resort to violence only if the 
  invitation to the naga lair is refused. What better way to 
  lure new, unsuspecting slaves than by simply inviting 
  them in?  
  If the adventurers agree, a thrall escorts them through 
  the south towards A15.  
  Foreshadowing. Like all great stories, this one needs 
  foreshadowing. The party can discover the nagas' intent 
  by scrutinizing any thrall while under a spell of detect 
  magic (charmed characters radiate enchantment magic); 
  or by visiting A13, wherein they find the drow Xirk 
  Dezepti'il in chains. He's more than willing to shed light 
  on what's going on in return for his freedom.  
  Fool Me Once… Characters that ostensibly resist the 
  rod of rulership are imprisoned in A13 alongside Xirk 
  Dezepti'il until the next dawn, when the nagas try again to 
  influence them with the rod.  
   
  1. STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED 
  The adventurers come across thralls of the Ssethian 
  Scourges who offer refuge in "the homestead." They can 
  be encountered at Area 11, otherwise it’s a patrol that the 
  party finds. This patrol consists of two drow elite 
  warriors, a duergar named Spraigen, and—if you 
  include the Gentlemen Bastards—a human champion 
  named Grel Momesk, whom the party might recognize 
  from Level 7 or past dealings in Undermountain.  
  You catch more flies with honey—and so the thralls 
  aren't hostile. They use a variation of the following 
  language to invite outsiders to their masters' lair, which 
  they describe as a "homestead" where travelers can find 
  safe harbor from the "frogfolk aggressors."  
  "Halt! If you understand this tongue, then declare 
  yourselves! Our lords offer safe harbor to men of peace—
  and death to all others!" 
  Grel Momesk. The leader of the Gentlemen Bastards has 
  fallen prey to the rod of rulership. He might recognize the 
  adventurers from the upper levels of Undermountain or 
  perhaps from days in The Yawning Portal of Waterdeep. 
  Grel assuages any concerns the adventurers might have. 
  If asked about his compatriots, he informs them they've 
  been captured by the Blacktongue bullywug tribe. "We're 
  working tirelessly to save them," Grel assures the 
  adventurers. "Our lords are devising a plan to save them 
  from Blacktongue Isle. We must simply be patient and 
  holdfast." 
   
  2. FROGFOLK NOT WANTED 
  Along the way to Area 15, the party and their escort are 
  attacked by a force of 2d4 + 2 bullywugs; two are astride 
  giant toads. The escort, if they survive, explains the dire 
  war between the bullywugs and the Ssethian Scourges—
  thus perhaps convincing the party that they're on the side 
  of righteousness.  
  The escort uses a variation of this language: 
  "Damned frogmen. Their overlord has launched a crusade 
  to claim these caverns as his and his alone. 'The Lord of 
  Fetid Obliteration' the frogfolk, call him—'Yurk 
  Y'blorkflug' in their primitive tongue. Our lords are 
  determined to hold fast against these raiders. Quickly! 
  Before more come, let us get to the homestead." 
   
  3. PRESENT THYSELVES IN THIS GILDED HALL 
  The adventurers are brought to Area 15 either by 
  invitation or by force. Therein, the nagas run out the clock 
  until the rod of rulership is ready again. As the 
  adventurers converse with (or battle) the serpents, the 
  remaining thralls all enter the cavern—the nagas' then 
  immediately use the rod, subjecting all creatures to a DC 
  15 Wisdom saving throw.  
  See Area 15 in Areas of Note for details on this event. 
  If all or some of the party falls prey to the rod of rulership, 
  they progress into Act II.  
   
  ACT II: UNDER THE ROD 
  If any adventurers fall prey to the rod of rulership's 
  influence, they progress into this Act. The party, like other 
  thralls, are assigned various tasks for the day, which you 
  can determine with the table above. Their first task, 
  however, is to apprehend a Dweomercore mage (see Oh, 
  Sweet, Sweet Karstis below).  
  Ultimately, this act should be handled with various 
  episodes of roleplaying and intermittent attacks by or on 
  the Blacktongue bullywugs (which could even just be 
  narrated to save time at your table).  
   
  
   
  47 
  UNDER THE ROD: DAILY ASSIGNMENTS 
  d6 Task 
  1 
  Watch duty in A11 (25% chance newcomers arrive) 
  2 
  Fishing in A12 (25% chance of a crocodile attack) 
  3 
  Wrest A9 back from 3d4+2 bullywugs 
  4 
  Scrub the bone naga of A16 
  5 
  Gardening in A14 
  6 
  Patrol A17 (25% chance of a skirmish with 2d8+3 bullywugs; 
  10% chance of facing Kuketh's hydra) 
   
  Splitting the Party. Fearing that the adventurers may 
  have resisted the rod, the nagas never allow the entire 
  party to remain together and split them up across different 
  tasks each day.  
  Breaking Free. Even if you fast forward through this 
  act, have the players roll every dawn to resist the rod of 
  rulership, abiding by the same concept the first time: all 
  players roll in secret. Free characters may also try to 
  convince or force a charmed character to abandon their 
  post.  
  Newcomers. The adventurers have orders to send all 
  newcomers of Slitherswamp to Area 15 to experience the 
  same fate as they did—and would it not be interesting for 
  the players to condemn these other characters to their own 
  fate?  
   
  1. OH, SWEET, SWEET KARSTIS 
  Shortly before the adventurers arrived, the nagas became 
  aware 
  of 
  a 
  Dweomercore 
  mage's 
  presence 
  in 
  Slitherswamp. Now, with the adventurers in tow, the 
  nagas send them, along with Grel Momesk, to apprehend 
  Karstis in Area 8. The Ssethian Scourges want him alive 
  and in one piece, so as to add his firepower to theirs. See 
  Area 8 for details. 
  If Karstis is slain or escapes, the nagas have a thrall 
  scourge the adventurers with a whip as punishment (three 
  lashes, each dealing 1d4+2 slashing damage; the hits 
  automatically succeed). This corporal punishment does 
  not end the adventurers' charmed condition, however—as 
  they "deserve" it. 
   
  2. GREL BREAKS FREE 
  On the third day of the party's capture, Grel Momesk 
  resists the rod of rulership. Now equipped with his full 
  faculties, he knows it's now-or-never to escape. 
  Unfortunately, he knows he cannot hope to save his 
  comrades 
  from 
  the 
  Blacktongue 
  tribe 
  without 
  reinforcements. He tries in vain to snap any of the 
  adventurers out of their condition.  
  The time and place of this confrontation is up to you, 
  but can be determined by the party members' assigned 
  tasks for the day. It's random whether Grel is placed with 
  a charmed character or a character masquerading as a 
  thrall. Any charmed adventurer finds themselves 
  compelled to report Grel's free will to the Ssethian 
  Scourges.  
   
   
  ACT III: THY LORDS' WILL BE DONE 
  Determined to wipe out the Blacktongue bullywug tribe, 
  the Ssethian Scourges send most of their thralls to assault 
  Blacktongue Isle, A20. This force includes the 
  adventurers and is led by Grel Momesk, if he yet fell prey 
  to the rod again; the nagas have capitalized on Grel's 
  burning need to rescue his comrades.  
  If some or all of the adventurers are free from the rod's 
  influence, now's an ample time to slip away and abandon 
  Slitherswamp or return to attack the Ssethian Scourges 
  while their main force is away. If the adventurers return 
  to the spirit nagas' lairs, assume that they're guarded by 
  two trolls and 1d4+3 duergar, including Agorra 
  Duskaxe, if she's alive.  
  The nagas' orders are brutally simple: all must die. It's 
  not enough to simply massacre the fighting men or 
  assassinate the bullywugs' king. Nay, the Ssethian 
  Scourges demand that the hovels be torched, the young 
  slain—yes, even the tadpoles and the eggs too—and 
  Kuketh's head be brought back. Unbeknownst to the 
  nagas, Kuketh has a hydra that obeys its beck and call.  
  When the Ssethian Scourges' forces storm Blacktongue 
  Isle, run your choice of Mass Combat rules or simply have 
  these forces entangle most of the bullywugs while the 
  adventurers slip by. The forces sent along with the 
  adventurers are listed below; the nagas do not accompany 
  these forces.  
  • Grel Momesk, a human champion 
  • 2d8+2 drow along with three drow elite warriors.  
   
  Once the mission is accomplished, the adventurers are 
  still beholden to the Ssethian Scourges until at last they 
  can free themselves from the rod of rulership. When that 
  day comes, they'll have to fight through the nagas' thralls.  
   
  THE BLACKTONGUE BREAKOUT 
  The Blacktongue Breakout (hereafter "BB") spans two 
  days, if not more. It involves Kuketh, the death slaad 
  overlord taking the adventurers hostage and infecting 
  them with chaos phage by its blue slaad servant's claws. 
  This servant, Hyin, is added by this supplement.  
  Hyin's Touch. As described in the Slaad entry of the 
  Monster Manual, slaad reproduce through horrific means: 
  either by insertion of a slaad tadpole or by an otherworldly 
  disease called chaos phage. As a blue slaad, Hyin can 
  create more slaad through the latter method.  
  Chaos Phage. As described in the blue slaad statblock 
  of Appendix B, a humanoid hit by a blue slaad's Claw 
  attack must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or 
  become infected with chaos phage. While diseased, the 
  humanoid can't regain hit points and its hit point 
  maximum is reduced by 10 (3d6) every 24 hours. If the 
  disease reduces the target's hit point maximum to 0, the 
  target instantly transforms into a red slaad, or, if it has the 
  ability to cast 3rd-level or higher spells, a green slaad. 
  Only a wish spell can reverse the transformation.  
  
   
  48 
  ACT I. AMBUSHED! 
  The adventurers are ambushed by a staggering force of 
  bullywugs, likely while taking a long rest in Area 5 or 
  triggering a trap (which can be placed anywhere; see A17 
  in Areas of Note for details on these traps). A force of 
  1d8+4 bullywugs quickly appear to surround the 
  adventurers, relying on carrion crawler mucus to 
  incapacitate characters that are still able.  
  Once the adventurers are captured, the bullywugs lead 
  them to Area 19, leaving them in the Apse of the Temple, 
  under the watchful gaze of Torbit, the bullywug assassin.  
  The Gentlemen Bastards. The adventurers might be 
  surprised to learn that they're not the only captives of the 
  frogfolk. Jocelyn, Perlos, and Ilinar of the Bastards are 
  imprisoned here as well. They each have two levels of 
  exhaustion. They can be spoken to and have limited 
  information of Slitherswamp. Two days ago, they too 
  were ambushed by the bullywugs, but Grel Momesk 
  ("that titan of a man," Ilinar says) resisted the poison, 
  burst from his bonds, and swore to rescue them). Both 
  Perlos and Ilinar have faith in Grel, but not Jocelyn; she's 
  fallen to poisonous doubt.  
   
  ACT II. KUKETH'S GAMBIT 
  Act II oversees the adventurers' imprisonment in Area 19 
  and their eventual escape. Given that the party are 10th 
  level adventurers, some drastic measures are necessary to 
  actually detain them. Thus, this act is divided into scenes, 
  detailed below. During a scene, characters can attempt to 
  break free of their bonds or resist effects; otherwise, 
  handwave and narrate the passing hours and days, giving 
  them the opportunity to speak with each other.  
  To keep the adventurers imprisoned, the bullywugs 
  employ the following precautions: 
  Paralysis. The adventurers are fed a constant supply of 
  carrion crawler mucus, applied directly to their cuts or 
  deposited on their tongues. During a scene, a character 
  can attempt a DC 13 Constitution saving throw to end 
  their paralysis. 
  Manacles. The bullywugs scoured manacles from Area 
  13, the Detention Cave. To break free or slip out of the 
  manacles requires a DC 20 Strength or Dexterity check, 
  respectively. To unlock them requires a DC 15 Dexterity 
  check using thieves' tools. Additionally, the manacles 
  have 15 hit points. 
  Gagged. If it becomes apparent that some characters are 
  spellcasters, the bullywugs stuff grimy rags, muddy flora 
  or even dead frogs in those characters' mouths so as to rob 
  them of Verbal components.  
  Disarmed. In case the adventurers do manage to escape, 
  their gear has been moved to Area 19C, hidden behind the 
  statues in the corners.  
  Remember, allow checks and escape attempts only 
  during scenes for the sake of narrative. The adventurers 
  are drained from beatings, paralysis, and a long march 
  through Slitherswamp (even if their hit points remain 
  unchanged).  
   
  1. AN AUDIENCE WITH THE KING 
  After the adventurers are captured by the bullywugs, 
  Kuketh, the death slaad overlord arrives to Area 19 with 
  Hyin, its blue slaad servant (who appears in the form of 
  a blue-colored bullywug). Once alone, the slaadi drop 
  their guises and speak telepathically to the prisoners to 
  inform them of what's to come. 
  As the scene unfolds, first have each prisoner repeat 
  their DC 13 Constitution saving throw against carrion 
  crawler mucus. Then allow other checks to break free 
  from their bonds.  
  When the slaadi first enter the temple, read: 
  There's a commotion outside—you can hear the frogfolk 
  chattering. They sound worried, frightened. What, you 
  wonder, could throw them into such a frenzy? 
  The moments pass slowly, lapsing into silence—until 
  all at once, a dozen creatures shout, "Yurk Y'blorkflug! 
  Y'borkflug! Y'borkflug!"  
  Frogfolk wade through water, approaching your 
  chamber. Two bullywugs flanked by guards enter, one 
  mottled in grey spots, the other dark blue. You can 
  quickly ascertain that this grey bullywug is respected, or 
  feared, by its disciples. Perhaps it's their chieftain.  
  Kuketh, with Hyin in tow, have come to inspect the 
  newest prisoners. It quickly dismisses its guards and turns 
  its telepathy on the adventurers. Read: 
  A voice slithers into your mind—not the Mad Mage, for 
  once, but something much fouler, something reeking with 
  savagery, and wet with rage: 
  "You will be mine. My sons, my daughters, my kith and 
  kin. Pain first, centuries-worth of pain, but at the end… 
  Liberation. Transcendence. Together we shall conquer as 
  slaadi are meant to; I will teach you the legacy of my 
  people. Your people." 
  The grey bullywug grins, its face stretching impossibly 
  far. With a hand, it dismisses its guards—and as soon as 
  they're gone, the illusion disguising it shimmers away to 
  reveal its true form: a froglike behemoth of black, mottled 
  skin with a rash of stony spikes across its wet flesh.  
  The adventurers may attempt to escape then and there, 
  following the same guidelines as above. Kuketh, 
  however, can quickly subdue the prisoners with a fear 
  spell (or, failing that, using its greatsword). The slaad 
  values its life well over its plan to create more slaadi and 
  isn't afraid of murdering this batch of prisoners and 
  starting over. It's confident that it can hold out until more 
  men are captured by the bullywugs.  
   
   
  
   
  49 
  Infection. While chained, Hyin scratches each of the 
  characters. See the blue slaad Claw attack for details; 
  each character must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution 
  saving throw or be infected with chaos phage. Have the 
  players all roll in secret and don't inform them of the DC. 
  Preserve the suspense—you don't even want them 
  knowing if chaos phage is a disease or curse. The slaadi, 
  likewise, have no idea if their prisoners resisted infection 
  and leave satisfied.  
  Aftermath. Kuketh and Hyin leave the temple under the 
  watchful gaze of Torbit, the bullywug assassin described 
  in Area 19 of DotMM. The prisoners are free to plot their 
  escape or theorize what creatures they're dealing with. A 
  DC 16 Intelligence (Arcana) check is enough to identify 
  them as slaadi, and to recall the foul means of 
  reproduction the creatures employ.  
   
  2. ESCAPE FROM THE TEMPLE OF SSETH 
  This event begins the next day, giving characters the 
  chance to finish a long rest—though those infected with 
  chaos phage cannot regain hit points. By now, a character 
  can sense the disease raging within them. 
  As the chaos phage festers within its prisoners, Kuketh 
  prepares for a grand parade of sorts that it hopes will 
  galvanize the tribe. The Yuan-ti Temple (Area 19) is 
  staffed by dozens of bullywugs in anticipation of the death 
  slaad's arrival. The most opportune moment to escape 
  occurs during a changing of the guard. The adventurers, 
  alongside the Gentlemen Bastards, must survive wave 
  assaults until the opportunity to escape presents itself. 
  Ultimately, however, Kuketh and its hydra arrive, 
  serving as the final encounter. See A19 in Areas of Note 
  for details on this event.  
  This event can be a deadly encounter. It features four 
  waves of combatants, including several bullywugs, a blue 
  slaad, an assassin, and finally facing Kuketh and its 
  hydra. It is vital that the Gentlemen Bastards are not 
  forgotten in combat, as their firepower is necessary to 
  survive. Additionally, characters must seek a cure to their 
  chaos phage immediately, lest healing magic fail to aid 
  them.  
   
  ACT III. BETRAYAL! 
  After winning their freedom from the Blacktongue 
  bullywugs, the Gentlemen Bastards are pushed into 
  turning on the adventurers for one of the reasons outlined 
  below. The location this Act occurs in is not exactly 
  important, as its merely a brawl between two parties.  
   
  RISE OF JOCELYN 
  If Jocelyn lived through this ordeal and Grel Momesk is 
  absent or dead, she quickly seizes control of the Bastards 
  and shows her true colors. Out of a greasy tangle of 
  paranoia and greed, Jocelyn orders her comrades to attack 
  the party; her brethren, long since intimidated by this 
  warlock, obey without question.  
  TONIGHT'S SPECIAL 
  Halaster's disembodied voice delivers an ultimatum: one 
  group must die for the other to live. The Bastards—
  survivors to the core—hold nothing back 
  and 
  immediately attack. 
   
  INFECTION 
  If the characters were infected with chaos phage by 
  Kuketh's blue slaad servant, then their only hope is either 
  a spell of lesser- or greater restoration. Unfortunately, 
  they may be low on spell slots, as is Ilinar of the Bastards. 
  It quickly becomes clear that not everyone can be cured—
  and no one knows for sure how soon until the disease will 
  take them.  
  Violence. If the adventurers have the means to cure the 
  disease, the Bastards demand it, be it a spell or an item. 
  They will resort to violence if refused, especially if 
  Jocelyn is still alive. The Bastards spare any character 
  they suspect can cure them and attack the others, hoping 
  to either trade the players' freedom and lives in return for 
  the cure. There is no line they aren't willing to cross to get 
  cured.  
  Peace. The Bastards can be quelled without violence. 
  Solutions include: 
  • A spell of calm emotions or similar enchantment spells 
  is cast upon the Bastards. 
  • The adventurers can provide quick transport to the 
  surface. They might know the location of any of 
  Halaster's gates (such as the one in A3, which leads to 
  L6, which in turn has a gate to L2). The Bastards will 
  require proof and the first gate to be opened before 
  them, otherwise they resort to violence.  
   
  AFTERMATH: SLAAD LIFE 
  So, what if the adventurers fail to free themselves, or can’t 
  find a means to cure their disease? Much like when a 
  character is cursed with lycanthropy, their alignment 
  changes and the DM has the right to seize control of that 
  character, effectively killing it. This is a valid option, but 
  you may want to consider allowing your players to 
  continue playing as slaad, at least for a little while—since, 
  as we’ll see, the effects need not be permanent. 
  You have two options to implement this system: 
   
  ABERRANT MODEL 
  Under this model, the character becomes a slaad 
  wholesale. It loses its racial bonuses, class features, 
  including spellcasting, and any other abilities not granted 
  to it by feats or magic items. Their character sheet is 
  effectively replaced with a red slaad's or green slaad's 
  statblock. 
  Chaos phage has wiped away all but the character’s 
  personality and memories, replacing their Ability Scores 
  and other proficiencies. They find themselves in a new, 
  alien body.  
   
   
  
   
  50 
  The player might wish to play this slaad for a time but—
  if the transformation is not reversed by Halaster or a wish 
  spell—Limbo's chaotic influence inevitably consumes 
  them, causing the character to become a creature 
  permanently under your control. If you need to specify a 
  time limit, assume that this process takes seven days. As 
  the days drag on, the character finds themselves becoming 
  more and more unhinged.  
   
  RACE MODEL 
  This model is "slaad lite." It omits three abilities you don't 
  want in the hands of a player: the Regeneration trait, 
  damage resistances, and the ability to produce more slaad.  
  Under this model, the character’s racial traits (with 
  exception to their Ability Score Increase trait) are 
  replaced with the ones below. Humanoids that can cast 
  3rd-level spells or higher become green slaads instead of 
  red. See the Green Slaad sidebar.  
  Racial Traits. As a red slaad, the character's racial 
  traits, with exception to the Ability Score Increase trait, 
  are replaced with the following: 
  Ability Score. Your Strength score becomes 16 if it's not 
  already higher.   
  Alignment. Your alignment becomes chaotic neutral.  
  Size. Your Size is Large.  
  Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim 
  conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of 
  you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were 
  dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only 
  shades of gray. 
  Perceptive. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.  
  Magic Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws 
  against spells and other magical effects. 
  Natural Weapons. Your teeth and nails make natural 
  weapons with which you can make unarmed strikes. On 
  a hit with your claws, you deal 2d6 + your Strength 
  modifier as slashing damage. On a hit with your bite, 
  you deal 2d6 + your Strength modifier as piercing 
  damage.  
  Languages. You learn to speak Slaad, a guttural and 
  rolling language without rhyme or reason. There is no 
  writing system in place for this language. Additionally, 
  you gain telepathy out to a range of 60 feet; the 
  contacted creature does not need to share a language 
  with you to understand you, but it must already 
  understand at least one language.  
   
  HALASTER'S GAME 
  The Mad Mage would be delighted if an adventurer fell 
  prey to chaos phage. Thereafter, Halaster would offer a 
  deal: complete a certain task, while in the slaad form, in 
  return for a wish spell cast to reverse their transformation.  
  The challenges offered by Halaster include any of the 
  following; choose the ones you prefer. A challenge can 
  only be completed by one character, causing Halaster to 
  restore that character to their original form.  
  • Winning a kiss from either of the Horned Sisters of 
  Dweomercore, L9.  
  • Slay the bone devil in Area 47 of L9. 
  • Strike a foul deal with Wormriddle the night hag of 
  Dweomercore, L9.  
  • Slay Vlonwelv Auvryndar of Muiral's Gauntlet, L10. 
  Halaster has long since sought her death. 
  • Force Muiral the Misshapen of L10 to look at himself in 
  a mirror.  
  • Be swallowed by the behir of L11, after which the 
  character will pass through the creature's digestive 
  system alive and in their original form. Halaster 
  remarks it will be a "transformative experience, to say 
  the least." 
  • Venture to Skullport and topple the Xanathar Guild (if it 
  hasn't already) and oversee the reconstruction of the 
  retaining wall's hoist so as to restore Skullport's trade 
  route to the outside world. The Mad Mage hungers for 
  more fools to pluck and plant into his foul games.  
   
  AREAS OF NOTE 
  The following areas are of note. Headings pertaining to 
  the events that can be run are listed here.  
   
  1. PRECIPICE 
  The air grows humid, thick. Sweat clings to you like a 
  desperate child. Insects buzz in the distance, growing 
  louder by the minute. Finally, the tunnel ends at a 
  precipice overlooking an entire marsh. 
  You're not even surprised at this point.  
  Mucus Ladder. When characters clamber down the 
  ladder, secretly roll their Constitution save for them, so as 
  to keep the surprise intact. When a character fails its DC 
  13 Constitution saving throw, read: 
  Some sort of noxious mucus coats the rope. Your stomach 
  turns and your fingers freeze. All your nerves fire off in 
  one great cataclysm before falling silent. You go crashing 
  into the muck below!  
  GREEN SLAAD 
  Characters that can cast spells of 3rd-level or higher that are 
  infected with chaos phage become green slaad instead of red. 
  They gain the following racial traits, in addition to those 
  outlined in Slaad traits: 
  Innate Spellcasting. You can innately cast several spells, 
  using your Charisma as your spellcasting ability modifier. 
  These spells are: 
  At will: detect magic, detect thoughts, mage hand 
  2/day each: fear, invisibility (self only) 
  1/day:  fireball 
  Hurl Flame. You gain a special ranged spell attack using 
  your Charisma as your spellcasting ability. It has a range of 
  60 ft., & deals 3d6 fire damage on a hit. The fire ignites 
  flammable objects that aren’t being worn or carried.  
  Natural Weapons. Your Claw attack, described in the Red 
  Slaad racial traits, deals 1d6 damage (down from 2d6). 
  
   
  51 
  4. DANGEROUS SHRUBBERY 
  The cavern narrows into a twisting tunnel dimly lit by 
  luminescent ferns. A ledge about twenty feet up overlooks 
  the area. The muck's thicker here and it's at your ankles. 
  Your boots squelch loudly as mosquitos dive-bomb for 
  your supple flesh.  
  The ledge's wall, you notice, is stained red—and 
  directly below that stain, a severed leg sticks out from the 
  muck. Finders keepers, right? 
  Alternatively, replace "Finders keepers, right?" with 
  Halaster telepathically whispering, "Hey, free leg." 
   
  4A. FINAL REST OF THUBID DUSKAXE 
  You clamber up onto the ledge to an old, ashen campsite. 
  A duergar's corpse lies sprawled across a bloodied 
  bedroll, his leg ending in a jagged stump. A leather satchel 
  is draped across his chest.  
  Additional Loot. Add a compass to Thubid's corpse, since 
  his journal mentions cardinal directions. Halaster, 
  however, can screw with it whenever he so desires—the 
  magnetism of Undermountain is firmly under his control. 
  Out from Under the Rod. This area can foreshadow the 
  nagas' true intentions through Thubid's journal. 
   
  4B. SHAMBLING MOUNDS 
  When the shambling mounds attack, it's with a spray of 
  mud. Characters within a 5-foot cone in front of two of 
  the mounds must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw 
  or be blinded until the start of their next turn. 
  Read the following text when the attack occurs; only 
  include the first sentence for characters that succeed on a 
  DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check. 
  The ferns, those luminescent, glowing ferns, continue to 
  wave, to twitch… but there is no breeze in this cavern. 
  The mud swells—bursts!—as a mound of twisting vines 
  erupts from the muck, crowing like an angered beast! 
   
  5. DRY CAVE 
   
  THE BLACKTONGUE BREAKOUT 
  If the adventurers never caught the bullywug sentries of 
  Area 1 and they take a rest here, the Blacktongue 
  bullywugs raid the cavern approximately two hours later. 
  The frogfolk rely on ordinary toads to scout the cave 
  (utilizing their Speak with Frogs and Toads trait). With a 
  successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check, a character 
  on watch notices a handful of toads hop into the cavern. 
  The toads meander about for a bit until all but one leaves.  
  Over the next hour, 2d4+2 bullywugs with 2 giant 
  frogs prepare their attack. The toad left inside the cavern 
  begins to croak to signal that the adventurers are still there 
  and how many are lying down (sleeping). The raiders are 
  interested in enslaving the characters, not killing them. 
  They take any paralyzed, unconscious, or incapacitated 
  characters to the Yuan-ti Temple, Area 19. 
   
  6. REFLECTIONS 
  Finally, a speck of dry land in this sea of muck and brine. 
  Ruins dot the island, a temple perhaps, judging by the 
  cracked dome and the lone statue left behind.  
  As you squint at the island, scanning for danger, a blue 
  light passes through the ruins, casting an eerie glow across 
  the shattered stone. 
   
  NIGHTMARES 
  Dendar's cursed nightmares are also prophetic. When 
  describing a nightmare to a character cursed by the statue, 
  you can use the description below. It is reminiscent of 
  Area 10A, the Venom Pool: 
  The world itself is an endless black vista. Days pass in this 
  void as you wander about, calling out feebly for aid, for 
  water. The desert in your throat cannot be quenched, 
  growing only drier, scratched by every swallow. You lick 
  your cracked lips, desperate… and as the shadows part, 
  you find yourself before a verdant pool of sweet water.  
  Like an animal, you hurl yourself before the pool, 
  mindless in your need to drink, and drink, and drink… But 
  your veins—they bulge, they screech as venom rages 
  throughout your body. Your nerves sizzle, they freeze, but 
  alas, you do not die. You can never die, only twitch in this 
  agony as the paralysis leaves you as a vegetable until the 
  End Times. Death is a mercy you can only pray for now. 
   
  7. WARDED CAVERN 
  In addition to the glyph of warding (cloudkill) spell 
  present, the tunnel leading to Level 9s is hidden by an 
  illusory wall. A character must succeed on a DC 16 
  Intelligence (Investigation) check to see through the 
  illusion; otherwise, it looks as if the cavern naturally ends 
  there.  
  The bullywugs know the truth, however: a frog once 
  hopped through the wall, suffered a mental breakdown, 
  and an itinerant bullywug gleaned enough from the 
  incident to investigate himself. He succumbed to the 
  cloudkill poison later on, but not before revealing to his 
  companions that something lies beyond the cavern.  
   
  8. DWEOMERCORE HIDEOUT 
   
  ROLEPLAYING KARSTIS 
  Karstis gapes with insecurities. He hears a slight in every 
  sentence and sees threats to his status no matter where he 
  goes. Regarding his current assignment, the mage cannot 
  help but wonder—fear—if this is a test of his abilities or 
  the headmaster writing him off as a failure. He therefore 
  simultaneously resents his lot and is zealously devoted to 
  it. He's terrified of anything that could jeopardize his 
  success. 
  If threatened but denied retreat, Karstis offers 
  information in return for his life. He can say any of the 
  following: 
  
   
  52 
  • “I was sent here from Dweomercore, the Mad Mage's wizardly 
  academy! Spare me and spare yourself the wrath of Halaster 
  Blackcloak!" 
  • “The king of the bullywugs—those wretched frogfolk—is 
  under a guise. It's actually a slaad summoned by the Mad 
  Mage to rule over the frogfolk. Only if it defeats the nagas' 
  will it be free to return to Limbo."  
  • “Before the bullywugs came, Slitherswamp was inhabited by 
  yuan-ti—until they were annihilated by the nagas. Alas, those 
  Sseth-loving bastards took one to the grave with them: a naga 
  by the name of Hexacali. Its animated bones yet hunt these 
  caverns with no other outlet for the pain of undeath but to kill 
  and maim." 
  • “Dweomercore lies beneath this earth—spare my life and I 
  will take you there! Halaster Blackcloak himself presides 
  over our academy as the headmaster!" 
   
  OUT FROM UNDER THE ROD 
  During Act II, the Ssethian Scourges order the 
  adventurers to apprehend Karstis. The nagas slobber at the 
  very thought of adding an experienced mage to their 
  stable of thralls.  
  The party is joined by another thrall: either Grel 
  Momesk (human champion), Dirzanna Freth (drow elite 
  warrior) or Xirk Dezpeti'il (male drow elite warrior), if 
  he's fallen prey to the rod of rulership. This additional 
  thrall was sent not for firepower, but to keep an eye on the 
  adventurers, in case some are secretly free from the rod's 
  control.  
   
  9. TEMPLE OF THE GREAT SNAKE 
  Black ruins dominate this place—a temple of sort. Its 
  doors have long since been cast down to the muck and 
  mud. Emerald light flickers across the waters, bounces off 
  the stones. You hear a low humming—a woman's voice. 
  The hymn she sings you cannot tell, but her ethereal voice 
  is haunting. 
  Roleplaying Yoastal. Death has done wonders for 
  Yoastal's already keen mind and quick tongue. If she 
  intuits that the adventures are motivated by greed instead 
  of altruism, she insists that the nagas have treasure galore 
  in their lair. She also promises a boon from "Mask," her 
  deity—alas, this is a lie that can only be detected by magic 
  or a DC 22 Wisdom (Insight) check; the yuan-ti is ever 
  cunning.  
  Yoastal can say the following sample dialogue:  
  • “Mine is a curse. So long as the Ssethian Scourges remain, I 
  can never find peace. If you have a heart, destroy these 
  wretched serpents.” 
  • “For refusing to bow down, the Scourges slaughtered my 
  people and made a mockery of our deity. The sorest of tyrants 
  they are: that which they cannot take must be destroyed.” 
  • “Beware the serpents’ bewitching tongues. Already they've 
  tricked countless fools.” 
  • “Once the serpents numbered three: but during our last stand, 
  my people cursed the worst of the naga to a fate worse than 
  death. Hexacali was its name, may it wallow in undeath for 
  all eternity.” 
  10. RAINFALL CAVERNS 
   
  10B. HISSING STONE 
  The cavern is abuzz with an ophidian hiss—it's as if there 
  are snakes lounging in your head. Disoriented, your eyes 
  narrow upon the cause: from a pool of water juts a twisted 
  stone whose waterworn patterns resembles a swarm of 
  snakes. The stone—it's hissing.  
  When a character touches the hissing stone, read: 
  A sibilant whisper slithers into your mind, caressing your 
  spine with a lover's touch. "Speak for truth and truth shall 
  be delivered. Speak for favor and find only ruin."  
   
  OUT FROM UNDER THE ROD 
  If the adventurers are in Act II of OUR, they may be sent 
  here to recover some thralls that resisted the rod of 
  rulership and escaped Area 15. Unless they were slain, 
  these characters are Agorra Duskaxe and Dirzanna Freth, 
  a duergar & drow elite warrior respectively. The party's 
  orders are to return these two alive and intact.  
  Dirzanna. Paralyzed by a tripwire trap coated with the 
  bullywugs' carrion crawler mucus, Dirzanna lies sprawled 
  before the Venom Pool. She seeks to find her reunite with 
  her noble house on the twelfth level of Undermountain. In 
  this state, she has been humbled, but still her fiery spirit 
  still lurks beneath the surface of this trembling demeanor. 
  Agorra. While making their escape, Agorra and 
  Dirzanna blundered through Hexacali's lair (see A16). 
  The bone naga ripped a chunk of flesh from her arm; she's 
  since bandaged the wound but its prone to infection. 
  Dirzanna has promised her safe harbor with House Freth 
  if the two make it to their stronghold. With no other 
  option, the morose dwarf has agreed.  
  When the adventurers arrive, Agorra is the only 
  character capable of speaking; she begs for mercy ("or a 
  quick death—anything but a life in chains"). She'll fight 
  to the death rather than go willingly back to the nagas.  
   
  11. WATCH POST 
  Even the dumbest of fools know that you catch more flies 
  with honey. The drow stationed here do not attack first. 
  Whether you run OUR or not, they would instead send 
  characters towards the spirit nagas’ lair. What use are 
  corpses or wounded characters to the Ssethian Scourges? 
  Using this, read the following: 
  "Halt! If you can understand this tongue, then go no 
  further! Beyond is the lair of our lords! If you wish for 
  peace come hither! If you come for war... You'll find it 
  here in abundance." 
  Out from Under the Rod. If you’re running OUR, it is 
  imperative that the drow try to lure the adventurers 
  towards the lair, even if it requires one leaving their post. 
  As noted in Act I, Grel Momesk of the Gentlemen 
  Bastards can be found here.  
   
  
   
  53 
  12. FISHERY 
  The adventurers might be assigned to fish here during Act 
  II of OUR. They make hourly Wisdom, Intelligence, or 
  Dexterity checks to fish (representing the three pillars of 
  fishing). Go nuts. There’s a 10% chance each hour that 
  1d6 + 1 bullywugs attack. If defeated, the attacks cease 
  for at least four days.  
   
  13. DETENTION CAVE 
  Never let it be said that even the deepest caves beneath 
  the earth can't be home to mirth and music—for here you 
  hear a man singing in Elvish to the tune of rattling chains.  
  Xirk Dezpeti'il, a drow elite warrior, is passing time 
  until near-dawn. His wrists ache, his throat is parched, but 
  still he sings, knowing that soon enough the thralls will 
  come to take him off to "Sibilant Mass" as he calls it, 
  when the nagas will subject him to their "lordly 
  instrument." 
  Xirk has a passive Perception of 14; once he hears the 
  characters approach, or if they enter his line of sight, he 
  calls out to them. Read: 
  "You there!" the man calls. "Have you your own will or 
  have the serpents robbed you as well? If you don't… I, 
  uhh, I too love our dearest serpentine lords! I have seen 
  the light! Heard the music! Come forth, o' brothers, free 
  me so that we may please our ophidian overlords! Come, 
  ye bastards, so we might not waste yet another minute!" 
  Roleplaying Xirk. Xirk is a playful, mischievous knife of 
  a man. On the surface, he would do well as a 
  swashbuckler or conman, but here in the depths, he's 
  resigned to this fate. He technically serves under House 
  Freth's banner (see Level 12) but holds no particular 
  loyalty to them. He'd rather strike out on his own or 
  escape Undermountain. 
  Xirk's true worth is his knowledge of Slitherswamp, 
  which he promises the adventurers if freed. Use the 
  following sample dialogue: 
  • “Slitherswamp is infested with frogmen whipped by a tyrant; 
  and thralls—mostly my own people—enslaved to the will of 
  nagas through some sort of magical artifact—a lordly 
  instrument that bends the mind." 
  • "Every day—at dawn, I assume—the serpents gather the 
  thralls to quickly subjugate them with the artifact. Those that 
  resist, like myself, are chained or slain. Fortunately, I'm too 
  pretty to die, and they know it."  
   
  15. LAIR OF THE SPIRIT NAGAS 
  If the adventurers are escorted by the nagas' thralls, they're 
  not met with any hostility. If the party instead had to cut 
  their way through, the nagas still attempt to parley with 
  them, if only to wait until the rod of rulership is ready to 
  enthrall these curs. 
   
  15A. ARENA 
  When the adventurers first arrive to this area, two thralls 
  are fighting (to the death, as it will become apparent). 
  Both thralls are drow. Read the following: 
  The clash of steel echoes across the marsh. Water splashes 
  as two drow battle with broken blades: parry, dodge, 
  parry, strike—the steel bites deep, drawing red. The 
  wounded drow cries out but before the next blow can be 
  their last, the elf trips his foe. 
  One drow inevitably triumphs over the other, as the 
  adventurers will see if they linger until the battle's 
  conclusion. The victor explains that the other deserted 
  their duty to the Ssethian Scourges and would face trial 
  by combat as punishment.  
  Out from Under the Rod. The adventurers may find 
  themselves forced to fight in the nagas' arena. Often this 
  is a punishment reserved for thralls that disobeyed or 
  failed the nagas' orders. The adventurers may end up as 
  the punishers or the punished.  
   
  15B. NAGA THRONES 
  After initially meeting the nagas in Area C, future 
  interactions often occur here instead. The Ssethian 
  Scourges prefer the aristocratic air of using the rod of 
  rulership from their thrones.  
   
  OUT FROM UNDER THE ROD 
  The adventurers are welcomed if they arrive with an 
  escort. Word reaches the nagas and the serpents move 
  from Area 15C to 15B, preferring to welcome the party 
  from their thrones. By happenstance, the rod of rulership 
  is nearly recharged, and the Ssethian Scourges will delay 
  the adventurers' arrival (and departure) until the most 
  opportune moment.  
  Roleplaying the Nagas. Normally haughty when 
  dealing with "lesser" creatures, the nagas keep their egos 
  in check and remain civil. After welcoming the party, the 
  nagas extend every courtesy, even inviting them to feed, 
  rest, and bathe in the nagas' demesne. They paint their 
  conflict with the bullywugs as one of necessity, claiming 
  that the last evils of the vanquished yuan-ti still influence 
  the frogfolk, and that their cruel overlord ("the so-called 
  Lord of Fetid Obliteration") is pushing them to greater 
  depravity.  
  The Rod Recharges. The nagas successfully run out the 
  clock and can sense that the rod is about to recharge. Their 
  thralls immediately arrive, having been conditioned to 
  report to this area every day. This throng consists of 
  2d6+1 drow, 1d4+3 duergar, two trolls, two drow elite 
  warriors and Grel Momesk (champion). The thralls 
  block all exits and will repel any who try to escape. When 
  they arrive, emphasize to your players that these servants 
  show no aggression; if asked, the nagas say it's time for 
  "the orders of the day." Let the dialogue continue for a 
  few more sentences—then roll initiative. 
   
   
  
   
  54 
  This gives the adventurers one chance to push through 
  the throng of servants if their initiative is higher than the 
  nagas'. You want to capitalize on the players' confusion 
  and take them unawares—after all, no signs of aggression 
  were shown before this, no? Only if a character succeeds 
  on a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by the nagas' 
  Charisma (Deception) checks should they even have a 
  clue that something is amiss.  
  On their turn, Excrutha uses the rod of rulership while 
  Serakath unleashes hold person or any other spell 
  necessary to keep the adventurers from fleeing. The 
  adventurers must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. 
  All players must roll in secret; you don't want them to 
  know who amongst them aren't charmed. 
  Assume that all preexisting thralls fail their saving 
  throw with exception to Xirk Dezepti'il, if he's present 
  (see A13 for details). He attempts to escape but is quickly 
  tackled, handcuffed, and led off to Area 13, the Detention 
  Cave. 
  Resistance. If the adventurers resist the rod, the nagas' 
  order their thralls to overpower and imprison them. They 
  themselves can cast hold person as 5th-level spells to 
  paralyze the entire party. The thralls then bind those 
  characters with rope (2 hit points, DC 17 Strength check 
  to burst) and lead them off to Area 13 to be imprisoned 
  until the next dawn.  
  First Order of Business. If the adventurers fall prey to 
  the Ssethian Scourges' roll on the Daily Assignments table 
  described in Act I or assign them to apprehend Karstis 
  (see Area 8). First, however, their belongings are 
  commandeered for the good of "the homestead." Rations, 
  rope, and other useful tools are added to the homestead's 
  supply while treasure is stored in the nagas' chest in Area 
  15C. 
   
  16. LAIR OF THE BONE NAGA 
  As you wade through the otherwise still water, your stride 
  rippling outward, you notice that just below the surface 
  lie bones—enough bones to fill a graveyard.  
  Hexacali prefers to watch as its prey blunder through its 
  lair, slithering amongst the bones beneath the surface. As 
  noted in DotMM, when it attacks, creatures that fail a DC 
  15 Wisdom (Perception) check are surprised.  
  Tactics. In combat, Hexacali opens up with a hold 
  person spell cast at 3rd level. Against fleeing foes, the 
  naga uses the command spell (demanding they "kneel" or 
  "approach"). If a group of hostile prey are clumped 
  together, it uses calm emotions, rendering them 
  indifferent to its presence, up until Hexacali can put itself 
  in an advantageous position to attack.  
  Roleplaying Hexacali. Pride naturally sours into rage 
  and Hexacali's ego could hardly be matched in life. Now 
  laid low by the yuan-ti, the bone naga's only outlet is to 
  destroy living creatures. During combat, it can shout any 
  of the following: 
  • “All was mine and it shall be again!” 
  • “You know nothing of pain, of loss—yet!" 
  • “The serpent never spares the hare but let it play 'til the time 
  comes round again to feed. Come, hares. Come!" 
  • “This is my kingdom—and I will see it turned to ash before 
  creatures so low as yourself take it!” 
   
  17. BATTLEFIELD CAVERN 
  As the warfront between the bullywugs and nagas, this 
  cavern is strewn with traps and other hazards, making it a 
  veritable No-Man's Land. Whenever the adventurers pass 
  through here, they're liable to blundering through any of 
  the following traps. As the traps are obscured by two feet 
  of mud or murky water, the DC to notice a trap is 16.  
  Bear Trap. When a creature steps on the trap, it makes 
  an attack roll (+8 to hit, 1d10 piercing damage on a hit; 
  the attack cannot be advantaged or disadvantaged). The 
  trap is spiked into the ground and reduces the speed of the 
  creature to 0. To open the trap requires a successful DC 
  15 Strength check. 
  Crossbow Trap. An enthralled drow rigged this trap on 
  behalf of the nagas. When a creature crosses the tripwire, 
  the crossbow fires from a nearby shrub (+6 to hit, 1d8 
  piercing damage). The bolt is coated in drow poison, 
  subjecting the creature it hit to a DC 13 Constitution 
  saving throw. On a failure, the creature is poisoned for 1 
  hour; if the save is failed by 5 or more, the creature is also 
  unconscious while poisoned this way.  
  Pit Trap. The bullywugs dug a five-foot-wide, ten-foot-
  deep pit and stretched a net across its surface, weighing it 
  down with stones. Its entrance yawns beneath the water. 
  Characters that blunder into it crash through the water and 
  are restrained by the weighted net until a creature uses an 
  action to make a DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check to rip 
  it apart.  
   
  17B. DEATH OF A NAGA 
  When the adventurers set foot on the island, read: 
  The past has come alive: spirits wage a desperate battle 
  against some ethereal serpent on the island. Its scales 
  shimmer with a ghastly light—a light that envelopes you! 
  You will it away but to no avail!  
  The world flashes white and you find yourself in the 
  spirits' place. Your arms are scaled, your tongue forked. 
  The serpent—the naga Hexacali, your sworn foe—opens 
  wide! Venom drips like rain as it lunges!  
   
  19. YUAN-TI TEMPLE 
  This temple is the seat of Kuketh's power, but the death 
  slaad can only be encountered here during Act II events 
  of The Blacktongue Breakout. Torbit, the bullywug 
  assassin and devoted servant of Kuketh, guards this 
  temple while his master is away.  
  If you have no intention of running BB, the remaining 
  three Gentlemen Bastards (Jocelyn, Perlos, and Ilinar) are 
  in Area 21B instead of here. 
  
   
  55 
  THE BLACKTONGUE BREAKOUT 
  Act II occurs in this area, divided between An Audience 
  with the King and Escape from the Temple of Sseth. 
  Details for the former are described in the main entry of 
  BB above. The latter is detailed below and occurs when 
  the adventurers stage their prison break; by happenstance, 
  Hyin (Kuketh's blue slaad servant) is already here and 
  both Kuketh and its pet hydra are on its way (see Fourth 
  Wave below).  
  The prisoners, including the Gentlemen Bastards, start 
  in Area 19D. A changing of the guard presents an 
  opportunity to escape, provided the adventurers can 
  overcome the carrion crawler mucus and break free from 
  their bonds. They may also be afflicted with chaos phage. 
  See the Act II overview for details on these obstacles. 
  Their possessions are hidden behind the statues of Area 
  19C; Kuketh wanted his new slaadi brethren to be armed 
  immediately for war. 
  Wave Assault. When the prisoners revolt, it sparks a 
  four-wave assault against the Temple of Sseth. The 
  adventurers must hurry, for who knows how long until 
  Kuketh returns—but to rush naked into Slitherswamp is 
  suicide, so the adventurers must find and recover their 
  gear. See the Donning Armor sidebar for more details. 
  First Wave. Hyin (blue slaad) and two bullywugs 
  reside in 19C; they can be surprised and have passive 
  Perception scores of 11 & 10, respectively. The sound of 
  combat alerts outside forces, who immediately sound the 
  alarm. 
  Second Wave. Four bullywugs attack from 19B. Torbit 
  (bullywug assassin) drops in from a hole in the ceiling 
  with two additional bullywugs.  
  Third Wave. Five bullywugs in 19A try to hold off the 
  prisoners' escape by peppering them with arrows or 
  blocking their paths. Their arrows are coated with carrion 
  crawler mucus.  
  Fourth Wave. Kuketh (death slaad) and its hydra 
  arrive several minutes later (just in time for the 
  adventurers to don their stolen armor). The slaad overlord 
  is outraged that they'd reject its "gift." See A21 for 
  Kuketh's tactics.  
  Aftermath. Once Kuketh and its hydra are slain, the 
  adventurers immediately progress into Act III: Betrayal! 
  The Gentlemen Bastards either attack immediately or 
  bide their time—whichever you see fit. If infected with 
  chaos phage, they're desperate.  
   
  20. BLACKTONGUE ISLE 
  The adventurers, and any characters accompanying them, 
  will be hard-pressed to cross the deep waters surrounding 
  Blacktongue Isle. While swimming, they're liable to 
  attacks from giant toads which drag them to the bottom 
  of the lake.  
   
  OUT FROM UNDER THE ROD 
  During Act III, the adventurers are sent to Blacktongue 
  Isle along with a force consisting of Grel Momesk (if he 
  remains), a human champion; 2-3 drow elite warriors 
  (if Xirk has fallen prey to the rod); and 2d8+2 drow. Their 
  orders are brutally simple: all must die—even the 
  younglings, and especially the unborn eggs within the 
  spawning pool. 
  Genocide. The drow, for the most part, can tackle the 
  twenty-five bullywugs on the isle, sparing you and your 
  players the time it would take at the table to fight through 
  them. Only two groups consisting of 4 bullywugs and 2 
  giant frogs apiece assail the adventurers as they storm the 
  island.   
  Infanticide. The adventurers find the younglings 
  cowering in a hovel on the north side of the isle, defended 
  by one bullywug matron armed with a spear. To destroy 
  the eggs and tadpoles of the spawning pool, spells dealing 
  fire damage can set the water boiling if at least 50 points 
  of fire damage are hurled at the pool. Alternatively, the 
  net strung across the pool's opening can be cut down; the 
  fish surrounding Blacktongue Isle will consume the 
  tadpoles and eggs given time.  
  If the adventurers are of a Good alignment, they're sure 
  to hate themselves after the rod of rulership no longer has 
  them in their grasp.  
   
  21. LORD OF FETID OBLITERATION 
  Kuketh's Tactics. Infused with the very essence of the 
  Negative Plane, the death slaad is a terror on the 
  battlefield. On the second round of combat, the hydra's 
  heads surface behind the adventurers in Area 21A to block 
  their retreat.  
  • If Kuketh has heard the carnage outside and knows 
  invaders are coming, the slaad shapechanges into that 
  of a bullywug youngling or casts invisibility until it 
  knows whether these visitors can be parleyed with.  
  • Kuketh opens with a spell of fear or, when faced with 
  many melee combatants, casts fly.  
  • On its second turn, Kuketh unleashes a fireball against 
  the invaders. It's willing to cast it upon its own location, 
  if swarmed, as it has fire resistance.  
  • Once it's out of fireball spells, Kuketh draws its 
  greatsword and enters the melee, relying on the fly spell 
  to reach weaker foes.  
  THE BLACKTONGUE BREAKOUT: DONNING ARMOR 
  The adventurers may be tempted to flee the Temple of Sseth 
  immediately, but what of armored characters? They'll either 
  have to abandon their gear, carry it, or spend precious time 
  donning it. By opting for the latter, hold them to this time 
  constraint; the final wave can be delayed just long enough for 
  the characters to don their armor, but not so for the first three.  
  Light Armor: 1 minute 
   
  Shield: 1 action 
  Medium Armor: 5 minutes 
  Heavy Armor: 10 min. 
  
   
  56 
  • Kuketh can move from 21B to 21A, but to do so would 
  give the invaders the high ground. By remaining on the 
  ledge, it traps them between it and the hydra. 
  • If the invaders find the secret door to 21C and barricade 
  themselves therein, Kuketh casts cloudkill to smoke 
  them out of their hidey hole.  
   
  OUT FROM UNDER THE ROD 
  When the adventurers storm Kuketh's sanctum, assume 
  that Grel Momesk is with them, as well as Xirk Dezpeti'il 
  if he's fallen prey to the rod and the party has formed an 
  attachment to him.  
  The Gentlemen Bastards. If you don't run The 
  Blacktongue Breakout, the remaining three Bastards are 
  here (rather than A19) bound in chains and slipping in and 
  out of consciousness. Kuketh—convinced that they were 
  sent by Halaster as a test of sorts—has been torturing 
  them for days on end. They're stable at 0 hit points. The 
  sight of his battered comrades is enough for Grel Momesk 
  to defy the rod's influence wait until they're ready to 
  travel. If he's still charmed by the rod by that time, he 
  takes his comrades to "the homestead," trapping them in 
  the same cycle he has found himself in.  
  Mission Accomplished. If Kuketh is slain, the 
  adventurers are still compelled to return to Area 15 to 
  continue serving their ophidian overlords until a time 
  arises that they can finally escape the rod of rulership's 
  reach.  
   
  EPILOGUE 
  Choose one of the following narrations to cap off your 
  session and the adventurers descend to Level 9, 
  Dweomercore, altering them to fit the events that occurred 
  on this level: 
   
  THE STANDARD SEND-OFF 
  "Good riddance" is the only sentiment you can conjure as 
  this wretched chapter comes to a close. What else has 
  Halaster Blackcloak stuffed in the dim halls beneath the 
  mountain? A desert? An ocean? The very sky? And for 
  what other point but entertainment or sadism?  
  As the tunnels slope downward, once again you 
  question your purpose in this blasted dungeon and long 
  for the days when you could feel the wind on your skin.  
   
  THE HOST'S SEND-OFF 
  The Mad Mage's voice comes in the form of a light that 
  shimmers off the murky waters, splashing straight into 
  your mind: 
  "Nothing matters," Halaster whispers. "Nothing 
  mattered, nothing will ever matter. Your efforts, your 
  struggles—meaningless. The wheel yet turns and 
  Slitherswamp will never truly be free, for that which 
  cannot die shall only return more deranged than ever 
  before. Those that return from the grave are less for it and 
  instead ravenous for a true end. No creature's sanity can 
  survive a sight so harrowing as what lies beyond this life." 
  Halaster strikes a jovial tone: "How much more can our 
  contestants take? How soon until they crack? Friends, 
  fiends: find out next time on Dungeon of the Mad Mage!"  
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  57 
  APPENDIX A: MAGIC ITEMS 
  The following magic and mundane items can be found 
  throughout Levels 1-3 and Skullport: 
   
  +1 BREASTPLATE 
  This drow-manufactured armor loses its +1 bonus to AC 
  if exposed to sunlight for 1 hour or more. 
  Location. This magic item is found in L7, Area 11A. 
   
  BELT OF DWARVENKIND 
  Wondrous Item, Rare (Requires Attunement) 
  While wearing this belt, you gain the following benefits 
  • Your Constitution score increases by 2, to a maximum 
  of 20. 
  • You have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks 
  made to interact with dwarves. 
   
  In addition, while attuned to the belt, you have a 50% 
  chance each day at dawn of growing a full beard if you're 
  capable of growing one, or a visibly thicker beard if you 
  already have one.  
  If you aren't a dwarf, you gain the following additional 
  benefits while wearing the belt: 
  • You have advantage on saving throws against poison 
  and you have resistance to poison damage. 
  • You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. 
  • You can speak, read, and write Dwarvish. 
   
  Dumathoin's Curse. As described in Area 29F of this 
  supplement, if a character not of Melair's bloodline takes 
  the belt from the king's corpse, they must make a DC 14 
  Charisma saving throw or be cursed with the following 
  flaw: "I can't keep a secret, no matter how trivial or dire." 
  A spell of remove curse or the like rids the character of 
  the flaw. Every day at dawn, there is a 50% chance that 
  the character wearing the belt must repeat the saving 
  throw or be cursed again with the same flaw.  
  Additional Loot. This magic item has been added to the 
  loot found in L6, Area 29F.  
   
  BOOTS OF ELVENKIND 
  Wondrous Item, Uncommon 
  While you wear these boots, your steps make no sound, 
  regardless of the surface you are moving across. You also 
  have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks that rely on 
  moving silently. 
  Location. One boot is found on L4, A16A, the other on 
  L5, A17. Unless both boots are worn, the item's magic is 
  nonexistent.   
   
  CANDLE OF INVOCATION (SSETH) 
  Wondrous Item, Very Rare (Requires Attunement) 
  This slender taper is dedicated to a Sseth and shares his 
  neutral evil alignment. The candle's alignment can be 
  detected with the detect evil and good spell.  
  The candle's magic is activated when the candle is lit, 
  which requires an action. After burning for 4 hours, the 
  candle is destroyed. You can snuff it out early for use at a 
  later time. Deduct the time it burned in increments of 1 
  minute from the candle's total burn time. 
  While lit, the candle sheds dim light in a 30-foot radius. 
  Any creature within that light whose alignment is neutral 
  evil makes attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks 
  with advantage. In addition, a cleric or druid in the light 
  whose alignment matches the candle's can cast 1st-level 
  spells he or she has prepared without expending spell 
  slots, though the spell's effect is as if cast with a 1st-level 
  slot. 
  Alternatively, when you light the candle for the first 
  time, you can cast the gate spell with it. Doing so destroys 
  the candle. 
  Location. This item can be found in L8, Area 19D. 
   
  DAGGER OF BLINDSIGHT 
  Dagger, Rare (Requires Attunement) 
  The creature attuned to this dagger gains blindsight out to 
  a range of 30 feet. The dagger has a saw-toothed edge and 
  a black pearl nested in its pommel. 
  Location. This magic item is carried by Skella Ironeye, 
  the duergar leader in L6, Area 15. 
   
  ELEMENTAL GEM OF AIR 
  Wondrous Item, Uncommon 
  This gem contains a mote of elemental energy. When you 
  use an action to break the gem, an air elemental is 
  summoned as if you had cast the conjure elemental spell, 
  and the gem's magic is lost.  
  Location. This magic item is found in L7, Area 13C. 
   
   
  HEADBAND OF INTELLECT 
  Wondrous Item, Uncommon (Requires Attunement) 
  Your Intelligence score is 19 while you wear this 
  headband. It has no effect on you if your Intelligence is 
  already 19 or higher without it. 
  Location. This item can be found in L8, Area 21C. 
   
  HIDE ARMOR OF LIGHTNING RESISTANCE 
  Medium Armor, Rare (Requires Attunement) 
  While wearing this armor, your AC equals 12 + your 
  Dexterity modifier (up to a bonus of +2), and you have 
  resistance to lightning damage. 
  Location. This magic item is found in L5, Area 6B. 
   
   
   
  
   
  58 
  HORNED RING 
  Ring, Very Rare (Requires Attunement) 
  A creature attuned to the ring can ignore Undermountain's 
  magical restrictions, outlined in "Alterations to Magic" in 
  Dungeon of the Mad Mage. 
  Location. This magic item is worn by Maddgoth on L7.  
   
  MADDGOTH'S HELM 
  Wondrous Item, Very Rare (Requires Attunement) 
  A creature attuned to the helm and wearing it has 
  immunity to all damage while inside Maddgoth's castle, 
  on its roof, or in its courtyard. If the helm is taken from 
  the castle, it turns to dust and is destroyed. 
  Location. This magic item is found in Area 25B.  
   
  PIPE OF SMOKE MONSTERS 
  Wondrous Item, Common 
  While smoking this pipe, you can use an action to exhale 
  a puff of smoke that takes the form of a single creature, 
  such as a dragon, a flumph, or a froghemoth. The form 
  must be small enough to fit in a 1-foot cube and loses its 
  shape after a few seconds, becoming an ordinary puff of 
  smoke. 
  Location. This magic item is found in L4, Area 23. 
   
  POTION OF FIRE BREATH 
  Potion, Uncommon 
  After drinking this potion, you can use a bonus action to 
  exhale fire at a target within 30 feet of you. The target 
  must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 4d6 
  fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on 
  a successful one. The effect ends after you exhale the fire 
  three times or when 1 hour has passed.  
  This potion's orange liquid flickers, and smoke fills the 
  top of the container and wafts out whenever it is opened.  
  Location. This magic item is found in L7, Area 43B.  
   
  POTION OF INVISIBILITY 
  Potion, Very Rare 
  This potion's container looks empty but feels as if it holds 
  liquid. When you drink it, you become invisible for 1 
  hour. Anything you wear or carry is invisible with you. 
  The effect ends early if you attack or cast a spell.  
  Location. This magic item is found in L7, Area 45.  
   
  ROD OF RULERSHIP 
  Rod, Rare (Requires Attunement) 
  You can use an action to present the rod and command 
  obedience from each creature of your choice that you can 
  see within 120 feet of you. Each target must succeed on a 
  DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for 8 
  hours. While charmed in this way, the creature regards 
  you as its trusted leader. If harmed by you or your 
  companions, or commanded to do something contrary to 
  its nature, a target ceases to be charmed in this way. The 
  rod can't be used again until the next dawn. 
  Location. This item can be found in L8, Area 15C. 
   
  ROPE OF CLIMBING 
  Wondrous Item, Uncommon 
  This 60-foot length of silk rope weighs 3 pounds and can 
  hold up to 3,000 pounds. If you hold one end of the rope 
  and use an action to speak the command word, the rope 
  animates. As a bonus action, you can command the other 
  end to move toward a destination you choose. That end 
  moves 10 feet on your turn when you first command it 
  and 10 feet on each of your turns until reaching its 
  destination, up to its maximum length away, or until you 
  tell it to stop. You can also tell the rope to fasten itself 
  securely to an object or to unfasten itself, to knot or 
  unknot itself, or to coil itself for carrying. 
  If you tell the rope to knot, large knots appear at 1-foot 
  intervals along the rope. While knotted, the rope shortens 
  to a 50-foot length and grants advantage on checks made 
  to climb it. 
  The rope has AC 20 and 20 hit points. It regains 1 hit 
  point every 5 minutes as long as it has at least 1 hit point. 
  If the rope drops to 0 hit points, it is destroyed. 
  Location. This magic item is found in L4, Area 7. 
   
  SENTINEL SHIELD 
  Shield, Uncommon 
  While holding this shield, you have advantage on 
  initiative rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks.  
  Location. This magic item is found in L6, Area 29F. 
   
  STAFF OF FLOWERS 
  Staff, Common 
  This wooden staff has 10 charges. While holding it, you 
  can use an action to expend 1 charge, causing a flower to 
  sprout from a patch of earth or soil within 5 feet of you, 
  or from the staff itself. Unless you choose a specific kind 
  of flower, the staff creates a mild-scented daisy. The 
  flower is harmless and nonmagical, and it grows or 
  withers as a normal flower would. The staff regains 1d6+4 
  expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the last 
  charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the staff turns into flower petals 
  and is lost forever. 
  Location. This magic item is found in L5, Area 6F. 
   
   
   
  
   
  59 
  TEARULAI, SWORD OF SHARPNESS 
  Longsword, Very Rare (Requires Attunement) 
  Tearulai is a sentient neutral good sword of sharpness 
  with an emerald-colored blade and precious gemstones 
  embedded in its hilt and pommel. Evil creatures can't 
  attune to Tearulai; any evil creature that tries takes 20 
  psychic damage. 
  When you attack an object with this magic longsword 
  and hit, maximize your weapon damage dice against the 
  target. When you attack a creature with this magic 
  longsword and roll a 20 on the attack roll, that target takes 
  an extra 14 slashing damage. Then roll another d20. If you 
  roll a 20, you lop off one of the target's limbs, with the 
  effect of such loss determined by the DM. If the creature 
  has no limb to sever, you lop off a portion of its body 
  instead. 
  In addition, you can speak the sword's command word 
  to cause the blade to shed bright light in a 10-foot radius 
  and dim light for an additional 10 feet. Speaking the 
  command word again or sheathing the sword puts out the 
  light.  
  Spells. The sword has 6 charges and regains 1d4+2 
  expended charges daily at dawn. A creature attuned to the 
  sword can use an action and expend 1 or more charges to 
  cast one of the following spells from it without material 
  components: fly (2 charges), polymorph (3 charges) or 
  transport via plants (4 charges).  
  Sentience. The sword has an Intelligence of 17, a 
  Wisdom of 12, and a Charisma of 20. It has hearing and 
  truesight out to a range of 120 feet. It communicates 
  telepathically with its attuned wielder and can speak, read, 
  and understand Common, Draconic, Elvish, and Sylvan. 
  In addition, the sword can ascertain the true value of any 
  gemstone brought within 5 feet of it.  
  Personality. Tearulai admires great beauty, music, fine 
  art, and poetry. Vain, the weapon strives to improve its 
  appearance. It craves gemstones and seeks out better ones 
  with which to adorn itself. Most of all, it longs to return 
  to the forests around Myth Drannor, where it was created. 
  If its wielder's goals run counter to its own, Tearulai 
  attempts to take control of its wielder (subjecting it to a 
  DC 17 Charisma saving throw). On a failure, the wielder 
  is charmed for 1d12 hours, during which Tearulai 
  attempts to reach the surface, thereafter using transport 
  via plants to return whence it came. 
  Location. This magic item is found in L5, Area 9, 
  lodged into the green dragon's skull.  
   
  WAND OF CONDUCTING 
  Wand, Common 
  This wand has 3 charges. While holding it, you can use an 
  action to expend 1 of its charges and create orchestral 
  music by waving it around. The music can be heard out to 
  a range of 60 feet and ends when you stop waving the 
  wand. 
  The wand regains all expended charges daily at dawn. 
  If you expend the wand's last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, a 
  sad tuba sound plays as the wand crumbles to dust and is 
  destroyed. 
  Location. This magic item is found in L7, Area 8.  
   
  WAND OF FIREBALLS 
  Wand, Rare (Requires Attunement by a Spellcaster) 
  This wand has 7 charges. While holding it, you can use an 
  action to expend 1 or more of its charges to cast the 
  fireball spell (save DC 15) from it. For 1 charge, you cast 
  the 3rd-level version of the spell. You can increase the 
  spell level by one for each additional charge you expend. 
  The wand regains 1d6+1 expended charges daily at 
  dawn. If you expend the wand's last charge, roll a d20. On 
  a 1, the wand crumbles into ashes and is destroyed.  
  Location. This magic item is found in L5, Area 2D. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  60 
  APPENDIX B: MONSTERS & NPCS 
   
  TABLE OF CONTENTS 
  Aboleth ........................................................................................ 61 
  Air Elemental ............................................................................... 62 
  Allosaurus .................................................................................... 62 
  Archdruid ..................................................................................... 62 
  Archmage .................................................................................... 63 
  Assassin ....................................................................................... 63 
  Awakened Shrub .......................................................................... 63 
  Awakened Tree ............................................................................ 63 
  Barlgura ....................................................................................... 64 
  Basilisk ........................................................................................ 64 
  Bat ............................................................................................... 64 
  Black Bear ................................................................................... 64 
  Blink Dog .................................................................................... 65 
  Blue Slaad .................................................................................... 65 
  Boar ............................................................................................. 65 
  Bone Naga (Spirit) ....................................................................... 65 
  Brown Bear .................................................................................. 66 
  Bulette ......................................................................................... 66 
  Bullywug ..................................................................................... 66 
  Carrion Crawler ........................................................................... 67 
  Champion .................................................................................... 67 
  Chimera ....................................................................................... 67 
  Chuul ........................................................................................... 67 
  Clay Golem .................................................................................. 68 
  Cloaker ........................................................................................ 68 
  Darkmantle .................................................................................. 69 
  Death Slaad .................................................................................. 69 
  Displacer Beast ............................................................................ 70 
  Drider ........................................................................................... 70 
  Drow ............................................................................................ 71 
  Drow Elite Warrior ...................................................................... 71 
  Drow Mage .................................................................................. 72 
  Drow Priestess of Lolth ............................................................... 72 
  Duergar ........................................................................................ 73 
  Earth Elemental ........................................................................... 73 
  Elk ............................................................................................... 73 
  Ettercap ........................................................................................ 74 
  Ettin ............................................................................................. 74 
  Faerie Dragon (Violet) ................................................................. 75 
  Faerie Dragon (Violet, Large)...................................................... 75 
  Fire Elemental.............................................................................. 76 
  Flesh Golem ................................................................................. 76 
  Flying Sword ............................................................................... 77 
  Flying Wand of Magic Missiles ................................................... 77 
  Ghost ........................................................................................... 77 
  Giant Bat ...................................................................................... 78 
  Giant Eagle .................................................................................. 78 
  Giant Toad ................................................................................... 78 
   
   
  Giant Shark .................................................................................. 78 
  Giant Spider................................................................................. 79 
  Giant Toad ................................................................................... 79 
  Giant Wasp .................................................................................. 79 
  Glabrezu ...................................................................................... 80 
  Gray Slaad ................................................................................... 80 
  Green Slaad ................................................................................. 81 
  Grimlock ..................................................................................... 81 
  Helmed Horror ............................................................................ 81 
  Hezrou ......................................................................................... 82 
  Homunculus ................................................................................ 82 
  Homunculus (Large) .................................................................... 82 
  Hook Horror ................................................................................ 82 
  Hydra ........................................................................................... 83 
  Invisible Stalker ........................................................................... 83 
  Kuo-toa ........................................................................................ 84 
  Kuo-toa Archpriest ...................................................................... 84 
  Kuo-toa Whip .............................................................................. 85 
  Lich ............................................................................................. 85 
  Mage ............................................................................................ 86 
  Mezzoloth .................................................................................... 86 
  Mimic .......................................................................................... 86 
  Minotaur Skeleton ....................................................................... 87 
  Mule ............................................................................................ 87 
  Nycaloth ...................................................................................... 87 
  Piercer ......................................................................................... 88 
  Polar Bear .................................................................................... 88 
  Quaggoth ..................................................................................... 88 
  Quasit .......................................................................................... 89 
  Red Slaad .................................................................................... 89 
  Roper ........................................................................................... 90 
  Shambling Mound ....................................................................... 90 
  Spirit Naga .................................................................................. 91 
  Stone Giant .................................................................................. 91 
  Swarm of Insects (Centipedes) .................................................... 91 
  Triceratops ................................................................................... 91 
  Troglodyte ................................................................................... 92 
  Troll ............................................................................................. 92 
  Umber Hulk ................................................................................. 92 
  Vrock ........................................................................................... 93 
  War Priest .................................................................................... 93 
  Warlock of the Archfey ............................................................... 94 
  Werebat ....................................................................................... 94 
  Wight ........................................................................................... 95 
  Will-o'-Wisp ................................................................................ 95 
  Xorn ............................................................................................ 96 
  Young Green Dragon .................................................................. 96 
  Yuan-ti Abomination ................................................................... 96 
   
   
  
   
  61 
  ABOLETH 
   
  LAIR ACTIONS 
  When fighting inside its lair, an aboleth can invoke the 
  ambient magic to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 
  (losing initiative ties), the aboleth takes a lair action to 
  cause one of the following effects: 
  • The aboleth casts phantasmal force (no components 
  required) on any number of creatures it can see within 
  60 feet of it. While maintaining concentration on this 
  effect, the aboleth can't take other lair actions. If a target 
  succeeds on the saving throw or if the effect ends for it, 
  the target is immune to the aboleth's phantasmal force 
  lair action for the next 24 hours, although such a 
  creature can choose to be affected. 
  • Pools of water within 90 feet of the aboleth surge 
  outward in a grasping tide. Any creature on the ground 
  within 20 feet of such a pool must succeed on a DC 14 
  Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 20 feet into the 
  water and knocked prone. The aboleth can't use this lair 
  action again until it has used a different one. 
  • Water in the aboleth's lair magically becomes a conduit 
  for the creature's rage. The aboleth can target any 
  number of creatures it can see in such water within 90 
  feet of it. A target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom 
  saving throw or take 7 (2d6) psychic damage. The 
  aboleth can't use this lair action again until it has used a 
  different one. 
   
  REGIONAL EFFECTS 
  The region containing an aboleth's lair is warped by the 
  creature's presence, which creates one or more of the 
  following effects: 
  • Underground surfaces within 1 mile of the aboleth's lair 
  are slimy and wet and are difficult terrain. 
  • Water sources within 1 mile of the lair are supernaturally 
  fouled. Enemies of the aboleth that drink such water 
  vomit it within minutes. 
  • As an action, the aboleth can create an illusory image of 
  itself within 1 mile of the lair. The copy can appear at 
  any location the aboleth has seen before or in any 
  location a creature charmed by the aboleth can currently 
  see. Once created, the image lasts for as long as the 
  aboleth maintains concentration, as if concentrating on 
  a spell. Although the image is intangible, it looks, 
  sounds, and can move like the aboleth. The aboleth can 
  sense, speak, and use telepathy from the image's 
  position as if present at that position. If the image takes 
  any damage, it disappears. 
   
   
  
   
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Wyatt Trull/Dungeon of the Mad Mage Companion - Bundle 2.pdf