TEXT: 1
  
  2
  CREDITS……………………………………………………..……………………….3 
  TotSK MAP………………………………………………………….………………..4 
  INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………….…….6 
  THE FALSE TOMB (1-8)………………………………………..……………9 
  THE UPPER TOMB (9-21)………………………………………………….13 
  THE LOWER TOMB (22-52)………………………………..……………18 
  MONSTERS……………………………………………………………………….28 
  MAPS………………………………………………………………………………34-37 
  OGL…………………………………………………………………………………….38 
  Some artwork  © 2015 Dean Spencer, used with permission. All rights reserved. 
  TABLE of CONTENTS
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  3
  Tomb of the Serpent Kings written by Skerples  
  TotSK adapted to C&C by D.S. Myers 
  For more information on Skerples  
  please visit coinsandscrolls.blogspot.com 
  COVER ART BY IgorNP 
  INTERIOR ART BY  
  DEAN SPENCER, ERIC POMMER,  
  Maps: Original map by Janon 
  Layout & Design: Scott Myers 
  VTT Map by Dehumanizer 
  LICENSE 
  All text and maps in work is licensed under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-SA 
  The included artwork is all copyright by its respective owners and artists.  
  A copy of  the Castles &  Crusades Players Handbook and Castles & Crusades Monsters 
  & Treasure is required to play this adventure.  
  Castles and Crusades ® is a product of Troll Lord Games©  
  For more on the Castles & Crusades game please visit www.trolllord.com
  CREDITS
  
  4
  
  5
  
  6
  When you first start up Super Mario Bros. the game 
  doesn't give you any instructions. The first level is 
  cunningly designed to teach you the rules: jump on 
  enemies, pick up mushrooms, look for secrets, get coins, 
  avoid pits. There is no tutorial; the game itself is the 
  tutorial.  
  Everyone can name “classic” dungeons—Tomb of  
  Horrors, Barrier Peaks, The Temple of  Elemental Evil, etc.—
  but in order for those adventures to make sense, there 
  needs to be some sort of introduction. Tomb of  Horrors 
  and Death Frost Doom are both reactions to something, 
  but what they are reacting to doesn’t really exist as a 
  published product.  
  It's like all the adventures we have are Bach concertos. 
  People keep writing amazing works of staggering genius, 
  but someone needs to write a book on how to play the 
  piano.  
  This dungeon is designed to be “classic” without being 
  full of callbacks and nostalgia. It has some, but not all, 
  of the major tropes. It also has full design notes.  
  THIS MODULE IS FOR... 
  1. Experienced GMs with new players. 
  2. GMs who want to learn more about dungeon design. 
  3. Experienced GMs with experienced players, but who 
  are new to OSR-style content.  
  As a completely new CK, you can still use this dungeon 
  and learn a lot from it, but it will test your skills 
  immediately. Experienced players may also enjoy it.  
  I DISAGREE WITH... 
  Chances are pretty good that an experienced CK will 
  disagree with a few lessons, traps, or encounters in this 
  dungeon. That’s completely fine! This isn’t a handbook 
  on the “one true way” to run a beginner dungeon. It’s 
  just one way to do it.  
  • If  you think diplomacy is vital, put a helpful but 
  cowardly goblin named Smee in 7: FALSE TEMPLE.  
  • If  you think time pressure and a sense of  looming 
  danger are important from the start, add Wandering 
  Monsters to all levels of the dungeon, not just LEVEL 
  3. 
  • If  you don’t like snakes, replace them with goats. 
  • Add folklore tropes. 
  • Add your favorite traps, or remove the traps entirely.  
  By disagreeing, you’re learning something about your 
  own preferences. Learning what you don’t like is as 
  valuable as learning what you do like. Maybe this module 
  will inspire you to write a “learning dungeon” of your 
  own.  
  GROUP SIZE AND BALANCE 
  Tomb of  the Serpent Kings is designed for level one 
  characters. You can run this dungeon for one player or 
  ten. The encounters are not balanced. They don’t have 
  difficulty ratings. There are very few rewards for fighting, 
  and many for executing a good plan.  
  By the end of this dungeon, surviving PCs should be 
  level 2 or 3, assuming the usual rates of attrition, loss, 
  and panic. Adjust the value of treasure accordingly. 
  Large groups will have an easier time (and get less 
  treasure per PC). Gold was adjusted for the Castles & 
  Crusades Game. 
  Damage is scaled around PCs having between 4 and 16 
  hit points, and daggers dealing 1d6 damage. 
  A group of mid-level PCs, run by experienced players, 
  could demolish this dungeon in record time. They might 
  still enjoy it. A group of low-level PCs run by new 
  players will (hopefully) have a great time.  
  Depending on play style and speed, side adventures, time 
  in town, and other diversions, it could take between 12 
  and 24 hours at the table to completely explore this 
  dungeon. In a first session that involves character 
  creation, the party should be able to explore Level 1 fully.
  A Note from Scott 
  "Skerples wrote a fantastic introductory adventure 
  module with old school flair and I am happy to bring it 
  to the Castles & Crusades game.  
  I kept most all of it intact, besides adapting statistics to 
  C&C, adding the color version VTT map and adding 
  artwork." 
  Running this adventure requires the use of  the Castles & 
  Crusades Players Handbook© and Castles & Crusades 
  Monsters & Treasure© from Troll Lord Games©. 
  
  7
  BEFORE YOU BEGIN 
  1. Read the entire module. 
  2. Makes notes on things you like and don’t like. 
  3. Replace monsters listed  with ones of your choice if 
  you wish. 
  4. Adjust treasure values where needed. 
  LURING THE PCS 
  Assuming the PCs start broke and know that tombs 
  contain treasure, here are some ways to get them to the 
  Tomb of the Serpent Kings.  
  1. They find an ancient map to a long-forgotten tomb. 
  2. A landslide reveals the tomb’s entrance. 
  3. The goblins kidnap someone close to the PCs. 
  4. The lich Xiximanter’s experiments induce strange 
  dreams. 
  5. They stumble across the tomb’s entrance while dealing 
  with an unrelated matter. 
  6. They are sent to explore the newly-discovered tomb 
  by a powerful patron.  
  LESSONS 
  Every room, trap, or encounter is designed to teach new 
  players (and CKs) a useful lesson. Some are general, 
  while others are specific to this dungeon. Attentive 
  players should begin to understand the structure, nature 
  and dangers of the tomb so they can begin to predict 
  and exploit it for their own gain. These lessons might 
  seem trite for experienced CKs, but I think it’s useful to 
  list them anyway.  
  STRUCTURE 
  Tomb of the Serpent Kings is a buried dungeon with 
  three levels and four main themed areas. There are no 
  “read-aloud” text boxes.  
  Level 1: The False Tomb 
  This level introduces the very basics of dungeon design 
  and exploration in seven rooms. Assuming character 
  creation is fairly quick and the PCs have a good reason to 
  explore the tomb, it’s just the right length for a first 
  session.  
  Level 2: The Upper Tomb 
  Lessons learned in the False Tomb are tested and applied 
  in the Upper Tomb. There is still a clear path “forwards,” 
  but branching side rooms are tempting. It may take two 
  or three sessions to fully explore, and possibly require a 
  trip back to civilization to resupply.  
  Level 3: The Lower Tombs 
  The Lower Tombs branch and loop with two main 
  “horizontal” paths and three main “vertical” paths.  
  The PCs can reach the surface or go deeper or even end 
  up back where they started. This level is significantly 
  more dangerous than the preceding levels. Dungeon 
  diplomacy and trade also comes into play, as do 
  wandering monsters.  
  Level 3 is open-ended. You can add material to extend 
  the dungeon as far as you like. By this point, if you are a 
  new CK or new to OSR games, you should be ready to 
  write your own material.  
  THEMATIC AREAS 
  The False Tomb 
  The dungeon gets weirder and less mundane as you 
  descend. Initially, you’re cracking wooden coffins to loot 
  tiny amulets. By the end, you’re digging through fungus 
  goblin muck for crowns, trading with a dead snake-man, 
  and hauling treasure chests of gold to the surface.  
  The False Tomb represents the joy of discovery, the 
  “Oh, I see!” moment, and the thrill of possible treasure. 
  Be sure to praise any players who figure out it’s a false 
  tomb. Cleverness should be rewarded.  
  Describe this area with words like “shoddy,” “chipped,” 
  and “damp.” It’s a root cellar. There are little white roots 
  in the ceiling and gravel on the floor.  
  The True Tomb 
  Represents power and unspoken threats. Statues loom. 
  Things shudder in locked coffins. Giant lizards stalk you 
  in the darkness, immortal wizards cut deals, and 
  invincible, undead oozes slither after you.  
  Describe this area with words like “enormous,” 
  “looming,” and “cold.” This area is the work of a 
  civilization older, wiser, and crueler than the PCs. The 
  deeper they go, the jumpier they should be.  
  The Chasm 
  Represents the unknown, and the wonder of the 
  unknown. There could be anything down there. It could 
  go to the core of the world. There could still be snake-
  
  8
  men living untroubled lives in the depths. It’s a blank 
  canvas for GMs to add things to this module.  
  Describe the chasm with words like “bottomless, 
  “distressing,” “it’s like the world just falls away,”and 
  “quiet, restless sounds, if you are patient.” The PCs 
  should not want to spend any time near the chasm.  
  The Goblin Warrens 
  Represents the mirror of the PCs. They live in filth, they 
  respawn and make the same mistakes, they are hungry, 
  foolish, superstitious, murderous, and somehow 
  sympathetic. The warrens are the intrusion of vital and 
  noisy barbarism into cold and moribund civilization.  
  Describe the warrens with smells and sounds. It stinks. 
  You’ll stink if you spend any time in them, and  the 
  Tomb of the Serpent Kings doesn’t have any 
  complimentary baths. Chattering teeth, tiny red goblin 
  eyes, and sharp knives wait in the darkness.  
  THE CASTLES AND CRUSADES 
  VERSION OF TOTSK
  THE MAPS
  The original maps for this module were designed by 
  Janon. The full color map that appears in the back of 
  this module was created by Dehumanizer and is intended 
  for VTT use. 
  C&C Notes: Throughout this book 
  text boxes have been added that 
  explain how the C&C mechanics work 
  in play. They appear in white, like this 
  one. 
  Lessons: The original lessons that 
  appear in Tomb of the Serpent Kings 
  all appear in a light gray, like this one. 
  
  9
  The False Tomb 
  1
  2
  2
  3
  4
  5
  
  10
  1: ENTRANCE HALL 
  A long corridor with four open rooms, two on either 
  side. The hallway ends at a large, barred door made of 
  stone, leading to 6: FALSE KING’S TOMB.  
  2: GUARD TOMBS 
  These small rooms are identical in size and content. They 
  both contain a wooden coffin with a clay statue of a 
  snake-man warrior inside. The statues are hollow. Each 
  contains a gold amulet worth 10gp, a dried snake 
  skeleton, and a 5 ft. cloud of poison gas (anyone within 
  5 feet must make a CL0 CON Saving Throw or take 1d6 
  damage, this can only take a character to 0 hp ).  
  3: SCHOLAR TOMB 
  Similar to 2: GUARD TOMBS, but inside the coffin is a 
  clay statue of a thin and sly-looking snake-man scholar. 
  Its scrolls have crumbled to dust. The statue contains the 
  same amulet, snake skeleton, and poison as the others. 
  4. SORCERER TOMB 
  Similar to 2: GUARD TOMBS, but inside the coffin 
  there is a clay statue of a robed snake-man sorcerer 
  wearing a silver ring. If the PCs didn’t already learn that 
  the other statues were hollow, they’ll almost certainly try 
  to pry the ring off, breaking the statue open and 
  revealing the poison gas and amulet. 
  The ring is a magical, but also cursed. If worn on a 
  finger, the fingernail becomes long, bifurcated, and 
  pointed like twin fangs. It can be used like a poison 
  dagger (living targets must Save vs. Constitution (CL0) 
  (Poison) or take +1d6 poison damage on a hit), but each 
  morning, the wearer must also Save vs. CON (CL0) or 
  take d6 damage. If they take 6 damage at once from the 
  poison ring, their finger falls off and turns into a snake. 
  Castles & Crusades: Saving Throws, anyone that is 
  within 5 ft. of the statue when it is broken must make a 
  CL0 Constitution (CON) Save by rolling a 1d20 + their 
  CON bonus (if any) + their level, and adding those 
  together. The total must meet or beat a 12 if their 
  Constitution is a Prime Attribute, or 18 if it is not. On a 
  successful save the character takes no damage and on a 
  fail the character takes 1d6 damage. For more on Saving 
  Throws see page 167 of the C&C Players Handbook. 
  Lessons: the dungeon is organized. There are patterns. 
  There is hidden treasure. There is also hidden danger.  
  The PCs will probably approach the 2nd coffin with more 
  caution, and earn their reward (gold) without the danger 
  (poison) by using their brains (and a rock or long stick). 
  C&C: Attack Rolls, To make a melee attack with this 
  ring roll 1d20 + your BTH (Bonus to Hit). Add the two 
  together and meet or beat the opponents Armor Class, 
  abbreviated AC. 
  If the attack roll is a fail, the attack misses and does no 
  damage.  
  If the attack is successful, it hits & does 1d4 (a dagger) 
  damage. The monster or NPC must also make a CON 
  Save (CL0) or take an additional 1d6 in poison damage.  
  For more on attacks and attack rolls see page 173 of the 
  C&C Players Handbook.  
  Lessons: Hidden treasure can be magical, useful, and 
  sometimes cursed. 
  
  11
  5: DOOR/HAMMER TRAP 
  A large door, barred with a lengthy piece of stone hung 
  on two iron pegs set into either side of the doorframe. 
  Requires at least three PCs to lift (or, if the party is 
  smaller, all PCs). When the bar is lifted, the iron pegs 
  begin to rise. When the bar is fully removed a trap is 
  activated. A huge stone hammer swings down from the 
  ceiling, aiming straight for the backs of the now-trapped 
  PCs. It nearly fills the corridor, but there is a small gap 
  on either side. The PCs can:  
  1.
  CL0 Dexterity Save to Dodge or 
  2.
  Use another PC as a springboard, giving them +2 to 
  Dodge but giving the shoved PC –2.  
  PCs hit by the hammer drop to 0 Hit Points. 
  This trap can be identified by examining the door or 
  pegs, by noticing that the iron pegs slowly rise as the bar 
  is lifted, or by checking the ceiling. If the bar is quickly 
  replaced, if the pegs are held down, or if the trap 
  mechanism in the ceiling is damaged, the trap will not 
  activate. 
  After firing, the hammer slowly retracts into the ceiling 
  unless blocked. It can be reactivated by lifting up the iron 
  pegs, either by hand or by a rope. Its first activation 
  knocks open the stone doors leading to 6: FALSE 
  KING’S TOMB. 
  C&C: Dying, this trap requires a DEXTERITY saving 
  Throw and on a fail that character may drop to 0 Hit 
  Points!  
  At 0 hp  characters pass out! Unless magically healed a 
  character will remain unconscious for 1d6 hours! 
  At -1 to -6 hp characters are unconscious and grievously 
  wounded! 
  At -7 to -9 hp characters are mortally wounded at lose 1 
  hp per round! 
  At -10 characters are dead! 
  See page 178 of the C&C Players handbook for more 
  on Hit Points, wounds, death and healing.
  Lessons: there are deadly traps. The dungeon can be 
  lethal. 
  5
  6
  7
  8
  
  12
  6. FALSE KING’S TOMB 
  The burial chamber of a decoy snake-man king and his 
  two brides. On the north wall are three wooden coffins 
  painted with stylized sleeping snake-men. The coffin in 
  the middle is larger and more ornate. Each coffin 
  contains a Skeleton who will immediately attack if their 
  rest is disturbed.  
  Skeletons (4): SIZE: Medium, HD: 1 (d12), AC: 13, 
  SAVES: P, MOVE: 30 ft., ATTACKS: Fangs or Swords 
  (1d6) SPECIAL: Undead, INT: None ALIGNMENT: 
  Neutral TYPE: Undead (Common) TREASURE: 1 
  XP: 5+1 COMBAT:  Takes 1/2 damage from slashing 
  and piercing weapons who will immediately attack if 
  their rest is disturbed. 
  7: FALSE TEMPLE 
  This room contains a giant statue of a hideous snake-
  man god, resembling a cross between a toad, a heap of 
  intestines, and a melted candle. Water leaking into the 
  tomb has eroded the floor, revealing a secret passage 
  under the statue to LEVEL 2 of the dungeon.  
  8: SECRET PASSAGE 
  This damp, narrow room lies directly below 7: FALSE 
  TEMPLE. It is an alcove-like passage that widens to 
  become 9: STATUE HALL. 
  C&C: Combat, this is the  
  first combat of the adventure,  
  make sure you have read the Combat  
  chapter of the Players Handbook  
  (starting at page 169). If you are  
  coming from another game remember  
  attackers can only move 1/2 their  
  movement, or less, and still make an attack on 
  their turn.  
  When determining half damage for slashing and 
  piercing attacks round UP. 
  Lessons: there are undead in the 
  dungeon. They take less damage 
  from slashing weapons. PCs can 
  use the environment against them (lure 
  them into the hammer trap). 
  Lessons: there are secret passages. They are associated 
  with statues. This might be a false tomb.  
  Throughout this dungeon, statues will be associated with 
  secret passages and treasure. 
  
  13
  The Upper Tomb 
  9: STATUE HALL 
  A long, wide corridor. Six huge statues of heavily armed 
  and armored snake-men loom over the hall, glaring at the 
  party. One of the statues is twisted slightly out of 
  alignment with the wall. It can be moved to reveal 10: 
  SECRET GUARDROOM.  
  10: SECRET GUARDROOM 
  This room was once a secret guardroom for temple 
  assassins. Now it is empty and dark. The furniture has 
  rotted to fragments. On the wall are two hooked 
  polearms that are still usable, along with a silver icon of 
  a scowling snake-man king worth 50gp. 
  Lessons: the party should have learned in 7: FALSE 
  TEMPLE that secret passages are hidden behind statues. 
  Lessons: secret rooms sometimes contain more treasure. 
  9
  10
  12
  
  14
  11: TOMB ATRIUM 
  The hallway opens into a large octagonal chamber, also 
  ringed with glaring snake-man statues. Some carry 
  weapons, others carry implements of torture or 
  agriculture. The doors to rooms 12–16 are made of 
  heavy stone, but can be levered without much difficulty. 
  Room 15 has an unlocked wooden door. Room 18 has a 
  stone door, but it is much more ornately carved than the 
  others. There was once a pit in the center of the room, 
  but water trickling from the surface (through rooms 7 
  and 9) has filled it to the brim with dark, oily water that 
  smells like licorice. The pool is 10' deep.  
  Inside the pool are two Mummy Claws, these rotting 
  hands will jump out to attack anyone who comes within 
  5 ft. of the pit.  
  Mummy Claws (2): SIZE: Small, HD: 1 (d4), AC: 13, 
  SAVES: P, MOVE: 20 ft., ATTACKS: Claw (1d4), 
  SPECIAL: Undead, INT: None ALIGNMENT: Neutral 
  TYPE: Undead (Common) TREASURE: nil, XP: 5+1 
  SPECIAL: Choking
  Drinking the water or rubbing it into open wounds 
  inflicts Mummy Rot, but touching it does not. If the 
  party kills or disables both mummy claws and attempt to 
  dredge or search the pool, it contains:  
  1.
  a very angry and completely insane mummy’s 
  head  
  2.
  a heavy gold chain worth 350gp. 
  3.
  a magic silver ring  
  4.
  a magic utility item of the CKs choice, or a 
  randomly rolled magic item, or 2d100gp in 
  jewelry  
  The silver ring is a ring of  eyesight. While wearing it, one 
  of the user's eyes pops out and becomes hard as glass. 
  The eye still sees normally. 
  12: TOMB OF XISOR THE GREEN 
  The passage into this tomb contains a pressure plate that 
  triggers a bolt spell, aimed straight down the hallway. It 
  deals 4d6 damage (DEX Save for 1/2) and only activates 
  once. The electrum disc it fires from is worth 100gp. It is 
  embedded in the wall at the end of the tomb’s entrance, 
  and may be visible in torchlight when the PCs open the 
  door. Xisor’s stone coffin is empty. 
  13: TOMB OF SPARAMUNTAR 
  The passage to this tomb has collapsed. The blocks of 
  the ceiling caved in. The PCs will hear Sparamuntar, a 
  snake-man Skeleton, lurching and thumping on the 
  other side of the blocked passage. He is not very subtle, 
  and will try and strike the moment he can see the head 
  of a living creature. His funeral trinkets are worth 100gp.  
  Skeleton: SIZE: Medium, HD: 1 (d12), AC: 13, SAVES: 
  P, MOVE: 30 ft., ATTACKS: By weapon SPECIAL: 
  Undead, INT: None ALIGNMENT: Neutral TYPE: 
  Undead (Common) TREASURE: 1, XP: 5+1 SPECIAL: 
  1/2 damage from slashing and piercing weapons.  
  14: TOMB OF FRANBINZAR 
  This room is more primitive than the others. It contains 
  one stone coffin with the badly mummified remains of 
  Franbinzar, last ruler of the fortress. The mummification 
  did not go well. He counts as a Black Pudding and will 
  lurch to attack anyone who opens the coffin.  
  His grave goods are clay copies, but he has 20gp worth 
  of rings embedded in him. If killed, he will regenerate in 
  1d20 hours unless burned. If he is free, add him to the 
  Wandering Monster Table (p.18), replacing one of the 
  Omen results.  
  Black Pudding (1): SIZE: Large, HD: 10 (d10), AC: 3, 
  SAVES: P, MOVE: 10 ft., ATTACKS: Acid (3d6), INT: 
  None, ALIGNMENT: Neutral, TYPE: Ooze, 
  TREASURE: 8, XP: 2400+10 
  SPECIAL: Acid, Constrict, Split, Immunity (full): Cold 
  and Electricity 
  C&C: The Mummy Claws are hard to hit (-4) when 
  strangling. 
  Lessons: there are hidden monsters. Some monsters also 
  inflict diseases. It is very hard to hit a monster clinging to 
  your friend’s throat. 
  Lessons: look for treasure at the bottom of pits and 
  pools. Magic items can solve problems. 
  C&C: Remember when a Saving Throw or check is 
  listed that has no CL listed you just use CL0. 
  Lessons: sometimes floors are trapped. Traps are often 
  deadly. Treat unknown rooms with caution. 
  Lessons: listen at doors. You can hear some monsters 
  before you see them. Some rooms are best left alone. 
  
  15
  15: PRIEST ROOM 
  This room was used by the priests of the upper tomb. It 
  contains three beds, some rotten shelves, and a silver and 
  emerald snake-god icon worth 200gp. The scrolls 
  scattered around the room record the ravings of trapped 
  mummies in a forgotten language. One of them contains 
  the true name (Baltoplat) of the succubus in 32: 
  SUMMONING ROOM.  
  16: UNFINISHED TOMB 
  This room is empty, except for some discarded carving 
  tools rusting on the floor. It might make a nice bolthole 
  in an emergency, or a place to stash supplies. 
  Lessons: oozes live in dungeons. Some can split into 
  multiple oozes when struck. You can use the environment to 
  your advantage (by circling the pit in 11: TOMB 
  ATRIUM, by closing the stone doors on the ooze, by 
  luring the ooze upstairs and hitting it with the hammer 
  trap, etc.) 
  C&C: Some mental effort is required to translate these 
  ramblings. A Wizard, Illusionist or Cleric may be able to 
  translate this with a successful CL0 Intelligence Check 
  and 1d6 or so hours of time. 
  Lessons: valuables sometimes take unconventional forms. 
  The ravings might be valuable if translated or sold to 
  the credulous. 
  Lessons: some rooms are empty. 
  11
  12
  9
  17
  39
  13
  14
  18
  15
  16
  10
  
  16
  17: CLAY WARRIORS ROOM 
  A group of eighteen clay statues of life-sized snake-men 
  warriors, in three rows of six. Their swords are rusted to 
  uselessness. Each statue is hollow, they contain nothing. 
  The statue in the far south corner of the room sits on 
  the trap door 39: SECRET PASSAGE to 38: 
  BASILISK HALL.  
  18: STAIRS 
  This hallway is protected by a very ornate door, carved 
  with images of snakes raining from the sky. Stairs 
  descend downwards into darkness. A faint cold wind 
  blows up the stairs. 
  The third stair from the top is slightly loose and has left 
  very faint scratches on the walls. If any weight is put on 
  it, the stairs tip to become a smooth stone ramp. Spikes 
  deploy from the floor at the bottom of the ramp when 
  the trap is activated. A PC sliding into the spikes takes 
  1d6 damage (DEX Save for 1/2). The trap resets in 5 
  rounds.  
  19: STONE COBRA GUARDIAN ARENA 
  This is a large, arena-like room completely covered in 
  shields from tribes conquered by the snake-men. Some 
  of the shields are rotted through, but at least five are still 
  in usable condition. If laboriously scraped and 
  disassembled, fragments of silver wire and gold leaf in 
  the shields are worth 20gp total.  
  In the very centre of the room stands the Stone Cobra 
  Guardian (pg. 29). It attacks on sight. It cannot fit up 
  the stairs.  
  Stone Cobra Guardian (1): SIZE: Large, HD: 6 (d8), 
  AC: 13, SAVES: P, MOVE: 30 ft., ATTACKS: see 
  Special, INT: None, ALIGNMENT: Neutral, TYPE: 
  Construct, TREASURE: nil, XP: 315+7 
  SPECIAL: Shield Draw, Leap and Slam, Twin Slash
  Lessons: some rooms look more threatening than they are. 
  Look under statues for secret passages. 
  C&C: Checking for Traps, if any of the players state 
  they are checking the staircase for traps allow them a 
  Wisdom Check to notice the 3rd stair looks loose and 
  the walls are scratched. 
  Lessons: check the floor. Traps can move you and not 
  just harm you. 
  19
  20
  22
  23
  
  17
  20: CHASM AND PATH 
  A narrow path along a bottomless chasm. To the north, 
  the path dead-ends. To the south, the path leads to the 
  rest of the tomb. The path is 10' wide and slightly 
  slippery; running or leaping will require a fairly easy Save. 
  The chasm is 60' wide, and the opposite side isn’t visible 
  unless the PCs use flaming arrows or a very powerful 
  light source. If the PCs anger the fungus goblins, this 
  path will be their preferred ambush spot. The goblins are 
  sticky and disregard the slippery stone floor.  
  If you want to add more material to this dungeon, the 
  chasm is an excellent place to start. You can add stairs 
  leading down to other dungeon levels. You can add a 
  bridge, just past 21: DUNGEON BARNACLES to a 
  boss fight on the other side, with 29: TREASURE 
  ROOM being a way to bypass the barnacles. 
  21: DUNGEON BARNACLES 
  The path here is filled with dungeon barnacles. These 
  stone- covered mollusks devour any warm-blooded 
  creatures that pass near them, reaching out with sticky, 
  paralyzing tentacles. Characters who have spent time in 
  tombs, caves, or tunnels will recognize and know to 
  avoid these creatures. They are less like enemies and 
  more like terrain. 5 hours with a hammer could clear a 
  path, but there’s a very high risk of being paralyzed and 
  devoured. 
  C&C: Slippery floors make movement slower and can 
  make Melee Attacks have a penalty (-2) .
  Lessons: this path is closed. Think of a solution 
  (poisoned meat, exploding frogs, etc.) and come back 
  later. 
  Lessons: pick where you fight carefully. 
  
  18
  D8 Roll
  Wandering Monster
  1
  Omen of  Basilisk. The rattle and thrash of a distant chain, dragged through 
  stone and dust. 
  2
  Omen of  Jelly. Wet squelching in the distance. 
  3
  Omen of  Goblins. Chittering, half-giggling, half grinding of teeth and licking 
  of lips. The flit of red eyes in the distance. A waft of fungal rot. 
  4
  Bat. Not hostile, but startling. Flaps around, flies towards the chasm. 
  5
  Large Spider. The size of a fist. Here to eat bats, not PCs. Venomous (1d4 
  poison damage) but cowardly. Considered a delicacy by the goblins. 
  6
  1d6 Fungus Goblins. See pg. 30. In a scouting party. 1d6 other goblins lurk 
  around the corner. 
  7
  1 Skeleton Jelly. See pg. 30. 
  8
  1d10+5 Fungus Goblins. See pg. 30. In a raiding party. 1 goblin will have a 
  ludicrously impractical cutlery spear (1d6 damage, reach). 
  The Lower Tomb 
  
  19
  There are four main zones to LEVEL 3.  
  • Outer Halls (22–26) 
  Dressed stone, slightly damp, mold and slime on the lower 
  walls. The air is cold, especially close to the chasm. Some 
  dry and dusty areas. Everything has carved or painted 
  snakes on it.  
  • Sacrifice Pit (27–30) 
  Dressed stone with ancient crumbling mosaics. The air is 
  warm and foul, and only gets worse as you approach 30: 
  SACRIFICE PIT.  
  • Xiximanter’s Lair (43–46) 
  Finely cut stone, covered in dust and cobwebs. Purple 
  lights and bubbling alchemical flasks. The glimmer of 
  glass, and the clatter of bones.  
  • Goblin Warren (47–52) 
  Dug through collapsed tunnels and rooms, or through 
  natural caves. Filthy. The floor is thick with guano, beetles, 
  and rot. It is difficult for the PCs to tell if the chittering is 
  beetles or goblins.  
  This level also contains Wandering Monsters. They are 
  attracted to noise, light, and heat. They won’t move to the 
  upper levels of the dungeon unless the Stone Cobra 
  Guardian is defeated.  
  Check every 30 minutes on Level 3, or whenever the PCs 
  make a lot of noise.  
  22: STONE DOOR 
  Recessed 5' into the wall and held closed by a heavy stone 
  bar. The door is barred on the side facing the chasm. If 
  approached from the other side, it cannot be opened 
  without demolishing most of the door.  
  It contains the same type of hammer trap as 5: DOOR/ 
  HAMMER TRAP, but the hammer swings away from 
  the door, rather than towards it. This makes it easier to 
  dodge (CL-2 DEX Save) but any hit PCs must CL0 DEX 
  Save again or be flung into the chasm. 
  23: CEREMONIAL ROOM 
  Used by the snake-man priests to prepare and meditate. 
  Contains several low benches, ancient wall hangings, and a 
  dry fountain. Goblins pried a gold statue from the 
  fountain and hid it in 49: GOBLIN THRONE ROOM. 
  A few scraps of gold leaf worth 1gp and a primitive tool 
  marks are all that remain.  
  Lessons: traps repeat. Be cautious around bottomless 
  chasms. 
  Lessons: some rooms are safe. Look for what may be 
  missing. 
  22
  23
  24
  21
  25
  26
  27
  
  20
  24: HALLWAY 
  A long, narrow hallway slopes downwards to the south. 
  Contains 1 Skeleton Jelly, that will move towards noise. 
  Skeleton Jelly (1): SIZE: Medium, HD: 2 (d12)*, AC: 
  13, SAVES: P, MOVE: 30 ft. , ATTACKS: Slam (1d4), 
  INT: None , ALIGNMENT: Neutral , TYPE: Undead 
  (Rare) , TREASURE: 1, XP: 5+1, SPECIAL: Undead, 
  Indestructable* 
  25: PIT TRAP 
  This room has a false floor made of thin stone tiles. A 1' 
  wide ring around the walls is safe, but all other tiles are 
  held up by sticks and thin metal bars. Any PC stepping 
  into the center of the room must DEX Save to dodge or 
  take 1d6 damage from the fall, and a 2nd CL0 DEX Save 
  again or take a further 1d6 damage from the spikes at the 
  bottom. The false tiles are easy to spot: one is even 
  missing.  
  The pit contains several mundane human skeletons and a 
  gold ring worth 20gp. The goblins use the pit to catch 
  food, replacing the lost tiles every day. 
  26: HALLWAY 
  A small passage branching off from the main hallway, 
  leading to a locked door. The lock is incredibly rusted 
  with age and the door opens easily.  
  27: SLAVE ROOM 
  The air here is foul and warm, and there is a distinct 
  hissing sound coming from the Southwest door. This 
  room was once used to keep slaves, and a pair of iron 
  manacles still lie on the floor. The manacles are 
  enchanted to lock around the legs of anyone who 
  approaches within 1', but the rusted metal is weak and 
  can be pried free with a CL0 STR Check. 
  28: DOMED HALL 
  An elaborately carved domed hall with a locked iron 
  door in the south wall. The key to the door is around the 
  Basilisk’s neck. The door isn’t magical, but it would take a 
  team of people hours or days to pry it open or crack its 
  hinges. There is a broken stone door to the west. To the 
  north are the flickering orange light of 30: THE 
  SACRIFICE PIT and the hiss of the eternal flame.  
  29: TREASURE ROOM 
  This room contains... whatever it is you want to put in 
  the bottom of your dungeon: a boss fight, a rare item, 
  piles of gold, plot hooks, stairs to more dungeon levels. 
  At the least, it should contain 2000gp of assorted 
  treasure.  
  30: SACRIFICE PIT 
  An eternal flame burns in the center of a carved, 15' 
  deep pit with sloped sides. The flame is fueled by natural 
  gases, piped from a deep and ancient mine. There is a 2' 
  wide walkway around the pit. Carbonized bones coat the 
  bottom. While the air here is foul, it isn’t dangerous to 
  anything outside the pit. Creatures inside the pit must CL 
  2 CON Save each round or take 1d6 temporary 
  Constitution damage, reaching unconsciousness at 3 or 
  less CON. Unconscious PCs slide down to the flame and 
  take 2d6 fire damage per round. 
  There are runny streaks of gold around the flame, and a 
  few carbon-coated gemstones (worth 500gp total) glitter 
  in the orange light. Not all the sacrifices were poor. 
  C&C: Remember, Saving Throws always have a CL, if 
  one is not listed assume it is CL0. 
  Lessons: check the floor.
  Lessons: not all traps are deadly. Beware of wandering 
  monsters and delays.  
  Lesson: some hazards are invisible. 
  30
  28
  29
  
  21
  31: GUARDED HALL 
  Two incredibly life-like snake-man statues stand in the 
  bottom corners of this elaborately carved hall. The 
  statues are much finer than any other carving in the 
  tomb. They are, in fact, petrified snake-men, placed here 
  as punishment. If de-petrified, they will fly into a 
  murderous rage for 10 minutes, then slowly give in to 
  despair. The statues are worth 500gp each if sold in a 
  major city, or 10x more to a wizard who recognizes their 
  nature.  
  32: SUMMONING ROOM 
  A long, narrow room with a huge pile of junk (broken 
  shields, bent swords, candlesticks, branches) piled at the 
  entrance. Clearing the pile takes thirty minutes, and 
  makes a terrific racket. This room was once a 
  summoning chamber. It contains a bound Succubus (pg. 
  29) summoned by the snake-men to answer questions 
  about the lower hells. She appears as a young botanist in 
  an ankle shackle, of the same race as the first PC she 
  sees, and of an amenable gender. She will claim to have 
  been captured by the goblins. The shackle around her 
  ankle is an illusion. All she needs is for someone to step 
  across the (dust-covered and mostly obscured) circle 
  binding her.  
  The room also contains a small altar, 2 gold bowls worth 
  150gp each, a +1 magic dagger, and a wavy stone snake 
  that detects as magical. The snake is used to open the 
  door to 46: THRONE ROOM. The succubus isn’t 
  hostile to the PCs, but she will try to isolate and kiss one 
  of them (the succubus’s kiss reduces the victims 
  character level by 1 if they do not succeed on a CON 
  Save, +10 bonus to the save if she likes you) so she can 
  refuel and fly away. Her true name (Baltoplat) is written 
  on a scroll in 15: PRIEST ROOM. The goblins fear 
  her. Xiximanter knows her true nature, but assumes the 
  party knows as well. She’s immune to petrification and 
  very, very good at dodging. She will immediately flee 
  from any conflict. If made to bargain, she can detect 
  poison, reveal ancient secrets, or agree to kill any one 
  mortal the PCs can name. She is patient and cunning, but 
  true to her word.  
  33: SHRINE ALCOVE 
  An alcove containing a shrine to one of the many cobra- 
  headed gods of the snake-men. The statue has two holes 
  in the base large enough to fit a human arm. The statue 
  can’t be lifted, but it rattles and it can be turned easily. 
  Almost any effort, inspection, or action will turn it 
  slightly. Turning it counter-clockwise 90° will release 
  poison gas (6 damage in a 30' cloud). Turning it 
  clockwise 90° will cause a lot of gold (2d100+100gp) to 
  spill out, rolling onto the floor. Some pieces will roll into 
  35: BLADE TRAP HALLWAY.  
  34: PRIEST REST AREA 
  Used by the snake-men priests to rest and meditate. The 
  door rotted away centuries ago. It contains five blood-
  stained silk pillows, rotten and shredded, and three stone 
  eggs. The eggs are magical. If coated in fresh 
  mammalian blood, the eggs grow comfortably warm to 
  the touch, and can be used as hot water bottles. A single 
  coating keeps an egg warm for 8 hours. They can be 
  wiped clean after the first application.  
  Lessons: look for explanations for things that are out of  
  place. 
  Lessons: some monsters have hidden agendas. There are 
  illusions. Don’t let yourself be isolated. Don’t make noise. 
  Lessons: treasure is hidden behind statues. Some traps 
  follow a pattern. 
  Lessons: magical items may have a mundane purpose. 
  36
  34
  33
  35
  31
  32
  
  22
  35: BLADE TRAP HALLWAY 
  This hallway is trapped. The ceiling is ridged like the 
  gullet of a snake: bands of tiles wind across two 10' 
  squares. Stepping on any of the raised tiles will activate 
  four swinging blades that slice down from the ceiling. 
  PCs must CL0 DEX Save to dodge or take 1d6 damage. 
  Any movement through the two 10' squares requires 
  another DEX Save for three rounds after the trap 
  activates. PCs who stand still don’t take any damage. If a 
  PC fails their Save, they take 1d6 damage and don’t move 
  that round. On the fourth round, the entire trap comes 
  crashing down in a tangle of stone, blades, and springs, 
  dealing 2d6 damage to anyone in the two 10' squares 
  (DEX Save for 1/2). 
  36: VESTIBULE 
  Partially rotted wall hangings lie on the floor, which is 
  carved into geometric stonework patterns. Anyone 
  pressed against the west wall cannot be seen by the 
  Basilisk. A hallway slopes down to 37: PIT TRAP.  
  37: PIT TRAP 
  A pit trap identical to 25: PIT TRAP. The snake-men 
  really didn’t want their sacrifices escaping into the rest of 
  the tomb. This pit contains nothing of value.  
  38: BASILISK HALL 
  A huge stone chamber filled with broken pillars (eight 
  total, in two rows along each side of the hall). The ceiling 
  is lost in darkness. Bats roost up there. The floor is 
  littered with broken statue pieces, including incredibly 
  lifelike carved stone bats, spiders, and goblins.  
  The Basilisk (p. 32) lurks in the darkness. A thick iron 
  chain links it to the ceiling. It cannot leave the hall.  
  39: SECRET PASSAGE 
  A secret passage leading from the statue room on 
  LEVEL 2 to the Basilisk Hall. The door on the hall side 
  would have been unnoticeable as originally built, but 
  time has worn the mosaics away, revealing the door’s 
  outline. 
  40: SECRET PASSAGE 
  This passage is hidden behind another secret door, but 
  this one is intact and difficult to find. It’s on the exact 
  opposite side of the Basilisk Hall from 39: SECRET 
  PASSAGE, and in the same style, so clever players will 
  locate it quickly. Though the walls are smooth and well-
  made, the floor is thick with goblin detritus and the air 
  stinks.  
  41: STAIRCASE TO THE SURFACE 
  A dirt-encrusted staircase to the surface. It opens under 
  the roots of tree. Human-sized creatures can crawl 
  through, but a larger passage requires axes and time. The 
  goblins use this route to raid the surface on moonless 
  nights. 
  Lessons: traps are not always reliable. Move quickly out of 
  danger. Check the floor. 
  Lessons: some monsters have unconventional attacks. Use 
  teamwork to defeat a creature or avoid it completely. 
  Listen for threats. 
  Lessons: dungeons have loops and shortcuts. 
  37
  38
  
  23
  38
  39
  40
  41
  
  24
  42: CYLINDER DOOR 
  A rotating cylinder of stone with a carved chunk big 
  enough for two people (imagine a dented barrel). Rotates 
  in both directions if pushed. Turn it counter-clockwise 
  to activate a stabbing spear trap (6 damage/person/
  round until rotated to safety). Turn it clockwise to reveal 
  a stone idol with two golden bowls worth 100gp each. 
  Turn 180° to reach 47: GOBLIN WARRENS.  
  43: XIXIMANTER’S ENTRANCE HALL 
  A finely carved stone hall; ribbed like the inside of a 
  creature’s gullet and lit by magic purple lights set into the 
  walls. Xiximanter (pg. 31) is an ancient snake-man 
  wizard, twisted but immortal. He looks like a dried 
  human corpse (with fangs) fused to a snake tail at the 
  waist. He wears tattered robes, and his eyes are red 
  pinpricks. He is not unreasonable, and will greet the 
  party with “Hello, bipeds,” as they enter his lair. 
  Xiximanter desires living creatures—preferably 
  intelligent, ideally wizards. He distills them to make his 
  potions. While utterly amoral, he is neither rude nor 
  murderous. He firmly believes that he is close to a 
  breakthrough. He also believes that the snake-man 
  empire still sits above him, that the tomb is full of 
  priests, and that the party must be barbarian visitors on a 
  tour. If shown evidence to the contrary, he will become 
  enraged.  
  PCs will not be allowed past the Entrance Hall unless 
  they agree to be Xiximanter’s apprentices (or victims). 
  His most powerful potions take decades to brew. He will 
  trade potions for living creatures, spells, rare ingredients, 
  and apprentices. He will not accept coins or treasure. If 
  the party is openly carrying looted items from the tomb, 
  he will become suspicious and try to poison, capture, or 
  manipulate them. 
   
  44: INGREDIENT STORAGE ROOM 
  Barrels of ancient herbs and powders sit next to kegs of 
  acid and stale water. One flask contains powdered 
  saffron (2000gp worth), while a tiny bottle contains 1d10 
  seeds of a now-extinct plant (worth 300gp each to a 
  collector or ambitious farmer). Xiximanter will not trade 
  these unless he can get even more rare or valuable 
  ingredients from the party. Nothing they find in the 
  tomb is likely to pique his interest.  
  This is also where Xiximanter keeps his victims. Six 
  stone oubliettes with brass lids, like wine vats sunk into 
  the ground, are scattered around the room. The pits 
  currently contain 1d10 miserable Fungus Goblins (pg. 
  30) crammed into the same pit.  
  There is a secret passage here, behind a stack of empty 
  crates. It leads to 46: THRONE ROOM. 
  Lessons: some traps have patterns. Scout ahead. 
  42
  45
  46
  44
  43
  
  25
  45: POTION BREWING ROOM 
  Alchemical flasks, dusty instruments, and gleaming 
  shelves full of beautiful flasks line the walls. Aside from 
  an assortment of random potions (10+1d10 potions), 
  his shelves always include: 
  1.
  2 Potions of  Haste (works as the Haste spell) 
  2.
  1 potion of moderate immortality (extra 20+1d100 
  years of natural life)  
  3.
  1 potion of undetectable poison (tastes like a 
  random potion but drops HP to 0, in 1 minute, 
  no Save)  
  4.
  2 Potions of  Cure Serious Wounds 
   
  46: THRONE ROOM 
  The giant door at the end of the Basilisk Hall is made of 
  intertwined stone snakes. One snake is missing. It can be 
  found in 32: SUMMONING ROOM. If replaced, the 
  door will slither open, revealing a room made of red 
  stone, gold, and mirrors. The eight palm-sized mirrors 
  on wooden stands are worth 100gp each if sold in a 
  major city. The throne is worth 2500gp, but requires at 
  least three people to lift. Anyone sitting in it must make a 
  CL2 CHA Save or desire lordship and conquest.  
  Xiximanter has a secret passage from the throne room to 
  his lair, but he hasn’t used it in centuries. The throne 
  room entrance is hidden behind a rotted wall hanging. 
  The passage is thick with dust. If the PCs use it, he will 
  be surprised, and possibly enraged unless they think of a 
  plausible excuse.  
  47: GOBLIN WARREN 
  This room is part of the Goblin Warren. It is a low cave 
  (5' high). It’s clear that the rooms here collapsed 
  centuries ago and were hollowed out by the goblins. 
  They use this room to store feathers, rags, and bowls of 
  grease. A thorough search of the muck and detritus on 
  the floor coats a PC to the neck in guano and beetle 
  shells and reveals 2d6 silver knives (worth 1gp each) and 
  a dented brass bracelet (worthless).  
  48: GOBLIN SPAWNING PIT 
  The passage to this low and sunken room is only 2' high. 
  It contains the goblin spawning pit: a hideous mash of 
  fungus, dead animals, and bloated sacks of fluid. PCs 
  must CON Save or flee in disgust. The pit reincarnates 
  the souls of dead fungus goblins and is one of 
  Xiximanter’s failed experiments in immortality. There is 
  no treasure here, but unless this room is burned, the 
  number of goblins in the dungeon will always be “too 
  many goblins.” 
   
  Lessons: use diplomacy. Some enemies can be reasoned 
  with. You can trade within a dungeon. You can betray your 
  friends for power. 
  Lessons: not all secret passages are safe. Rooms in 
  dungeons are linked. There is a ton of  treasure. 
  Lessons: it’s difficult to clear a dungeon completely. Fire is 
  useful. 
  
  26
  49: GOBLIN THRONE ROOM 
  A goblin throne room. Most of the time, this room 
  contains 1d6x1d6 Fungus Goblins eating bats, fighting, 
  or worshiping their current king. If they haven’t recently 
  found a living creature to crown, they’ll make an idol out 
  of sticks and mud. The goblin crown is made of bent 
  cutlery and sticks. They used to have a real crown but 
  they lost it. The golden idol from 23: CEREMONIAL 
  ROOM is being used as a back-scratcher. It is worth 
  50gp. 
  Fungus Goblin: SIZE: Small, HD: 1 (d6), AC: 15 , 
  SAVES: P, MOVE: 20 ft., ATTACKS: Sword, Teeth, 
  Claws or Cutlery (1d6), INT: Average , ALIGNMENT: 
  Lawful Evil , TYPE: Humanoid , TREASURE: 1, XP: 
  5+1, SPECIAL: Darkvision 60 ft. 
  50: GOBLIN FARMS 
  The goblins plant anything to see if it grows. Sickly 
  plants rot in darkness, accompanied by buried fingers, 
  weapons, mushrooms, and gold. Dredging this room 
  reveals 2d100gp, a ruby worth 300gp, and the Crown of 
  the Serpent Kings. The crown is worth 3000gp for the 
  materials and gems alone: it is made of eight tiny 
  entwined serpents of gold and platinum, with emerald 
  eyes and diamond teeth. The crown is also magical. 
  Anyone wearing it who is not a snake-man must make a 
  CL 3 CHA Save. If they fail, they spend the next hour 
  gibbering and hooting in terror. If three consecutive 
  hours are spent in this state, the effects are permanent. 
  The crown can be removed by another person. If they 
  Save, there is no effect.  
  Seasoned poisoners or wizards might recognize the blue 
  mushrooms here as dungeon cucumbers, capable of 
  curing petrification if sliced and rubbed on the skin. The 
  person will recover in 1d6 days.  
  Lessons: sneak past your enemies. The dungeon changes 
  during the day or night. 
  47
  49
  48
  50
  51
  
  27
  51: GOBLIN RUMPUS ROOM 
  This room serves no particular purpose to the goblins, 
  but at any given time, 1d6 (exploding on a 6) fungus 
  goblins will be present during the night and 3d6+10 
  (exploding on a 6) present during the day. The goblins 
  will be asleep in either case, but will wake up two rounds 
  after the PCs make significant noise in any adjacent 
  room. They are almost invisible in the debris.  
  Fungus Goblin: SIZE: Small, HD: 1 (d6), AC: 15 , 
  SAVES: P, MOVE: 20 ft., ATTACKS: Sword, Teeth, 
  Claws or Cutlery (1d6), INT: Average , ALIGNMENT: 
  Lawful Evil , TYPE: Humanoid , TREASURE: 1, XP: 
  5+1, SPECIAL: Darkvision 60 ft. 
  52: GOBLIN GUARD ROOM 
  A mostly-collapsed room used by the goblins to store 
  weapons. It contains 2 pitchforks, a pile of silver cutlery 
  (worth 20gp) and dozens of sharpened sticks. One 
  goblin is on sentry duty. He wields a large broom, which 
  he uses to push away the skeleton jellies. If the players 
  enter from 28: DOMED HALL by opening a half-
  broken stone door, he pushes them back with the broom 
  while protesting. If they enter from 51: GOBLIN 
  RUMPUS ROOM, he runs away screaming. 
  Lessons: enemies might use odd weapons for a reason. 
  Chasing goblins in the dark is no fun.  
  51
  50
  52
  37
  
  28
  Black Pudding 
  SIZE: Large 
  HD: 10 (d10) 
  AC: 3 
  SAVES: P 
  MOVE: 10 ft. 
  ATTACKS: Acid (3d6) 
  INT: None 
  ALIGNMENT: Neutral 
  TYPE: Ooze 
  TREASURE: 8 
  XP: 2400+10 
  SPECIAL: Acid, Constrict, Split, Immunity (full): Cold 
  and Electricity  
  COMBAT: Black puddings, like most oozes, will simply 
  try to engulf and digest their prey with a mindless 
  determination. However, they are quick compared to 
  other oozes, and this can startle those who are attacked 
  by them.  
  SPLIT: If attacked by edged weapons, black puddings 
  immediately split in two. Their AC remains the same, but 
  the hit points are divided equally between the two halves. 
  The acid damage of these smaller black puddings is 
  halved as well.  
  Mummy Claws  
  SIZE: Small 
  HD: 1 (d4) 
  AC: 13 
  SAVES: P 
  MOVE: 20 ft. 
  ATTACKS: Claw (1d4) 
  SPECIAL: Undead 
  INT: None  
  ALIGNMENT: Neutral  
  TYPE: Undead (Common)  
  TREASURE: nil 
  XP: 5+1  
  SPECIAL: Choking 
  COMBAT: When a claw detects a potential victim, it 
  leaps to the attack. Although it may not appear to be 
  capable of such a feat, its great strength enables it to do 
  so. The maximum distance a claw can leap is 15 feet.  
  CHOKING: Once a claw lands on its victim, it crawls 
  to the victims throat and begins choking them, inflicting 
  1d4 points of damage. The victim can make a CL0 
  Strength check on their turn to remove the claw. Anyone 
  trying to strike the claw, including the victim, while it is 
  attached makes their attacks rolls at -4 and on a critical 
  fumble strikes the victim, or themselves.  
  Monsters 
  
  29
  The Stone Cobra Guardian 
  SIZE: Large 
  HD: 6 (d8) 
  AC: 13 
  SAVES: P 
  MOVE: 30 ft. 
  ATTACKS: see below 
  INT: None 
  ALIGNMENT: Neutral 
  TYPE: Construct 
  TREASURE: nil 
  XP: 315+7 
  SPECIAL: Shield Draw, Leap and Slam, Twin Slash 
  The Stone Cobra Guardian cannot fit up the 18: 
  STAIRS.  
  ATTACKS: Each round, the Stone Cobra Guardian can  
  perform one of three attack patterns:  
  Shield Draw. The Guardian calls to a shield attached to 
  the wall of the arena. The shield deals d6 damage (CL0 
  DEX Save negates) to any creatures between it and the 
  Guardian. The Guardian holds the shield in its empty 
  hand, granting it +1 AC. The shield can be sundered as 
  normal (reducing incoming damage by 1d12 and 
  destroying the shield).  
  Leap and Slam. The Guardian leaps into the air and slams 
  down 5'–20' away from its starting position. It will not 
  land directly on creatures, but any adjacent creatures take 
  1d4 damage. Save negates. Creatures that take damage 
  are knocked prone.  
  Twin Slash. The Guardian swipes at two targets with its 
  sword. The targets must be on the same facing (front, 
  left side, right side, or rear) and must be adjacent to the 
  Guardian. The Guardian rolls a normal attack against 
  both targets separately, dealing 1d8 damage on a hit.  
  The room is designed for the players to flank the 
  Guardian, flee, push it into the chasm, or flee past it and 
  hope it doesn’t follow them (it will, but only until it can 
  no longer see or hear them). The shields on the walls can 
  be used by PCs as well.  
  Succubus (Baltoplat)  
  SIZE: Medium 
  HD: 6 (d8) 
  AC: 20 
  SAVES: P, M 
  MOVE: 30 ft., Fly 50 ft.  
  ATTACKS: 2 Claws (1d3) 
  INT: High 
  ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil 
  TYPE: Extraplanar 
  TREASURE: nil 
  XP: 315+7 
  SPECIAL: Spell-Like Abilities, Energy Drain, Summon 
  Demon, Telepathy, Alternate Form 
  Spell-Like Abilities: At will-charm monster, clairaudience/
  clairvoyance, darkness, desecrate, detect good, detect thoughts, 
  suggestion, and teleport without error (self plus 50 pounds of 
  objects only).  These abilities are as the spells cast by a 
  12th-level Wizard.  
  Energy Drain: A succubus drains energy from a mortal 
  it lures into some act of passion, or by simply planting a 
  kiss on the victim. If the target is not willing to be 
  kissed, the succubus must start a grapple, which 
  provokes an attack of opportunity. The succubus’s kiss 
  reduces the victims character level by 1 if they do not 
  succeed on a CON Save.  
  Summon Demon: Some demons can summon other 
  demons much as though casting a summon monster 
  spell, but they have only a limited chance of success. Roll 
  d%: On a failure, no demons answer the summons. 
  Summoned creatures automatically return whence they 
  came after 1 hour. A demon that has just been 
  summoned cannot use its own summon ability for 1 
  hour. Once per day a succubus can attempt to summon 
  one balor with a 10% chance of success. 
  Telepathy: Succubi can communicate telepathically with 
  any creature within 100 feet that has a language. 
  Alternate Form: Succubi can assume any humanoid 
  form of Small to Large size as a standard action. This 
  ability is similar to the polymorph self spell but allows 
  only humanoid forms. 
  Will flee combat (doesn’t want to risk it) and not return. 
  
  30
  Skeleton 
  SIZE: Medium 
  HD: 1 (d12) 
  AC: 13 
  SAVES: P 
  MOVE: 30 ft.  
  ATTACKS: Fangs or Swords (1d6) 
  INT: None  
  ALIGNMENT: Neutral  
  TYPE: Undead (Common)  
  TREASURE: 1 
  XP: 5+1 
  SPECIAL: Undead 
  APPEARANCE: Fanged human skeleton wrapped in 
  bangles, with a rusted metal weapon  
  COMBAT: Skeletons attack silently and with a very 
  frightening intensity, killing anything living in their path. 
  Because of their bony nature, any slashing or piercing 
  weapons do half damage, while blunt weapons do 
  normal damage.  
  Skeleton Jelly 
  SIZE: Medium 
  HD: 2 (d12)*  
  AC: 13 
  SAVES: P 
  MOVE: 30 ft.  
  ATTACKS: Slam (1d4) 
  INT: None  
  ALIGNMENT: Neutral  
  TYPE: Undead (Common)  
  TREASURE: 1 
  XP: 5+1 
  SPECIAL: Undead, Indestructable 
  APPEARANCE: A skeleton covered in orange ooze. 
  Immortal and nearly indestructible. Any attack that 
  would normally deal 4 or more damage just knock them 
  back 5'. 
  INDESTRUCTABLE: Infinite HP. You cannot reduce 
  their HP by damage, magic, fire, acid, prayer, cruel 
  insults, or the touch of the grim reaper himself. They are 
  too dumb to live and too stupid to die. 
   
  There are 4 skeleton jellies in the dungeon. If the party 
  manages to completely immobilize all 4 of them, remove 
  them from the Wandering Monster Table (pg. 18). They 
  will eventually crawl free from pit traps or rope bundles. 
  Any living creature killed by a skeleton jelly rises as a new 
  skeleton jelly in 10 minutes (fungus goblins are immune 
  to this).  
  Fungus Goblins 
  SIZE: Small 
  HD: 1 (d6) 
  AC: 15  
  SAVES: P 
  MOVE: 20 ft. 
  ATTACKS: Sword, Teeth, Claws or Cutlery (1d6) 
  INT: Average  
  ALIGNMENT: Lawful Evil  
  TYPE: Humanoid  
  TREASURE: 1 
  XP: 5+1  
  SPECIAL: Darkvision 60 ft.  
  APPEARANCE: Pale, stunted creatures with huge oval 
  heads full of teeth and two tiny red eyes way too close 
  together. Texture like baked potato mixed with white 
  glue. They wear cutlery and desire food.  
  The goblins aren’t hostile at first, and will try to crown 
  someone as the Goblin King. They will follow their King 
  loyally until the next full moon, and then swarm, drag the 
  King to an altar on a hill, and gut them. They speak a 
  chattering and limited goblin dialect, and are easily 
  bribed. They will warn the party about the Basilisk, but 
  do not know about 39: SECRET PASSAGE or 
  anything about the upper levels of the dungeon. The 
  Stone Cobra Guardian kept them out. The goblins use 
  41: STAIRCASE TO SURFACE to sneak to the 
  surface at night. If the party kills any of them or act in a 
  hostile way, they flee, and begin preparing the first of 
  many ambushes. 
  They are cunning and patient. They can (slowly) climb 
  the walls and ambush the party from above. They’ll use 
  buckets of water to extinguish torches, ropes to entangle, 
  and the dungeon’s existing traps to maim and isolate the 
  party. They will also harass their camp at night, bite the 
  legs off their horses, and steal shiny objects. Unless their 
  brood at 48: GOBLIN SPAWNING PIT are burned, 
  the number of goblins in the dungeon will always be 
  “too many goblins.” The fungus goblins are escaped 
  experiments. While Xiximanter doesn’t mind having 
  them returned, they aren’t much use to him. 
  
  31
  Xiximanter 
   
  SIZE: Medium 
  HD: 18 (d8) 
  AC: 20 
  SAVES: M 
  MOVE: 30 ft. 
  ATTACKS: Touch (1d10) 
  INT: Genius 
  ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil  
  TYPE: Undead (Unique) 
  TREASURE: 11 
  XP: 13,800 + 18 
  SPECIAL: Fear Aura, Spells, Undead, Paralyzing Touch, 
  Rejuvenation  
  APPEARANCE: Upper body of a desiccated human 
  wrapped in robes, lower body of a skeletal snake. 
  Magical charms and trinkets around his neck. Two red 
  eyes, burning like needles of fire. Snake fangs. Never 
  rude. 
  FEAR AURA: Any creature with five or fewer hit dice 
  or levels is subject to the horrific aura of terror that 
  surrounds the lich. This is an incredibly powerful and 
  compelling horror that causes all such creatures in the 
  presence of the lich to cower in absolute dread. They 
  cannot fight, cast spells, approach within 10 feet of the 
  lich, or even look upon the lich. There is no save to 
  avoid this effect, and it lasts as long as the lich is present. 
  Magical protections against fear may help negate this 
  effect, at the Castle Keeper’s discretion.  
  PARALYZING TOUCH: When a lich touches a 
  creature’s living flesh, a sudden shock of numbing cold 
  radiates through the victim. The victim must make a 
  successful strength save or be immobilized. The victim 
  suffers 1d6 hit points of cold damage regardless of the 
  saving throw’s outcome. This paralysis is permanent 
  unless magically countered or dispelled.  
  REJUVENATION: A lich is not destroyed when its 
  physical body dies. Instead, its spirit returns to its 
  phylactery. Unless the lich’s phylactery is found and 
  destroyed, the lich will reappear at full health in one day, 
  and will possess a full complement of spells. Any 
  physical items possessed by the lich’s physical form are 
  not transported to the phylactery upon its physical 
  destruction, and the returning lich will not possess these 
  items unless it has duplicates.  
  SPECIAL: Liches have the abilities of at least 18th level 
  wizard; very few, perhaps 5%, also possess the abilities 
  of a 12th level cleric.  
  Typical Spells: wall of fire, animate dead, ray of 
  enfeeblement, magic missile x3, darkness, fog, finger of 
  death x2, sleep x2.  
  Add as many other horrific and unique spells as your 
  system allows. 
  When Xiximanter becomes enraged, his flare of magical 
  power and ancient madness require observers to CHA 
  Save or flee. Xiximanter casts as a horrendously powerful 
  wizard. He has a 1-in-6 chance of ignoring any spell that 
  targets him. He is immune to all mind-affecting spells. 
  He can see through illusions, though he will be amused 
  to pretend otherwise. If he ignores a spell, he also has a 
  50% chance of reflecting it back at its caster. 
  
  32
  Basilisk 
  NUMBER: 1-4 
  SIZE: Medium 
  HD: 6 (d10) 
  AC: 16 
  SAVES: P 
  MOVE: 20 ft. 
  ATTACKS: Bite (1d10) 
  INT: Animal  
  ALIGNMENT: Neutral 
  TYPE: Magical Beast 
  TREASURE: 5 
  XP: 240+6 
  SPECIAL: Petrifying Gaze, Darkvision 60 ft.  
  COMBAT: A basilisk usually avoids melee combat 
  with anything that is not an intended meal. Instead, they 
  try to use their petrifying gaze to eliminate dangerous 
  opponents from a distance. Although slow and 
  ponderous normally, they are surprisingly quick in melee. 
  They bite with their massive jaws, grinding bone to meal 
  and shredding flesh with their jagged teeth.  
  PETRIFYING GAZE: Any living being that meets 
  the gaze of a basilisk’s eyes must succeed at a 
  constitution save or be turned to stone. Basilisks are not 
  immune to their own gaze. The victim will be turned into 
  a type of stone native to the creature’s habitat. Basilisks 
  can choose to dampen this ability when hunting for 
  food, to avoid petrifying their prey and rendering it 
  inedible.  
  The basilisk is chained to the ceiling of 38: BASILISK 
  HALL. It can move around freely within the room but 
  can’t leave it. There are 8 mostly broken pillars in the 
  hall: they provide cover and can slow the basilisk down if 
  its chain gets wrapped around them. The basilisk can 
  only see straight ahead but it can smell very, very well. 
  When the PCs first enter the hall it will wait, sniffing the 
  air, and try to circle in the dark to get close to them. 
  When it spots an isolated target it will stare at them for 
  one round, and then charge.  
  Basilisk Behavior 
  Hungry (default): Moving slowly in the dark, sniffing the 
  air, trying to spot an isolated target. It will be alert and 
  ready to strike if the party set off the trap at 35: 
  BLADE TRAP HALLWAY or if they access 39: 
  SECRET PASSAGE. 
  Digesting (if  satiated): curled up in a corner, back to the 
  wall, head up and ready to uncoil. 3-in-6 chance of being 
  asleep.  
  Curious (if  satiated): Sniffing the air, moving its head side 
  to side to avoid petrifying something by accident. It can 
  recognize people who have fed it by smell. It was a 
  domest- icated lizard, after all. It knows not to bite the 
  hand that feeds it.  
  Happy (if  satiated): Will only behave this way if it knows 
  where all the people in the room are, either by sight or 
  smell, none of them have ever harmed it, at least one of 
  them has fed it, and no one moves quickly. Will approach 
  one target and reveal neck and collar, bumping neck into 
  target to demand scratches. Will shiver and stamp feet if 
  scratched.  
  Rage (if  startled or suddenly wounded): leaps backwards 10', 
  raises tail, and charges a target in the same round. Target 
  must CHA Save or run in fear.  
  Other Information 
  The basilisk is satiated for a month after devouring 30 
  travel rations, 2 normal humans, 1 horse, or 6 fungus 
  goblins. It will hunt creatures in the Basilisk Hall on a 1-
  in-6.  
  Otherwise, it will rest in a corner, though it will still try 
  and petrify anyone passing within 20'. The brass visor on 
  the basilisk’s head can be shut fully if anyone is brave 
  enough to climb onto the lizard’s back and adjust the 
  gears. The basilisk will still hunt by smell. 
  The key to 29: TREASURE ROOM is wedged under 
  the basilisk’s collar.  
  Xiximanter put it there and forgot about it completely. 
  The basilisk appreciates anyone who can scratch the 
  worn and chipped scales under its collar. If slain, the 
  basilisk’s throat glands contain 2 equivalents of a Stone 
  to Flesh potion. The creature doesn’t actually eat stone. 
  The petrification is just a way to preventing food from  
  fleeing and storing it for later consumption.  
  The basilisk’s eyes are valuable to wizards and alchemists 
  (30gp each). The stony skeleton fetches 100gp on the 
  open market, or 30gp for the head alone. If captured 
  alive, the basilisk is worth as much as 1,000gp to a 
  menagerie keeper. If tamed, it could easily be worth 
  twice that. Any dishonorable army (all of them) would 
  love to have a tame basilisk to use against their enemies. 
  
  33
  Fighting the Basilisk 
  Lessons this boss fight is designed to teach:  
  First, be smart. There’s a giant room with a chain 
  clinking quietly in the darkness. This isn’t the Tea-House 
  of the Serpent Kings. Something is up. Give the party 
  clues and see how they react. If they stick to the walls 
  and move quickly and quietly they might avoid the 
  basilisk altogether.  
  Second, work as a team. If the basilisk stares at a target, 
  hit it, and it might be distracted and chase you instead, 
  giving your ally a chance to escape. It will isolate and 
  petrify a team one by one if the team doesn’t coordinate.  
  Third, run away. There’s no treasure here, just a giant 
  hungry lizard. You don’t have to fight it.  
  Fourth, figure out what the lizard wants. It’s not a video 
  game boss. You can negotiate, more or less. Bring a 
  horse down and feed it. Lure some goblins in. The 
  basilisk doesn’t have any treasure—it is treasure. Reward 
  the party for thinking about ecologies and realism, not 
  damage per round.  
  Fifth, use stealth. Sneak past it. Creep up and tie its 
  mouth shut with a rope. 
  
  34
  
  35
  
  36
  
  37
  
  38
  OGL
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