TEXT: 1
  Dungeon Crawl Classics #39
  The Ruins of Castle Churo
  By Alex Anderegg
  AN ADVENTURE FOR 1st LEVEL CHARACTERS
  Credits
  Writer: Alex Anderegg
  Interior Artists: J. Mance Haines, Cliff Kurowski, Brad
  McDevitt
  Cartographer: Jeremy Simmons
  Graphic Designer: Joseph Goodman
  Editor: Joseph Goodman
  Line Editor: Harley Stroh
  Proofreader: Aeryn “Blackdirge” Rudel
  Playtesters: Dan Downey, Jacob Hulker, Steven
  Hughes, Josh Stamper, Harley Stroh
  Table of Contents
  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
  Game Master’s Section  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
  Background Story  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
  Player Beginning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
  Map Key  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
  The Ruins of Castle Churo  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
  Appendix 1: Player Handouts  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
  If you enjoy this adventure, be sure to look for the rest of the
  Dungeon Crawl Classics series at your local game store.
  Log on to www.goodman-games.com for freebies, news,
  special offers, and more.
  
  Introduction
  Remember the golden days of role playing, when adven-
  tures were underground, NPCs were there to be killed, and
  the finale of every dungeon was the dragon on the 20th
  level? Well, those days are back. Dungeon Crawl Classics
  feature bloody combat, intriguing dungeons, and no NPCs
  who aren’t meant to be killed. Each adventure is 100%
  good, solid dungeon crawl, with the monsters you know,
  the traps you fear, and the secret doors you know must be
  there somewhere.
  The Ruins of Castle Churo is designed for four to six play-
  ers of first level. We recommend 4 to 6 total character lev-
  els between party members. While the characters can be
  of any basic class, a good mix of characters is helpful. In
  particular, a rogue in the party will be advantageous. Note
  that many of the encounter levels are high for first level
  characters, but a smart party will be able to utilize the
  resources they find to overcome the difficulty. See the
  “Scaling Information” section to tailor this adventure to you
  particular needs.
  Adventure Summary
  A group of bandits, the Broken Knives, has stolen relics of
  significance from several temples in the town of Grozny.
  The bandits have made their base of operations in the
  ruins of Castle Churo, which is located in the middle of the
  town. From there they have tunneled into the vaults of the
  town’s temples. The characters must investigate the ruins
  of the castle, exploring its basements and catacombs.
  They will discover that the magical accident that long ago
  destroyed the castle has left strange magical properties in
  the rooms that remain. The characters must overcome
  these challenges as they find and defeat the Broken
  Knives.
  Game Master’s Section
  Encounter Table
  To help the GM prepare, we have included a quick refer-
  ence table showing all encounters at a glance. Loc – the
  location number keyed to the map for the encounter. Pg –
  the module page number that the encounter can be found
  on. Type – this indicates if the encounter is a trap (T), puz-
  zle (P), or combat (C). Encounter – the key monsters,
  traps, or NPCs that can be found in the encounter. Names
  in italics are classed NPCs. EL – the encounter level.
  Loc
  Pg
  Type
  Encounter
  EL
  1-1
  5
  T/C
  Summon monster trap
  1
  (fiendish raven)
  1-2
  5
  P
  Babbling statues, confusion
  2
  1-3
  6
  C/P
  Smorl, kobold Clr3,
  2
  and magic fountain
  1-4
  7
  C/T
  4 kobolds, gravity effects
  2
  1-5
  7
  C/T
  2 troglodytes, time effects
  2
  1-6
  8
  C
  4 tiny hunting spiders
  1
  1-7
  8
  C
  The living room
  3
  1-8A
  9
  P
  Wind vortex
  1
  1-9
  10
  T
  Teleport trap
  1
  1-10
  11
  C/P
  Animated skull
  1
  1-11
  11
  P
  Thuelso’s ghost, animated
  0+
  grave goods
  1-12
  12
  C
  Gulag, troglodyte Rog2
  4
  1-14
  13
  T
  Fusillade of darts trap
  1
  1-16B
  13
  C
  Troglodyte and 4 kobolds
  2
  Revenge 14
  C
  Kethos, human Clr3
  3
  of Kethos
  2
  DCC World
  If you are using the world of Áereth from DCC #35:
  Gazetteer of the Known Realms, this adventure takes
  place in the town of Grozny. Found in the eastern-
  most reaches of the Theocracy of the Lance, Grozny
  has always had to contest against the depredations
  of brigands raiding from the Freeholds. Once the
  demesne of the wizard Churo, Grozny and the sur-
  rounding lands were adopted into the Theocracy
  when the wizard obliterated himself and his solemn
  tower a mere thirty years ago. The ruins of the tower
  still watch over Grozny and its inhabitants, a constant
  reminder of the failures of Man.
  
  Scaling Information
  The Ruins of Castle Churo is designed for 4-6 characters
  of first level, but may be adjusted to suit parties of different
  sizes or level. Consider adjusting the adventure as follows:
  Weaker Parties (3 or fewer characters): Throughout the
  adventure change all of the unnamed troglodytes to
  kobolds. Remove a character level from Gulag. Reduce
  the living room’s HD by one.
  Stronger Parties (5 more or more characters or higher
  than first level): Double the number of kobolds in each
  encounter that calls for them. Add a class level to Gulag.
  Smorl does not begin cursed.
  Getting the Players Involved
  The adventure begins with the party in the town of Grozny.
  The characters may be brought into the adventure through
  a few different means. Here are some hooks the might
  involve them:
  • The characters are in the town of Grozny and see a
  proclamation asking for volunteers to recover stolen
  temple relics with the promise of great reward.
  • One of the characters is a cleric of a temple that has
  been raided. He organizes the rest of the party to
  regain the stolen goods.
  Background Story
  History of Castle Churo
  Castle Churo was once the home of Churo the Too-
  Curious. Churo was the last in a long line of brilliant schol-
  ars and magicians. He experimented with magic, discover-
  ing amazing things and probing the unknown. But his
  investigations were his undoing. Churo delved into things
  mortals weren’t meant to know. While working on a high-
  energy magic experiment, he catastrophically erred in his
  calculations, disintegrating himself and leveling Castle
  Churo into a mound of slag and rubble. Only the basement
  and catacombs remained. But even the underground area
  was not unscathed, marred as it was by the release of
  intense magics. Strange properties persist in many of the
  rooms, creating ambient magical effects.
  Churo obliterated himself thirty years ago. Since that time
  a few brave explorers have ventured into the ruins chasing
  rumors of lost treasure. The few that have returned claim
  that what remains of Castle Churo is cursed by the gods.
  The local populace of Grozny shuns the castle and refus-
  es to venture near it.
  Recent Machinations
  The town of Grozny has four established religions: an
  order dedicated to justice and law; an order of contempla-
  tive monks who probe the mysteries of the universe; a
  brotherhood that perform acts of charity and healing; and
  the local druids, who oversee the agricultural life of the
  town. (The exact nature of each religion is left intentional-
  ly vague so they can be adapted to your campaign world.)
  In the last two years a new religion has moved into town,
  the Jovonists. The religion is an upstart and full of unortho-
  dox ideas such as paying homage to the founder instead
  of any god. The Jovonists have gained popularity, but
  many townsfolk still worship the gods of their fathers and
  neighbors.
  The head of Grozny’s Jovonists, Kethos, hatched a plan to
  discredit the other religions and bring more worshipers into
  his fold. He believed he could steal the relics of Grozny’s
  temples to show that the gods and their religions were
  weak. Kethos thought many of the townsfolk would not visit
  their former temples if they no longer had their mystical
  relics.
  Kethos hired the Broken Knives to do his dirty work. After
  scouting the town, the bandits figured the best plan was to
  set up an operation out of Castle Churo, which no local
  would go near. From there they would use kobolds to tun-
  nel to the nearby temples, to which the ruins are located
  advantageously close, and steal the relics from temple
  vaults.
  In one night, the bandit gang launched a quick series of
  attacks on three temples. The town guard attempted to
  capture the bandits as they filched their third relic, but
  failed as a tunnel collapsed on them. The kobolds had
  rigged the tunnels to collapse behind them after they stole
  the relics. After this disaster, the town guard refused to
  fight the bandits anymore, especially since half their num-
  ber were missing or killed.  However, they did determine
  that the tunnels have originated from Castle Churo.
  The only religions that had not been sacked by the bandits
  were the Jovonists and the druids. The druids would have
  been raided too, except that the kobolds ran afoul of the
  druids’ ornamental temple pond, and needed time to shore
  up the mine before proceeding.
  A council of Grozny’s religious luminaries, including the
  Jovonists’ leader Kethos, has gathered and demanded
  that something be done. Most of the religious sects have
  no military force, and the knightly order is out on patrol, not
  due back for days. In desperation, the clerics have elected
  to hire adventurers on commission to retrieve the relics.
  Kethos, meanwhile, has told the Broken Knives hurry up
  on their last target and get out of town before his plot is
  ruined.
  The Broken Knives
  The Broken Knives is a large criminal syndicate of thieves
  and mercenaries. For the right inducement they will per-
  form nefarious services. The Jovonists have connections
  with the syndicate; the gang performs less-savory deeds
  with which the sect would prefer not to be associated.
  Higher-ranking members and officers, such as Smorl and
  Gulag, have identifying tattoos on their arms.
  3
  
  After the characters are hooked into the adventure, they are
  brought before the religious emergency council. Kethos is
  there along with a representative from each of Grozny’s
  major religions. Read or paraphrase the following:
  You are ushered into the sacred gardens of Verditus the
  druid. The head of each of Grozny’s major temples is here.
  Their leader is Lenim, a cleric of an order dedicated to jus-
  tice and law. Also present is Kethos, head of the new order
  calling themselves Jovonists, as well as the monk Kylind,
  and the high priest Pygon. Lenim steps forward and clears
  his throat.
  “Welcome, brave adventurers,” Lenim says. “As you are
  aware, we are in need of your assistance. Bandits have
  stolen important relics from the temples of Grozny: a
  prayer rug, a stone idol, and a golden censer.
  “Our efforts to stop the bandits have been a disaster, with
  several of the town guardsmen killed in the latest raid. We,
  and the people of Grozny, are in desperate need of your
  help.
  “The town guard has determined that the cowardly thieves
  are hiding in the accursed ruins of Castle Churo. We
  implore you to go in there, vanquish the vile villains, and
  come back with the religious artifacts.
  “Unfortunately, we cannot pay you much right now, as our
  treasuries have been robbed. But you can keep whatever
  you find that the bandits have stolen, as long as you
  retrieve the relics.”
  Lenim will answer questions as he can. If the characters
  ask about the bandits, he says that the town guard thinks
  troglodytes and kobolds were involved. As for the nature of
  Castle Churo’s curse, he claims to know nothing except
  that the former occupant, Churo the Too-Curious, trifled
  with things man wasn’t meant to know. He also knows that
  a few local farm boys have ventured into the ruins on
  dares, but their stories are too wild to be believed.
  Lenim offers any basic provisions the party needs, such as
  food, water, and lodging. Then he urges the characters to
  hurry – the bandits may have already made their escape.
  During this exchange, Kethos hangs back and says noth-
  ing. He gives the characters a few appraising glances, but
  is otherwise unreadable. Kethos is currently under the
  effects of an undetectable alignment spell.
  As the meeting closes each of the clerics, including
  Kethos, offers their prayers. The clerics then say that they
  will stay in the gardens and pray for the party’s safe return.
  Kethos, however, will excuse himself, claiming that tonight
  there is an important conjunction of planets and he has to
  prepare for a ceremony.
  The Artifacts: Three relic are missing: a stone idol, a gold-
  en censer and prayer rug. The stone idol is hidden in area
  1-6, while the golden censer and prayer rug are in 1-14.
  Each relic belongs to one of the local temples.
  Gathering Information: If the characters take a few hours
  to ask around town, they can attempt a Gather Information
  check on Castle Churo. A skill check reveals the following:
  DC 5: “Aye. That place is cursed. Once, on a dare, I went
  to the entrance, which was a portal to the underworld. I
  could hear the voices of the damned coming from below.”
  DC 10: All above, plus: “A magician named Churo once
  lived in that castle. My grandda’ was his stablehand. Churo
  was pretty smart, and was always figuring out new things.
  My guess is that was what blew him and his castle up.”
  DC 15: All above, plus: “You don’t wanna go there, friend.
  Some years ago a few brave souls went in there to grab
  Churo’s treasure. Only one man came out. He said the
  dungeon itself ate his buddies. He also said don’t go grab-
  bing piles of treasure just lying around. But I dunno, he was
  mad by then.”
  DC 20: All above, plus: “Yesterday, I was coming home
  from a night at the tavern when I passed by the ruins. I
  thought I saw a ghost come from the rubble. But it was just
  Kethos. He said he was scouting the entrance, but lost his
  nerve. I don’t blame him.”
  Town Guards: As the party prepares to enter Castle
  Churo, a pair of town guards asks to join the party. They
  feel that it’s their duty to help. The characters can refuse if
  they want. The guards know nothing about the interior of
  Castle Churo, but they will be loyal compatriots.
  Corporal Cale, human War2: CR 1; Medium humanoid;
  HD 2d8+2; hp 13; Init +0 Spd. 30 ft.; AC 14, touch 10, flat-
  footed 14; Base Atk +2; Grp +3; Atk/Full Atk short sword +4
  melee (1d6+1); AL LG; SV Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 13,
  Dex 11, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 8.
  Skills and Feats: Listen +4, Sense Motive +1, Spot +4;
  Alertness, Weapon Focus (shortsword).
  Possessions: Chain shirt, short sword.
  Private Obirt, human War1: CR 1/2; Medium humanoid;
  HD 1d8+1; hp 5; Init +0 Spd. 30 ft.; AC 14, touch 10, flat-
  footed 14; Base Atk +1; Grp +2; Atk/Full Atk short sword +3
  melee (1d6+1); AL NG; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 13,
  Dex 11, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 8.
  Skills and Feats: Listen +4, Spot +4; Alertness,
  Weapon Focus (shortsword).
  Possessions: Chain shirt, short sword, 5 torches.
  4
  Player Beginning
  
  The basements and catacombs are all that remain of the
  castle. The entrance can be easily found and there is a
  path, recently used, that leads to it. The rest of the castle
  is tumbled stone and melted slag. In the dungeon area all
  walls are reinforced masonry. The doors, unless otherwise
  noted, are wooden and in good working order.
  Masonry Wall: 1 ft. thick; hardness 8; hp 90; break DC 35;
  Climb DC 15.
  Wooden Door: Hardness 5; hp 15; break DC 18.
  Wandering Monsters
  In Castle Churo, there is a 25% chance every 30 minutes
  that the characters will have an encounter with a kobold
  patrol. The chance increases by 25% if the characters
  have been making a lot of noise such as fighting and
  breaking down doors. Once all the kobolds have been
  encountered there are no further wandering monsters.
  Kobolds (4): CR 1/4; Small humanoid; HD 1d8; hp 4; Init
  +1; Spd. 30 ft.; AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 14; Base Atk
  +1; Grp –4; Atk/Full Atk spear +1 melee (1d6-1/x3) or light
  crossbow +3 ranged (1d6/19-20); SQ Darkvision 60 ft.,
  light sensitivity; AL CE; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will –1; Str 9,
  Dex 13, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8.
  Skills and Feats: Craft (trapmaking) +2, Hide +6,
  Listen +2, Move Silently +2, Profession (miner) +2, Search
  +2, Spot +2; Alertness.
  Light sensitivity: dazzled in bright sunlight or within
  radius of a daylight spell.
  Possessions: Leather armor, spear, light crossbow, 10
  bolts.
  Areas of the Map
  Area 1-1 – Entrance (EL 1): Read or paraphrase the fol-
  lowing:
  Amongst the rubble of the ruined Castle Churo
  stands a stone-rimmed doorway. The doors have
  fallen from their hinges and rampant weeds
  wreath the opening. Strangely, the doorway is
  filled with a thick mist, which almost hides the
  bones scattered just inside the threshold. A pair of
  baleful humanoid skulls seems to eye you, eager
  and waiting. Very faintly you can hear voices com-
  ing from the mist; it’s impossible to understand
  them, though the words do not stop.
  This is the entrance to the basement and catacombs
  of Castle Churo. The magical accident created a per-
  manent obscuring mist in this area. The mist will return
  the following round if dispersed.
  To scare the locals away, the Broken Knives decorat-
  ed the entrance with bones scavenged from the cata-
  combs. The voices that the characters hear come from
  area 1-2. They have no effect in this area and are
  incomprehensible.
  To further scare the locals and would-be heroes,
  Smorl has created a magical trap that triggers once a
  character has moved 10 feet down the stairs. The
  fiendish raven will concentrate its attacks on the fore-
  most character.
  Summon Monster I trap: CR 1; magic device; prox-
  imity trigger (alarm); no reset; spell effect (summon
  monster I, 3rd-level cleric, fiendish raven); Search DC
  26; Disable Device DC 26. Cost: 150 gp, 12 XP.
  Fiendish raven: CR 1/6; Tiny magical beast (extra-
  planer); HD 1/4d8; hp 1; Init +2; Spd. 10 ft., fly 40 ft.
  (average); AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12; Base Atk
  +0; Grp -13; Atk/Full Atk +4 melee claws (1d2-5);
  reach 0 ft.; SA smite good (1/day, +1 damage); SQ
  Darkvision 60 ft., fire/cold resistance 5, low-light
  vision, SR 5; AL NE; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +2; Str 1,
  Dex 15, Con 10, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 6.
  Skills and Feats: Listen +5, Spot +7; Alertness,
  Weapon Finesse.
  Area 1-2 – Room of Ancestors (EL 2): Read or para-
  phrase the following:
  When you open the door, a cacophony assaults
  your ears. Along the walls stand several statues in
  the likeness of scholars and wizards. The noise
  seems to come from them – you can see their lips
  moving, though otherwise they are immobile.
  You think you can catch a snatch of what they say;
  individual words are sometimes understandable, but
  nothing seems to make sense. And after just a few
  seconds you have a headache from the babbling.
  There are two obvious exits: a wooden door and a
  5
  The Ruins of Castle Churo
  
  stone door. The stone door has no handles or
  hinges. Two statues flank the stone door, dressed
  in armor and holding spears point-up. Written on
  the lintel above the door are the words, “Let there
  be peace beyond this portal.”
  Statues of Churo’s famous relatives through the ages
  decorate the Room of Ancestors. The magical acci-
  dent gave limited animation to these statues. The stat-
  ues are immobile and can only speak, albeit without
  making much sense. They respond to no questions or
  prompting. However, information can be gleaned from
  the mad babble, for their magical nature has also con-
  nected their speech with events in the area. Each
  round the characters hear one of the following quotes:
  1d6 roll or pick:
  1
  “The spiders worship the idol.”
  2
  “What you can’t see is the key.”
  3
  “Beyond the prisoner you will travel.”
  4
  “Someone wants their skull back, don’t hurt it!”
  5
  “Beware! Earth under water is unsteady.”
  6
  “Such an inviting couch, but so hungry.”
  Staying for too long in this room will negatively affect
  the characters. After 3 consecutive rounds in the room
  a character must make a DC 11 Fortitude save or
  become nauseated. This effect ends as soon as the
  character leaves the room. Any character who spends
  more than 6 consecutive rounds in the Room of the
  Ancestors must make a DC 16 Will save or become
  confused as if the spell were cast by a 7th level wizard.
  Characters who successfully save are immune to the
  effects of the Room of Ancestors for 24 hours.
  Characters who take precautions, such as plugging
  their ears, gain a +2 circumstance bonus to their saves.
  The western door is wood. The southern door is stone
  and leads to area 1-4. It slides open when the spears
  on the flanking statues are turned to point down. A DC
  15 Search check will indicate that the spears are
  meant to be rotated.
  Stone Door: 1 ft.; hardness 8; hp 90; Break DC 35.
  Area 1-3 – The Chapel (EL 2): Read or paraphrase the
  following:
  A pale light, with colors shifting through the hues
  of the rainbow, illuminates this room. The source
  comes from a fountain in the middle of the room.
  The kaleidoscope light reveals this to be a chapel
  dedicated to a god of magic. Scrawled graffiti in
  an alien tongue decorates the altar and the walls.
  A small reptilian humanoid sits next to the foun-
  tain. Several vials of water, a notepad, and a cage
  of rats lie on the ground next to him. The creature
  looks up, angry at the interruption.
  Churo’s accident magically enchanted the fountain in
  this chapel. The water has assumed a constantly-
  changing color and an associated magical effect,
  though the magical effect only works if the water is
  drunk directly from the fountain. If removed, the water
  loses its magic.
  Smorl, the kobold cleric, is here trying to determine the
  nature of the fountain. He has discovered some of the
  magical properties by using rats. However, some of
  the properties eluded Smorl, so he decided to test
  them himself. Unfortunately, he has just drunk the
  bestow curse water.
  Smorl has a scrap of paper, represented by handout A,
  next to the fountain on which he has made notes in
  Common about the water’s properties.
  The fountain’s spell effects vary each round according
  to the color of the water. Use 1d6 to determine the
  color of the water each round; it cycles randomly. All
  effects are as if cast by a 5th level caster:
  1d6
  Color and Effect
  1
  Red: Charm (imbiber is charmed by first
  person they view, DC 12 Will save)
  2
  Orange: Bull’s strength
  3
  Yellow: Blur
  4
  Green: Bestow curse (DC 14 Will save, -4
  to attack rolls, skill checks, and saves)
  5
  Blue: Reduce person (DC 12 Fort save)
  6
  Purple: Cure light wounds
  Smorl’s experimental rats are no threat. Spellcraft
  checks show that one is under the effects of blur (DC
  22) and another is affected by reduce person (DC 21).
  A secret door (Search DC 20) connects this room to
  area 1-5. Smorl is unaware of this door.
  The graffiti is in Draconic. It is gibberish and has no
  intelligible meaning.
  Tactics: When the characters arrive, Smorl prepares
  as much as possible. He casts invisibility and prepares
  himself by drinking water from the fountain or casting
  protection from good. If captured, Smorl attempts to
  pass himself as off as a slave kept by Gulag, the
  leader of the Broken Knives. Smorl falsely gives direc-
  tions to area 1-7 to find Gulag and says that any treas-
  ure can also be found there. At the soonest opportuni-
  ty Smorl will try to escape, get to the remove curse
  scroll that he has left in area 1-5, and leave the ruins.
  Secret Stone Door: 1 ft.; hardness 8; hp 90; Break
  DC 35; Search DC 20.
  Smorl, kobold Clr3: CR 3; Small humanoid; HD 3d8+3;
  hp 16; Init +1; Spd. 30 ft.; AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 17;
  Base Atk +2; Grp –5; Atk/Full Atk masterwork light mace
  +1 melee (1d4-3) or light crossbow +4 ranged (1d6/19-
  20); SA Command undead 4/day; SQ Darkvision 60 ft.,
  light sensitivity; AL CE; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +5; Str
  4, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 12.
  Note: The effects of Smorl’s curse are not includ-
  6
  
  ed in the stat block above. Be sure to apply the effects
  as given above.
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +8, Craft (trapmaking) +4,
  Diplomacy +3, Hide +2, Intimidate +4, Profession
  (miner) +5, Search +3, Spellcraft +8; Craft Wondrous
  Item, Scribe Scroll.
  Light sensitivity: dazzled in bright sunlight or with-
  in radius of a daylight spell.
  Spells (4/4/3, DC 12 + spell level): 0—detect poi-
  son, mending, read magic; 1st—cause fear, com-
  mand, cure light wounds, protection from good*; 2nd—
  augury (x2), invisibility*. *Domain spell.
  Domains: Evil, Trickery.
  Possessions: Chain shirt, light steel shield, master-
  work light mace, holy symbol, light crossbow, 20 bolts,
  scroll (divine; caster level 3; delay poison, find traps,
  hold person), key to Rulic’s manacles (see area 1-9).
  Languages: Draconic, Common.
  Area 1-4 – Gathering Room (EL 2): Read or paraphrase
  the following:
  The sound of yipping echoes from the walls. The
  noise comes from four small reptilian humanoids
  merrily kicking a ball around the room. One last
  kick sends the ball through the air; it must have
  incredible spin on it, because at one point the ball
  drifts up before resuming its downward arc.
  Actually... no, you realize it’s not a ball. It’s a sev-
  ered elven head.
  The activity in the room stops for a moment as the
  creatures regard you. The silence lasts a heart-
  beat, then the creatures howl, draw their
  weapons, and prepare for battle.
  The gathering room was a place for viewing the
  deceased before they were taken to the catacombs,
  but now the Broken Knives use it for a common room.
  Four kobolds, who are on break, are playing a game
  of kick-the-severed-head (the head being from one of
  the fallen town guard).
  The magic accident altered the nature of gravity in this
  room; either it is strengthened or reversed. Refer to the
  key for effects. Firing missile weapons into or through
  affected squares nets a –2 circumstance penalty for
  each square the missile enters. The kobolds are aware
  of the affected squares and avoid them.
  Trash and dust is on the ceiling in the reverse gravity
  squares; a DC 15 Spot check notices this oddity.
  Gravity effect key: The map keys are as follows.
  R: Reverse gravity, DC 15 Reflex save avoids, 1d4
  falling damage.
  C: Crushing gravity, DC 15 Reflex save avoids, victim
  becomes prone, DC 15 Strength check to move out of
  the square or stand.
  Tactics: The kobolds form ranks on their first round.
  The two wielding melee weapons are in front, and two
  wielding crossbows are in the rear. The crossbows
  begin unloaded. If half of their number are killed, the
  remaining kobolds flee to area 1-5 to get help from the
  troglodytes.
  Treasure: A crude 10-foot ladder, used to harvest spi-
  ders in area 1-6, rests in the corner of this room
  Kobolds (4): CR 1/4; Small humanoid; HD 1d8; hp 4;
  Init +1; Spd. 30 ft.; AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 14; Base
  Atk +1; Grp –4; Atk/Full Atk spear +1 melee (1d6-1/x3)
  or light crossbow +3 ranged (1d6/19-20); SQ Darkvision
  60 ft., light sensitivity; AL CE; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will
  –1; Str 9, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8.
  Skills and Feats: Craft (trapmaking) +2, Hide +6,
  Listen +2, Move Silently +2, Profession (miner) +2,
  Search +2, Spot +2; Alertness.
  Light sensitivity: dazzled in bright sunlight or with-
  in radius of a daylight spell.
  Possessions: Leather armor, spear, light cross-
  bow, 10 bolts.
  Area 1-5 – Preparation Room (EL 2): Read or para-
  phrase the following:
  The smell of old alchemical concoctions and basil
  assaults your nose. Some fresher stench, oily and
  pungent, is here too. Two reptilian forms lie prone
  on the ground, wrapped in blankets. A pile of
  garbage rests in one corner.
  Strangely, a haunch of roast goat floats in mid-air,
  unmoving.
  Formerly this was a room to prepare bodies for
  entombment. The magical accident created instability
  in the flow of time in parts of this room (see the key for
  game effects). In one spot time has slowed down so
  7
  
  much that it is in effect an area of stasis. The bandits
  have used this to their advantage, storing some food
  here so it doesn’t spoil.
  Two troglodytes sleep in this room. They occupy
  squares of accelerated time so they can get back on
  the job quicker. Unless already wakened by fellow
  bandits, the troglodytes are sound asleep, and only
  wake on a successful Listen check as the characters
  enter the room.
  Smorl has a stash of supplies and treasure in this
  room. A DC 10 Search check finds the cache amongst
  the pile of garbage.
  Time effects key: The map keys are as follows.
  H: Creature in this square is hasted. Effect does not
  continue outside the square.
  S: Creature in this square is slowed. Effect does not
  continue outside the square.
  St: Creature in this square has entered a stasis. They
  are affected as if paralyzed. Missile attacks into or
  through the square are impossible. Items and crea-
  tures may be retrieved from this square from an adja-
  cent one with a DC 15 Strength check.
  Tactics: If awakened in time or alerted, the troglodytes
  remain in the hasted squares to fight unless they need
  to engage characters with missile weapons. If they are
  presented with the opportunity, they bull rush a char-
  acter into the stasis square. These bandits fight to the
  death, as will any kobolds who have retreated from
  area 1-4.
  Treasure: Smorl’s stash of supplies consists of a scroll
  (divine; caster level 5; remove curse, cure moderate
  wounds), 85 sp, and a sack with 10 gems (5 gp each).
  Secret Stone Door: 1 ft.; hardness 8; hp 90; Break
  DC 35; Search DC 20.
  Troglodytes (2): CR 1; Medium humanoid; HD
  2d8+4; hp 13; Init –1; Spd. 30 ft.; AC 15, touch 9, flat-
  footed 15; Base Atk +1; Grp +1; Atk club +2 melee
  (1d6), claw +1 melee (1d4), or light crossbow +0
  ranged (1d8/19-20); Full Atk club +2 melee (1d6) and
  claw –1 melee (1d4) and bite –1 melee (1d4); or light
  crossbow +0 ranged (1d8/19-20); SA Stench; SQ
  Darkvision 90 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref –1, Will +0;
  Str 10, Dex 9, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10.
  Skills and Feats: Hide +5 (+9 underground or
  rocky setting), Listen +3; Multiattack, Weapon Focus
  (club).
  Stench: Range 30 ft., Fort DC 13 (poison), sick-
  ened for 10 rounds, on a successful save character
  cannot be affected by the same troglodyte for 24
  hours.
  Possessions: club, light crossbow, 10 crossbow
  bolts.
  Area 1-6 – The Spider Corral (EL 1): Read or paraphrase
  the following:
  As you enter this room you have to catch your-
  selves from falling. On the other side of the portal,
  the entire room drops down ten feet. Rags and
  bones rest on the floor, scattered about. Holes bore
  into the walls below you, all big enough to insert
  your arm, but too small to crawl into. A strange
  greasy shine covers every surface of this room.
  The Broken Knives turned this room into a corral to
  house one of their favorite delicacies, monstrous hunt-
  ing spiders. The kobolds dug a pit in the room and
  made little cubbyholes for spider dens. If anyone
  descends into the pit the spiders will come out, antici-
  pating a meal.
  Most of the spiders are harmless, too small to do any
  damage to characters; they crawl on the characters
  but don’t attack. However, four of the spiders have
  grown big enough to be a threat. Two rounds after a
  character descends into the pit the harmless spiders
  swarm out in large numbers; after three rounds, the
  larger spiders emerge to feast.
  The accident created a permanent grease effect on all
  surfaces, helping to contain the spiders (one of the
  reasons this room was chosen by the kobolds to
  become the spider corral).
  One of the stolen treasures, the Stone Idol, is hidden
  in a cubbyhole. A DC 15 Search check of the room will
  find it and a DC 10 Appraise check will identify it as a
  religious relic. Otherwise it just appears to be a stone
  with a funny shape.
  Tiny Monstrous Hunting Spiders (4): CR 1/4; Tiny
  vermin; HD 1/2d8; hp 2; Init +3; Spd. 30 ft., climb 10
  ft.; AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 12; Base Atk +0; Grp
  –12; Atk/Full Atk bite +5 melee (1d3-4); SA Poison; SQ
  Darkvision 60 ft., termorsense 60 ft., vermin traits; AL
  N; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +0; Str 3, Dex 17, Con 10,
  Int –, Wis 10, Cha 2.
  Skills and Feats: Climb +11 (spider may always
  take a 10 on Climb checks), Hide +15, Jump +6, Spot
  +12; Weapon Finesse.
  Poison: Bite, Fort DC 10, 1d2 Str/1d2 Str.
  Area 1-7 – Churo’s Living Room (EL 3): Read or para-
  phrase the following:
  The door to this room is open. Inside is a comfort-
  able-looking room painted in warm pink tones. A
  soft brown carpet covers the floor and two couch-
  es invite you to rest your feet for a while. The room
  is a little bit warmer than the corridor.  A mound of
  coins, gems, and equipment rests on the floor in
  the middle of the room.
  There is a heavy iron door set in the opposite wall.
  You can hear a slight whistle, like wind gusting in
  a bitter storm, on the other side of that door. There
  8
  
  is an occasional scratching noise too. Then, sud-
  denly, there is a loud bang on the door.
  When Churo’s magical calamity enchanted this area,
  the entire room became a living creature. The living
  room disguises its nature and ambushes unwary crea-
  tures. After each meal it regurgitates the indigestible
  materials, often coins and armor, which it uses to lure
  prey closer to its maw.
  The living room has the ability to mimic an ordinary
  room. A few things give away its true nature. The car-
  pet is actually hair, and there is a very slight motion of
  breathing. A DC 22 Spot check gives a hint that this
  room is not innocent.
  The living room’s mouth is a toothy maw in the center
  of the floor, beside the mound of gems. The mouth is
  well concealed by the carpet until it opens. The room
  also has a long tentacle that resembles a tightly woven
  braided carpet, which it can unwind from around the
  edges of the room.
  Tactics: The living room waits for a creature to come
  within 5 feet of its mouth before launching an attack. If
  the characters decided not to enter the room, the crea-
  ture attacks when they try to leave – the living room’s
  tentacles can reach 20 feet into the corridor to chase
  the characters. Unless someone has made a suc-
  cessful Spot check to penetrate its disguise, the living
  room gains a surprise round.
  Characters that attack any part of the living room
  except for a tentacle or its mouth gain a +4 bonus to hit.
  Treasure: The mound of treasure contains an elixir of
  swimming, 500 sp, 1000 cp, and 45 amber tokens.
  The amber tokens are ancient coins with the likeness
  of a gnomish king carved on one side; a merchant or
  moneychanger will offer 1 gp for each, but with a DC
  15 Appraise check a character knows that a collector
  will pay 10 gp for each token.
  Living Room: CR 3; Huge aberration; HD 5d8+15; hp
  37; Init -1; Spd. 0 ft.; AC 10, touch 3, flat-footed 10;
  Base Atk +3; Grp +14; Atk/Full Atk tentacle +4 melee
  (drag) or bite +4 melee (1d4+3); Reach 5 ft. (20 ft. with
  tentacle); SA Drag, improved grab, swallow whole, ten-
  tacle; SQ Disguise self, immune to critical hits, tremor
  sense 20 ft.; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref –4, Will +4; Str 16,
  Dex 1, Con 16, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 1.
  Skills and Feats:
  Disguise +16; Improved
  Initiative, Skill Focus (Disguise).
  Drag: If the living room hits with a tentacle, it latch-
  es onto the foe’s body. This does no damage; instead,
  the opponent is pulled 5 ft. closer to the mouth each
  following round unless it breaks free, which requires a
  DC 16 Strength or Escape Artist check or the destruc-
  tion of the tentacle. If the living room drags a creature
  within 5 ft. of its mouth, it may attack with its bite in the
  same round with a +4 attack bonus.
  Improved Grab: To use this ability a living room
  must hit with its bite attack. It may then initiate a grap-
  ple attack without provoking an attack of opportunity
  as a free action. If it wins the grapple check, it estab-
  lishes a hold and can attempt to swallow the victim the
  following round.
  Swallow Whole: The living room may attempt to
  swallow an opponent it has successfully grappled the
  previous round by making a further grapple check. If
  successful, the opponent is swallowed and takes 1d4
  acid damage per round. The living room may hold up
  to 1 Large creature, 4 Medium creatures, or 16 Small
  creatures in it stomach. A swallowed creature may cut
  its way out with light slashing or piercing weapons,
  dealing 5 points of damage to the stomach (AC 10).
  Any hole closes after the character escapes.
  Tentacle (Ex): Once per round as a move action
  the living room may create a tentacle. A tentacle has 5
  hp, AC 10 and can be damaged with a sunder attack.
  The living room may have only one tentacle at a time.
  Disguise Self (Ex): A living room may manipulate
  its flesh to assume the shape of an interior room and
  furniture.
  Area 1-8A – Churo’s Workshop (EL 1): Read or para-
  phrase the following:
  As you open this door you are buffeted by an
  intense wind. Inside there is a vortex of air. Debris
  flies around and around in pieces no bigger than
  splinters; most are mere motes which have an
  uncanny ability to get in your eye. The walls are
  9
  
  smooth from years of abrasion. For a moment you
  see a metal chest the size of your head, still intact,
  aloft in the turbulence, then it whirls away back
  into the dust.
  Churo used this basement room as a retreat for
  arcane research. His horrendous accident created a
  permanent vortex in the room, which has destroyed
  nearly everything in it.
  The winds in this room are powerful. Creatures within
  must make a DC 18 Fortitude save each round they
  are in the room. Small creatures that fail this save are
  blown into a wall and take 1d4 nonlethal damage,
  Medium creatures are knocked prone, and Large crea-
  tures are checked. Ranged attacks are impossible. All
  skill checks suffer a –2 circumstance penalty.
  Each round there is a 50% chance the metal box hits a
  randomly determined character. The box attacks at +0
  and does 1d2 bludgeoning damage. If the characters
  wish to catch the box, only someone targeted by it may
  make an attempt. A character must make an unarmed
  attack against AC 15 to succeed in catching it.
  The box is crumpled shut. A DC 25 Strength is
  required to open it. Inside is the key to the secret door,
  as well as some of Churo’s notes, which describe the
  experiments leading up to his unfortunate demise. The
  notes are written in a code which requires a DC 15
  Decipher Script check to understand. A DC 15
  Spellcraft check shows that the notes deal with high-
  energy chaotic magic and fundamental arcane forces.
  There is a secret door to Churo’s closet in this room.
  The effects of the wind vortex, eroding the seams,
  have made it a little less hidden. 
  Iron Door: 2 in., hardness 10, hp 60.
  Treasure: The chest contains the key to the secret
  door, and Churo’s notes. A wizard who studies the
  notes for six months gains a +1 circumstance bonus
  on their Spellcraft checks relating to the effects in the
  castle. A wizard of 10th level or higher will pay 500 gp
  for the notes).
  Locked Secret Stone Door: 4 in., hardness 8, hp 60,
  break DC 38, Open Lock DC 25, Search DC 15.
  Area 1-8B – Churo’s Closet: Read or paraphrase the fol-
  lowing:
  Small eddies of wind puff up the dust in this little
  closet. Time has ravaged the contents. All that’s
  left are tatters of clothes and broken bits of wood.
  There is a smell of decay, likely from the kobold
  corpse in the corner of the closet. He was clutch-
  ing something golden in his arms when he died.
  This is Churo’s closet, where he kept things from his
  younger days. A small ivory box can be found with a
  DC 10 Search check. Inside is a slim volume –
  Churo’s spell book from his apprentice days.
  The corpse is a formerly curious kobold that teleport-
  ed here from area 1-9. Unable to find his way out, he
  died of thirst.
  In the kobold’s arms is a golden cow with the letters
  MU on one side. This is a trophy from the Moveable
  University, an institute of arcane learning. It was for-
  merly given each year to the college in the university
  that won the applied magics competition – until Churo
  stole it during his senior year at the school.
  A successful DC 20 Bardic Lore check tells a charac-
  ter that the trophy is stolen and belongs to the
  Moveable University. A character who makes a DC 20
  Knowledge (arcana) check knows that MU stands for
  Moveable University. If the party returns the statue to
  the Moveable University, then they will be rewarded
  handsomely. The trophy absorbed residual magic over
  the years at the university. A detect magic spell show
  a weak aura of the universal school.
  Treasure: Statue of a golden cow (100 gp), ivory box
  (25 gp), Churo’s university spell book (contains every
  1st-level arcane spell, worth 1,200 gp).
  Area 1-9 – Storage (EL 1): Read or paraphrase the fol-
  lowing:
  A tired voice greets you as you open the door. “No
  more work, I just want to sleep.” This comes from
  a human dressed in the tattered and besmirched
  uniform of a town guard. He sits up amongst a pile
  of sacks where he has made his bed. The sacks
  are flour, you guess by the puff off dust when they
  are disturbed.
  Piles of mining gear and food are stacked around
  the first half of this chamber. Deeper in, the room
  is barren, and there is nothing but a faint shimmer
  of the air. You watch as a bit of floor dust floats
  toward the shimmer. There is a tiny sparkle of light
  and the dust is gone.
  A captured town guardsman, Rulic, is bound to the
  wall here; the key to his manacles is with Smorl in area
  1-3.  Smorl has charmed the prisoner  (taking him to
  the chapel and having him drink the water) and used
  him for menial chores. Rulic is one of the guardsmen
  who followed a bandit tunnel from a plundered temple.
  A cave-in cut him off from the rest of his group, and he
  was taken prisoner.
  He knows where the bandits have dug their latest tun-
  nel and the location of the idol in area 1-6. But Rulic is
  reluctant to give any information while under the
  effects of the charm spell. The spell will last for anoth-
  er 2 hours.
  A DC 12 Intimidate check or a DC 15 Diplomacy check
  gets him to talk. If Corporal Cale or private Obirt are
  with the party, there is a +2 circumstance bonus to
  these checks.
  10
  
  Rulic leaves if given the chance; he wants to let his
  family know that he’s alive. Rulic won’t betray the
  party, but neither will he assist them in thwarting the
  bandits; he wants to continue his “friendship” with
  Smorl. This could change as per the charm person
  spell, especially since the bandits have no problem
  attacking the prisoner if he is with the party.
  Farther into the room, Churo’s magical accident has
  created an area of teleportation. A character who ven-
  tures into or touches the shimmering area, even with a
  10 feet pole, and fails their DC 17 Will save immedi-
  ately vanishes in a flash of light, sent to a semi-ran-
  dom location in the dungeon. Rulic has some idea of
  what happens; he has tossed bits of garbage into the
  shimmering air and watched it disappear, and he
  knows that the bandits avoid it.
  Teleportation effect: Will save DC 17. Roll 1d4 or
  pick for each character’s destination:
  Roll
  Area
  1
  Area 1-2
  2
  Area 1-8B
  3
  Area 1-10
  4
  Area 1-7 (10 feet up from the floor)
  Rulic’s chains: hardness 10, hp 10, break DC 26,
  open lock DC 20 (key is held by Smorl in area 1-3).
  Rulic, human War1: CR 1/2; medium humanoid; HD
  1d8+1; hp 5; Init +0; Spd. 30 ft.; AC 14, touch 10, flat-
  footed 14; Base Atk +1; Grp +2; Atk/Full Atk short
  sword +3 melee (1d6+1); AL NG; SV Fort +3, Ref +0,
  Will +0; Str 13, Dex 11, Con12, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 8.
  Skills and Feats: Listen +4, Spot +4; Alertness,
  Weapon Focus (shortsword).
  Area 1-10 – Catacombs (EL 1): Read or paraphrase the
  following:
  This area is impenetrably dark. The darkness is
  so deep it is unaffected by light or sight. Smell
  only tells you that a musty odor lingers in the area
  beyond. But something is in there. There is a far-
  off sound. A click and then another. Silence for
  moment, and then more of the same. Click-click-
  click. Silence.
  These are the catacombs of Castle Churo. Churo’s
  accident created a permanent darkness effect (caster
  level 3) in this area. The crypts have been raided by
  the Broken Knives, who took the treasure and used
  the bones to decorate area 1-1.
  The source of the clicking is an animated, floating
  skull. It is the animated skull of Thuelso from area 1-
  11, which now wanders through the catacombs in area
  1-10. It begins at the door to area 1-13. Each round
  the skull moves 5 feet. Roll randomly to determine the
  direction. If the direction is into a wall the skull bangs
  into the wall. A DC 10 Listen check gives the general
  location of the skull. If a character enters the same
  square as the skull, it attacks. It remains aggressive
  until it is brought into area 1-11.
  A secret trap door leads to area 1-14.
  Locked Secret Stone Trap Door: 4 in., hardness 8,
  hp 60, break DC 38, open lock DC 25, Search DC 25.
  Animated skull: CR 1/4; Tiny construct; HD 1/2d10;
  hp 2; Init +2; Spd. 20 ft.; AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed
  12; Base Atk +0; Grp –9; Atk/Full Atk bite +2 melee
  (1d2-1); SQ Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., low light
  vision; AL N; SV Fort +0, Ref +2, Will –5; Str 8, Dex 14,
  Con –, Int –, Wis 1, Cha 1.
  Area 1-11 – Thuelso’s Tomb (EL 0+): Read or para-
  phrase the following:
  A translucent male human sits upon a throne in
  this room. His feet were propped up on a sar-
  cophagus which dominates the middle of the
  room, but he sets them down when the door
  opens. Every surface of the room is covered in
  arcane symbols. Fine burial goods lie about the
  tomb. For a moment it seems as if some of them
  twitched. The figure on the chair sits up. “Not
  another interruption,” he says with a sigh. “Fine,
  maybe you can be of some use.”
  This is the tomb of Thuelso the Thoughtful, one of
  Churo’s ancestors. Thuelso became a ghost because
  he had a few more things to contemplate before mov-
  ing on to the afterlife. The accident animated all of the
  objects in the room, including Thuelso’s remains (not
  as animate dead but rather as animate object). The
  items in the room have been tamed by him. However,
  when the bandits investigated the room, Thuelso’s
  skull escaped into area 1-10 before he could scare the
  bandits away.
  Thuelso can’t leave the tomb, as the enchantments
  that sustain him only work in this room. He bargains
  with the characters to retrieve his skull, unharmed, in
  exchange for a treasure. The treasure is a skeleton
  key, which is a combination of a wand of knock and
  masterwork thieves’ tools; the downside is that the key
  is also an animated object, a feisty one, and will
  escape if given the chance. To use the key someone
  must first successfully grapple it.
  If for some reason Thuelso needs to defend his tomb,
  he can make a frightful moan as a standard action. All
  living creatures within the room must succeed on a DC
  19 Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This
  is a sonic necromantic mind-affecting fear effect. A
  creature that successfully saves against the moan
  cannot be affected by Thuelso’s moan for 24 hours.
  Thuelso is unaffected by corporeal weapons.
  Furthermore, the animated grave goods will attack the
  party at his command.
  Treasure: Skeleton key, various grave goods worth
  11
  
  250 gp total. Thuelso’s grave goods are protected by
  a curse; anything taken from the room gives a –2
  penalty to attacks, skills checks, and saves to the pos-
  sessor.
  Animated Grave Goods (8): CR 1/4; Tiny construct;
  HD 1/2d10; hp 2; Init +2; Spd. 20 ft.; AC 15, touch 15,
  flat-footed 12; Base Atk +0; Grp –9; Atk/Full Atk bite +2
  melee (1d2-1); SQ Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft.,
  low light vision; AL N; SV Fort +0, Ref +2, Will –5; Str
  8, Dex 14, Con –, Int –, Wis 1, Cha 1.
  The Skeleton Key: CR 1/8; Fine construct; HD
  1/4d10; hp 1; Init +3; Spd. 20 ft.; AC 16, touch 16, flat-
  footed 13; Base Atk +0; Grp –14; Atk/Full Atk bite +1
  melee (1d2-2); SQ Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft.,
  low light vision, spell-like ability; AL N; SV Fort +0, Ref
  +3, Will –5; Str 6, Dex 16, Con –, Int –, Wis 1, Cha 1.
  Spell-like ability: The key works as a wand of
  knock. It has 2 charges left.
  Area 1-12 – Vacant Tomb (EL 4; increased due to fast
  healing effect): Read or paraphrase the following:
  As you open the door you feel warmth and well-
  being radiate from inside. But the room’s sole
  occupant, a large, long-bodied reptile-man sitting
  on an ornate rug, isn’t so welcoming. He looks up
  from his work; he was carefully writing and deep
  in thought until you interrupted him. The reptilian
  growls when he sees you, and the smell of musk
  fills the room.
  “Looks like he was right,” the troglodyte says in
  Common before dropping his pen, drawing his
  sword, and standing in one graceful, practiced
  movement.
  This is Gulag, troglodyte leader of the Broken Knives.
  This is an empty tomb which Gulag made into his per-
  sonal room. The accident left a lingering effect of pos-
  itive energy, which gives the occupants of this room
  fast healing 5. A DC 30 Spellcraft check identifies the
  exact nature of this property.
  Gulag has taken a prayer rug and used it to decorate
  his chamber. This is not the religious relic the party is
  looking for. It is a fake that the monks use for display
  while the real one is kept in a vault. There is a pile of
  his treasure and gear in here, along with correspon-
  dence from Kethos. The characters have interrupted
  Gulag writing a note to Kethos. The incomplete mes-
  sage Gulag was composing asks an unnamed person
  for assistance when the Broken Knives leave Castle
  Churo. An unsigned message can be found, warning
  the bandits that a band of adventurers might be com-
  ing. Finally, there is a copy of a contract, which can be
  found with a DC 10 Search check, which outlines
  Kethos’ agreement with the Broken Knives for the theft
  of religious relics in exchange for 1000 gp. This is
  signed by Kethos.
  Tactics: Gulag has a basic understanding of the
  nature of this room and will use it to his advantage. If
  he can, he stands in the doorway and fights the party
  from there. Gulag attempts to force wounded oppo-
  nents back into the catacombs. If knocked uncon-
  scious he feigns death until his wounds have fully
  healed, unless a character attempts a coup de grace.
  Treasure: Prayer rug (50 gp, a DC 15 Appraisal check
  tells a character that this is not the religious relic), 500
  sp, inlaid brazier (50 gp).
  Gulag, troglodyte Rog2: CR 3; Medium humanoid;
  HD 2d8+2d6+8; hp 24; Init +5; Spd. 30 ft.; AC 20,
  touch 11, flat-footed 19; Base Atk +2; Grp +3; Atk mas-
  terwork shortsword +5 melee (1d6+1) or claw +3
  melee (1d4+1), or light crossbow +1 ranged (1d8/19-
  20); Full Atk club +5 melee (1d6) and claw +1 melee
  (1d4) and bite +1 melee (1d4); or light crossbow +1
  ranged (1d8/19-20); SA Sneak attack (1d6), stench;
  SQ Darkvision 90 ft., evasion, trapfinding; AL CE; SV
  Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +1; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 12,
  Wis 12, Cha 10.
  Skills and Feats: Craft (traps) +4, Hide +12,
  Intimidate +7, Listen +5, Move Silently +8, Search +4;
  Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Weapon Focus (short-
  sword).
  Stench: Range 30 ft., Fort DC 13 (poison), sick-
  ened for 10 rounds, on a successful save character
  cannot be affected by the same troglodyte for 24
  hours.
  Possessions: masterwork studded leather armor,
  masterwork shortsword, heavy crossbow, 10 cross-
  bow bolts.
  Languages Spoken: Draconic, Common.
  Area 1-13 – Hall of the Gods: Read or paraphrase the fol-
  lowing:
  As soon as you push open the door, the portal fills
  with a swirl of intense blue light. Despite any
  resistance, an intense force pulls everyone
  through the portal. The blinding light ceases as
  you tumble into an octagonal room with a twenty-
  foot-high ceiling. Two tall marble statues face you.
  They are the gods of knowledge and magic. The
  god of knowledge holds a scroll in one hand while
  the other is upraised, palm up, as if holding up the
  heavens. The god of magic is posed in a moment
  of spell casting, but again with one hand upraised,
  palm up.
  Between the two statues an ancient humanoid
  skeleton slumps against the wall underneath the
  writing. A coil of rope rests in its lap. Above its
  head are a few lines of graffiti written in a strange
  tongue.
  With a quick glance around the room, you realize
  that there are no doors, not even the one you
  entered through. There is no obvious way out.
  Give the players handout B.
  12
  
  Churo’s accident warped the geometry of this room, eras-
  ing all sign of the original portals, except a trapdoor in the
  floor which leads to Bucho’s crypt, area 1-14. Bucho had
  this room dedicated to the gods of knowledge and magic,
  and built his final resting place underneath it.
  The trapdoor is hidden and locked. However, the
  Broken Knives gang has for convenience left the key in
  the room. The key is invisible, and is placed in the palm
  of the god of knowledge. The statues are nearly as tall
  as the ceiling, standing 18 feet tall. The statue’s hand is
  16 feet above the ground. The Climb DC for the slick
  marble statues is 25. However, a rope can be looped
  around the arm of the statue for easier climbing. Gulag
  has left a rope in the skeleton’s lap for this very purpose.
  Smorl has written a clue in Draconic, to remind himself
  or Gulag where the key is. The note on the wall reads:
  Of the mind is the key
  You cannot see, but can find
  In your hand
  The skeleton belongs to a human adventurer who was
  trapped in this room. The bandits have already plun-
  dered the corpse.
  Locked Secret Stone Trap Door: 4 in., hardness 8,
  hp 60, break DC 38, open lock DC 25, Search DC 25.
  Area 1-14 – Bucho’s Crypt (EL 1): This area can be
  reached from the trap doors in 1-10 and 1-13. If the
  characters enter 1-13, they’ll have to go through here
  to get out of the room. Once this area is entered, read
  or paraphrase the following:
  The air in this room is stuffy and stale, and smells
  of decay. A stone sarcophagus with an inscription
  occupies the center of the room. A skeleton rests
  on the floor next to it. On the far side of the room,
  a ladder leads up to the stone ceiling.
  Assume the ladder is at the opposite trap door from
  the one through which the characters enter.
  This is the crypt of Bucho the Pious. Bucho’s sarcoph-
  agus is being used by the bandits to store the bulk of
  their stolen treasure, including the golden censer and
  prayer rug. The relics can be identified as such with a
  DC 15 Appraisal check. The skeleton is Bucho, uncer-
  emoniously dumped out of his resting place to make
  room for plunder. The inscription simply reads, “Here
  lies Bucho the Pious.”
  The sarcophagus lid is heavy, requiring a DC 18
  Strength check to lift. It has also been trapped by
  Gulag to dissuade curious kobolds. The trap is trig-
  gered by anyone attempting to lift the lid.
  Fusillade of Darts Trap: CR 1; mechanical; touch
  trigger; manual reset; Atk +10 ranged (1d4+1, dart);
  multiple targets (fires 1d4 darts at each target in two
  adjacent 5-ft. squares); Search DC 14; Disable Device
  DC 20. Market Price: 500 gp.
  Treasure: Golden censer (250 gp), prayer rug (250
  gp), 300 gp, 1,050 sp, 2,500 cp, potion of cure light
  wounds, everburning torch, masterwork dagger.
  Area 1-15 – Entrance to the Bandits’ Tunnel: Read or
  paraphrase the following:
  The temperature has dropped here somewhat.
  But you can see again, having reached the edge
  of the darkness. You can see the well-hewn stone
  walls give way to rough-cut mining. Further into
  the tunnel you can see side tunnels full of rubble.
  The side tunnels once led to other temples, but have
  been collapsed and are impassable. Otherwise there
  is nothing of interest is this area.
  Area 1-16A – The Mine Slopes Down: Read or para-
  phrase the following:
  There is a slope that drops ten feet followed by a
  turn in the tunnel in front of you. You can hear the
  sounds of activity around the bend, metal biting
  stone and snatches of an unintelligible song.
  As the characters approach this area, they can easily
  hear the sounds of work and mining, which could give
  them a surprise round if they don’t alert the bandits.
  The miners in area 1-16B are at a –5 penalty to their
  listen checks.
  Area 1-16B – Tunnel’s End (EL 2): Read or paraphrase
  the following:
  A team of five reptilian creatures are mining the
  rock here. The larger creature lifts heavy rubble
  and his fellow thugs work picks into the wall. They
  chant a ribald song in some reptilian language,
  completely engrossed in their work.
  You notice that this area contains more braces
  and shoring than the rest of the mine. Water drips
  from the ceiling and forms puddles at your feet.
  The air is cold and clammy.
  The mining crew is here, digging to their last vault
  under the druid’s gardens to steal his ornamental
  antler helmet. The bandits’ calculations were a little off,
  and they dug too close to the gardens’ ornamental
  pond. The bandits had to pause to shore up the tun-
  nel. There are small leaks, but nothing unmanageable,
  and the mining has resumed with one final push to the
  druid’s vault.
  If the beams are knocked down or broken, there will be a
  cave-in and the ornamental pond will flood into the mine.
  Tactics: When at least one bandit is killed, whoever is
  left alive will order everyone to attack the support
  beams. Given that they are in a dead-end and know
  that the pond is above them, the bandits would rather
  risk a cave-in in order to try to regroup to a better posi-
  tion rather than face what they believe to be certain
  death at the hands of the heroes.
  Only three support beams need to be broken before
  13
  
  the ceiling collapses. Everyone in the area is pounded
  by rubble (Atk +0, 1d6 damage) and the floor fills with
  large rocks and stones so that movement is ham-
  pered. The first round after the collapse, the mine
  floods. At the end of that round there is water 2 feet
  deep in the area, and all non-magical light sources are
  extinguished. The water level rises a further 2 feet
  every round until it reaches the ceiling of area 1-16B.
  All Swim checks are DC 20.
  The bandits will retreat to area 1-16A, where the water
  is ankle deep at worst, and attempt to pick off charac-
  ters swimming out of the chaos.
  Support Beams: Hardness 5; hp 15; break DC 18.
  Troglodyte: CR 1; Medium humanoid; HD 2d8+4; hp 13;
  Init –1; Spd. 30 ft.; AC 15, touch 9, flat-footed 15; Base
  Atk +1; Grp +1; Atk club +2 melee (1d6) or claw +1 melee
  (1d4), or light crossbow +0 ranged (1d8/19-20); Full Atk
  club +2 melee (1d6) and claw –1 melee (1d4) and bite –1
  melee (1d4); or light crossbow +0 ranged (1d8/19-20);
  SA Stench; SQ Darkvision 90 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref
  –1, Will +0; Str 10, Dex 9, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10.
  Skills and Feats: Hide +5 (+9 underground or rocky
  setting), Listen +3; Multiattack, Weapon Focus (club).
  Stench: Range 30 ft., Fort DC 13 (poison), sick-
  ened for 10 rounds, on a successful save character
  cannot be affected by the same troglodyte for 24 hours.
  Possessions: club, light crossbow, 10 crossbow bolts.
  Kobolds (4): CR 1/4; Small humanoid; HD 1d8; hp 4;
  Init +1; Spd. 30 ft.; AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 14; Base
  Atk +1; Grp –4; Atk/Full Atk spear +1 melee (1d6-1/x3)
  or light crossbow +3 ranged (1d6/19-20); SQ Darkvision
  60 ft., light sensitivity; AL CE; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will
  –1; Str 9, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8.
  Skills and Feats: Craft (trapmaking) +2, Hide +6,
  Listen +2, Move Silently +2, Profession (miner) +2,
  Search +2, Spot +2; Alertness.
  Light sensitivity: dazzled in bright sunlight or with-
  in radius of a daylight spell.
  Possessions: Leather armor, spear.
  Conclusion
  As the party emerges from the dungeon, Kethos is at his
  temple contemplating the possible failure of his plans. If
  the characters go there first, they will catch him. Otherwise
  the priest will escape and hide out in a follower’s house
  until morning.
  The religious council waits at the druids’ gardens. They
  warmly greet the characters and heal any wounds. They
  listen and nod knowingly if the party brings forth evidence
  that implicates Kethos. An immediate order for his arrest
  goes out. However, the town guard is unable to find him;
  he has fled town. If the party participates in the hunt, they
  can find him with a DC 20 Gather Information check.
  If the party hasn’t finished off the bandits in area 1-16B,
  then at this time they attack the druid’s vaults. Everyone is
  alerted by a scream, which is quickly cut off. A dash to the
  vault shows a pair of dead guards and a tunnel, which
  leads to area 1-16B. The party can catch the bandits there.
  The tactics of the bandits remain the same as before: col-
  lapse the tunnel and escape to area 1-16A.
  If the party is successful in returning the relics and eradi-
  cating the bandit gang, the happy people of Grozny throw
  a celebration in their honor.
  The Revenge of Kethos (EL 3)
  If the party catches Kethos at his temple he fights to the
  death, consumed by anger that his plans were foiled. If the
  party doesn’t catch Kethos, then the cleric attacks the
  party the morning after the celebration, hoping to kill the
  entire party in one quick fight.
  Tactics: Kethos is a fierce and somewhat insane fighter.
  He hurls constant insults at the party. He prepares himself
  if he knows that a fight is coming, casting as many helpful
  spells on himself as he can before facing the characters. 
  1d4+1 rounds after the fight begins a group of four guards-
  men arrives. They do their best to assist the party.
  Kethos, human Clr3: CR 3; Medium Humanoid;  HD
  3d8+6; hp 23; Init +0; Spd. 20 ft.; AC 19, touch 10, flat-foot-
  ed 19; Base Atk +2; Grp +3; Atk/Full Atk masterwork morn-
  ing star +4 (1d8+1); AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +5; Str
  13, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 12.
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +6, Diplomacy +8, Intimidate
  +3, Knowledge (religion) +2; Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus
  (diplomacy), Weapon Focus (morning star).
  Spells (4/4/3, DC 12 + spell level): 0 – detect magic,
  light, read magic; 1st – bless, doom, protection from good*,
  shield of faith; 2nd – hold person, invisibility*, undetectable
  alignment. *Domain spell.
  Domains: Evil, Trickery.
  Possessions: Half plate, large metal shield, master-
  work morning star, scroll (divine, 3rd level: 3x cure light
  wounds), potion of bull’s strength, 150 gp.
  Guardsmen, human War1 (4):
  CR 1/2; medium
  humanoid; HD 1d8+1; hp 5; Init +0 Spd. 30 ft.; AC 14,
  touch 10, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +1; Grp +2; Atk/Full Atk
  short sword +3 melee (1d6+1); AL NG; SV Fort +3, Ref +0,
  Will +0; Str 13, Dex 11, Con12, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 8.
  Skills and Feats: Listen +4, Spot +4; Alertness,
  Weapon Focus (shortsword).
  Rewards
  Give the characters additional XP rewards for completing
  the goals of the quest.
  Each relic recovered
  25 XP
  Entire bandit gang captured or killed
  75 XP
  Rulic rescued
  50 XP
  Thuelso’s skull recovered intact
  50 XP
  Characters present solid evidence of conspiracy
  50 XP
  Kethos captured or killed
  50 XP
  14
  
  15
  Players’ Handout A
  Players’ Handout B
  Trim along dotted line.
  Permission granted to photocopy this page for personal use.
  
  16
  This printing of Dungeon Crawl Classics #39:
  Ruins of Casle Churo is done under version 1.0 of the
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  Castle Churo, by Alex Anderegg, Copyright 2006
  Goodman Games (contact goodmangames@ mind-
  spring.com, or see www.goodman-games.com)”.
  Dungeon Crawl Classics #36: Ruins of Castle
  Churo is copyright © 2006 Goodman Games.
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  Dungeon Crawl Classics #36: Ruins of Castle
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