hs4 the lost caverns of acheron -...

The Lost Cavernsof Acheron

For the Conan RPG

"Know, O prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and in theyears of the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread acrossthe world like blue mantles beneath the stars - Nemedia, Ophir, Brythunia, Hyperborea, Zamora with its dark-haired women and towers of spider-haunted mystery...”

In the Graaskal Mountains south of Hyperborea there is rumored to be an ancient hoard of unsurpassed value, atreasure of such fame that scores of adventurers have perished in search of it. Find the perilous Lost Caverns ofAcheron and you may gain the hidden wealth of a long-dead civilization — if you live!

If you enjoy this module, watch for future releases from Xoth.Net Publishing!

An adventure for character levels 10-12

HS4

http://hyboria.xoth.net

HS4: The Lost Caverns of Acheron

DESIGNER’S NOTES

This is an homage to the original classic adventure module, “S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth”, byGary Gygax, reimagined for sword and sorcery gaming in Robert E. Howard’s Hyborian Age usingMongoose’s Conan RPG ruleset. The module should be instantly familiar to those familiar with theclassic scenario, as much of the text is verbatim from Gygax’s original manuscript. However, sincethe original cavern complex is (at least in this author’s opinion) a rather mixed bag of monster-filledcaverns with little internal consistency, I have re-stocked the caverns with a more appropriatemenagerie. Inspired by “The Witch Queen of Acheron” comic book by Marvel, I have changedDrelnza to an Acheronean vampiress named Xaltana, and, in a nod to the master of weird horror,Clark Ashton Smith, filled the lost caverns with monsters inspired by the classic tale “The Vaults ofYoh-Vombis”. In my own humble opinion, the final result is a most satisfying amalgamation.

- Thulsa

For more Hyborian Age RPG materials, visit the website at http://hyboria.xoth.net/

Table of ContentsCreditsIntroductionPart One: Wilderness EncountersPart Two: Wilderness LairsPart Three: The Lesser CavernsPart Four: The Greater Caverns

Appendix A: Non-Player CharactersAppendix B: New MonstersAppendix C: License

CREDITS*

Original Design: Gary Gygax and Law-rence SchickOriginal Revision: Wm. John WheelerOriginal Editing: Wm. John Wheeler andKaren S. MartinOriginal Cover: Larry ElmoreOriginal Cartography: Dennis and RonKauthOriginal Typography: Betty Elmore

(* Based on S1-4 Realms of Horror)

New art by John Buscema, Gary Kwapisz,Esteban Maroto and Dave Carson.New design, layout, revised rules andadditional text by Thulsa.

DISCLAIMER

This is a fan-written adventure and men-tion of or references to Conan and AD&Delements are not a challenge to thetrademark or copyright concerned.

The Conan character and themes areproperty of Conan Properties InternationalLLC. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and“Dungeon Module S4: Lost Caverns ofTsojcanth” are copyright TSR Games. Thed20 System is copyright Wizards of theCoast, Inc.

Introduction

“Know ye, O Prince, that in the centuriesafter the Great Cataclysm, more than fivethousand years before the rise of theHyborian Age, thrived a kingdom forgedby sorcery and suckled on evil, known asAcheron. For twenty-five centuries, purple-towered Python, crown city of theAcheronian Empire, held court in a reignof terror. Three thousand years after its fallthe races of the Hyborian Age would onlydare to speak of ancient Acheron inhushed tones of whispered fear. Theancient kingdom of evil spawned legends— legends of conquest, legends ofnecromancy, and legends of treasurelong buried and all but forgotten.”

– Don Kraar: The Witch Queen ofAcheron

Acheron was an ancient kingdom, extinctin Conan's time, founded by a northernoffshoot of the Lemurian survivors severalthousand years after the Cataclysm.

Its area roughly corresponded toAquilonia, Argos, and Nemedia, and itsdominion later extended over westernKoth, Ophir, and Corinthia. Python, the so-called City of Purple Towers, was thecapital of this evil empire. Its extent wasten times that of Luxor, Old Stygia's great-est city. Python’s wealth was beyondimagining, and its mages and priests themost powerful the world has ever seen.Legends state that its obelisks were “highenough to pierce the moon”. Its royalpalace had a gate called the “RubyGate”.

The exact chronology of Acheron is shaky;but it seems to have flourished for about2,500 years, a theocracy under the controlof wizards. The barbarian pressure of themore vigorous Hybori pouring down fromthe north ultimately destroyed Acheron. Itsdemise took place 3,000 years before thetime of Conan.


The Legend of Xaltana

The following legend about Xaltana andthe Lost Caverns of Acheron is provided asbackground for the DM, to be slowlyuncovered by the players as they progressthrough the module.

Xaltana was a noblewoman of Python, thecapital of the evil empire of Acheron, andshe held a high social standing, for shewas of the blood of the Giant-Kings of OldStygia. But unlike the majority of her kin,she did not worship Set, but secretlyconsorted with a forbidden demon-god.From her demonic master, she learned thesecrets of sorcery, and of immortality. Asher power grew, Xaltana openly defiedthe priesthood of Set, and at the height ofher power she became known as theWitch-Queen of Acheron.

Yet soon the jealous priests of Set gath-ered in alliance, and through deceptionthey ambushed and overcame Xaltana.At the moment of her defeat, Xaltanainvoked a spell of stasis, which made herbody impervious to destruction, but whichwould also suppress her mind for thou-sands of years to come.

From the heartland of Acheron, a group ofpriests carried Xaltana’s inert body intothe icy mountains of the north, sealing herwithin a complex of ancient tombs exca-vated in the early Acheronian period atopeven older, pre-Cataclysmic caverns.

Now, more than three thousand yearslater, Xaltana’s spell of stasis is slowlystarting to unravel, and the awakenedWitch-Queen sends out sensuous dreamsto lure brave warriors to come and breakthe seals imprisoning her.

General Judging Notes

To properly referee the adventure, anundertaking likely to last several gamesessions, you must read the entire scenariothoroughly first. The more familiar you arewith each encounter, the greater your skillin describing it, and the higher the level ofplayer enjoyment. So read the entiremodule first, re-read parts you believevital, and only then gather your group forplay.

Player Character Party Balance: Thismodule was designed for four to six


characters of levels 10-12. The partyshould preferably include a varied mix ofwarriors, thieves and sorcerers.

Wilderness Travel Movement Rate: Theterrain through which the party must travelis treacherous and rocky. The trails in thisarea are overgrown and in poor condi-tion; the minor trails are shown on the DMmap only. Thus, the party must move moreslowly than normal. See the Terrain andOverland Movement table in the corerulebook. The dominant terrain is moun-tains. Major trails are considered highways,lesser trails are considered trails, andmovement outside either obviously usesthe trackless movement modifier.

Local mountain horses are bred forstrength and stamina. They use the statis-tics for Hyborian warhorses. Mountainhorses can feed on the grass and lichensthat grow along the mountain trails. Seethe Starvation and Thirst rules for informa-tion on how the mounts become fatiguedshould they not be allowed to graze.

Hunting and Foraging: If supplies run low,the party must hunt for food. With aSurvival check (DC 10), a character canmove up to one-half his overland speedwhile hunting and foraging (no food orwater supplies needed). A character withthe Survival skill can provide food and

water for one other person for every 2points by which the check result exceeds10.

Cavern Features

Passageways: All of the passageways inboth the Lesser Caverns and the GreaterCaverns are natural, with few signs ofmining. The floor is generally smooth andworn-looking, although there is somefallen stone. Ceiling height in the 10-foot-wide passageways varies from 10 feet to15 feet in the Lesser Caverns, and from 13feet to 20 feet in the Greater Caverns.Passageways 20 feet or wider haveceilings 21 feet to 32 feet in height onboth levels.

Chambers: All chambers have the samenatural appearance as passageways. Thefloor is generally smooth, although thereare some rugged places with fallen stoneor stalagmites. Floors are slick in places,and characters must make a Balancecheck (DC 15) to run or charge. Ceilingheight in the smaller caves and chambersvaries from 21 feet to 32 feet on bothlevels. Caverns larger than 40 feet by 40feet have walls about 15 feet high anddomed ceilings with a height of about


two-thirds the longest dimension of thecavern. For example, a chamber 40 feet by100 feet would have a maximum height ofabout 65 feet at the central part of thecavern. Exceptions are noted.

Rock Formations: Rock formations in thecaverns are quite colorful. Stalactitesdepend from the ceilings of most areas. Inthe caverns closer to the entryway, thewalls and floor tend toward drab grays andgray-browns, but farther along the stone isred, yellow, green, and blue. Some areashave sparkling mica or quartz; shining, low-value onyx deposits; or vari-colored strataof minerals that make the place look like awonderland in torch-or lantern-light.

Plant Growth: On the frequent shelves andledges along the walls grow strange lichensand fungi. Some of these plants give off avery faint, pale gray luminescence. Thisglow is not sufficient to see by, but eyesadjusted to the darkness can spot move-ment within 10 feet by its radiance. Thereare also some areas where sand andcompost allow for the growth of huge fungiof all types. These areas of growth occurwhere there is plentiful water seepage fromwalls and ceiling.

Water: The caverns are quite damp. Thereare small rivulets and pools of water every100 feet or so. The pools support small palelife, crayfish and fish, as well as crickets,beetles, and other insects. Characters wholisten closely (Listen DC 15) can hear anumber of small sounds, mostly thoseassociated with the insects and other smalllife which inhabit the caverns.

Disposing of Treasure

It is likely that completing the module willrequire many gaming sessions. Because thecaverns are so far from any town or otherrefuge, the party has to stockpile capturedtreasure in some secure place. To disposeof treasure, the PCs must travel further northinto Hyperborea (although buyers of lootare few and far between in that grim andimpoverished land), or back south intoBrythunia, Nemedia, or other civilized lands.

Wandering Monsters

There are no true wandering monsters inthe adventure.

Wilderness Encounters: PCs traveling on thewilderness trails have encounters at placesindicated on the DM’s wilderness map.These encounters and encounter areas arefully described in the Wilderness Encounterschapter. If the party decides to trek over-land, one of these encounters could takeplace in any hex.

Cavern Encounters: In the caverns, if theparty is showing no light, and are reason-ably quiet, there are no random encoun-ters at all. Even so, you should make rollsperiodically as though it were possible fora random encounter to occur. This keepsthe players on their toes. Occasionally,pretend to consult the module and informthe party that they have seen a largenumber of bats, many normal rats, orvarious large slugs and grubs. All areharmless. They are the usual prey for thelarger creatures inhabiting the caverns.Only when the party is near an encounterarea and is making a good deal of noiseor is waiting quietly for more than oneminute is it possible for one of the crea-tures to leave its lair and investigate. Thishappens only if the creature could nor-mally leave its lair and move about, andno monster travels very far. To see if suchan encounter takes place, roll 1d6. On aroll of 1, the nearby monster comes to seewhat is up.

Maps

Graskaal Mountain Wilderness Maps: Twomaps for the Graskaal Mountain Wilder-ness are provided; one for the DM andanother for the players. The scale on bothmaps is one hex to 3.5 miles. Shown on theDM map are the mountains and hills, themajor and minor trails, the river, and allencounter areas. Shown on the playermap are the major trails and the moun-tains that border them. The lettered areason the DM map are special encounterareas. The large dots mark pre-determinedwilderness encounter areas. The encoun-ters for these areas may be diced aheadof time, but they need not be.

Underground Area Maps: There are twosubterranean areas in which play is likelyto occur: the Lesser Caverns and theGreater Caverns. To successfully mapthese areas, your players will need graphpaper. It would be best if you providedthe graph paper for them, but give noindication of the proper position on thepaper for them to begin mapping. Themaps are oriented with north toward thetop. The scale is one square equals 10feet.

Adding Side Adventures

This adventure has a great deal of poten-tial; it is one that can take many sessionsto finish. You might stress this to yourplayers, telling them to expect a lengthywilderness adventure long before thecaverns are even reached. The wildernesssection includes a wide variety of possible


encounters. Some of these can becomethe basis of several side adventures.Befriending one or more of the variouslocal factions could be an interesting role-play session. Such an act would be ofgreat value in providing the party withhealing, information, or help againstbands of raiders. However, gaining thetrust of these folks usually requires theparty to fight against their enemies. Anencounter with a military patrol could bea challenge to the party. A friendly patrolcould tell the party of the “dangerousareas” (variable encounter sites) on thetrail ahead, but not the exact locations.Winning the trust of a patrol would be verydifficult, however, for it is their mission tobe suspicious of all armed travelers.

Preparing for Play

Fair Warning to Players: Players seeking theearly death of their characters should bequite satisfied with The Lost Caverns ofAcheron, for there are many opportunitiesfor the foolish and rash to end it all. Itwould be a good idea to caution theplayers that this is a most difficult andperilous adventure, one fraught with allmanner of danger. Tell them that, tosucceed, they must be prepared materi-ally and mentally. This is meant to serve asa word of caution to the able player.Those without real knowledge of gameplay in the Conan RPG, without ability tohandle characters of the appropriatelevel for this adventure, will see theircharacters perish swiftly if the module ishandled incorrectly.

Preparing the Player Characters: Have theplayers list exactly what they have chosento take along and where it is to bepacked. You may choose to have thempurchase the mountain horses that theywill need for the trek. Also make sure thatthey have at least two weeks’ iron rationsin their saddle bags.

Starting Play

The Players’ Wilderness Map: How theplayers get hold of this map is up to you.They may have found it during an earlieradventure, or perhaps you wish to simplystart the adventure by letting the charac-ters know that they have come into thepossession of an enigmatic treasure map.In any case, read the following to theplayers.

You examine the map. It reveals that thetrack through the mountains has numer-ous branches. Obviously, the map isincomplete, for from what you know of

this part of the world, there are mountainswhere nothing but blank space is shownon the chart. At the end of each track isthe location of things the nature of whichis uncertain or unknown, though one site ismarked with several archaic runes orhieroglyphs, as well as more recentscribbles.

At this time, give your players the mapdesigned for their use.

With a successful Decipher Script (DC 20)or Knowledge Is Power (DC 25) check,each of the three golden hieroglyphs canbe deciphered. They read, from left toright: “Damnation”, “King/Queen”, and“Tomb/Necropolis”. Scribbled in ink next tothe glyphs is the word “tomb?”, written inNemedian.

Overland Trek: The adventure is written asthough the party is entering the GraskaalMountain Wilderness from the south. Howthey get there is up to you. You may wishto play out their journey or not. If you donot choose to play it out, you might askthe players what general actions theircharacters would have performed whilemaking the journey. If they state that theywould be showing the map to locals andtravelers, hoping to gain information, youcan provide as much information asseems appropriate. Giving them somecorrect information and some falseinformation would certainly be fair, buttake care not to spoil all the surprises! Inany case, as soon as they have arrived atthe area shown on their map, read themthe boxed text below.

After a week’s journey, your band hasreached the foothills of the GraskaalMountains. Last night you camped at theside of a narrow pathway that wends everdeeper into the mountains. Today, beforeyou are those grim peaks, and behind arethe golden plains of Brythunia. The sun isjust emerging over the peaks to the east.The terrain through which you must travelis treacherous and rocky, and the trail youmust travel is overgrown and in poorcondition. Fortunately, you have sure-footed, mountain-bred horses whichassure a swifter passage to your destina-tion than were you afoot or on less-suresteeds. With one last glance at the vellummap provided you, you secure it safely,yet close at hand. The path into themountains to the north has not yet beentouched by the sun’s rays, but there isnaught else to do but proceed with thequest to find the Lost Caverns of Acheron.You set forth for the day.


Part One: Wilderness Encounters

Encounters in the Graskaal MountainWilderness shown on the players map andthe DM map are of three kinds. There arerandom encounters, determined by theroll of a die; these can occur when theparty is in any nontrail hex. Also, there areencounters that occur only at specificspots on the DM’s map; these plannedencounters should be determined beforeplay begins.

Random Encounters: There are no Ran-dom Encounters as long as the PCs remainon the major or minor trails, for any en-counters there are taken care of by thePlanned Encounters described below. Ifthe party wanders off the trails, however,you should make an encounter checkeach morning and each night. Roll 1d10,with a roll of 1 indicating that an encoun-ter occurs that day. Use the GraskaalMountain Wilderness Encounters tablebelow to determine what the partyencounters.

Planned Encounters: Planned encountersfor this adventure are of two types: fixedencounters and variable encounters. Thefixed encounters occur at the letteredareas on the wilderness map; they repre-sent the lairs of major monsters or NPCs,which are described in the Wilderness Lairschapter. Variable encounters occur atspecific points when the party travelsalong the Major or Minor Trails. Theseencounter sites are marked as heavy dotson the DM’s map, but are completelyunmarked on the players’ wilderness map.The exact encounter that occurs on anvariable encounter site can be deter-mined randomly at the time of this en-counter. To determine the nature of theVariable Encounters found at the solid

dots on the DM’s wilderness map, roll 1d10and consult the table below. You may dothis prior to play if you like; this has theadvantage of allowing you to think aboutthe upcoming encounter and might makeit more enjoyable. If you prefer to besurprised yourself, you can roll it at thetime it occurs.

Graskaal Mountain Wilderness Encounters(1d10)

1. Border Patrol2. Avalanche3. Rockslide4. Brown Bears5. Aesir Raiding Band6. Giant Eagles7. Cimmerian Cattle-Stealers8. Giant Snake9. Band of Kezankians10. Man-Apes

Encounter Descriptions

If the party camps in a hex adjacent to adot, the DM may decide to give the partya night encounter. Daytime encountersoccur whenever the party stops in orpasses through a hex with a dot. Eachvariable encounter is described in theparagraphs which follow. Most can beused more than once, and so if they areencountered again you will have tochange them slightly so that they will seemdifferent to the players. In repeatedencounters with intelligent creatures, youcan use the outcome of previous encoun-ters to make them more interesting. Oneof the best techniques for making an


adventure world come alive is to have thePCs’ actions alter how they are treated.

1. BORDER PATROLThe party will encounter a rather largegroup of armed and liveried riders; theirbanner will proclaim them as being aborder patrol. If they are in the southernpart of the area, they will encounter theBrythunian patrol; if in the north, they willencounter the Hyperborean patrol. Themakeup of these patrols is given below.These patrols are typical of their kind. Theirmission is to catch brigands and outlaws,prevent raids and unauthorized bordercrossings, and to give advanced warningof invasion or other hostile troopmaneuvers. Thus, the patrols are suspiciousof all individuals encountered. A party thatacts in a suspicious or hostile manner willbe threatened in an attempt to disarmthem and bring them to the nearestborder stronghold for further questioning.Neither patrol will fight long, unless theyappear to be winning. If they are obvi-ously weaker or outnumbered, they seekto break off the battle and return to theirpost to give a full report of the battle. Ifthe Brythunians are encountered, thepresence of any holy symbols of Mitraamong the PCs will cause the captain tobe friendly to them. If the Hyperboreansare encountered, anyone speaking theHyperborean language will favorablyimpress them. The common soldiers carry1d4+1 sp each. Officers carry 10 sp perlevel. The leaders possess an additional3d10+120 sp in government funds.

Brythunians: (southern part of map)Captain, armed with a lance and armingsword and mounted on a medium war-horse. Six lancers, each armed with alance and arming sword. All are mountedon medium warhorses. Sergeant, armedwith a dagger, bow, and arrows. He ismounted on a medium warhorse. Twelvehorse archers, each armed with a dagger,bow, and arrows. All are mounted on lightwarhorses.

Hyperboreans: (northern part of map)Commander, armed with a lance and awar sword and is mounted on a mediumwarhorse. Lieutenant, armed with a warsword and crossbow and is mounted on amedium warhorse. Ten horse archers,armed with bows and arrows. All aremounted on medium warhorses. Fourscouts (borderers), armed with short sword,dagger, and bow. All are mounted onlight warhorses.

2. AVALANCHEAbove you comes the faint, but definite,sound of splintering followed by a rockyclattering and rumbling.

An avalanche can be spotted from as faraway as 1d10×500 feet downslope by acharacter who makes a DC 20 Spotcheck, treating the avalanche as aColossal creature. If all characters fail theirSpot checks to determine the encounterdistance, the avalanche moves closer tothem, and they automatically becomeaware of it when it closes to half theoriginal distance. It is possible to hear anavalanche coming even if you cannotsee it. Under optimum conditions (no otherloud noises occurring), a character whomakes a DC 15 Listen check can hear theavalanche or landslide when it is 1d6×500feet away. This check might have a DC of20, 25, or higher in conditions wherehearing is difficult (such as in the middle ofa thunderstorm).

A landslide or avalanche consists of twodistinct areas: the bury zone (in the directpath of the falling debris) and the slidezone (the area the debris spreads out toencompass). Characters in the bury zonealways take damage from the avalanche;characters in the slide zone may be ableto get out of the way. Characters in thebury zone take 8d6 points of damage, orhalf that amount if they make a DC 15Reflex save. They are subsequently buried(see below). Characters in the slide zonetake 3d6 points of damage, or no dam-age if they make a DC 15 Reflex save.Those who fail their saves are buried.

Buried characters take 1d6 points ofnonlethal damage per minute. If a buriedcharacter falls unconscious, he or shemust make a DC 15 Constitution check ortake 1d6 points of lethal damage eachminute thereafter until freed or dead.

The typical avalanche has a width of1d6×100 feet, from one edge of the slidezone to the opposite edge. The bury zonein the center of the avalanche is half aswide as the avalanche’s full width.

To determine the precise location ofcharacters in the path of an avalanche,roll 1d6×20; the result is the number of feetfrom the center of the path taken by thebury zone to the center of the party’slocation. Avalanches of snow and iceadvance at a speed of 500 feet perround, and rock avalanches travel at aspeed of 250 feet per round.

If the party flees back the way they came,they have to cross a rockslide (Encounter3) in order to continue their journey. If theyflee ahead, the rockslide awaits theirreturn.

3. ROCKSLIDEAn old avalanche has partially blockedthe trail, which passes along a steep slopeat this point. A rock jumble must be negoti-ated in order to continue in this direction.


Treacherous footing requires slow progressif horses and their riders are not to plum-met into the canyon below.

It costs 2 squares of movement to enter asquare with dense rubble. The DC ofBalance and Tumble checks on denserubble increases by 5, and the DC ofMove Silently checks increases by +2.

It requires half a day to safely get past. Ifthe party takes the time, no untowardoccurrence befalls them. If the partyattempts to cross quickly, however, eachPC must make a Balance check (DC 17)or suffer a fall. Falling mounts and riderstake 1d6 damage from the plungethrough the rocks, with an additional 1d6damage if a 6 is rolled; this procedurerepeats itself on a roll of 6, and so it ispossible that an unlucky PC or horse canbe killed in the fall.

4. BROWN BEARSThree brown bears amble on the narrowpath ahead. There is no safe route aroundthem, for the slope is steep and rocky. Thebears turn in your direction, growling.

The bears are hungry and attack thehorses bearing foodstuffs; the bears arenot eager to eat people or horses, but aremerely after the food that the partycarries, though the PCs may not realizethis. The bears can be frightened away,with fire for example, or they may bestopped from attacking by throwing foodto them.

5. AESIR RAIDING BANDThis band of Aesir has scouts posted. Onlyif the scouts are surprised is it likely that thePCs see them. If the Aesir are spotted bythe PCs, give them an indication of thenature of the party: 32 armed, yellow-haired warriors are camped in a wideplace near the path ahead. The PCs canthen choose to engage or not, and givethem the option of skirting the Aesir off thepath. Roll to see if the Aesir scouts noticethe party if you want. Having the Aesirband chase the party or dog them for awhile could be interesting. If the partydoes not spot the Aesir, the northmen layan ambush for the PCs. During the result-ing melee, if more than one-quarter of theAesir is slain without equal loss to the party,the Aesir flee over the tracklessmountainsides. The party may pursue, ifthey like and can find the track. IndividualAesir have 1d10+2 sp each; the leader has1d10+2 gp. Obviously, the group hasn’thad much success… yet.

The band conists of a sub-chief, armedwith a halberd; six archers, armed withclub and bow; ten polearmsmen, armedwith poll-axes; three swordsmen, armed

with war swords; five axemen, armed withbattle axes; and seven scouts, armed withmaces.

6. GIANT EAGLESHigh in the sky are the silhouettes of giantbirds. If the PCs search (Search DC 20),they find the nest belonging to one of thethree mated pairs of giant eagles in thiscolony. Searching again (Search DC 25)reveals that there are six birds in all andturns up a second nest. Only if the PCssearch the whole hex, which takes half aday, can they spot all three nests. If theparty approaches within 100 yards of anest, the pair whose nest it is plummets toattack the party if they approach closer ormake hostile gestures. A second and athird pair arrive in 1d6 and 1d10 rounds.Climbing to either nest requires a Climbcheck (DC 20), and cannot be done withany safety as long as even one eagleremains. It takes half a day to climb to theeyrie and return. In two of the nests(determine randomly) are five eggs (twoand three respectively). In the third is avial of golden lotus, and a pouch contain-ing 500 sp. If this encounter is rolled asecond time, use the results of the firstencounter as a guide toward determininghow the eagles behave. If the PCs killedeagles in the first encounter, the secondencounter is with 1d4+6 eagles, who try toattack by surprise, plummeting fromenormous heights.

7. CIMMERIAN CATTLE-STEALERSThis band is traveling into the Graskaalmountains from the west. They are on amission to steal cattle from theHyperboreans and will thus keep a lowprofile, but if they spot what appears to bea weak or very rich band of travelers, theyattack with a frontal assault.

If the PCs have met Cimmerians before,use the results of the first encounter todictate the actions of the tribesmen. Besure to deplete the ranks of the tribesmenby any killed by the PCs, though thoseonly wounded will have been healed bythe tribal medicine man.

The band consists of a ahief, armed with atwo-handed sword and javelin; a sub-chief, armed with a battle axe and javelin;a shaman draped in a bearskin; andsixteen warriors, armed with swords andclubs.

8. GRAY-FURRED GIANT SNAKEThe PCs see some movement of a furrygray animal in the rocks to the side of thetrail. Investigation reveals a giant snakewith gray fur, which attempts to slither offto its snakehole. It fights to the death ifcornered; its bite is deadly. The snake has


no treasure, but mountaineers considerthe furred snakeskin of great value (1d6 x100 sp) for warmth and protective qualities(DR 4).

9. BAND OF KEZANKIANSThese marauding mountain men seek torob unsuspecting travelers or to raidunprepared homes and settlements. Theyare working their way northward intoHyperborea from the southeast. If stronglyattacked, or if they take one-third casual-ties without hope of immediate victory,they stop fighting and flee into the track-less mountains. They are carrying severalsheep carcasses which they drop in theirflight. The leader carries 17 sp and a 50 spgem. Each sub-leader carries 2d6 sp. Eachof the 40 raiders carries 3d6 sp, and eachof the skirmishers carries 2d6 sp.

The band consists of a chief, armed with atulwar and a spear; four sub-chiefs, armedwith a spear and a short sword; 40 raiders,armed with various weapons, and ten

have spears to throw before melee; 25skirmishers, armed with slings, and five alsohave short swords.

10. MAN-APESThree man-apes are hiding in the rocksand trees beside the path; revealingthemselves by lobbing rocks in the direc-tion of the party, and fighting hand-to-hand if it comes to that. The location ofthe man-apes makes it impossible for thePCs to pass without a fight. They attackuntil one is killed, at which point they takeseparately to the hills, returning to their lair,a nearby cave, by a round-about route in3d20 rounds each. If cornered there theyfight to the death. The man-apes’ cavecan be found by searching (Search DC23) or by following the fleeing man-apes.There they have a store of 321 sp. Asecond encounter of this type could bewith the survivors, if any, of the first en-counter.


These are the lairs of major inhabitants ofthe area, and it is likely that travelerswhom the PCs might have met in theirjourney would have given them hintsabout what to expect. They are found atletters A-I on the DM’s wilderness map.Though their presence in the area mightbe the subject of rumors or legends, just asthe Lost Caverns are, their exact locationis not known.

There are eight lairs described fully in thischapter. A visual description of the en-trance to the Lost Caverns is given here,but it is detailed in the chapters coveringthe Lesser and Greater Caverns.

Graskaal Mountain Wilderness Lairs

A. Skull Gate of HyperboreaB. Mammoth ValeC. Ravens’ FeastD. Wolf DenE. Lost Caverns of AcheronF. Village of KaravalaG. Frozen MummyH. Hyperborean Slaver CampI. Chasm and Rope Bridge

A. SKULL GATE OF HYPERBOREAThis curious monument marks the southernpassage into Hyperborea. The colossalskull of a mammoth, which without its tuskslooks strangely like the skull of a giant, isset into the side of a hill and bears theinscription:

THE GATE OF HYPERBOREA IS THE GATE OFDEATH TO THOSE WHO COME HITHERWITHOUT LEAVE

Beyond the pass lies a rocky plain brokenby stark, crumbling hills. Further along the

Part Two: Wilderness Lairs

Skull Gate trail is Sigtona, the southernmostof the Hyperborean cyclopean stonecitadels.

B. MAMMOTH VALERead the following when the PCs enterthe hex containing this area.

The path crests and drops away into amountain valley. This isolated place is oneof rugged beauty, with rock spires andjutting mesas rising from a dish-shapedvalley. The rock formations make theplace a series of meadows and dells.There are scattered shrubs and a fewgroves of trees, but most of the area iscovered with lush grasses. A flock of deercan be seen grazing in the grassy low-lands.

At the far end of the valley is a greatcavern. The outer caverns are paintedwith ancient murals depicting humanshunting mammoths and mastodons. Witha successful Decipher Script check (DC25), a character can discover the spellsspirit of the land and summon greaterbeast (mammoth) written among themurals.

The innermost grotto is huge and containsa large collection of ivory in the form ofmammoth tusks. The total value of theivory is approximately 8,000 sp. However,the ancient shamans who collected theivory also laid a curse on the place;anyone who removes ivory from the grottosuffers from effects (determined randomly)similar to an ill-fortune spell until the ivory isreturned to its resting-place.


C. RAVENS’ FEASTThis area is the site of a recent clashbetween armies from Hyperborea and theBorder Kingdom. A field one mile across isstrewn with corpses that decomposeslowly in the chill air. The sky is filled withflocks of ravens or carrion crows thatdescend to the battlefield and dine uponthe corpses. There is around 300 bodies invarious states of decomposition; some areclean-picked skeletons while others areyet fully clothed in flesh. There are alsolarge quantities of weapons and armor(various leather armors and the occa-sional chain shirt), some damaged orbroken and others as good as new, strewnabout the place.

D. WOLF DENWhen the PCs reach the location of thisminor encounter area, roll Spot versus Hidechecks to see if the player charactershave surprise. If the party has surprise,read only the first boxed text and thenjudge actions by what follows. If the partydoes not have surprise, read the secondboxed text. The judging information givenafter it should be used instead of thatwhich follows the first boxed text.

Party Has Surprise: Read the following.

The climbing path rounds a bend andends abruptly, blocked by an ancientrockslide that has covered it in rockrubble. The slide was extensive, as indi-cated by the extensive area bare of trees.No trace of the path can be seen.Ahead, the rock debris forms a steepslope thick with underbrush and creepingvines.

If the party wishes to continue on, informthem that travel through the area isdifficult, and only a strong man with asharp sword is able to make his waythrough the dense thicket. Nevertheless,careful examination reveals that there areanimal tunnels through the greenery andaround and over the rocks. Passage canbe gained if one is willing to travel on allfours. Although undignified and awkward,movement in this manner is significantlyless tiring and much more quiet thatattempting to hack through theunderbrush while climbing the rock debris.

The Wolves’ Den: If the PCs investigatefurther, they come upon a wolf den. Thereactually are two dens in the area, one forthe 12 wolves in the pack, and another forthe two werewolves that lead the pack.The tunnel taken by the PCs leads to theden of the wolves. Around one sharpbend in the tunnel, and no more than aspear’s length in front of the leadingadventurer, a fissure in the side of themountain is seen. The cave entrancetakes several sharp turns before openinginto a large den wherein the pack lives.

Fissures in the rocks allow a dim light topenetrate even to the den itself, and it ispossible to see shapes if the eyes areallowed to become accustomed to thedarkness. If the wolves are there, they areready for an attack as soon as the first PCenters the cave. They defend their denand cubs to the death.

Party Does Not Have Surprise: As the PCsclimb the path, they hear songs on thewind, coming from some place ahead.The songs are melancholy and beautiful,sung in a youthful tenor voice. When thePCs investigate, read the following.

The path rounds a bend and endsabruptly, blocked by an ancient rockslidethat has covered it in rock rubble. Theslide was extensive, as indicated by theextensive area bare of trees. No trace ofthe path can be seen. Ahead, the rockdebris forms a steep slope thick withunderbrush and creeping vines. Seatedon a flat rock that emerges from theundergrowth about 50 yards up the slope,a lad (Brythunian, by the looks of it) sings asad love song to his maiden, accompany-ing himself on the lute. They appearoblivious to anything but each other. Thegirl wears a cloak of dove grey lined withwhite and trimmed in fur. The lad wears ajerkin of dark gray wool, also trimmed withfur. They sit upon a cape of animal skin.Pitched nearby is a silk pavilion.

This is a mated pair of werewolves, waiting


in ambush for the party they have knownabout for some time, having been warnedof their approach by the wolves. As soonas they know the party is within earshot,the male begins to sing, continuing untilthe PCs reveal themselves, when he stops.The werewolves attempt to convince theparty that they are friendly and trustwor-thy. They claim to be Brythunian nobles,Aratus and Natala, lovers who have fledinto the wilderness to escape the maidenbeing married away to Tarcus, an old andcruel noble who lusts after the youngwoman. Their intention is to have the partyaccept them and to camp in this locationfor the night. If the party seems interestedin this, the werewolves describes thetunnel through the greenery that leads tothe rock where they are seated. Thewerewolves continue discourse until theygain the party’s trust. They keep tightcontrol over the wolves, two or three ofwhich can be seen lolling around. Thiscontrol causes the wolves to act in afriendly manner as well. After the PCs havearrived, the wolves bring out the four cubs,as further camouflage for their real inten-tions.

The wolfweres want to kill all of the PCs asefficiently as possible, with the greatestsurprise. Thus, after dark, when almost allare asleep, the werewolves emerge fromtheir pavilion and move into position,hoping to gain suprise. Then they call thepack and attack. If the party becomessuspicious (an observant or lucky PC mightnotice that the wolves lolling around donot have the same markings as those thatcame with the cubs, for example), thewerewolves attack immediately. This is thesignal for the waiting wolves to attack. Assoon as the attack is underway, thewerewolves change to wolf-form and joinit. If the party has surprise, the werewolvesare in wolf-shape, lounging in their den.When the melee begins at the wolf pack’sden, the werewolves join the attack threerounds later. If they feel their own livesthreatened, they flee.

The Werewolves’ Den: The den of thewerewolves is close by the wolves’ den. Init is human clothing and a lute, a pile ofcoins (500 sp), one piece of jewelry worth50 sp, and a dose of black lotus wine.

E. LOST CAVERNS ENTRANCERead the following when the PCs arrive atarea E on the DM’s wilderness map.

The track leads to a cavern with anentrance that seems like a fanged maw.The roof is jagged and there are risingcones of stone below. A low moan,probably the wind, comes from thecavern mouth.

If the PCs spend a day searching thearea, they discover a vertical shaft that

drops 60 feet to an underground riverflowing through the Lesser Caverns. If theydecide to investigate, use the text fromthe section on River Encounter Areas inthe Lesser Caverns chapter.

If they camp in the area, they spot thethousands of bats that leave the LesserCaverns via a narrow crevice. The batsstream out just after dark, the entire grouptaking half an hour to emerge. If the PCsinvestigate, they see that this crevice istoo narrow for them to negotiate.

Investigating the Entrance: When the PCsinvestigate the cavern, read the following:

Within, the cavern is 40 feet wide, 70 feetlong, and over 20 feet high in the centralarea. The walls are dull gray, and theceiling has many stalactites growing downfrom it, though most of these have beenbroken off. The walls and ceiling havebeen blackened by soot. The floor issmooth and well worn, and the place hasobviously been much used in the past.There are bits of broken furniture anddiscarded gear scattered around.

At the back of the place, the PCs find asmaller cave. When they investigate it,read the following:

This inner cavern is 20 feet wide, 30 feetlong, and 15 feet high. It is similar inappearance to the outer cavern, savethat all of the stalactites have beenbroken off at some time in the distantpast. At the northernmost end of this caveis a 10-foot-wide passage slanting steeplydown into the heart of the mountain.

For continued play in this area, see theLesser Caverns chapter.

F. VILLAGE OF KARAVALAThis area, seemingly a mountain villageinhabited by around 150 people of mixedHyperborean and Brythunian blood,appears to be one where the PCs canfind a place of refuge, rest, and recupera-tion. In reality, however, it is a place oftreachery and hidden death.

If the PCs approach the village, read thefollowing.

Along the northeastern edge of thiswooded valley, the mountain folk haveestablished a small village. There areseveral ponds and springs in the vale, andsheep and goats dot the grassy lowland.On the outskirts of the village is a smallshrine decorated with symbols of Mitra.

Once in the vale, the PCs are escorted tothe house of the village elder, Gwaylar,and become his guests. The PCs aretreated with honor. Children flock aroundthe PCs, begging for attention and tales oftheir exploits. According to the villageelder, the PCs may have whatever they


desire; food and drink is plentiful. If anycharacters are wounded, they are at-tended by healers. The player charactersare given quarters to rest and recuperate.

However, all is not as it seems. The villagersare descendants of the Acheronians whofled into the hills when their purple-tow-ered cities were razed by Hyborian bar-barians three millenia ago, and theydream of the day when the empire ofAcheron shall rise again. The village isclose to the tomb of Xaltana, and itsinhabitants have all glimpsed the dream-sendings of the Witch-Queen who nowstirs from her age-long sleep. The food anddrink offered to the PCs has been mixedwith sleeping-draught (Ingested, Fort DC17, initial damage unconsciousness for 1d3hours, secondary damage unconscious-ness for 2d4 hours). A successful Craft(herbalism) check (DC 30) allows a char-acter to realize that the substance hasbeen added to the food and drink beforeconsuming a full dose.

If any of the characters eat or drink andfail their saving throws, the villagers leapupon any remaining characters andattempt to subdue them (or slay them ifthey put up a fight). If all the PCs maketheir saving throws, the villagers wait untilthe PCs retire to their quarters, thenambush them in their sleep.

Anyone caught unconscious and/orsubdued by the villagers are bound withropes or chains and brought to the villageshrine. Despite its exterior decorations, theinside is clearly devoted to a dark andloathsome demon-god. A purple stoneidol of a nameless horned demon standsin the center of the building. Anyone whois not already corrupted must make aCorruption saving throw (DC 20) or gainone point of corruption if he spends morethan 1 minute inside the building. Boundcaptives are sacrificed and slain by thevillage elder on a stone slab in front of thedemon idol. Such sacrifices are dedicatedto Xaltana and strengthen her, eventuallyallowing her to break free of her tomb.

G. FROZEN MUMMYResting on a narrow rock shelf atop asteep 200-feet tall cliff wall (Climb DC 25),partially covered by ice (Spot DC 20), is ahuman corpse that has been preserved asa natural mummy by the cold for almostthree millenia. The skin is yellow and bluebut is more or less intact, and tufts of hairand beard are still visible. The body iswrapped in a wolfskin cloak, and wornsandals are strapped to his feet.

This is the body of an Acheronean priest ofSet, part of the group of priests whosealed Xaltana within her tomb in theremote north. On the way back, during asnowstorm, the priest became lost andseparated from the rest of the group. Heclimbed the steep cliffs to take his bear-ings, but eventually died from fatigue andcold. Among his possessions are a copperdagger and a golden armband in theshape of a coiled serpent (worth 15 and75 sp, respectively, but several times moreto a collector due to their great age), adose of Stygian tomb-dust, a scroll con-taining the spell greater warding, as wellas a yellowed papyrus with Acheroneanhieroglyphs. The papyrus, if deciphered(Decipher Script DC 20), details thebackground history of Xaltana; that shewas a noblewoman who secretly wor-shipped a demon-god and was eventuallyburied alive in the north by the rival priestsof Set. It mentions that the caverns wereancient (pre-Acheronian) and that thereare at least two levels of caverns in theplace.

H. HYPERBOREAN SLAVER CAMPRead the following when the PCs havearrived at the location of this Minor En-counter Area.

The path disappears in a boulder fieldabove the tree line; whereas at lowerelevations there were abundant ever-greens, here the mountainside is dotted


with low-lying juniper and stunted, twistedpines. Above the field on both sides, theboulders give way to smaller rock debrisbefore the mountain wall rises steeply intothe clouds. On this lower slope the windscreams down from the peaks hiddenabove, and the vegetation shakes in gustsof wind that carry wisps of cloud and mist.There is no path through the boulder field,and travel across the area is slow anddangerous. The juniper conceals deepravines and depressions that lie in wait forthe unwary traveler, and the only safepassage is through and between thegiant stones that lie scattered among thecontorted vegetation. The shreds ofclouds ripped from the solid blanket thatlies above make long-range sight impossi-ble, and the world beyond 100 feet isseen only occasionally through mists androcks.

Entering the Camp: If the PCs ventureforward, then have them make an occa-sional Move Silently check just to keepthem on their toes. The Hyperboreanslavers do not expect to have companyhere, and so they are not overly cautious.Adjust the boxed text below to accountfor any surprise round.

After crawling across a particularly dan-gerous pile of rocks, and coming around alarge boulder damp from the mists, theparty sees a 100-foot-diameter opencircle among the boulders. In the area are15 rude shelters made of hides and sticks.Each shelter huddles against one of theboulders on the circumference of theopen area, as if to seek shelter from thepenetrating dampness of the place. Fromthe center of the open circle rises a veil ofsmoke, which is torn apart almost immedi-ately by the incessant wind that gustsacross the tops of the rocks.

This is a temporary camp for Hyperboreanslavers returning north from raids intoBrythunia, Nemedia, and the BorderKingdom. The chief slaver, Varkaatus, is amercenary warlord currently employed bythe lord of Sigtona, a stone citadel northof the Skull Gate. From this campVarkaatus sends forth bands of slavers.

If warned of the party’s approach, theslavers defend the camp by stealthy

attacks from the boulder field, attemptingto ambush the PCs. If the party appearsweak, they continue the attack until theysee they cannot win. Then, the chief (orother leader) signals a retreat. If the partyappears strong, the chief negotiates,indicating that the attack can be boughtoff by a bribe of treasure or food. In thiscase, the slavers do in fact tolerate thepresence of the PCs as long as they donot attempt to free any slaves or otherwiseinterfere with the slavers’ operations.

The Camp: The huts are crude affairs ofbranches piled against the boulders andthen covered by hides. Within each shelteris space for sleeping as well as a warmingfire. Most of the huts are so low that entrymust be made by crawling, and it isimpossible to stand once access has beengained. Cooking is done at the communalfire pit found in the center of the opening.The chief slaver’s hut is marked by a totempole seven feet tall and covered by theartifacts taken from captured and fallenslaves. The pole’s top is adorned with ahuman skull and antlers of a deer. Theentire band’s treasure totals 1,200 sp.

I. CHASM AND ROPE BRIDGECutting through the terrain from east towest is a yawning chasm, 50 feet wideand 160 feet deep and 3 miles long. Thebottom of the chasm is filled with bonesfrom both animals and humans.

Stretching across the chasm is a ropebridge constructed of wooden plankssuspended from ropes. The bridge is inbad repair and movement across it isconsidered hampered (each squaremoved into counts as two squares, and norunning or charging is possible). It takestwo full-round actions to untie one end ofthe rope bridge, but a Use Rope check(DC 15) reduces the time to a moveaction. If only one of the two supportingropes is attached, everyone on the bridgemust succeed on a Reflex save (DC 15) toavoid falling off, and thereafter mustmake Climb checks (DC 15) to movealong the remnants of the bridge. Therope bridge is 10 feet wide. The two ropesthat support it have 8 hit points each.


Part Three: The Lesser Caverns

Here, in Wilderness Area E, begins thedungeon adventure. There are no purelyrandom encounters from wanderingmonsters; any encounters are described inthe text below. For a description of thegeneral aspects of these encounter areas,see the Adventure Judging Notes.

River Encounter Areas

A deep and swift river flows through theLesser Caverns. The River of the Lost entersfrom the west (River area A), cuts acrossthe caverns, turns north into the under-ground lake (River area E), and then splitsinto three branches. The main branch exitsthe lake to the southwest (River area F),curves abruptly to the northwest, passesunder a bridge (River area J), and thenplunges down a 100-foot waterfall (Riverarea L) to a huge underground lakebelow. Side branches lead to two smallerlakes to the north (River areas H and I),from which the water exits through hiddencracks.

In most places the river is from 20 to 40feet deep and is filled with fish of manysorts. It flows through passages that are 15feet wide with ceilings about 30 feetabove water level. The water is fresh andvery cold (for every 10 minutes of expo-sure, make a Fortitude save [DC 15, +1 perprevious check] or take 1d6 points ofnonlethal damage). A crude boat can befound at the landing (River area D). It canbe used to navigate the river and thevarious lakes. Swimming in the river ispossible (Swim DC 15) except wherenoted, but it’s probably not safe. Charac-ters who can swim, or characters in the

boat, may float along, letting the rivercurrent move them from place to place,though they could plunge over the falls ifthey are not careful (see River area K).

Note that the caverns to the north of theunderground river, as well as the northernbranches of the river, are warmer than therest of the caverns due to geothermalheat. This allows the cave worms to thrivethere; these monstrous worms do notventure into the southern caverns, forthere they would slowly freeze to death.

A. RIVER ENTRYThe river enters the Lesser Caverns from atunnel to the west, moving at about 20feet per round. The ceiling of this tunnel isonly eight feet above the surface of thewater. The tunnel can be followed, withdifficulty to be sure, as it twists and turnsfor over a mile westward. Then, at a pointwhere a chimney rises some 60 feet to theoutside world, the tunnel ceiling lowers towater level and further progress along theriver is impossible. It is possible to climb thevertical shaft (Climb DC 15). It exits aboutone mile west of the entrance to thecaverns.

B. NORTH PASSAGEJust to the east of the river entry, a pas-sage north slopes upward until it crossesthe Gargoyle Bridge (River area J) overthe river. This passage, if it can bereached, provides a quick route to area17. The passage is no more than two feetabove water level at this point, but it is 15feet above water level at the bridge; theriver drops 2 feet in this same distance.


C. GIANT BAT TAKE-OFFAt this point, 40 feet above the river’ssurface, a tunnel opens onto the top ofthe passage through which the river flows.From the lip of this tunnel, giant bats takeoff on their forays for prey. They fly up anddown the waterway, catching fish andany other prey they spot, returning to thispoint for feeding. The tunnel is 20 feetlong, 5 feet wide and 10 feet tall. It leadsto a ledge in the bat room (Lesser Cavernsarea 5). In this cave, the eight giant batshang. On a roll of 1 on 1d10 (not 1d6 aswith other areas), a giant bat decides to

make a food-run whenever the PCs areon the river nearby unless they all havebeen dispatched. If it spots the PCs and isable to return, it brings the other giantbats.

D. LANDINGOn a stone shelf extending into the river isa crude wooden boat, 14 feet long andabout five feet wide amidships. It hasthree oars. The 20-foot-wide river is darkand looks quite deep. The current flowsswiftly northwards.


The boat has been crafted by the voormis(see Lesser Caverns area 3). It can berowed with two oars, with the third oarused to scull and steer. Rowing is at 60feet per round plus or minus the rivercurrent. Thus, movement upstream fromthe landing is at 30 feet per round, down-stream speed is 20 feet per round driftingor 80 feet per round rowing.

E. UNDERGROUND LAKEThe river pours into a high-vaulted cavernfrom the southeast, adding to theebonhued lake that touches the wallsnearly everywhere. The water is fairly stillhere and is probably very deep indeed.More than 50 feet overhead, greatstalactites drip onto the mirror-like lakesurface of the pool. There are four streamsof water entering or exiting the lake. Tothe southwest, the water pours over a lip ina 1-foot waterfall. To the west is a largeeddy, on the surface of which can beseen circling bits of flotsam. To the north-west is a passage under a natural stonebridge, and to the northeast, a somewhatnarrower passage heads off into darkness.It appears that there are three landings aswell. To the south, the landing gives way toa passage heading southwest. To thewest, the landing branches in two direc-tions, and to the north, the landing thereleads off to the northwest.

The lake has nearly sheer sides that extend40 feet down from the surface. It is 90 feetdeep in the center. There are many largewhite crayfish and fish in the water,carried into the lake by the river. The giantfish that are sometimes carried to thisplace are prey for the voormis that live inthe caverns. The current in the lake isbarely perceptible, though presentnevertheless. Floating objects are drawnto one of the three exits (River areas F, H,or I) within 3d6 rounds. The exit to thesouthwest (River area F) is the main chan-nel. This channel draws floating objects toit on a roll of 1-4 on 1d6. A roll of 5 draws afloating object under the natural rockbridge and then into the Black Water Pool(River area H). A roll of 6 draws a floatingobject north to the Reflection Pool (Riverarea I). Floating objects cannot leave orenter the eddy (River Area G) unlesspropelled across the eddy boundary.

F. LEDGEThis is the main channel of the river, andmost of the water flows out here over astone ledge that causes a drop of onefoot just as the water leaves the lake. If theboat floats over this ledge and the PCs areunprepared for it, there is a 10% chance ittips over, spilling them into the swift flowbeyond. The river makes a 90-degreebend just beyond the ledge, and it flows

more swiftly than when it entered the lake.Between the ledge and the GargoyleBridge (River area J), the river drops fivefeet. It flows at 40 feet per round here andis much shallower than elsewhere. Thepassage walls are much smoother due tothe erosion of the swifter stream. Becauseof the current, upstream paddling movesthe boat only 20 feet per round, anddownstream paddling moves it at 100 feetper round.

G. EDDYAs the current strikes the north wall, someof it turns west, and runs along the westwall of the lake. It passes the landing thereand then bends east. It meets the waterflowing over the ledge, which bends itnorth. This forms a slowly moving eddy onthe lake’s western edge that revolvescounterclockwise.

The boat does not cross the eddy bound-ary and enter the eddy unless paddled.Likewise, it does not drift out of the eddy. Ifyour party is very strong and up to thechallenge, it might be interesting to havethe boat drifting here, empty but for theoars, instead of at the landing (River areaD). If you choose to place the boat here,you need to allow the PCs to spot it fromthe landing. You also need to be sure thatyou want to force an encounter withsome of the cave worms (see LesserCaverns area 14) should they decide toswim for the boat.

H. BLACK WATER POOLThe 10-foot-wide watercourse passesbeneath a natural stone bridge. It ap-pears that passageways lead from bothsides of this bridge.

In this passage, the current flows northerlyat 10 feet per round. There are plenty ofprotrusions that allow the PCs to halt themotion of a floating boat and allow themto climb onto the bridge. If the PCs decideto continue beneath the bridge, read thefollowing.

About 180 feet northwest of the bridge,the passage turns north and opens almostimmediately into another flooded cavern,this one small enough to be called a pool.Crevices in the cavern walls carry thewater away to places unknown. Thecavern floor at the center rises in anisland, which glints and sparkles occasion-ally. The water surrounding the islet isparticularly dark. There seem to be parti-cles suspended in it making it look inky.

The water surrounding the islet is about 30feet deep. The party is able to see onlyabout five feet into the murky water.Wherever they are in the cavern, the PCscan see glints and glimmers from the


island. Scattered about the surface of theisland are 3,000 gems of 1 sp value. Thesecan be seen from the water, making theinviting glints.

Four cave worms dwell in the water at thenorthern edge of the cavern. When theysense motion in the water, they swim outand surround the isle. They then squirm uponto the rocks and attack. If the PCs arein the boat, the cave worms attempt to tipthem into the water (Reflex DC 15 to avoidfalling into the water each time a caveworm rams into the boat [treat as acharge attack]). If the PCs flee, the caveworms do not pursue more than 50 feetdown the passage.

I. REFLECTION POOLMore than 100 feet northward the pas-sage opens up into a cavern filled withwater so still it acts like a mirror. As the lightplays across the walls and ceiling, thebeautiful shapes and colors there arereflected in the pool below. The profoundsilence is broken only by the tinkle ofwater splashing on rock some distancebelow. From the ceiling of the cavernbeautiful stalactites hang suspended. Theyare multihued icicles that compete forspace with pastel curtains. The walls arestreaked with multi-colored rock forma-tions that sparkle brilliantly.

If a sentient creature stares at the reflec-tive surface of the pool for more than oneconsecutive round, it is affected as per avisions of torment and enlightenment spellthat lasts for 1d20 minutes. The strangevisions are related to the Great Cataclysmand the migrations and empires thatpreceded and succeeded it (Atlantis andValusia, Lemuria, the Khari, the Giant-Kings, the Zhemri, Elder Stygia, Acheron,the sons of Bori and Hyperborea the Elder,and so on). The target is allowed a Willsave (DC 20) to avoid temporary Wisdomdamage, but in the case of a successfulsave does not gain any bonus Wisdom.

J. GARGOYLE BRIDGEThis ornately carved and sculpturedbridge arches to about 15 feet above thecenter of the river. It has many strangeforms and shapes in bold relief; carvedgargoyle-like monsters leer from it. Athundering rumble, a loud, low-throatedroar, fills the ears.

The speed of the current here is 50 feetper round as the river moves rapidly to thewest. The roar is the sound of the vastunderground waterfall (River area L) 130feet distant. If the party is afloat and goes30 feet beyond the bridge, they drift intoswift water (River area K) which pulls themover the falls. As the party comes to 50feet east of the bridge, they have at most

two rounds in which to act or be sweptinto the swift water (River area K). For full-speed paddling upstream, the boat maybe held in position as long as thepaddler(s) can make successful Strengthchecks (DC 16); the first roll is made at +4,but every round thereafter the roll de-creases by 1. Failure means that the boatslipped downstream 1-3 squares; successmeans that the boat either went upstream10 feet, held position, or drifted slowlydownstream, at the players’ option.

K. SWIFT WATERAt this point, where the river flows off themap, there is a second ledge, with a dropof two feet. Once over the ledge, it isimpossible to paddle the boat upstream.Beyond the ledge, the speed of the waterpicks up to 60 feet per minute (Swim DC20). At this rate it only takes two rounds tospill over the waterfall. This is the party’slast chance. Because of the rate at whichthe boat is moving, no amount of rowingcan keep it from being plunged over thefalls.

L. WATERFALLHere the PCs definitely die unless theyhave some supernatural means to savethemselves. The water drops over agranite ledge to fall 400 feet to a lakebelow. The plunge kills anyone taking itnormally, or else the tumble of water atthe bottom traps and drowns them. Unlessyou have an extensive map for an under-ground adventure prepared, it is sug-gested that any party so careless andfoolish as to pass unwittingly over the fallsand down to the area beyond be consid-ered casualties of the Lost Caverns ofAcheron.

Lesser Caverns EncounterAreas

1. STAIRWAY TO THE LOST CAVERNSWhen the PCs investigate the stairwaydown from the back of the entrancecaverns, read the following:

Steps have been roughly hewn in thepassage floor to allow easier movement.The stone of these steps is worn in thecenter, indicating considerable traffic atsome time in the past. The broad stairshave a drop of about one foot, and theylead downward to the north.

The stairway is about 130 feet long. Its 60broad stairs drop a total of about 60 feet.

2. BAT CAVEThis is a small cave, perhaps 15 feet or so


wide by 30 feet in length. Its walls are amaze of crevices and crannies, and thefloor near the walls is covered with streaksand blotches. There seems to be no exit.

This cave is the lair of a bat swarm whichlurks in the nooks and crannies of thecave. Once two or more victims are in theplace, they flutter down and attack.

3. HALL OF THE VOORMISWithin this natural chamber some 70 feetwide and 50 feet deep are six exits,although one of them is almost entirelyblocked by debris. There are a few stalac-tites on the ceiling above, a few fallen tothe floor amid a handful of stalagmites.The cavern floor is covered with bones,bits of fur, and various pieces of wood.

This is the great hall of the voormis, a clanof primitive humanoids with dog-like facesand bodies covered with shaggy fur. This iswhere the voormis gather to eat. There is a75% chance of encountering 2d8 voormishere.

The exit that leads to areas 11-13 has beendeclared taboo by their chieftain, anddebris has been piled high there, althoughbats from area 11 are still able to passthrough the opening.

4. VOORMIS CAVETen adult voormis share this squarish cave.There is nothing of value here.

5. BAT ROOMThis large high-domed cave is coveredwith several inches of bat guano. Manybeetles and a few small rats scurry awayinto concealment. The sound of flowingwater comes from somewhere in the northend of the place.

Eight giant bats have taken this cave forthemselves, devouring the many smallerbats which once dwelled here. They hangfrom the ceiling 40 feet above. When theparty enters, they swoop down one at atime, trying to surprise the victims. Thegiant bats attack in rotation, one at atime, each voicing its piercing screech.Any critical hit on a giant bat means it hasbeen knocked out of the air. It lands onthe ground next round and is consideredprone. On the north wall of the cave, 30feet up, is a broad, projecting ledge(Climb DC 18). On the ledge are a scatter-ing of 231 sp and 1-4 pieces of jewelry(worth 100 sp each). A tunnel leads toRiver area C.

6. BONE YARDOn the floor of this small cave, bones arescattered everywhere. There is a lowmound of dung in the middle of floor,covering some of the bones, and whatappears to be a mammoth skeleton lies atthe south end of the cave. Beside theskeleton are two leather sacks. The floorand ceiling are fairly smooth.

The voormis dispose of foodscraps andbones here. Examination of the mammothskeleton reveals that the ivory tusks havebeen removed by crude axe-blows. Onesack holds 12 sp, and the other bagcontains 45 sp.

7. DECORATED GROTTOThe walls of this grotto are carved andchiseled into a running series of forms andfigures that extend from the floor to thearched ceiling. The work is bas-relief ofsuperior caliber.

Although the artwork is clearly too sophisti-cated to have been created by theprimitive voormis, a Knowledge (history)check (DC 15) or Knowledge Is Powercheck (DC 20) is required to recognize thebas-reliefs as typical of Acheronian tomb-decorations.

8. FUNGUS BEDSThis place is filled with all sorts of small andmedium-sized fungus. The floor and wallssprout many different varieties, all of


which give off a pale phosphorescence.Several large, whitish forms can be seenamongst the fungi. It appears that severalpassageways radiate from this cavern.

The fungus is cultivated by the voormis tocomplement their diet of meat and cavefish. There is a 50% chance of encounter-ing 1d6 voormis here.

9. VOORMIS CAVEThis is the lair of twelve adult Voormis. Inaddition to their crude sleeping-mats ofstraw, there is a wolf-skull, three blackfeathers, and a pouch with three doses offlame-powder in one corner.

10. VOORMIS CHIEFTAINThis cave is the lair of the voormis chief-tain, a particularly large male coveredwith dark grey, almost black fur. Amidstthe litter in his den are 334 sp, a small silverurn (worth 75 sp) filled with dust, and twolarge mammoth tusks of ivory (worth 250sp each).

11. CORRIDOR OF LIMITLESS BATSThe odor of bat guano in this corridor ischoking. PCs notice it immediately uponentering. Furthermore, a gentle breezeflickers torches.

Numerous small fungus growths cover thewalls of this passageway, and luxuriantgrowth covers the floor, which is heapedwith guano. The oddly-colored growthsseem to match the vari-colored mineralsof the walls of the area. A faint squeakingand rustling is heard when you listen.

An enormous number of normal bats roostalong the ceiling of the passageway,leaving through a crevice in the ceilingwhen night falls. Their guano feeds thefungi that fills the place. The party mustmove very quietly (Move Silently DC 18),and with little or no light in order to avoidfrightening the bats. If the bats are fright-ened by the party they fly everywherewithin this area and the area beyond. Somany (thousands) fill the air that theycannot help but fly into any PC standing;everyone within the two caverns (areas 11and 12) will take 2d6 points of damageper round from the frenzied bats. Alltorches and lanterns are extinguished,and spellcasting is impossible. There are somany bats in the cave that, no matterhow many are killed, there are an unlim-ited number.

12. LONG GALLERYThe cavern widens into a gallery ofconsiderable length and a height of wellover 40 feet. Some smaller fungi growhere too, and telltale squeaking andfluttering indicates that there are batsabove. Along the walls on each side is arow of tall statues.

There are eight tall statues, each nine feettall, carved from purple stone, on eachside of the corridor. They are carved toresemble warriors, dressed in sandals, kilts,breastplates and helmets that concealthe face, and grasping sickle swords. Asuccessful Knowledge (history) check (DC17) will reveal that the design isAcheronian.

13. EMPTY SARCOPHAGUSThe northern part of this cave holds agreat sarcophagus of stone, plain andunadorned. The lid has been shattered,and the sarcophagus is empty, although itis obvious from inspection of its interior thatthe coffin was built to hold a corpse atleast nine or ten feet tall.

In the southern part of the cave is astairway that leads to area 1 of theGreater Caverns.

14. CAVE WORMSThis grotto is home to three disgustingcave worms who feed off of dead animalscarried here by the underground river.

15. CAVE WORMSThis mazelike set of tunnels contains sixcave worms.

16. CAVE WORMSTwo cave worms lair here.

17. RAINBOW CAVERNThis high-domed cavern displays a rain-bow of colors on its walls and floor. Eventhe many stalactites above hang likecolored icicles. Various mineral deposits inthe rock have seeped into frozen curtains,cascades, and many fantastic shapes. Thefloor has numerous humps and stalagmitesof varied hue and strange form.


Part Four: The Greater Caverns

Play begins at the foot of the 900 stairsleading down from the Lesser Caverns; thisplace is marked with an X on the map. Thestairway leads down to a sealed, un-marked purple door (4 in. thick; Hardness8; hp 60; Break DC 30).

The floor of the caverns beyond the dooris deep with immemorial dust, and the airis singularly heavy. It is noticeably harderto breathe than the outer air.

Moving around at more than half normalspeed kicks up clouds of dust at everystep, obscuring sight beyond 5 feet. Acreature 5 feet away has concealment(attacks have a 20% miss chance). Crea-tures farther away have total conceal-ment (50% miss chance, and the attackercannot use sight to locate the target). Thedust cloud disperses in 4 rounds if crea-tures remain still or move at half speed.

A-F. ACHERONIAN TOMBSThese six 30-foot-square areas, labelled A-Fon the map of the Greater Caverns, aretombs excavated by the Acheronians.Whenever they are encountered, use thedescription below. Of course, if the PCsmark the walls or do something to other-wise distinguish the room were they toreturn at a later time, add that descriptionwhen the room is entered.

This room appears to have been hewnfrom the rock. It is 30 feet square, and ithas a 20-foot ceiling. Four passagewayslead from it, one in the center of eachwall. The chamber is filled with enormouspot-bellied urns of a blackish-greenmaterial, taller than a man’s head, andranged in solemn rows along the walls.

Each urn is fitted with angular-handledstoppers, and filled to the rim with ashesand charred fragments of bone. Doubtlessthe Acheronians have stored the cre-mated remains of whole families in singleurns.

1. DEAD LABORERSThe floor of this low-domed chamber iscovered with piles of corpses. The bodiesappear ancient but have doubtless beenwell preserved by the cold and stale air ofthis place. There are several tunnelsleading to and from this cave.

There is a total of 18 corpses. They aredressed in simple clothes, identifying themas laborers or slaves. Some have crushedfingers or toes, signs of mishaps whilequarrying heavy rocks. They have notreasure. When the priests of Set hadsealed Xaltana within her tomb, thelaborers who had excavated the tombwere poisoned and heaped here (andalso in area 17). The priests then retreatedfrom the Greater Caverns, lowering thepurple stone slab in place to seal themagainst intrusion.

2. SACRIFICE CHAMBERThe walls of this vaulted chamber arebare. Standing erect against the westernwall is a mummified and incredibly desic-cated figure. It is more than eight feet inheight, of a brown, bituminous color, andis wholly nude except for a sort of blackcowl that covers the upper head anddroops down at the sides in wrinkled folds.

This shrivelled thing has endured throughthe ages. As the PCs peer closer with their


torches, they see why the mummy hasmaintained an upright position. At ankles,knees, waist, shoulders and neck it isshackled to the wall by heavy metalbands, so deeply eaten and embrownedwith a sort of rust that are hard to distin-guish from the mummy at first sight. Thestrange cowl on the head is covered witha fine, mould-like pile, unclean and dustyas ancient cobwebs.

If the body is touched, even lightly, the

lower part of the barrel-like torso, the legs,the hands and forearms all dissolve intopowder, leaving the head and upperbody and arms still hanging in their metalfetters. The progress of decay has beenqueerly unequal, for the remnant portionsgive no sign of disintegration.

As the cloud of brown mummy-powderhits the floor and billows up, the blackcowl on the mummy’s head begins to curland twitch upward at the corners. Writh-


ing with a verminous motion, it falls fromthe withered cranium, seeming to foldand unfold convulsively in mid-air as it falls.

The thing uses its surprise round to fall uponand enfold the head of the nearestcreature. If it manages to dominate itsvictim, it flees northwest towards area 8.Otherwise, it fights to the death.

If the remaining top half of the mummy isexamined, the examiner notices that thetop of the skull, where the black cowl wassitting, has been eaten away by acidiccorrosion. The rest of the cranium is empty;there are no remains of brain tissue.

3. COLLAPSING CEILINGThe far end of this large cavern seems tohave been in the process of being exca-vated, but then abandoned for unknownreasons.

The ceiling is weakened here. A weak-ened ceiling can be spotted with aKnowledge (architecture and engineer-ing) check (DC 20) or Craft (stonema-sonry) check (DC 20). Remember thatCraft checks can be made untrained asIntelligence checks.

If any part of the eastern end of thecavern is examined (such as by Searchchecks), there is a 50% chance per minutethat the ceiling collapses. It buries anyonein the middle of the collapsing area, andthen sliding debris damages anyone in theperiphery of the collapse.

The bury zone extends 15 feet from thewall and a 10 feet slide zone extendsbeyond the bury zone. Characters in thebury zone take 8d6 points of damage, orhalf that amount if they make a Reflexsave (DC 15). They are subsequentlyburied. Characters in the slide zone take3d6 points of damage, or no damage atall if they make a Reflex save (DC 15).Characters in the slide zone who fail theirsaves are buried.

Characters take 1d6 points of nonlethaldamage per minute while buried. If such acharacter falls unconscious, he must makea Constitution check (DC 15). If it fails, hetakes 1d6 points of lethal damage eachminute thereafter until freed or dead.

Characters who aren’t buried can dig outtheir friends. In 1 minute, using only hishands, a character can clear rocks anddebris equal to five times his heavy loadlimit. The amount of loose stone that fills a5-foot-by-5-foot area weighs one ton(2,000 pounds). Armed with an appropri-ate tool, such as a pick, crowbar, orshovel, a digger can clear loose stonetwice as quickly as by hand. You mayallow a buried character to free himselfwith a Strength check (DC 25).

4. GALLERYA large gallery with many ledges andshelves stretches 110 feet east and westand 30 feet north and south. The archedceiling is about 30 feet high at either end,with a middle-area dome of aboutdouble that height.

Four vampiric brain-leeches cling to theshadowy walls here. Once they sense thepresence of other creatures, they comeout of their dormant state and glidesilently towards their victims, hoping togain surprise.

5. SKELETONS WITH HALF-EATEN CRANIUMSResting on the floor of this large cavern isa dozen dust-covered skeletons.

If any of the skeletons are examined, it isseen that the upper half of the cranium ismissing, apparently eaten away by somecorrosive process (just like the mummy inarea 2).

6. NARROW CAVERNThree vampiric brain-leeches lie in torporhere. Like their kin in area 4, once theysense the presence of living creatures,they wake up and attack.

7. PITThe most notable feature of this place,other than the smooth walls and ceiling,are the scattered round boulders. There isa drain-like slope to a great sinkhole in thecenter of the floor. It might be that at onetime a flow of water filled this place butlater drained away with the opening ofthe sinkhole.

The sinkhole is a shaft funneling down to apipe eight feet in diameter. Light revealsthat it goes down over 50 feet, though itactually drops 25 feet farther straightdown. Then, it jogs northeast at an angleof about 45 degrees downward foranother 35 feet. Finally it narrows to aboutfour feet in diameter and plunges straightdown another 100 feet into an under-ground stream. You may use this as a leadto even deeper caverns and deadlieradventures.

8. NIGHTMARE VAULTThe entrance to this cavern is sealed witha massive black stone slab (5 ft. thick;Hardness 8; hp 900; Break DC 65), carvedwith arcane runes and Acheronianhieroglyphs. With a successful DecipherScript check (DC 25), it becomes appar-ent that the writing is some form of warn-ing against releasing that which is sealedwithin. Breaking down this barrier is anextremely bad idea (see below). Depend-ing on previous events during the adven-


ture (see areas 2 to 6), there may be abrainless creature here, ceaselesslychipping away at the black stone slabwith an iron rod in an attempt to break itdown, when the PCs approach.

This 60-foot-tall chamber has manyshelves and irregularities along its walls.Many stalactites hang from the stony roof,some of great size and exceptionalbeauty. The floor is littered with occa-sional stalagmites, and there are severalcentral formations of massive dimension,each being well over 20 feet high.

This cavern teems with vampiric brain-leeches; there are 50 haunters lurking inthe darkness here. Worse yet, the southerntunnel slopes steeply down into nethervaults where hundreds, or perhaps thou-sands, of these horrors crawl. Any charac-ter exploring these nether vaults meetscertain death therein, and unless thecavern is re-sealed, the characters haveunleashed a terrible plague upon theGraskaal Mountains and beyond, as thesehorrors from a pre-Acheronian ageemerge from the vaults to feed off man-kind.

9. POOLThis irregular chamber contains a smallpool of fresh and wholesome water.

10. DEAD PRIESTOn the floor of this small cavern lies askeleton, surrounded by tatters of a robe.A piece of jewelry glitters in the torchlight.

The skeleton belongs to an Acheronianpriest of Set who died here. He was thevictim of a brain-leech and his craniumhas been destroyed. The skeleton stillwears a golden amulet in the shape of acoiled serpent, with tiny gems inset as eyes(worth 250 sp), and a bronze dagger(worth 25 sp).

11. CAVE OF SKULLSSet against the far wall of this cavern is arack that has five rows of horizontal metalrods, each set with seven human-sizedskulls. Each skull has been painted withdifferent arcane symbols.

The rack was used for divination purposesin the past (and the skulls can still besubject to the dead speak spells if anecromancer wishes to interrogate themabout the history of the caverns, althoughall of them were dead by the time Xaltanawas entombed here).

12. PILLARED CAVERNThe stalactites and stalagmites here havegrown together to form columns extend-

ing from the floor to the 20-foot-tall ceiling.The colors here are particularly bright.

13. ROTTING MOUNDSWithin this cavern is the dank stench ofrotting fungus, rising from the strewn partsand pieces of virtually every sort of fungusand mushroom growth imaginable.

If any of the mounds are disturbed, a 5-foot square of yellow mold bursts forth witha cloud of poisonous spores. All within 10feet of the mold must make a Fortitudesave (DC 15) or take 1d6 points of Consti-tution damage. Another Fortitude save(DC 15) is required 1 minute later — evenby those who succeeded on the first save— to avoid taking 2d6 points of Constitu-tion damage. Fire destroys yellow mold,and sunlight renders it dormant.

14. TOMBS OF THE GIANT-KINGSThis large chamber contains six largesarcophagi carved from purple stone.

The lids are heavy (4 in. thick; Hardness 8;hp 60; Break DC 28) and covered withgolden hieroglyphs. Each sarcophaguscontains a mummified body that is ninefoot tall. These are nobles of Elder Stygiaand Acheron, crossbreeds between theGiant-Kings who ruled those lands andtheir human concubines, buried herebetween three to five millennia ago. Spellsprotect the sarcophagi; a demonicsmoke-serpent is bound to each coffinand manifests if it is disturbed in any way.The tombs contain no treasure.

15. SHATTERED URNSThis grotto contains several large urns, ofthe variety seen in areas A-F, but they areall overturned and broken. Pottery shardsand dust covers the floor.


16. ENTHRONED SKELETONThe ceiling of this place is unusually high,perhaps 70 feet at its peak. In the alcoveto the north stands a large throne ofcarved stone. On the throne sits a ten-feettall skeleton, grasping a jewel-hilted blackaxe.

The dead thing glares down from its rockythrone, while the wavering torchlightpaints life and animation into the witheredskull-face and move the shadows in itssunken sockets like dark, burning eyes.

The flesh on its huge torso has dried,shrunk, and split, and now clings in tattersto naked ribs. The axe it holds is a terrificweapon, made of blackened iron, notcopper or bronze as might have beenexpected from its obvious age. It has seenmany battles, for its blade, although stillkeen, is notched in a score of places.

Sorcery protects this Acheronian giant indeath. If the skeleton or its weapon isdisturbed, an ancient spell animates theskeleton, and it attacks using the axe.Wielded by the giant, the axe is a one-handed weapon, but a normal humanmust grasp it with both hands. It is excep-tionally keen (the critical hit multiplier isx4).

17. DEAD LABORERSThis cave is similar to area 1. There are 26slave corpses here.

18. GROTTO OF THE DEMON IDOLIn the shadowy corners of this cavern liewhat must be the shattered parts of agreat statue.

Closer inspection of the shattered statuereveals that it must have been some sortof horned demon-idol, but its face hasbeen so disfigured by pick-axes andchisels as to make it unrecognizable.Likewise, the arms and feet of the statuehave been hewn off, and the torsocrushed by hammer-blows.

This was once a finely wrought idol of thedemon-god that Xaltana worshipped. Thepriests of Set who sealed the Witch-Queenin her tomb also destroyed the idol,carried the pieces with them to theGraskaal mountains, and dumped thebroken statue here.

19. TRAPPED CORRIDORSThe PCs need to venture down each ofthe six area 19s in order to gain entry tothe Tomb of Xaltana (area 20). At any timethe PCs venture into a passage leading toone of these areas, read this:

The end of the passageway is blocked bya pair of purple stone doors, each nine

feet wide and 21 feet tall. From the lookof the hinges set into the stone, each ofthese great doors must be at least onefoot thick. On each door are many leeringdemon visages in bronze. Weird symbolsform a crabbed tracery around theborder of each great portal.

The gates open outward (4 in. thick;Hardness 8; hp 60; Break DC 28). After thedoors are open, read the following text.

Beyond the iron doors is a corridor withwalls of white marble. The walls and floorare polished and dust-free. A thick blackcarpet runs from the entry to an ebonydoor 40 feet distant, the gleam of silverhinges, studs, and ring apparent even atthis distance. The arched ceiling is ofblack marble shot through with bands ofscarlet. A dim purple glow seems to comefrom the ceiling, giving an eerie lightwhich pervades the entire passageway.

Each of the corridors is trapped with adifferent trap to keep intruders out (andXaltana in). The traps are as follows:


A. Well-Camouflaged Pit Trap: Mechani-cal; location trigger; repair reset; DC 25Reflex save avoids; 70 feet deep (7d6,fall); multiple targets (first target in each oftwo adjacent 10-foot squares); Search DC27; Disable Device DC 18.

B. Grey Lotus Poison Gas: Mechanical;location trigger; repair reset; gas; nevermiss; onset delay (1 round); poison (greylotus blossom, DC 22 Fortitude save resists,2d6 Wis plus Fighting-Madness and attacknearest creature/1d6 Wis); multiple targets(all targets in a 10-foot by 10-foot area);Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 20.

C. Six Scything Blades: Mechanical; touchtrigger; manual reset; Atk +16 melee(2d4+8, 20/x4, scythe); Search DC 24;Disable Device DC 19.

D. Fusillade of Poisoned Darts: Mechani-cal; location trigger; manual reset; Atk +18ranged (1d4+1 plus poison, dart); poison(concentrated cobra poison, injury, FortDC 17 negates, damage 2d4 Str/1d4 Str);multiple targets (1d8 darts per target in a10-foot by 10-foot area); Search DC 25;Disable Device DC 25.

E. Falling Stone Block: Mechanical; loca-tion trigger; manual reset; Atk +15 melee(8d6); multiple targets (can strike allcharacters in two adjacent 10-footsquares); Search DC 20; Disable DeviceDC 25.

F. Falling Kothic Demon-Fire: Mechanical;location trigger; manual reset; Atk +15melee (5d8 fire damage plus stun for 1round, Fortitude DC 20 to avoid stuneffect); multiple targets if it misses initialtarget (can strike all characters in twoadjacent specified squares for 2d8 firedamage, Reflex DC 20 to avoid damage);Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 25.

The inner doors are protected by sorcery.Until all the six outer doors are brokendown, each inner door is nigh-impervious(2 in. thick; Hardness 20; hp 600; Break DC60). If all the outer doors are broken down,the inner doors are weakened (2 in. thick;Hardness 10; hp 60; Break DC 28). Notethat armor piercing never applies againstan object’s hardness, that objects areimmune to nonlethal damage and tocritical hits, and that the minimum dam-age rule does not apply when strikingobjects. The DM may also wish to considerweapon degradation or breakage if aweapon is used to strike repeatedly at anobject with hardness 8 or more.

Xaltana’s chamber is shielded frommagical scrying. Neither can scrying spellsfunction from the inside of the tomb,although with the passing of centuries theancient spells have weakened andXaltana has recently been able to project

her sensual dream-sendings out of thecaverns to ensnare the minds of theunwary.

20. TOMB OF XALTANAOnce one of the inner doors has beenbreached, read the following.

The room beyond the ebony and silverdoors is brightly lit and wondrous tobehold. It is a perfect sphere 40 feet indiameter, richly decorated. The upperhemisphere forms a dome of lapis lazuli, asdark as the night sky at the top, as pale asa twilight horizon at the equator. Thelower hemisphere is of serpentine, palegreen at the equator, deep green at thebottom of the bowl. The sides of thesphere are perfectly smooth, and look asif they cannot be climbed or walked on.Before the door, which opens onto thesphere's equator, is a 3-foot-wide ledge ofgreen serpentine. Five other doors openonto similar ledges symmetrically ar-ranged along the equator of the sphere.A 10-foot-tall decorative openwork screenstands at the edge of each ledge. Thescreen at the edge of this ledge is carvedfrom rare wood and inlaid with ivory andmother-of-pearl.

Through the openings in its intricatecarvings you see a small golden cage ona golden chain, hanging from the centerof the dome.

The cage hangs above a bier on which awoman sleeps. The bier is a panel ofsnowy alabaster resting on a block ofrose-colored marble. This sits on broadstone dais rising from the center of thefloor. Laid on the dais about the block liesmall carpets, and a pair of beautifullyfashioned stands hold rare porcelainvessels. At the foot of the marble block isa low table with a crystal bowl filled with arainbow of gems. At the head of theblock is a silver tripod with a small brazierwhich emits a tiny plume of sweet-smellingsmoke. The sleeping maiden is tall; theshapely body clad only in a while silkenloincloth and adorned with goldenjewelry. Her pale face seems composed.Her lips are bright red and her raven-huedtresses are lustrous. Surrounding here arerunes and sigils inlaid in gold — moons,stars, and strange symbols.

The sleeping maid is actually Xaltana, theWitch-Queen of Acheron. She rests here inpartial stasis until intruders make their wayinto this chamber, when she awakes. Sheis awake and fully aware as soon as theebony doors open and reveal the cham-ber, but she remains still until someoneactually enters. Xaltana then sits up slowly,passes a hand across her brow as ifcoming out of a strange coma, and thenblinks her eyes open. When she sees the


party, she stands up, smiles sweetly, andwelcomes the PCs as her rescuers.

Xaltana seeks to avoid direct physicalconfrontation. Unless the PCs appearextremely weak, she bargains with them.She calls herself “Natala”, claims to havebeen the high priestess of Anuket (anancient name for Derketo) in Python, andthat she was buried alive by “the jealoussnake-priests of Set”. She tempts the PCswith wealth, power, bodily pleasures, andperhaps even the secret of immortality, ifthey just swear fealty to her.

If any of the PCs are foolish enough toswear fealty to Xaltana, they are boundby a magical oath to obey her (no savingthrow allowed).

The walls of the tomb reveal the real storyof "Natala". If anyone thinks to study theimages on the walls, they depict a cruelwoman, tall and white-skinned, worship-ping demons and drinking blood atoppurple pyramids. In the final pictograms,the woman is ambushed by shaven-headed priests, and imprisoned in themountains of the north. A successfulDecipher Script check (DC 25) allows thecharacter to find the name “Xaltana”inscribed on the walls.

If the player characters attack, Xaltanasummons one or more insectoid demons(see the new monsters appendix) toprotect her. She may also have a secretally among the PCs if one of them hasfailed to resist her dream-sendings. TheWitch-Queen uses her spells and vampiricdomination ability against her opponents.

In a melee situation, the PCs are at adistinct disadvantage. There is no place inthe inner tomb for them to stand excepton one of the six entry ledges or upon thedais. In the latter case, two characterscan stand on either of the long sides, oneat either end. The walls of the sphere arevery smooth (Climb DC 30). It takes aBalance check (DC 17) to move in thesloped areas (and balancing creaturesare considered flat-footed, unless theyhave 5 or more ranks in Balance). It takesa Jump check (DC 15) to jump from theentry ledges to the dais. This assumes thecharacter has at least 20 feet of runningstart, otherwise the DC is doubled.

The Treasure: The priests of Set feared thatXaltana’s treasures were protected,cursed or tainted by her demonic patron(and perhaps it is), so they deposed of italong with her body. The spherical cham-ber has the following treasure: six foldingscreens (worth 100 sp each), two carpets(worth 175 sp each), two inlaid stands(worth 200 sp each), four porcelain vessels(worth 150 sp each), one table (worth 80sp), one crystal bowl (worth 325 sp) filledwith gems (four hundred 1-sp, threehundred 5-sp, two hundred 10-sp, onehundred 50-sp, ten 100-sp, and one 500-sp), and one silver tripod and brazier(worth 75 sp) containing five doses of bluedevil’s flame. Above Xaltana’s stonecouch hangs a small golden cage fash-ioned of gold (and inside the cage is asmall ruby carved in the shape of an eye;a Knowledge Is Power check [DC 20] willidentify it as a magical key of some sort).The gold chain that the cage hangs on isworth 100 sp if intact.

The Marble Block: The alabaster lid to themarble block has been engraved and therunes and glyphs filled with gold. Amongthese is a tiny hole through the lid. Thecharacters may remove the slab with aStrength check (DC 25). Beneath the lid,the marble is hollowed out to form acavity 2 feet wide, 4 feet long, and 2 feetdeep, on the floor of which lie severalpieces of platinum jewelry studded withdiamonds and rubies: a tiara (worth 2,700sp), a necklace (worth 2,000 sp), a brace-let (worth 1,200 sp), earrings (worth 900 sp),and a ring (worth 600 sp). Careful exami-nation of the marble block (Search DC 30)reveals a narrow lip all around the rim ofthe cavity. The cavity is part of an innertray that can be lifted out, opening aneven larger cavity below. The inner cavityholds six iron-bound tomes, written inancient Acheronian, containing chroni-cles from the court of purple-toweredPython as well as sorcerous secrets,alchemical recipes, necromantic rites, thetruenames of several lesser demons, andso on.


Appendix A: Non-Player Characters

Hyperborean SlaverMale Hyperborean Soldier 4Hit Dice: 4d10+4 (30 hp)Initiative: +7 (+2 Dex, +1 Ref, +4 ImprovedInitiative)Speed: 25 ft. (5 squares)DV (Dodge): 14 (+2 base, +2 Dex)DV (Parry): 17 (+3 base, +3 Str, +1 Parry)DR: 6 (scale corselet, steel cap)Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+7Attack: War sword +8 melee (1d12+6, 19-20/x2, AP 3) or crossbow +7 ranged(2d6+1, 20/x2, AP 4, range increment 60ft.)Full Attack: War sword +8 melee (1d12+6,19-20/x2, AP 3) or crossbow +7 ranged(2d6+1, 20/x2, AP 4, range increment 60ft.)Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Formation Combat(heavy infantry)Special Qualities: Choose 2 extra classskills, gain +2 competence bonus to extraclass skills, wield greatsword as martialweapon instead of exotic weapon, -1racial penalty to all Diplomacy, GatherInformation and verbal-oriented Performor Bluff checks, +2 racial bonus to Intimi-date checks.Saves: Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +4Abilities: Str 16, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis12, Cha 10Skills: Intimidate +9, Ride +9, Search +8.Feats: Improved Initiative, Parry, PointBlank Shot, Track, Weapon Focus (warsword), Weapon Specialization (warsword).Languages: Hyperborean, Nemedian,Brythunian, Zamorian.

Possessions: Scale corselet, steel cap, warsword, crossbow, 20 bolts, whip, 27 sp.

Varkaatus, MercenaryWarlord and Chief SlaverMale Hyperborean Soldier 14Hit Dice: 10d10+32 (90 hp)Initiative: +10 (+2 Dex, +4 Ref, +4 ImprovedInitiative)Speed: 25 ft. (5 squares)DV (Dodge): 19 (+7 base, +2 Dex)DV (Parry): 27 (+10 base, +6 Str, +1 Parry)DR: 10 (mail shirt and breastplate, visoredhelm)Base Attack/Grapple: +14/+20Attack: Greatsword +22 melee (2d10+13,

17-20/x2, AP 4) or arbalest +16 ranged(2d8, 20/x2, AP 6, range increment 70 ft.)Full Attack: Greatsword +22/+17/+12melee (2d10+13, 17-20/x2, AP 4) orarbalest +16 ranged (2d8, 20/x2, AP 6,range increment 70 ft.)Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Formation Combat(heavy infantry, improved heavy infantry,heavy cavalry), Officer +2.Special Qualities: Choose 2 extra classskills, gain +2 competence bonus to extraclass skills, wield greatsword as martialweapon instead of exotic weapon, -1racial penalty to all Diplomacy, GatherInformation and verbal-oriented Performor Bluff checks, +2 racial bonus to Intimi-date checks.Saves: Fort +11, Ref +6, Will +8Abilities: Str 23, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 13, Wis14, Cha 16Skills: Intimidate +22, Knowledge (warfare)+18, Ride +19.Feats: Cleave, Combat Reflexes, GreaterWeapon Focus (greatsword), GreaterWeapon Specialization (greatsword),Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical(greatsword), Improved Initiative, Iron Will,Leadership, Menacing Aura, Parry, PowerAttack, Reflexive Parry, Steely Gaze,Weapon Focus (greatsword), WeaponSpecialization (greatsword).Languages: Hyperborean, Nemedian,Aquilonian, Brythunian, Corinthian,Zamorian, Kothic, Shemitish.

Possessions: Mail shirt and breastplate,visored helm, greatsword, arbalest, treas-ure map.

Orthar, Master Torturer andLieutenant of VarkaatusMale Cimmerian Barbarian 9Hit Dice: 9d10+18 (79 hp)Initiative: +8 (+2 Dex, +6 Ref)Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)DV (Dodge): 18 (+6 base, +2 Dex)DV (Parry): 18 (+3 base, +5 Str)DR: 0 (no armor)Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+18Attack: Battleaxe +14 melee (1d10+5, 20/x3, AP 4) or unarmed strike +14 melee(1d6+5, 20/x2, AP 0, finesse)Full Attack: Battleaxe +14/+9 melee(1d10+5, 20/x3, AP 4) or unarmed strike+14/+9 melee (1d6+5, 20/x2, AP 0, finesse)Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.


Special Attacks: Bite Sword, Crimson Mist,Versatility (no penalty).Special Qualities: +1 racial bonus to Willsaves, +2 racial bonus to Climb checks, +2circumstance bonus to Hide, Listen, MoveSilently, Survival and Spot checks in tem-perate or cold hills and mountains, -2racial penalty to all Diplomacy checksand verbal-based Bluff checks, may notworship any god except Crom and maynever gain any benefit from worship,Track, Fearless, Endurance, UncannyDodge, Mobility, Diehard, ImprovedUncanny Dodge, Trap Sense +3.Saves: Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +5Abilities: Str 20, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 13, Wis12, Cha 12Skills: Bluff +13, Climb +17, Craft(weaponsmith) +13, Intimidate +13, Listen+13.Feats: Brawl, Combat Reflexes, CrushingGrip, Fighting-Madness, Improved Grap-ple, Improved Unarmed Strike.Languages: Cimmerian, Nordheimer,Pictish, Aquilonian, Hyperborean.

Possessions: Trousers, wolfskin cloak,battleaxe, whip, 71 sp.

Villagers of Karavala,Corrupt Mountain FolkMale and Female Acheronian Barbarian2/Thief 2Hit Dice: 2d10 plus 2d8 (24 hp)Initiative: +9 (+3 Dex, +6 Ref)Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)DV (Dodge): 16 (+2 base, +3 Dex, +1 Light-Footed)DV (Parry): 14 (+1 base, +3 Str)DR: 0 (no armor)Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+6Attack: Axe +6 melee (1d8+3, 20/x3, AP 1,finesse) or hunting spear +6 ranged(1d8+3, 20/x2, AP 1, range increment 10ft.)Full Attack: Axe +6 melee (1d8+3, 20/x3,AP 1, finesse) or hunting spear +6 ranged(1d8+3, 20/x2, AP 1, range increment 10ft.)Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: +1 racial bonus to allmagic attack rolls when using curses,Versatility (-2 penalty), Bite Sword, CrimsonMist, Sneak Attack Style (axe), SneakAttack +2d6/+2d8 (Light-Footed).Special Qualities: -1 racial penalty toDiplomacy and Gather Informationchecks against non-Acheronians, +2 racialbonus to Craft (alchemy), Craft(herbalism) and Knowledge (arcana)checks, -2 racial penalty to saves againstCorruption, Track, Fearless, Trapfinding,Eyes of the Cat.Saves: Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +1Abilities: Str 16, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 10, Wis12, Cha 11Skills: Bluff +5, Climb +8, Craft (herbalism)

+5, Survival +6 (5 ranks, +1 Wis), Hide +8,Move Silently +8, Sleight of Hand +8.Feats: Fighting-Madness, Light-Footed.Languages: Acheronean, Brythunian,Hyperborean.

Possessions: Clothing, axe, hunting spear.Special Note: The villagers have beencorrupted by Xaltana’s dream-sendings,and they fight fanatically for the lost gloryof Acheron. As a result, they can usecomplex skills and sneak attacks evenwhile under the effects of the Fighting-Madness feat.

Voormi WarriorMale Voormi Barbarian 3Hit Dice: 3d10+6 (27 hp)Initiative: +7 (+0 Dex, +3 Ref, +4 ImprovedInitiative)Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)DV (Dodge): 12 (+2 base, +0 Dex)DV (Parry): 16 (+1 base, +4 Str, +1 Parry)DR: 0 (no armor)Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7Attack: Club +7 melee (1d8+4, 20/x2, AP 1)or claw +7 melee (1d8+4, 20/x2, AP 0)Full Attack: Club +7 melee (1d8+4, 20/x2,AP 1) and claw +2 melee (1d8+4, 20/x2, AP0)Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Claws, Versatility (-2penalty), Bite Sword, Crimson Mist.Special Qualities: +2 racial bonus to allListen, Spot and Survival checks, Illiterate,Ferocity, Track, Fearless, Trap Sense +1,Endurance.Saves: Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +1Abilities: Str 18, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 8, Wis10, Cha 11Skills: Listen +6, Spot +6, Survival +6.Feats: Eyes of the Cat (b), Fleet-Footed,Improved Initiative, Parry.Languages: Voormis.

Possessions: Bone club.

Voormi ChieftainMale Voormi Barbarian 9Hit Dice: 9d10+27 (74 hp)Initiative: +10 (+0 Dex, +6 Ref, +4 ImprovedInitiative)Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)DV (Dodge): 16 (+6 base, +0 Dex)DV (Parry): 20 (+3 base, +6 Str, +1 Parry)DR: 0 (no armor)Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+15Attack: War club +16 melee (2d6+9, 20/x2,AP 4) or claw +15 melee (1d8+6, 20/x2, AP0)Full Attack: War club +16/+11 melee(2d6+9, 20/x2, AP 4) or claw +15/+15melee (1d8+6, 20/x2, AP 0)Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Claws, Bite Sword, Crim-son Mist, Versatility (no penalty).Special Qualities: +2 racial bonus to all


Listen, Spot and Survival checks, Illiterate,Ferocity, Track, Fearless, Endurance,Uncanny Dodge, Mobility, Diehard,Improved Uncanny Dodge, Trap Sense +3.Saves: Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +4Abilities: Str 22, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 8, Wis12, Cha 13Skills: Listen +13, Spot +13, Survival +13.Feats: Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Eyes ofthe Cat (b), Improved Initiative, Parry,Power Attack, Weapon Focus (war club).Languages: Voormis.

Possessions: Bone war club.

Xaltana, the Witch-Queenof AcheronFemale Acheronian Vampire Noble 1/Scholar 14Hit Dice: 10d12+10 (69 hp)Initiative: +15 (+5 Dex, +4 Ref, +4 ImprovedInitiative, +2 Lightning Reflexes)Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)DV (Dodge): 21 (+5 base, +5 Dex, +1Dodge)DV (Parry): 18 (+5 base, +3 Str)

DR: 6 (vampire)Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+13Attack: Arming sword +15 melee (1d10+3,19-20/x2, AP 2, finesse) or slam +13 melee(1d8+3, 20/x2, AP 0)Full Attack: Arming sword +15/+10 melee(1d10+3, 19-20/x2, AP 2, finesse) and slam+8 melee (1d8+3, 20/x2, AP 0)Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: +1 racial bonus to allmagic attack rolls when using curses;Blood Drain, Children of the Night, Domi-nate.Special Qualities: -1 racial penalty toDiplomacy and Gather Informationchecks against non-Acheronians, +2 racialbonus to Craft (alchemy), Craft(herbalism) and Knowledge (arcana)checks, -2 racial penalty to saves againstCorruption, Title, Rank Hath Its Privileges,Wealth, Scholar, Background (pact), BasePower Points, Knowledge Is Power, +4Power Points, Increased Maximum PowerPoints (quadruple); Fast Healing (5),Immunity to cold, Undead traits.Saves: Fort +4, Ref +11, Will +15Abilities: Str 16, Dex 20, Con 10, Int 14, Wis14, Cha 24Skills: Appraise +6, Diplomacy +11, HandleAnimal +11, Hide +9, Ride +9, Survival +6;Bluff +24, Concentration +17, Craft (al-chemy) +19, Craft (herbalism) +19, Intimi-date +24, Knowledge (arcana) +19,Knowledge (religion) +19, Move Silently+22.Feats: Alertness (b), Carouser, CombatReflexes (b), Debaucher, Dodge (b),Hexer, Improved Initiative (b), Iron Will (b),Leadership, Lightning Reflexes (b), Oppor-tunistic Sacrifice, Permanent Sorcery,Ritual Sacrifice, Tortured Sacrifice.Magical Attack Bonus: +14 (+7 base, +7Cha) (+1 when using curses)Base/Max Power Points: 10/40Sorcery Styles and Spells: Curses (Lesser Ill-Fortune, Weapon Curse), Hypnotism(Entrance, Torment, Enslave, HypnoticSuggestion, Dread Serpent, RangedHypnotism), Immortality (Witch’s Vigour,Vampire Transformation), Prestidigitation(Conjuring, Deflection, Conjure Item,Telekinesis, Greater Telekinesis), Summon-ing (Demonic Pact, Summon Demon,Greater Demonic Pact)Corruption: 10Languages: Acheronean, Demonic, OldStygian, Hyperborean, Nemedian (ar-chaic).

Possessions: Silken loincloth, arming sword,demonic talisman (+8 to one roll once perweek), two orbs of Acheronian demon-fire, five doses of black lotus powder.


Appendix B: New Monsters

Insectoid DemonLarge Outsider (demon)Hit Dice: 8d8+44 (94 hp)Initiative: +9 (+3 Dex, +6 Ref)Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 60 ft. (good)DV (Dodge): 23 (+10 base, +11 natural, +3Dex, -1 size)DR: 10 (exoskeleton)Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+18Attack: Claw +13 melee (2d4+6 pluswounding, 20/x2, AP 1)Full Attack: Claw +13/+13 melee (2d4+6plus wounding, 20/x2, AP 1) and bite +11melee (2d6+3, 20/x2, AP 1)Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Blood drain, drone,woundingSpecial Qualities: Darkvision (60 ft.),immunity to cold and poison, spider climbSaves: Fort +12, Ref +9, Will +8Abilities: Str 22, Dex 17, Con 23, Int 14, Wis14, Cha 15Skills: Bluff +10, Climb +17, Concentration+14, Escape Artist +6, Hide +14, Intimidate+15, Listen +21, Move Silently +14, Search+12, Sense Motive +11, Spot +21, Survival+9 (+11 following tracks)Feats: Cleave, Multiattack, Power AttackEnvironment: Any land and undergroundOrganization: SolitaryAdvancement: —

These foul creatures from the Outer Darkresemble large, black flies with skull-likeheads, hairy legs and withered wings. Theydo not speak any languages, but seem tounderstand the commands of sorcerersand demon lords well enough.

Insectoid demons enter combat andattempt to drone as many of their oppo-nents to sleep as they can. Creatures thatresist are attacked with claws and bite.Once the insectoid demon has droned allits opponents to sleep, or they have fled, itfeasts on any sleeping creatures, drainingtheir blood.

Blood Drain (Ex): An insectoid demon candrain blood from a living creature bymaking a successful grapple check. If itpins its foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4points of Constitution damage eachround the pin is maintained. Once theinsectoid demon has drained 4 points, itflies off to digest its meal. The insectoiddemon rarely uses this against an awak-

ened foe. It usually saves this attack foropponents it has droned to sleep.

Drone (Su): At all times, the insectoiddemon drones and buzzes like a fly. Allcreatures within a 30-foot radius that hearit must succeed on a Will save (DC 16) orfall into a comatose sleep for 1d4 hours.Sleeping creatures are helpless. Slappingor wounding awakens an affected crea-ture, but normal noise does not. Awaken-ing a creature is a standard action (anapplication of the aid another action). Acreature that successfully saves cannot beaffected again by the same insectoiddemon’s drone for one day. Note that theinsectoid demon can drain blood from asleeping creature without automaticallywaking it up. In such an event, the sleep-ing creature receives a new Will save(same DC) each round the stirge demondrains blood. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Wounding (Ex): An insectoid demon’s clawattack deals 1 point of Constitutiondamage from blood loss when it hits acreature. A critical hit does not multiplythe Constitution damage. Creaturesimmune to critical hits (plants, constructs)are immune to the insectoid demon’swounding ability.

Spider Climb (Ex): Insectoid demons canwalk on walls, floors, ceilings, and othersuch surfaces at their normal movementrate. This is an inherent ability and cannotbe dispelled or negated.

Skills: Insectoid demons have a +8 racialbonus on Listen and Spot checks.

Brain-LeechSmall AberrationHit Dice: 7d8+14 (45 hp)Initiative: +11 (+5 Dex, +2 Ref, +4 ImprovedInitiative)Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 30 ft. (good)DV (Dodge): 22 (+10 base, +6 natural, +5Dex, +1 size)DR: 2 (rubbery skin)Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+12Attack: Slam +11 melee (1d6+3, 20/x2, AP1, finesse)Full Attack: Slam +11 melee (1d6+3, 20/x2,AP 1, finesse)Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.


Special Attacks: Engulf head, devourbrain, acidic secretionSpecial Qualities: Blindsight (90 ft.), hiber-nation, daylight powerlessnessSaves: Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +5Abilities: Str 16, Dex 20, Con 15, Int 12, Wis10, Cha 16Skills: Hide +15, Listen +14, Spot +14Feats: Flyby Attack, Improved Grapple,Improved InitiativeEnvironment: UndergroundOrganization: Solitary, pair, clutch (3-9),swarm (6-15), or horde (20-200)Advancement: —

This dreaded species of flying vampire-leeches is ancient and nameless (al-though certain sorcerous tomes of ElderHyperborea mention “the doom of Yoh-Vombis” when describing similar crea-tures).

A brain-leech attacks by dropping onto itsprey and wrapping itself around theopponent’s head. Once attached, itpenetrates the opponent’s cranium (usingits acidic secretion to destroy any helmetor other protective headgear, althoughsuch gear typically delays the devouringof the victim’s brain by one round), andthen devours the victim’s brain, controllingthe victim in the process. Due to its goodmaneuverability, a brain-leech that missesits initial attack can simply hover aroundthe opponent’s head and try to engulf theopponent again.

Engulf Head (Ex): To use this ability, abrain-leech must hit a Large or smallercreature with its slam attack. It can thenattempt to start a grapple as a free actionwithout provoking an attack of opportu-nity. If it wins the grapple check, it at-taches to the opponent’s head and canstart to devour the opponent’s brain. Thebrain-leech’s grapple score includes a +4racial bonus to grapple checks.

Attacks that hit an engulfing brain-leechdeal half their damage to the monsterand half to the trapped victim (and anyweapons used may be destroyed by theacidic blood of the brain-leech).

Devour Brain (Ex): With a successful grap-ple check, a brain-leech inserts a smallbarbed tentacle into the victim’s brain.Each round thereafter, the victim suffers1d4 points of Wisdom damage (but notethat the brain-leech can choose to inflictless damage, or none at all, to prolong thelife of its victim). When Wisdom reacheszero, the victim’s brain is consideredcompletely devoured, and the victim dies.

While the tentacle is attached, the brain-leech can exercise mental control overthe victim by issuing telepathic com-mands. Unless the brain-leech has been

attached to its victim for long periods oftime (which is unusual), it can communi-cate only basic commands, such as“Come here,” “Go there,” “Fight,” and“Stand still.” Any subject forced to takeactions against its nature receives a Willsaving throw (DC 16). The save DC isCharisma-based.

Acidic Secretion (Ex): As a free action, abrain-leech can secrete its acidic “blood”through glands on its rubbery skin, dealingdamage to objects or surfaces. The acidicsecretion of a brain-leech dissolvesorganic material and metal quickly, butdoes not affect stone. The brain-leech’sacidic blood deals 15 points of damageper round to wooden or metal objects,but the brain-leech must remain in con-tact with the object for 1 full round to dealthis damage.

Blindsight (Ex): A brain-leech can “see” byemitting high-frequency sounds, inaudibleto most other creatures, that allows it toascertain objects and creatures within 90feet.

Hibernation (Ex): Brain-leeches becomedormant if they cannot feed on brains,and lie dormant in hibernation until theysense prey nearby. They can surviveindefinitely in this state of hibernation.

Daylight Powerlessness (Ex): Brain-leechesare powerless in natural sunlight and fleefrom it. A brain-leech caught in sunlightcannot attack and can take only a singlemove action or standard action in around.

Skills: A brain-leech has a +4 racial bonuson Listen and Spot checks.

Giant Animated SkeletonLarge UndeadHit Dice: 15d12 (97 hp)Initiative: +9 (+0 Dex, +5 Ref, +4 ImprovedInitiative)Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)DV (Dodge): 11 (+10 base, +2 natural, +0Dex, -1 size)DV (Parry): 25 (+10 base, +2 natural, +10Str, -1 size, +4 shield)DR: 5 (bones)Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+21Attack: Battleaxe +16 melee (2d10+10, 20/x4, AP 5) or claw +16 melee (1d8+10, 20/x2, AP 0)Full Attack: Battleaxe +16/+9 melee(2d10+10, 20/x4, AP 5) or claw +16/+16melee (1d8+10, 20/x2, AP 0)Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.Special Attacks: Aura of despair, awe-some blowSpecial Qualities: Darkvision (60 ft.),immunity to cold, undead traitsSaves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +9


Abilities: Str 31, Dex 11, Con —, Int —, Wis10, Cha 1Skills: —Feats: Improved Initiative (b)Environment: AnyOrganization: AnyAdvancement: —

Note: The giant animated skeleton wieldsa large battleaxe in one hand and holds ashield in the other. In the hands of aMedium-sized warrior the battleaxe shouldbe considered a bardiche. The uniqueweapon wielded by this monster in thismodule has a x4 critical damage modifier,which is reflected in the statistics above.

Aura of Despair (Su): When opponentsmake Terror of the Unknown checks uponseeing the giant animated skeleton, a +4circumstance modifier is added to the DCof the check, for a total DC of 21.

Awesome Blow (Ex): As a free action, thecreature may choose to subtract 4 from itsmelee attack roll and deliver an awesomeblow. It the creature hits a corporealopponent smaller than itself with anawesome blow, its opponent must suc-ceed on a Reflex save (DC equal todamage dealt) or be knocked flying 10feet in a direction of the attacking crea-ture’s choice and fall prone. The attackingcreature can only push the opponent in astraight line, and the opponent may notmove closer to the attacking creaturethat the square it started in. If an obstacleprevents the completion of the oppo-nent’s move, the opponent and theobstacle each take 1d6 points of dam-age, and the opponent stops in the spaceadjacent to the obstacle.

Cave WormLarge VerminHit Dice: 8d8+24 (60 hp)Initiative: +2 (+0 Dex, +2 Ref)Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares)DV (Dodge): 15 (+10 base, +6 natural, +0Dex, -1 size)DR: 3 (tough skin)Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+16Attack: Bite +11 melee (1d10+9)Full Attack: Bite +11 melee (1d10+9)Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Improved grab, lethalgrappler, swallow wholeSpecial Qualities: Cluster, tremorsense (30ft.), vermin traitsSaves: Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +2Abilities: Str 22, Dex 10, Con 16, Int —, Wis10, Cha 2Skills: Hide +0, Move Silently +4, Listen +8Feats: —Environment: Warm swamps or under-ground springsOrganization: Solitary, tangle (2-5), or den(6-12)

Advancement: 9-12 HD (Large); 13-19 HD(Huge)

Cave worms are related to great carrionworms (also known as carnictuses) thatnormally live in warm swamps. Both typesare thought to have evolved from tape-worms or similar intestinal parasites.

A typical cave worm is between 8 and 12feet long, somewhat over a foot in diam-eter, and weighs about 500 pounds.

Cave worms stay hidden until prey wan-ders within reach. The creatures attemptto grapple their opponents, swallowingsmaller prey and dragging larger foes intomud or water to drown. The monsters areslow and are outrun easily, but they areincredibly tenacious, and opponents findit horrifyingly difficult to break free oncethe worms grab hold.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, acave worm must hit with a bite attack. Itcan then attempt to start a grapple as afree action without provoking an attack ofopportunity.

Lethal Grappler (Ex): A cave worm grap-ples normally by clamping onto its foe withits teeth. However, the cave worm will alsoswallow exposed limbs and even enve-lope the head of an opponent, given thechance. If the initial attack roll (the one onwhich the cave worm decided to use itsImproved Grab) threatens a critical, theworm swallows a random limb (roll 1d4). Ifthe attack roll scores a critical, the caveworm swallows the foe’s head. If an arm isswallowed, the foe loses the weapon- orshield-wielding ability of that hand. Acharacter whose head is swallowed isconsidered blind and must hold his breath.An opposed grapple check allows thecharacter to pull the worm off of his heador limb, provided that he has at least onefree hand.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A cave worm can tryto swallow a grabbed opponent ofMedium size or smaller by making asuccessful grapple check. Once inside,the opponent takes 1d6+3 points of aciddamage from the cave worm’s digestivejuices. A swallowed creature can cut itsway out using a light slashing or piercingweapon to deal 12 points of damage tothe cave worm’s digestive tract (DV 13).Once the creature exits, muscular actioncloses the hole; another swallowedcreature must cut its own way out. Thedigestive tract of a Large cave worm canhold 1 Medium, 2 Small, 4 Tiny, 8 Diminu-tive, or 16 Fine or smaller opponents.

Cluster (Ex): A cave worm is long, boneless,and extremely flexible. Up to six caveworms can fit into the same 10-foot space,


crawling over, under, and around eachother. This same number of the monstrousworms can grapple on Medium-sizedopponent simultaneously.

Tremorsense (Ex): A cave worm is eyelessand blind, but it is very sensitive to vibra-tions, and can detect and pinpoint anycreature or object within 30 feet in con-tact with the ground.

Vermin Traits: A cave worm is immune toall mind-affecting effects.

Skills: A cave worm has a +4 racial bonuson Hide and Move Silently checks made inits native environment. Its extreme sensitiv-ity to vibrations grants the cave worm a +8racial bonus on Listen checks.

Credits: http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=12976432

Dire BatLarge AnimalHit Dice: 4d8+12 (30 hp)Initiative: +10 (+6 Dex, +4 Ref)Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 40 ft. (good)DV (Dodge): 20 (+10 base, +5 natural, +6Dex, -1 size)DR: 2 (leathery skin)Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+10Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d8+4, 20/x2, AP 0,finesse)Full Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d8+4, 20/x2,AP 0, finesse)Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Stunning screechSpecial Qualities: Blindsense (40 ft.)Saves: Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +6Abilities: Str 17, Dex 22, Con 17, Int 2, Wis14, Cha 6Skills: Hide +4, Listen +12*, Move Silently+11, Spot +8*Feats: Flyby Attack, StealthyClimate/Terrain: Any undergroundOrganization: Solitary or colony (5-8)Advancement: 5-12 HD (Large)

Dire bats swoop down upon unsuspectingprey from above.

Stunning Screech (Ex): A dire bat can blastan ear-splitting screech that affects allwithin a 20-foot spread. The screech stunsany creature in the area for 1d3 rounds if itfails a Will save (DC 15). Whether or not thesave succeeds an affected creature isimmune to the same dire bat’s screech forone day. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Blindsense (Ex): A dire bat uses echoloca-tion to pinpoint creatures within 40 feet.Opponents still have total concealmentagainst the bat unless it can actually seethem.

Skills: Dire bats have a +4 racial bonus onSpot and Listen checks. These bonuses arelost if its blindsense is negated.

New Monstrous Race:VoormisVoormis are primitive humanoids thatpredate the Hyperborean civilization, nowdriven into remote mountains and darkcaverns by humans.

A voormi is covered with shaggy fur andhas a dog-like face and hook-shapednails on its hands and feet. It weighsapproximately 80 lbs. and stands only 3feet tall, but would be nearly 4 feet if itstood fully erect. They have their ownlanguage of dog-like barks, growls, andoccasional distinct words.

Religion: Voormis worship Tsathoggua.Racial Features: All of the following areVoormis racial features:

• +4 Strength, -2 Intelligence: Voormis arestrong, but hampered by low intelli-gence.

• +2 racial bonus to all Listen, Spot andSurvival checks. Voormis have excellentsenses and know how to get along inthe wild with ease.

• Claws: Voormis have sharp claws andcan use them to make melee attacksdealing 1d8 points of slashing damage.If armed with a manufactured (one-handed) weapon and making a fullattack, the voormi can use its claw as asecondary weapon (with the usual -5penalty for such attacks).

• Illiterate: Voormis begin play without theability to read and write, unless theychoose to spend two skill points tobecome literate.

• Bonus Feat: Eyes of the Cat. Voormis arenoctural and have adapted to a life indark underground caves.

• Ferocity: A voormi is such a tenaciouscombatant that it continues to fightwithout penalty even when disabled ordying. This is an extraordinary ability.

Background Skills: Listen, Spot andSurivival.Favoured Class: Barbarian.Prohibited Classes: Noble, Nomad, Pirate,Soldier, Temptress.Automatic Languages: Voormi.Bonus Languages: None.


OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a

The following text is the property of Wizards of theCoast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast,Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved.

1. Definitions:

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4. "Open Game Content" means the game mechanicand includes the methods, procedures, processes androutines to the extent such content does not embodythe Product Identity and is an enhancement over theprior art and any additional content clearly identifiedas Open Game Content by the Contributor, andmeans any work covered by this License, includingtranslations and derivative works under copyright law,but specifically excludes Product Identity.

5. "Product Identity" means product and product linenames, logos and identifying marks including tradedress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines,plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents,language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions,likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes andgraphic, photographic and other visual or audiorepresentations; names and descriptions of characters,spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas,likenesses and special abilities; places, locations,environments, creatures, equipment, magical orsupernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, orgraphic designs; and any other trademark or regis-tered trademark clearly identified as Product identityby the owner of the Product Identity, and whichspecifically excludes the Open Game Content;

6. "Trademark" means the logos, names, mark, sign,motto, designs that are used by a Contributor toidentify itself or its products or the associated productscontributed to the Open Game License by theContributor

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8. "You" or "Your" means the licensee in terms of thisagreement.

2. The License: This License applies to any Open GameContent that contains a notice indicating that theOpen Game Content may only be Used under and interms of this License. You must affix such a notice toany Open Game Content that you Use. No terms maybe added to or subtracted from this License except asdescribed by the License itself. No other terms orconditions may be applied to any Open GameContent distributed using this License.

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4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration foragreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant Youa perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusivelicense with the exact terms of this License to Use, theOpen Game Content.

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6. Notice of License Copyright: You must update theCOPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to includethe exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any OpenGame Content You are copying, modifying ordistributing, and You must add the title, the copyrightdate, and the copyright holder’s name to theCOPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open GameContent you Distribute.

7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use anyProduct Identity, including as an indication as tocompatibility, except as expressly licensed in another,independent Agreement with the owner of eachelement of that Product Identity. You agree not toindicate compatibility or co-adaptability with anyTrademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction witha work containing Open Game Content except asexpressly licensed in another, independent Agreementwith the owner of such Trademark or RegisteredTrademark. The use of any Product Identity in OpenGame Content does not constitute a challenge to theownership of that Product Identity. The owner of anyProduct Identity used in Open Game Content shallretain all rights, title and interest in and to that ProductIdentity.

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9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designatedAgents may publish updated versions of this License.You may use any authorized version of this License tocopy, modify and distribute any Open Game Contentoriginally distributed under any version of this License.

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12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You tocomply with any of the terms of this License withrespect to some or all of the Open Game Content dueto statute, judicial order, or governmental regulationthen You may not Use any Open Game Material soaffected.

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15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards ofthe Coast, Inc.

System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003,Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet,Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins,David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, John D.Rateliff, Thomas Reid, James Wyatt, based on originalmaterial by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

Conan the Roleplaying Game, Copyright ConanProperties International LLC.

The Lost Caverns of Acheron, Copyright 2008, Xoth.NetPublishing.

Appendix C: License

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