The Warlock of Firetop Mountain

Deep in the caverns beneath Firetop Mountain lies an untold wealth of treasure, guarded by a powerful Warlock - or so the rumour goes. Several adventurers like yourself have set off for Firetop Mountain in search of the Warlock's hoard. None have ever returned. Do you dare follow them?

Your quest is to find the Warlock's treasure, hidden deep within a dungeon populated with a multitude of terrifying monsters. You will need courage, determination and a fair amount of luck if you are to survive all the traps and battles, and reach your goal - the innermost chamber's of the Warlock's domain.

Preperations for the Adventure

Only a foolhardy adventurer would embark upon such a perilous quest without finding out as much as possible about the mountain and it's treasures. Before your arrival at the foot of Firetop Mountain, you spent several days with the townsfolk of a local village some two day's journey from the base. Being a likeable sort of person, you found it easy to get on with the local peasants. Although they told many stories about the mysterious Warlock's sanctuary, you could not feel sure that all - or indeed any - of these were based on fact. The villagers had seen many adventurers pass through on their way to the mountain, but very few ever returned. The journey ahead was extremely dangerous, that you knew for certain. Of those who returned to the village, none contemplated going back to Firetop Mountain.

Adapting to Other Worlds

This adventure was originally designed for the setting of Titan (Wiki Page), although it is fairly setting-neutral, and could easily be adpated to settings such as the Forgotten Realms. Any hilly or mountainous area containing a village to be harassed could easily be used as the core focus of this adventure.

You can run this section abstractly, or play out some interactions in the village. There are many rumours regarding the mountain, each with varying degrees of truth. The following rumours can be discovered by the players:

Rumours
d20 Rumour
1 Keys to the Warlock's treasure are guarded by the various creatures within the dungeons
2 The Warlock possesses a mmagical pair of black gloves which make him much more powerful
3 When a small community was trapped in the mountain, the Warlock transformed them into undead to serve him
d20 Rumour
4 The Warlcok keeps prisoners in the dungeon, including adventurers who attacked in the past and people from the village
5 There is a ferry which provides passage across the river, who enjoys bartering
6 The Warlock is a young human man with black hair
7 A great wizard was once captured by the Warlock and tortured in the dungeon, and his magical knowledge was lost within the dungeon
8 To unlock the Warlock's treasure, the chest has to be unlocked using the keys in a specific configuration
9 The Warlock possesses an enchanted deck of cards which make him much more powerful
10 The Warlock is guarded by a huge red dragon he reared from birth
11 To reach the inner chambers, you will have to cross an underground river
12 The Warlock is actually a powerful demon disguised in human form
13 The inner chambers host much more fearsome creatures
14 The Warlock loves toying with people who enter the mountain, and has filled it with devious traps
15 The Warlock has actually been dead for many years, but his guards are so loyal they continue to defend his treasure
16 The deepest levels of the dungeon consist of a large maze which adventurers often become lost in
17 The dungeon is still unfinished, and the Warlock never stops expanding it
18 The Warlock is a very old human man
19 The entrance to the mountain is guarded by a small pack of goblins
20 The Warlock's treasure is stored in a magnificent chest with two locks

When starting the adventure, you can have players learn some of these rumours either by interacting with members of the village or by randomly rolling for each player.

The Warlock's Keys

The Warlock has hidden a number of keys throughout his dungeon, four of which are necessary to unlock his treasure. Whenever the characters find a Treasure Key in the dungeon, roll on the following table to determine it's construction. If the character's already possess the key rolled, re-roll the key. If the characters already possess all of the keys, they instead find a random gemstone worth 10 GP (see Dungeon Master's Guide page 134).

Keys
d4 Key Type
1 Steel
2 Bronze
3 Silver
4 Gold

The Warlock's Lair

The dungeon was constructed some time ago by the Warlock's grandfather, another powerful Warlock. The dungeon has served as a stronghold for the family ever since, and has undergone several expansions. It was built on the remains of an old temple hidden away in the mountain and a small cave system.

The dungeon complex spans an underground river, which expanded a couple of decades ago, cutting off the inner section of the dungeon completely.

Dungeon Features

The dungeon consists mostly of roughly masoned corridors in the stone, with come sections composed of natural caverns.

The dungeon has the following features. Any exceptions are noted in areas to which they apply.

Ceilings. Ceilings are 10 feet high.

Doors. Doors in the dungeon are most frequently basic wood and can be broken down with a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check.

Caverns. Small caverns are present in certain areas of the dungeon. Their ceilings are typically much higher than the rest of the dungeon, up to 50 feet in parts. Their walls are rough, uneven stone rather than the relatively smooth walls of the rest of the dungeon.

Light. With the exception of the Maze of Zagor, the dungeon is dimly lit with the occaisional candle. Unless stated otherwise, assume the dungeon is in dim light excluding the maze, which is in darkness.

Treasure. The majority of the creatures in the dungeon don't carry much coin. Unless stated otherwise, sentient creatures carry 1d10 cp.

Encounters Part I

1. Entry Cave

This small cavern serves as a hidden entry to the Warlock's dungeon. The passage from this cave into the dungeon is obscured by an illusory wall. Characters beating a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notice the odd patch of wall, with a DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) or (Investigation) check revealing the wall to be an illusion. Any character that touches the wall or sees someone pass through the wall immediately realises it is an illusion. Once a character realises the wall is an illusion, it becomes partially transparent for them, revealing the stone corridor behind it.


2. Pit Room

The floor of this room is 10 feet lower than the rest of the dungeon, with the door opening to a narrow ledge above the pit.

The door into this room is stuck, and can be burst open with a succesful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. Any character which succeeds on this check must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or they fall 10 feet to the floor of this room, taking 1d10 damage. Inside the room is a number of corpses in varying states of decay. Searching them yields nothing of value, and none of them are fresh enough to be identifiable.

3. Sentry

At the junction there is a small alcove in the wall, inside which sits a sleeping Goblin with a large bell at their side. Sneaking by the goblin requires a successful Dexterity (Stealth) check against the Goblin's Passive Perception (9). If the Goblin is alerted to the character's presence, they immediately attempt to ring the bell, alerting the rest of the Goblins in the area to the character's presence, and 2 of the Goblins in area 7 are sent to investigate.

4. Armoury

Inside this small room, weapons are stored balanced against the walls. All of the weapons are sub-par in construction, and easily break if wielded. However, there is one item of value; a round, golden-coloured shield with a crescent moon crest upon it. This shield acts as a +1 shield.

5. Goblin Barracks

Inside this room, there is four rough straw mats against the eastern wall, and a small table in the south-westerly corner. On the furthest mat from the door lies a sleeping Goblin who is snoring loudly. Any characters which make excessive noise may wake the Goblin, but Stealth checks are not necessary. On the desk there are two boxes. The box on the left contains a mouse and a single gold piece. The box on the left contains a Poisonous Snake, which immediately makes an attack against anyone who opens the box that it doesn't recognise. The snake is also coiled around a Treasure Key (See "The Warlock's Keys").

6. Storeroom

This small room contains several barrels of ale, dried meats, and other long-lasting provisions. Characters can fully replenish any supplies they need in this room, as it is well-stocked and could last a party several weeks. In the back of the room, there is a small hatch used for transporting food into the adjacent dining room (area 7).

7. Dining Room

Within this room is a number of scattered wooden tables and stools. The southern wall is dominated by shelving containing crockery and cookware, with a counter beneath. In the centre of the room there is a cauldron full of greyish-brown stew hanging above a fire pit.

In the south-west corner of the room, four Goblins are crowded around a table, unless the alarm has been sounded, in which case there are only two goblins standing guard at either side of the door in the east wall.

On the counter at the south wall, there is a long case containing The Giver of Sleep (See Appendix B) and a single silvered arrow. An inscription within the case reads "The Giver of Sleep to those who never can."

8. Prison

Within this room there are two Goblins torturing a Dwarf who is strung up by their wrists. The Dwarf has visibly been dead for some time, though the Goblins don't seem to have noticed.

There are six solid iron doors within the room, each leading to a very small square cell. Only the north-west cell is populated, by a haggard human man.

Characters can bluff the Goblins by joining in on their attacks on the corpse, in which case they attempt to retrieve the last remaining prisoner from their cell, intending to make them their next victim.

If the old man is released, they tell the characters that they are Able Larius, and they initially came to the Mountain many years ago as part of an adventuring team. Having been locked up for so long, he doesn't remember too much about the dungeon. He advises the characters to respect the boatman, that at the first portcullis the left-hand lever is trapped, and that the keys to the Boathouse are guarded by a man and his dog.

Any attempts at persuading Able to join the party on their quest are met with very strong resistance; he is utterly convinced the rest of his party is dead and merely wants to return to the real world.

If searched, the Goblins have nothing of particular value, though one does have a large piece of cheese wrapped up in their pocket.

Historic Adventurers

The foray of Able's party into the Warlock's lair serves as a cautionary tale to the player characters just how deadly the dungeon is. His party consisted of four adventurers:
Able Larius, a male human fighter. He has been imprisoned by the Goblins in the dungeon for several years. He was captured while attempting to escape the dungeon, after the rest of his party had died.
Isolde Larius, Able's sister, a female human cleric. She was slain by undead within the inner reaches of the dungeon.
Cornelius Torren, a male elf wizard. He was gorged to death by the Minotaur within the Maze of Zagor.
Bianca Ninette, a female half-orc paladin. She was burnt to death by the Warlock's Guard Drake.

9. Goblin Chief

This room is the private quarters of a Goblin Boss, who is currently whipping a Goblin in the north-east corner of the room. (replace the Goblin Boss' Javelin attack with a Whip). In the north-west corner of the room there is a large desk.

As the characters enter, the Goblin being whipped notices them but says nothing, while the Boss is too preoccupied to notice them. The characters can leave without issue, but if they intervene in the punshment the Goblin being whipped joins their leader in fighting the characters almost immediately.

Investigating the desk reveals a chest beneath it, with a weak lock which can easily be broken or picked (DC 10 for either). However, the chest is also trapped, which can be discovered with a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check. Disabling the trap requires a successful DC 12 Dexterity (Thieves' Tools) check. If the chest is opened while the trap is active, the character opening the chest must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or they are hit by a dart, taking 2 (1d4) piercing damage. They then must roll in a DC 10 Constitution saving throw, taking 5 (2d4) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save.

Inside the chest, there is 2d10 loose gold pieces, 1d4 poisoned darts (identical to the dart in the trap), one small bottle of clear bluish liquid, and a single black silk glove. The bluish liquid is a weakend Potion of Invisibility, which lasts for only one minute. However, it contains enough for three doses.

10. Guards

Loud singing can be clearly heard outside of this room. Within, there are two Goblins sitting at a table in the centre of the room, both clearly having consumed copious amounts of alcohol - a large empty jug sits upon the table.

Any characters entering the room startle the Goblins, and characters attacking them immediately get a surprise round. The Goblins are also both effected by the Poisoned condition.

Under the table, there is a small, unlocked box. Within, there is a small leather-bound book titled The Making and Casting of Dragonfire, alongside a Dragonfire Spell Scroll (See Appendix B). The book details the development of an anonymous wizard's masterpiece - the Dragonfire spell, intended to be used to combat evil dragons. Wizards can copy the spell from the book into their own spellbook.

In the northern wall of this room, there is a large portcullis, beside which there are two levers. On top of the portcullis there is a small statue of a dragon staring downwards, mouth agape. The right lever activates the portcullis mechanism, allowing the characters to progress. However, the left lever causes a short gout of flame to be expelled from the mouth of the dragon statue. When activated, any creatures immediately in front of the portcullis must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 5 (1d10) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save. The fire is very short-lived, and does not last long enough to catch many materials on fire. A successful dispel magic (DC 12) cast on the statue destroys the trap.

11. Bench

Inside a small recess in the wall is a bench fashioned from a large tree stump, beneath a sign reading "Rest Ye Here, Weary Traveller". The bench is enchanted, such that any character perfroming a short rest here regains an additional 2 (1d4) hit points.

12. Narrow Passage

This passage branches off from the corridor, and is much rougher than the masoned walls in the rest of the dungeon. This passage steadily diminishes in size until it is no longer wide enough for people to move down further.

13. Merchant

Inside this small room, shelves line the walls, sacked with dishware and old books. In the middle of the room sits an old man, who introduces himself as a merchant. He offers many items that could be bought in a general store (See Adventuring Gear in the Player's HandbooK), but also suggests to the characters that they may want to purchase a Blue Candle, for 10 gold pieces, hinting that they may need it "sooner than you think". If the characters attempt to interrogate the old man, he gives very generic answers to their questions. In reality, he was kidnapped by the Warlock some time ago and has been put under a very powerful enchantment. He currently acts as a conduit for the Warlock to speak to the characters without their knowledge.

If the man is attacked in any manner, his demeanour suddenly changes, scolding the characters for their rudeness. He then says that he thinks he will see the characters again very soon, before crumbling to ash.

Any characters attempting to light a Blue Candle will discover that it does not appear to be flammable.

14. Mural Room

Entering this room, the characters can see elaborate murals covering the walls for a split second before the room is shrouded within magical darkness, which cannot be seen through with darkvision and causes flames to sputter out. The characters begin to hear an intense screaming. If a spell is cast within the room that deals 10 or more radiant damage, the darkness is lifted for 1 minute and the screaming stops. If a character exposes a Blue Candle (See area 13) to the darkness, it instantly lights and the darkness is also lifted for 1 minute. For every 6 seconds a creature spends in the magical darkness while the screaming is occuring, they must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw, taking 1 psychic damage on a failed save.

While the room is illuminated, the characters can inspect the murals further. They appear to be moving animated, and they depict various hellish and torturous scenes.

15. Iron Cyclops

Rather than a door, this room has an open archway with a portcullis above it as an entryway. Once three characters enter this room, the portcullis drops down, preventing any more people from entering.

The room has a brazier in each corner, which each begin burning moments after the portcullis falls, illuminating the room. The room is much more clean and well-kept than the rest of the dungeon, with mosaics and marble inlays decorating the walls. In the centre of the room is a large iron statue of a humanoid figure, with hooves and odd facial features. Most notable of these is the large white jewel filling it's single eye socket. As this statue is investigated further, it slowly animates and the Iron Cyclops attacks whoever is in the room.

Once the Iron Cyclops is defeated, the gem in it's eye socket can be removed using a knife or a similar tool. This crystal is The Eye of the Cyclops (see Appendix B). If a character removes the Eye, they will also find a Treasure Key hidden behind the gem.

The portcullis over the entryway raises once either the Iron Cyclops is defeated or all other creatures in the room are knocked unconscious.

16. Ogre Cave

This area is a large open cavern with a tall ceiling and rough flooring.

A Crippled Ogre (See Appendix A) is chained to the wall at the north-east corner of this cavern, and attacks anyone who enters. Due to the chain, the Ogre can only move up to 10 feet away from where the chain is anchored.

The Ogre wears a small pouch around it's neck which contains a Treasure Key.

17. Spider Cave

This area is a large open cavern with a tall ceiling and rough flooring.

A Giant Spider is nesting in this cavern in webbing suspended near the ceiling. The Spider automatically detects the prescence of any creatures entering the cavern, but waits for an opportune moment to strike.

On the floor at the north of this room is a pair of Boots of Entrapment, sitting neatly side by side.

18. Barbarian

This room contains a small bed in the south-east corner and a wooden desk in the north-east corner. A Berserker (with 52 (7d8 + 21) Hit Points) sits at this desk counting coins when the characters enter, and doesn't notice them immediately unless they create noise. The Berserker's Greataxe is leaning against the wall next to them.

On the desk is a small notebook, scattered coins totalling 1d10 gp and 1d10 sp, a jug of water, and a Divine Favour Spell Scroll

This room conatins several portraits, apparently of the past and current residents of Firetop Mountain. Characters feel drawn to the painting of Oldoran Zagor, the current Warlock, as it seems to be radiating some magical energy towards them. Characters who inspect this picture must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw, taking 1 psychic damage on a failed save and becoming fearful of the Warlock.

If the painting is attacked with a melee weapon, the attacker must make a DC 12 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, their weapon is wrenched from their grasp and makes a single weapon attack against the attacker, with a +3 to hit and +1 damage bonus, using an appropriate die for the weapon. After this attack is made, the weapon clatters to the floor. On a successful save, the attack merely misses the painting as unseen forces deflect the weapon.

If the painting is attacked with a ranged weapon, the ammunition halts before reaching the painting, clattering harmlessly to the floor.

If the painting is attacked with a spell, it is treated as having an AC of 13 and is damaged on a hit. On a fail, the spell is reflected at the caster with a +5 spell attack bonus.

If the Eye of the Cyclops is held towards the picture, the figure in the picture contorts in pain and appears to scream before going limp.

If the painting is successfully damaged, regardless of how, any character who suffered psychic damage inflicted by the painting is healed for 1 hit point, and is no longer fearful of the Warlock.

20. Gambler

Behind a sturdy door near the end of the corridor is a small, comfortably furnished room containing a table, several chairs and a bookcase at the far end. An old man is sat at the table, with a Homunculus in the form of a small gargoyle on his shoulder.

He ignores anything the characters say, merely staring at the desktop and fiddling with a pair of dice. After a couple of second, he grunts and asks the characters if they are game for a wager. If any characters accept, he tosses them the pair of dice and asks them to place a bet. After a bet is placed, roll 2d6 for the character and 2d6 for the gambler. If the character's total is higher, they win their bet in coins from the old man.

The old man isn't much for conversation, merely ignoring most of what the characters say. If pressed, he murmurs something indistinct about not being supposed to talk to outsiders.

If at any point the old man is attacked, the homunculus immediately flies towards the attacker, distracting them while the old man stands up and steps towards the bookcase. He presses a book and steps through a small passage that swings open in the bookcase. This passage leads to a very small backroom, with a bedroll on the floor and some light provisions. Characters investigating the bookcase must succeed on a DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check to find the book which activates the passage, but they also discover that it is locked from the inside and the bookcase must be broken down to get to the hidden room.

If characters do enter the hidden room, the old man is resigned to his fate and puts up no resistance, but still refuses to talk.


21. Rat Den

At the end of this corridor is a rough wooden door with rusted hinges, behind which is a bare room with bones of all shapesand sizes scattered about the floor. Scattered about the room are five Giant Rats. When a character enters this room, they are immediately noticed by the rats which advance to attack

The rats can successfully be distracted with a large enough piece of cheese, and will rush towards any that they smell or see, though it will only placate them for a short time.

22. Mosaic

This room is large, square, and completely empty. The floor has a peculiar pattern of stars and hands tiling the floor. If any creature ever steps on a hand tile, 3d6 Animated Hands (See Appendix A) rise up out of the floor, attacking all creatures present. After half or more of these apparitioned hands are defeated, the remaining hands retreat back into the floor and will not reemerge until 10 minutes have passed. Any characters under the effects of the detect magic spell can see a faint aura of conjuration magic around the hand tiles in this room. A successful dispel magic (DC 14) cast on the floor destroys the trap.

23. Fountain

Inside this small room, it is empty save for a stone fountain in the centre. This fountain isn't particularly ornate, it's main body comprising an arched fish with a weak water stream gushing from it's mouth. Hanging from this fish is a worn wooden sign, written in the goblin langauge. Characters that do not speak Goblin can attempt to comprehend the writing by making an Intelligence check. On rolls of 20 or above, the character successfully translates the writing as "Goblins Don't Drink!". On rolls of 15 or above, the character successfully understands two of these words at random. On a roll of 10 or above, the character only understands one of these words at random.

Any Goblin drinking the water in this fountain must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 15), taking 2d10 poison damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful save. Any non-Goblin drinking the water in the fountain finds it extremely refreshng, and is immediately healed for 2d6 hit points. This magic is tied to the fountain, and does not persist if the water is seperate from the fountain for more than 1 minute. Any characters under the effects of the detect magic spell can see an intermingled aura of evocation and necromancy magic surrounding the fountain. A successful dispel magic (DC 14) cast on the fountain removes all magical effects from it.

24. Animated Rope

At the end of this corridor is a shoddy wooden door with a carved bone handle. Within the room, the floor is uneven and uncomfortable to walk on. In the south-west corner of the room, there is a pile of rubble shoved up into the corner. This rubble consists of small rocks, rock dust and some small pieces of wood and a length of hempen rope approximately 50 feet long. Two of the pieces of wood sitting atop the rubble are Y-shaped, and both seem oddly smooth. If handled, the rope turns out to be a Rope of Strangulation (See Appendix A), and attempts to wrap around the character's neck. It solely attempts to target the character which picks the rope up, unless they fall unconscious, in which case it attacks a new target.

25. Giant Sandworm Beach

This doorway opens up into a wide sandy beach adjacent to a fast-flowing underground river. Characters that walk out into this beach will notice a rumbling if their Passive Pereption is greater than or equal to 12 (characters with advantage to Perception checks made to hear things have a +5 to their Passive Perception in this instance). Shortly afterwards, a Giant Sandworm (See Appendix A) bursts through the sand in the centre of this beach, letting out a guttural scream before attacking the nearest creature to it.

If the Sandworm is defeated, the beach makes a suitable area to take a rest or make camp. The beach is a rarely-visited spot by creatures in the dungeon, owing to the Sandworm.

Any character which decides to jump into the river finds it icy cold, and if they venture too far out the currents will sweep them away, depositing to Area 27 after a short trip.

26. Giant Bats Beach

An archway opens out into a pebbled beach on the south bank of a fast-flowing underground river. As the characters walk out into the main body of this beach, four Giant Bats swoop down to attack them. These bats are solely interested in feeding, and will quickly retreat if they are met with signficant resistance.

If the banks of the river are inspected, characters can easily see a gleaming sword lying in the river, several steps off the beach. Upon inspection, this sword appears to be light and very sharp, and is a +1 longsword. If a character tries to take it with them, they will hear a bubbly telepathic voice, asking them to throw a different weapon back into the river. If they do so, the voice thanks them and then falls silent. If they decide not to, the sword they took from the river is wrenched from their grasp and makes a single weapon attack against the attacker, with a +4 to hit and dealing 1d8+2 slashing damage. After this attack is made, the weapon flies back into the river, out of sight.

Any character which decides to jump into the river finds it icy cold, and if they venture too far out the currents will sweep them away, depositing to Area 27 after a short trip.


27. Ferry Beach

An archway opens out into a narrow pebble beach on the south bank of a fast-flowing underground river. The only way forward seems to be to cross the river. To the west of the beach is a pole with a rusted bell, bearing the sign "Ferry Service - 2 Gold Pieces - Please Ring". Near the bell there is a small raft and punting stick which could be used to cross the river.

Further up the river to the right, there is an old rickety bridge that stretches into the darkness ahead. And of course, swimming is always an option.

Crossing the River

The Ferryman

If the player chooses to ring the bell, after a few moments they see a figure boarding a rowboat on the far side of the river, rowing over and eventually approaching the player. The Ferryman asks for 3 gold pieces per person to cross the river.

If the characters argue about the advertised price, the ferryman gives some vague excuse about markets and inflation. If the issue is pressed, he steadily becomes angrier, and seems to change slightly as he does so, growing hair and rearranging his muscles. He can be placated by offering him more gold, or succeeding on a Charisma (Persuasion) check, DC 14. The ferryman is a Wererat, and attacks in his hybrid form. If he is defeated, 1d4 gold pieces can be found in his pocket, and his rowboat can be used to safely traverse the river.

The Raft

Boarding the raft, the character begins to punt across the river. However, a short way into the journey, the raft appears to animate, attempting to buck them off and into the water.

The player can attempt to maintain the journey across, or jump off and swim back to the south bank.

If the characters attempt to stay on the raft, they must make a DC 12 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, they are thrown into the water nearer to the south bank.

If the player jumps off, or is thrown off, at this stage, the raft turns back around, returning to the south bank, and the characters notice a turbulence in the water moving quickly towards them - See "Piranhas".

If they manage to hold on, the raft continues kicking and the characters on the raft must make another DC 12 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, they are thrown into the water nearer to the north bank, and the raft returns to the south bank. See "Crocodile" encounter. On a successful save, the characters manage to hang on until the raft reaches the north bank.

The raft has the following properties:

Antimagic Susceptibility. The raft is incapacitated while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic, the raft falls unconscious for 1 minute.

False Appearance. While the raft remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal raft.

The Bridge

The bridge is extremely old and worn, with rotten planks in many places.

As the characters are crossing, a plank breaks under the leading character, this character must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, they tumble into the water below - see "Quippers" encounter.

Further up, the bridge begins swinging as it strains to support the weight of the characters, and the handrail on the left comes away, leaning far out over the water. All characters on the bridge must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, they tumble into the water below - see "Crocodile" encounter.

Characters which pass both of these hazards can reach the other side of the river safely.

Swimming

The water is icy cold, and as the characters set off swimming they soon notice that they seem to be attracting the attention of a turbulence in the water. At this point, they can swim back to the south bank without further trouble, or continue northwards. If continuing northwards, each of the characters must make a DC 14 Strength (Athetics) check. On a failed check, the turbulence catches up to them - see the "Quippers" encounter.

On a success, the characters press northwards, but they are soon ambushed - see the "Crocodile" encounter.

Quippers

The splashing of the character's in the water attracts the attention of a Swarm of Quippers. If the quippers are reduced to half health or less, they flee upriver. Once they are defeated, the characters can either swim back to the south bank, or swim towards the north bank (See "Crocodile" encounter).

Crocodile

The characters are met with a large Crocodile which quickly attacks them. The crocodile approaches any characters in the water as stealthily as possible.

If the characters already defeated the Quippers, they only have to deal with the crocodile at this point.

If the characters did not defeat the Quippers before now, they also notice a turbulence from further south in the water making its way towards the player and the crocodile. After two rounds of combat, the Swarm of Quippers arrives.

If the crocodile is already dead, they occupy themselves with the crocodile's corpse.

However, if they are still battling as the turbulence reaches them, the quippers attack the creature with the least health.

After this encounter, the river is relatively free of threats, and can be traversed fairly easily.

28. Northern Bank

To the north of this beach is a glistening stone wall, with many colours of moss adorning it. There are three options to move on from here: to the north-west of the beach, a passage runs off into the stone; in the middle of the rock face in front of the player there is a large wooden door in the rock; and continuing eastwards up the beach.


29. The Werewolf

At the end of the north-west passage from the beach, there is a wooden doorway. Through this, there is a small and rickety room, sparsely decorated with furniture which appears to be crafted from parts of old boats, and within another door in the opposite wall.

Inside the room, there is an old man asleep on a bench, apparently created from half a rowboat tipped on its side, and beside this man is a large, fierce dog, with red eyes and black teeth, who is awakened by the character's entry to the room and appears to be watching them, on guard.

On a hook on the wall, there is a bundle of keys, but there appears to be nothing else of particular value in the room.

If disturbed, the man awakens quickly, and immediately grabs the oar beside him as a means to defend himself. As long as he is not attacked, the man will act warily towards the characters, but is not openly hostile.

Character's with a passive Perception of 12 or more notice that the man's shoes are undone. If he is told this, he sheepishly responds, thanking the character and retying his boots, and appears to calm down a little.

If persuaded, he will tell the characters some information regarding this area of the dungeon.

He says that this area is the only passageway into the inner chambers of the mountain, and that some years ago the river swelled after a severe spring thaw, cutting off supplies from the outside world, and many of the inhabitants of the area starved to death. The Warlock realised that he was losing much of the protection he had accumulated, and to prevent losing more he put a curse on the remaining inhabitants, transforming them into undead servants.

If at any point the man learns of the characters' quest, he quickly becomes angry and asks them to leave, claiming he wants nothing to do with fortune-seekers.

If at any time in the he is attacked, or he sees someone attempting to grab the keys on the wall, or go through the other door in the room, the man shouts to his Guard Dog (See Appendix A), which attacks. As his dog attacks, he stays out of combat as much as possible. However, if the dog is defeated the man becomes furious, confronting the characters himself. As he does so, his eyes burn white and his stature begins to change, eventually completing a full transformation into a Werewolf, rushing at the player and attacking.

The keys on the wall have a small tag which reads 'Boat House' attached on a string. Behind the door in the opposite wall is a small larder. Much of the food seems spoiled, but there is a large jar of pickled eggs that is still preserved, and provides enough food for two meals.

30. The Boathouse

Eastwards up the beach, there is a large, solid wooden building. Above the thick, reinforced door a sign reads 'Boat House'.

The key to this building is found in area 29. The door is reinforced, and breaking it down requires a successful DC 25 Strength check. The door has a barred window, though, through which the player can see several skeletal figures working on a boat.

The building can also be entered through a ramp on the south face of the building, which is normally used to transfer boats into and out of the water.

If the building is entered, the characters find themselves in a large workshop full of boats in varying degrees of completion.

Apart from the door the player entered through, there is another in the north wall, behind which there are various banging noises. Inside there are 5 Skeletons working on boats. As the characters enter the building, the Skeletons stop working and look to the them, picking up planks of wood and mallets and advance, pausing a short distance from the characters and inspecting them.


These skeletons attack using construction equipment rather than weapons, so replace the standard skeleton attacks with the following Mace. or Maul. attacks as appropriate.

The skeletons are not particularly smart, and can be convinced not to attack fairly easily (DC 9). On a success, the skeletons partially believe the characters, and 2 of them leave through the northern door while the remaining 3 stay to keep an eye on the characters. On a success of 5 or more, all of the Skeletons can be convinced to go back to work or leave the room, as appropriate to the lie.

This gives the characters the opportunity to search the boathouse (though if the Skeletons are still present they must do so surreptitiously).

Searching the tools reveals a hardwood mallet and chisel with a sharp solid silver chisel, which the player may take. The chisel is sharp enough to be used as a Dagger. If the drawers are searched, the character discovers a Treasure Key amongst some metal scraps and nails.

If they Skeletons do not believe the lie at all, or the characters forgo bluffing in favour of an immediate attack, they must fight all five of the skeletons in the room.

31. Patrol & Storeroom

After going through the door in the north wall of the boathouse, the characters can hear a clattering growing in volume coming from around the bend in the corridor. This noise is cause by four Skeletons, these ones armed, which are patrolling.

In the right wall of the corridor, there is a door opening into a small store room. Much of the food is rotten, but if the characters hide in here as the patrol passes they go unnoticed.

If the characters remain in the corridor, the skeletons notice them when rounding the corner, and move to attack.

32. Wight

This is a fairly large room, with wooden debris strewn across the floor. There is another door in the opposite wall.

In the north west corner, there is a desk with a chest on it, and in the south west corner is a gaunt humanoid creature, either asleep or dead, lying on a rough straw mattress.

The Wight awakens if the characters aren't stealthy enough, slowly rising to it's feet with heavy, rasping breaths, and begins to shuffle towards the player. It immediately attacks the characters, and fights to the death. This wight is unarmed, so instead of Longsword. and Shortbow. attacks it has the following attack:

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage.

After the Wight is dead, the player is free to search the box, finding 4d8 gold pieces inside.

33. Zombies

Through the door directly into the rock from the beach, the characters enter to see a roughly square room. Excluding the door the characters entered through, there is another door in the north wall. Around the room, there are several peasant-grade weapons and shields, with several barrels scattered near the walls. In the north-east corner of the room, there lies against the wall a corpse, wearing armour and bearing arms. In the centre of the room, there are three Zombies standing still, and staring vacantly into space. Each of them carries a different weapon - one with a glaive, one with a battleaxe, and another with a war pick.

Immediately after entering, the leading character is attacked by a fourth Zombie carrying a club, who was hiding near the door. After this, the other zombies shuffle forward to attack.

The barrels contain surprisingly high-quality rum, which restores some of the players stamina when drunk.

If the corpse is investigated, it appears to be another adventurer, who seems to have died from a head wound quite some time ago. This is the corpse of Isolde Larius, the sister of Able Larius, the man imprisoned earlier in the dungeon.

They are wearing a set of leather armour, and clutching a wooden shield in one hand, which are both unremarkable but usable. In its other hand, they hold a steel +1 morningstar.

On the corpse there is a total of 4d4 gold pieces, and around their neck is a silver crucifix worth about 5 gp.

34. Crypt

A very large room, with an altar at the north wall and three coffins are strewn about the room, each made of solid stone. There are doors in the centre of the south wall and in the centre of the west wall.

Alternatively, characters may want to investigate the altar or coffins. Each of the 3 coffins contains a Shadow, which will attempt to sneak attack anyone spending much time in the crypt.

If the chamber is searched, a total of 5d10 gold pieces can be found amongst the coffins and altar, in addition to a Y-shaped stick and an old, ruined book.

35. Animated Tools

Down thus pathway, it bends sharply to the left and descends slightly. Just before this bend there is a sign reading 'Under Construction'. Around the bend, there is the beginnings of a stairway leading downwards, though with only three completed steps so far. There are various tools working on the staircase of their own volition - picks, shovels and hammers - all digging and hammering into the rock with all the efficiency of a mind with a single purpose. Together they form a Swarm of Animated Tools (See Appendix A) The tools are emitting a soft, rhythmic hum as they work, to the tune of Heigh-Ho. They are not capable of complex thought and can only communicate vaguely, but they are not hostile to characters at all and act as friendly as a tool can, unless attacked.

36. Ghouls

At the bottom of a short, narrow staircase, a passageway leads into a large open chamber, with a horrific stench of rotten flesh hanging in the air.

Three bodies lie on the floor of the chamber.

The first and third bodies in the room are Ghouls, dressed in ragged common clothinh, which wait to be approached before attacking. The first ghoul has 2d4 gold pieces in a pocket, and the second has a pair of gold earrings in a pocket worth about 3 gold pieces altogether.

The second body appears to be a priest of some sort based on their garb, and are severely decayed. On this corpse is a total of 2d6 gold pieces, a bottle of clear, colourless liquid and an old piece of parchment with some scribbles on it.

The parchment appears to be a worn map, with the title 'The Maze of Zagor'. Unfortunately, it is so worn the little sense can be made of it, though two rooms have partially legible notes. A room to the north is marked '___GER', while a room to the east is marked 'SM___ P___LE'.

If tested, the liquid turns out to be rather potent Holy Water, enchanted with restorative magic. This water counts as both Holy Water and one Potion of Healing.

To the north of the room another staircase climbs upwards, at the trop of which is an archway.

As the last character in the party passes through this archway, they hear a creaking sound behind them, turning

around just in time to see a heavy portcullis fall into place, preventing them from turning back.

The Maze of Zagor

The remaining section of the dungeon is a maze. Running a maze in D&D can often turn out to be problematic, as they would often end up as players either just guessing randomly where to go, or just drawing a map and finding the exit easily. In both of these cases, the maze serves absolutely no function. The question then becomes how to provide the general feel of a maze in D&D without just implementing a maze map for players to navigate. Here are a couple of options for running the maze as an alternative to just navigating it normally:

Scripted Play

In this method, you present the maze as a proper scenario to the players, but in reality all of the choices they make regarding direction are totally arbitrary, as you will simply be moving them on to the next in a list of encounters they will meet in the maze before finding the exit.

If the players ever turn back and take another route, they'll simply meet the same encounter they would have anyway.

This method is very simple and quick, and allows you a high-degree of control as to the flow of the session, as it is essentially a way to dress up a set list of encounters as something more.

For the Maze of Zagor, I would probably run the encounters in something like this order:

Area 38

Area 37

Area 39

Area 40

Area 41

Exit
I quite like this method, but it does nullify the possibility of random corridor encounters and exploration unless you take the time to build them into your list.

Randomised Movement

In this method, you would start out with a list of encounters you plan for the players to meet while they are in the maze. You could include a couple of random encounters in the corridors, secret doors they can find, and pre-scripted encounters.

As the players move about the dungeon, roll to see which encounters they find. If the players ever want to return to an encounter they've already been to, get them to roll a Wisdom (Survival) check, DC 15, and on a success they get back to where they were, but on a failure they meet another random encounter instead. Once the players have met all the encounters, use the magic of the DM to let them find the exit whenever you deem fit.

This technique can provide a lot of the feel and narrative for a maze to the players, without the need to draw any map up, and is good if there are some encounters in the maze you definitely want the players to find before completing the maze. Essentially, it is the same as the last method but with a bit more player freedom. Furthermore, using this technique, you could still have a totally valid preconstructed map of the maze if you're all about having a proper map, but just not use it for navigation purposes.

For the Maze of Zagor, you could use the following table to roll what happens to the players. If the players have already completed the rolled encounter and aren't lost, re-roll the result.

Maze Navigation
d20 Encounter
1-3 Area 38
4-6 Area 39
7-9 Area 40
10-12 Area 41
13-15 Area 42
16-20 Corridor Encounter


For "Corridor Encounter" see Random Encounters in the Maze.


Once the players have been in the maze for a while and met most of the encoutners, you can choose for them to find the exit at any time.


I quite like this method, the only obvious downside is that there is no simple way to handle hidden passages. You could implement them in various ways. I think I would use them like a point system. When the party discovers a hidden passage, they gain 1 hidden passage point. They can spend these points to gain advantage on navigting to specific parts of the dungeon, or to escape from random encounters easily.

Random Encounters in the Maze

When the players fail on checks related to navigating the maze or finding hidden doors, or they roll "Corridor Encounter" on the Maze Navigation table, use the following table to generate a random encounter in the maze.

d20 Encounter
1-5 Gas Trap
6-7 1d4 Goblins
8-9 1d4 Skeletons
10-11 2d4 Giant Rats
12-13 1d4 Zombies
14-15 1d4 Giant Wolf Spiders
16-20 Nothing

Gas Trap. One of the characters steps on a pressure plate or pushes a hidden button. The party hears a click, and they soon fall unconscious. When they awake they are unharmed, but don't recognise their surroundings and are lost.


These techniques could potentially be reused in other areas of D&D. The first area that springs to mind is for more complex travelling encounters.

When you want to use a more in-depth random encounter, but don't want to use a map, you could run the encounter using these techniques.

They could also see use when exploring a small settlement, with some minor adjustments.

Encounters Part II

38. Dwarves

From a corridor in the maze, a short passageway to the north ends in a wooden door.

Behind this door is a small room filled with smoke, within which four dwarves sit around a table.

They are talking amongst themselves as they play a card game, an each is smoking on a long pipe.

On the table, there is some scattered gold pieces and four mugs of ale.

As the characters enter, they all stop talking suddenly, and the atmosphere becomes somewhat tense. One of the dwarves stands and comments on their lack of manners, just barging in without knocking.

If at any point the player attacks the dwarves, they each draw axes and fight back. Each of the dwarves is a Bandit with the following changes:

• They have 13 (+1) Strength and 14 (+2) Constitution.

• Their attacks are replaced with Battleaxe attacks.

• They wear hide armour (AC 13)

If the the dwarves are talked to, they seem eager and happy to meet new people.

They don't know an awful lot about the maze, but they will tell the characters that the only way out of the maze is to continue deeper into the dungeon.

They may attempt to give the characters some instructions for leaving the maze, however after a few turns they begin to get vague, seeming unsure about if it is correct.

The dwarves will also offer the characters to join in on their card game, however if they notice anyone cheating they will chase them away with their weapons. Two of the dwarves have proficiency in the deck of cards gaming set, and each have 1d12 gp at the start of the game.

39. The Helmets

The player enters a room containing a table in the centre, with two helmets on it. One of the helmets seems to be made from iron, and the other bronze.

The iron helmet is a helm of deliverance, and the bronze helmet is a helm of restraint.

40. Minotaur

Behind a sturdy wooden door is a large, rectangular room, with broken pottery scattered about the floor.

Near each of the walls are many small pots and vases. In a corner, one large clay vase is full of clear liquid, and beside it there is a large bowl full of gold coins.

For each of the smaller pots, of which there are 2d12, roll on the following table to determine their contents. Treat each pot as a flask of it's designated contents.


Ink (flask)
Cost: 1 sp
Weight: 1 lb.
As an action, you can splash the contents of this vial onto a creature within 5 feet of you or throw this flask up to 20 feet, shattering it on impact. In either case, make a ranged attack against a creature or object. A creature successfully struck is blinded until the end of their next turn.


Simulating a Card Game

To simulate a card game in Dungeons and Dragons, there are many available options with varying levels of depth.
How I would do it
Step 1: Have each participating player roll a d20, adding their proficiency bonus if they are proficient in the deck of cards gaming set.
Step 2: Choose a participating player. This player bets an amount of currency based on their hand (they should mark this as spent for now). Next, the next participating player to their left can choose to check (marking off the same amount of currency as the previous player), raise (marking off an amount higher than the previous player), or fold (mark off no currency and forfeit the match). This process continues until all players have either folded or checked.

During this betting round players can make contested checks to helpm their chances. A player can make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check contested by a Wisdom (Perception) check by each of the other players to attempt to cheat. They can then re-roll their hand value, and use the higher result. If any of the other players won the contested check, they known that the player is cheating. A player can also make a contested Wisdom (Insight) check against another player, contested by a Charisma (Deception) check. On a successful contest, the player learns whether their target check higher or lower than a value they choose, but on a fail they receive incorrect information or do not learn anything.
Step 3: Each player reveals their score in turn, and the player with the highest score earns all the currency bet by the other players.
A Slightly Simpler Option
Replace Step 2 with the following: Each player decides whether or not to bet a fixed amount of 1 gold piece based on their score. Players can still cheat or scope out the competition as they wish.

Vase Contents
1d6 Contents
1 Acid
2 Alchemist's fire
3 Water
4 Oil
5 Ink
6 Nothing

As the characters move further into the room, the door slams shut behind them, and they whirl around to see a large Minotaur, which charges them immediately.

When searched, the liquid in the large vase seems by all measures to merely be water. As the vase is searched, it tips over and breaks, revealing a Treasure Key.

In the bowl, the characters discover that only the top layer of coins are genuine (2d8 gp), and the rest are simply painted pottery discs.

41. Mazemaster

Inside this large, squarish room, there is a youngish man sat at a desk, poring over several pieces of parchment, holding a long quill pen in his hand. Around the walls, there are shelves covered in books from floor to ceiling. There are doors in the south and west walls.

As the characters enter, the man looks up and glares at them, not saying anything.

If spoken to, the man is cold and aggressive, ordering the characters to leave immediately. However, if he is threatened at all he quickly becomes terrified of the character and hides behind his desk. He will tells the characters that he is the Mazemaster, and is in charge of managing the Maze of Zagor.

Once he is assured of his own safety, his demeanour changes again, quickly becoming self-assured and firm.

If asked the way out of the maze, he will tell the party clear instructions, however if the player follows these instructions they will be lead to Area 40.

If the party ever returns to the room he claims they are ruining his concentration and asks them to leave.

If he is attacked, he will go on the defensive and attempt to escape further into the dungeon, hoping for the Warlock to provide protection.

The Mazemaster is an Apprentice Wizard.

42. Pit Trap and Ogre Cave

At the end of this corridor is a fake door built onto the wall. This door appears slightly odd for the dungeon, appearing more solidly constructed and well maintained than most. It serves as a trigger to a hidden pit trap directly in front of the door.

A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check discerns the abscence of foot traffic over the pit's cover or wear on the door handle. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check is necessary to confirm that the section of floor is actually the cover of a pit.

When the fake door handle is turned, there is a click and the floor swings open like a trapdoor, causing any creatures in front of the door to fall into the hole. The fall is about 10 feet, causing 1d6 bludgoning damage to anyone falling in.

This pit is part of a medium-sized cavern. At the north end of this cavern is a small cave, home to an Ogre, which moves forwards slowly when it notices the pit trap is triggered. Towards the north of the cavern on the east of the wall, a particularly small tunnel leads towards a staircase. The ogre cannot fit down this tunnel, and attempts to prevent any victims escaping down it.

43. Guard Drake

A north-running corridor bends to the west, and begins to become quite narrow. At the end, there is a small stone archway which the characters must stoop to get through, unless they are particularly small. On the other side of the arch, there is a very large cavern, partially lit by natural light filtering in through a hole in the roof. In the distance, the cavern disappears into darkness.

As the characters enter further into the cavern, a large blast of fire suddenly shoots from the darkness, singing away the moss on the wall near the characters.

Looking back into the darkness of the cavern, the party sees a large Red Guard Drake roughly clambering over the rocks, dashing towards them.


This drake has been magically enhanced by the Warlock, and it has the following action, which it can use in place of its bite or tail attack when using Multiattack:

Flame Breath (Recharge 5-6). The hound exhales a blast of flame in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.


When the cavern is inspected in more detail, a small partially-obscured passage is revealed to the north-west

44. The Warlock's Sanctum

This passageway ends at a simple wooden door, which is left slightly ajar.

Peeking through the gap, the party can see what seems to be a harmless old man sat at a desk, playing with a pack of cards inside a very large room full of oddities, with a door set in the far wall.

When they enter, the old man seems to have been expecting them, and greets them. Standing to face them, he appears to change before them, no longer appearing as an old and feeble man, instead looking as a tall, young man with piercing black eyes and dark, silky hair.

His robes transform from drab, tattered brown to magnificent golden velvet. He disappears, reappearing at the far end of the room in front of the door. The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is prepared for battle (See Appendix A). The Warlock also possesses The Warlock's Deck (See Appendix B), which he leaves on his desk at the onset of combat.

When the Warlock senses he is soon to be defeated, he croaks out something about his book, and runs to the far wall, trying to unlock the door, if he is successful in this, he locks the door behind him and retrieves whatever weapons he can from his hoard.

If the party has not yet found all of the Treasure Keys in the dungeon, the Warlock carries the remaining keys, as well as the key to the door at the end of this room.

45. The Warlock's Hoard

Inside this small, dimly lit room sits a chest in the centre. On the walls hang ornate tapestries, and in one corner a single lantern flame burns, casting a dim-light across the room. This room houses the Warlock's hoard.
The Warlock's hoard contains the following:

• 6d6 x 100 (2,100) Copper Pieces

• 3d6 x 100 (1,050) Silver Pieces

• 2d6 x 10 (70) Gold Pieces

• 4 25 gp art objects

• 1d4 10 gp gems

• 1d4 50 gp gems

The Tome of Firetop Mountain (See Appendix B)
The objects are on display around the small room, and the rest of the treasure is contaned within a large chest in the centre of the room.

As the party enters, a strange sound fills the room, a low rumbling like a distant storm, which grows in volume as the chest is approached.

If the chest is attacked, the attacking character must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d8) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save, as a bolt originating from the lantern in the corner strikes their weapon, deflecting the attack. The same effect occurs on any attempts to move or attack the lantern. A successful dispel magic (DC 14) cast on the statue destroys the trap.

Upon closer inspection, the chest appears to have four locks, each constructed differently.

The leftmost lock is fully constructed from steel.

The middle-left lock has a steel body with bronze fittings.

The middle-right lock has a bronze body, with a steel shackle and silver fittings.

The rightmost lock has a silver body with gold fittings.
To unlock the chest, the Treasure Keys found throughout the dungeon must be used. Each lock can only be opened using a key which corresponds to one of the materials of the lock. For example, the middle-left lock can be opened using the steel treasure key or the bronze treasure key. The locks only open when all of them have a key in.
The correct key combination is as follows:

Leftmost lock: Steel key

Middle-left lock: Bronze key

Middle-right lock: Silver key

Rightmost lock: Gold Key
If a combination of keys is put into the locks which is incorrect, a trap is activated. Roll on the following table for the effect.

Treasure Chest Traps
1d4 Trap
1 Dart Volley
2 Poisoned Dart
3 Posion Gas
4 Lightning Lantern

Dart Volley. The chest shoots three darts towards the character opening the chest, who must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or they are hit by 2 of the darts, taking 7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage. If they fail the saving throw by 5 or more, they are hit by the third dart, taking an additional 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.

Dart Volley. The chest shoots one poisoned dart towards the character opening the chest, who must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or they are hit by the dart, taking 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage. They then must roll in a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save.

Acid Spray. The chest lets out a puff of noxious gas. All creatures in the room must make a DC 14 saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save.

Lightning Lantern. The dim lantern in the corner lets off a bolt of lightning towards the character opening the chest, who must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d8) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save.

A Slightly Trickier Alternative

If you want to make the final puzzle a bit more misleading, you can change it so that each lock can only be opened using a key which shares no materials with that of the lock.

For example, with this change in place the middle-left lock can only be opened using the silver treasure key or the gold treasure key.
The altered solution is as follows:

Leftmost lock: Bronze key

Middle-left lock: Silver key

Middle-right lock: Gold key

Rightmost lock: Steel Key

Wrapping Up the Adventure

Having bested the Warlock and claimed the treasure, the party will certainly now be a little more wealthy. Additionally, having liberated the local area from the Warlock's influence, they will gain some significant reputation locally, allowing them to climb the ranks a little,

Having claimed the Warlock's Tome, detailing the function of his lair, the characters could rather easily begin using the mountain as a base of operations, potentially becoming the tyrannical successors to the Warlock if they so desire.

However, the Warlock was no base enemy, and soon there are rumours sprouting that he had plans in place for this very eventuality, that his pact ran deeper than most. Like most rumours, they seem to be largely unfounded, but who knows? Perhaps one day there may come a time for adventurers to return to Firetop Mountain...

Scaling To Higher Levels

This dungeon is designed as an entry-level adventure, with the earlier sections appropriate for 1st level characters and the later sections for 2nd-3rd level characters.

It could easily be scaled to higher levels, however. Here are a couple of quick suggestions for making the dungeon more difficult:
• Replace the Goblin enemies with Orcs or Hobgoblins
• Replace the Crippled Ogre in Area 16 with a healthy Ogre
• Base the Iron Cyclops on a reskinned Golem rather than Animated Armour
• Add additional Giant Spiders to Area 17, or switch it out for a Phase Spider
• Replace the Homunculus in Area 20 with an Imp
• Replace the Ogre in Area 41 with a Troll
• Replace the Guard Drake in Area 42 with a Red Dragon


The possibilities here are quite broad, but it is worth remembering that this is quite a large dungeon, and as such the majority of the challenges should not be too difficult for the level of your party.

Appendix A: Monsters


Crippled Ogre

Large giant, Chaotic Evil


  • Armor Class 11 (hide armour)
  • Hit Points 45 (6d10 + 12)
  • Speed 30ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17(+3) 7(-2) 14(+2) 5(-3) 7(-2) 7(-2)

  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8
  • Languages Common, Giant
  • Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Actions

Mace Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage


Iron Cyclops

As an Animated Armour, except the Iron Cyclops possesses and can use The Eye of the Cyclops (detailed later in this post) without requiring a free hand.

Guard Dog

The Werewolf's dog is a Wolf with the following alterations:

• It has 15 (+2) Strength and 14 (+2) Constitution.

• It has 32 (5d8 + 10) hit points

• It has the following action:

Flame Breath (Recharge 5-6). The hound exhales a blast of flame in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

• It has a CR of 1.

Magic Hand

As a Crawling Claw, except a Magic Hand is a construct, has 5 (2d4) hit points and does not have the Crawling Claw Turn Immunity feature.


Giant Sandworm

Huge monstrosity, unalinged


  • Armor Class 13 (natural armour)
  • Hit Points 85 (9d12 + 27)
  • Speed 40 ft., burrow 20 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 (+3) 10 (+0) 17 (+3) 1 (-5) 7 (-2) 4 (-3)

  • Senses blindsight 30 ft., tremorsense 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 8
  • Languages -
  • Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 14 (2d10 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity Saving throw or be swallowed by the worm. A swallowed creature is blinded, restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the worm, and it takes 7 (2d6) acid damage at the start of each of the worm’s turns.

If the worm takes more 15 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the worm must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone within 10 feet of the worm. If the worm dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 10 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit 13 (3d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage


Rope of Strangulation

Small construct, unaligned


  • Armor Class 12
  • Hit Points 22 (5d6)
  • Speed 0ft., fly 50ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 15 (+2) 11 (+0) 1 (-5) 5 (-3) 1 (-5)

  • Saving Throws Dex +4
  • Damage Immunities poison, psychic
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, deafened, poisoned
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 8
  • Languages -
  • Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Antimagic Susceptibility. The rope is incapacitated while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic, the rope must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell save DC or fall unconscious for 1 minute.

False Appearance. While the rope remains motionless and isn't flying, it is indistinguishable from a normal length of rope.

Actions

Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained, and the rope can't constrict another target.



Swarm of Animated Tools

Medium swarm of Small constructs, unaligned


  • Armor Class 12
  • Hit Points 36 (8d8)
  • Speed 0ft., fly 30ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 1 (-5) 5 (-3) 1 (-5)

  • Saving Throws Dex +4
  • Damage Immunities poison, psychic
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, deafened, poisoned
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 8
  • Languages -
  • Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Antimagic Susceptibility. The swarm is incapacitated while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic, the swarm must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell save DC or fall unconscious for 1 minute.

False Appearance. While the swarm remains motionless and isn't flying, it is indistinguishable from a pile of tools. Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Small tool. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Actions

Batter. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage and 9 (2d6 + 2) slashing damage, or 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage and 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.


The Warlock of Firetop Mountain

Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil


  • Armor Class 11 (14 with mage armour)
  • Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16) + 20 temporary hit points
  • Speed 30ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 10 (0) 17 (+3)

  • Saving Throws Wis +2, Cha + 5
  • Skills Arcana + 3, Deception +5, Persuasion +5, Religion +3
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8
  • Languages Common, Infernal
  • Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. The warlock's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma. It can innately cast the following spells (spell save DC 15, +5 to hit with spell attacks), requiring no material components:

At will: mage armour (self only), false life (self only)

Spellcasting. The warlock is a 6th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The warlock has the following spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): eldritch blast, mage hand, frostbite

1st-3rd Level (2 3rd-level slots): fireball, burning hands, command, arms of hadar, cloud of daggers, vampiric touch

Dark One's Own Luck (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). When the warlock makes an ability check or saving throw, it can ad a d10 to the roll. It can do this after the roll is made but before any of the roll's effects occur.

Pact Weapon. The warlock's weapon attacks are magical.

Actions

Multiattack. The warlock makes two melee attacks.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 5 (1d8 + 1) slashing damage, or 6 (1d10 + 1) slashing damage if used in two hands.

Appendix B: Magic Items

The Giver of Sleep

Weapon (longbow), rare
This enchanted weapon is a +1 Longbow. Additionally, whenever this weapon is used to attack an undead target, that target takes an additional 1d6 radiant damage. If the longbow is used with a silvered arrow, this damage increases to 2d6 radiant damage.

Dragonfire Spell Scroll

Scroll, rare
This item is a spell scroll with the Dragonfire spell inscribed upon it.

Dragonfire

4th-level Abjuration
Casting time: 1 Reaction, which you can take you see a dragon within 60 feet attempt to use a breath weapon
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
The dragon attempting to use it's breath weapon must make a Constitution saving throw, or wastes it's use of it's breath weapon and takes damage as if it were hit by it's breath weapon. This damage ignores any resistances or immunities the dragon has to the damage.**

The Eye of the Cyclops

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)
This gem can be used as a spellcasting focus (doesn't require attunement).

While holding this gem, you can use an action to cast the Witch Bolt spell with it. The gem can't be used this way again until the next dawn. Additionally, while holding this gem you know the Eldritch Blast cantrip, using the gem as the spellcasting focus.

Your attack bonus for these spells is at least +5 when cast in this way.

A creature is hit by any magic or fails the saving throw of any spell other than a cantrip cast using this item as a spellcasting focus must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, or have disadvantage on any spell attack rolls until the start of your next turn. If the target has been targeted with this effect in the last 24 hours, they have advantage on the saving throw.

Boots of Entrapment

Wondrous item, uncommon
These boots appear to be sturdy and well-made.

Curse. When a character dons these boots, they immediately latch onto the wearer's feet and become very heavy. Whenever a character wearing them attempts to take a move action, they must make a DC 18 Strength saving throw, losing their movement on a failure.

Additionally, anyone wearing these boots has their movement speed reduced to 5 feet. The boots can be prized off with a successful DC 22 Strength check, or they can be hacked off. The boots have an AC of 13 and 5 (2d4) hit points. Additionally, if you are targeted by the remove curse spell the boots are instantly removed.


Helm of Restraint

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)
This helmet appears to be a Helm of Deliverance when the identify spell is cast upon it.

Curse. Once you don this cursed helmet, you can't doff it unless you are targeted by the remove curse spell or similar magic. While wearing this helmet, you have a -1 penalty to saving throws.

Helm of Deliverance

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)
While wearing this helmet, you can gain advantage on a saving throw. You can do this after seeing the result of the roll, but before any of the effects occur. The helm can't be used this way again until the next dawn.

The Warlock's Deck

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)
While attuned to this item and within 30 feet of it, you gain 20 temporary hit points, which restore each dawn. This deck of cards can be destroyed with fire, and if they are destroyed you immediately lose all temporary hit points associated with it, and are stunned until the end of your next turn.

The Tome of Firetop Mountain

Spellcasting focus, rare (requires attunement)
This tome functions as a +1 spellcasting focus.

While attuned to it, you can use an action to case one of the following spells: Charm Person, Command, Suggestion, Magic Missile, Aganazzar’s Scorcher

The tome can't be used this way again until the next dawn.

This tome also contains details of all the features of the Warlock's lair in Firetop Mountain, including a map, details of the residents, and the locations of all traps in the dungeon.

Credits

Original Fighting Fantasy Book:

Authored by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone

Illustrated by Russ Nicholson

Published by Wizard Books in 2003 (First published in 1982 by the Penguin Group)


Conversion, Maps and Image Editing: Dylan Richards (Reddit: u/Altavus , Tumblr: decision-paralysis, Blogger: Decision Paralysis)


Iron Cyclops (page 15): Russ Nicholson (http://russnicholson.blogspot.co.uk/)


Tools (page 16): Russ Nicholson (http://russnicholson.blogspot.co.uk/)


The Warlock (page 17): Russ Nicholson (http://russnicholson.blogspot.co.uk/)


Special thanks to the Homebrewery and the Kobold Fight Club Encounter Builder. This project was made infinitely easier through the use of these tools.


Thanks to my brother, Jamie. You're a great proofreader, bro.