Gaming Journal - The Ruins of Undermountain

Ruins of Undermountain 2 Journal, Rooms #20nc - 20o
by Steve Allen

20nc. Empty hallway.
(DM’s Note: I originally had planned the two secret doors in this location to be very well hidden, but with players suffering from UM burn-out from dungeon exploration ad-naseum; I removed most of the features that would have hidden the two secret doors in this location. I left them as regular secret doors with normal chances of discovery, but the characters blazed past this spot not bothering to check for secret or hidden things and went straight to room #20p. If your players are not suffering from UM burn-out, than modify or delete this encounter. My players insisted on searching every room they could locate, and made a valiant attempt at mapping where the characters had been. If your UM campaign is different, or you run UM as more of a well-traveled path to get to another adventure, than your players might not suffer from UM burn-out from dungeon exploration ad-naseum.

At the DM’s discretion, the Jade Familiar[i] in this encounter, a relic from lost ancient Netheril, will allow the appropriate character to own a pair of familiars. If the character possesses a tressym as a familiar (as the Priestess of Bast from Mulhorand[ii] in my FR campaign did, having travelled to Eveningstar[iii] where she acquired one after a lengthy quest) the two familiars will get along quite well, acting like the character has a pair friendly, domestic felines. The Jade Familiars are sexless, so there is no worry of a horny tom cat Jade Familiar trying to mount a female tressym.)

A cursory search of this room reveals little more than some of the usual Undermountain litter. A few normal spider cobwebs, a small parchment bag containing about 13 sliced and dried calcena mushrooms, a small glass jar with a cork and green wax sealed stopper (contains about 30 dried maggots) and a couple scraps of moldy rotten leather (all are about 3” square or so) are all that is found within the room.

However, a very careful search of the room (with appropriate Intelligence and skill checks) reveals a small, slightly tarnished, brass-bound hard wood (oil-stained white oak) box (approximately one-foot square) hidden behind a secret loose stone in the wall. The box is not locked nor is it trapped and opens easily. Lying in the box face-up, on padded red velvet is a small (about 8” tall) willowy feline (think young, adult slender female Siamese) statue carved of pale green jade. Its eyes are large, round, king-cut[iv], watermelon-pink rubellite[v].

The statue is highly magical but defies identification and all spells other than an arduous Legend Lore spell. A Legend Lore spell reveals that the statue is meant for a Wizard, Magic User or similar person. Legend Lore also reveals that the statue is not for Priests, with the exception of Priestesses of Bast (or Pasch, Sekhmet, Ubasti, Bastet, Ba en Aset and Bubastis[vi]). This statue if touched by one of the appropriate characters will instantly become a Jade Familiar to that character, regardless if the character already posses a familiar.

20n. Missed room with hidden stash.
(DM’s Note: about this time I acquired a few books in my DM library that aided my understanding of common locks, their functions ((i.e. how they work)), and how locks in the ancient world were made and employed. I believe every DM should have a copy of the following books in his reference book collection: The Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing by Bill Phillips, Spruce Forge Manual of Locksmithing: A Blacksmith’s Guide to Simple Lock Mechanisms by Bill Morrison and Denis Frechette, and Professional Smithing: Traditional Techniques for Decorative Ironwork, Whitesmithing, Hardware, Toolmaking, and Locksmithing by Donald Streeter.

The chest in this room can be opened simply with a Knock spell, or a magical weapon that will cut metal such as a Vorpol Sword, can be employed to slice either the lock or the iron loop holding the lid closed.

The chest in this room contains salt stolen from Shou Lung. If items from Shou Lung do not excist in your campaign replace the salt with something else. This could be a way to introduce Shou Lung and add an Asian flavor to your campaign.

Opening this secret door reveals a short, dark foyer, and a large dark room with a large chest against the far northern wall. This chest is covered in a thick layer of normal spider cobwebs, and has a large, iron lock inset into the face of the chest about middle of the chest.

Searching the room reveals absolutely nothing of interest, not even some of the usual Undermountain litter. The chest is not trapped and is locked but not magically protected or magically warded[vii]. The lock in the chest is a complex bit-key mechanical-warded lock with dead bolt. Due to the lock’s complexity (having several ward plates inside) attempting to pick the lock suffers a -55% chance of success. While the characters are unlikely to realize it unless they disassemble the lock and the chest, the dead bolt passes through an iron loop attached to the lid of the chest. Opening the lock pulls the dead bolt back freeing the iron loop for the lid.

The chest is too large and too heavy to move, and because of the way it is placed against the wall, it is nearly impossible for even a small character to access the lid hinges, which are actually on the inside of the chest, preventing someone from driving the hing pins out. The distance between the wall and the chest is barely sufficient to open the lid to a vertical position.

Opening the chest reveals a stash of adventuring supplies. The chest contains the following items (listed from top to bottom): a small brown leather bag of yellow corn (slightly moldy, will make anyone who eats it sick and slightly drunk as the corn has started to ferment); another medium-sized, rough rapeseed-linen[viii] cloth bag (contains 14 large pieces of coal); 4 bars of strong lye soap wrapped in parchment paper (made by someone named Hagálir in Waterdeep in 1333 DR); 40 flight arrows of excellent quality sealed in two leather quivers (while these arrows are non-magical they are of such exquisite craftsmanship that they confer a bonus +1 to hit and damage, these arrows bear the mark of the gray elf bowyer who made them: Linriál Nieleiráel[ix]); two small, iron, round tipped shovels with short thick ash-wood handles; two 10 lbs blocks of salt wrapped in waxed parchment (it is unlikely the markings can be read since the salt is from Shou Lung, and is appropriately marked, a Read Languages spell will allow reading of the Shou Lung script identifying as salt stolen by the known salt smuggler Ma Wen ((AKA Ma Kei[x] the script actually boasts of the prowess of Ma Wen stealing the salt from the tax assessors)) who is wanted in several cities throughout the Realms ((including Waterdeep)) for various crimes with a stiff bounty on his head[xi] dead or alive); a medium-size brown leather bag contains dried carrots, various beans, and miscellaneous grain (spelt, millet, oats, wheat, kamut, barley, quinoa, flax seed, and amaranth); 10 torches (made in 1334 DR in Waterdeep by Alcorthin Goldwood); 4 course, natural-wool blankets (6’ by 4’); and a large rough linen sack of (slightly stale) mule feed.

20o. Missed room with hidden stash.
(DM’s Note: because of the gate within room #20la, my players missed this room when they returned to UM later. The room was missed on the map, and the room was never explored on return trips because of the gate. Characters kept wandering into the gate and in hindsight I should have made the gate function intermittently rather than continuously so that characters would reach the room.)

The fish-shaped vase found in this room is a unique magical item from my campaign. If the adventurers figure out how to shut off the vase, this may arm them with the equivalent of a 12 HD electrical grenade. You may wish to make the vase operate differently in your campaign or modify the encounter to suit your campaign, if
adventurers armed with a 12 HD electrical grenade will not work in your campaign.

Tossing this vase at an opponent and yelling “Fish!” to arm it in the air would be a lethal and unexpected weapon in combat. Especially if the vase is tossed at less-than-intellgent critters like goblins or orcs who may on reflex catch the pretty vase. The DM should stress that the vase is very fragile, and the slightest crack or chip will cause the vase to explosively discharge. Since it is rather large and delicate it will not be able to be crammed into a pouch or backback, but could be shoved safely into magical storage devices like a Portable Hole, Bag of Holding, etc.
A variant of this magical fish vase might be one that under scrutiny by spells such as Legend Lore will detonate when any kind invasive or intensive spell is cast upon the vase. Another variant of this vase rematerializes after 6 rounds in the original place the vase was found, so that there is always a vase sitting in that spot.

While not utterly important to this encounter, the cooper that made the barrels within this room, I designed to be a recurring NPC. I designed Faecálnos to provide red herrings and adventure suggestions ((hooks)) to the adventurers. Faecálnos was someone whom the adventurers could consult about barrels, and other products of the cooper. The NPC Faecálnos was a Zhentarim member, and spy in my campaign.

The large chest in this encounter contains several things from older editions of The Dragon magazine. If the DM lacks the accessory cited, you can substitute another item suitable to your campaign. I modified the magical Leech Dust to appear in a vial rather than a small pouch for this encounter. Much like the fish vase mentioned above, if the thief successfully disarms the trap upon the chest in this room, the character will be rewarded with a pair of Leech Dust grenades. Much like the vase above, the DM should heavily stress that the small vials are highly dangerous and extremely fragile, with the slightest damage releasing the powder inside. Storage of these Leech Dust vials is in much the same manner as the fish vase.

The rogue stone in the pendant in this encounter was designed to offer the adventurers some different adventure opportunities. Having a lich suddenly appear in the center of the adventurers, should cause some excitement, especially if the adventurers are staying in an inn. While the lich that cast the spell on the rogue stone is somewhat removed from current events, and is neutral-evil, she will not necessarily attack everyone when she arrives. She has a great curiosity, which is one of the driving forces behind her becoming a lich. Should she arrive in the adventurer’s room at an inn and find it empty, she is more likely to take a seat and wait patiently for the adventurers return, possibly playing solitaire or another card game to pass the time. Imagine the shock of the adventurers entering their room at the inn, probably a little worse for drink, and find a lich sitting in the room waiting for them! The pendant can be used anytime the DM is ready to introduce the lich to the party. If the lich is not appropriate to the adventure, the DM can replace her with another spell caster appropriate for the campaign.)

Opening this door reveals a large dark room with a large (4’ high by 5’ wide), flat-topped, iron-bound chest in the south-west corner of the room. Along the northern wall are three large (35 gallon capacity), wooden round barrels banded by iron. Only odd thing in the room you notice is sitting on top of the large chest is a large (about 4’ tall) ebony, upright fish-shaped vase (think large salmon), holding a large red crystal in its jaws that twinkles in the darkness (or in the torchlight).

Checking the room for traps reveals nothing. Checking the room for magic using spells such as Detect Magic, reveals a few things in the chest are likely magical and the strange fish-shaped vase[xii] is highly magical. Casting spells such as Identify or Legend Lore on the fish-shaped vase, reveals nothing (at the DM’s discretion) other than it has something to do with electricity, is very old (possibly Netherise), and very dangerous. Getting closer (within 10’) to the fish-shaped vase reveals that it hums slightly, in an odd way. Touching the vase with anything non-conductive (wooden pole, stick, etc) reveals nothing. Touching the vase with anything conductive (sword, bare flesh, iron rod, etc) releases a huge spark of electricity (equivalent to a 12 HD Lightning Bolt spell). Once the electricity has been discharged the fish-shapd vase (and cystal) crumbles into dust. The electricity can be discharged safly by tossing something metallic and conductive upon the vase from the door of the room or from behind the barrels which can be rolled to provide shelter. The fish-shaped vase may also be paused by shouting (at the top of the character’s lungs) “Fish!” at the vase in Common which will disarm the vase until “Fish!” is yelled again at the vase (or within close proximity ((within 10’)) to it). The vase is very fragile and rather large and bulky, so it must be carried and stored with care. Regardless of rather the vase is “armed” or not, breaking it or damaging the vase in any way (or removing the crystal from the fish’s jaws) causes it to discharge immediately. Having a 12 HD Lightning Bolt go off in a back pack or in the hands of the character carrying it could be disasterous.

The first barrel is marked in white chalk as containing pickled fish. The second barrel contains spelt according to the chalk marks. The third barrel contains lamp oil, again according to the chalk marks (which are correct). Inspecting the barrels reveals they are not magical, and although the iron bands are a little rusty and the wood slightly damp, the contents are in good shape and quite usable. Looking at the bottom of the barrels reveals the maker’s mark, branded into the center of the wood bottom. While the characters are unlikely to realize it (or care), the barrels were all made in Waterdeep less than a year ago by the same half-elven cooper, one Faecálnos Eeiriên of Waterdeep. Faecálnos has a large cooperage in Waterdeep, and is easy to locate if the adventurers show the symbol from the bottom of the barrels to anyone in the correct area of Waterdeep.

The chest is locked with an iron, non-magical, mechanical warded lock inset in the front panel of the chest. Fresh oil still gleams on the lock although there is a slight patina of rust on the lock and the bands on the chest. The wood of the chest is sealed with a hard clear coat of some preservative (looks like a laquer almost, but is flax seed oil) that has keep the chest sealed and protected from the damp environment of Undermountain. Searching the chest reveals no traps on the outside of the chest, and the chest itself is not magical. The inset lock in the face of the chest has mechanical wards to protect the lock from unauthorized opening without the proper key. (At the DM’s discretion the skeleton key found earlier in room #20md could or could not work, or could set off the trap in the lock.) Searching with spells or thiefly abilities reveals (with successful skill check) the lock is guarded with a magical trap, cunningly hidden, behind the mechanical wards. The magical trap if triggered sprays the equivalent of two Leech Dusts[xiii] upon all characters within 5’ of the front of the chest. Successfully disarming the trap results in the adventurer holding two small glass vials each containg (the equivalent of) one (application of) Leech Dust. The two glass vials are very thin and fragile, and are pinched on each end by the glass maker, sealing the Leech Dust under enourmous pressure within the vial. The slightest chip or crack upon the glass vials causes the Leech Dust to explode covering all creatures within five feet of the explosion in a grenade-like explosion.

The chest contains the following items (listed in order from top to bottom): three large slightly off-white oblong eggs (2 giant owl eggs worth approximately 1,000 sp each, and one greater owlbear egg worth 5,500 sp in the correct market[xiv], the eggs have been wrapped carefully in warm, soft material, lying on a bed of red fox fur with a pig’s stomach used as a hot water bottle to keep the eggs warm until they hatch); a thick lama-wool blanket (4’ by 6’); a gold necklace with a large, pendant-cut rogue stone[xv] set in a gold mounting; a small brown leather belt pouch tied shut with brown string (contains dried wolfsbane); 4 tallow candles (each lasts up to eight hours); two coils of rope, each 50’ in length (one made of hemp, the other thinner and lighter rope is made of flax); two full sets of large, leather bronze-studded hound barding (made by Corhan Bloodhorn of Neverwinter); and a man’s purse made of the skin of a giant skunk (contains: 18 Waterdhavian toals ((1358[xvi] DR mint)), 13 Amnian taram, 4 Cormyrian golden lions ((1361 DR mint)) and one small, carved dark-colored serpentine stone statue of a rampant black dragon ((from Tharsult worth approximately 15 gp))).

The giant owl eggs are from a rare species of giant talking owl and were stolen from a nest in the Star Mountains deep in the center of the High Forest. Unless the character is adept at candling an egg to tell the difference between the giant owl and the owl bear, there is a chance that the eggs will hatch within a few days of each other with the owl bear hatchlings attacking the giant owl hatching even though she is nearly twice the size of the two male owl bear hatchlings. While the owl is from a species of talking owl, it still needs to learn a language before talking. Storing the eggs in either a Bag of Holding or a Portable Hole, will prevent the eggs from hatching and will keep them viable until such time as they can be hatched. Wizards will pay handsomely for the three eggs, as the owl bears are used for guardians, and the giant talking owl is a favored wizard companion, pet, aide and familiar.

The necklace does not radiate magic, is worth a stupidly-ridiculous amount of money in the right market and has a serious long and confluted history that some or part of might be revealed with a Legend Lore spell (at the DM’s discretion). The rogue stone has a Gemjump spell cast upon it by Talamorna Fairsinger[xvii] now a lich that has been trying to engage the spell off and on over the last few centuries. She is slightly absent-minded and when she remembers every now and then she tries to activate this gem. She is unaware that the gem is inside Undermountain where the spell will not function until the gem is removed from Undermountain.

[i] Unique magical item from my campaign which I have not yet located the write-up for it; when I do I will correct this entry.

[ii] See Scott Bennie (1990). Old Empires. TSR, Inc.

[iii] Ed Greenwood (July 1995). Volo’s Guide to Cormyr, p. 144. Wizards of the Coast.

[iv] AKA American and Scandinavian standard usually used for diamonds, but can be used on almost any precious stone that will accept the facets.

[v] A type of heavily-included tourmaline.

[vi] While these are all Egyptian feline goddesses, I figured any feline-aspect goddess would accept a Jade Familiar (at least in my campaign). The Cat Lord of Greyhawk would probably be another that would probably accept a Jade Familiar as well.

[vii] To differentiate between magical and mechanical wards I specified which type the wards were. The mages were burning up lots of Dispel Magic spells, attempting to open mechanical warded locks, which when I said “ward” they assumed magical.

[viii] Flax is one of the oldest sources of linen available to man, is less elastic than cotton, but stronger.

[ix] While it is unlikely that the characters will recognize the marks on the arrows as belonging to one of the most reknowed elven bowyers in my campaign, surley other elves, particularly gray elves will recognize the arrows and demand their return.

[x] I believe I took the names of these character from some cheesy Kung Fu movie of my youth.

[xi] While not particularly pertinent to the encounter, the smuggler, assassin, slave trader, and merchant-prince Ma Wen is a long standing NPC from my campaign used to add “Eastern” flavor. I never ran a straight Shou Lung or oriental adventure, rather using the material from the various source books as additional things for the characters to experience, while always hinting at this far, exotic land. See Shepherd, Ashley (February 1986). "Open Box: Dungeon Modules". White Dwarf (Games Workshop) (74): 9–10 and Shepherd, Ashley (August 1986). "Open Box". White Dwarf (Games Workshop) (80): 2–4.

[xii] Unique magical item from my campaign.

[xiii] The Dragon #5 March 1977 page #7. Encyclopedia Magica Vol. II TSR #2152A, page #421.

[xiv] See Dungeon #63 July 1997 “Hunt for a Hierophant” page #17 by Chris Doyle; Monstrous Compendium #1 TSR #2102; and Dragon #214 February 1995 in "The Ecology of the Owlbear."

[xv] See “Rogue Stones and Gemjumping” by Ed Greenwood Dragon #116 page #54 – 55.

[xvi] Year of Shadows, also the Time of Troubles which did not happen in my campaign. If your campaign includes the ToT, you might have to change the year of mint for these coins, as very few coins were minted during ToT or these are fake coins.

[xvii] Half-elven lich NPC from my campaign. Once very pretty and known for her beautiful singing voice.