The Vladaams covertly operate three curse dens in Ptolus. These dens of iniquity feature a rich drug culture mixed with strange curse magicks and gambling.
OPERATIONS
Each curse den is run by a Vladaam Mage assisted by a small team of Vladaam Guards and Advanced Guards. In general, security is light because everyone knows that the Vladaams will respond violently to anyone disrupting their operations: The Balacazars and Killravens might fight each other, but they don’t fuck with the Vladaams.
Hostesses working at the curse dens are commoners (MM p. 345) unless noted otherwise.
The curse dens are overseen by Den Master Marcus Corellius. He’s based out of the Rivergate curse den and is also responsible for crafting curse jewels as required. Notably, he’s officially the holder of the deeds on all three curse dens and also the Slave Trade Warehouse (see Part 16: Slave Trade), with the Vladaams using him to distance themselves from the properties in case anything goes wrong.
Vladaam Guards: Use guard stats, MM p. 347, with AC 17. (Equipment: breastplate, shield, longsword, longbow, arrows x20, potion of healing, Vladaam deot ring.)
Advanced Vladaam Guards: Use knight stats, MM p. 347.
Vladaam Mage: Use mage stats, MM p. 347. See Part 13: Red Company of Magi.
PRICE LIST
| CURSES | |
| Curse Globe Rental | 1,000 gp |
| Curse Jewel Rental | 100 gp |
| Slave Rental | 100 to 1,000 gp |
| Psychic Poison | 280 gp (cast by Den Master Corellius) |
| DRUGS | |
| Abyss Dust | 1 gp |
| Agony (Liquid Pain) | 200 gp |
| Shivvel | 2 sp |
| Snakeweed | 2 sp |
See Part 18: Vladaam Drug Running for descriptions.
CURSES
CURSE GLOBE
Wondrous Item, legendaryA large, crystalline sphere filled with murky, swirling shadows. When provided with a possession, garment, body part, lock of hair, or similar item, a curse globe can be used to remotely curse a chosen individual. The target gets two Wisdom saving throws (DC 18): One to negate the scry-like effect through which the curse is cast and once against the curse itself. If both saving throws are failed, the target is affected as per bestow curse.
A curse globe can be used twice per day, once at dawn and once at dusk.
The original Vladaam curse dens were build primarily around offering the curse globe service and expanded their services from there. They charge 1,000 gp for the use of the curse globe. Due to the limit on their usage, there may be a waiting period before a globe becomes available.
CURSE JEWEL
Wondrous Item, very rareA flat-cut ruby about three inches across set into an elaborate setting of gold carved with twisted arcane runes. When placed against the bare skin of a victim, the curse jewel can inflict a curse upon them as per a bestow curse spell (DC 15 Wisdom saving throw negates). The process is deliberately painful to the victim and simultaneously creates a pleasurable reversal in the person using the curse jewel.
This reversal acts as an extremely addictive drug (Constitution DC 12, buzz 1d2 days, initial special effect, second effect darkvision 60 ft., Addiction DC 16, threshold 1 dose, Withdrawal DC 16 (exhaustion), recovery threshold 3, Compulsion DC 8). During a buzz, the drug creates a sense of intense euphoria and also reverses the effect of the curse that was afflicted. (For example, if the curse inflicted disadvantage on Strength checks, then the user of the curse jewel would gain a temporary advantage to Strength checks). The eyes of characters who gain darkvision as a secondary effect of using the curse jewel glow a dark, seething red.
Curse jewels are evil items and due to their frequent use in painful, decadent torture, 50% of them have become lightly tainted.
GAMES
The curse dens are not full-blown gambling establishments, but they feature various games of chance and skill as part of their darkly bohemian atmosphere.
BERTRANT: This exceedingly simple dice game involve the roll of three dice. The players always attempt to get higher than everyone else in the game, with special combinations on pairs and triples. Bertrant is mostly enjoyed by those who expect to be drinking heavily while playing and hence do not really need to keep their wits about them.
To resolve a Bertant bout:
- Advantage Check: Make an opposed Intelligence (gaming set) check between all players. The winner gains advantage.
- Elimination: When a player with advantage wins advantage again, the player (or players) with the lowest score are eliminated. All players with advantage except the winner lose advantage, all players without advantage gain disadvantage, and play continues.
- Victory: The last player wins all of the table stakes for the bout.
To resolve an evening of play, roll 1d20:
| 1d20 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-15 | Lose entire stake |
| 16 | Lose half stake |
| 17 | Break even (keep stake) |
| 18 | Win stake +10% |
| 19 | Win stake +25% |
| 20 | Win stake +50% |
| 21 | Win stake x 2 |
| 22 | Win stake x 5 |
| 23-24 | Win stake x 10 |
| 25-26 | Win stake x 20 |
A character proficient with gaming sets can add their base proficiency bonus to this roll.
DRAGONSCALES: See Ptolus, p. 333 and Addendum: Dragonscales.
SKULLRATTLE: The game of skullrattle features a specially modified dragon skull. A ball of red jade (referred to as the “fire”) is dropped into one of the hollowed-out horns of the skull and falls through a specially constructed pachinko-like mechanism which causes it to shoot out of one of the openings in the skull itself. The final revelation is preceded by a “deathrattle” which emanates from the skull (and is caused by the pneumatic device which propels the fire out of the randomized orifice).
Bets are placed before the fire is dropped into the horn. They are paid off according to the table below (which also shows how the result can be randomized with percentile dice). “Bottoming out” happens when the fire drops entirely through the skull without emerging through any of the orifices.
| d100 | Orifice | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1-24 | Left Eye | 4:1 |
| 25-48 | Right Eye | 4:1 |
| 49-60 | Left Fenestra | 8:1 |
| 61-72 | Right Fenestra | 8:1 |
| 73-78 | Left Nostril | 16:1 |
| 79-84 | Right Nostril | 16:1 |
| 85-88 | Left Mandible | 24:1 |
| 89-92 | Right Mandible | 24:1 |
| 93-94 | Left Fang | 48:1 |
| 95-96 | Right Fang | 48:1 |
| 97-00 | Bottoming Out | No Winners |
Other Bets:
- Eye — 1:1 (left or right)
- Fenestra — 4:1 (left or right)
- Maw — 8:1 (any mandible or fang)
Since the game is entirely random, you can use the “Evening of Play” rules for Bertrant, but you do not gain any bonus to the roll from proficiency with gaming sets.
STAFF
Vladaam Guards: Use guard stats, MM p. 347, with AC 17. (Equipment: breastplate, shield, longsword, longbow, arrows x20, potion of healing, Vladaam deot ring.)
Advanced Vladaam Guards: Use knight stats, MM p. 347.
Vladaam Mage: Use mage stats, MM p. 347. See Part 13: Red Company of Magi.
Hostesses/Customers: Use commoner stats, MM p. 345.
DEN MASTER CORELLIUS
Den Master Marcus Corellius: Use mage stats, MM p. 347. AC 13 (16 with mage armor). Proficient with alchemist’s tools.
- Circlet of Persuasion: Advantage on Charisma-based checks.
- ring of protection
Cantrips (at will): mage hand, mending, shocking grasp
1st level (4 slots): charm person, mage armor, magic missile, unseen servant
2nd level (3 slots): false life, invisibility
3rd level (3 slots): sending, summon lesser demons (Xanathar’s),
4th level: (3 slots): arcane eye, dimension door
5th level (1 slot): seeming
Go to Part 8A: Curse Den – Guildsman District
Those are generous odds on skullrattle. House barely breaks even.