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For ease of use, these key entries are designed to completely replace the matching entry in the book (unless otherwise noted).

Design Note: My actual process for assembling the revised key is pretty straightforward. First, I run through my list of things that I think need to be changed. When I’m not writing essay-long explanations of my thought process for public consumption, this would usually just be a short, bullet-pointed list.

In addition to stuff that I think needs to be fixed, this list would also include any cool ideas that reading through the key had spurred in my imagination. You can see a little bit of that here with Area D13 and the corpsedamp zombies, but I’ve mostly eschewed it for this exercise.

Once that’s done, I simply run through my revelation list (as seen in Part 3C), and place every clue that’s supposed to appear in the location. It’s not unusual for this to be a two-way street, with additional clues being added as I develop the revised key and then being added to the revelation list (instead of vice versa).

D4. NORTH MASSAGE ROOM

In addition to the normal key for this room (DIA, p. 20):

Secret Door: Opened by rotating a circular piece in the stained glass window next to it.

D7. BHAAL’S ALTAR

In addition to the normal key for this room (DIA, p. 21) there is a wax tablet and stylus lying on the altar next to the entrails. This tablet contains various prophecies which have been divined from the entrails:

• When the box is opened in the house of Alaundo, the path forward shall be revealed.
• One of four shall be damned to Hell. One of four shall be struck by a thunderbolt. One of four shall rise.
• The great Sun shall be blackened and the devil legions of Avernus shall conquer Elturel.
• Conflict shall come to the Great Cities of Waterdeep, Athkatla(?), and Iriaebor.
• Volcanic fire shall tremble the peaks of Orsraun.
• Of the West shall speak the Tears of Selûne, and they shall weep upon the Inner Sea.

GM Note: The “house of Alaundo” refers to Candlekeep (Alaundo founded Candlekeep and foresaw the coming of the Bhaalspawn). The “great Sun” refers to the Companion. The other prophecies are either nonsense or unrelated to Descent Into Avernus (although players might conclude that “one of four” refers to the Council of Four).

D9. DEAD THREE DOORS

Each door is carved with a full-figured bas relief of a different person.

Wisdom (Perception) – DC 10: The carvings are very old The stone is worn and some of the carvings show other signs of damage, along with some evidence of recent repairs. (For example, one of Bhaal’s scythe-like hands appears to have been broken off and only recently re-attached.)

Intelligence (Religion) – DC 10: On success, recognize the figures as depicting the Dead Three.

• East Door – Bane: A tall, armored man wearing a bucket helm. His right gauntlet is painted black and clutches a set of shackles.
• South Door – Myrkul: A cloaked figure whose face is hidden under a cowl. In his skeletal hands he clutches a screaming human skull.
• West Door – Bhaal: A powerfully built, skull-headed man with long, curved blades where his hands should be.

D12. BANE’S ALTAR

Generally use the normal key for this room (DIA, p. 22), but if Yignath is present, rather than torturing Klim Jhasso for fun, he is using a blacksteel razor to carve infernal text into his skin. (If Yignath is no longer present, the blacksteel razor lies on the altar.)

Blacksteel Razor: Blacksteel is dark, silent, and nonreflective. It makes no noise when striking other objects or creatures (even if it is broken or shattered). Blood clings to the razor, rather than spraying or dripping.

Infernal Carvings: “In the name of Bane, we offer adulation to Zariel, Archduchess of Avernus. In the name of Bane, we give the blessing of one god to another. In the name of Bane, we give blessing unto the unholy conquest of Elturgard. In the name of Bane, we offer adulation under the fear and tyranny born in her name.”

D13. MORGUE

• Far end of the room has collapsed. Four wooden beams brace the ceiling.
• Three sarcophagal slabs have been converted into work tables. Two are covered with vials, alembics, and similar alchemical and arcane apparatus. The center slab has a human cadaver lying atop it, partially dissected with its various organs and viscera neatly organized around it. (If Flennis is taken by surprise here, she will be actively studying the corpse.)
• Several large pipes have been bolted to the collapsed wall of rubble. They twist their way towards a huge vat of iron standing near the sarcophagal slabs.
• If they have not been taken from this room, three bloated corpsedamp zombies are strapped to the north wall. Various tubes leading from the iron vat are attached to the corpses.

Wisdom (Perception) – DC 14: To notice the very faint smell of rotten eggs. It can be traced back to the collapsed wall, where the smell is stronger. (Anyone specifically inspecting the collapse will automatically detect the smell.)

• This is corpsedamp gas. See areas D15 or D18 for full description (including guidelines for identifying the gas and its properties). There is no risk of explosion here as the gas is not sufficiently concentrated.

Iron Vat: This is a pressurized vessel, collecting corpsedamp gas that’s leaking through the collapsed wall. The tubes connected to it are designed for the creation of corpsedamp zombies (the current crop is more or less ready to go). The tubes have long needles at the end of them and are basically just jammed into the corpses.

• If the pipes weren’t harvesting the corpsedamp gas here, the leak would be much more significant.

Dissected Corpse: A DC 14 Intelligence (Arcana) test suggests that someone is experimenting with exposing internal organs individually to the corpsedamp gas.

Work Tables: The Missive of the Hidden Lord Ω handout can be found here.

D15. SMALL FLOODED ROOM & GAS BUILDUP

On Approach: DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check to notice the smell of rotten eggs. (Once in the chamber itself, the smell intensifies to a putrid stench anyone will immediately notice.)

• Four rotting wooden beams rise from the murky water to brace the ceiling here.
• A pile of rubble in the northwest corner.
• Northern tunnel narrows to just 2 ½ feet wide.

Rubble: Nothing of interest here.

Corpsedamp Gas: Open flame triggers explosion (4d6 fire damage, DC 15 Dexterity saving throw for half damage). All wooden beams are destroyed by the explosion, which may trigger a roof collapse. The explosion burns away the gas, which builds up slowly and becomes danagerous again after 24 hours.

• Intelligence (Arcana) / Wisdom (Survival) – DC 12: Misidentifies the gas as stinkdamp; a toxic and explosive gas.
• Intelligence (Arcana) / Wisdom (Survival) – DC 15: Correctly identifies the gas as corpsedamp. Most often extracted by necromancers from rotting corpses, it has a number of properties favorable to their work.
• Intelligence (Arcana) – DC 18: Corpsedamp gas is particularly notable for allowing the creation of corpsedamp zombies — shambling undead literally bloated by the mass of gas used to animate them. Corpsedamp zombies are vulnerable to fire, but explode when killed.

Roof Collapse: If the beams are destroyed, 25% chance of roof collapsing. 4d10 bludgeoning damage, DC 15 Dexterity saving throw for half damage. Room remains open, but is difficult terrain.

• A roof collapse in this area will have an additional 50% chance of extending 1d4 x 5 feet up each passage leading to this room. (Check for each passage.)

D17. MYRKUL’S ALTAR

• A dry room.
• The north wall is partially collapsed.
• A stone altar in the center of the room with humanoid skulls and bones piled around it. The top of the altar is covered with dozens of half-melted, unlit candles made of black wax.

Wisdom (Perception) – DC 14: Notice the very faint smell of rotten eggs. It can be traced back to the collapsed north wall, where the smell is stronger. (Anyone specifically inspecting the north wall will automatically detect the smell.)

• This is corpsedamp gas. See areas D15 or D18 for full description (including guidelines for identifying the gas and its properties). There is no risk of explosion here as the gas is not sufficiently concentrated.

Altar:

• If one or more black candles are lit, they shed a green light that reveals black writing on the walls. It reads, in Common, “RISE AND BE COUNTED!”
• If someone says, “RISE AND BE COUNTED!” within 5 feet of the altar, the words vanish as bones hidden under the debris at the north end of the room rise up and knit together, forming three animated human skeletons that obey the commands of whoever spoke the words.

Black Candles: These candles have been marked with the names of those targeted by the Dead Three cultists — Edmao Eduarda, Wemba Oshrat, Madhuri Akhila, Leiv Diomids, Aneta Diomidis, Annika Silverleaf, Shohreh Letitia, Iolanthe Oshrat. (Valeria Nuska and Weronika Nuska would also be included if Amrik has identified them.)

• Intelligence (Religion) – DC 14: These candles symbolically offer “Myrkul’s blessing” (i.e., death) unto those named upon them. Myrkullites believe that the smoke from the candles rises up, seeks out the lungs of the one so “blessed,” and blackens them. (Some magical versions of the candles do just that.)
• GM Info: This ritual is not a required part of the cultists’ dark work. It’s just the priests’ way of offering an unholy blessing to their task.

D18. LARGE FLOODED ROOM & GAS BUILDUP

On Approach: DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check to notice the smell of rotten eggs. (Once in the chamber itself, the smell intensifies to a putrid stench anyone will immediately notice.)

• The room is flooded.
• The ceiling is supported by numerous wooden beams.

Corpsedamp Gas: Open flame triggers explosion (4d6 fire damage, DC 15 Dexterity saving throw for half damage). All wooden beams are destroyed by the explosion, which may trigger a roof collapse. The explosion burns away the gas, which builds up slowly and becomes danagerous again after 24 hours.

• Intelligence (Arcana) / Wisdom (Survival) – DC 12: Misidentifies the gas as stinkdamp; a toxic and explosive gas that is heavier than air.
• Intelligence (Arcana) / Wisdom (Survival) – DC 15: Correctly identifies the gas as corpsedamp. Most often extracted by necromancers from rotting corpses, it has a number of properties favorable to their work. It is easily mistaken for stinkdamp, and is similarly heavier than air.
• Intelligence (Arcana) – DC 18: Corpsedamp gas is particularly notable for allowing the creation of corpsedamp zombies — shambling undead literally bloated by the mass of gas used to animate them. Corpsedamp zombies are vulnerable to fire, but explode when killed.

Roof Collapse: If the beams are destroyed, 25% chance of roof collapsing. 4d10 bludgeoning damage, DC 15 Dexterity saving throw for half damage. Room remains open, but is difficult terrain.

D19. PARTIALLY COLLAPSED CRYPT

• Most of the room has fallen in.
• Debris field mostly buries a stone sarcophagus.

Wisdom (Perception) – DC 14: Notice the very faint smell of rotten eggs. It can be traced back to the collapsed south wall, where the smell is stronger. (Anyone specifically inspecting the collapse will automatically detect the smell.)

• This is corpsedamp gas. See areas D15 or D18 for full description (including guidelines for identifying the gas and its properties). There is no risk of explosion here as the gas is not sufficiently concentrated.

Sarcophagus: Empty. Looted years ago.

D20. HALF-PLUNDERED CRYPT

In addition to the normal key entry for this area (DIA, p. 24) the far wall of the crypt is badly cracked, but shows signs of being repaired. (Corpsedamp was also leaking into this room, as in Area D19, but efforts have been made to seal the cracks and prevent the leak.)

D23. DOOR

Instead of a secret door, the door leading to D27 is a normal wooden door.

D26. BHAAL’S REST

• The middle of the room is occupied by an open stone sarcophagus, but the floor has been cleared (as a resting place for the followers of Bane).
• There are six dusty bedrolls on the floor.
• Sconces in the north and south wall.
• There are three footlockers against the far wall.

Footlockers: Two of these are battered and worn with years of use. The third is clearly of better construction and is also padlocked. (This latter footlocker belongs to Vaaz and contains the Missive of the Hidden Lord φ and Vaaz’ Correspondence handouts.)

D30. TIAMAT’S STOLEN TREASURE

Use the normal key entry for this room (DIA, p. 26) except for Chest 4.

Chest 4 contains a bronze crown with fire spires (250 gp) that weights 2.5 pounds. Each spire is shaped and painted to resemble one of the five kinds of chromatic dragon (black, blue, green, red, and white). It has been carefully packed in shaped padding; there is a second hollow in this packing material that would appear to fit a mask, but there is nothing in it. (GM Note: It does not fit the mask from Chest 3. This mask is located in Vanthampur Manor.)

Crown: Around the interior of crown is an inscription, written in Draconic: “From Avernus we summon her. To Tiamat we pledge fealty.”

Go to Part 3F-C: Dungeon of the Dead Three – Adversary Roster