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This company of mapmakers rose to prominence nearly three centuries ago when they began producing incredibly detailed maps of the Teeth of Light based on the exploration ships that were sent into the southern reaches of the island chain by Yrkyth Vladaam. These charts greatly expanded trade throughout the Whitewind Sea during the decades leading up to the Great Sea War.

The Red Company of Surveyors still uses as its mark the great seal Yrkyth used when he was head of the household. It’s also said that the company was intimately involved in the creation of Yrkyth’s “Enigma Engine”. The company’s influence considerably declined following Yrkyth’s disappearance in 651 IA, but continues to be known for their accurate navigation charts.

The company’s chart-making workshop is located in Oldtown. Their apprentices work as boy messengers on the Docks, purchasing interesting chart data from docking ship captains. (Some of these apprentices are part of Part 18: Vladaam Drug Running.)

The guild uses a diamond-feather badge (representing the quills of the cartographers, but also having deeper meanings for the Brotherhood of Yrkyth).

XXX

Chartmakers: Use artisan stats, Ptolus, p. 606.

• Proficiency (+2): Cartographer’s tools
• Equipment: diamond-feather guild badge, Vladaam deot ring

Guildmaster Essetia: Use mage stats, MM p. 347. AC 16 (bracers of defense, ring of protection).

• Proficiency (+3): cartographer’s tools, Arcana, History, Insight, Persuasion
• Combat Equipment: wand of magic missile (1d6+1 charges), portion of superior healing, dagger, light crossbow (20 bolts)
• Magic Items: dust of dryness (x2), scroll of identify, bracers of defense, headband of intellect, ring of protection
• Other Equipment: backpack, rations (x6), scroll case, spellbook, spell component pouch, pearl (x3, 100 gp each), 100 gp, Vladaam deot ring, diamond-feather guild badge

Cantrips (at will): dancing lights, light, mending
1^st level (4 slots): alarm, comprehend languages, detect magic, identify, shield
2^nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, invisibility, web
3^rd level (3 slots): clairvoyance, dispel magic, fly

4^th level (3 slots): locate creature, stoneskin
5^th level (1 slot): bigby’s hand

Oldtown
Ridge Road – E5

EXTERIOR

A three-storey, stepped tower. A balcony runs around the perimeter of the third floor. Red and cold banners hang around the circumference of the second floor.

AREA 1 – ENTRY

A small  writing desk off to one side of the chamber is typically manned by a guildmember who will inquire after the business of anyone entering.

FIRST MAP OF THE GUILD: Hanging on the wall to the left of the entrance there is an old map of Ptolus. A DC 10 Intelligence (History) check can note the major departures from the modern city:

• Oldtown is nearly in its current state.
• The Nobles’ Quarter is present, but the estates are smaller and less luxurious.
• There are no bridges to Rivergate, and there’s only a single large, walled manor there.
• North of the river, where the Temple District is today, there’s a small cluster of buildings around the Cathedral.
• There’s an area labeled “Guildsman District” clustered around the top of the ramp leading down to the Docks. (Today, this area would be considered the easternmost part of Midtown.)
• South of the river, Oldtown seems to spill out off the mesa and into the western reaches of what’s today the South Market, but the buildings don’t even reach as far as Emerald Hill.

CHART OF THE WHITEWIND SEA: Hangs on the wall to the right of the entrance. Clearly archaic. Drawn by the surveyor who founded the Brotherhood of Yrkyth. (The letters of his name have been cleverly crafted to resemble the diamond-feather symbol of the guild.)

AREA 2 – GREAT SEAL OF YRKYTH

The marble floor of this entry chamber is tiled to form the Great Seal of Yrkyth.

AREA 3 – STAIRS UP

These stairs lead up to Area 6 and the door to Area 8.

AREA 4 – GUILD GATHERING HALL

A long, mahogany dining table runs down the center of this room. The benches to either side of it are padded with purple velvet.

FIREPLACE: On the right-hand wall, there’s a large fireplace. It’s cleverly designed to pump heat under the stone bench which lines the curve of the outer wall.

BOOKCASE: Holds journals and logs donated (or purchased) from various ship captains over the past several centuries.

AREA 5 – CHARTMAKER’S ROOM

This room is filled with drafting tables and associated tools. Most of the guildmembers here are engaged in simply copying maps from the guild’s library (Area 6), but occasionally there will be a new map being drafted.

DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation): Among the mapmaking equipment there is a table with financial records.

• This includes a Tithe Payment of Rent: The boy apprentices of the Red Company of Surveyors are housed in the Vladaam apartments on Crossing Street in Oldtown.
• GM Note: This is not the apartment building occupied by chaos cultists in Night of Dissolution, but one of the neighboring buildings. See Part 15: Oldtown Apartments.

AREA 6 – MAP LIBRARY

This library contains detailed charts of the Whitewind and Southern Seas, but also maps of Palastan, Cherubar, the Plains of Rhoth, the Sea Kingdoms, Ren Tehoth, the Plains of Panish, the Prustan Peninsula, and even the distant lands of Uraq.

ACCESS: The guild charges 100 gp for access to the map room. There is an additional copying charge per map. (These maps represent valuable commercial intelligence.)

LIBRARY: The library grants a +2 bonus to navigation- and geography-related checks.

TREASURE HUNT: A conjoined DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) and DC 20 Wisdom (Survival) check requiring 1d6 days per check can allow a researcher to turn up a map to a potentially interesting location.

• Use Grim’s “All the Dice” Treasure Map Generator, with a 50% chance of generating a treasure hoard.

HIDDEN SWITCHES: There are six hidden switches located around the room. If activated in the correct sequence, they open the 4-ft. thick stone wall leading to Area 7. If activated in an incorrect order, a magical trap is triggered which summons a chain devil and sends a mental alarm to Guildmaster Essetia.

• DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation): To find one of the six hidden switches.
• DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation): To find two of the six hidden switches.
• DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation): To find all six hidden switches.
• DC 25 Intelligence (Investigation): To realize there’s a trap triggered with an incorrect activation sequence. A second DC 25 Intelligence (Investigation) or a DC 16 Intelligence (Thieves’ Tools) check can determine the correct sequence.

AREA 7 – ENTRANCE TO THE INNER SANCTUM

Lit with red everburning torches, this stairwell hidden within the wall of the guildhouse leads down to Area 1 of the Inner Sanctum.

AREA 8 – GUILDMASTER’S QUARTERS

DOOR – MAGIC MOUTH: A gargoyle on the door will animate and speak to anyone approaching, passing messages to Essetia if she’s inside. If Essetia is not present, the gargoyle will “take a message” and give it to her when she returns.

• Door (Strong Wood): AC 15, 27 hp, DC 24 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools)

SITTING AREA: Comfortable chairs with griffon-carved backs and a bed of luxurious feather-down. Large windows look out onto the balcony.

WRITING DESK: The top is closed and locked, requiring a DC 14 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) check. The desk contains:

• Correspondence Regarding the Hand of Malkith
• Report Concerning the Erthuo/Sadar Affair
• An engraved box of oak containing a cutting from a tree (papery-thing, silver-grey bark and white wood) and Letter from Essetia to Ulloth.
• A red pouch containing 150 pp and Letter of Thanks from Godfred Vladaam.

DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation): A chest is hidden under the bed.

• 469 gp
• potion of fire shield
• scrolls (see invisibility, mage hand, feather fall)
• Oath of the Brotherhood of Yrkyth

IRON COFFER: 10% chance of being present.

• 500 gp
• 40,000 sp
• 50,000 cp
• Instructions to have the Ithildin Couriers ship to the Red Company of Goldsmiths on Gold Street (see Part 12).

AREA 9 – GUILDMASTER’S BALCONY

The balcony encircles the entire third floor of the guildhouse. A beautiful view of the city and out across the Whitewind Sea on one side, and across Oldtown towards the Nobles Quarter and the Spire in the other direction.

TRIPODS: There are two tripods set up on this balcony. One contains a sextant, the other a telescope. The guildmark on each of them marks them as creations of the Red Company of Founders (sees Part 11).

Go to Part 14B: Inner Sanctum of the Surveyor’s Guild

This adventure was originally developed as part of my In the Shadow of the Spire campaign. When I posted the campaign journal describing what happened when my players encountered the crypt (which you can read here), several people asked where they could find a copy of the crypt for their own campaigns.

The False Tomb was originally designed for D&D 3^rd Edition. It has been updated to 5^th Edition here. (Members of my Patreon will receive a copy of my original 3^rd Edition adventure notes as special bonus content.)

The adventure uses the tomb spider, along with the associated broodswarms and web mummies, from Monster Manual IV. Tomb spiders also appeared in Monster Manual 2 for D&D 4^th Edition, but have not received an official 5^th Edition update. You can find fan conversions here and here.

The original adventure used copyrighted content from two different RPG publishers. Both publishers have fan content licenses, but for legal reasons I’m uncertain both can be used at the same time. I am using Wizards of the Coast’s Fan Content Policy and have, therefore, stripped the other IP from the adventure.

BACKGROUND

Sagrathea’s Sigil

The PCs are searching for the burial compound of an archmage named Sagrathea. At some point in the past, several of the stone sarsens above Sagrathea’s tomb were taken from the site and reused to build the walls of a small crypt. These sarsens were marked with Sagrathea’s sigil, which may result in the crypt being misidentified as her tomb.

IDENTIFYING THE FALSE TOMB:

• DC 15 Intelligence (Mason’s tools) or Intelligence (History): Recognizes that the walls were built using repurposed sarsens, suggesting that the presence of Sagrathea’s arcane sigil is coincidental.

Once the tomb has been identified as false, finding the actual tomb by searching the surrounding area is relatively easy.

THE FALSE TOMB

ENTRANCE

This crudely built crypt has thick walls formed from heavy stone slabs. Several of these slabs have the distinctive — yet heavily worn — sigil of Sagrathea worked into them. On one side of the crypt there is a badly rusted iron door.

DOOR: The door is rusted shut.

• Batter Down: DC 20 Strength check.
• Repair: DC 15 Dexterity (tool proficiency) check.

STAIRS: On the other side of the door there is a flight of gloom-shrouded stairs leading down about twenty feet into the crypt. At the top of the stairs — propped up against the walls — are the shattered stone remnants of the crypt’s original door.

AREA 1 – ENTRY HALL

The floor is strewn with rubbled stone from the broken walls and ceiling. Thick cobwebs are strung from the walls, although there is a more or less clear path to the door on the far side of the chamber. This heavy door of stone hangs half-open, its bottom half smashed apart.

Difficult Terrain: Due to the broken floor and webs.

AREA 2 – CORPSE HUSK

An upright sarcophagus stands against the far wall of this burial chamber. It has been smashed apart. The corpse of its former inhabitant lies on the floor in the middle of the chamber. Thick webs seem to manacle the dried husk to the walls. The chest of the corpses appears to have been ripped open.

BODY — DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) / Wisdom (Medicine): Something burst OUT of the corpse’s chest.

AREA 3 – LURKING BROODSWARM

The webs are much thicker in this chamber. They almost look like snowdrifts as they crawl their way up the walls. You can see what appears to be an upright sarcophagus standing against the far wall.

BROODSWARM: There is a broodswarm lurking in the webs in the corner of the room (Stealth +7). It will attack if anyone who gets caught in the webs

WEBS: Difficult terrain. DC 10 Dexterity check to cross the room. On failure, become restrained in webs and must make a DC 12 Strength check to escape. (AC 10; hp 5; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage.)

SARCOPHAGUS: A large hole has been punched in the front of the sarcophagus. Inside the sarcophagus is a corpse wearing a ruined mithril shirt — its chest has been ripped open.

• DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) / Wisdom (Medicine): Something burst OUT of the corpse’s chest.
• Mithril Shirt: Although useless, the raw mithril is still worth 1,000 gp.

AREA 4 – WEB-CHOKED ROOM

This burial chamber is choked with webs. They literally fill every inch of open space. The far side of the room is completely obscured by them.

WEB MUMMY: A web mummy lurks in the webs. If the PCs disturb the webs in this room or Area 5, it will attack. Otherwise, it will wait until the PCs are confronted by the tomb spider in Area 6, emerging from this room while dragging webs behind it.

WEBS: Difficult terrain. DC 10 Dexterity check to cross the room. On failure, become restrained in webs and must make a DC 12 Strength check to escape. (AC 10; hp 5; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage.)

SARCOPHAGUS: A sarcophagus stands against the back wall of the room. It has been broken open. (And is where the web mummy comes from.)

AREA 5 – WEB-CHOKED ROOM

This burial chamber is choked with webs. They literally fill every inch of open space. The far side of the room is completely obscured by them.

WEB MUMMY: A web mummy lurks in the webs. If the PCs disturb the webs in this room or Area 5, it will attack. Otherwise, it will wait until the PCs are confronted by the tomb spider in Area 6, emerging from this room while dragging webs behind it.

WEBS: Difficult terrain. DC 10 Dexterity check to cross the room. On failure, become restrained in webs and must make a DC 12 Strength check to escape. (AC 10; hp 5; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage.)

SARCOPHAGUS: A sarcophagus stands against the back wall of the room. It has been broken open. (And is where the web mummy comes from.)

• A +1 longsword lies inside the broken sarcophagus.

AREA 6 – THE TOMB SPIDER

ANTECHAMBER:

Through the broken door you can see an antechamber. A mosaic of glittering lapis lazuli has been worked into the floor, depicting a bursting star. Twin statues with red gemstones in their eyes flank a door leading into the tomb beyond. Each statue raises its right hand before it, as if to ward off trespassers.

THE BURIAL CHAMBER:

In the tomb itself lies an iron sarcophagus worked in the likeness of knight with a sword and shield laid upon his chest. Thick webs are draped from this sarcophagus, shrouding the far corners of the room in darkness.

TOMB SPIDER: The tomb spider is on the ceiling of the burial chamber. It will wait to attack until someone either stumbles into the entry web or enters the burial chamber. It cannot be seen until someone is standing in the doorway of the tomb chamber (Stealth +7, with advantage).

• Tactics: As soon as it gets a chance, the tomb spider will throw a web across the exit.

ENTRY WEB: There is a finely-woven web draped across the antechamber just inside the broken door. DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check to notice it; otherwise the character entering the antechamber will automatically stumble into it.

WEBS – BURIAL CHAMBER: Difficult terrain. DC 10 Dexterity check to cross the room. On failure, become restrained in webs and must make a DC 12 Strength check to escape. (AC 10; hp 5; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage.)

THE KNIGHT: The iron sarcophagus could not be broken by the tomb spider. The heraldry on the knight’s shield can be recognized as belonging to the Order of the Rosy Cross. The knight wears elven chain and a +1 longsword.

The False Tomb is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the material used are property of Wizards of the Coast. © Wizards of the Coast LLC.

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The Red Company of Goldsmiths is maintained as a small subsidiary of the Goldsmiths’ Guild (which, in turn, is largely controlled by the Ironworkers’ Guild). The Vladaams maintain it primarily to launder stolen funds and goods from their other enterprises.

Gold Strips: Suitable for crafting. Each strip is marked with the “V” sigil of the Vladaams (making them easily traceable).

Goldsmiths: Use artisan stats, Ptolus, p. 606.

• Proficiency (+2): Jeweler’s Tools
• Equipment: 1d10 x 1d10 gp, jeweler’s tools, Vladaam deot ring

Guildsman District
Gold Street – E9

AREA 1 – GOLDSMITHY

Gilted worktables with comfortable seats fill the room.

DAY: There’s roughly 8,000 gp worth of gold strips and 5,000 gp of jewelry in this room. 12 sets of jeweler’s tools.

NIGHT: The tools have been tidied away and the gold strips/jewelry moved to Area 2: Gold Safe.

SAFE DOOR (10-in. iron, to Area 2): AC 19, 300 hp, DC 24 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools). An alarm spell is keyed to Guildmaster Telidor.

SECRET DOOR: DC 30 Intelligence (Investigation) check. The wall is hollow and this section is designed to be unscrewed.

AREA 2 – GOLD SAFE

The safe contains 25 pp, 350 gp, and 1,300 sp. It also contains large, heavy stacks of gold strips totaling 32,000 gp in value.

NIGHT: An additional 8,000 gp in gold strips and 5,000 gp of jewelry (secured from Area 1).

DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation): There is a hidden compartment in the tiled steel floor of the safe. It holds a number of small, mimatched bags containing 3,116 gp, 43,457 sp, and 103,900 cp.

DM Background: This money flows in from all the illegal operations of the Vladaams. After being held here, it’s transferred from the Goldsmiths’ Guild to legitimate banks.

AREA 3 – GUILD GATHERING HALL

A long, heavy table of polished oak runs the length of this room. A chandelier of wrought gold and rubies, lit with continual flame, hangs from the ceiling (5,000 gp value).

AREA 4 – GUILDMASTER’S OFFICE

A tidy, well-sorted desk. A gold inkwell (worth 100 gp) stands on top of the desk.

DESK: Ordinary guild correspondence is neatly stacked in one drawer; blank parchment and quills in another. A third drawer holds a black velvet pouch containing 770 gp.

• DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation): One of the drawers has a false bottom. DC 20 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) to open. It contains paperwork relating to the money laundering operations of the guild. There’s usually enough compromising material here to reveal 1d4+2 pieces of uncommon and 1d3 pieces of rare information from the Vladaam gather information tables.

AREA 5 – SMUGGLING HOLE

This appears to be a small, dusty, and forgotten room with a dirt floor.

DC 24 Intelligence (Investigation): Scraping away about a half inch of dirt reveals a trap door leading down to a tunnel which leads under the city wall and emerges about 500 feet away in a small copse of trees.

DM Background: This smuggling hole has not seen much use in recent years. (The Vladaams don’t want to attract unnecessary attention to a guild that’s very successfully laundering their money. But the Guildmaster and a few others in the guild are aware of its existence.)

GUILDMASTER TELIDOR

A striking woman with long black hair plaited with golden wire. She wears a beautiful golden necklace depicting a phoenix being consumed by flames formed from three large and several small red-gold tourmalines (3,000 gp). She also has a pair of matching bracelets, which are actually bracelets of friends (keyed to Navanna twice, Gattara once, Godfred once, Aliastar once, Marcus Corellius twice, and her two bodyguards).

Through her black market work and money laundering with the Vladaams, Telidor has become a very rich woman. As a result, over the past decade her social circle has rapidly escalated. And she likes it. Her ambition has led her to consider buying a familial share in House Abanar in order to raise her star even higher; the only thing holding her back is a fear of retaliation from the Vladaams.

Guildmaster Telidor: Use knight stats, MM p. 347, except she uses a cudgel (1d8+3 bludgeoning) and hand crossbow (1d6 piercing) for her attacks and she has Wisdom 15 (+2).

• Proficiency (+2): Jeweler’s Tools
• Equipment: bracelet of friends (x2), phoenix necklace (3,000 gp), diamond ring (250 gp), Vladaam deot ring
• Bracelet of Friends: This silver charm bracelet has four charms upon it when created. As a bonus action, the owner may designate one person known to them to be keyed to one charm. When a charm is grasped and the name of the keyed individual is spoken as an action, that person is called to the spot, along with their gear, as long as the owner and the called person are on the same plane. The keyed individual knows who is calling, and the bracelet functions only on willing travelers. Once a charm is activated, it disappears. Charms separated from the bracelet are worthless.

Telidor’s Bodyguards (Harla & Jarla): Female lizardfolk. Use gladiator stats, MM p. 348.

• Proficiency (+3): Perception, Stealth, Survival
• Equipment: flaming claw tips (Harla) / frost claw tips (Jarla), javelin of lightning (x2), potion of superior healing, Vladaam deot ring
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage.
• Hold Breath. Lizardfolk can hold their breath for 15 minutes.
• Flaming Claw Tips: +1 to attacks and +2d6 fire damage.
• Frost Claw Tips: +1 to attacks and +2d6 cold damage.

Go to Part 13: Red Company of Magi

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A guild of brass and bronze workers which actually serves as a focal point for Vladaam chaositech research.

Guildsman District
Brass Street – H8

AREA 1 – STOREFRONT

A variety of workbenches cluttered with tools. Guildsmen on duty here will do minor repair work.

TOOLS: Two sets of jeweler’s tools and a set of tinker’s tools.

MERCHANDISE: Various works of brass and bronze, mostly knick-knacks, cheap candelabras, or specialized components of little value. Total worth of 150 gp if it’s all hauled out of here. There are two sextants worth 250 gp each and a set of brass marbles worth 1 gp.

AREA 2 – STAIRWELL

The stairwell is guarded with three alarm spells which are triggered by anyone traversing the stairs who isn’t wearing a guild badge.

• An audible alarm (heard throughout the workshop and out on the street).
• A mental alarm that notifies Aliaster Vladaam.
• A mental alarm that notifies the guioldmaster.

AREA 3 – UPPER WORKSHOP

This workshop contains ten sets of smith’s tools, two sets of tinker’s tool, and two sets of jeweler’s tools., along with a large supply of brass, bronze, and copper (2,000 pounds, worth a total of 1,000 gp). Two small forges are positioned near windows (for ventilation).

PAPERS: A few miscellaneous papers are strewn about, including a Bill for Repairs Done to a Spiked Pit Trap.

SECRET DOOR – DC 16Intelligence (Investigate): The chaositech workshop in Area 4 is actually the second floor storey of the building next door (which has no access to its second floor, just a long stair that goes up to its third floor), so it’s not immediately apparent that there should be any access to it.

BILL FOR REPAIRS TO A SPIKED PIT TRAP

To the attention of Arquad—

A request of remuneration for the services of the Founders’ Guild in the repair and servicing of the safeguards in the back hall of Marquette’s Textiles, Pitch Street, Guildsman District.

To whit—

Repair of hinge mechanisms in door.

Replacement and treatment of spikes.

Additional items—

Blue whinnis commissioned from the Poisoners’ Guild on Black Str. Paid in full. Inc. in billed amount.

Billed amount—

1,875 gold thrones.

DM Background: The trap mentioned here is located in the hallway of Part 17: Undead Shipping Warehouse. The poison (blue whinnis) is being sourced from Part 7B: Alchemy Lab 2 – Poisoner’s Guild.

AREA 4 – CHAOSITECH WORKSHOP

A faint, pink-purple haze clings to the ceiling. There’s sickly-sweet scent raw with some form of potent pheromone. (Ask the players what the emotional reaction of their PCs is to the powerful pheromones.) Strange machinery – some combination of bronze and an unidentifiable black metal – crawls up the walls, although it’s difficult to tell where one device ends and another begins. Several work tables in both halves of the room are covered with softly bubbling chemicals, strangely glowing items, and an eclectic effluvium of technomantic components.

CHAOSITECH: Among a variety of half-completed devices and experiments, there is a sickening rod and blight bomb. There is also a copy of the Book of Greater Chaos. (See Addendum: 5E Chaositech.)

RIFLE CRATE: An open crate that originally contained 12 hellsbreath rifles from the Shuul Foundry. 6 remain in the crate, 2 others have been partially disassembled (and are in various states of study), and 4 have been repacked into a smaller container with a note attached: “Have these sent to the security cache in the temple on Malav Street.”

• DM Note: The temple referenced in the note is Part 6: Abandoned Temple of the Great Mother.

IRON COFFER (10% chance): There’s a 10% chance of an iron coffer containing 500 gp, 40,000 sp, and 50,000 cp with instructions to have the Ithildin couriers ship it to the Red Company of Goldsmiths on Gold Street (see Part 12).

STAT SHEET

Guild Apprentices: Use artisan stats, Ptolus, p. 606.

• Proficiency (+2): Arcana, Smith’s Tools
• Equipment: dagger, hourglass, magnifying glass, oil of mending (x2), Vladaam deot ring

Master Craftsman: Use artisan stats, Ptolus, p. 606.

• Proficiency (+2): Smith’s Tools
• Equipment: hourglass, magnifying glass, oil of mending, Vladaam deot ring.

Chaositech Master: Use mage stats, MM p. 347.

• Proficiency (+3): Medicine, Chaositech Tools, Smith’s Tools
• Equipment: oil of mending, chaositech tools, chaos storage cube (Ptolus, p. 535), any 1 chaositech weapon (Ptolus, 535), Vladaam deot ring
• Chaositech Stabilizaiton: 50% chance of negating chaotic failure of chaositech device.
• Resist Insanity: Advantage on saving throws made when working with chaositech.
• Tinker: Work 1d4+6 days to double a chaositech item’s range, area, duration, or add +2 to its damage or save DC.

Spellcasting: 9^th-level spellcaster. Spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks.

• Cantrips (at will): acid splash, dancing lights, mage hand, sense spell (Ptolus, p. 632)
• 1^st level (4 slots): detect chaositech (Ptolus, p. 628), mage armor, magic missile, shield
• 2^nd level (3 slots): meld into stone, siphon (Ptolus, p. 633)
• 3^rd level (3 slots): counterspell, gaseous form, lightning bolt
• 4^th level (3 slots): private sanctum, stoneskin
• 5^th level (1 slot): mislead

Vladaam Guards: Use guard stats, MM p. 347, with AC 17. (Equipment: breastplate, shield, longsword, longbow, arrows x20, potion of healing, Vladaam deot ring.)

Go to Part 12: Guild – Goldsmiths

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Fletcher: Use commoner stats, MM p. 345. Proficient in fletcher’s tools. Wear Vladaam deot rings.

Vladaam Mage: Use mage stats, MM p. 347. See Part 13: Red Company of Magi.

Vladaam Researcher: Use acolyte stats, MM p. 342. See Part 13: Red Company of Magi.

Guildsman District
Vanguard Street – K8

AREA 1 – WORKSHOP

This workshop belongs to the Red Company of Fletchers and does not generally sell goods directly to the public.

PASSWORD: “Bloodfury” will get the fletchers to sell +1 dreadwood arrows.

SECRET DOOR — DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation): Wooden panel that slides aside. A staircase leads down to Ghul’s Labyrinth (which has a distinctive, cream-colored stone clearly older than the rest of the building).

There is a 10% chance of an iron coffer containing 500 gp, 40,000 sp, and 50,000 cp with instructions to have the Ithildin couriers ship it to the Red Company of Goldsmiths on Gold Street.

AREA 2 – WALKWAY

This is a grated walkway that passes over the grove in Area 3. A wrought-iron, spiral staircase at one end of the walkway leads down to the floor of Area 3, which is twenty or thirty feet below.

AREA 3 – DREADWOOD GROVE

Three long grooves in the domed ceiling glow with a fast-cycling yellow-blue light. The grove is filled with a dozen stunted, twisted trees with barkless, lusterless black trunks with red veins that seem to pulse with thick, turgid blood.

LIGHT: The light is magical, creating a bio-sustaining atmosphere in which plants can be grown. It has been modified to speed the growth of the dreadwood trees (which normally don’t require sunlight); the effect is disquieting if observed for any length of time.

DREADWOOD TREES: A dozen dreadwood trees grow here. Make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 12 on the walkway, DC 25 in the grove) or turn aside with loathing and fear.

AREA 4 – DREADWOOD SEEDLINGS

Long, high tables of stone (designed for Ghul’s orcs) now keep two dozen dreadwood seedlings, ready for transplant to the main grove (or a new grove) when needed.

AREA 5 – DREADWOOD FLETCHING

DOOR: DC 14 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools)

A work area for creating dreadwood arrows. It contains supplies for both traditional fletching, processing dreadwood, and dreadwood horticulture.

AREA 6 – BLUESTEEL DOOR

A bluesteel door leading deeper into Ghul’s Labyrinth. (See Ptolus, p. 391).

The guild does not know the password for this door.

DREADWOOD

The dreadwood tree is a stunted, twisted thing. Its barkless trunk is a lusterless black run through with red veins which seem to pulse with thick, turgid blood. About such a tree there is an aura of the unnatural profoundly disturbing to the mortal mind. Any who would approach a dreadwood tree must succeed at a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or turn aside with loathing and fear. This DC is increased by +1 for every additional dreadwood tree in the area, up to a maximum DC of 25.

If the wood of the dreadwood can be harvested and treated with the proper alchemical substances, its red veins can be made to pulse even in death. Those near an object crafted from dreadwood suffer a -1 penalty on Wisdom saving throws. Those handling an object of dreadwood or entering a room built of it suffer disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws and must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened as long as they are near the dreadwood and for 1d6 rounds thereafter.

A dreadwood tree does not require sunlight in order to grow and many are found deep beneath the surface of the earth. In fact, the dreadwood’s manner of sustenance remains a mystery much studied by arcanists and druids alike.

(Fantasy Materials)

DREADWOOD ARROWS: Those near a dreadwood arrow suffer a -1 penalty on Wisdom saving throws. Those handling or shot by a dreadwood arrow have disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws and must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for as long as they are near the dreadwood and for 1d6 rounds thereafter.

A +1 dreadwood arrow costs 1,500 gp per 50.

DREADWOOD QUIVER: Not a quiver designed from dreadwood, but rather designed to hold dreadwood arrows so that the owner is not perpetually affected by the dreadwood kept within it. Cost: 150 gp.

Go to Part 11: Guild – Founders’ Workshop