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VAULT OF THE WARLORD

Intended for use with 0E or other old school systems such as 1E or B/X.
Intended for five characters of levels 1 to 3.
Included is a 28-room dungeon, township, & outdoors area.

CREDITS
DESIGN & WRITING by JUSTIN TODD
COVER ART by STEVEN GRINDELAND
INTERIOR ART by JUSTIN TODD & STEVEN GRINDELAND

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to the original playtest group: Cam, Kenoli, & Quippi.
Thanks to the one-shot playtest group: Lisa, Peter, & Steve (as DM).
Thanks to all additional play testers: Avenesse, Deathbare, Eron, Karl, Heretic,
ozerulz, Stripe, & Van Wizard.
Thanks to Tim R. for the character of John Longsword.
Thanks to Brad M. for helping get right the name Koukatsumaru.
Thanks to the many role-players among the StarCraft™ community who
helped to inspire the setting on which this module is based.

VAULT OF THE WARLORD 2021 © JUSTIN TODD

Deliver feedback to [email protected]

or find us on Discord via http://ransackgames.com

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MAP OF THE VAULT
Squares are 5 ft.

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 BACKGROUND PLAY ASSUMPTIONS
In a past age, a dark wizard This module was designed with the
produced a semi-divine son by way of following assumptions for play.
eldritch ritual. The son slew the father,
became a great Warlord, terrorized • Monsters ≤1HD will be cleaved by
men & Gods alike, and was e.g. fighters at their class level.
subsequently slain, dismembered, & • Party size is at least four characters
imprisoned lest his unholy spirit be in with 1 attack each; grant hirelings to
some fashion returned to life. smaller groups.
Thusly: the Vault. • Random encounters have been tested
In time, men forget the horrors of “as-is” but you may enjoy deploying
war. When the Warlord’s evil was encounters by fiat in order to achieve
forgotten, the vault’s Watchers faced a certain pacing.
thieves, fanatics, & dark cultists. A new • XP Rewards for Treasure only; none
plan was needed: shunt the Vault into a for monsters or magical items.
sealed demi-plane, bury their fortress
in the Earth, & let the world forget • The Watchers are described as
their accursed prisoner. Monks; if you do not have Monks
simply treat as Fighting-men.
After long ages complacency
allowed cultists of forbidden lore to • Ghoul paralysis leaves the character
begin vile work in the buried fortress, rigid for 2+1d6 turns.
stopped only at the last moment by
Heroes. Alas, rumor now spreads of a • Unless characters are especially
hidden dungeon near Pine Lake where murderous or dishonest, very little
an ancient warlord’s Treasure Vault treasure is available unless the Black
can be found… Blade is recovered & sold to
Samsolan. It is not without irony that
the dungeon has almost no treasure,
INVOLVING PLAYER save for 60,000gp in cursed gold
CHARACTERS bullion which would be no small feat
to get the value of. Certainly, no XP
Assume characters are tipped off to should be rewarded for cursed gold.
a semi-reliable rumor that a dungeon
may be found in Pine Lake.
At your discretion or if your group is
not motivated by treasure, send a
vision from a religious character’s
deity, indicating long dormant evil
within the lake.

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 PINE LAKE TOWN RUMORS
The landscape around the Lake is 1. Haunting the ruined tower is a ghost
littered with pine wood cottages. that knows the location of the lake
Lumber is exported, taken down the dungeon.
road & loaded onto ferries. There is a 2. Morgana the Alewife is a witch.
giant beaver dam, tolerated due to 3. The lake dungeon is full of cursed
the abundance of wildlife & fishing gold, you’ll die if you take it.
opportunities of an expanded lake. 4. Joe the Ogre is a menace, but he
fears a silvered blade!
The town is just a few buildings inside 5. At night, a Black Basilisk walks the
a low stone wall. Visitors check woods, petrifying sinners.
weapons at the Gatehouse. The manor 6. Heroes explored the lake dungeon a
will have basic supplies for purchase at century ago & perished; the last
a 50% markup, & a blacksmith. survivor is buried in the North Woods.

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BLACK BASILISK CLUB THE WATCHERS
The Black Basilisk is a tavern, not an An esoteric order of Monks beholden
inn. There are no accommodations. to their deity Kaeluk, recruited from
Traffic is sporadic, mostly Blakely’s afar to ensure no one disturbs the true
men at lunch or laborers in the Vault. Their diminished membership
evenings, but other colorful characters consists of the earnest Kent, Monk 3
may dally here. Gossip here will (Disciple), the enormous Toro, Monk 4
produce two rumors. (Immaculate), & the eleemosynary
Braga, Monk 6 (Grand Master).
BORIS THE “FENCE”
Boris is a 3rd level Thief (Robber) The Watchers disguise themselves as
beneath mention as an NPC unless a ordinary laborers of Pine Lake, and
Thief is present, in which case he makes Toro & Braga will discourage any from
introductions in Thieves’ Cant & offers seeking the vault with tales of dead
his services as a fence. He claims looters who gained nothing. They will
membership in the nearest Thieves’ keep an eye on adventurers, possibly
Guild & there is a chance equal to using Kent to spy as a retainer. They
one’s Thief level on a d20 to recognize will intervene only in the event that the
his deception: Boris was exiled on pain true Vault would be opened. Each has
of death. He has 420gp to work with; a Ring of Protection & fights with an
he will abscond with the characters’ Arming Sword +1. Braga fights with a
wealth at the first chance. Staff of Striking.

Boris has heard about Joe the Ogre, Kaeluk’s domains are thought,
the White Tree, & John’s gravestone, philosophy, practice, memory, logic,
noting that all three might lead to reason, wisdom, aesthetics, celibacy.
treasure, & could be found by
exploring the North Woods. THE ALEWIFE
“Two women as different as night &
THE BASEMENT day, yet each has the same face.”
The Watchers meet each night in the
basement to discuss recent ongoings. Despite what you’ve heard, Morgana
The basement is locked. the Alewife is not a witch, & uses humor
to deflect these annoying rumors. Her
Beneath the floorboards is a locked sister Cordelia, however, is a 5th level
chest & in the mechanisms is a poison Magic-user (Magician). Both are the
needle trap. Inside find 2,000gp in great-granddaughters of a cult that
gemstones plus a map indicating the once used the Vault as a stronghold.
Gravestone in the North Woods & the
Trapdoor in the Scarred Hills. Cordelia’s spell book contains at 1st
level comprehend languages, detect
magic, hold portal, light, sleep, and
read magic, at 2nd level continual light,
invisibility, enlarge, spider climb, and
suggestion, & at 3rd level dispel magic
& water breathing.

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THE CHURCH Sword +1. Michael’s bastardy is
politely ignored in this matter.
The old pastor suffered a heart
attack & has not yet been replaced. A Blakely maintains a strongbox of the
boy Stig has been minding the church, highest quality, foiling thief abilities by
including the donation box beneath the half. Inside is the 4,000gp wedding
floorboards containing 300gp. ring of his late wife & the last two
Clerical types fulfilling these months’ worth of taxes: 5,000gp.
obligations receive 2d6×10gp twice Blakely has a dim opinion of seeking
per week in donations & visitors will be the vault, his grandfather died there
especially forthcoming, noting the many years ago & oral history makes
dungeon was supposedly beneath the no mention of any treasure.
water where the shore meets the
Scarred Hills. If Blakely or the town are attacked,
he can summon up to four dozen
footman, half of which wield crossbows.
If Blakely is alerted to the Bandit
Camp in the woods, he will send his
garrison to rout it.

THE SAGE DELANEY

Edward Delaney is a gifted sage &
alchemist. He will dispel rumors 1
through 5, but will confirm rumor 6,
believing the dungeon to be beneath
the Scarred Hills.
THE LIVERY
For a negligible cost in silver pieces, Delaney can identify creatures if
characters can sleep in the stables. provided a description & produces 2
They will smell awful & should consider alchemical items per day, each 100gp.
bathing in the lake. These are Potions of Curing,
Alchemist’s fire, or Anti-toxin if the
BLAKELY MANOR source of poison or venom is known.
For 10gp daily, the Blakely Estate
will house & feed a man, provided he To begin he will have 2 Potions of
submits to bathing. Resting in such Curing & 2 Alchemist’s fire flasks on-
luxury recovers hit points at twice the hand. Potions of Curing restore
normal rate. 1d6+1 hit points. Alchemist’s fire
deals d6 damage & continues to cause
LORD BLAKELY this damage until extinguished.
Blakely is a Fighting-man of the 9th
level, with HD 3 due to age. He is FISHERMEN
attended by his bastard-son & Inquiring with fishermen will produce
bodyguard Michael, a Fighting-man of one rumor, & further note the presence
the 5th level. Each carries an Arming of giant rats along the eastern shore.

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NORTH WOODS

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SCARRED HILLS Entrance D & by this point turning back
is not possible. If return is attempted,
Waist-high grass hides the lumpy earth
of this treeless lakeside hill. the tunnel appears collapsed & long-
dead human remains are found.
The Vault is beneath these hills, 2 Among the remains are a dagger, a
hours north of town. Entrance A is near lantern, 50’ of rope, & a journal dated
the shore, 10’ below the lake water. 100 years prior, which relays:
Entrance C is a well-hidden Trapdoor
in the hills, found at 1-in-100 odds for • Sir John Longsword was slain by a
every 4 man-hours of searching. spell of death & could not be
recovered, he is buried in the woods.
RUINED TOWER • Rowena was bitten by a vampire
Nearly a crumbled ruin, just enough before the monster could be staked.
remains to support a lone gargoyle • St. Nolan was torn to pieces by black
overlooking the lake. beasts from a terrible void.
• The druid was engulfed by a great
Visible from Pine Lake, 2 hours west black ooze, leaving only bones.
of the Scarred Hills. The tower is safe • William disappeared.
by day, with a chance of encountering
teenage lovers exchanging 15gp in • I am alone now. My lantern is
gifts. Atop the 100’ tower is a locked growing dim, & I do not have the
footlocker with 750gp locket inside. strength to face the terrors below.
The Gargoyle will come alive to harass
looters. At night, the area is haunted
by a Specter, appearing after 1 turn.
Specter. HD6, AC3, Mv15/30,
incorporeal undead, drains two energy
levels. If slain, a real Ring of Animal
Mastery slips from its ghastly finger.
Gargoyle. HD4, AC6, Mv9/15.
Impervious to normal weapons. Unless
harmed, will merely harass to retrieve
the locket.
Inside the tower a trap-door leads to
a rotting old ladder & musty basement.
A collapsed wall leads off into a dark
tunnel & on towards Entrance D.
However, after 100’ there will be a
terrible vertigo, Save vs. Poison to
resist vomiting. Dwarves will have a 5-
in-6 chance of identifying they have
been shunted three miles east. After a
further 100’ the tunnel reaches

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BANDIT CAMP under 8 hit points, worth 200gp if
captured. The remainder are adults
North of the Scarred Hills by 4 hours
with hides worth 1d4×500gp each.
is a camp of 30 bandits with 5,000gp
in loot: jewelry, crowns & gold pieces.
Bandit. HD1, AC8, Mv12.
Cruel Morris. HD4, AC3, Mv12, AC
adjusted for Shield +1. Wears a gem-
set gold ring worth 2,000gp.

MARSHLAND
East of the lake is marshland, beyond
the scope of this module.
If the beavers allow the water level
WOODS ENCOUNTERS to be lowered or if the dam is
destroyed, after 24 hours vault
Check each hour in the North Woods Entrance A will be visible, partially
by rolling a d6, encounters occur on 6. flooded areas of the vault will be
drained, & fully flooded areas will
1. TROUBLE become partially flooded.
These woods would be peaceful,
save for the bandit camp stirring up 3. JOE THE OGRE
local wildlife. Roll d6 to determine Sky-blue, ugly as sin, & covered in
trouble: [1-3] 1d6+2 Bandits lurking thick yellow hairs.
abouts, [4-5] 1d2 Owlbear struck by
arrows, or [6] 1d6+2 Bandits and Troll. HD6+3, AC5, Mv12, begins
their leader Cruel Morris. regenerating three turns after taking
damage, recovering 3 points per turn,
Owlbear. HD5+1, AC5, Mv12, on a regenerating even from total
hit of 18 or better will “hug” for 2d6 destruction. Has 3,800gp in gemstones
points of damage. stashed in his troll cave.
Joe is actually a Troll, but the
2. 1d3 GIANT BEAVERS townsfolk don’t know that, speaking
You’d swear that was a grizzly bear only of a monster in the woods but not
by the size of it, but grizzlies don’t of any specific atrocities. In-fact Joe is
gnaw on trees quite like that. enchanted, unable to harm men except
Giant Beaver. HD4, AC6, Mv6/12. in self-defense. He was commanded to
safeguard the trap-door in his troll
18 giant beavers live in the lake, with cave which leads to Entrance E in Area
a formidable dam at the south end. 27. His compulsion will require him to
They are intelligent & might be deny the existence of any dungeon,
persuaded to lower the lake’s water but he could prove helpful by
levels if brought bark from the White recovering lost characters.
Tree. Half the beavers will be kits of

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4. THE WHITE TREE 6. TALKING COCK
Black branches adorn a snow-white Listen fools, listen well!
trunk reaching toward Heaven; there is John’s dead & Nolan sleeps,
peace here, & a chance to rest.
While the Singularity wastes your time.
The birch stands alone, giving off a Bawk! Bawk-bawk-bakaaawk!
faint glow. At its base are blue flowers
Joe’s watchin’, Rowena’s waitin,
& human skeleton with gear and
clothes intact. The body holds a Potion But you’re all just pawns o’ Guy!
of Healing, serviceable longsword, Bawk! Bawk-bawk-bakaaawk!
leather armor, 360gp, & a map
indicating a secret entrance to a After delivering these mysterious
nearby dungeon (Entrance C, see the revelations, the rooster disappears in a
entry for Area 2). puff of blue smoke.
Spending a minute or longer here
triggers a sleep spell lasting one hour. VAULT ENCOUNTERS
Resting here for one hour recovers 3 hit
Roll a d6 to check if an encounter
points. Additional resting in the same
occurs. Traces are found on 4 or 5 &
day drains 2d6 hit points.
Encounters on 6. Traces should be
The white tree shifts to a new location encountered only once, or fresh traces
during the witching hour. improvised at the Judge’s discretion.
Traces include (1) empty booze
5. GRAVESTONE bottles & fresh chalk marks, (2) jiggling
Here lies Sir John Longsword. black sludge, (3) rotten, twitching
Exhuming the grave of Sir John hands, (4) too large rat droppings, (5)
reveals he has been buried with a the broken remains of a stone hand, (6)
seemingly ordinary longsword, albeit desiccated, bloodless rats.
one that detects as magical. The sword
is catatonic & none of its magical 1. 1d6+2 BANDITS
abilities will function unless brought to The quiet is interrupted by guttural
the True Vault, where it awakens from laughs, the reek of booze & sweat.
catatonia. Alignment damage still
Bandit. HD1, AC8, Mv12. Each
affects handlers of the blade.
bandit carries 2d6×10gp.
Equalizer. Longsword +1, Lawful, Int
Bandits are sourced from an
10, Ego 2, +2 vs. Magic-users. Speaks
encampment in the woods. Once routed
common, detects secret doors, magic, &
or depleted, ignore this entry.
gemstones. Personality is well-meaning
but subscribes to a deluded idea of
equality (ed. think Harrison Bergeron.)

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2. BLACK PUDDING 4. 2d6 GIANT RATS
Stygian-black sludge leaves the air Visceral disgust turns your stomach as
cold and unforgiving. you catch sight of scampering giant rats.
Black Pudding. HD3, AC7, Mv6, 3d6 Giant Rat. HD½, AC7, Mv12, -2
damage, dissolves flesh, susceptible to morale, routed by fire.
fire, invulnerable to cold, slashing or
lightning divide it into smaller parts, 5. 1 LIVING STATUE
dissolves wood or metal in one turn, Stone masonry suddenly erupts in a
difficult to spot, moves along ceilings or cacophonous blast, as a figure of stone
walls without difficulty, & slips through steps from the wall.
cracks or beneath doors.
Ancient constructs of stone, hidden in
Black Puddings are sourced from the the walls, fighting with ogre strength.
giant pudding in Area 19, depleting its Statues surprise at 4-in-6 odds.
Hit Dice accordingly. If the whole is
destroyed, ignore this entry. Living Statue. HD4+1, AC 4, Mv9,
damage scored is +2. Each statue is
3. 1d6+2 ZOMBIES powered by a huge, glowing topaz
Zombie. HD1, AC8, Mv6”, no morale worth 500gp. There may be at most
checks. If the pile of corpses in Area 6 one statue encounter per room.
is destroyed, ignore this entry.

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6. ROWENA THE VAMPIRE Rowena the Vampire. HD9, AC2,
Mv12/18. May be held at bay by a
Every hair on your body stands on end,
cross or garlic. Rowena is blind, nearly
fear stills your heart & movements; you
sense the presence of a demon. deaf, & weak from malnourishment.
She relies on scent & loud noises.
Rowena was once a hero from distant Mirrors won’t work on her & she cannot
lands, but fell to vampirism when the gaze attack. She wears a depleted
Vault was last cleared. She is the apex Ring of Spell Storing & around her
predator of the dungeon & would be neck is a key to Area 4 that will also
an insurmountable threat were it not bypass the wizard lock.
for a steel spike pounded through each
eye socket. Her lair is in Area 27h. In If seriously threatened, she will
the foot of her coffin, find a Wand of summon 2d6 Giant Rats & flee. If her
Fireballs (2 charges), a scroll case spikes are removed, Rowena crumbles
containing scrolls of fly & remove curse, to ash. If her lair is destroyed Rowena
& a 3,000gp gem-set silver brooch. will lose the last of her humanity &
escape to cause trouble in Pine Lake.

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 Area 2 into Area 20. An hour’s worth
THE VAULT of excavation would let men pass. See
Entrance A is underwater along the Area 20 for additional details.
shoreline. The dungeon is oriented as to
be beneath the Scarred Hills. Doors 3. MAIN HALL
here are iron-reinforced hardwood. The floor here has a downward slope
towards the southeast, so that areas to
1. SUNKEN VESTIBULE the north & west are largely dry.
The air is stale & fetid. Too-cold water This area contains the ruined bodies
laps the knees. Death visited this place. of several cultists, with only tattered
There are 1d6+2 Zombies prone robes & skeletal or desiccated remains.
beneath the water. Half the zombies
here have 1d6gp stashed in tattered 4. SOUTH STORAGE
pockets and ruined boots. A search of Of all things, before you rests a coffin.
all the zombies’ innards here will
produce a 500gp violet garnet. The door to Area 4 is both locked
and wizard locked, and cannot be
A search beneath the water reveals forced. Within the coffin lies the staked
the stairs down to the stuck door to body of an immensely powerful
Area 1a. Forcing the door is doubly Vampire and his swords.
difficult in the water.
Lord Miyazaki. HD14, AC2,
1a. VESTIBULE CLOSET Mv12/18, immune to all common
vampire weaknesses, cannot recover
There is an enormous set of Drums of while reduced to 0 hit points & staked.
Panic stored here.
Aeon Blade. Odachi +1, Neutral, Int
2. FRONT HALLWAY 12, Ego 12, +3 vs. Regenerating,
The hall here is long & dark; torches & Regeneration (6/day), Purpose: Slay
lanterns cannot pierce its depth. Knee- the Undying, +1 to Saving Throws.
high water & uneven footing recommend
proceeding with due caution. The blade is an artifact of the deity
Eternal, whose domains are cold,
Entrance B is filled with wet earth undeath, stasis, eternity, and vampires.
and has no bearing on this module; you The blade wrestles for dominance only
decide whether this passage might be in its pursuit to slay immortal creatures.
excavated and to where it might lead.
Koukatsumaru. Tachi +1, Chaotic, Int
Entrance C is blocked by a stuck 4, Ego 9, +2 vs. Men.
door. These stairs lead directly to the
surface, to a cleverly concealed trap Treat an odachi as a great sword &
door, currently overgrown with vines. a tachi as a long sword. If Lord
Miyazaki is resuscitated, he will assert
At the far end of the hall, the whole command over Rowena & depart, but
area has collapsed. There is just not before draining a victim or two.
enough room for a halfling to slip from

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5. NORTH STORAGE Each grimoire has a sale value of
1,000gp & each Libram 4,000gp.
Bookcases adorn the walls, full of
Cordelia could purchase a grimoire &
historical & magical texts. One shelf
holds three locked chests. Delaney could purchase the Libram of
Gainful Conjuration, but the other
The door to Area 5 is locked. There items will find no buyers in Pine Lake.
are three books of note on the shelves:
The Warlord Harkoom and the Making In the second chest is a leather scroll
of the Modern World, Deeply Hidden: case, containing scrolls of animate
An Analysis of Planar Disjunction, & dead, stone to flesh, & wizard lock.
Mimic & Me: Life and Love with Mimics. In the third chest is a strange device,
pictured below.
Respective study produces:
• Background details on the Warlord. VEIL-PIERCER
In the back is a picture of a fortress Veil-piercer is a tool with one
on a hill, overlooking a lake purpose: detect & break into the
surrounded by pine trees. sealed demi-plane of the true Vault.
• How one might connect to a disjoint Veil-piercer will easily lead one to the
demi-plane, describing designs that demi-plane’s weakest point: Area 26.
resemble the Veil-piercer. Nothing will happen as the tool only
• Notes in the back indicate the mimic poorly distinguishes verticality. The
in Area 13 is named Thessel & enjoys demi-plane’s sealed entrance is 20’
whiskey, apples, & goats. above, in the Scarred Hills. When
taken above there will be a thunderous
In the first chest are four identical “Kra-kow!” leaving a door-like
books with blank covers. They are: “window” in space, floating a couple
feet off the ground.
Vacuous Grimoire x2. First, Save vs.
Spells or lose 1 point of Intelligence,
then also Save vs Spells or lose 2
points of Wisdom.
Libram of Silver-Magic, 1-3. Lawful
Magic-users of up to 3rd level gain a
full experience level immediately, 50%
neutral will become lawful, chaotic will
lose 1 level & suffer 3d6 damage.
Others suffer 2d6 damage.
Libram of Gainful Conjurations, 1-3.
Neutral Magic-users of up to 3rd level
gain a full experience level
immediately, other magic-users suffer
3d6 damage.

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6. PROFANED TEMPLE Hidden among the corpses here is the
indestructible Torso of St. Nolan (Left-
As the doors crack open, rot & death
assault your senses. half, with Arm).

The door to Area 6 is stuck. Anyone 7. COLLAPSED STORAGE

involved in opening these doors The door to Area 7 is stuck.
triggers a Save vs. Poison from the
stench. Failure indicates retching for 1 There are a few jars of oil paints
combat turn. In any case, 1d6+2 here in the northwest corner, but the
Zombies rise to attack. main feature of this room is a gaping
hole leading to Area 20.
Hundreds of corpses are piled &
stacked here, rising occasionally to 8. EMPTY STORAGE
wander as Zombies throughout the Nothing. Zero, zip, zilch, nada.
dungeon halls. Each turn in this room
triggers a 1d6+2 Zombie encounter. The door to Area 8 is stuck.

15
9. ALCHEMIST’S BENCH 11. EMPTY STORAGE
The north wall of the chamber is raw The door to Area 11 is stuck.
earth & roots. Ahead, a wooden
workbench displays all manner of 12. JUNK CLOSET
glassware, vials, with colorful liquids all There is an exceptional quantity of
about. The floor seems dotted with some junk & debris here.
green concoction, perhaps a spill.
The door to Area 12 is both locked
Immediately inside, along the ceiling, and stuck. Each turn of junk searching
awaits Green Slime ready to fall on produces one of: a fishing pole, a pair
any unsuspecting fool. If duped into of spiked boots, a magnifying glass, a
falling (or otherwise…) it will creep jewel worth 1,000gp, an empty
back to its original position in 24 hours. wooden spool, & lastly a Dagger +1.
Torch fire easily burns away this slime.
Green Slime. Sticks to & penetrates
13. MIMIC LAIR
flesh in 1 turn, creating more slime; The door swings open with surprising
cannot be scraped off, may always be ease, revealing a spartan room, as if
slain by cure disease. freshly scrubbed clean. A solitary gold-
filigreed chest sits patiently along the
At the workbench, there is 600gp west wall as if waiting for you.
worth of glassware and the keys to
Area 12. Additionally, there are 2x Listening at the door reveals heavy
Potions of Healing (yellow), 2x Potion breathing. The entire room is a mimic,
of Water Breathing (blue), 1x Flasks & anything moving more than a few
of Alchemist’s Fire (clear), & two feet into the room will trigger its bite,
“platinum” bricks… easily “worth” Save vs. Paralysis to avoid 3d6
2,000gp each.” Each brick is pure damage. Even if a man-type survives,
sodium, a soft metal which reacts e.g., after being pulled loose by allies,
explosively with water. The only roll d6 to determine loss of limbs, 1:
warning is six seconds of smoking head, 2: left arm, 3: left leg, 4: right
before the sodium explodes for 3d6 leg, 5: right arm, 6: none.
points of damage. If the mimic is well-fed by characters
The north wall hides a secret who have learned its name via Area 5,
boarded entrance to Area 27c. The Thessel might communicate. He is
earth can be pulled away by hand. modestly intelligent but will not speak
The boards deserve a crowbar or more than one or two gravelly words
woodsman’s axe, or it will be twice as at a time. Thessel could be persuaded
hard to “force doors” here. to take the form of a very large chest
& be moved elsewhere.
10. COLLAPSED STORAGE Thessel. HD7, AC7, Mv3, pseudopod
The door to Area 10 is stuck. attack, prefers idle camouflage,
dislikes sunlight, produces an organic
The main feature of this room is a glue dissolved by alcohol.
gaping hole leading to Area 11.

16
14. WATERLOGGED This room is flooded to the ceiling.
There are six Living Statues here in the
PASSAGE alcoves, but none have an enchanted
North is dry, stone floor. South is a topaz to power them.
caved in roof, & the whole passage
slopes down into knee high water. 17. FLOODED HALL
Entrance D is a dark tunnel, which Another hall, flooded floor to ceiling.
does not quite lead to the Ruined There is a set of doors along the left
Tower in the North Woods. See that wall, & the whole passage slants
section for additional details. upwards to a dead-end.

There is an odd nook in the northeast The door to Area 17 is stuck & will be
corner with a secret door easily found twice as difficult to force underwater.
by any suspicious character. See Area This hall is flooded to the ceiling. A
19 if the door is found & opened. secret door at the north end is easily
Anyone foraging stones from the found by any suspicious character.
caved in roof will trigger a Living
Statue to arise out of the cave-in. 18. BASILISK’S LAIR
Stone figures seem to mill about
15. FLOODED PASSAGE beneath the water & a few are half-
submerged; the west end of the room
The passage heads left, but the hall is
holds a pocket of air.
sunk into the earth & flooded floor-to-
ceiling with dark, murky water. The door to Area 18 is stuck & will be
twice as difficult to force underwater.
The north section of this area contains
a 30’ long zombified giant crocodile; Within the west side of the room, the
the creature is trapped here & cannot burrow of a dog-sized creature will be
navigate the passage. Characters may noticeable. Anyone idling here will
evade its bite by sticking close to the soon hear skittering legs approaching.
floor or ceiling.
Black Basilisk. HD6+1, AC4, Mv6,
Giant Zombie Crocodile. HD4, AC7, unintelligent, petrifies by gaze or
2d6 damage. Swallows men whole touch, a mirror will reflect the gaze.
when exceeding to-hit by 4 or more.
Among its gizzards are the keys to Among the petrified remains here is
Area 5, a life-like doll, & the the petrified, indestructible Torso of St.
indestructible Legs of St. Nolan. Nolan (Right-half, with Arm). The
right arm grips a Staff of Healing
16. STATUE ROOM which might be dislodged if greased.
Floor-to-ceiling flooding. One door at
the right of the back wall. There are six
alcoves, each holds a golem-like statue.
The door to Area 16 is stuck & will be
twice as difficult to force underwater.

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19. PUDDING LAIR If attacked or disturbed, flight will be
immediately necessary as this black
You spy black pudding. Too much
mass will chase a party throughout the
black pudding. You can barely grasp the
enormity of what is before you. dungeon, consuming & destroying
everything in its wake. Be sure to check
Lairing here is a gargantuan Black random encounters!
Pudding. The tunnel & blue lichen of
Area 27 might be spotted, & one could If the pudding is cleared away, in its
sneak along the west wall to reach it if wake lies a hefty pile of corroded
the pudding remains undisturbed. metal. Within the pile are several
magical items that might be salvaged
Gargantuan Black Pudding. HD15, & repaired by a competent blacksmith.
AC7, Mv6, 3d6 damage, dissolves Each turn spent salvaging in the manner
flesh, susceptible to fire, invulnerable of forcing stuck doors produces one of
to cold, slashing or lightning divide it the following: Axe head +1, Morning
into smaller parts, dissolves wood or Star +1, 7x Arrowheads +1, Chain
metal in one turn, difficulty to spot, +1, and lastly a Cursed Sword -2.
moves along ceilings or walls without
difficult, & slips through cracks or
beneath doors.

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20. VAULT HALLWAY 22. RUG & DOOR TRAPS
To the north is Area 21, & a hole in Ahead is a door, & before that, a rug.
the wall here leads to Area 7. The door looks to be free-standing, not
attached to the north wall. The rug is
Area 2 could be reached by a ominous, depicting a green demon’s
halfling, see that area’s description. head, its mouth a black & empty maw.
Passing through this way reveals a
hidey-hole containing 500gp in There is just enough clearance here to
gemstones, a vial of holy water, & a stand-up without contacting the
scroll case containing scrolls of bless, 15’x20’ rug drawn across the floor.
detect magic, & find traps. The rug radiates a faint illusion magic
which any magic-user may sense.
Anyone foraging stones from the Detect magic will reveal a phantasmal
south-end will trigger a Living Statue killer spell. Touching the rug directly
to arise out of the collapsed earth. triggers the spell; Save vs. Spells to
disbelieve the nightmarish illusion, Save
21. CEILING TRAP vs. Death or the victim suffers a
An enormous block of granite gives catastrophic heart attack.
the impression of having fallen through
the ceiling, stopping short 2’ from the The free-standing door by the north
floor. Underneath, a 2’ metal rod wall will open to reveal a shimming
appears to support the weight. purple vortex. Anyone entering
appears naked some 30’ above the
An Immovable Rod has been water of Pine Lake, just outside Area 1.
deployed to hold up the ceiling. The Their equipment is transported to Area
rod’s side has a release button; 19, where it is likely dissolved by the
releasing safely is another matter. Gargantuan Black Pudding.
The north wall itself is an illusion.

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23. SPIKE TRAP 26. THE SINGULARITY
An obvious pit trap fills the room, with "HALT! MORTAL!" Before you stands a
walkways on either side & a door monstrously built man in purple zubaz
against the north wall. and comically small novelty pixie wings.
"HALT IN THE NAME OF THE
The pit trap is an illusion covering
SINGULARITY!"
normal floor & the walkways are
spring loaded traps that will crush The man here is a programmed
man-types against the ceiling, Save vs. illusion with full control of Area 26’s
Paralysis or suffer 4d6 damage. appearance, which defaults to a study.
24. FOOT TRAP
An empty room, save for a skull &
femur in the room’s center. There is a
door on the north wall.
When the door is opened, a
trapdoor drops out, lowering the victim
so that several spears shooting
forward may impale the victim’s legs.

25. TREASURE TRAP

Wall-to-wall wooden shelves are
stacked with gold bars.
There are 115 gold bars here, each
legitimately worth 500gp. However,
every bar is cursed. Removed bars
curse the pilferer until returned. The
cursed will suffer atrocious luck in all
things. Attacks & saves are made at a
-4 penalty & all other tasks prove
twice as difficult. The DM may
improvise bad luck situations & should
take care to remain coy. After a day,
the cursed feel a terrible foreboding.
The man’s responses are limited in the
One shelving slot is missing gold bars, manner of a machine. He will accuse
instead containing the indestructible you of lacking the necessary
Head of St. Nolan. Though “alive”, the intelligence to engage him. He has no
head will not be responsive until real goals other than to harass & insult
reunited with the rest of the body. anyone he encounters. He will ask
Behind the shelves hides Area 26. stupid questions about the outside
world. He will attempt to goad you
into wasting time, doing silly &
dangerous tasks that achieve nothing.

20
 Note that all illusions in Area 26 are
real to all senses unless pierced by ST. NOLAN
True Sight. The Singularity may freely The body parts of the immortal St.
cause real damage using phantasms if Nolan are scattered about the Vault. If
he is bored or threatened. placed together they will regenerate &
If the sword Equalizer is brought combine, although the petrified right
here it will whisper “gworx” & return to half of his torso will need to be
catatonia. When this passcode is unpetrified before he will resuscitate.
spoken loud & clear the Singularity will
disappear until the next dawn. Delaney could produce a Potion of
Unpetrification if he is brought the gall
27. EARTHEN TUNNELS bladder of a gargoyle.
Earthen tunnels ahead- cramped & If St. Nolan is revived, he will suffer
half-submerged in water. Blue lichen severe amnesia & his speech will be
provides a dim bioluminescence. slurred, injuries which will take him
a. Area 26 is covered by an illusion many years to recover from.
of a solid stone wall, maintained To the party’s benefit, Nolan is a
by The Singularity there. powerful 9th level Cleric (Patriarch) &
b. Intersection remembers how to shut down the
c. Boarded up passage, see Area 9. Singularity. If he is treated well, he will
d. Proceeding down the long tunnel cast healing spells, & might be willing
towards d will cause minor cave- to use raise dead on up to two persons.
ins; make the danger extremely
apparent. Anyone foolish enough While Nolan could prepare remove
to reach the end of the tunnel curse to deal with the gold in Area 25,
deserves: “Rocks fall, you die.” he will not be interested in helping
e. 1 Ghoul beholden to Rowena anyone get rich. He is 100 years
stands watch at this intersection. removed from his own time, all his
f. Bones of a scorch-marked cultist. friends are dead, & his original mission
g. Dead-end. is, as far as he is concerned, complete.
h. Rowena’s lair & coffin; see He will desire only to reach civilization.
Rowena the Vampire for details.
i. Leads into Area 19.
j. Dead-end.
Ghoul. HD2, AC6, Mv9, paralyze on
striking, victims become ghouls.

21
 THE TRUE VAULT THE BLACK BLADE
Dim, violet luminescence colors the sky; The Black Blade, Great Sword +3.
shattered boulders tumble languidly Ownerless, the blade corrupts ordinary
through the air like birds; the world’s men & fighting-men who gaze upon it;
ceiling is torn, a broken spiral, revealing treat martial classes such as monks,
blue-white light from an alien sun. rangers, paladins, or assassins as
fighting-men. Fighting-men receive a
You stand at the edge of a platform Save vs. Paralysis, made at +4 if the
floating in the ether; deep nothingness subject is lawful. Other player
beyond fills your heart with the Call of characters face no compulsion but
the Void; four ancient stone pillars eject suffer 2d6 points of damage if directly
crackling emerald beams, converging on handling the blade, or 4d6 if lawful.
a central sphere; in-out, in-out it pulses,
a glimmering, beating heart. Direct handling turns ordinary men &
fighting-men immediately to Chaos.
If the blade Equalizer is brought After a turn of undisputed ownership
here, it intones We must destroy this by a fighting-man, the blade
place & awakens from catatonia. empowers its new master, granting
Each stone pillar contains the remains giant’s strength, 4 additional Hit Dice,
of one of the Warlord’s lieutenants. maximizing all Hit Dice, &
Each is ancient, easily toppled or regenerating 1 hit point per hour. The
smashed, releasing the Ghoul within. wielder is now the new Warlord.
Each wields an adamantine blade, a The Warlord may channel his own
virtually indestructible Longsword +2. strength through the sword into any
Ghoul. HD2, AC6, Mv9, hits at +2 creature that bears the adamantine
with blade, +2 damage from Servant blades of his lieutenants. The Warlord
of the Warlord, paralyzes on striking suffers 1d6 points of damage, and the
only if unarmed, victims become ghouls. chosen lieutenant moves one step along
the Servants of the Warlord track.
One stone pillar may be destroyed
without consequence. If a second is Servants of the Warlord.
smashed, the remaining two pillars will 1. Purple-hued skin; must Save vs.
sputter & deactivate. After 1 turn, a Spells to resist the Warlord’s will.
ghoul will escape its prison. After a 2nd 2. Immunity to all mind-affecting
turn a final ghoul frees itself. powers, except the Warlord’s.
When all the pillars are deactivated, 3. Strength equivalent to an Ogre.
the glimmering sphere disappears, 4. Permanently enthralled to the
revealing an imposing vertical stone Warlord’s will, unable to resist.
sarcophagus. When opened, dusty
skeletal remains tumble forth,
shattering into bits & dust. Moments
later a terrible great sword falls to the
stones with a clang: the Black Blade.

22
 ensure his body does not immediately
COMPLICATIONS fall into enemy hands.
Use these options to apply time 4. GNOTH’REZIM CULT
pressure or force a satisfying finale. Truly idlesome parties will require a
Consider Guy Clark to face good firm hand. Send 5 dozen cultists (as
parties, or Annavalaxia against any Bandits) to raid Pine Lake, led by
who take up the Black Blade. Nausica Delacroix, a 9th level Magic-
1. RIVAL ADVENTURERS user. Nausica garbs in all black with a
Eventually most groups will have their white porcelain mask & sports pigtails
run of the dungeon. Send unused, pre- in blonde. Her black clothes are the
generated characters against them. demon Samael who may fight as a
shadow-based Djinn. Nausica will
2. THE DRAGONS want the Veil-piercer & the Black
Once Area 26 or Veil-piercer have Blade; she will force the party towards
been introduced, put forward one or this end. Nausica will have a Ring of
both of Samsolan the Verdant & Spell Turning & a Ring of Protection.
Annavalaxia the Gold Dragon.
Samael. HD7+1, AC5, Mv9/24.
Samsolan, Adult Green Dragon.
HD9, AC2, Mv9/24, offers 30,000gp
for the Black Blade. Haughty but
IN CONCLUSION
reasonable, does not cast spells, This module may prove very difficult
attended by a host of kobolds. for some groups. You must resist the
Annavalaxia, Adult Gold Dragon. urge to coddle. If poor decisions lead
HD10, AC2, Mv9/24, offers 12,000gp to death, it is enough that players learn
for the Black Blade & the everlasting what mistakes should not be repeated.
gratitude of Bahamut, King of Good Incautious players will likely become
Dragons. Uses a woman’s form to trapped in the dungeon via the Ruined
beseech characters’ good natures. Tower & the entire group may perish.
In this event, consider having a cleric
3. MASTER GUY CLARK dream of these events, relayed to the
Rumors of treasure are the work of new party of characters.
ex-Watcher Guy Clark, a 5th Level
Monk formerly second to Braga. He is The Specter which comes out at night
a squirrely, silver-haired man & at the tower & Rowena are not threats
thoroughly unhinged. Guy hopes a low-level party has any chance of
adventurers will clear the way to facing. Make sure to inform players
unlock the true Vault. Guy knows the how deadly a Specter will be & slay
location of the true Vault & if Veil- any who are insolent enough to seek it.
piercer is found he will seek to steal it. Groups are intended to flee Rowena
& if they do not do so at least 1
Guy wields a Staff of Striking, & character must be consumed.
wears both a Ring of Protection &
Ring of Regeneration. He will be
certain to use his “dying breaths” to

23
 ONE-SHOT VARIANT PREGEN CHARACTERS
You may run the whole module in Attributes. Str, Int, Wis, Dex, Con, Cha.
four hours with judicious use of time.
Plan on exploring ~7 rooms per hour, Lord’s 2nd bastard child
finding Veil-piercer by the last hour. Fighter, HP6, AC4, Neutral
Attributes. 13, 9, 8, 13, 14, 9
First, immediately begin in Area 1 Chain, shield, sword, 150gp
entering from Entrance A. Assume
either Annavalaxia or Samsolan have Hedge wizard, knows Cordelia
already commissioned the players to M-U, HP3, AC9, Chaotic
find the Black Blade & given them the Attributes. 6, 14, 8, 10, 6, 7
sword Equalizer. Players will not know Spell book, dagger, 50gp
about the true Vault's location.
Second, eliminate Areas 15, 16, Urbanite priest, replacement pastor
17, & 18, Entrances B & C, and the Cleric, HP3, AC5, Lawful
remains of St. Nolan from the dungeon. Attributes. 14, 6, 12, 10, 6, 12
Chain, shield, morning star, 94gp
Third, have retainers on hand
outside the dungeon to replace fallen Ex-bandit, knows of Cruel Morris
characters, or to re-equip with basic Thief, HP4, AC7, Neutral
gear those characters who fall victim to Attributes. 8, 9, 9, 12, 10, 7
the trap in Area 23. Leather, club, 145gp
Fourth, eliminate the procedures Contract killer, target: Boris
for skill rolls & random encounters. Assassin, HP4, AC7, Neutral
Assume locks are always picked & Attributes. 12, 12, 8, 14, 10, 9
doors always successfully forced. Keep Leather, dagger, 92gp
track of time as usual & rely on your
skill as Judge to deploy random Misguided youth, rejected by Braga
encounters at an appropriate pacing. Monk, HP4, AC9, Lawful
Note, without random encounters, Attributes. 14, 6, 15, 15, 10, 6
the dungeon contains only Zombies in Arming sword, 60gp
Areas 1 & 6, the Ghoul in Area 27, &
the penultimate battle in the True Great-grandchild of St. Nolan
Vault. Unless an abundance of time is Cleric, HP6, AC6, Lawful
available, consider deploying only 1 Attributes. 11, 13, 14, 9, 11, 6
Living Statue & the Rowena the Arming sword, 60gp
Vampire encounters.
Ex-cultist, knows Vault was a lair
Note, consider allowing read magic M-U, HP2, AC9, Neutral
to be cast for free, & either ignore Attributes. 9, 16, 8, 14, 7, 12
encumbrance or ensure retainers carry Quarterstaff, 101gp
items on behalf of the party.

24