Dungeon23: Week 39

Area C: The Magma Fields

The Magma Fields beckon (AI image courtesy of NightCafe.)

South of the Howling Tunnels the air becomes dry and acrid with the odor of brimstone.  The smooth caverns here are broken by rivulets and deposits of flowing magma – runoff from under the adjacent, dormant volcano in the Crown Mountains above.  Jagged, obsidian shards jut from these like dragon’s teeth surrounding a fiery maw.  

This inhospitable region is the home of hellhounds, fire giants, salamanders, and even red dragons, served by the hard, eunshiel warriors of Clan Sornath.  In the lava-filled recesses where the barrier between this plane and that of eternal Fire is weak, even these fearsome creatures fear to tread, for they are places where dancing fire elementals and cruel efreet hold sway.

This map is released under terms of the  CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

C1: Tumbling Caverns

While this area seems to provide a respite from the heat and toxic environment of the magma fields, there is a reason trade caravans avoid it – they are seismically unstable.  Player characters (PCs) passing through this hex have a 2-in-6 chance of encountering a powerful, localized tremor or minor earthquake.  The tremor has a 70-foot radius and causes a cave-in that deals 8d6 damage to everyone within (save against breath for half.)  Any who fail the save are trapped under rubble and have 2d12+Con bonus rounds to be freed before they suffocate and die.  It takes 1d6 rounds to dig through the rubble and free a character.  This roll is affected by the digging character(s) Strength: bonuses subtract from the roll (minimum 1 round,) while penalties add to it.

C2: Clan Sornath Proving Ground

A magma inlet contains a fortified camp of 130 eunshiel of Clan Sornath protected by a natural “moat” of lava.  98 of these are warriors, with a commander (8 HD), a second-in-command (7 HD), and four sub-leaders (HD 5, 5, 4, and 3.)  Each leader can cast magic-user spells as elves of equivalent hit dice.  The other 26 are non-combatant support staff and camp followers.  
While this is normally a training area for warriors of the eunshiel Clans, the camp’s commander is under secret orders to train and prepare troops for potential mobilization to take the snake-men’s fort in the Howling Tunnels (A7), then move on to the City of the Snake-Men as part of an occupying force.
Assisting the eunshiel in this endeavor are three (3) young red dragons (HP 42, 44, 51,) that currently shelter in a central cove that produces the lava in the camp’s “moat”.  1d3 are present in this makeshift lair at any one time.  The dragons’ beds are composed of rich treasure as well as tribute from Clan Sornath raids in the Underwilds:

• Coins: 60,000 cp, 65,000 sp, 30,000 ep, 60,000 gp
• potion of flying
• Cleric spell scroll: snake charm, 10-ft. protection from evil (x2), 15-ft. silence, discern (know) alignment
• Magic-user spell scroll: hold person, read magic, animate dead, polymorph (others,) 10-ft. invisibility
• Magic-user spell scroll: darkvision, charm person, wizard eye, telekinesis, mirror image
• +1 shield
• Sear, a Lawful, +1 sword with a +3 bonus against regenerating monsters.  It is intelligent (Int 11, 7 ego,) and can speak the languages of dwarves, elves, and dragons, as well as the Common tongue.  Once per day, it can detect the presence of magic, traps, and gems.  The sword is buried deep in the hoard, since it likes to prick the dragons’ flanks like a thorn when they sleep due to is Lawful nature.

The warriors of Clan Sornath are ready to mobilize (AI image courtesy of NightCafe.)

C3: Gauntlet of Spitting Fire

This part of the Fields is studded with hollow tubes that burp forth underground gases, flinging heated rock and lava.  Some of these missiles are hurled with deadly force.  There is a 2-in-6 chance PCs entering this hex encounter the remains of a trade caravan.  Inspecting the remains puts the party directly in the line of fire.  PCs must save against breath or be pelted by fiery, half-melted rocks from multiple directions.  These cause 2d4 burning damage for seven (7) rounds.
The caravan’s remains still contain 7,100 gp in valuable goods, which weigh 1.5 times the equivalent amount in coin.
Returning to this area has another 2-in-6 chance of encountering this type of hazard again, sans treasure.

C4: Court of the Exile

In the heart of the Magma Fields, a grand cavern is illuminated by the dim, crimson glow of flowing lava.  At the center of this infernal domain, an imposing efreet (HP 44) appears to hold court from an obsidian throne and dais.  On closer inspection, however, it is evident that the towering figure is actually a prisoner.  He is bound to his “throne” by glowing, ethereal chains of magical force.
If spoken to, the efreet politely introduces himself as Zharaak.  He claims that he was unfairly imprisoned here by a treacherous rival and is willing to grant favors to any who can free him.  In reality, he is known as Zharaak the Exiled, an infamous criminal on his fiery home plane, where he tried to usurp the throne of his brother.  His sentence was exile and imprisonment on this plane in a cruel mockery of rulership.
Approaching the dais to inspect or attempt to deal with the chains of force summons Zharaak's “jailers” – 1d6 fire elementals (8 HD.)  The efreet does not inform the PCs of this, since watching foolish heroes die attempting to free him is one of his few forms of entertainment.  If challenged afterward, he will feign ignorance of his jailers.
The PCs must be very careful dealing with Zharaak and mind the exact terms of their agreement.  While he is bound to his word, the efreet will try to twist the the terms to be of no benefit to the PCs.  Indeed, he would slay them at first opportunity if he wasn’t geased to be subservient to any who release him.  He may yet do so once the terms of his release are fulfilled.
The chains can be undone via a dispel magic, or a total of 18 points of damage to each with a Lawful, magical sword.  Ironically, Zharaak’s only accoutrement, a brass earring, is actually a ring of djinni summoning (an old enemy he had imprisoned himself) that he is unable to use himself due to the terms of his exile.

Zharaak the Exiled is free at last! (AI image courtesy of Bing Image Creator.)

C5: Fort Salamander

These small ruins of dwarven origin are currently a border fort for a small kingdom of fire salamanders beyond.  The fortifications are barely a wall and watchtower that nevertheless block the only pass through noxious hills of sharp obsidian and valleys filled with lakes of magma.  The fort is manned by four (4) of these salamanders (HP 37, 32, 13, 32.)  Only caravans bearing a charter with the seal of the snake-men’s ruler are currently allowed through.

C6: Obsidian Falls

The walls of this cavernous area are made of jagged, glistening obsidian.  PCs must take care and move at half speed or have a 2-in-6 chance every hour of suffering cuts from the sharp rocks (1d4 damage.)  The caverns end in a “waterfall” of molten lava cascading from a rift high above.  The fiery flow shimmers on the black rock, which is a breathtaking sight.  While the heat here is uncomfortable, the area has a thriving ecosystem of heat-resistant (but mostly harmless) flora and fauna, and provides a defensible location for the characters to rest in.

One of the few, peaceful places in the Fields (AI image courtesy of NightCafe.)

C7: Steam Ponds

The transition from the Magma Fields into the shores of the Sea of Darkness (Area D) is evident here.  The cooled, lava floor is pockmarked with craters filled with steaming water, forming spring-like pools.  Deep fey trade caravans passing through often rest here and a random encounter in this hex will be with one such caravan 50% of the time.  On a positive reaction, the traders will inform the PCs about the danger of the pools.  While they may seem inviting after a long day of travel, there is a 2-in-6 chance a pool is enchanted (with energies radiating from the Ovoid,) and bathing in it may have unpredictable results (roll 1d20):

1. The bather feels refreshed, as if they had a full night’s rest.  They also gain regain 1d4 hit points.
2. Anyone in the pool becomes invisible. The effect lasts 24 hours, but is subject to the same restrictions as the spell.  
3. The bather becomes resistant to heat and fire (as a spell) for 24 hours
4. As above, but the bather becomes vulnerable instead, and immediately suffers 1d4 damage every round spent in the now scalding pool.
5. The bather gains a clairvoyant vision of a random area in the Underwilds (roll 1d4 for area, and 1d8 for individual entry, with”8” being GM’s choice,)
6. The bather has vivid and unsettling hallucinations that affect them as a confusion spell.
7. The bather becomes 2d6 years younger.
8. The bather becomes 2d6 years older.  
9. The bather gains a sense of joy and confidence that grants a +1 bonus on hit rolls and saves for 24 hours.
10. The bather is beset with emotional turmoil, depression, and despair, suffering a -1 penalty to hit rolls and saves for 24 hours.
11. Out-of-body experience! The bather(s) project into the astral plane. At the GM’s discretion, there may be creatures waiting there for them.
12. The bather(s) gain the ability to converse telepathically with each other while in the pond, but can also read each others' surface thoughts.  The party members will now know what they really think of each other, including prejudices, grudges, and secret crushes.
13. The bather gains the ability to speak with and understand fire or water elementals (50/50 chance) for 1d6 days.  However, they do not know which one it is and will have a +1 bonus to reactions with the correct elemental(s) and -1 with the wrong ones.
14. The bather(s) lose their memory!  They immediately lose a number of levels as a reverse, potion of heroism and come under the effects of a fear spell.  The amnesia and level loss lasts 2d6 days, but can be reversed with magic for removing curses.  The fear effect only lasts as long as the spell equivalent.
15. Roll a die: on an even result, the bather gains 18 Strength, on an odd result, the bather weakens to 3 Strength.  The effect lasts 24 hours.
16. The bather is struck blind permanently.
    
17. The bather’s speech becomes deep, garbled, and eerie.  Every time they speak, listeners within 10 feet must save against spells or become cursed (as the spell.)
18. Time is distorted while in the pool.  Roll a die: on an even result time slows by a multiple equal to the roll, on an odd result, time speeds up.  Roll 1d6 for the multiple.
19. The bather’s skin becomes rock-like.  They immediately have AC 0 and the effects of a protection from missiles spell.  However, there is a 3-in-6 chance they slowly become petrified 1d6 hours after leaving the pool.  The positive effect lasts 24 hours, but the petrification is permanent.
20. The bather(s) teleport in a random direction (roll 1d6,) 1d4 hexes away.  Roll for each bather.  In addition, there is a 1-in-6 chance the teleported individual is melded into a rock wall or formation, dying instantly.

This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document.  The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.