Deep Horizon - Ruined Gatehouse.pdf - Adventures - cgs

Ruined Gatehouse

A Web Enhancement for Deep Horizon

by Skip Williams

The D UNGEONS & D RAGONS ® adventure Deep Horizon

is the sixth of eight adventures designed to take charac-

ter from the beginning to advanced levels of play. This

mini-adventure can be added easily to any campaign or

used when playing with the Deep Horizon adventure,

and it should work nicely with a group of four PCs of

about 13th level. You will need a copy of the Deep Hori-

zon adventure to run the desmodus, however.

statistics noted in each encounter are radically abbrevi-

ated, but provide the Monster Manual page number or

Deep Horizon appendix notation for full statistics of

common monsters.

ADVENTURE

BACKGROUND

The PCs come across a ruined gatehouse that was for-

merly a fortified gate leading into the drow city of

Chael-Rekshaar. A quartet of beholders have laid claim

to it and use it as a strongpoint to keep interlopers out

of the ruined city while they loot it. Look to the Adven-

ture Background within Deep Horizon for more informa-

tion about how to fit this into that particular adventure.

If you’re using this ruined gatehouse as a stop in your

campaign, you can arm the NPCs with whatever infor-

mation or specific treasure you wish so that you can

draw the PCs to this location.

PREPARATION

You need the Player ’s Handbook , the D UNGEON M ASTER ’s

Guide , the M ONSTER M ANUAL ®, and the Deep Horizon

adventure to run this mini-adventure.

Text in shaded boxes is player information. Monster

Additional Credits

Cartography:

Miranda Horner

Todd Gamble

Typesetting:

Sue Weinlein Cook

Web Production:

Julia Martin

THE GATEHOUSE

The PCs can explore the ruined gatehouse so long as

they take care of the beholder and its desmodu merce-

naries first. Maps 3 and 3A show the gatehouse.

Web Development:

Mark Jindra

Graphic Design:

Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege

Based on the original D UNGEONS & D RAGONS ® game by E.

Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the

D UNGEONS & D RAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet,

Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison.

Features

The gatehouse originally had a pair of towers three

stories high, but the upper floors have fallen into ruin

and the beholders have gutted them. They use only the

ground floor.

Arrow slits: Only the lowest row of arrow slits (about

5 feet above the floor) show up on the map. There are

two identical rows of arrows above the ones shown on

the map. Creatures behind an arrow slit have nine-

tenths cover (+10 AC, +4 Reflex saves).

Light: Phosphorescent fungus covers the entire exte-

rior of the gatehouse (provides 5-foot radius of light).

The interior of the gatehouse is not so lighted.

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This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations,

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Editing

Residents

The gatehouse is currently home to a beholder and six

desmodu mercenaries. The beholder is here to see that

nobody enters Chael-Rekshaar until the beholders are

done with it. The four beholders involved in looting

the city rotate their assignments, and the beholder here

is very familiar with operations in the city.

The desmodus are less well informed. All they know

is that they have been hired to do a job and that some of

their comrades also are employed in the city (though

they’re not sure where). They also know that the

beholders have some slaves in the city, including some

desmodu who were stupid enough to be captured and

not smart enough to know a good deal when it was

offered. They’re not sure how many slaves there are, but

they’re pretty sure there are at least two beholders in

the city. The desmodus have never visited the city and

have no useful information for the party, other than the

general history of the area. (Dungeon Masters should

either utilize the information within Deep Horizon to fill

in the gaps, or they should create their own reason why

the beholders and their hired mercenaries are at the

gatehouse and the city.)

Ad Hoc XP Award: When the PCs’ defeat creatures in

the gatehouse, increase their experience awards by 50%

to account for the superior defensive position the

beholders and their allies have.

1. Moat and Bridge (EL Variable)

When the PCs approach the ruined gatehouse, they

can see the moat and bridge.

meted to the ground and shattered. Then the beholder

and its minions captured the explorer and sent it off to

toil as a slave in the ruins of the city.

The moat is 20 feet wide and 40 feet deep. Water from

an underground river rushes along the moat. It is 30

feet deep (leaving 10 feet between the water’s surface

and the top of the moat) and moves north to south.

Spiked gratings block the north and south ends of the

moat, though they are out of sight below the surface.

The water flows from a volcanic cavern and is very

nearly boiling hot (hence the vapors and sulfur smell).

The dotted line on the map shows the river’s course

underground. Anyone who falls into the water suffers

10d6 points of fire damage (just touching the water

inflicts 1d6 points of damage) and must make a Swim

check (DC 15) to stay afloat. Characters who fail are

swept against the south grating and suffer 2d6 points of

damage. They also must make Reflex saves (DC 20) or

become stuck on the spikes below the surface. Stuck

characters remain held fast until rescued.

Characters can extend a stone bridge over the moat.

The bridge retracts into the eastern side of the moat

and is currently fully retracted. It is visible from the

west side of the moat as a thin rectangle of stone; how-

ever, the PCs must operate the bridge only from area 5.

Before you stands a moat, perhaps 20 feet wide,

filled with rushing water. Thin tendrils of vapor

rise from the water, tainting the air with a hint of

sulfur. Shards of some great, broken statue lie at

your feet.

A crumbling stone arch wide enough for at

least nine humans to march through, shoulder to

shoulder, and at least that high lies behind the

moat. A smashed portcullis of rusty iron partially

blocks the arch. Beyond the portcullis, the pas-

sage takes a sharp turn to the left, leaving you

staring through the arch at a natural stone wall

pierced with three rows of arrow slits. The lowest

row is perhaps 5 feet above the chamber floor,

with the upper two rows at about 20 and 35 feet.

The bits of statue came from a war bat a desmodu

explorer rode toward the gatehouse. The beholder in

area 3 turned the bat to stone, and the statue plum-

s Ruined Iron Portcullis: 2 in. thick; hardness 10;

hp 30; AC 1; Break DC 28.

immensely strong creature were to make a lift attempt,

the portcullis would simply tear away; treat such lift

attempts as break attempts.

Development: The desmodus in areas 3 and 4 spot

anyone entering here, and they fire their bows at any

intruders. The beholder in area 3 uses its eye rays on

any intruders it sees. See areas 3 and 4 for details.

Please note that it’s possible to simply move through

gaps in the portcullis (which are shown on the map).

The portcullis is jammed and cannot be lifted out of the

way. The portcullis does not block spell effects, but if

any ranged attack (including a ray) passes through the

intact portion of the portcullis, the target gains one-

quarter cover (+2 cover bonus to AC).

3. South Tower (EL 14)

The drow built this chamber to control access to the

moat and bridge (area 1). It has a floor strewn with

rubble and a ceiling 50 feet high. There is a crack in the

wall leads north to area 2, but the crack is 20 feet above

the floor level in area 2 (15 feet above the floor level in

here).

Creatures: A beholder and a desmodu keep a vigil on

area 1 from here.

s Moat Grating: 4 in. thick; hardness 10; hp 120; AC

4; Break DC 35.

Development: The beholder and the desmodu in area

3 keeping watch over the moat can spot anyone

approaching. The beholder quickly uses its antimagic

cone against anyone trying to fly over the moat. Lines

and shaded areas on maps 3 and 3A show where the

cone (or any ranged attack) can reach. The beholder,

thanks to its flying ability, can use the higher arrow

slits and can aim the cone down at angle of up to 45

degrees (also shown on map 3A). So, it is quite possible

it can make characters using fly spells or magic flying

devices fall into the water, especially of if it catches

them over the western half of the moat. See area 3 for

more information on the beholder’s tactics.

The desmodus in area 6 joins the fight one round after

the beholder is alerted.

2. Passage (EL Variable)

The PCs find themselves in the passage once they pass

the moat.

d Beholder: hp 72; see Monster Manual page 24.

Possessions: 5 pinches of dust of appearance, 4 pinches of

dust of disappearance .

d Desmodus (2): hp 114 each, see Appendix II in

Deep Horizon .

Tactics: When a desmodu spots anyone, it alerts the

beholder and uses its hope power.

The desmodu and the beholder stays inside as long as

they can attack effectively from the tower. They make

ranged attacks against foes in areas 1 or 2. The beholder

uses its eyes and the desmodu uses its bow. The

beholder uses its antimagic cone to keep foes from

crossing the moat by magic.

The water in the moat does not block magic or the

beholder’s eye rays, but it does limit vision. Creatures

and objects can be seen clearly through up to 15 feet of

vapor. At more than 15 feet, but at less than 30 feet,

creatures have one-half concealment. Beyond 30 feet,

all vision is obscured. Increase the amount of conceal-

ment one step (see Table 8–10 in the Player ’s Handbook )

if someone looks at a submerged creature from above

the surface.

If nobody tries to cross the moat, or if foes get across

despite the antimagic cone, the beholder switches to its

other eyes.

Characters can avoid the beholder’s eye rays and the

desmodus’ arrows by hugging the blindspots around and

below each arrow slit (though this leaves them exposed

to attacks from area 4). Once the characters figure out

how to hide from the beholder’s eye rays, the beholder

uses some of its dust of disappearance and flies out the crack

You find yourself in a twisting passage that

turns right, then left, and ends in a high, broad

archway blocked by a portcullis of black iron.

The natural rock walls to either side are well pro-

vided with arrow slits arranged in three rows,

just as you saw at the moat. There are cracks in

the walls to your right and left that are easily

large enough to admit a human or even an ogre.

However, they are both 20 feet off the ground

and are at the level of the second row of arrow

slits.

The portcullis is brand new (the beholders had it

repaired). It is operated from area 5.

s Iron Portcullis: 8 in. thick; hardness 10; hp 240;

AC –1; Break DC 45 (lift DC 55).

Please note that it’s not possible for a creature of less

than Gargantuan size to lift the portcullis. If some

in the wall to carry the fight to the PCs. (It carries its con-

tainers of magic dust in its mouth.) When the beholder

leaves the tower, the desmodu follows suit (though it

must climb up to the crack and them jump down to area

2). If faced with invisible opponents, the beholder uses its

dust of appearance against invisible PCs (it watches where

the desmodus direct their attacks to figure out about

where the invisible foes are); the beholder’s telekinesis ray

is handy for sprinkling dust over a distant foe. If reduced

to 20 hit points or less, the beholder tries to escape invisi-

bly, disintegrating its way out through a wall if it has to. If

it is apparent that one or more foes can detect invisible

creatures, the beholder attempts to obliterate them with

its most potent attacks ( disintegrate, finger of death, flesh to

stone, and charm monste r) before it goes.

When the beholder leaves the tower, the desmodu

does, too. Once within melee reach of foes, the

desmodu uses its stunning screech on opponents and a

smokestick or two to give itself concealment. The

desmodu stays with the fight so long as the beholder is

in the battle (it fears being disintegrates or petrified if it

displeases its employer). If the beholder is slain or flees,

the desmodu surrenders.

Development: Any disturbance here brings the

desmodu from area 6A in two rounds.

5. Machinery Room (EL 0)

This chamber contains two large windlasses. One

on the west wall operates the bridge at area 1. The

mechanism is functional, but stiff. It takes a Strength

check (DC 20) to turn the windlass for one round.

Each round of operation extends or retracts the

bridge 5 feet; the moat is 20 feet wide, so that means

it will take 4 rounds to extend it fully. The east wall

holds the windlass that operates the portcullis at the

east end of area 2. The mechanism turns smoothly,

but requires a Strength check (DC 10) each round to

operate. Each round of operation raises or lowers the

portcullis 5 feet.

6. Barracks (EL 11)

These chambers once housed the gatehouse’s drow

garrison and are now home to the desmodus. Each

desmodu sleeps in a canvas hammock slung from

the chamber’s ceiling, which is about 6 feet off the

floor.

Creatures: Area 6A is home to two desmodus, though

only one is here at any time. The other is on duty in

area 2. Area 6B houses four desmodus, two of which are

on duty in area 3 at any given time.

Tre a sure: Area 6A contains a stack of five silver bars.

Area 6B has ten silver bars, and each bar weighs 5

pounds and is worth 25 gp.

4. North Tower (EL 13)

This area is similar to area 3.

Creatures: Two desmodus keep watch on area 2 from

here

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A senior roleplaying game designer at Wizards of

the Coast, Skip Williams is a game industry veteran

who started behind the cash register at TSR’s Dun-

geon Hobby Shop in 1976. He was part of the team

that created the newest edition of the D&D game,

was the primary author of the new M ONSTER M ANUAL ,

and is D RAGON ®Magazine ’s Sage. Skip is fond of old

movies, old airplanes, and old books, but not neces-

sarily in that order.

d Desmodus (2): hp 114 each; see Appendix II in

Deep Horizon .

Tactics: The desmodus fire arrows at any intruders

they spot in area 2. If they find they cannot attack effec-

tively with their bows, they climb or jump up to the

crack in the wall and enter area 2 to make melee

attacks. They otherwise use the same tactics the

desmodu in area 3 uses.

Development: Any disturbance here brings the two

desmodu from area 6B in two rounds.

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