The Sunless Citadel.pdf

THE S UNLESS CITADEL

Bruce R. Cordell

Credits

Editor: Miranda Horner

Creative Director: Ed Stark

Art Director: Dawn Murin

Cover Illustration: Todd Lockwood

Interior Illustrations: Dennis Cramer

Cartography: Tod Gamble

Typography: Angelika Lokotz

Graphic Design: Sean Glenn, Sherry Floyd

Project Manager: Larry Weiner, Josh Fischer

Production Manager: Chas DeLong

Playtesters: Jason Carl, Andy Collins, Monte Cook, Jesse Decker, Andrew Finch, Chris Galvin, Dave Gross,

Eric Haddock, Miranda Horner, Gwendolyn Kestrel, Bryan Kinsella, Kevin Kukas, Viet Nguyen, David Noonan,

Chris Perkins, Jon Pickens, John D. Rateliff, Rob Stewart, Jeff Quick, John Rateliff, Mark Russel, Ed Stark,

Barbara Walker, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Johnny Wilson, Dennis Worrel, and the gang at ConSpiracy.

Based on the original D UNGEONS & D RAGONS ® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson,

and the new D UNGEONS & D RAGONS ® game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams,

Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison.

Introduction ............................................................... 2

Preparation ............................................................. 2

Adventure Background ........................................... 2

Adventure Synopsis ................................................ 2

Character Hooks ..................................................... 3

Sidebar: The Small Town of Oakhurst .............. 3

Rumors Heard in Oakhurst ................................... 3

Time of Year ............................................................ 4

The Citadel and Environs ........................................... 4

Sunless Citadel Keyed Entries ................................ 4

Sidebar: Sunless Citadel

Overview for DM ................................. 6

Sidebar: Dungeron Features ............................. 7

Table of Contents

Sidebar: Kobolds and Goblins at Alert! ............ 8

Sidebar: Wandering Monsters ........................... 9

Sidebar: Kobolds .............................................. 11

Sidebar: Dealing with Kobolds

Diplobatically ..................................... 14

Sidebar: The Goblinoids .................................. 19

Grove Level Keyed Entries ................................... 23

Sidebar: Moving Through Briars ..................... 27

Conclusions .............................................................. 29

Failure! .................................................................. 29

Succes! .................................................................. 29

Sidebar: Supplicants and the Gulthias Tree ........ 29

Appendix: Statistics ................................................. 30

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INTRODUCTION

I NTRODUCTION

"All things roll here: horrors of midnights,

Campaigns of a lost year,

Dungeons disturbed, and groves of lights;

Echoing on these shores, still clear,

Dead ecstasies of questing knights—

Yet how the wind revives us here!"

character level on the Single Monster Challenge Rating

table ( D UNGEON M ASTER ' S Guide , Ch. 7), then multiply that

number by the number of monsters dealt with by the

PCs for the total experience award. The total experience

award is then divided by the number of PCs (and possibly

NPC party members) who were present at the beginning

of the encounter.

Before the game begins, DMs may wish to review the

rules on light sources in Chapter 9 of the Player's Hand-

book , reread the section on setting up the game in the

D UNGEON M ASTER ' S Guide , and review the combat rules.

—Arthur Rimbaud

The Sunless Citadel is a D UNGEONS & D RAGONS ® adven-

ture suitable for four 1st-level player characters. Player

characters (PCs) who survive the entire adventure

should advance through 2nd level to 3rd level before

the finale.

Encounter Levels: The Sunless Citadel also accommo-

dates parties of more than four 1st-level players, and it can

handle parties of 2nd and possibly even 3rd level who

do not mind an initial bit of easy going. That means a

group of PCs of more than four players or those who

begin the adventure at 2nd or even 3rd level require less

time to recover between encounters. It also means that

the Dungeon Master (DM) must either divide the total

available experience point (XP) awards among more

people or award higher-level characters less XP per

encounter than what a 1st-level party would gain in the

same encounter. When the PCs achieve sufficient XP to

advance to their next level, allow them to advance during

the course of the adventure. In fact, PCs should advance

to 2nd and possibly to 3rd level while adventuring in order

to adequately face the final challenges of the module.

ADVENTURE BACKGROUND

The PCs are not initially privy to the background infor-

mation, but they may learn it during the adventure.

This adventure involves a once-proud fortress that fell

into the earth in an age long past. Rechristened the Sun-

less Citadel, its echoing, broken halls now house nefari-

ous races and malign creatures. Evil has taken root at

the citadel's core, which is deep within a subterranean

garden of blighted foliage. Here a terrible tree and its

dark shepherd plot in darkness.

The tree, called the Gulthias Tree, is shepherded by a

twisted druid, Belak the Outcast. Belak was drawn to the

buried citadel twelve years ago, following stories of oddly

enchanted fruit to their source. The druid found an age-

old fortress pulled below the earth by some past

magically invoked devastation. With the ancient inhabi-

tants long dispersed, vile and opportunistic creatures

common to lightless dungeons infested the subter-

ranean ruins. But at the old fortress's core, Belak the

Outcast stumbled upon the Twilight Grove. He discov-

ered at the grove's heart the Gulthias Tree, which

sprouted from a wooden stake used to slay an ancient

vampire.

Upon the Gulthias Tree, magical fruit extrudes forth:

A single perfect ruby-red apple ripens at the summer

solstice, and a single albino apple ripens at the winter

solstice. The midsummer fruit grants vigor, health, and

life, while the midwinter fruit steals the same. In the

years since Belak's arrival, the enchanted fruit has

enjoyed wider dispersal in the surrounding lands,

promoting good and ill. But the seed of either fruit, if

allowed to sprout, brings forth only ill: Vaguely

humanoid and evilly animated stick bundles known as

twig blights eventually spring forth.

PREPARATION

You, the DM, should have a copy of the Player's Handbook

and the D UNGEON M ASTER ' S Guide . A copy of the Monster

Manual is also useful.

Text that appears in shaded boxes is player informa-

tion, which you can read aloud or paraphrase to players

when appropriate. Sidebars contain important informa-

tion for the DM. More often than not, DMs can find

abbreviated monster statistics with each encounter. Full

monster statistics appear in alphabetical order in the

appendix. One of the responsibilities of the DM is to

review these statistics before the game starts so as to

refresh his or her memory of the more distinctive

characteristics of the creatures.

Individual encounters possess an overall rating called

the encounter level (EL), if appropriate. The encounter

level is not necessarily a tool to calculate total experi-

ence points for each encounter. The concept of

encounter level is important only as a point of informa-

tion, allowing you to gauge the strength of a specific

encounter at a glance. To calculate experience for a given

encounter, refer to the challenge rating provided for each

monster in the appendix. Cross-reference the challenge

rating of a given monster with the party's average

ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS

The Sunless Citadel is a site-based adventure. Player char-

acters discover that rumors of a sunken fortress are true.

Heroes deal with monstrous threats and ancient traps,

dire vermin and mysterious twig blights, as well as war-

ring kobold and goblin tribes.

Oakhurst: The PCs may occasionally retreat to a nearby

small town to recuperate and replenish supplies.

INTRODUCTION

Kobolds: It's possible that diplomatic heroes can avoid

strife with the kobolds and strike a bargain with them,

but only if the heroes agree to retrieve a lost "pet" for the

kobold leader.

Goblins: The adventurers have less luck dealing peace -

fully with the goblins, who feel confident of their

strength and prove unwilling to negotiate.

The Hidden Grove and Environs: Eventually, the daring

heroes discover the lower levels of the Citadel, and the

Twilight Grove. There, PCs learn the truth of the

enchanted fruit. They also must confront and defeat

Belak the Outcast and the Gulthias Tree if they hope to

win free and feel the light of day again.

mass of twisted sapling stems. Not too long after the

saplings reach 2 feet in height, they are stolen—every

time. The townsfolk assume that the jeal-

ous goblins send out thieves to ensure

their monopoly of enchanted fruit. You

are interested in piercing the mystery

associated with how wretched goblins

could ever possess such a wonder, and

how they steal every sprouting sapling

grown from the enchanted fruit's seed.

Moreover, you wish to find this rumored

tree of healing, hoping to heal an ailing

friend or relative.

CHARACTER HOOKS

Player characters can find the Sunless Citadel within a

remote and lonely ravine in any number of campaign

settings. Refer to the Overland Map on the inside front

cover. The PCs can be drawn to the dungeon via the fol-

lowing methods (which are mutually compatible). Relate

the information immediately below to the players as

necessary to get them interested in journeying to the

dungeon site. Or, you can photocopy the hooks

described below, cut them out, and hand one to each of

your players (give the same hook to two or more charac-

ters if necessary).

Simple Adventuring: You are eager to make a name

for yourself. The legend of the Sunless Citadel is well

known locally, and stories indicate it is a perfect site for

heroes intent on discovery, glory, and treasure!

Contracted: Another party of adventurers, locally

based, delved into the Sunless Citadel a month past. They

were never seen again. Two human members of that ill-

fated adventuring party were brother and sister, Talgen

Hucrele (a fighter) and Sharwyn Hucrele (a wizard). They

were part of an important merchant family based in the

town of Oakhurst. Kerowyn Hucrele, the matriarch of

the family, offers salvage rights to you and your team if

you can find and return with the two lost members of

her family—or at least return the gold signet rings worn

by the missing brother and sister. She also offers a reward

of 125 gp per signet ring, per PC. If the PCs bring back

the Hucreles in good shape (of good mind and body),

she offers to double the reward.

Solving a Mystery: The goblin tribe infesting the

nearby ruins (called the Sunless Citadel, though no one

knows why) ransoms a single piece of magical fruit to

the highest bidder in Oakhurst once every midsummer.

They've been doing this for the last twelve years. Usu-

ally, the fruit sells for around 50 gp, which is all the

townspeople can bring themselves to pay a goblin. The

fruit, apparently an apple of perfect hue, heals those who

suffer from any disease or other ailment. They sometimes

plant the seeds at the center of each fruit, hoping to

engender an enchanted apple tree. When the seeds

germinate in their proper season, they produce a twiggy

RUMORS HEARD

IN OAKHURST

Player characters can discover the

following additional pieces of

information either through a Gather

Information check, where they spend

some time in the local tavern (DC 10), or

via role-playing:

• The Old Road ran right past the nearby

ruins (the Sunless Citadel), but fell into

disuse because of goblin banditry. No

one knows for sure what the Sunless

Citadel once was, but old legends hint

that it served as the retreat of an

ancient dragon cult.

• The Old Road also skirts the Ashen

Plain, a lifeless land. Player characters

who succeed at a Knowledge check

(history, geography, or local, DC 12),

or ask someone in Oakhurst know that

the desolation is attributed to the

ancient rampage of a dragon named

Ashardalon.

• Cattle herders don't graze their stock

too far afield these days. They're

frightened by stories of new monsters

that maraud by night. No one has seen

these creatures, nor do they leave a

discernible trail; however, cattle and

people who have been caught out

alone have been found dead the next

day, pierced by dozens of needlelike

claws.

• The missing adventurers include a

fighter (Talgen), a wizard (Sharwyn),

a paladin of Pelor (Sir Braford), and a

ranger (Karakas). Sir Braford was not a local, and he

had a magic sword called Shatterspike.

• Sometimes the goblins offer another apple at midwin-

ter. This apple is corpse-white and utterly poisonous,

even to the mere touch of the skin. No samples of

Oakhurst (small town):

Notes: The saplings growing

at the edge of town go missing,

possibly during the PCs very

next visit to Oakhurst. Unbe-

knownst to the villagers, the

saplings animate as twig blights

in the dark of night, and they

scuttle off on their own,

continuing their slow coloniza-

tion of the surface. See the

description for twig blights in

the appendix.

Notes:

The Small Town

of Oakhurst

The community closest to the

dungeon is a small town called

Oakhurst (or a name more

appropriate to the DM's cam-

paign); see the Oakhurst Map

for the town center. The small

town follows the rules noted for

a town of its size in the D UNGEON

M ASTER ' S Guide in Chapter 4.

Oakhurst (small town):

Conventional; AL NC; 1,000 gp

limit; Assets 45,000 gp; Popu-

lation 901; Mixed (human 79,

halfling 9, elf 5, dwarf 3, gnome

2, half-elf 1, half-orc 1).

Authority Figures: Mayor

Vurnor Leng, male human Ari7.

Important Characters:

Kerowyn Hucrele, female

human Com6 (merchant);

Dem "Corkie" Nackle, female

gnome Clr4 (Pelor/healer);

Felosial, female half-elf War3

(constable); Ben, Lu, Jym, and

Roda, male and female

humans War4 (deputies); Rurik

Lutgehr, male dwarf Exp3

(blacksmith); Caron, male

human Exp3 ("Ol' Boar Inn"

barkeep).

Others: Town guards, War2

(12); Exp3(8); Rog3 (2); Rgr2

(1);Com1 (782).

Notes:

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