A pair of 8-ft. high statues of coyote-headed men stand in alcoves on the east wall. Emplaced at chest-height on the west wall are four, 2-ft. sq. metal panels: one each of bronze, iron, silver, and gold (from north-to-south). Ancient bronze and copper excavation tools (picks, spades, augers, etc.) are stacked against the angled south walls, which show signs of long-halted digging work.
- Statues. Each statue depicts a bare-chested man with a coyote’s head wearing a simple waist skirt. Around its neck hangs a bronze chain and pendant set with a jewel (one ruby, one yellow topaz). The statues are tomb guardians that will animate and attack anyone touching the pendants, or attempting to damage the guardians and/or the panels.
The pendants give the tomb guardians a magical attack: ruby = fire; topaz = thunder (see below). The pendant chains have a simple clasp on the back which may be undone or cut with an attack vs. AC 18 at disadvantage. A pendant becomes inert jewelry (<250> ea.) if removed from a guardian, but the statue loses its special attack and extra damage.
- When the guardians activate to repel intruders, 3d3 brittle skeletons rise in area 18; each round thereafter, 1d3 more skeletons rise and join the battle until that room is empty (37 total).
Metal Panels. Close inspection reveals the panels to be finely-etched—so fine that the design they inscribe can’t be discerned with the naked eye. If someone makes a charcoal rubbing of a panel, intricate patterns of elvish script are revealed—arcane runes of warding and protection.
- When one of the metal wands recovered in the crypts throughout the tomb is inserted into its corresponding panel and turned right, a series of clicks is heard and the wand pops back out. The metal panel then lowers to reveal a 3x3x3-ft. niche. Each niche is an extra-dimensional space that cannot be accessed except through its panel. Any attempt to “dig” out the wall to access the niche vault fails (and activates the tomb guardians).
Propped up within each niche is a fragment of a stone tablet etched with strange markings that defy translation.
With all four fragments fitted together, the indecipherable markings can now be viewed as a crude map with pictographic landmarks showing a path to an ancient temple of Thera hidden deep within the Badlands.
Secret Door. Once all four niche panels are opened using the wands, the guardian statues animate in unison, stepping 5 ft. out of their alcoves and then 5 ft. to the south (so as to flank the southern alcove). They do not become aggressive, nor do the skeletons in area 18 animate, unless someone tries to remove one of the guardians' pendants.
The back wall of the southern alcove is a secret panel which cannot be found until the tomb guardian has moved out of the alcove as the space is too cramped (DC 15 WIS (Perception) check to notice the seams with a casual search; it is found automatically if someone steps into the alcove and searches the back wall).
The secret door pushes open into area 20, but as the stone panel begins to shift, a ghostly male voice from behind it speaks in an ancient language. As his words echo off the walls, however, they form in the party’s ears in a way they can understand: “Why have you disturbed my rest? Is the time of reckoning nigh?”
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- If someone answers, “Yes,” then the voice says: “Enter…”
If someone answers, “No,” the voice says: “Then begone and disturb me no more…”
Medium undead, neutral
AC 12 (no armor)
HP 1
Speed 30
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 6 (-2) 8 (-1) 5 (-3)
Vulnerabilities. Bludgeoning
Damage Resistances. Piercing
Damage Immunities. Poison
Condition Immunities. Exhaustion, Poisoned
Senses. Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10
CR 1/8 (25 XP)
Proficiency. +0
Actions
–Bony Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +2, Reach 5 ft., one target, Hit: 4 (1d4+2) slashing.
–Push-through. When
faced with a line of enemies, a brittle skeleton can use its Action to
throw itself against an opponent’s space, breaking apart into its
constituent bones and then reforming on the other side. The brittle
skeleton can only move up to 10 ft. in this manner, but can do so
through spaces controlled by another creature.
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Tomb Guardian
Medium construct, neutral
HP 51 (6d8+24)
Speed 20
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20 (+5) 12 (+1) 18 (+4) 3 (–4) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
Skills. Athletics +7, Perception +2
Damage Resistances. piercing, slashing
Damage Immunities. poison, psychic
Condition Immunities. Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned
Senses. Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this point), Passive Perception 12
CR 4 (1,100 XP)
Proficiency. +2
–Immutable Form. The guardian is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
–Magic Resistance. The guardian has advantage on saves against spells and other magical effects.
–Magic Weapons. The guardian's weapon attacks are magical.
Actions
–Multiattack. The guardian makes two Slam attacks, the first of which is a special form while the guardian wears its pendant.
–Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7, Reach 5 ft., one target, Hit: 10 (1d10+5) bludgeoning and the target must make a DC 15 STR save or be knocked 5 ft. away from the guardian.
–Fiery Slam. (Ruby Guardian) Melee Weapon Attack: +7, Reach 5 ft., one target, Hit: 10 (1d10+5) bludgeoning plus 7 (2d6) fire damage and the target must make a DC 15 STR save or be knocked 5 ft. away from the guardian.
–Thunder Slam. (Topaz Guardian) Melee Weapon Attack: +7, Reach 5 ft., one target, Hit:
10 (1d10+5) bludgeoning plus 7 (2d6) thunder damage and the target must
make a DC 15 STR save or be knocked 5 ft. away from the guardian.
Bonus Actions
–Scorching Ray (Recharge 5–6). The ruby guardian fires a single ray from its pendant. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3, Range 120, one target, Hit: 11 (2d10) fire damage.
–Thunderwave (Recharge 5–6). Each creature in a 15-ft. radius of the topaz guardian takes 2d8 thunder and is pushed 10 feet away from it. If the target creature makes a DC 15 CON save, it takes half damage and isn't pushed away. Unsecured objects within the area of effect are automatically pushed 10 feet away.
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