GMF Room #1: Temple Entrance
Level 3
Located just northwest of existing location 68K from the original box set.
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Beyond the shores of the Sargauth river and the cryptic doors, you enter a large diamond shaped room that recedes behind you and out of sight. This room must have been a grand foyer at one time for some ancient temple; with a massive domed ceiling of curious design – colored slate has been hand crafted into the ceiling to create a mural. The mural depicts an open night sky without a moon. The star pattern is odd and unrecognizable.
Strange torches are mounted along the wall every 20 feet. They dance with a strange orange arcane light that makes shadows dance about as if the walls themselves move.
In the center of the room sits an iron statue, a warrior in full plate that watches you as you enter the room. You can help but experience the strange feeling that the eyes follow your movements, but that is just the flickering orange light bouncing shadows across the statues face – you hope. His hands rest on a massive sword.
The air is musty and thick with sulfur to add to the orange glow, it would appear this room has not been disturbed in ages.
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Millennia before Halaster delved into the ground, a temple of Illithid formed here, a strange cabal of Archmage Mind Flayers that dreamed of extinguishing the sun and claiming the surface for their kind. Of course, their mother brain and themselves would be the ruling class in this new domain. Their dream (or nightmare more appropriately) never came to pass, for between the dwarves and dark elves, this temple was eventually sacked and sealed. It was left abandoned for centuries before the mad mage arrived and rediscovered this hidden jewel of mayhem. He promptly unsealed the entrances to add to his own domain as he continued clearing the 3rd level of Undermountain.
This area quickly became forbidden to travelers and the mage decided to use the temple entrance for his purposes. He placed a special gate for his apprentices to use and placed a statue to guard the area. The statue was an iron golem charged with attacking any stray visitor but the apprentices (or Halaster himself). It was later commanded to include dragons in the safe list due to the fact one of the apprentices became a half-dragon (through one of the mad wizards more creative experiments). When the apprentices became less fact and more history, the portal was moved. The golem was left as a sentry for the unwary. Who knows what the archmage of Undermountain has in mind for it in the future?
Recently, two young red dragons took to the lower caves to hide when their parents were slain. The caves, with the system of portals and rivers offered many places to hide, escape, and wait until they could grow and seek revenge on those that put them on the run. They took an instant liking to this room once they learned the statue was going to ignore them. It became a perfect sentry for their new home. Further, it became an unwilling accomplice in their scheme to gather wealth and magic - the statue attacks who ever walks in but is completely uninterested in the spoils. But the real genius behind the dragons plan was the discovery that their breath weapon would actually heal the iron golem. Now they shape their tactics to always keep the golem in the range of their fiery cone breath weapon. This allows them to attack from range and heal the “muscle” at the same time.
Red Dragon Stats:
[sblock]RED DRAGON
Dragon (Fire)
Environment: Third level of Undermountain
Organization: Juvenile pair
Challenge Ratings: juvenile 10 (EL: 12)
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Age: Juvenile
Size: L
Hit Dice (hp): 16d12+64 (168)
Str: 29
Dex: 10
Con: 19
Int: 14
Wis: 15
Cha: 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +16/+29
Attack: +24
Fort Save: +14
Ref Save: +10
Will Save: +12
Breath Weapon (DC): 8d10 (22)
Frightful Presence DC: None
Red Dragon Abilities
Speed: 40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor)
Initiative: +0
AC: 24 (–1 size, +15 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 24
Special Abilities: Locate object
Caster Level: 3rd
SR: None
Skills: Appraise, Bluff, and Jump is considered class skills for red dragons.
*Can also cast cleric spells and those from the Chaos, Evil, and Fire domains as arcane spells.
Breath Weapon (Su): A red dragon has one type of breath weapon, a cone of fire. This heals the iron statue while harming the players.
Locate Object (Sp): A juvenile dragon can use this ability as the spell of the same name, four times per day each. The dragons use this ability to follow their treasure if the players take it.
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Combat
The dragons hide in the corners behind the entrance when the players enter. They attempt to hide until the golem moves to attack the characters. Those who do not state that they looking back to the recesses must suffer a –4 penalty to spot the dragons charge (due to the distraction of the golem).
These red dragons have a mission. Further, they are smart enough to know that any group wondering around at these depths can probably handle themselves. They let the iron golem do the work for them while attempting to keep their distance. They take turns using their breath weapon to damage foes and heal the iron statue at the same time. They know that the golem won’t intentionally harm them, but they are also aware (the hard way) that the golem could accidentally harm them if they get in the way, and try to stay clear of it when possible.
If the “tank” is destroyed, they may stay in the fray if the party looks weakened and easy prey, otherwise they make good on plan B: Escape. They hide while the party loots their hard earned treasure then follow the group through Undermountain (and beyond if necessary). They use their Locate Object spell-like ability to home in on their horde and harass them when they can, attempting to either gain back their wealth, and preferably, kill the group for ruining their second home and add more treasure to their hoard!
"Statue" Stats:
[sblock]IRON GOLEM
Large Construct
Hit Dice: 18d10+30 (129 hp)
Initiative: –1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 30 (–1 size, –1 Dex, +22 natural) touch 8, flat-footed 30
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+28
Attack: Slam +23 melee (2d10+11)
Full Attack: 2 slams +23 melee (2d10+11)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction 15/adamantine, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to magic, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +6
Abilities: Str 33, Dex 9, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
This Iron golem carries a large sword in one hand. It is 12 feet tall and weighs about 5,000 pounds. It moves with a ponderous but smooth gait. Each step causes the floor to tremble.
Breath Weapon (Su): 10-foot cube, cloud of poisonous gas lasting 1 round, free action once every 1d4+1 rounds; initial damage 1d4 Con, secondary damage 3d4 Con, Fortitude DC 19 negates. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Immunity to Magic (Ex): An iron golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.
A magical attack that deals electricity damage slows an iron golem (as the slow spell) for 3 rounds, with no saving throw.
A magical attack that deals fire damage breaks any slow effect on the golem and heals 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the golem to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. For example, an iron golem hit by a fireball gains back 6 hit points if the damage total is 18 points. An iron golem gets no saving throw against fire effects.
An iron golem is affected normally by rust attacks, such as that of a rust monster or a rusting grasp spell.
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Combat
The golem is not aware of tactics or any other instructions then killing intruders, who happen to be the PCs. When the characters enter the room, it attacks. It will not target the dragons, but it will also not stop from using its breath weapon if the dragons are also in range. It simply doesn’t know better than its base instructions.
Note: The spell selection has been left open for DMs to customize for their games. Treasure should be calculated by rolling six times for a CR 10 encounter for the dragons. It is also recommended that the DM give a bonus 25% experience points if all challenges are over come do to the extra difficulty of the encounter (per the DM Guides guidelines on situational modifiers).
If players make a Knowledge (Religion) check in the room. A DC 25 will tell them it appears to be an entrance to an Illithid temple. Which is odd since Illithids don’t normally build temples to their ‘mother brain’, at least not how humanoids would define it.
A Survival check (DC 20) or Knowledge (Astronomy) check (DC 10) tells them the star pattern portrayed on the ceiling is odd do to the fact it is how the sky would look without the sun during the daytime.
). I played a very small portion of the massive dungeon back in 2e, but I always wanted to take another party back for another foray.
