TEXT:  
   
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  INTO THE 
  UNDERWORLD 
  PART 3 
  Among the Dead 
  A 3rd level 13TH AGE adventure in four two-hour sessions 
  By ASH LAW 
  
   
   
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  Author: ASH LAW 
  Editors & Developers: Rob Heinsoo & Jeremy ‘JV’ Virden 
  Cartography: ASH LAW 
  Layout: ASH LAW 
  Cover: ASH LAW, Albrecht Dürer, John Martin, and Gustave Doré 
  Illustration: Aaron McConnell, Lee Moyer, Rich Longmore, and ASH LAW 
  ©2016 Fire Opal Media, Inc. Produced by arrangement Pelgrane Press Ltd. All rights reserved. Product Identity: The following 
  items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open 
  Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, icons, place names, new deities, etc.), dialogue, banter 
  and comments from Jonathan and Rob or ASH, plots, story elements, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that 
  have previously been designated as Open Game Content are not included in this declaration.) Open Content: Except for material 
  designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Fire Opal Media, Inc. game product are Open Game Content, 
  as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as 
  Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. 13th Age is published by Pelgrane Press Ltd. 
  under the Open Game License version 1.0a Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 13th Age is a trademark of Fire Opal Media, 
  Inc. ©2016 Fire Opal Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 
   
   
  UNDERWORLD 
  PART 3 
  Among the Dead 
  
   
   
  3 
   
  Contents 
  The Mist-Walkers ...................................... 5 
  Running this adventure ........................ 5 
  New Characters ....................................... 5 
  Lost in the Dark ...................................... 5 
  NPCs ............................................................. 6 
  Gestour D’Naranja ................................. 6 
  Kamatayon the Psychopomp ................. 6 
  Chthonic Deities ..................................... 7 
  Icon Option: Priestess ................................ 7 
  Icon Option: Dwarf King ............................. 7 
  Lost Ghosts ............................................... 8 
  Icon Option: Priestess ................................ 8 
  Icon Option: Lich King ................................ 8 
  Icon Option: Great Gold Wyrm .................. 8 
  The Bones of Titans .............................. 10 
  Icon Option: Dwarf King ........................... 10 
  Icon Option: The Great Gold Wyrm or the 
  Three ........................................................ 10 
  Bone Imps ................................................. 10 
  Icon Option: Diabolist .............................. 10 
  Icon Option: Lich King .............................. 11 
  Icon Option: Prince of Shadows ............... 11 
  End of Session......................................... 11 
  The Inverted Basilica ............................. 13 
  Running this adventure ...................... 13 
  New Characters ..................................... 13 
  The Valley of Death ............................. 13 
  NPC—Zerewin the Hermit .................. 14 
  Icon Option: Archmage or Elf Queen ....... 14 
  Character Option: “Your destiny is…” ...... 14 
  The River of Souls ................................ 14 
  Icon Option: Priestess .............................. 14 
  Icon Option: Lich King .............................. 15 
  Icon Option: Orc Lord .............................. 15 
  Wretched Gnolls .................................. 15 
  Icon Option: Lich King .............................. 15 
  Icon Option: Great Gold Wyrm ................ 15 
  Icon Option: Priestess .............................. 15 
  The Inverted Basilica .......................... 18 
  Icon Option: Priestess .............................. 18 
  Icon Option: Diabolist .............................. 18 
  Holy Judges ............................................. 18 
  Icon Option: Prince of Shadows ............... 18 
  Icon Option: Diabolist or Priestess .......... 18 
  End of Session ........................................ 19 
  The Citadel of Pain ................................. 21 
  Running this adventure ...................... 21 
  New Characters ..................................... 21 
  The Hellgate ........................................... 21 
  NPC—Drazzub the Flensed ................ 22 
  The Gates of Hell ................................. 22 
  Icon Option: Emperor .............................. 22 
  Icon Option: Diabolist .............................. 23 
  Cerebii ....................................................... 23 
  Icon Option: the Three............................. 23 
  Icon Option: Lich King .............................. 23 
  City of Burning Iron ........................... 24 
  Icon Option: Diabolist or Great Gold Wyrm
   ................................................................. 25 
  Icon Option: Orc Lord .............................. 25 
  Chain Golem ........................................... 25 
  Icon Option: Crusader or Diabolist .......... 25 
  Icon Option: Archmage ............................ 25 
  
   
   
  4 
   
  End of Session......................................... 26 
  Eldwold Reborn ........................................ 28 
  Running this adventure ...................... 28 
  New Characters ..................................... 28 
  Hell’s Undercroft ................................. 28 
  NPC—Griff Burlrock ........................... 29 
  The Streets of Eldwold ....................... 29 
  Icon Option: Dwarf King ........................... 30 
  Eldwold is Restless............................... 30 
  Icon Option: High Druid ........................... 30 
  Icon Option: Prince of Shadows ............... 30 
  Rubble Bridge ......................................... 33 
  Icon Option: Crusader or Prince of 
  Shadows ................................................... 33 
  Star-mask Brains ................................... 33 
  Icon Option: Archmage ............................ 33 
  Icon Option: Elf Queen ............................. 33 
  End of Session......................................... 34 
  Random Encounters ................................. 36 
  Fallen Hero ............................................. 36 
  Glow Moss ............................................... 36 
  Killer Rocks ............................................ 37 
  Meteorite Fragments ........................... 37 
  Monolith ................................................. 37 
  Monument to a Dead God .................. 38 
  Penitent .................................................... 38 
  Reconstituted Surface Dweller ....... 38 
  Riddle Contest ....................................... 38 
  Shambling Corpses ................................ 38 
  Underworld Flora ................................ 38 
  Unearthly Crystal ................................ 39 
  Bats............................................................. 40 
  Fungaloids ............................................... 41 
  Hellbugs ................................................... 44 
  Hellish Entourage................................ 45 
  Necromancer .......................................... 46 
  Rubblings ................................................. 47 
  Soul-Guardian ....................................... 47 
  Zombies ..................................................... 48 
   
   
   
  
   
   
  5 
   
  The Mist-
  Walkers 
  Running this adventure 
  This session is designed for 3rd level characters. 
  At the end of the session, each character should 
  gain an incremental advance.  
  At the start of the session, remember to ask 
  each player to roll their adventurer’s icon 
  relationships. Generally speaking, a 6 can be 
  traded in for a clear benefit. A 5, when traded in, 
  will benefit the adventurer or party but there will 
  be an associated complication, obligation, or 
  drawback. 
  The 
  session, 
  as 
  written, 
  should 
  take 
  approximately two hours. If you have time for 
  other encounters in the session before its end, you 
  can pick from the following or roll a d6 for a 
  random 
  encounter 
  (you 
  can 
  find 
  these 
  encounters at the back of the adventure). For a 
  three to four hour game, I’d suggest adding 
  between one and three random encounters 
  scattered throughout the adventure, for a longer 
  hour game I’d suggest adding between two and 
  six random encounters (with half coming from 
  the d20 table in the random encounters section at 
  the back of the adventure). 
  1. Bats 
  2. Fallen hero 
  3. Fungaloids 
  4. Monument to a dead god 
  5. Zombies 
  6. Roll twice and combine the results 
  New Characters 
  Here are some ideas for introducing new 
  characters: 
   
  The party is not the only group looking 
  for the Heart of the Sky. The icons sent 
  several groups of adventurers into the 
  underworld. The new character is the 
  lone survivor of another adventuring 
  group. 
   
  When the meteorite crashed down into 
  the dark, it destroyed underworld 
  settlements. If the new character is a 
  dwarf or a drow, it is conceivable that 
  they are the lone survivor of such a 
  settlement, or are looking for others who 
  were dragged off by star-masks into the 
  deeper underworld. 
   
  The new adventurer was on a different 
  quest in the underworld unrelated to the 
  meteorite. When the meteorite crashed 
  through, it destroyed the location the 
  adventurer was heading to and the quest 
  object 
  fell 
  down 
  into 
  the 
  deeper 
  underworld with the meteorite. 
  Lost in the Dark 
  The adventurers are trekking across a desert of 
  powdered bone in a level of the underworld so 
  deep that it is part of the land of the dead, a place 
  known as the White Desert. The party is on a 
  mission to recover a legendary gem that has 
  fallen, in a meteorite, into the lowest levels of the 
  underworld and seem to be on the right track.  
  The adventurers, covered with bone powder, 
  enter a region of mists, where the air is as white 
  as the powdered bone beneath their feet.  
  This is a montage scene. The point of this 
  montage is to tell the tale of how the adventurers 
  survived in a desert of powdered bone. Turn to 
  the first player and ask them to describe a 
  problem that the party faced in the land of the 
  dead, then turn to the player to their right and ask 
  them how their character solved the problem. Go 
  around the group until everybody has had a 
  chance to describe a supernatural problem or 
  fantastical source of trouble and everybody has 
  had a chance to have their character solve the 
  
   
   
  6 
   
  problem. Introduce foreshadowing of upcoming 
  parts of the adventure as you go around the table 
  (for example mention the whisper of ghostly 
  voices). 
  With a montage you don’t need to roll 
  any dice—this is purely narrative 
  play. The first point of the montage is 
  to skip over parts of the story that are 
  less exciting than what comes later, 
  but still acknowledge that the event 
  happened or location has been established: just like in 
  a movie where a long journey is shown as a series of 
  brief images, or a location is introduced in a few 
  seconds by showing its most flavorful parts. The 
  second point of the montage is to introduce new 
  characters, by having them join the party’s adventures 
  in an exciting way rather than a flat ‘you meet in a 
  tavern’. The third purpose of the montage is to re-
  introduce existing characters, reminding everybody of 
  their abilities and personalities and relationships. 
  NPCs 
  GMs: We’ve given you two NPCs to play with. The 
  psychopomp makes for a great uncanny presence: a 
  character that can be played as a dignified incarnation 
  of death, or as a sighing put-upon bureaucrat cleaning 
  up other’s messes. If you prefer to avoid the 
  psychopomp use the wizard instead, or have both of 
  them turn up.  
  Gestour D’Naranja 
  The wizard Gestour D’Naranja’s latest spell has 
  failed spectacularly: it was supposed to bring him 
  a sample of titan bone, but it teleported him to the 
  land of the dead. 
  Dressed in a tatty bathrobe and slippers, 
  Gestour is not at his best. When he meets the 
  adventurers, he draws himself up to his full 
  height and acts as imperiously as his situation 
  will allow. 
  Gestour is frantic, he knows exactly where he 
  is and how much trouble he is in. He has a list of 
  spell components he is trying to gather to reverse 
  the spell and get him back to the surface world. 
  Luckily for Gestour, the adventurers have some 
  of the components that he needs. He can 
  substitute ear of adventurer for eye of newt, and 
  if the party’s dwarf doesn’t mind giving up some 
  blood he’ll be very grateful. 
  This NPC can meet the adventurers at any 
  point—appearing in a puff of smoke, or sat 
  sulking on a giant knucklebone.  
  Kamatayon the Psychopomp 
  Kamatayon is a psychopomp, an entity that 
  escorts those in the land of the dead to their 
  destination. Psychopomps are not judges of 
  souls, nor do they punish or reward those in their 
  care—they simply escort them. 
  Kamatayon’s appearance is frightening: a tall 
  empty robe full of smoke, with black wings. On 
  each wing is a peacock-like eye pattern that 
  blinks and makes eye contact with those whom 
  Kamatayon is speaking. 
  Kamatayon’s 
  normal duties have 
  been 
  disturbed by a huge rock crashing out of the ‘sky’ 
  and punching a hole through the desert of the 
  dead at a place called the Inverted Basillica. Now 
  the put-upon spirit must contend with living 
  beings showing up in the land of the dead and 
  upsetting the cosmic balance. 
  Kamatayon isn’t a danger to the party, nor are 
  they a danger to him—the most either side can do 
  is posture. Kamatayon cannot aid or hinder the 
  party in any way; he’s just an empty robe. 
  If Kamatayon figures out that the party is 
  looking for the meteorite (or if they just tell him), 
  he’ll gladly lead them up the bone mountains and 
  point the way to the Inverted Basilica. 
  This NPC can meet the adventurers wherever 
  you as the GM deem dramatically most 
  appropriate. 
  
   
   
  7 
   
  Chthonic Deities 
  The adventurers come across a field of colossal 
  statues half buried in the bone dust of the White 
  Desert. These statues are chthonic deities, lost 
  subterranean gods. 
  Isn’t this all a bit… mythic? Lost 
  gods, and trekking through the land of 
  the dead (or at least ‘a’ land of the 
  dead)? 
  Shouldn’t this be epic tier stuff? 
  Well yes, and also no.  
  The PCs on this adventure are metaphorically 
  sneaking in the back door, too inconsequential to be 
  noticed by greater powers. This is the stuff legends are 
  made of, a small band of brave adventurers achieving 
  the impossible. 
  If the adventurers were higher level, they’d 
  doubtless be challenged by guardians, face riddles, and 
  have the destiny of the world hanging in the balance. 
  If the adventurers come back later in their careers, they 
  should expect to face avatars of death, angry 
  psychopomps, and the echoes of gods.  
  As the adventurers walk forward, they 
  discover 
  that 
  these 
  statues 
  are 
  not 
  representations of the chthonic deities. They ARE 
  the chthonic deities (or some of them anyway). 
  This is a graveyard for gods no longer worshiped, 
  a place where they go to die. But not all of them 
  are entirely dead. 
  Sneak past or run through: DC 25. If an 
  adventurer fails the skill check, make one 
  of the following attacks against that 
  adventurer: 
  A god turns its head and looks into your 
  very soul +15 vs MD—4d6 holy damage 
  OR 
  Deep theological uncertainty +15 vs 
  MD—4d8 psychic damage OR convert to 
  the faith of that god on the spot 
  Icon Option: Priestess 
  If the Priestess is an important icon in 
  this game, then the Chthonic Deities 
  were once well known in the surface 
  world.  These gods were either banished 
  to the dark of the underworld, or were 
  gods of earth and stone, or ‘died’ and 
  went to the underworld to await their 
  final dissipation.  
  As the adventurers know somewhat 
  of these gods, they only take 3 dice of 
  damage from attacks in this area (3d6 or 
  3d8). Characters with a relationship with 
  the Priestess take only half damage. 
  Icon Option: Dwarf King 
  If the Dwarf King is an important icon in 
  this game, then most of these deities are 
  dwarven gods of earth and stone, left 
  behind and forgotten when the dwarves 
  fled the deep places in the earth.  
  Dwarves in this area take no damage. 
  They instead gain temporary hit points 
  equal to the damage die type (6 or 8). 
  Dwarves who convert to the worship of 
  a chthonic god in this area have one of 
  their mundane items blessed, converting 
  it on the spot into a true magic item! 
   
  
   
   
  8 
   
  Lost Ghosts 
  Wandering in the mists of the trackless White 
  Desert, a whispering sound arises. At first, the 
  adventurers mistake it for wind, but no breeze 
  stirs the white mists. The whispers are of lost 
  ghosts, unable to move on, lost eternally in the 
  mists. 
  The lost ghosts have been here so long that 
  they have lost the memories, their identities, 
  everything but whatever drove them in life—this 
  group of ghosts were apparently driven by rage. 
  Number 
  of 
  PCs 
  Ghost 
  Ghastly 
  Phantasm 
  3 
  1 
  8 
  4 
  1 
  13 
  5 
  2 
  8 
  6 
  2 
  13 
  Icon Option: Priestess 
  If the Priestess is an important icon in 
  this game, then these ghosts are only 
  here because a follower of the Priestess 
  exorcised them and banished them here. 
  The ghosts gain a +1 bonus to attack 
  any 
  adventurer 
  with 
  a 
  positive 
  relationship with the Priestess, but a -1 
  penalty to attack any adventurer with a 
  negative relationship with the Priestess. 
  Icon Option: Lich King 
  If the Lich King is an important icon in 
  this game, then these ghosts can be 
  exploited. 
  Adventurers with a 6 with the Lich 
  King can spend it to bind a ghost into a 
  weapon, creating a true magic item. The 
  exact method of binding we leave up to 
  the player in question. Ghost-infused 
  armor, shields, helms, and so on might 
  also be on the cards. 
  Icon Option: Great Gold Wyrm 
  If the Great Gold Wyrm is an important 
  icon in this game, then these ghosts are 
  the spirits of paladins that fell in battle 
  against demons. 
  Spending a 6 on a relationship with 
  the Great Gold Wyrm reminds the ghosts 
  of their pasts. This is only a brief effect, 
  affecting the ghosts for one round. Doing 
  this mid-combat is a quick action, 
  probably involving showing a symbol of 
  the Great Gold Wyrm to the ghosts. 
   
  GHOST 
  5th level blocker [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +10 
  Vulnerable: holy 
   
  C: Ghostly wailing +10 vs. MD (1d3 nearby 
  enemies)—6 ongoing negative energy damage 
  and the target is stuck (save 11+ ends both) 
  Fear effect: Targets that are immune to fear do 
  not become stuck. 
   
  Fear: While engaged with this creature, enemies 
  that have 24 hp or fewer are dazed (–4 attack) 
  and do not add the escalation die to their 
  attacks. 
   
  Flight: The ghost hovers and zooms about. 
   
  Ghostly: This creature has resist damage 16+ to all 
  damage except force damage and holy damage, 
  which damages it normally. The natural attack 
  roll must equal or exceed 16 to deal full 
  damage—if the roll is lower than 16 the attack 
  deals half damage. Remember that the ghost is 
  vulnerable to holy damage (holy attacks against the 
  ghost crit on 18+). 
   
   
  AC 18 
  PD 13 
   
  HP 76 
  MD 15 
   
  GHASTLY PHANTASM 
  3rd level mook [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +10 
  Vulnerable: holy 
   
  Heart squeeze +8 vs. PD—5 cold damage, or 9 
  cold damage if the target is stuck. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 15 
   
  HP 10 (mook) 
  MD 15 
  Mook: Kill one Ghastly Phantasm for every 10 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
  
   
   
  9 
   
   
   
  
   
   
  10 
   
  The Bones of Titans 
  The adventurers finally come to the end of the 
  bone dust White Desert. Ahead rises a mountain 
  range comprised of the bones of titanic beings, 
  the inhuman ur-gods that existed in the time-
  before-times. 
  Crossing these bone mountains will be a 
  difficult task: mists obscure crevasse-sized cracks 
  in bones; strange monsters, birthed from the 
  blood and marrow of the titans, haunt the 
  mountains; ghost-infused bone dust storms blow 
  about the mountain passes between vertebrae.  
  Mountaineering over the bones of titans: 
  DC 15. If an adventurer fails the skill 
  check, make the following attack against 
  that adventurer: 
  Random monster attack +5 vs AC—2d6 
  damage 
  OR 
  Bone dust storm +5 vs PD (against every 
  adventurer)—1d10 damage 
  Icon Option: Dwarf King 
  If the Dwarf King is an important icon in 
  this game, then the dwarves have 
  legends about the titans and how the 
  dwarves were born from the iron-hard 
  bones of the first titan to fall in battle 
  against the gods. Whether the legend is 
  true or not, it contains useful information 
  that gives each party member +2 to their 
  skill checks while crossing the titan’s 
  bones. 
  A dwarf adventurer who spends a 6 
  with the Dwarf King finds an ur-dwarf 
  tomb and meets the ghost of their 
  ancestor who gifts them with secret 
  dwarven knowledge (take the end-of-
  session incremental advance right now 
  instead of at the end of the session). 
  Icon Option: The Great Gold Wyrm 
  or the Three 
  If the Great Gold Wyrm or the Three are 
  important icons in this game, then this 
  mountain range was the place where 
  dragons entered the world. The dragons 
  might have been born here, or might just 
  have entered the mortal realm during the 
  battle between the gods and the ur-god 
  titans that came before them. 
  A character with a relationship with 
  the above icons can spend a 6 to draw 
  strength from this place, regaining a 
  recovery or rolling to recharge an 
  expended recharge power. 
  Bone Imps 
  The bone mountains of the titans are home to 
  many strange creatures, some of which have been 
  tracking the adventurers. 
  Related to bone devils, bone imps are native 
  to these mountains. Perhaps the titan’s bones are 
  where the bone devils originated from.  
  Luckily for the adventurers, the bone imps are 
  not full-fledged bone devils—unluckily these 
  creatures are keen to flay the adventurers and 
  sneak up to the surface world wearing the 
  adventurer’s skins as disguises. 
  Number 
  of 
  PCs 
  Bone 
  Imp 
  Archer 
  Bone 
  Imp 
  Gnasher 
  3 
  1 
  2 
  4 
  2 
  2 
  5 
  1 
  3 
  6 
  2 
  3 
  Icon Option: Diabolist 
  If the Diabolist is an important icon in 
  this game, then it might be possible to 
  make a deal with these creatures. These 
  bone imps know of a ritual where they 
  can tattoo themselves on the bodies of 
  mortals using their bone stings (a painful 
  process taking hours). If the adventurers 
  are willing to let the bone imps hitch a 
  ride in their skins back to the surface they 
  can avoid a fight entirely. 
  Of course, the downside to allowing a 
  devil to tattoo itself into your flesh is that 
  you permanently lose a recovery (or at 
  least until the bone-imp leaves your 
  flesh), and have an evil passenger who 
  can leap out at any time it chooses 
  (probably at the worst possible time). 
  
   
   
  11 
   
  Icon Option: Lich King 
  If the Lich King is an important icon in 
  this game, then he has some sway over 
  bone imps.  
  Spending a 6 with the Lich King 
  allows an adventurer with a relationship 
  with the Lich King to successfully bluff 
  that they have important business with 
  in the lands beyond. The bone imps will 
  pause in their attack and discuss exactly 
  what lies beyond the mountains of bone 
  (see our next adventure). 
  Of course, this is just a temporary 
  hiatus in the fight—both sides know that 
  combat is inevitable, but the pause 
  allows the adventurers and bone imps to 
  shuffle subtly into better positions (start 
  the fight with the escalation die at 1). 
  Icon Option: Prince of Shadows 
  If the Prince of Shadows is an important 
  icon in this game, then these imps have 
  visited the surface world before, going to 
  Shadow Port to steal the soul of a master 
  thief. The devil that the imps were 
  supposed to deliver the soul to never 
  showed up, and now the soul just follows 
  these imps around—moping about and 
  bringing the mood down. 
  An adventurer who spends a 6 with 
  the Prince of Shadows can convince the 
  master thief’s soul to fight in spirit on the 
  adventurer’s side. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  End of Session 
  The adventurers find a dome-like cave (actually 
  an eye socket of a massive skull that is lying face-
  down) that hides them from view. This is as good 
  a place to rest as any. 
   
  BONE IMP ARCHER 
  Sometimes called ossifers, bone imps are often what 
  wizards are trying to summon when they call up an 
  osyluth. Of course bone imp or bone devil, neither is a 
  good idea for a wizard to summon. 
  3rd level archers [DEMON]  
  Initiative: +10  
   
  Bone claws +8 vs. AC—10 damage  
   
  R: Ossifying arrow +8 vs. AC—6 damage and the 
  target is stuck (easy save ends). Each time the 
  target fails to save they take damage equal to 
  twice the escalation die value. 
   
  Freakish speed: On rounds when the escalation 
  die is odd the imp may move as a quick 
  action once on its turn.  
   
  Nastier Specials  
  Resist magic (13+): This creature has resist damage 
  13+ to all damage from magic sources (even 
  magic weapons). When a magic attack targets 
  this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 13+ 
  on the attack roll or it only deals half damage. 
   
  AC 17  
  PD 13  HP 45 
  MD 17  
   
  BONE IMP GNASHER 
  4th level troop [DEMON]  
  Initiative: +10  
   
  Marrow-seeking tongue +9 vs. AC—12 damage, 
  16 against stuck targets  
   
  C: Bone splinters +8 vs. AC (1d3 nearby or far 
  away enemies in a group)—10 damage 
   
  Freakish speed: On rounds when the escalation 
  die is odd the imp moves as a quick action.  
   
  Nastier Specials  
  Resist magic (13+): This creature has resist damage 
  13+ to all damage from magic sources (even 
  magic weapons). When a magic attack targets 
  this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 13+ 
  on the attack roll or it only deals half damage. 
   
  AC 18  
  PD 15  HP 54 
  MD 18  
  
   
   
  12 
   
   
   
  
   
   
  13 
   
  The Inverted 
  Basilica 
  Running this adventure 
  This session is designed for 3rd level characters. 
  At the end of the session, each character should 
  gain an incremental advance.  
  At the start of the session, remember to ask 
  each player to roll their adventurer’s icon 
  relationships. Generally speaking, a 6 can be 
  traded in for a clear benefit. A 5, when traded in, 
  will benefit the adventurer or party but there will 
  be an associated complication, obligation, or 
  drawback. 
  The 
  session, 
  as 
  written, 
  should 
  take 
  approximately two hours. If you have time for 
  other encounters in the session before its end, you 
  can pick from the following or roll a d6 for a 
  random 
  encounter 
  (you 
  can 
  find 
  these 
  encounters at the back of the adventure). For a 
  three to four hour game, I’d suggest adding 
  between one and three random encounters 
  scattered throughout the adventure, for a longer 
  hour game I’d suggest adding between two and 
  six random encounters (with half coming from 
  the d20 table in the random encounters section at 
  the back of the adventure). 
  1. Hellish entourage 
  2. Meteorite fragments 
  3. Monolith 
  4. Shambling corpses 
  5. Unearthly crystal 
  6. Roll twice and combine the results 
  New Characters 
  Here are some ideas for introducing new 
  characters: 
   
  The party is not the only group looking 
  for the Heart of the Sky. The icons sent 
  several groups of adventurers into the 
  underworld. The new character is the 
  lone survivor of another adventuring 
  group. 
   
  When the meteorite crashed down into 
  the dark, it destroyed underworld 
  settlements. If the new character is a 
  dwarf or a drow, it is conceivable that 
  they are the lone survivor of such a 
  settlement, or are looking for others who 
  were dragged off by star-masks into the 
  deeper underworld. 
   
  The new adventurer was on a different 
  quest in the underworld, unrelated to the 
  meteorite. When the meteorite crashed 
  through, it destroyed the location the 
  adventurer was heading to, and the 
  quest object fell down into the deeper 
  underworld with the meteorite. 
  The Valley of Death 
  The adventurers have been tracking a meteorite 
  that crashed down into the underworld, a 
  meteorite that contains a legendary gem. The 
  adventurers have braved drow cities, the 
  domains of other-worldly deities, and even 
  crossed the land of the dead. 
  Now the adventurers need to descend from 
  the mountains that they have been crossing, bone 
  mountains that were formed from the corpses of 
  titans. 
  This is a montage scene. The point of this 
  montage is to tell the tale of the adventurers in 
  the bone mountains. Turn to the first player and 
  ask them to describe a problem that the party 
  faced while climbing over the bones of the titans, 
  then turn to the player to their right and ask them 
  how their character solved the problem. Go 
  around the group until everybody has had a 
  chance to describe a fantastical problem and 
  everybody has had a chance to have their 
  character heroically solve the problem. Introduce 
  foreshadowing of upcoming parts of the 
  adventure as you go around the table (for 
  example mention gnoll tribes camped in the 
  mountains, 
  gnawing 
  on 
  the 
  bones 
  and 
  worshiping profane gods). 
  
   
   
  14 
   
  NPC—Zerewin the 
  Hermit 
  In a hut made of skin lives an elf, elderly even by 
  the standards of his race. Zerewin has lived in the 
  land of the dead since time immemorial, 
  sustaining himself by magic. When met, Zerewin 
  apologizes that he has nothing to offer the 
  adventurers to eat or drink. 
  Zerewin is not unfriendly, but is supremely 
  uncurious. No matter how odd his visitors, he’s 
  seen far more bizarre in his time. He’s also 
  apathetic about the outside the world. All he 
  cares for is the solitude to meditate here in the 
  most desolate and least-visited place in the three 
  worlds. 
  The hermit’s hut is a relatively safe place 
  where adventurers can rest, even the rabid gnolls 
  fear the mysterious old elf and his magic. If 
  Zerewin is met at the very start of the session the 
  adventurers can take a full night’s rest (not that 
  ‘day’ and ‘night’ mean much down here). 
  The adventurers can find Zerewin’s hut near 
  the river of death. 
  Icon Option: Archmage or Elf 
  Queen 
  If the Archmage or Elf Queen are 
  important icons in this game, then maybe 
  Zerewin is a retired Archmage or self-
  exiled elven monarch. Probably not, 
  almost definitely not… but you never 
  know. Maybe once the adventurers get 
  back to civilization they’ll look up 
  Zerewin in the history books and 
  discover who or what he was. 
  Character Option: “Your destiny 
  is…” 
  Zerewin has spent whole ages of the 
  world doing nothing but meditating and 
  communing with the cosmos. Having sat 
  by the side of a river of souls he’s 
  doubtless heard lots of whispered secrets 
  now lost to history. 
  If an adventurer has undefined 
  backgrounds or still doesn’t know what 
  their One Unique Thing is, this is a good 
  opportunity for the GM and player in 
  question to introduce these aspects of the 
  player character. 
  Maybe Zerewin has been waiting 
  down here for the adventurer: waiting to 
  pass on a secret birthright, give them a 
  (probably cursed) magic item, or set the 
  hero on the path that will lead them to 
  save (or destroy) the world. 
  The River of Souls 
  The adventurers reach the last boney foothills of 
  the mountains, where a river of souls flows across 
  the landscape toward a structure in the distance. 
  The distant structure looks like a circle of black 
  stones. In the cavernous roof above the distant 
  structure is a hole. It looks like the meteorite 
  punched though this vast cavern near the distant 
  structure.  
  The adventurers’ problem is that they are on 
  the wrong side of the river of souls, and must 
  cross it. Unfortunately, there is no sepulchral-
  voiced ferryman to carry the adventurers across. 
  The party must wade or swim across or come up 
  with some more clever method that keeps them 
  out of the water! 
  Crossing the river of souls while 
  touching the water: DC 15. If an 
  adventurer fails the skill check make the 
  following attack against that adventurer: 
  Assaulted by ennui +5 vs MD—2d6 
  psychic damage 
  OR 
  Enervating 
  flow 
  +5 
  vs 
  PD—1d10 
  negative energy damage 
  Icon Option: Priestess 
  If the Priestess is an important icon in 
  this game, then this river is an important 
  stage in the journey of a soul. The river is 
  neither good, nor bad, it just is. 
  With 
  this 
  understanding, 
  any 
  adventurer with a relationship with the 
  Priestess takes one die type less damage 
  (2d4 instead of 2d6 or 1d8 instead of 
  1d10)—spending a 6 with the Priestess 
  extends this benefit to the rest of the 
  party. 
  
   
   
  15 
   
  Icon Option: Lich King 
  If the Lich King is an important icon in 
  this game, then the river of souls is a 
  resource for those who wield power over 
  death. 
  Spending a 6 with the Lich King 
  means that the adventurer can dip an 
  item into the river, turning it into a true 
  magic item powered by ghosts, and 
  spending a 5 creates a cursed item. 
  Icon Option: Orc Lord 
  If the Orc Lord is an important icon in 
  this game, then orcs reincarnate, or enter 
  an ancestral plane different from where 
  other souls go. Exactly why orcs are 
  different we leave up to the GM and the 
  player of the character with a strong 
  relationship with the Orc Lord. 
  Spending a 6 with the Orc Lord 
  means that the river of souls rejects the 
  adventurer, and they can walk over the 
  river. Spending a 5 means that the 
  adventurer can walk over the river, but 
  takes 3 acid damage doing so as their 
  body starts to dissipate. 
  Wretched Gnolls 
  Once on the other bank, the party sees a group of 
  humanoid figures with spears further along the 
  river. As these figures approach, the party 
  determine that these are gnolls and that they are 
  carrying fishing spears.  
  The unclean gods and demons that the gnolls 
  worship demand a tribute of innocent souls and 
  these gnolls were spearing innocent souls out of 
  the river to offer up to those that they serve. The 
  savage scavengers can see that the adventurers 
  have nice fresh souls, and are eager to take those 
  instead! 
  Number 
  of PCs 
  Gnoll 
  Ranger 
  Gnoll 
  Soul-
  Hunter 
  Gnoll 
  Scavenger 
  3 
  1 
  1 
  3 
  4 
  2 
  1 
  3 
  5 
  1 
  2 
  5 
  6 
  2 
  2 
  5 
  Icon Option: Lich King 
  If the Lich King is an important icon in 
  this game, then each of the gnolls has one 
  milky eye that allows them to see souls. 
  Post-combat, one of these eyes can be 
  taken out and used to replace one of the 
  adventurers’ eyes. 
  The eye doesn’t count as a full magic 
  item (it doesn’t require attunement), but 
  does allow the adventurer to examine the 
  souls of others. Using the eye (requires 
  spending a 6 or 5 with the Lich King) 
  when examining somebody’s soul lets 
  you discover information—roll a d4: 
  1. You can tell if the creature is undead 
  or not. If the creature is not undead 
  you can tell if it is intelligent or not. 
  2. You can spot a living creature hiding 
  nearby, noticing its aura. 
  3. You can tell if a creature is very good. 
  Creatures that are evil, neutral, or 
  just mildly good all look the same to 
  the eye, only saintly or truly innocent 
  souls shine. 
  4. You discover one minor secret about 
  the creature. This won’t allow you to 
  uncover the bad guy’s plot, but 
  might reveal a cult’s secret password 
  or an embarrassing or cherished 
  memory. 
  Exactly how the existing eye is 
  removed and the milky eye is implanted 
  we leave to the GM and player to figure 
  out. 
  Icon Option: Great Gold Wyrm 
  If the Great Gold Wyrm is an important 
  icon in this game, then these fishing 
  spears are magical weapons. Most of 
  them are lost in the river when their 
  owners are killed, but for every 6 spent 
  with the Great Gold Wyrm a magic 
  fishing spear can be recovered (spending 
  a 5 means wading into the river—see 
  River of Souls). 
  Icon Option: Priestess 
  If the Priestess is an important icon in 
  this game, then when the battle begins 
  
   
   
  16 
   
  the sack containing captured souls splits 
  open—roll the escalation die to find out 
  where it starts at as the freed souls fight 
  on the adventurer’s side! 
   
  GNOLL RANGER 
  3rd level archer [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +9 
   
  Hand axes +6 vs. AC (2 attacks)—6 damage 
  Pack ferocity: If more than one gnoll is engaged 
  with the target, each gnoll melee attack that 
  misses that target deals half damage. 
   
  R: Longbow +8 vs. AC—8 damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: The gnoll can make a 
  second longbow attack (no more) as a free 
  action. 
   
  Quick shot: When the gnoll ranger is unengaged 
  and an enemy moves to engage it, roll a d20. 
  On a 11+, the gnoll ranger can make a longbow 
  attack against that enemy as a free action just 
  before being engaged. 
   
  Nastier Specials 
  Hates everyone: The crit range of attacks by gnoll 
  rangers expands by 2 against humanoids. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 17  
  HP 46 
  MD 14 
   
  GNOLL SOUL-HUNTER 
  This emaciated gnoll lurks in the land of the dead, 
  scavenging marrow form bones and attempting to 
  waylay lost souls. 
   
  4th level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Bone club +9 vs. AC—10 damage 
   
  Soul-spear +9 vs. MD—8 psychic damage, and 5 
  ongoing psychic damage 
   
  Pack ferocity: If more than one gnoll is engaged 
  with the target, each gnoll melee attack that 
  misses that target deals half damage. 
   
  Nastier Specials 
  Ghost-hop: When the gnoll becomes staggered it 
  teleports to a nearby location. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 16 
  HP 60 
  MD 16 
   
  GNOLL SCAVENGER 
  The lowest of the low, this hungry gnoll must wait at 
  the edges of the pack for scraps. 
   
  4th level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Bone club +9 vs. AC—6 damage 
  Miss: The gnoll gains +1 to its next attack. 
  Pack ferocity: If more than one gnoll is engaged 
  with the target, each gnoll melee attack that 
  misses that target deals half damage. 
   
  Nastier Specials 
  Scavenger’s desperation: The +1 bonus the gnoll 
  scavenger gains when it misses is cumulative (it 
  stacks with itself) until it hits. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 15 
  HP 14 
  MD 15 
  Mook: Kill one gnoll scavenger mook for every 14 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
   
  
   
   
  17 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  18 
   
  The Inverted Basilica 
  The adventurers arrive at the black stone circle. 
  As they approach, they discover that between the 
  arches of stone are stained glass windows 
  depicting gods both of the light and dark. Many 
  rivers of souls flow into the circle, each passing 
  through a stained glass window.  
  Peering through the windows, it is possible to 
  see the souls heading down what looks like an 
  inside-out cathedral. Carvings and buttresses 
  form the walls of a pit, a maw into which the 
  souls pour. 
  In the pit stand figures, indistinct among the 
  souls. The figures move around, performing 
  some arcane task. Without getting deep down 
  into the pit, it is impossible to see more of the 
  figures. 
  Far above the pit is a hole in the ceiling, a 
  ragged wound punched through the cavern roof 
  by the meteorite that the adventurers are 
  searching for. Unfortunately, there is no sign of 
  the meteorite—it looks like it must have ended 
  up going down into the inverted basilica. 
  It looks like the only way is down. 
  Descending into the Inverted Basilica: 
  DC 20. If an adventurer fails the skill 
  check make the following attack against 
  that adventurer: 
  Falling +5 vs PD—3d4 damage 
  OR 
  Ghostly chill +5 vs MD—2d6 psychic 
  and cold damage 
  Icon Option: Priestess 
  If the Priestess is an important icon in 
  this game, then the Inverted Basilica is 
  something that appears in the afterlife 
  myths of many religions, and the 
  adventurers know of a secret path down. 
  Reduce the DC of the skill checks to 15. 
  Spending a 6 with the Priestess lets 
  the adventurer in question pass through 
  the stained glass window representing 
  their god, allowing them to regain a 
  spent recovery. 
  Icon Option: Diabolist 
  If the Diabolist is an important icon in 
  this game, then the adventurers know 
  that the Inverted Basilica is an entrance 
  to one of the hells. Add an extra 1d4 
  damage to each attack (falling does 4d4 
  damage, ghostly chill does 2d6+d4 
  damage). 
  Holy Judges 
  As the adventurers descend, they discover that 
  the figures in the pit are giant angelic beings, 
  sifting the holy, pure, and innocent souls from 
  the flow of spirits heading downwards. When 
  they locate a worthy soul, they lift it upwards and 
  it wizzes off in a burst of light. 
  Unfortunately for the adventurers, the holy 
  judges have little experience with the living, and 
  attempt to liberate the adventurers’ souls from 
  their bodies (i.e. kill them) so that they can judge 
  the adventurer’s souls. 
  Number of PCs 
  Holy Judges 
  3 
  2 
  4 
  2 
  5 
  3 
  6 
  3 
  Icon Option: Prince of Shadows 
  If the Prince of Shadows is an important 
  icon in this game, then one tale of the 
  Prince’s exploits involves him tricking 
  his way past the holy judges in order to 
  steal a gem from the underworld—a 
  legend 
  that 
  the 
  adventurers 
  are 
  replicating.  
  Those with a relationship with the 
  Prince of Shadows treat the escalation as 
  being 1 higher than what the die actually 
  shows (if the escalation die is 2 these 
  characters treat it as being 3). 
  Icon Option: Diabolist or Priestess 
  If the Diabolist or the Priestess are 
  important icons in this game, then the 
  holy judges ignore adventurers with 
  positive relationships with these icons—
  assuming them to be divine or infernal 
  messengers. 
  If 
  some 
  (but 
  not 
  all) 
  of 
  the 
  adventurers have a positive relationship 
  with the Diabolist or Priestess then that 
  means that the holy judges initially 
  
   
   
  19 
   
  ignore those with such relationships.  Do 
  not count the ignored adventurers in the 
  number of PCs for the fight, only count 
  the number of adventurers with no 
  positive relationship when calculating 
  the number of enemies to use. 
  Of course if everybody has a positive 
  relationship 
  with 
  the 
  Diabolist 
  of 
  Priestess the whole party might be able 
  to avoid the notice of the holy judges and 
  pass by unimpeded. 
   
  HOLY JUDGES 
  These colossi wait in the land of the dead to judge those 
  who have passed on. If you meet one, something has 
  gone badly wrong. 
   
  Huge 2nd level blocker [SPIRIT] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  Chaff-separating flail +7 vs. AC—14 holy 
  damage and the target is stuck (save ends) 
  Natural even hit that also hits PD: 7 ongoing 
  lightning damage. 
   
  R: Call to judgement +7 vs. MD—21 psychic 
  damage and the target must use their next 
  move action to move into engagement with the 
  holy judge 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 16 
   
  HP 100 
  MD 12 
   
  End of Session 
  As the adventurers head downwards, they come 
  across many side-tunnels. Eventually, the going 
  gets so tough in the inverted basilica that it is 
  safer to take a side tunnel rather than heading 
  straight down. 
  It is in one of these side tunnels that the party 
  can take a rest, sleeping in an alcove as the souls 
  of the dead flow past them. 
   
  
   
   
  20 
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  21 
   
  The Citadel of 
  Pain 
  Running this adventure 
  This session is designed for 3rd level characters. 
  At the end of the session, each character should 
  gain an incremental advance.  
  At the start of the session, remember to ask 
  each player to roll their adventurer’s icon 
  relationships. Generally speaking, a 6 can be 
  traded in for a clear benefit. A 5, when traded in, 
  will benefit the adventurer or party but there will 
  be an associated complication, obligation, or 
  drawback. 
  The 
  session, 
  as 
  written, 
  should 
  take 
  approximately two hours. If you have time for 
  other encounters in the session before its end, you 
  can pick from the following or roll a d6 for a 
  random 
  encounter 
  (you 
  can 
  find 
  these 
  encounters at the back of the adventure). For a 
  three to four hour game, I’d suggest adding 
  between one and three random encounters 
  scattered throughout the adventure, for a longer 
  hour game I’d suggest adding between two and 
  six random encounters (with half coming from 
  the d20 table in the random encounters section at 
  the back of the adventure). 
  1. Glow moss 
  2. Hellbugs 
  3. Necromancer 
  4. Penitent 
  5. Soul-guardian 
  6. Roll twice and combine the results 
  New Characters 
  Here are some ideas for introducing new 
  characters: 
   
  The party is not the only group looking 
  for the Heart of the Sky. The icons sent 
  several groups of adventurers into the 
  underworld. The new character is the 
  lone survivor of another adventuring 
  group. 
   
  When the meteorite crashed down into 
  the dark, it destroyed underworld 
  settlements. If the new character is a 
  dwarf or a drow, it is conceivable that 
  they are the lone survivor of such a 
  settlement, or are looking for others who 
  were dragged off by star-masks into the 
  deeper underworld. 
   
  The new adventurer was on a different 
  quest in the underworld, unrelated to the 
  meteorite. When the meteorite crashed 
  through, it destroyed the location the 
  adventurer was heading to, and the 
  quest object fell down into the deeper 
  underworld with the meteorite. 
  The Hellgate 
  The adventurers are searching for a meteorite 
  that crashed down into the underworld. They 
  have encountered strange gods, crossed rivers of 
  souls, stolen ships from the undead to sail 
  subterranean seas, and are delving ever deeper. 
  They are now so deep into the underworld that 
  they are actually entering hell (or at least a hell). 
  Soon the adventurers will reach the gates of 
  hell, but first they must descend through 
  winding tunnels and strange paths to get there. Is 
  the path to hell really paved with good 
  intentions, or are the steps down made of frozen 
  lawyers? Who (or what) do they meet on their 
  way to hell? What unearthly delights or torments 
  do they witness? 
  This is a montage scene. The point of this 
  montage is to tell the story of how the party 
  descended the winding tunnels that lead to the 
  hell known as the Citadel of Pain. Turn to the first 
  player and ask them to describe a hellish scene 
  that the party witnessed during their downwards 
  journey, then turn to the player to their right and 
  ask them how their character interacted with the 
  scene. Go around the group until everybody has 
  had a chance to describe something hellish and 
  everybody has had a chance to have their 
  character interact with the outskirts of hell. 
  Introduce foreshadowing of upcoming parts of 
  the adventure as you go around the table (for 
  example 
  mention 
  the 
  ever-increasing 
  temperature, iron plates hammered into the walls 
  with spikes, and long abandoned torture 
  
   
   
  22 
   
  implements in side-chambers off the tunnel they 
  are exploring). 
  This is a hell, but maybe not the hell—
  there might be multiple afterlives, or 
  this could be a way station to 
  somewhere else. Fit this in to the 
  mythology of your campaign however 
  feels best. 
  For a fun twist, flip all the fire damage to cold 
  damage and have this as the hell that froze over, with 
  demons huddled around piles of burning souls. 
  NPC—Drazzub the 
  Flensed 
  The skinless demon-thing called Drazzub can be 
  found in and around the Citadel of Pain. 
  Drazzub’s job is to offer guided tours of hell for 
  visiting dignitaries, and she’s just mistaken the 
  party for just such a party of dignitaries. 
  Drazzub is unctuous, rubbing her bloody 
  hands together and bowing to the adventurers. 
  She’s keen to hear what the ‘dignitaries’ think of 
  the Citadel of Pain and how it measures up to the 
  hell that her honored guests represent. 
  Of course, once Drazzub figures out that the 
  party are adventurers, she will raise the alarm 
  before melting into a puddle of gore and 
  slithering off. 
  This NPC can meet the adventurers at any 
  point but probably inside the city itself during the 
  City of Burning Iron skill challenge. 
  The Gates of Hell 
  The adventurers arrive at a large stone door set at 
  the end of a tunnel. A three-headed dog stands 
  guard in front of the door, chewing on a massive 
  bone. Above the door is carved something, but 
  between the age of the carving and the poor 
  lighting conditions, it is hard to see what is 
  written there. 
  As the adventurers approach, the gargantuan 
  beast raises one head to look sleepily at the 
  adventurers before returning to the bone it is 
  working on.  
  If the adventurers choose to sneak past 
  the massive dog, it is a DC 10 skill check, 
  with each adventurer needing to make 
  the roll.  
  Alternately, the adventurers could try 
  to trick their way past the hound, 
  brazenly walking past or tossing bones to 
  the dog to trick it: this is also a DC 10 skill 
  check for each adventurer. 
  If the players decide that the writing 
  above the door is significant, it is a DC 10 
  skill check to decipher and correctly 
  pronounce the eons-old passphrase. 
  If an adventurer fails the skill check, 
  they still get past the dog, but each time 
  it makes the next adventurer’s skill check 
  DC to pass the dog a cumulative 1d10 
  higher. If the DC rises to 40 or higher 
  then the dog attacks the party, otherwise 
  the party gets past the dog. 
  Icon Option: Emperor 
  If the Emperor is an important icon in 
  this game, then the same words written 
  above the gate to hell appear on an 
  identical ceremonial gate in Axis. Exactly 
  how a copy of the gateway to hell ended up in 
  Axis (or vise-versa) is an interesting story 
  that we leave to be told by the GM. 
  Any player who spends a 6 with the 
  Emperor already knows the arcane 
  words above the gate and can pass 
  through without needing to make a skill 
  roll at all. Of course the words only work 
  for those than can pronounce them 
  properly, and they are difficult to 
  
   
   
  23 
   
  pronounce. Adventurers who hear the 
  words and want to try pronouncing 
  them must succeed on a DC 25 skill check 
  or rouse the beast to anger (causing it to 
  attack the party, with a free attack before 
  initiative is rolled on the person who 
  failed the skill check). 
  Icon Option: Diabolist 
  If the Diabolist is an important icon in 
  this game, then the name of the dog is 
  known to any adventurer who spends a 
  6 with the Diabolist.  
  Though hard to pronounce, the name, 
  when 
  whispered 
  to 
  the 
  beast, 
  temporarily lulls it and allows the 
  adventurer free passage into hell (just 
  spend a 6 with the Diabolist instead of 
  rolling a skill check). 
  Cerebii 
  If the party fails to sneak past the three-headed 
  hellhound (the skill check DC rises to 40) it 
  attacks the party. 
  Number 
  of 
  PCs 
  Cerebii 
  Ghastly 
  Phantasm 
  3 
  1 
  3 
  4 
  1 
  8 
  5 
  1 
  13 
  6 
  1 
  18 
  Icon Option: the Three 
  If the Three are an important icon in this 
  game, then three-headed dogs are a 
  popular pet in Drakkenhell, and though 
  this one is much larger and infused with 
  the powers of hell, it is familiar enough 
  that the adventurer can use their 
  knowledge to gain a slight advantage. 
  Spending a 6 with the Diabolist 
  during this battle advances the escalation 
  die by 1 (from 0 to 1, from 1 to 2, etc). 
  Icon Option: Lich King 
  If the Lich King is an important icon in 
  this game, then three-headed dogs are 
  common underworld guardians.  
  Spending a 6 with the Lich King lets 
  an adventurer spot this beast’s weak 
  spots, making it vulnerable to their 
  attacks when the escalation die is even. 
   
  CEREBII 
  Large 4th level blocker [DEMON] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  Multi-headed bite +9 vs. AC (3 engaged 
  enemies)—20 damage 
  Natural even hit: The target is stuck (save ends, 
  the demon dog moving also ends the stuck 
  condition). 
   
  Gnaw +11 vs. AC (one stuck enemy)—30 
  damage 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 18 
  HP 108 
  MD 18 
   
  GHASTLY PHANTASM 
  3rd level mook [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +10 
  Vulnerable: holy 
   
  Heart squeeze +8 vs. PD—5 cold damage, or 9 
  cold damage if the target is stuck. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 15 
   
  HP 10 (mook) 
  MD 15 
  Mook: Kill one Ghastly Phantasm for every 10 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
  
   
   
  24 
   
   
   
  
   
   
  25 
   
  City of Burning Iron 
  Beyond the gates of this hell is a city made of iron. 
  Souls are stretched out on the red-hot walls of the 
  buildings, and metallic creatures administer 
  punishments and tortures to the damned. In the 
  center of the city, a vast palace sits at the center of 
  a lake of molten metal. 
  Far above, a hole can be seen in the cavern 
  roof where the meteorite punched its way down 
  into hell. The adventurers need to get to the crash 
  site and recover the meteorite. 
  Navigating the city of Burning Iron: DC 
  20. If an adventurer rolls a natural 20 
  they may nominate another adventurer 
  that can forgo the skill check. If an 
  adventurer fails the skill check, make the 
  following attack against that adventurer: 
  Red hot walkway +10 vs PD (against 
  each adventurer)—1d6 fire damage 
  OR 
  Steam vent +10 vs PD (against each 
  adventurer)—2d4 fire damage 
  OR 
  Tortured wails +10 vs MD (against each 
  adventurer)—1d6 psychic damage 
  Icon Option: Diabolist or Great 
  Gold Wyrm 
  If the Diabolist or Great Gold Wyrm are 
  important icons in this game, then 
  adventurers with any type of icon 
  relationship with either one takes up to 2 
  less 
  damage 
  from 
  each 
  hazard 
  (minimum of 0). (Perhaps the adventurer in 
  question knows the city lay-out from their 
  nightmares, or has seen it tattooed on a 
  demon, or is inured to hellish heat because 
  they once had the dubious pleasure of being 
  the subjects of a devil’s affections, or because 
  they fought for the Great Gold Wyrm at the 
  Abyss.) 
  Adventurers who have a positive or 
  conflicted relationship with the Diabolist 
  or a negative relationship with the Great 
  Gold Wyrm can spend a 6 to ignore 
  either fire or psychic damage in this area 
  (the player chooses which should apply to 
  their character). 
  Icon Option: Orc Lord 
  If the Orc Lord is an important icon in 
  this game, then this city is a hell for orcs.  
  Characters 
  with 
  a 
  positive 
  or 
  conflicted relationship with the Orc Lord 
  take one die type higher damage (1d6 
  becomes 1d8, 2d4 becomes 2d6). 
  Chain Golem 
  The meteorite punched through the metal floor of 
  hell, but it looks like it was losing speed by the 
  time it came through here. The adventurer’s 
  quest may soon be at an end! 
  However, there are chain golems busy 
  mending the floor of hell. In order to get to the 
  path to the meteorite, the adventurers must fight 
  their 
  way 
  past 
  the 
  hellish 
  constructs. 
  Unfortunately, there is no way to use stealth or 
  guile here. The golems are instantly aware of the 
  adventurers’ approach. 
  It takes three move actions per adventurer to 
  slip through the crack in the floor if the party can 
  avoid the chain golem’s ability to make the party 
  stuck. The chain golems and linklings will not 
  pursue the party once they are through the crack. 
  Number 
  of 
  PCs 
  Chain Golem 
  Linkling 
  3 
  1 
  5 
  4 
  1 
  15 
  5 
  1 
  25 
  6 
  1 
  35 
  Icon Option: Crusader or Diabolist 
  If the Crusader or the Diabolist are 
  important icons in this game, then chain 
  golems are sometimes found in the 
  mortal world guarding hell-holes. The 
  adventurer’s 
  experience 
  with 
  chain 
  golems in the world above translates to a 
  slight advantage in the world below. 
  Adventurers with a relationship with 
  either of the two icons gain a +5 bonus to 
  disengage rolls against these chain 
  golems. 
  Icon Option: Archmage 
  If the Archmage is an important icon in 
  this game, then these golems have a flaw 
  in their construction: improperly applied 
  
   
   
  26 
   
  sigils on their links. (Demons and devils 
  are obviously good at torture but skimp 
  when it comes to magical constructs.) 
  Spending a 6 with the Archmage lets 
  the adventurer in question to designate 
  one chain golem as having the weakest 
  link flaw (see the monster description). 
   
  CHAIN GOLEM 
  This monster is often used as a guard in places that 
  need to keep prisoners in rather than keeping outsiders 
  out. 
   
  Large 5th level blocker [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +9 
   
  Chain fist smash +10 vs. AC—24 damage 
   
  Get back here: When a nearby enemy moves the 
  chain golem makes the following attack as a free 
  action: 
  [special trigger, twice per round] C: Whipping 
  chains +10 vs. AC (one nearby moving 
  target)—7 damage and the target stops moving 
  and is pulled into engagement with the chain 
  golem 
   
  Immoveable: If the chain golem is targeted by an 
  effect that would pull it into engagement, pop 
  it free, or otherwise move it then the chain 
  golem doesn’t budge. 
   
  Golem 
  immunity: 
  Non-organic 
  golems 
  are 
  immune to effects. They can’t be dazed, 
  weakened, confused, made vulnerable, or 
  touched by ongoing damage. You can damage 
  a golem, but that’s about it. 
   
  Nastier Specials 
  Longer chains: Once per battle the golem can use 
  its chain fist smash as a close attack against a 
  nearby or far away enemy 
   
  AC 21 
  PD 19 
  HP 150 
  MD 15 
   
  LINKLING 
  A tiny mechanical golem, often accompanying chain 
  golems. Linklings are spherical assemblages of cogs, 
  chains, and clockwork. 
   
  1st level mook [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Gear teeth +7 vs. AC—5 damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: Disengaging from the 
  linkling has a -5 penalty as it wraps tiny 
  chains around its target’s feet. 
   
  Limited golem immunity: Non-organic golems are 
  immune to effects. They can’t be dazed, 
  weakened, confused, made vulnerable, or 
  touched by ongoing damage. You can damage 
  a golem, but that’s about it. Linklings are 
  fragile, and lose their golem immunity when 
  the escalation die is even. 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 15 
  HP 7 (mook) 
  MD 10 
  Mook: Kill one linkling mook for every 7 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
   
  End of Session 
  The adventurers destroy the chain golems 
  patching the floor of hell and slip into a smooth-
  walled tunnel burned out of the rock by the 
  meteorite that they are chasing. 
  Under the Citadel of Pain are pipes carrying 
  magma to the city, heating up the metal. Other 
  pipes carry water to the city and carry away 
  waste. Here, down among the pipes, the 
  adventurers can sleep in warmth (a rarity in the 
  underworld), and drink water from a cracked 
  pipe (at least they hope its water). 
  
   
   
  27 
   
   
   
  
   
   
  28 
   
  Eldwold 
  Reborn 
  Running this adventure 
  This session is designed for 3rd level characters. 
  At the end of the session, each character should 
  gain an incremental advance.  
  At the start of the session, remember to ask 
  each player to roll their adventurer’s icon 
  relationships. Generally speaking, a 6 can be 
  traded in for a clear benefit. A 5, when traded in, 
  will benefit the adventurer or party but there will 
  be an associated complication, obligation, or 
  drawback. 
  The 
  session, 
  as 
  written, 
  should 
  take 
  approximately two hours. If you have time for 
  other encounters in the session before its end, you 
  can pick from the following or roll a d6 for a 
  random 
  encounter 
  (you 
  can 
  find 
  these 
  encounters at the back of the adventure). For a 
  three to four hour game, I’d suggest adding 
  between one and three random encounters 
  scattered throughout the adventure, for a longer 
  hour game I’d suggest adding between two and 
  six random encounters (with half coming from 
  the d20 table in the random encounters section at 
  the back of the adventure). 
  1. Killer rocks 
  2. Reconstituted surface dweller 
  3. Riddle contest 
  4. Rubblings 
  5. Underworld flora 
  6. Roll twice and combine the results 
  New Characters 
  Here are some ideas for introducing new 
  characters: 
   
  The party is not the only group looking 
  for the Heart of the Sky. The icons sent 
  several groups of adventurers into the 
  underworld. The new character is the 
  lone survivor of another adventuring 
  group. 
   
  When the meteorite crashed down into 
  the dark, it destroyed underworld 
  settlements. If the new character is a 
  dwarf or a drow, it is conceivable that 
  they are the lone survivor of such a 
  settlement, or are looking for others who 
  were dragged off by star-masks into the 
  deeper underworld. 
   
  The new adventurer was on a different 
  quest in the underworld, unrelated to the 
  meteorite. When the meteorite crashed 
  through, it destroyed the location the 
  adventurer was heading to, and the 
  quest object fell down into the deeper 
  underworld with the meteorite. 
  Hell’s Undercroft 
  The adventurers have descended into the 
  underworld, encountered strange gods, travelled 
  into the land of the dead, and have even visited 
  (a) hell! Their quest? Find a meteorite that 
  crashed into the underworld, and recover a gem 
  from its center. 
  The adventurers are in a long spiral tunnel 
  bored into the rock by the meteorite. As they 
  descend they see many odd fossils that will haunt 
  their dreams. 
  This is a montage scene. The point of this 
  montage is to cooperatively describe the party’s 
  downwards journey having escaped from the 
  hell known as the Citadel of Pain. Turn to the first 
  player and ask them to describe a problem that 
  the party faced in the tunnels beneath hell, then 
  turn to the player to their right and ask them how 
  their character solved the problem. Go around 
  the group until everybody has had a chance to 
  describe a problem and everybody has had a 
  chance to have their character heroically 
  overcome the difficulties facing the party. 
  Introduce foreshadowing of upcoming parts of 
  the adventure as you go around the table (for 
  example mention meteoric dust, dead star-
  masks, and strange carvings in the tunnel walls 
  that look almost like bricks, doorways, and 
  windows). 
  
   
   
  29 
   
  NPC—Griff Burlrock 
  The dwarf Griff Burlrock was part of a group of 
  dwarven miners visiting Eldwold. When the 
  meteorite fell and ruined the city, they descended 
  into the crater to look for survivors. Griff fell into 
  the underworld via a cave-in, was captured by 
  drow, sold to a group of gnolls for sacrifice to 
  their god, escaped thanks to the intervention of 
  an Azer pirate ship, seized by a giant red bat and 
  carried off, escaped via a living temple that 
  wanders the depth. In short, the dwarf has had 
  quite an adventure! Exactly how much of the tale 
  told by the dwarf is true and how much is 
  dwarven story-telling is something that only 
  Griff knows. 
  Griff, amazingly, has suffered only minor 
  injuries, and has all sorts of trophies to show off 
  from the dwarf’s recent adventures (“Look, the 
  claw of a blood-fisher!”). He also reveals to the 
  characters that Eldwold (the city that the 
  meteorite crashed into and destroyed) has 
  survived in the underworld—or rather that it has 
  been ‘reborn’ as a living dungeon. 
  Griff wants to get out of the underworld, but 
  only once the dwarf has found some treasure. 
  Griff has recently accrued some interesting 
  objects, and is keen to swap some of the 
  interesting objects (each with a story attached) for 
  a magic item or two. 
  This NPC can meet the adventurers in the 
  streets of Eldwold Reborn, running from a city 
  golem, trying to cross the rubble bridge to get to 
  the palace with the gem inside, or wherever you 
  as the GM deem dramatically appropriate. 
  As an incremental advance, one of the 
  adventurers can gain Griff as a companion at the 
  end of the session as a feat.  
   
  Griff has hit points equal to the 
  adventurer’s level x 14. 
   
  Griff’s AC is 15+ the adventurer’s level. 
  Her MD is 2 less than her AC, and her PD 
  is 6 less than her AC. 
   
  Griff cannot help in a fight (she hides, 
  flees, or otherwise seeks safety). 
   
  Griff has a background “Lucky survivor” 
  at +3. The adventurer who has Griff as a 
  companion can use that background as if 
  it was a background of their own. 
  Basically Griff works just like the further 
  backgrounding feat but with the ability to die in a 
  fight. If Griff dies, the adventurer regains the feat 
  used to have her as a companion. 
  Conceivably, Griff could be taken as an 
  ‘animal companion’ by a ranger or druid, 
  bending the rules slightly. Griff’s animal 
  companion advantage is identical to that of a boar. 
  The Streets of Eldwold 
  The adventurers exit the tunnel and discover a 
  fantastic sight. The city of Eldwold that the 
  meteorite crashed into far above has been 
  recreated down here! At the center of the city, 
  half sunk into the rock, is a magnificent palace. 
  Glistening at the center of the palace is the gem 
  that they seek, visible through the palaces high 
  windows. 
  The city is obviously partially made out of the 
  meteorite, together with rubble from Eldwold 
  and material that the meteorite pulled along with 
  it as it plowed down through the underworld. 
  Of course, you should point out to the players 
  that it is obvious to their characters that the ‘city’ 
  is now a living dungeon—and likely to be heavily 
  trapped. Everybody has heard of the living 
  dungeons of the Isle of Omen, as well as 
  monstrous living dungeons like the Stone Thief, 
  so it would be unusual for characters not to at 
  least suspect that a city reborn far underground 
  might be one. 
  Trap Street: DC 25. If an adventurer fails 
  the skill check make the following attack 
  against that adventurer: 
  Spike pit street +15 vs AC (against each 
  adventurer)—2d8 damage 
  OR 
  Carnivorous architecture +10 vs AC—3d6 
  damage
  
   
   
  30 
   
  So why does this living dungeon 
  look like the city that the meteorite 
  crashed through? The answer is 
  simple. The meteorite was part of the 
  living dungeon ‘planet’ known as 
  the Archmage’s Comet. This part of 
  the comet crashed/burned down into the underworld 
  and ‘crawled’ into this cavern to regenerate, using the 
  pattern of the city that it impacted to rebuild itself. Of 
  course, it has also incorporated things that it saw (or 
  stole or kidnapped) on its passage downwards. 
  Icon Option: Dwarf King 
  If the Dwarf King is an important icon in 
  this game, then the stonework of the 
  traps is easy to spot for any dwarves in 
  the party, reducing the DC to 20. 
  Any dwarf in the party may roll a 
  save (11+) to avoid a trap by instinctively 
  knowing where useful ledges and handy 
  side-streets are. 
  Spending  a 6 with the Dwarf King 
  allows the adventurer in the party to jam 
  a spike pit street trap so that neither they 
  nor their allies take any damage from it. 
  Eldwold is Restless 
  Eldwold Reborn is aware that the adventurers 
  are in it, like ants crawling on the skin of a much 
  larger creature; the living dungeon has sent ruin 
  golems to deal with the irritation. 
  Number 
  of 
  PCs 
  Rubbling 
  City Golem 
  3 
  2 
  2 
  4 
  5 
  2 
  5 
  3 
  3 
  6 
  7 
  3 
  Icon Option: High Druid 
  If the High Druid is an important icon in 
  this 
  game, 
  then 
  ruin 
  golems 
  are 
  antithetical to the High Druid—it’s a 
  whole wild-vs-city thing. 
  When initiative is rolled, characters 
  who have a positive or conflicted 
  relationship with the High Druid can 
  spend a 6 in order to make the city 
  golems dazed by the power of wild 
  nature, save (11+) ends. Spending a 5 
  makes the city golems dazed easy (6+) 
  save 
  ends. 
  Yes, 
  normally 
  inorganic 
  constructs can’t be touched by most effects—
  this is a rare exception.. 
  Icon Option: Prince of Shadows 
  If the Prince of Shadows is an important 
  icon in this game, then ruin golems tend 
  to ignore his servants. (Maybe it’s because 
  the servants of the Prince of Shadows are so 
  adept at slipping unnoticed through cities 
  that animated parts of cities don’t notice 
  them, maybe it is due to the Prince’s mystic 
  influence, or maybe it is a complete surprise 
  to the adventurers.) 
  When initiative is rolled, characters 
  who have a positive or conflicted 
  relationship with the Prince of Shadows 
  can spend a 6 in order to make the city 
  golems vulnerable to all their attacks, 
  save (11+) ends. Spending a 5 makes the 
  city golems vulnerable to all their 
  attacks, easy (6+) save ends. 
  
   
   
  31 
   
  RUBBLING 
  These dog-like rubble golems like ganging up on bigger 
  creatures. 
   
  4th level mook [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +9 
   
  Rusted nail teeth +9 vs. AC—7 damage 
   
  C: Shower of stones +9 vs. AC (1d3 nearby 
  enemies)—5 damage 
   
  Golem 
  immunity: 
  Non-organic 
  golems 
  are 
  immune to effects. They can’t be dazed, 
  weakened, confused, made vulnerable, or 
  touched by ongoing damage. You can damage 
  a golem, but that’s about it. 
   
  Nastier Specials 
  Combine: If 8 rubblings are killed in a single attack 
  their remains merge to form a city golem. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 18 
  HP 14 (mook) 
  MD 14 
  Mook: Kill one rubbling mook for every 14 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
   
  CITY GOLEM 
  A living avatar of a city, single-minded in its defense 
  of its ‘parent’. 
   
  4th level spoiler [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +9 
   
  Barbed ironwork spear +9 vs. AC—7 ongoing 
  damage 
   
  C: Brick smash +9 vs. AC (1d3 nearby 
  enemies)—10 damage 
   
  [quick action] C: Wall up +9 vs. PD (one nearby 
  enemy)—the target is stuck (save ends). Until 
  the target saves it cannot be targeted, cannot 
  target other creatures, cannot be aided by its 
  companions or help others, etc. The target is 
  walled off from the battle by a dome of bricks. 
  Limited use: One successful use per golem per 
  battle only. 
   
  Golem 
  immunity: 
  Non-organic 
  golems 
  are 
  immune to effects. They can’t be dazed, 
  weakened, confused, made vulnerable, or 
  touched by ongoing damage. You can damage 
  a golem, but that’s about it. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 18 
  HP 54 
  MD 14 
   
   
  
   
   
  32 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  33 
   
  Rubble Bridge 
  Surrounding the central palace is a river of 
  churning rubble, a moat that grinds louder and 
  churns 
  faster 
  the 
  closer 
  the 
  adventurers 
  approach. 
  There is no obvious way across the moat, but 
  upon careful observation, the party notices that 
  several of the larger, slower pieces of rubble will 
  rise out of the turmoil of stone, forming a 
  temporary bridge across the moat for a few 
  seconds. The bridge is not as solid as it at first 
  looks. 
  Crossing the churning rubble: DC 20. If 
  an adventurer fails the skill check make 
  the 
  following 
  attack 
  against 
  that 
  adventurer: 
  Limb caught between moving masonry 
  +10 vs AC—3d6 damage 
  OR 
  High-speed demolition +10 vs PD—10 
  damage OR reroll the skill check with a 
  cumulative -2 penalty 
  Icon Option: Crusader or Prince of 
  Shadows 
  If the Crusader is an important icon in 
  this game, then some of his elite troops 
  are trained by jumping from log to log 
  across a fast-flowing river. If the Prince 
  of Shadows is an important icon in this 
  game, then jumping from rooftop to 
  rooftop, ledge to ledge, is an expected 
  skill for most of his agents. 
  Those players who feel that their 
  adventurers would have received elite 
  training from the Crusader or be the type 
  of jumping-from-roof-to-roof agent of 
  the Prince of Shadows get to reduce the 
  DC of their skill checks by 5 (to DC 15). 
  Spending a 6 with the Crusader or the 
  Prince of Shadows allows the adventurer 
  in question to pull an ally out of the way 
  of danger, forcing a reroll on an attack 
  against the endangered ally. 
  Star-mask Brains 
  The star-mask creatures infested the meteorite 
  that birthed Eldwold Reborn and they are present 
  here too, and the living dungeon has birthed 
  mutant brain-creatures to act as hosts for the star-
  masks.  
  Many of the creatures are infesting the 
  remains of the citizens of the city of Eldwold, 
  others are drow who were killed as the meteorite 
  plunged through the underworld. 
  As the adventurers cross over moat on their 
  way to the palace, star-mask infested creatures 
  scuttle and ooze out of the palace’s windows. 
  Number 
  of PCs 
  Star-
  Mask 
  Brain 
  Star-
  Mask 
  Brute 
  Meteorite 
  Xombie 
  3 
  2 
  1 
  10 
  4 
  2 
  2 
  10 
  5 
  3 
  2 
  10 
  6 
  3 
  3 
  10 
  Icon Option: Archmage 
  If the Archmage is an important icon in 
  this game, then there is a confluence of 
  magical energy here, just above the moat. 
  The magical energy is just enough to 
  empower a cantrip or similar minor 
  work of magic beyond its normal limits.  
  Adventurers who spend a 6 with the 
  Archmage may cast a cantrip when 
  initiative is rolled (even if they could not 
  normally use cantrips) and roll a d20, on 
  an 11+ the cantrip does 10 damage to one 
  of the monsters.  
  Icon Option: Elf Queen 
  If the Elf Queen is an important icon in 
  this game, then these brains are elven 
  brains (maybe the living dungeon / city 
  used captured or dead drow as raw 
  material). The brains are putting out a 
  psychic emanation that other elves can 
  detect. 
  Elven and half-elf adventurers start 
  this fight suffering from fear: dazed (-4 to 
  attack) and unable to use the escalation 
  die; an easy save (6+) ends the fear effect. 
  
   
   
  34 
   
  STAR-MASK BRAIN 
  Huge pulsing red brains, hovering about 6’ above the 
  ground. Each brain is wearing a white mask, but closer 
  examination shows that tendrils from the mask are 
  integrated with the brain... not that you’d want to get 
  too close. 
   
  3rd level spoiler [ABERRATION] 
  Initiative: +5 
   
  C: Psychic pulse +6 vs. MD (1 nearby enemy)—
  7 damage and the target is hampered until the 
  end of its next turn 
  If the target was already hampered: The star-
  mask’s crit range is 11+ for the attack. 
   
  [group ability] Psychic puppetry: When a star 
  mask brain crits instead of doing damage the 
  target is no longer hampered and becomes 
  confused (save ends). 
   
  Group ability: For every three star-mask brains in 
  the battle (round up), one of them can use 
  psychic puppetry once during the battle.  
   
  AC 17 
  PD 13 
  HP 40 
  MD 19 
   
  STAR-MASK BRUTE  
  This was once a large animal, but now it is a bipedal 
  mass of muscle covered in multiple masks.  
   
  3rd level wrecker [ABERRATION]  
  Initiative: +9  
   
  Fist smash +8 vs. AC—10 damage  
   
  Crush +8 vs. AC—5 damage and 5 ongoing 
  damage and once per battle the star-mask brute 
  throws the target as a free action  
  [special trigger] Throw +12 vs. PD—Target is 
  thrown far away, takes 10 damage, and is 
  weakened (easy save ends)  
  Miss: Target pops free.  
   
  AC 19  
  PD 14  
  HP 45  
  MD 16  
  METEORITE XOMBIE  
  This barely coordinated xombie is falling apart, its 
  limbs barely held on by the black tendrils of the xombie 
  eggs within. 
    
  1st level mook [ABERRATION]  
  Initiative: +8  
   
  Decaying fists +6 vs. AC—3 damage  
  Natural 16+ hit: The attack does double damage, 
  but the xombie takes 1d6 damage.  
   
  [Group ability] C: Vomit tentacles +6 vs. PD (1d3 
  nearby enemies in a group)—4 damage  
   
  Group ability: For every four meteorite xombies in 
  the battle (round up), one of them can use 
  vomit tentacles once during the battle.  
   
  AC 17  
  PD 11  
  HP 7 (mook)  
  MD 15  
  Mook: Kill one meteorite xombie mook for every 
  7 damage you do to the mob. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  End of Session 
  The adventurers reach the palace doors, bash 
  them in (or pick the locks), and head inside. 
  The adventurers are finally inside the palace, 
  tantalizingly close to their goal at the center of a 
  living city that is rapidly becoming more 
  animated and aware as time passes. Find out 
  what happens next in part 4, the thrilling 
  conclusion! 
  
   
   
  35 
   
   
   
  
   
   
  36 
   
  Random 
  Encounters 
  Each session has optional random encounters 
  available to the GM. If the adventurers have 
  wandered off the beaten path into the unknown 
  and you need to create more adventure, or they 
  have cleverly circumvented the enemies and 
  challenges of the adventure as written then I’ve 
  got your back. 
  There are 5 random encounters per session, 
  making 20 random encounter in total—hey, that 
  fits with a d20 roll too! 
  1. Fallen hero 
  2. Glow moss 
  3. Killer rocks 
  4. Meteorite fragments 
  5. Monolith 
  6. Monument to a dead god 
  7. Penitent 
  8. Reconstituted surface dweller 
  9. Riddle contest 
  10. Underworld flora 
  11. Unearthly crystal 
  12. Bats 
  13. Fungaloids 
  14. Hellbugs 
  15. Hellish entourage 
  16. Necromancer 
  17. Rubblings 
  18. Shambling corpses 
  19. Soul-guardian 
  20. Zombies 
   
  Fallen Hero 
  The adventurers were not the only group to head 
  into the underworld, nor are they the only group 
  that is searching for the Heart of the Sky. Roll a 
  d3 for the gender of adventurer (1= Female, 2= 
  Male, 3= Other or too badly eaten/decomposed to tell) 
  and a d12 for the adventurer’s race: 
  1. Human 
  2. Human 
  3. Dwarf 
  4. Dark elf 
  5. High elf 
  6. Wood elf 
  7. Gnome 
  8. Half-elf 
  9. Half-orc 
  10. Halfling 
  11. One of the rarer races (roll d4) 
  1. Dragonic 
  2. Holy one 
  3. Forgeborn 
  4. Tiefling 
  12. Roll again, and if you reroll a 12 then the 
  corpse is of a really rare race (roll d4) 
  1. Azer 
  2. Oozefolk 
  3. Ophidian 
  4. Twygzog 
  The dead adventurer has a magic item on him 
  or her. The magic item is under the corpse, and 
  the corpse has been nibbled on by scavengers. 
  Oh, did we not mention scavengers? They are 
  lurking at the edge of the adventurer’s lantern 
  light, chittering and scraping their claws against 
  the rock. If you have the inclination this could 
  turn into a bat attack. 
  Glow Moss 
  This moss glows with an inner light, and is found 
  in areas where there is residual magic. Most often 
  the moss is found near veins of metals that have 
  a faint magical aura, but sometimes they grow 
  over more interesting things. Roll d4: 
  1. The moss is faintly glowing. Maybe 
  many feet behind this cavern wall there 
  is a vein of something that might interest 
  dwarven miners. 
  2. The moss is glowing strongly. Years ago 
  there was a magical battle here, but apart 
  from there being enough light here to 
  read by there is nothing of interest. 
  3. The moss is growing over a magic item, 
  lost down here long ago. 
  4. The moss is growing over something on 
  the wall. The moss is growing over 
  meteorite 
  fragments 
  (see 
  meteorite 
  fragments). 
  
   
   
  37 
   
  Killer Rocks 
  These mollusks look like rocks until they open 
  their maws and try to bite off the adventurer’s 
  feet. 
  Jumping away: DC 15. If an adventurer fails 
  the skill check make the following attack 
  against that adventurer: 
  Sharp maw +10 vs AC—4d4 damage 
  Meteorite Fragments 
  The meteorite crashed down into the underworld 
  near to here, parts of it blasting off into the 
  tunnels and caverns that its passage bisected. 
  The glittering volcanic rock is embedded in 
  the walls might be benign, or might not. Roll d6: 
  1. It’s just rock, sparkly in the torch light but it 
  is just coal and scattered diamond dust. 
  There is a 50% chance that a good search of 
  the area will turn up a small uncut diamond 
  worth 2d20x10 gp. 
  2. The sparkling rock glows with a dull red 
  light, the heat from its violent incorporation 
  into the tunnel’s walls still not fully 
  dissipated. 
  3. The rock is absorbing heat, glistening frost 
  spreading from it along the walls and ice 
  forming on the wet tunnel floor. If a fight 
  occurs here, anybody rolling a natural 1 on 
  an attack falls and takes 1d4 damage. 
  4. Along with the glittering black rock star-
  mask eggs were ejected. Fortunately the force 
  of their ejection killed the tiny monsters. 
  5. A light emanates from the rock, illuminating 
  the tunnel. The meteorite’s rock glitters and 
  shines like stars in the night. 
  6. The magic of the meteorite’s rock is causing 
  the adventurers to become ill: 
  Ionizing radiation +5 vs PD—2d6 negative 
  energy damage 
  Monolith 
  This black basalt rock stands alone, the dust in 
  the area around it worked into concentric ripples 
  by the strange forces emanating from it. Who 
  knows where the monolith comes from or how it 
  came to be here. Artifact from another reality, a 
  message from higher beings, a warning marker 
  left by the creators of the universe, a prison for 
  some dreadful thing… probably, yes. 
  When an adventurer touches the monolith roll 
  a d6, but add a cumulative +1 for each adventurer 
  to touch it after the first: 
  1. The adventurer explodes instantly, their 
  bloody remains flung quite a distance from 
  the monolith! 5 minutes later the adventurer 
  wanders out of the darkness claiming to have 
  got separated from the party days ago. Is the 
  ‘new’ 
  adventurer 
  a 
  clone, 
  are 
  they 
  an 
  opportunistic doppelganger, or is something even 
  stranger going on? 
  2. The adventurer is sucked into the monolith 
  where they have a mystic experience that 
  they have trouble describing to others: they 
  are like a Paleolithic human who has been 
  granted insight into jet engine construction, 
  or a dog who suddenly understands higher 
  math—they have no frame of reference to 
  communicate their insight to others, and no 
  way to make use of their knowledge. A 
  moment later the monolith ejects them. The 
  adventurer will probably spend the rest of 
  their life scrawling diagrams in notebooks 
  and muttering to themselves. 
  3. The adventurer is turned inside out on the 
  spot. This doesn’t harm the adventurer, 
  beyond looking really gross and giving them 
  a -10 penalty to their skill checks, defenses, 
  and attacks (their armor and weapons are on 
  the inside). Touching the monolith again flips 
  them right side in (and results in another roll 
  on this chart). 
  4. The adventurer is transported one minute 
  into the past and one mile into the far 
  distance. If they run really fast they can get 
  into shouting distance of the party at the 
  instant their past-self touches the monolith. 
  5. Everybody not touching the monolith but 
  looking at it takes 1d3 cold damage to their 
  eyeballs. Yes, this hurts. 
  6. The adventurer swaps places with their 
  counterpart from another dimension. Maybe 
  the other dimension is gender-flipped, or 
  everybody wears hats, or wizards are known 
  as 
  ‘archaists’ 
  and 
  fighters 
  are 
  called 
  ‘troopers’, or plants are bright purple and 
  
   
   
  38 
   
  magenta instead of green, or the icons go by 
  different names (the Witch-Queen instead of the 
  Diabolist, the Death Lord instead of the Lich 
  King, the Prince of Thieves instead of the Prince 
  of Shadows, etc.) and look a little different but 
  are otherwise unchanged. The GM and 
  player should discuss what changes are at 
  first obvious, and what will be a surprise for 
  the rest of the group. 
  7. On a 7 or higher the magic from the 
  adventurer’s best magic item is drained 
  away, and the item turns to dust. 
  The monolith can’t be moved or affected in 
  any way. It just is. It is a mystery hidden in the 
  depths of the world. Maybe the adventurers will 
  learn something about the monolith in one of 
  their later adventures, or maybe it will remain 
  something that they tell their grandkids about (if 
  the adventurers live to old age). 
  Monument to a Dead 
  God 
  This massive stone structure is a monument to a 
  dead god. Roll a d6 twice: 
  1. The 
  god 
  had 
  lots 
  of 
  tentacles. 
  The 
  monument’s angles are decidedly non-
  Euclidian. 
  2. A pale flame burns eternally atop the 
  monument. 
  3. The monument has rooms inside it, making 
  it a good (if strange) place to rest. 
  4. The monument has been defaced by those 
  that wished to show disrespect to the dead 
  god. 
  5. The monument is a mausoleum, containing 
  the god’s remains encased in crystal. 
  6. The monument has legs like a crab, and 
  scuttles away from the party as they 
  approach. 
  Penitent 
  This benighted soul has sentenced himself to the 
  underworld as penance for some great crime that 
  he committed. Dressed in rags he wanders the 
  underworld, sampling all the pains it has to offer. 
  If the party want to fight him he welcomes 
  anything the party wishes to do to him. 
  Reconstituted Surface 
  Dweller 
  This citizen of Eldwold died and was recreated 
  down here in the underworld by the living 
  dungeon of Eldwold Reborn. The citizen is lost, 
  confused, and missing memories. 
  Riddle Contest 
  A goblin-like creature has a magic item, and 
  wishes to challenge the party to a contest of 
  riddles with their magic items on the line if they 
  lose. 
  The creature will flee from a fight, dropping 
  its precious magic item as it does so. 
  Shambling Corpses 
  These are walking corpses. Technically they are 
  undead, but they have no interest in doing 
  anything 
  beyond 
  marching 
  through 
  the 
  underworld. 
  Underworld Flora 
  The party encounters strange yet ultimately 
  harmless animals of the underworld. Roll d6: 
  1. A sheet of perfectly black moss, so dark that 
  at first it looks like a hole. The moss is edible, 
  and a tiny transparent lizard is chewing on it. 
  2. A small inch-tall gelatinous cube is making 
  its way across the ceiling, ignoring the party 
  even if they poke it with their weapons. 
  3. Carnivorous cave limpets, moving slowly 
  about looking to eat anything that moves 
  even slower than they do. 
  4. Creatures that resemble a foot-long slugs 
  hang from the ceiling on threads of slime. If 
  disturbed they unfurl their bodies into 
  something resembling manta rays and flap 
  around the adventurers before disappearing 
  off into the dark. 
  5. Vast sheets of bacterial slime drip from the 
  cavern ceiling and pool on the floor. They are 
  harmless extremophiles who thrive in some 
  areas of the underworld and form the base of 
  quite a few food-chains down here. 
  6. What at first looks like a bank of scree rock 
  turns out to be hundreds of cockroach-like 
  insects, they scurry off into the dark when the 
  adventurers step upon one of them. 
  
   
   
  39 
   
  Unearthly Crystal 
  A great glowing crystal outcropping stands taller 
  than three adventurers, shedding bright bluish-
  white light on its surroundings. 
  Chipping bits off the crystalline outcropping 
  provides the adventurers with a light source that 
  never goes out or dims.  
  Touching chips of the glowing crystal is 
  perfectly safe. Mounting a chip into a weapon 
  causes the weapon to glow too. Weapons 
  touched to the main body of the crystal glow 
  briefly, but lose their glow soon after being 
  removed from contact with the unearthly crystal. 
  However, if anybody touches the crystal 
  outcropping with their flesh it burns them 
  (sometimes it even burns through gloves).  
  Harvesting crystal (without touching it): 
  DC 25. Adventurers who wear gloves 
  gain a +10 bonus to their skill check. If an 
  adventurer fails the skill check they don’t 
  get the crystal chip, make the following 
  attack against that adventurer: 
  Burning crystal +15 vs AC—1d8 acid 
  damage  
  Burnt characters lose a recovery during their 
  next rest as their flesh begins to spasm, ripple, 
  and change. During their next full rest the burnt 
  character vomits up a common monster of the 
  underworld that immediately grows to full size 
  and flees into the dark (or if you are feeling nasty, 
  attacks the party). Well, that was odd. 
   
   
  
   
   
  40 
   
  Bats 
  The bats of the underworld grow large and bold 
  down in the dark… 
  Number 
  of 
  PCs 
  Swarm 
  of 
  Bats 
  Dire Bat 
  3 
  1 
  4 
  4 
  2 
  5 
  5 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  6 
  5 
  All bats have the following abilities:  
  Echolocation: Bats rely on sound waves to sense 
  their surroundings. A bat can “see” in total 
  darkness, and can detect creatures using 
  invisibility or visual illusions to hide.  
  Flight: Small bats ad swarms of bats fly quickly 
  and turn easily. Bigger bats, the kind that you’re 
  fighting in dungeons, fly more awkwardly.  
  Wall-crawler: A bat can climb on ceilings and 
  walls as easily as it moves on the ground.  
   
  SWARM OF BATS  
  What is at first a slightly painful distraction could 
  turn lethal as the bats shift and flow to evade your 
  attacks.  
  1st level spoiler [BEAST]  
  Initiative: +5  
  Vulnerability: thunder  
   
  C: Swarming bites +7 vs. PD (1d3 nearby 
  enemies)—2 damage, and after the attack, the 
  swarm of bats engages one of the targets  
  Natural even hit: The target is hampered until 
  the end of its next turn. It can end the effect 
  by attacking the swarm, or if the swarm 
  drops to 0 hp.  
   
  No opportunities: The swarm of bats can’t make 
  opportunity attacks, and enemies can’t make 
  opportunity attacks against it.  
   
  Swarming resistance: Each turn, the swarm of bats 
  gains resist damage 18+ to all damage from 
  attacks by enemies that the swarm did NOT 
  attack that turn.  
   
  AC 16  
  PD 16  HP 30  
  MD 11  
  DIRE BAT  
  Some people call them dire vampire bats, but that gets 
  confusing when people expect them to function like 
  scary vampires instead of just overgrown flying 
  rodents with rabid tendencies.  
  2nd level troop [BEAST]  
  Initiative: +8  
  Vulnerability: thunder  
   
  Fangs and wings +6 vs. AC—5 damage, and 5 
  ongoing damage  
  Natural 2–5: The dire bat pops free from the 
  target and can move as a free action.  
   
  Resist ranged damage 16+: When a ranged attack 
  targets this creature while it’s flying, the attacker 
  must roll a natural 16+ on the attack roll or it only 
  deals half damage. (Shifty spinning bats are hard 
  to hit unless they’re grounded or stuck.)  
   
  Skittish: A dire bat engaged with a conscious 
  enemy after attacking it will attempt to disengage 
  and fly into the air if it has a move action 
  remaining that turn.  
   
  Nastier Specials  
  Blood drinker: When the dire bat drops an enemy 
  to 0 hp or below, it continues to attack that enemy 
  (until it dies) instead of attacking other enemies.  
  Dire feature: Most dire bats don’t have a dire 
  feature (13th Age core book, page 206). But this 
  one does.  
   
  AC 18  
  PD 17 HP 32 
  MD 14 
   
   
  
   
   
  41 
   
  Fungaloids 
  The strange fungus people of the underworld are 
  using the meteorite as an opportunity to expand 
  their fungal kingdom. 
  These fungaloids are not immediately hostile, 
  and if the adventurers prove to be friendly to the 
  fungaloids then they will summon a twygzog 
  (fungaloid ‘prince’ or ‘princess’) to speak 
  verbally to the adventurers—the fungaloids 
  initially encountered can only communicate via 
  spores. 
  Of course if the adventurers are unfriendly 
  then the fungaloids will choose to attack. 
  Number 
  of PCs 
  Aerial 
  Spore 
  Sporrior 
  Fungaloid 
  Drudge 
  3 
  8 
  2 
  1 
  4 
  8 
  2 
  2 
  5 
  8 
  2 
  3 
  6 
  10 
  3 
  3 
  FUNGAL ATTACKS  
  Some fungaloids can make special attacks, 
  usually triggered with a natural 16+ attack roll, 
  though the attacks can be used as a standard 
  action too in some cases. When building 
  fungaloid battles, decide what sort of attack or 
  attacks these fungaloids have. The monster 
  entries will tell you how many attacks to pick. 
  Add the fungaloid creature’s level to attacks and 
  damage, as indicated.  
  C: Poison tentacles 5 + level vs. PD (1d3 nearby 
  enemies)—3 + level poison damage, and the 
  target is vulnerable to fungal attacks (save 
  ends)  
  C: Brown noise 5 + level vs. PD (1d3 nearby 
  enemies)—3 + level ongoing thunder damage  
  C: Hallucinogenia 3 + level vs. MD (one nearby 
  enemy)—The target is confused (easy save 
  ends, 6+)  
  C: Infectious spores 5 + level vs. PD (1d3 nearby 
  enemies)—3 + level ongoing poison damage  
  C: Piercing shriek 5 + level vs. PD (1d3 nearby 
  enemies)—4 + level psychic damage 
    
  AERIAL SPORE  
  It floats serene, red and deadly. The long tendrils push 
  it spasmodically as it crawl-drifts closer, flickers of 
  bioluminescence pulsing through its small, languid 
  body.  
   
  2nd level mook [PLANT]  
  Initiative: +1  
   
  C: Stinging tendrils +6 vs. PD (one nearby 
  enemy)—4 poison damage, and the target is 
  weakened until the end of its next turn  
   
  Puffball exploder: The first time each round an 
  aerial spore in the battle drops to 0 hp, it 
  explodes and 1d3 nearby non-fungus non-
  construct creatures are covered in spores and 
  begin to choke. Until the end of the battle, 
  when a choking creature rolls a natural 1–5 
  on an attack roll, it takes damage equal to the 
  natural roll. If a creature is affected twice by 
  this attack, the damage it takes on a natural 
  1–5 doubles; if affected three times, it triples, 
  etc.  
   
  Spores: A creature choking from puffball 
  exploder can use a standard action to wash 
  the spores off itself and/or cough them up, 
  preventing further choking effects until it’s 
  affected by puffball exploder again.  
   
  Weightless: The aerial spore floats upon air 
  currents, but it prefers to stay within 5 to 7 
  feet of the ground so it can use its tendrils to 
  keep it in place or propel it. A free-floating 
  spore too far away from the ground to use its 
  tendrils can easily be blown about from 
  strong winds or similar magical effects.  
   
  AC 15  
  PD 9  
  HP 7 (mook; puffball 
  exploder)  
  MD 13  
  Mook: Kill one aerial spore mook for every 7 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
   
  
   
   
  42 
   
  SPORRIOR  
  Fungi are not known for being fast, but this one is. A 
  strange pale ape-dog thing, with a head that hinges 
  open to unleash a high-speed spore attack. Clouds of 
  choking fungus accompany chitinous darts launched 
  by compressed air.  
   
  2nd level wrecker [PLANT]  
  Initiative: +10  
   
  Chitinous bite +7 vs. AC—5 damage  
  Natural even hit or miss: The sporrior can make 
  a spore cloud attack this turn as a quick 
  action.  
   
  R: Parasitic darts +6 vs. AC (1d3 nearby or far 
  away enemies in a group)—5 poison damage  
  Natural even hit or miss: The sporrior can make 
  a spore cloud attack this turn as a quick 
  action.  
   
  C: Spore cloud +6 vs. PD (1d3 nearby 
  enemies)—4 poison damage  
   
  Sprinter: A sporrior gains an extra move action 
  when the escalation die is odd.  
   
  Wall-crawler: A sporrior can climb on ceilings 
  and walls as easily as it moves on the ground.  
   
  AC 18  
  PD 16  
  HP 36  
  MD 12  
   
  FUNGALOID DRUDGE  
  Some look like walking mushrooms with arms and 
  faces, others are clearly skeletons that have become 
  infested with spores, and still others are shambling 
  mounds pulling crude carts with their misshapen 
  limbs. It’s the jolly ones with waistcoats and pipes that 
  worry people the most.  
   
  3rd level troop [PLANT]  
  Initiative: +5  
   
  Pitchfork +8 vs. AC—10 damage  
  Natural 16+: The drudge can make a fungal 
  attack this turn as a quick action.  
  Fungal attack—Make ONE fungal attack  
   
  AC 19  
  PD 17  
  HP 32  
  MD 13  
    
  
   
   
  43 
   
  TWYGZOG DIPLOMAT 
  It is tall and beautifully proportioned like an elf, but 
  its pale grey-green skin and large pupil-less eyes give 
  away its heritage: this is an independent mind within 
  its subterranean fungal kingdom, able to talk with 
  outsiders as though they were its equal. 
   
  Double-strength 5th level spoiler [PLANT] 
  Initiative: +12 
   
  C: Spore cloud +10 vs. PD (1d3 nearby 
  enemies)—12 ongoing poison damage 
  Natural even hit with first attack each turn: The 
  twygzog makes up to TWO fungal attacks a 
  quick actions. 
   
  C: Parasitic spores +10 vs. PD (up to 3 nearby 
  enemies)—Until the end of the battle when the 
  target spends a recovery the twygzog makes a 
  fungal attack that originates from the target 
  and the target loses a recovery. 
  Limited use: Once per battle only.  
   
  Nastier Specials 
  Fungal resurrection: The fungaloid will regrow 
  within the hour unless the whole area is cleansed 
  with 
  fire 
  or 
  otherwise 
  sterilized. 
  If 
  the 
  adventurers fail to do the same for their 
  equipment they might wake up covered in 
  growing fungaloids. 
   
  Alien mind: The fungaloid looks humanoid, but is 
  a peripheral part of a huge gestalt mind whose 
  individual 
  parts 
  are 
  linked 
  by 
  spore-
  communication. It gains a bonus to its MD equal 
  to the number of other fungaloids currently in the 
  battle. 
   
  AC 21 
  PD 17 
  HP 146 
  MD 19 
   
   
   
  
   
   
  44 
   
  Hellbugs 
  Giant insects, warped by the energies of hell… 
  Number 
  of 
  PCs 
  Hellwasp 
  Hookscuttler 
  3 
  3 
  2 
  4 
  4 
  2 
  5 
  6 
  2 
  6 
  7 
  2 
  HELLWASP  
  The screeching buzz of this insect’s wings sound like 
  curse words in the languages of ancient demon priests. 
  It’s another reason why you’re better off not studying 
  ancient demon languages.  
   
  2nd level spoiler [BEAST]  
  Initiative: +8  
   
  Necrotizing stinger +6 vs. PD—5 damage  
  Natural even hit: 5 ongoing acid damage (easy 
  save ends, 6+), and the hellwasp can pop free 
  from the target.  
   
  Virulent injection: When a creature fails a save 
  against the hellwasp’s ongoing acid damage, it 
  gains a random condition until it saves against 
  that damage. Have the player roll a d4 to 
  determine the condition: 1. confused; 2. 
  weakened; 3. dazed; 4. vulnerable.  
   
  Flight: Hellwasps are adroit fliers that can hover 
  and even fly backward.  
   
  Nastier Specials  
  Lethal injection: The save versus the stinger’s 
  ongoing acid damage is a normal save (11+) 
  instead of an easy save.  
   
  AC 18  
  PD 16  
  HP 28  
  MD 12  
   
  HOOK SCUTTLER  
  Scorpion? 
  Mantis? 
  Giant 
  beetle? 
  Disturbing 
  nightmare thing? Yes, all mushed together and as big 
  as your barbarian friend.  
   
  2nd level blocker [BEAST]  
  Initiative: +5  
   
  Claws and mandibles +7 vs. AC—8 damage  
   
  Spiky bits: When a hook scuttler moves to engage 
  an enemy it wasn’t engaged with at the start of 
  its turn, that enemy takes 1d6 damage. When 
  an enemy tries to disengage from the hook 
  scuttler and fails, it takes 1d6 damage.  
   
  Nastier Specials  
  Corpse eater: When a nearby enemy drops to 0 
  hit points or below in the battle, the hook scuttler 
  will ignore other enemies and move to attack that 
  unconscious enemy until that enemy is dead.  
   
  AC 20  
  PD 15  
  HP 30  
  MD 14  
   
   
   
  
   
   
  45 
   
  Hellish Entourage 
  This group of devils is touring the hells, carrying 
  out trade in souls. 
  The devils are not looking to fight the 
  adventurers. In fact they even have a magic item 
  if one of the adventurers is willing to sign a 
  contract in blood. “Don’t worry if the contract is in 
  language so obscure that you can’t understand it,” 
  they assure the adventurer “it’s just a standard 
  power-for-your-soul agreement”. 
  If an adventurer signs the agreement they 
  receive an immediate incremental advance and a 
  magic item of their choice. However, from now 
  on they have a -2 penalty to death saves and 
  cannot be resurrected. When they die roll a d4 to 
  discover the hidden clause of the contract that 
  activates when the adventurer dies: 
  1. 
  The adventurer is contracted to gather the souls of their 
  companions too. When they die control of the 
  adventurer passes to the GM. The adventurer 
  immediately gets back up at full hit-points with all their 
  expended powers refreshed—and attacks the party to 
  the best of their ability. Any party member slain by the 
  ‘dead’ adventurer cannot be resurrected—a trip to hell 
  is needed to free their soul and reunite it with their body 
  first. At the end of the combat the ‘dead’ adventurer 
  turns to dust and blows away. 
  2. 
  The adventurer has sold their body to a demon. When 
  they die the demon jumps right in and flees out into the 
  world to wreak havoc and bring about great evil. 
  3. 
  The adventurer has sold their body to a demon. When 
  they die they resurrect on the spot, but are secretly a 
  demon. The adventurer’s player and the GM should 
  work together to come up with exactly how the demon 
  will betray the party to their doom. 
  4. 
  The adventurer has agreed to take the place of another 
  soul in hell. When the adventurer dies they ‘resurrect’ 
  5 minutes later with new memories (new backgrounds), 
  a different personality, and a new class. Effectively this 
  new person becomes the player’s next character, so the 
  player should get to pick the changed details. 
  The party might decide to attack the soul-
  traders: 
  Number of PCs 
  Hellish Entourage 
  3 
  2 
  4 
  3 
  5 
  3 
  6 
  4 
  HELLISH ENTOURAGE 
  These smooth-tongued devils will gladly sell you your 
  soul back, for a huge profit. 
   
  4th level spoiler [DEVIL] 
  Initiative: +10 
   
  A sharper sword than yours +9 vs. AC—14 
  damage 
  [Once per battle] Natural attack roll higher than 
  the target’s Wisdom: Target must spend an 
  action (standard, move, or quick) on their 
  next turn offering to trade weapons—a deal 
  the devil might agree too. The devil’s 
  weapon is not magical. 
   
  C: Possession is nine tenths of the law +9 vs. MD 
  (one nearby or far away enemy)—14 psychic 
  damage 
  [Once per battle] Natural attack roll higher than 
  the target’s Wisdom: The target makes a basic 
  attack against itself or its nearest ally, but 
  does only 90% of its normal damage. 
   
  Resist fire 13+: When a fire attack targets this 
  creature, the attacker must roll a natural 13+ 
  on the attack roll or it only deals half damage. 
   
  Pick one of the following for each member of the 
  entourage 
   
  [quick action] Fiddle of gold +9 vs. MD—Target 
  loses their next move action as they dance, 
  bards are immune. 
   
  [quick action] Silver tongue +9 vs. MD—Target 
  may not attack this devil until the end of their 
  next turn, though they can still attack other 
  devils. 
   
  Devil’s due: Whenever a nearby or far away 
  enemy heals, this devil gains half that 
  amount as temporary hp. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 16 
  HP 60 
  MD 18 
   
   
   
  
   
   
  46 
   
  Necromancer 
  This magic user is in the underworld to make 
  pacts with certain dead things, entities that it is 
  best not to speak of lest it draws their attention. 
  The necromancer might decide to ignore the 
  adventurers, she might choose to talk to them, or 
  she may attack them in an effort to take their 
  bones as spell components. If it does turn into a 
  fight the party are in luck: the necromancer’s 
  recent negotiations have left her drained of most 
  of her power. 
  Number 
  of PCs 
  Dark-Elf 
  Necromancer 
  Death-
  Grip 
  Zombie 
  Big 
  Zombie 
  3 
  1 
  2 
  0 
  4 
  1 
  3 
  0 
  5 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  6 
  1 
  2 
  1 
  DARK ELF NECROMANCER 
  Some necromancers don’t stop being necromancers 
  simply because they die. 
   
  Double-strength 2nd level caster [UNDEAD]  
  Initiative: +8  
   
  C: Shadow bolt +7 vs. PD (one nearby enemy)—
  15 negative energy damage  
  Natural even hit: The target is stuck (save ends).  
   
  [Quick action] C: Tenebrous tentacles (automatic 
  hit vs. one nearby or far away enemy)—The 
  necromancer and her allies have a cumulative 
  +1 bonus to hit the target until the start of her 
  next turn (up to a maximum of +3 if the 
  necromancer uses all of its actions this turn).  
   
  Nastier special  
  Necrotic vitality: When the dark elf necromancer 
  takes damage she can transfer that damage to 
  the zombies that she controls, splitting it 
  between the zombies as she sees fit.  
   
  AC 18  
  PD 12  
  HP 72  
  MD 16  
   
  DEATH-GRIP ZOMBIE 
  3rd level wrecker [UNDEAD]  
  Initiative: +3  
  Vulnerable: holy  
   
  Death grip +8 vs. AC—8 damage  
  Natural even hit: The target and the zombie are 
  stuck (target saving ends). Every time the 
  target fails to save they take 4 damage.  
   
  [Quick action against targets stuck in a death 
  grip] Squeeeeze +12 vs. PD—4 damage  
   
  AC 19  
  PD 13  
  HP 45  
  MD 17  
   
  BIG ZOMBIE 
  Maybe it was an ogre. A giant? All you know for sure 
  is that it’s big and it’s dead and it’s coming for you. 
  Large 4th level wrecker [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +3 
  Vulnerability: holy 
   
  Club or club-like fists +9 vs. AC—22 damage  
  Natural even hit or miss: Both the zombie and its 
  target take 4d6 damage! 
   
  Headshot: A critical hit against a zombie drops it 
  to 0 hp. 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 15 HP 160 
  MD 12 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  47 
   
  Rubblings 
  These tiny constructs were made by the magic of 
  the meteorite, formed out of the rubble of 
  Eldwold. 
  The rubblings are working hard: digging 
  tunnels and pits, shaping steps, setting traps. 
  Provided the adventurers leave them alone they 
  will do likewise, but if the adventurers interfere 
  the rubblings will attack. 
  Number of PCs 
  Rubbling 
  3 
  12 
  4 
  15 
  5 
  18 
  6 
  22 
  RUBBLING 
  These dog-like rubble golems like ganging up on bigger 
  creatures. 
   
  4th level mook [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +9 
   
  Rusted nail teeth +9 vs. AC—7 damage 
   
  C: Shower of stones +9 vs. AC (1d3 nearby 
  enemies)—5 damage 
   
  Golem 
  immunity: 
  Non-organic 
  golems 
  are 
  immune to effects. They can’t be dazed, 
  weakened, confused, made vulnerable, or 
  touched by ongoing damage. You can damage 
  a golem, but that’s about it. 
   
  Nastier Specials 
  Combine: If 8 rubblings are killed in a single attack 
  their remains merge to form a city golem. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 18 
  HP 14 (mook) 
  MD 14 
  Mook: Kill one rubbling mook for every 14 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
   
  Soul-Guardian 
  The dead need somebody to watch over them. 
  This holy one paladin spends her time patrolling 
  the lands of the dead ensuring that the guilty are 
  punished and the innocent and righteous go to 
  their eternal reward. 
  If the adventurers feel like interfering she’s 
  got a flaming sword with their name on it. 
  Number of PCs 
  Soul Guardian 
  3 
  2 
  4 
  3 
  5 
  3 
  6 
  4 
  SOUL GUARDIAN 
  This spirit waits on the roads and rivers travelled by 
  the dead, attempting to keep away those who would 
  use the dead for their own ends. 
   
  Large 2nd level caster [SPIRIT] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Flail +7 vs. AC—14 holy damage 
  Natural even hit: The target pops free. 
   
  C: Inviolate word +7 vs. MD (1d3 nearby 
  enemies)—Any 
  conditions 
  on 
  the 
  soul 
  guardian end, and are transferred to the targets 
  All attacks miss: The conditions end, but are not 
  transferred. 
   
  R: Gaze of judgement +7 vs. MD—21 psychic 
  damage  
  Natural 16+ hit: The target must use their next 
  move action to move away from the soul 
  guardian (not disengaging, just moving and 
  provoking if they leave engagement) 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 14 
   
  HP 72 
  MD 14 
   
   
   
  
   
   
  48 
   
  Zombies 
  “Brains… brains...” 
  Number 
  of PCs 
  Human 
  Zombie 
  Death-
  Grip 
  Zombie 
  Armless 
  Zombie 
  Big 
  Zombie 
  3 
  2 
  1 
  1 
  0 
  4 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  0 
  5 
  5 
  1 
  1 
  0 
  6 
  2 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  HUMAN ZOMBIE 
  “Brains . . .” 
  2nd level troop [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +1 
  Vulnerability: holy 
   
  Rotting fist +7 vs. AC—6 damage 
  Natural 16+: Both the zombie and its target take 
  1d6 damage! 
   
  Headshot: A critical hit against a zombie drops it 
  to 0 hp. 
   
  Nastier Specials 
  Eat brains: More dangerous zombies don’t try to 
  kill the moving targets before feasting on 
  brains; they keep attacking any enemy they’ve 
  knocked unconscious, rolling attacks against 
  the helpless enemy until its dead. 
   
  AC 15 
  PD 13 HP 60 
  MD 9 
   
  DEATH-GRIP ZOMBIE 
  3rd level wrecker [UNDEAD]  
  Initiative: +3  
  Vulnerable: holy  
   
  Death grip +8 vs. AC—8 damage  
  Natural even hit: The target and the zombie are 
  stuck (target saving ends). Every time the 
  target fails to save they take 4 damage.  
   
  [Quick action against targets stuck in a death 
  grip] Squeeeeze +12 vs. PD—4 damage  
   
  AC 19  
  PD 13  
  HP 45  
  MD 17  
  ARMLESS ZOMBIE 
  3rd level spoiler [UNDEAD]  
  Initiative: +3  
  Vulnerable: holy  
   
  Low moan +8 vs. MD—5 ongoing psychic 
  damage  
  Natural even miss: The zombie can use baleful 
  gaze as a quick action this turn.  
   
  R: Baleful gaze +10 vs. MD (1d3 enemies in a 
  group)—4 psychic damage and the target must 
  attempt to move away from the armless zombie 
  on its next turn.  
   
  AC 19  
  PD 13  
  HP 45  
  MD 17 
   
  BIG ZOMBIE 
  Maybe it was an ogre. A giant? All you know for sure 
  is that it’s big and it’s dead and it’s coming for you. 
  Large 4th level wrecker [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +3 
  Vulnerability: holy 
   
  Club or club-like fists +9 vs. AC—22 damage  
  Natural even hit or miss: Both the zombie and its 
  target take 4d6 damage! 
   
  Headshot: A critical hit against a zombie drops it 
  to 0 hp. 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 15 HP 160 
  MD 12 
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  49 
   
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  System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, 
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/13th Age/EXTRAS/Magazines/13th Age Monthly - Vol 2/Organized Play/Into the Underworld - Part 3 - Among the Dead.pdf