TEXT: 1
  Self-
  fulfilling 
  Prophecy?
  A short adventure for four 
  11th-level player characters
  CREDITS
  Design: 
  Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel
  Editing and Typesetting: 
  Sue Weinlein Cook 
  Editorial Assistance: 
  Penny Williams 
  Cartography: 
  Rob Lazzaretti
  Illustrations: 
  Todd Harris
  Web Production: 
  Julia Martin
  Web Development:
  Mark A. Jindra
  Graphic Design: 
  Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege
  Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®
  game by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on
  the new edition of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
  game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook,
  Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison.
  D&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, MONSTER MANUAL, DUNGEON MASTER, FORGOTTEN
  REALMS, and GREYHAWK are registered trademarks owned by Wizards of
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  likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States
  of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or art-
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  ©2002 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. Made in the U.S.A.
  This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, 
  organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental.
  This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game
  Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form
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  License and the d20 System License, please visit
  www.wizards.com/d20. 
  Long ago, a sinister drider imbued a magical rod
  with his essence and intelligence—and his hatred of
  the drow. This dangerous item, called Dark Fate, was
  responsible for starting a drow civil war that decimated
  an entire city in centuries past. With the recent return
  of a visiting comet, an old, near-forgotten prophecy
  about the rod has resurfaced. Now both a party of holy
  adventurers and a drow faction journey to the ruins of
  the destroyed drow city to get their hands on the rod.
  But which group has interpreted the prophecy cor-
  rectly? And what about the driders who now live in the
  dark elf ruins…?
  BACKGROUND
  Near the western edge of a large desert sits the large
  city of Gryth. It has little to recommend it, aside from
  its role as a trade caravan center and its proximity to an
  easy entrance to the Underdark.
  Centuries ago, a drow settlement lay about three
  days’ journey from Gryth in the Underdark. All that
  remains of that city now are some abandoned crypts
  taken over by driders. Travel between Gryth and the
  crypts is about as dangerous as any other travel in the
  Underdark. No other settlements lie between the two
  locations.
  Six Hundred Years Ago…
  In the Underdark, a drider who called himself “The
  Forsaken” crafted the rod known as Dark Fate, imbuing
  it with all his hatred of drow. When it was complete, he
  performed an unholy ritual and sealed himself into the
  rod, imbuing it with intelligence as well. Before his
  death, the Forsaken arranged for the rod to be delivered
  as a gift to a cleric named Alantria, the leader of one of
  the more powerful drow houses.
  The power and ego of the rod overwhelmed Alantria;
  it utterly controlled her, started a civil war among the
  drow, and caused countless deaths. In what would be
  the last battle of the ’Tween Wars, Alantria was slain,
  and the rod passed into history, likely buried with the
  fallen champion in her ornate crypt within the war-rav-
  aged drow city.
  The Last Few Centuries…
  Drow moved away from this area of the Underdark.
  Driders moved into the abandoned crypts.
  
  2
  Last Month…
  A comet known as the Harbinger appeared in the night
  sky. As  many view such celestial events as important
  signs, the comet’s appearance sparked interest in
  researching its history. Scholars among the surface
  dwellers and the drow, endeavoring to discern its
  meaning, unearthed a prophecy written about the time
  of its last appearance. The prophecy seems to concern
  the comet’s return (see below).
  Last Week…
  A group known as “the Holy” arrived in Gryth, asked
  questions about the Underdark, and left the next day.
  (They didn’t tell locals of their mission: to discover the
  rod called Dark Fate on behalf of their church.) Things
  went poorly for the group, though, as they were
  attacked by a number of Colossal monstrous spiders
  and driders. The spiders’ poison affected more than one
  party member, including their guide—a bard named
  Morning Glory—and the Holy’s leader called for a
  retreat. Unable to carry off all the wounded, one group
  member took a hair from Morning Glory’s dead body
  and left it, planning to resurrect her once they got back
  to town. 
  However, the bard was not dead, only dying. The
  driders stabilized her and went to work transforming
  her into one of them.
  Two Days Ago…
  The transformation complete, Morning Glory Blade is
  now an angry drider, filled with loathing for the mortal
  world—especially her former friends, the members of
  the Holy. She plots to find Dark Fate on her own and
  use it to wreak her vengeance.
  Yesterday…
  The Holy returned to Gryth and sought to resurrect
  their bard, but the spell failed.
  Today…
  The PCs arrive in Gryth. The drow wizards Alakara and
  Pharn arrive in the Northern Caverns of the crypts (see
  Area 3, below) and begin their own search for the magi-
  cal rod.
  PREPARATION
  You, the Dungeon Master (DM), need a copy of the
  Player’s Handbook, the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide, and the
  MONSTER MANUAL® to use this adventure. Text that
  appears in unshaded boxes is important information
  and special instructions for you, not for players. Mon-
  ster and NPC statistics are provided with each
  encounter in abbreviated form or, where appropriate,
  the proper page in the MONSTER MANUAL is referenced.
  To get started, print out this module (including the
  map and the prophecy handout, found at the end of
  this file), and Morning Glory Blade at CR 11. You also
  may want to print out the drider template, found in the
  Monster Mayhem section of the D&D website at
  <http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=
  dnd/mm/mm20011118a> and the Morning Glory Blade
  writeup from the Character Closeup section at
  <http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=
  dnd/cc/cc20020927a>.
  Self-Fulfilling Prophecy? uses a modified version of the
  Precious Ore map from the Map-a-Week feature on the
  D&D® website. The original is available for download at
  <http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek
  /Precious_Ore_lo.jpg>. The modified map is
  reprinted in this adventure for your convenience.
  The city of Gryth, which features in this module, also
  appeared in Desert Sands, a free adventure available at
  <http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article1.asp?x=
  dnd/oa/oa20020223b>.
  The Prophecy
  when twice times thrice the mighty wheel has turned
  and once again the harbinger lights the night
  heed all that the world has learned
  danger threatens drow seal our plight
  the rod of dark fate’s close at hand
  war and war shall tear the land
  by the rod’s fierce demand
  make all mortals understand
  The lack of punctuation in this prophecy is critical to
  the misunderstandings and misinterpretations that
  have arisen within the two different factions seeking
  the rod. This prophecy is reprinted as a player handout
  on the last page of this adventure.
  The Factions
  Both interpretations agree that “when twice times
  thrice the mighty wheel has turned” means 600 years
  past. That assumption seems further confirmed by the
  phrase, “and once again the harbinger lights the
  night”—the Harbinger is a comet last seen in the night
  sky six centuries ago. Through exacting research, the
  surface-dwellers and the drow have also determined
  that “dark fate” refers to a rod wielded in a drow civil
  war that coincided with the comet’s last appearance.
  
  3
  The Good
  Church scholars put in many years of painstaking labor
  to translate this verse from a very delicate, fragmenting
  scroll written by one of the faithful 600 years ago:
  When twice times thrice the mighty wheel has turned,
  and once again the Harbinger lights the night.
  Heed all that the world has learned.
  Danger threatens. Drow seal our plight.
  The rod of Dark Fate’s close at hand;
  war and war shall tear the land.
  By the rod’s fierce demand:
  Make all mortals understand.
  In this interpretation, drow are the evil force threaten-
  ing peace, and the rod is a force of goodness that can
  help surface dwellers understand the impending
  danger from the Underdark.
  Because of this interpretation of the prophecy, a
  lawful good church (that of Tyr in the FORGOTTEN
  REALMS® setting or Heironeous in Greyhawk make
  good choices) sent a good-aligned party called the Holy
  on a mission to retrieve the rod. Lord Defender Dagon
  (LG human Wiz 11) leads the group, which consists of
  Mecurial (LG human Ftr 7), Calalinda the Wise (LG
  human Clr 7), Muxx “Mighty Fists” Murge (LG human
  Mnk 7), and Dlern Praiseworthy (LG human Sor 7). For
  statistics, see Chapter 2: Characters in the DUNGEON
  MASTER’s Guide and use the NPC entries.
  The Holy had employed Morning Glory Blade (NG elf
  Brd 9) as a guide and bardic lore advisor. She is detailed
  in this month’s Character Closeup on the D&D website.
  The Holy have invested much time and effort into
  securing the rod, and they’ll quickly rebuff any interfer-
  ence in their plans, even from well-meaning, good-
  aligned PCs.
  Using Table 5-3: Initial NPC Attitude in the DUNGEON
  MASTER’s Guide, treat the Holy as indifferent toward the
  PCs, unless the player characters have indicated they are
  interested in the rod, in which case the Holy turn hostile. 
  The group recently returned from the Underdark
  caverns, where they encountered and killed two Colos-
  sal monstrous spiders, but at a very high cost: Several
  members of the group were poisoned or badly
  wounded. Morning Glory Blade lay dead (or so they
  thought) when four driders attacked.
  Holy and devoted, they may be, but they’re also slow to
  create or change their plans. It will be several more weeks
  until they feel prepared to venture into the caverns again.
  The Bad
  The drow, too, have learned of the prophecy.
  When twice times thrice the mighty wheel has turned
  and once again the Harbinger lights the night.
  Heed all that the world has learned.
  Danger threatens drow. Seal our plight.
  The rod of Dark Fate’s close at hand.
  War, and war shall tear the land.
  By the rod’s fierce demand:
  Make all mortals understand.
  The dark elves
  Alakara (NE drow
  elf Wiz 11) and Pharn
  (NE drow elf Evo 12) con-
  sider the prophecy a
  warning 
  to 
  them:
  “danger threatens drow.”
  Their 
  interpretation
  leads them to believe
  they need the rod; with-
  out it, they fear, another
  civil war might pit drow against drow again. These
  two want to find the rod to prevent civil war—or at
  least to help them wind up on the winning side when
  it’s all over.
  For statistics, see Chapter 2: Characters in the DUN-
  GEON MASTER’s Guide and use the NPC Wizard entries,
  adjusted for female drow. See Area 3: Northern Caverns
  below for their spells.
  The Ugly
  The driders who inhabit the old crypts are ignorant of
  the prophecy, except for what Morning Glory Blade has
  told them. Their motivation is self-preservation and ter-
  ritoriality: They’ve been exiled from drow communi-
  ties. Here in the caverns, at least, is a space they can call
  their own.
  Until recently, four driders lived here with two
  Colossal monstrous spiders. Then the Holy killed the
  spiders and left behind their hired bard. The driders
  wasted no time in transforming Morning Glory into
  one of them. Now five angry driders await the next
  incursion into their territory. 
  In the unlikely event of attempted negotiations with
  the driders, treat them as hostile (see Table 5-3: Initial
  NPC Attitude in the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide).
  
  4
  INVOLVING THE PCS
  You know your player characters best and how to most
  effectively involve them in this adventure. Here are a
  few ideas for you to work with:
  •
  A church or wizard’s guild found a copy of the
  prophecy and wants the PCs to investigate.
  •
  If the party has a bard or loremaster, she may
  have stumbled upon the prophecy.
  •
  A collector of ancient items offers a reward for
  the retrieval of the rod mentioned in an old
  poem.
  •
  A scholar researching the ’Tween Wars, drow
  civil wars that took place 600 years ago, wants
  to retrieve the rod.
  •
  The PCs, passing through Gryth, hear that a
  resurrection spell has failed.
  Depending upon which hook you use to lure the PCs
  into the adventure, you might share appropriate selec-
  tions of the information below without making anyone
  roll a check.
  INVESTIGATING
  Likely, the PCs start someplace other than Gryth and
  travel there to get more information.
  Anywhere
  This list provides information available using Knowl-
  edge (history) or bardic lore.
  Result
  Information Obtained
  DC 20
  The Harbinger last appeared 600 years ago.
  DC 25
  A prophecy linked the Harbinger with a pow-
  erful rod.
  DC 30
  The rod, called Dark Fate, was wielded by
  Alantria in a drow civil war 600 years ago
  known as the ’Tween Wars. It has not been
  seen since.
  DC 30
  Alantria is buried in drow crypts not far from
  the surface city of Gryth.
  Gryth
  This list provides general information that the PCs can
  glean from using general Gather Information efforts in
  Gryth.
  Result
  Information Obtained
  DC 5
  There’s an entrance to the Underdark nearby.
  DC 10
  The PCs learn the exact location of the
  entrance to the Underdark.
  DC 10
  A group on pilgrimage from the church of
  Heironeous (or Tyr) came through here about
  a week ago, asking about the history of drow
  in the area.
  DC 10
  Drow seem almost perpetually feuding
  among themselves, house against house. The
  multitudes of small disputes rarely amount to
  much.
  DC 10
  Yesterday, the local church tried to resurrect
  someone, but the spell failed.
  DC 15
  The pilgrims tried to have their dead bard res-
  urrected yesterday, but the spell failed.
  DC 15
  The PCs receive directions to old drow
  crypts, three days’ journey away. A long
  time ago, drow converted this area of the
  Underdark into a complex of tombs and
  crypts.
  DC 15
  The last major drow civil war in this area was
  about 600 years ago. It had a tremendously
  high death count, which is why there aren’t
  many drow in the area anymore.
  DC 18
  Driders inhabit the old drow crypts now.
  DC 20
  A fierce cleric named Alantria led an uprising
  during the last drow civil war.
  DC 25
  Alantria wielded a fancy rod or mace with
  many magical powers.
  DC 25
  The rod went by many names, including
  Dark Fate.
  DC 28
  Powers attributed to the rod make it sound
  like a rod of lordly might.
  DC 30
  The rod is intelligent and has more powers
  than a standard rod of lordly might.
  DC 35
  A scrap of what’s believed to be one of the
  earliest copies of the prophecy had “Dark
  Fate by the hand of Alantria” written on the
  back.
  Divination
  If the PCs use a divination spell to ask about finding the
  rod, you might use the following rhyme:
  You seek it and it wants to be found.
  It lies in a tomb deep underground.
  Ignorant guards of legs eight
  Shield the world from darker fate.
  Knowledge (Arcana)
  If the PCs are from the Underdark near here or specifi-
  cally inquire about magic and spellcasting in the
  Underdark, they may learn about faerzress.
  
  5
  Result
  Information Obtained
  DC 15
  The Underdark nearby affects some types of
  spells strangely.
  DC 20
  Teleportation and divination magic some-
  times doesn’t function, or it malfunctions.
  DC 25
  The character knows the gist of the “Faerzress
  and the Underdark” sidebar.
  ABANDONED CRYPTS
  After the ’Tween Wars ravaged this area, depleting the
  population, survivors moved to safer or more glam-
  orous locations like Szith Morcane or Menzober-
  ranzen. The area shown on the map on the next page
  then became part of a fashionable section of drow
  burial plots. 
  Alternatively occupied and emptied by passing crea-
  tures, the caverns didn’t have steady residents until
  about 100 years ago, when a group of driders exiled
  from drow communities settled here. At its peak it held
  about 40 driders, but over time the population
  declined. Until last week, only four driders and their
  two Colossal monstrous spider pets occupied the entire
  cavern complex. After the Holy attacked, the driders
  retreated into the more defensible southernmost cav-
  erns (see Area 4).
  Yesterday, after several failed attempts to penetrate
  the faerzress (see sidebar) using teleportation magic, the
  drow wizards seeking the rod tunneled into the north-
  ern section of caves (Area 3) and began to search
  through the crypts.
  Area 1: Entrance
  Descending through a 30-foot shaft offers entry to this
  set of caverns.
  Area 2: Dead, But Not Forgotten
  (EL 11)
  After the Holy came and slaughtered the driders’ two
  Colossal monstrous spider pets, one of the drider cler-
  ics used two scrolls of animate dead with high caster
  levels to bring them back as undead guardians. The
  Colossal skeleton spiders lurk in the shadows of two
  side nooks in this large cavern.
  Colossal Spider Skeleton (2): CR 9; Colossal undead;
  HD 32d12; hp 220, 200; Init +5; Spd 40 ft., climb 20 ft.;
  AC 13, touch 3, flat-footed 12; Atk +15 melee (4d6+12,
  bite); Face/Reach 40 ft. by 40 ft./15 ft.; SQ Undead
  traits; AL N; SV Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +18; Str 26, 
  Dex 12, Con –, Int –, Wis 10, Cha 11.
  Skills and Feats: Climb +16, Hide –15; Improved Ini-
  tiative.
  Undead Traits: A Colossal spider skeleton is
  immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease,
  death, effects, necromantic effects, mind-influencing
  effects, and any effect requiring a Fortitude save
  unless it also works on objects. It is not subject to
  critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability
  drain, or energy drain. A Colossal spider skeleton
  cannot heal damage, but negative energy heals it.
  The creature is not at risk of death from massive
  damage, but it is destroyed at 0 hit points or less. A
  Colossal spider skeleton has darkvision (60-foot
  range). It cannot be raised, and resurrection works
  only if it is willing.
  Faerzress and the Underdark
  The Underdark of Faerûn is suffused with a magical radiation the
  drow call faerzress. A remnant of the mighty forces that shaped
  the terrain of the Underdark, faerzress distorts and interferes
  with certain types of magic. This effect is also found in areas of
  the Underdark of Greyhawk and several other worlds. In the con-
  text of the underground portion of this adventure, faerzress has
  the following effects:
  • Scry checks made for scrying on a target located within the
  Underdark (as opposed to checks made to detect magical sen-
  sors) suffer a –4 penalty because of the interference of
  faerzress on divination magic.
  • Transmutation (teleportation) spells and effects such as tele-
  port, word of recall, refuge, and even teleport without error do
  not work reliably over distances of more than one mile when
  either the origin or the destination is within the Underdark. A
  character who casts a teleport spell or uses an ability that
  duplicates the spell must make a Spellcraft check (DC 35). If
  the check succeeds, the spell works properly. If it fails, the tele-
  porting character automatically suffers a mishap, just as if he
  had rolled 100 on the table in the teleport spell description, fol-
  lowed by an “off-target” result.
  A character using a normally infallible form of teleportation
  magic (such as word of recall or teleport without error) must
  make a Spellcraft check (DC 25). If the check succeeds, the
  spell works properly. If it fails, the character suffers a mishap
  and an off-target result as described above.
  The effects of faerzress on spells is not widely known among sur-
  face-dwelling characters. Before a character attempts a spell that
  would be affected by the Underdark’s magical conditions, allow
  the caster a Knowledge (arcana) check (DC 25) to determine
  whether the character happens to know of hazards the player
  may not be aware of.
  
  6
  
  7
  Area 3: Northern Caverns (EL 14)
  Alakara and Pharn arrived in the caverns a few days
  ago. Aware of the threat of the undead spiders to the
  south, they decided to carefully search this area first
  and hope to avoid confronting the spiders or the drid-
  ers beyond.
  It will take them three days to migrate from this area
  south into the drider lair (Area 4). 
  Alakara: Female drow Wiz 11; CR 11; Medium-size
  humanoid (elf); HD 11d4+3; hp 30; Init +7; Spd 20 ft.;
  AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 14; Atk +5 melee (1d6,
  quarterstaff), or +10 ranged (1d8/19–20, masterwork
  light crossbow with masterwork bolts); SA Spell-like
  abilities; SQ Drow traits, SR 22; AL NE; SV Fort +4,
  Ref +9, Will +9; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 19, Wis 12,
  Cha 10.
  Skills and Feats: Alchemy +18, Concentration +14,
  Knowledge (arcana) +18, Knowledge (nobility and roy-
  alty) +12, Listen +3, Scry +18, Search +6, Spellcraft +18,
  Spot +3; Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Improved
  Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Quicken Spell, Scribe
  Scroll, Toughness.
  Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, darkness,
  faerie fire. Caster level 11th; save DC 10 + spell level.
  Drow Traits: Alakara is immune to magic sleep spells
  and effects. She has a +2 racial bonus on saves against
  enchantment spells or effects and a +2 racial bonus on
  Will saves against spells or spell-like abilities. She also
  has darkvision (120-foot range) and is entitled to a
  Search check when within 5 feet of a secret or con-
  cealed door as though actively looking for it. As a drow,
  Alakara has light blindness (blinded for 1 round by
  abrupt exposure to bright light, –1 circumstance
  penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and checks while oper-
  ating in bright light). She also has a +2 racial bonus on
  Listen, Spot, and Search checks (already figured into
  the statistics given above).
  Spells Prepared (4/5/5/5/4/2/1; save DC 14 + spell
  level): 0—detect magic (2), read magic (2); 1st—detect secret
  doors, expeditious retreat, identify, shield, spider climb; 2nd—
  blur, cat’s grace, knock, rope trick, see invisibility; 3rd—dispel
  magic, fireball, fly, haste, magic circle against good; 4th—
  confusion, improved invisibility, stoneskin, summon monster
  IV; 5th—hold monster, summon monster V; 6th—greater
  dispelling. 
  Spellbook: 0—arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect
  magic, detect poison, disrupt undead, flare, ghost sound, light,
  mage hand, mending, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost,
  read magic, resistance; 1st—alarm, detect secret doors,
  enlarge, expeditious retreat, identify, magic missile, obscuring
  mist, reduce, shield, spider climb, summon monster I, Tenser’s
  floating disk; 2nd—blur, bull’s strength, cat’s grace, invisibil-
  ity, knock, rope trick, see invisibility, summon monster II,
  web; 3rd—blink, clairaudience/clairvoyance, dispel magic,
  fireball, fly, gaseous form, haste, magic circle against good,
  slow, summon monster III; 4th—confusion, dimensional
  anchor, fear, improved invisibility, stoneskin, summon mon-
  ster IV; 5th—contact other plane, dismissal, hold monster,
  summon monster V, teleport, wall of stone; 6th—greater
  dispelling, true seeing. 
  Possessions: quarterstaff, masterwork light cross-
  bow, 10 masterwork bolts, cloak of resistance +1, ring of
  protection +1, bracers of armor +2, amulet of natural armor
  +1, wand of fireball (9th-level caster), scroll of teleport,
  scroll of cloudkill, potion of detect thoughts, dagger.
  Pharn: Female drow Evo 12;
  CR 12; Medium-size humanoid
  (elf); HD 12d4+3; hp 33; Init +7;
  Spd 20 ft.; AC 18, touch 14, flat-
  footed 15; Atk +6/+1 melee
  (1d6, quarterstaff ), or +11
  ranged (1d8/19–20, masterwork
  light crossbow with masterwork
  crossbow bolts); SA Spell-like
  abilities; SQ Drow traits, SR 23;
  AL NE; SV Fort +5, Ref +10,
  Will +10; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 11,
  Int 22, Wis 12, Cha 10.
  Skills and Feats: Alchemy
  +21, Concentration +15,
  Knowledge (arcana) +21,
  Knowledge (the planes) +16,
  Listen +3, Scry +21, Search +8,
  Spellcraft +21, Spot +3; Brew Potion, Combat Casting,
  Heighten Spell, Improved Initiative, Lightning
  Reflexes, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Toughness.
  Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, darkness,
  faerie fire. Caster level 12th; save DC 10 + spell level.
  Drow Traits: Pharn is immune to magic sleep spells
  and effects. She has a +2 racial bonus on saves against
  enchantment spells or effects and a +2 racial bonus on
  Will saves against spells or spell-like abilities. She also
  has darkvision (120-foot range) and is entitled to a
  Search check when within 5 feet of a secret or con-
  cealed door as though actively looking for it. As a drow,
  Pharn has light blindness (blinded for 1 round by
  abrupt exposure to bright light, –1 circumstance
  penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and checks while oper-
  ating in bright light). She also has a +2 racial bonus on
  
  8
  Listen, Spot, and Search checks (already figured into
  the statistics given above).
  Spells Prepared (5/7/7/6/5/5/4; save DC 16 + spell
  level): 0—arcane mark, detect magic, disrupt undead, flare,
  light; 1st—endure elements, feather fall, magic missile (2),
  protection from chaos, protection from good, shield; 2nd—
  darkness, detect thoughts, endurance (2), flaming sphere,
  minor image, see invisibility; 3rd—blink, fly, gaseous form,
  greater magic weapon, haste, lightning bolt; 4th—charm
  monster, ice storm, phantasmal killer, wall of fire, wall of ice;
  5th—hold monster, teleport, transmute mud to rock,
  transmute rock to mud, wall of force; 6th—chain lightning
  (2), legend lore, true seeing. 
  Spellbook: 0—arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect
  magic, detect poison, disrupt undead, flare, ghost sound, light,
  mage hand, mending, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic,
  resistance; 1st—endure elements, feather fall, magic missile,
  protection from chaos, protection from good, reduce, shield,
  shield, spider climb, summon monster I, Tenser’s floating disk;
  2nd—darkness, daylight, detect thoughts, endurance, flam-
  ing sphere, minor image, see invisibility, shatter; 3rd—blink,
  fireball, fly, gaseous form, greater magic weapon, haste,
  Leomund’s tiny hut, lightning bolt, wind wall; 4th—charm
  monster, fire shield, ice storm, Otiluke’s resilient sphere, phan-
  tasmal killer, shout, wall of fire, wall of ice; 5th—Bigby’s
  interposing hand, cone of cold, hold monster, teleport,
  transmute mud to rock, transmute rock to mud, wall of force;
  6th—Bigby’s forceful hand, chain lightning, legend lore,
  true seeing. 
  Possessions: quarterstaff, masterwork light cross-
  bow, 10 masterwork bolts, cloak of resistance +1, ring of
  protection +1, bracers of armor +3, amulet of natural armor
  +1, wand of lightning bolt (9th-level caster), headband of
  intellect +2, scroll of teleport, scroll of acid fog, potion of
  detect thoughts, dagger.
  Area 4: Drider Lair (EL 11)
  The entrance to this area is guarded by a glyph of warding.
  Glyph of Warding: CR 4; spell, spell trigger, no reset;
  spell effect (glyph of warding [blast], 5-foot radius, 3d8
  sonic, Reflex save [DC 16] halves damage); Search (DC
  28); Disable Device (DC 28).
  After her transformation into a drider just days ago,
  Morning Glory Blade fought and connived her way
  into leading the other four driders. Two of them had no
  spellcasting skills, but the other two were clerics before
  their transformation. They work very well as a group,
  complementing each other’s skills.
  Morning Glory Blade: Female drider* Brd 9; CR 11;
  Large aberration; HD 9d6+36; hp 31; Init +4; Spd 30 ft.,
  climb 15 ft.; AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 16; Atk +8
  melee (1d4+4 plus poison, bite), or +9/+4 melee
  (1d8+4/19–20, +1 longsword) and +3 melee (1d4+1, bite),
  or +11/+6 ranged (1d8+3/x3, masterwork mighty com-
  posite longbow [+3 Str bonus] with masterwork
  arrows); Face/Reach 10 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.; SA Poison,
  spell-like abilities; SQ Bardic knowledge +9, bardic
  music (countersong, fascinate, inspire competence,
  inspire courage, inspire greatness, suggestion) 9/day, elf
  traits, SR 20; AL CE; SV Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +6; Str 17,
  Dex 18, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 21.  
  Skills and Feats: Climb +11, Diplomacy +17, Hide +4,
  Knowledge (history) +12, Knowledge (nobility and roy-
  alty) +12, Listen +2, Move Silently +8, Perform (singing,
  dancing, lute, panpipes, lyre, drum, drama, mime, jug-
  gling) +17, Search +2, Spot +2; Dodge, Mobility, Point
  Blank Shot, Spring Attack.
  Poison (Ex): Morning Glory Blade delivers her
  poison (Fort DC 14) via each successful bite attack. The
  initial damage and secondary damage are the same (1d6
  points of Strength damage).
  Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, darkness,
  detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, detect magic,
  faerie fire, levitate. Caster level 1st; save DC 15 + spell level.
  
  9
  Bardic Knowledge: Morning Glory Blade may
  make a bardic knowledge check with a bonus of +9 to
  see whether she knows some relevant information
  about local notable people, legendary items, or note-
  worthy places.
  Bardic Music: Blade can use her song or poetics to
  produce magical effects on those around her. 
  Countersong (Su): Morning Glory Blade can counter
  magical effects that depend on sound by making a
  Perform check for each round of countersong. Any
  creature within 30 feet of her that is affected by a
  sonic or language-dependent magical attack may use
  Morning Glory Blade’s Perform check result in place
  of his or her saving throw if desired. Countersong
  lasts for 10 rounds. 
  Fascinate (Su): Morning Glory Blade can cause a
  single creature within 90 feet that can see and hear her
  to become fascinated with her. Morning Glory Blade’s
  Perform check result is the DC for the opponent’s Will
  save. Any obvious threat breaks the effect. Fascination
  lasts 9 rounds. 
  Inspire Competence (Su): An ally within 30 feet who
  can see and hear Morning Glory Blade gets a +2 compe-
  tence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill for as
  long as he or she can hear the music. 
  Inspire Courage (Su): Allies who can hear Morning
  Glory Blade receive a +2 morale bonus to saves against
  charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus to attack
  and weapon damage rolls. The effect lasts for 5 rounds
  after the ally can no longer hear her. 
  Inspire Greatness (Su): After hearing Morning Glory
  Blade sing for a full round, a creature within 30 feet
  gains +2 Hit Dice (d10s that grant temporary hit
  points), a +2 competence bonus on attacks, and a +1
  competence bonus on Fortitude saves. The effect lasts
  until 5 rounds after the creature can no longer hear her. 
  Suggestion (Sp): Morning Glory Blade can make a
  suggestion (as the spell) to a creature she has already
  fascinated. A Will save (DC 18) negates the effect.
  Elf Traits: Morning Glory Blade is immune to magic
  sleep spells and effects. She has a +2 racial bonus on
  saves against enchantment spells or effects. She also
  has low-light vision (can see twice as far as a human in
  low-light conditions) and is entitled to a Search check
  when within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door as
  though actively looking for it. As an elf, she has Martial
  Weapon Proficiency (composite longbow, composite
  shortbow, longbow, longsword, and rapier) as bonus
  feats. Morning Glory Blade also has a +2 racial bonus on
  Listen, Spot, and Search checks (already figured into
  the statistics given above).
  Bard Spells Known (3/5/4/3; save DC 15 + spell
  level): 0—detect magic, flare, ghost sound, open/close, read
  magic, resistance; 1st—charm person, cure light wounds,
  identify, mage armor; 2nd—blur, silence, sound burst,
  tongues; 3rd—confusion, dispel magic, keen edge. 
  Possessions: ring of protection +1, +1 longsword, mas-
  terwork mighty composite longbow (+3 Str bonus),
  25 masterwork arrows, cloak of Charisma +2, necklace of
  fireballs (Type VII), Heward’s handy haversack, potion of
  jump, potion of spider climb, potion of invisibility, acid
  (flask) (2), alchemist’s fire (2), antitoxin (vial) (2), holy
  water (flask) (2), smokestick (2), sunrod (2), tangle-
  foot bag (2), thunderstone (2), tindertwigs (2), 100 gp
  pearls (2). 
  * Uses the “Monster Mayhem” drider template from
  the D&D website.
  Tactics: Since her transformation, Morning Glory
  Blade has come to hate her former associates and will
  focus her attacks on members of the Holy, starting with
  a bead from her necklace of fireballs. If her former allies
  are not present, she will combine both offense and
  defense. With time to prepare, she casts mage armor,
  blur, and keen edge on herself. In the first round of
  combat she starts singing to inspire courage in the
  other driders. In round two she casts confusion. In
  round three she casts sound burst.
  Driders (2): CR 7; Large aberration; HD 6d8+18; hp 45;
  Init +2; Spd 30 ft., climb 15 ft.; AC 17, touch 11, flat-
  footed 15; Atk +4 melee (1d6+3/19–20, +1 short sword)
  and +4 melee (1d6+2/19–20, +1 short sword) and +0
  melee (1d4+1, bite); Face/Reach 10 ft. x 10 ft./5 ft.;
  SA Poison, spell-like abilities; SQ Darkvision 60 ft.;
  AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +8; Str 15, Dex 15,
  Con 16, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 16.
  Skills and Feats: Climb +14, Concentration +10, Hide +8,
  Listen +9, Move Silently +7, Spellcraft +10, Spot +9;
  Ambidexterity, Combat Casting, Two-Weapon Fighting.
  Poison (Ex): A drider delivers its poison (Fort
  DC 16) with each successful bite attack. The initial
  and secondary damage are the same (1d6 points of
  Strength damage).
  Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, darkness,
  detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, detect magic,
  faerie fire, levitate. Caster level 6th; save DC 13 + spell
  level.
  Possessions: Each drider wields two +1 short swords.
  
  10
  Tactics: These driders will fire their bows or wade
  into melee, as appropriate. They usually rely on their
  fellows for spell-like abilities and supporting spells. 
  First Drider Cleric: CR 7; Large aberration;
  HD 6d8+18; hp 40; Init +2; Spd 30 ft., climb 15 ft.;
  AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 15; Atk +4 melee
  (1d6+3/19–20, +1 short sword) and +4 melee
  (1d6+2/19–20, +1 short sword) and +0 melee (1d4+1, bite);
  Face/Reach 10 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.; SA Poison, spell-like abil-
  ities; SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +4,
  Will +8; Str 15, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 16.  
  Skills and Feats: Climb +14, Concentration +10, Hide +8,
  Listen +9, Move Silently +7, Spellcraft +10, Spot +9;
  Ambidexterity, Combat Casting, Two-Weapon Fighting.
  Poison (Ex): The first drider cleric delivers its
  poison (Fort DC 16) with each successful bite attack.
  The initial and secondary damage are the same (1d6
  points of Strength damage).
  Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—clairaudience/clairvoy-
  ance, dancing lights, darkness, detect chaos, detect evil, detect
  good, detect law, detect magic, discern lies, dispel magic, faerie
  fire, levitate, suggestion. Caster level 6th; save DC 13 +
  spell level.
  Spells Prepared (5/5/5/4; save DC 13 + spell level):
  0—create water, cure minor wounds (3), detect magic; 1st—
  bless, cure light wounds, protection from good*, sanctuary,
  summon monster I; 2nd—bull’s strength, cure moderate
  wounds, endurance, invisibility*, silence; 3rd—animate dead,
  create food and water, dispel magic, magic circle against good*. 
  *Domain spell. Deity: Lolth. Domains: Evil (cast evil
  spells at +1 caster level), Trickery (Bluff, Disguise, and
  Hide are class skills).
  Possessions: two +1 short swords, wand of cure critical
  wounds (10 charges), 5 pieces of onyx each worth 50 gp.
  Tactics: This drider primarily acts as a support for
  the others. If given time to prepare, it will cast protection
  from good on itself and bull’s strength, endurance, and
  magic circle against good on one of the standard driders
  and darkness in the area. In the first round of combat,
  the drider casts invisibility. In subsequent rounds it pro-
  vides boosting spells such as bull’s strength to other drid-
  ers, uses spell-like abilities such as darkness to good
  effect, and casts curing spells as needed. If aware that
  an enemy can see invisible creatures, this drider casts
  sanctuary to help avoid being attacked. It joins melee
  only as a last resort. Note: This drider can cast all listed
  spells and use all spell-like abilities except suggestion
  without negating either invisibility or sanctuary.
  Second Drider Cleric: CR 7; Large aberration; HD
  6d8+18; hp 50; Init +2; Spd 30 ft., climb 15 ft.; AC 17,
  touch 11, flat-footed 15; Atk +4 melee (1d6+3/19–20, +1
  short sword) and +4 melee (1d6+2/19–20, +1 short sword)
  and +0 melee (1d4+1, bite); Face/Reach 10 ft. by 10 ft./5
  ft.; SA Poison, spell-like abilities; SQ Darkvision 60 ft.;
  AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +8; Str 15, Dex 15,
  Con 16, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 16.  
  Skills and Feats: Climb +14, Concentration +10, Hide +8,
  Listen +9, Move Silently +7, Spellcraft +10, Spot +9;
  Ambidexterity, Combat Casting, Two-Weapon Fighting.
  Poison (Ex): The second drider cleric delivers its
  poison (Fort DC 16) with each successful bite attack.
  The initial and secondary damage are the same (1d6
  points of Strength damage).
  Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—clairaudience/clairvoy-
  ance, dancing lights, darkness, detect chaos, detect evil, detect
  good, detect law, detect magic, discern lies, dispel magic, faerie
  fire, levitate, suggestion. Caster level 6th; save DC 13 +
  spell level.
  Spells Prepared (5/5/5/4; save DC 13 + spell level):
  0—create water, cure minor wounds, detect magic, mending,
  resistance; 1st—command, divine favor, inflict light wounds*,
  magic weapon, random action; 2nd—endurance, hold person,
  shatter*, sound burst, spiritual weapon; 3rd—blindness/
  deafness, contagion*, cure serious wounds, searing light. 
  *Domain spell. Deity: Lolth. Domains: Destruction
  (smite 1/day), Evil (cast evil spells at +1 caster level). 
  Possessions: two +1 short swords, necklace of prayer beads
  (karma).
  Tactics: This drider usually casts a couple boosting
  spells on itself and then joins in the melee. If given
  time to prepare, it casts endurance, divine favor, and magic
  weapon on itself . Otherwise, it takes two rounds to pre-
  pare, then attacks. On the first round of combat it casts
  endurance. On round two it casts contagion and attacks.
  If opponents are out of easy melee range, the drider
  casts hold person, random action, and other ranged spells
  as appropriate.
  From having raided the more easily opened tombs in
  this area, the driders have accumulated quite a hoard of
  miscellaneous items in addition to the useful ones they
  carry and use. Although there’s quite a pile of various
  weapons and armor, they are all so rusted and time-
  worn as to be valueless.
  Treasure: Horseshoes of speed; potions of love, oil of time-
  lessness, and speak with animals; scrolls of fly, haste, and
  magic missile (5th-level caster); Quaal’s feather token
  
  11
  (fan); masterwork dagger and masterwork mighty (+1
  Str bonus) composite longbow; 24 pp, 253 gp, 2431 sp,
  and 5,321 cp.
  CONCLUSION
  It will take several weeks to search all the tombs in this
  set of caverns. However, knowing that they’re looking
  for Alantria’s crypt can dramatically cut down the time
  the PCs need. For each day that passes, have every
  person who spent the day searching make a Search
  check (DC 25) to locate the appropriate tomb.
  Choose one of three possible outcomes:
  •
  Found! The player characters find the tomb, and
  the rod is there. See below for a full description of
  Dark Fate. Note the item’s ego—it’s likely to
  control many characters. The rod wants to start
  another drow war to kill as many as possible.
  •
  Found? The PCs locate the tomb with a rod inside;
  however, the rod is merely a nonmagical copy of
  Dark Fate. While worth 20,000 gp, it is far from the
  real thing.
  •
  Empty! The PCs locate the tomb, but all it contains
  is an inscription stating that Alantria fell nobly on
  the field of battle, but her body was never recovered.
  Note that it takes the drow, Alakara and Pharn, three
  days to make their way to Area 4 from the Northern
  Caverns (Area 3). If they arrive before the PCs, they
  must also attempt the Search check (DC 25) once per
  day to locate the appropriate tomb.
  DARK FATE
  The Background section at the beginning of this adven-
  ture describes the rod’s origin. Now, 600 years later, it
  still hungers to kill drow.
  This intelligent rod functions as a rod of lordly might
  with several additional properties. Int 14, Wis 12, Cha
  20; AL NE; Languages: Common, Elven, Undercom-
  mon; wielder has free use of Blind-Fight; wielder has
  free use of Combat Reflexes; negates racial traits of
  light blindness, light sensitivity, or sunlight vulnerabil-
  ity for wielder; daylight 3/day; Special Purpose: slay
  drow. If used as a +2 light mace, the rod is also bane
  against elves.
  Caster Level: 19th; Prerequisites: Craft Rod, Craft Magic
  Arms and Armor, bull’s strength, daylight, fear, flame blade,
  hold person, inflict light wounds, summon monster I; creator
  must be nongood; Market Price: 175,000 gp.
  FURTHER ADVENTURES
  If the true rod has been found, it might well control a
  player character and send the group on a mission to
  start a war among the drow. Alternatively, the charac-
  ters may want to go on a quest to destroy the rod.
  If the rod is missing, the adventure’s far from over.
  The characters might have to research the last battle of
  the drow civil war to learn where the unidentified
  bodies were buried. Alternatively, the rod might have
  fallen into the hands of a powerful foe, perhaps a vam-
  pire. (The item’s negation of sunlight vulnerability
  makes this a prime choice.) 
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  Gwendolyn F. M. Kestrel is an editor for Wizards of the
  Coast’s Roleplaying Games R&D department. Recent
  credits include editing Faiths and Pantheons, Oriental
  Adventures, and Magic of Faerûn, and designing part of
  the Book of Challenges. She’s a frequent contributor to
  the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS website. Also, check out the
  website she created for her husband, game designer
  Andy Collins, at <www.andycollins.net>. 
  
  when twice times thrice the mighty wheel has turned
  and once again the harbinger lights the night
  heed all that the world has learned
  danger threatens drow seal our plight
  the rod of dark fate’s close at hand
  war and war shall tear the land
  by the rod’s fierce demand
  make all mortals understand
  
  13
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/D&D 3rd Edition/3.0 Adventures/Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.pdf