adv the keep

8/8/2019 Adv the Keep

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The KeepA D&D 3.5 Adventure for level 2 or 3

CharactersBy Michael P. Morley

Descriptions and information to be read to or shared with the players are in bold type.

Information in regular type is for the Dungeonmaster only. Active monsters are identified in

LARGE & SMALL CAPITALS.

The map used in this adventure is available for download from the official D&D website as

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/03_Mansion_150ppi_5lp3j.jpg. An annotated

version is included with this upload, along with a map of the dungeon level.

Remember: when describing rooms, be sure to mention windows, arrow slits, doors, and such,

even if the description does not include them, and feel free to add details and atmosphere.

Background

The players arrive in the village of Talrinel. Just from asking around, they learn the following

general information:

The Keep is an old stone tower located in the hills a few miles from Talrinel, in a wilderness

area where few people go. It was built by a spell-casting member of the aristocracy, but fell

into ruin long agolegend has it, after the lord of the castle went into an unexplained rage

and murdered his entire household. It is now said to be haunted.

The players go to the local tavern and strike up a conversation with a grizzled old man, whosays:

Aye, the Keep. Id not go there if I were you. There was a bunch of people much like

yourselves went up there not too long ago. An elf, a dwarf, couple of big guys with swords,

a priest of St. Cuthberts, and a real pretty wizard lady. Nice people; said they had atreasure map, they did, and they was going up there to get the treasure. Left, what was it,

six days ago, wasnt it? Never came back.

The Dungeonmaster should be awarethat the basic legend of the Keep is true, and there is indeeda treasure store in a basement level. The Keep is now home to a GAUTH (also called a LESSER

BEHOLDER, Monster Manualpage 25-26, with modifications set out in the description of Room

Dungeon B below) who overwhelmed and killed off the overconfident first-level adventurers
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/03_Mansion_150ppi_5lp3j.jpghttp://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/03_Mansion_150ppi_5lp3j.jpg


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who arrived there five days ago. The PCs will find clues to the fate of those poor unfortunates as

they go.


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On the journey to the Keep

About halfway to the Keep, the players come upon the following scene:

You see eight dead ORCS lying along the trail in a space of about fifty feet. To judge from the

condition of the bodies, they have been here about a week. Two of theORC

bodies havearrows sticking out of them, three others are hideously burned, and the other three appear

to have died from sword cuts. Just off to the side of the trail, there is a mound of dirt that

appears to be a recently-dug grave. At one end of the mound is a marker consisting of a

roughly-cut log, about three feet high, with a holy symbol of St. Cuthbert attached to it.

What happened: The party wandered into an orc ambush. They fought well and sent the

orcs running, but their cleric was killed. They gave the cleric a decent burial before

pressing on.

Searching the bodies will reveal no treasure or usable weaponseven if the players are creepy

enough to dig up the dead cleric. A successful DC 20 Spot or Tracking check reveals evidence

that a large group of orcs set an ambush here, were beaten back, and withdrew into the forestafter the fight. There may be another dead orc or two lying back in the trees off the trail.

Exterior of the Keep

The Keep is a large stone tower that appears to be five stories high, sitting on top of a low

hill. There appears to have been a wall around it once, long ago, but the only evidence of

that is a low, irregular mound covered in vines and weeds. The Keep itself is intact. In the

wall facing you, there is a large double door at ground level, which is partway open. In the

level above it, there is a row of arrow slits. Above that are a row of larger windows, evenlyspaced. The fourth level has a group of three stained glass windows in the center.

You catch a faint smell of rotting flesh on the breeze.

While the party is marching up to the front door, there is a 20% chance that they will be attacked

by a random wilderness monster (seeDungeon Masters Guide page 95). If they are attacked,the sounds of battle may (at the DMs discretion) attract the two GHOULS (Monster Manual, page

118) from Room 5B upstairs, who will emerge from the Keep after two minutes (20 combat

rounds) in search of fresh meat.


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Level 1

Room 1A The entrance hall to the Keep is decorated with the remains of once-fine

tapestries. At the other end of the room is a set of double iron doors, which are part-way

open. It is dark inside.

If the players look around, they see the outline of a hatch in the ceiling. This hatch is a murder

hole from which the defenders could drop arrows, boiling oil, and such on anyone breaking in.

>From this point forward, the players will need a torch or lantern, or the Darkvision skill, in

order to be able to see in any room that does not have a window.

Room 1B This is a short hallway. There are openings at either end on the left and right,and a narrow door on the opposite side of the hall. That door is open.

Room 1CThere are racks on the walls that may have once held weapons. There isunrecognizable trash on the floor. There is a door in the left wall.

Room 1D This is an old storeroom. There are barrels and boxes strewn about. Whateverwas in them has long ago rotted away. If the players poke around in here, they might

encounter 1d6 of RATS (Monster Manual, page 278).

Room 1E There is a table and some old chairs in the middle of this room. There is

unrecognizable trash on the floor. There is a door in the right-hand wall.

This was where the castle guards sat while on duty.

Room 1F This is an old storeroom. There are barrels and boxes strewn about. Whatever

was in them has long ago rotted away. If the players poke around in here, they might

encounter 1d6 of RATS (Monster Manual, page 278).

Room 1G A spiral staircase leads up and down. If the players make a DC 10 Spot check,they notice: There are burn marks on the wall about five or six steps up from the flooryoure on, and you see what appear to be the feet of a dead body lying on the steps near the

burn marks.

A word about the GAUTH: The most important decision, in terms of how the storydevelops, occurs here: do the players go up, or down? If they go down to the Dungeon

level, they will quickly encounter the GAUTH in its lair. If they go up, the GAUTH will, at

some point, go up behind them; and it is then up to the DM when the GAUTH makes its

appearance.


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Level 2

Room 2A In the faint light from the arrow slit on the outer wall, you can see that the body

of a dwarf lies face down on the stairs about halfway between the first and second levels.

The dwarf has been burned beyond recognition, and there are scorch marks on the wall

above where he lies.

What happened The party was going up the stairs, with the dwarf bringing up the rear,

when the GAUTH ambushed them from behind. The GAUTH hit the dwarf with itsscorching ray eye ray, rolled high on the damage dice, and incinerated him. (Poor devil.)

The rest of the party fled upstairs.

The dwarfs clothing, leather armor, and equipment have been burned so badly as to be useless,

except for the head of his masterwork axe. If someone notices it, recovers it and takes it to acraftsman (or has the skills to do the work himself), it can be remade into a masterwork dwarven

axe.

Room 2B This short hallway has doors at either end, and there is one across the hall.

Room 2C This room was once a barracks, to judge from the row of bunks on the back

wall. There are also wall racks that might have once held weapons.

Room 2D In the middle of the floor is a hatch. Opening the hatch allows one to look down

upon Room 1A below.

Room 2E This room has a table and several chairs, and an old brick oven against the

outer wall, between the arrow slits. There are also wall racks that might have once held

weapons.


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Level 3

Room 3A The spiral staircase continues up and down. The door to this level is closed. DC20 Spot (because of the darkness) to notice scorch marks along the wall, where the GAUTHS eye

ray, and the wizards burning hands, were fired.

Room 3B This is a large chamber with two doors along the right wall, two on the left, and

one at the other end.

Room 3C This was once a bedroom. The furniture is deteriorated and covered in mildew.

Room 3D This is a latrine. There is a toilet on the left-hand wall, back in the corner.

Room 3E This was once a bedroom. The furniture is deteriorated and covered in mildew.

Room 3F This was once a bedroom. The furniture is deteriorated and covered in mildew.

Room 3G This was once a bedroom. The furniture is deteriorated and covered in mildew.

This room is occupied by a FLOCKOF BIRDS (details below) who have built their nest in the ruins.

When the players open the door, the birds attack whoever is in the doorway in defense of their

nestunless it is a Druid who makes a successful DC 12 Handle Animal check. If the playercloses the door, the attack will end. (Birds cant work doorknobs, you know.)

The FLOCKOF BIRDS is treated as a BAT SWARM (Monster Manual, pages 237-38), with the

following changes:

1No blindsense

2No low-light vision

3Initiative reduced to +0


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Level 4

Room 4A The spiral staircase continues up and down. The door to this level is closed. On

the landing is the corpse of an elf. The elf appears to have been recently dismembered and

partially eaten.

What happened The elf drew his bow and waited for the GAUTH here. He may have

scored a hit, but the GAUTH froze him with its gaze and finished him off with the inflict

moderate wounds eye ray. Later, the GHOULS came by and snacked on the remains.

The elfs bow was broken, but his longsword and three arrows are still intact.

Room 4B This short hallway has doors at either end, and there is one across the hall. The

remains of a very nice rug are in the middle of the floor.

Room 4C This room was once a babys nursery. The ruins of a crib are in the back

corner.

Room 4D This was once a library. There are shelves on three walls, but the books they

once held have deteriorated into piles of mold and mildew.

DC 25 Spot check to notice an intact scroll case on one of the shelves. It contains ascroll ofcure moderate wounds.

Room 4E This is the former master bedroom. The stained glass on the three windows is

still intact, so this room is much better preserved than the others. There is a beautiful

woven rug on the floor. On the left side of the room are wardrobe cabinets and a padded

chair. On the right is a large four-poster bed. The mummified corpse of a woman lies in

the middle of the bed. A rusty sword protrudes from the body, and the bed clothes arestained red-black from blood.

The corpse is that of the lady of the house, who was killed 437 years ago when her husband wenton an insane killing spree. If the players are here after sundown, her SPECTRE (Monster Manual,

page 232) will appear in this room. The SPECTRE will not attack unless attacked, and means the

characters no harm; she will, however, bar them from leaving until she has told them her tragic

story, and pled with them to give her remains a decent burial so she can rest in peace. If theplayers do this for her, award each 100 experience points. If they refuse, her cries of despair

haunt them until they leave the Keep, and whenever they return.


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Level 5

Room 5A This is the top of the spiral staircase. The door is open.

Room 5B This small chamber has doors out of it to the left and right. On the far wall is a

ladder leading to a roof hatch, which is closed. The door on the right is open. Unlessalready encountered when the party first arrived, two GHOULS (Monster Manual, page 118) will

emerge from the open door and attack the party.

Once combat with the GHOULS is over (if they are here to be fought with), the players will notice:

There is a partially burned corpse of a human fighter lying against the closed door. The

fighters bastard sword may be recovered.

The players can climb up the ladder and go out on the roof if they like. There is nothing there ofsignificance.

Room 5C This room once held an artists studio; there are ruined canvases and books

scattered throughout. In the middle of the room is the corpse of a human fighter, badly

disfigured by wounds, and by the GHOULS who have been feasting on it.

What happened: Unable to go up any further, the surviving members of the party made

their last stand against the GAUTH here. The wizard was badly hurt by a bite attack on the

way up the steps, and had used up all her offensive spells. One of the fighters helped herinto Room 5D, where she barricaded the door before collapsing. The fighters then fought

the GAUTH to the bitter end.

A search of the room will reveal a light shield, a battleaxe, and a short bow with three arrows.

There is also an old portrait, badly deteriorated, of a beautiful womanthe one whose body lies

in Room 4E below.

Room 5D The players will have to force the door to get in here. When they do, they find: Thisroom was once used as a bedroom. In the middle of the floor is the corpse of a woman.

Her robes are saturated with dried blood. On the stone floor next to her outstretched hand

is a crude drawing, made with a bloody finger: a large circle containing an eye and a

mouth, with six lines radiating from it.

Searching the corpse will find a light crossbow and two bolts, a spell component pouch, and a

blood-soaked spellbook.

Hint: This might be the appropriate time to have the GAUTHcome upstairs.

Room 5E This room contains dozens of barrels, and a stone cistern which stored

rainwater. There is a skeleton lying in the middle of the room. One of the victims of the

killing spree 437 years ago.


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Dungeon Level

Dungeon A There is an opening at the bottom of the spiral stairs.

Dungeon B This is a corridor running left to right. If the players make any noise in thiscorridor, including trying to force a door, and the GAUTH has not yet been encountered, it will

hear them and come out into the corridor with eyes blazing.

Dungeon C This large room was once used as a storeroom. If the GAUTH has not been

encountered elsewhere, it will be encountered here.

The GAUTH is as described in the Monster Manual, with the following changes:

1In the climactic battle with the party up on Level 5, the fighter with the battle axe managed

to lop off a couple of eye stalks. The GAUTH therefore has only four left:1.dispel magic

2.inflict moderate wounds

3.exhaustion4.sleep.

2It has not fully recovered from its wounds, so it has only 25 HP and a +2 initiative.

Dungeon D This is a small prison cell with a heavy door. If the players poke around in here,

they might encounter 1d6 of RATS (Monster Manual, page 278).

Dungeon E This is a small prison cell with a heavy door. If the players poke around in here,

they might encounter 1d6 of RATS (Monster Manual, page 278).

Dungeon F This is a small prison cell with a heavy door. If the players poke around in here,they might encounter 1d6 of RATS (Monster Manual, page 278).

Dungeon G This door is locked, and has a CR 2 Bricks From Ceiling Trap (Dungeon Masters

Guide, page 71) which is activated if the door is opened without using a special key. DC 15 to

detect the trap, DC 20 to open the door without setting it off.

Inside: This was the castles treasury. A search will reveal 248 gold pieces, jewelry and gems

worth another 268 gold, and a set ofimmovable rods.


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Challenge ratings (for EP purposes):

GAUTH CR 5

RATS CR1/8th each

FLOCKOF BIRDS CR 2

2 GHOULS CR 2

SPECTRE (if you get into a fight) CR 7

Trap CR 2

Map of the Dungeon level:


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adv the keep

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