#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 19

 A secret door in Room 18 leads to a secret treasure room.

This room contains Treasure Types A, G, and H. Additionally there is a suit of elven chain, and a sword +3 vs. Magic-users (Wizards and Witches).

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 18

 This giant area (Room 13) has three exits. One on each side of the room and one ahead. The first on the left is Room 18.

This ornate tomb is found at the bottom of a flight of stairs.  The doors are locked but can be picked.

This is the tomb of Dortya, the handmaiden to the Vampire Queen. 

She is a 10 HD Vampire. She has Boots of Speed, Bracers of Defence AC +3, and a sword +2 / +3 vs. Clerics.   Her tomb has Treasure Type F x3.

Her only task is to keep people away from her queen.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 17

 This section of the larger area is the home to the graves of the Queen's Elven sacrifices.  Rising from the graves are Grave Terrors, the halfling undead. 

Grave Terror are halfling wights.

Grave Terror

Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 3d8+6 (31 hp)
Movement: 90" (30")
Attacks: 1 claw or weapon (+2 to hit, 1d6+2 damage)
Special Attacks: Fear aura, Spectral Blades
Special Defenses: Immune to sleep, charm, and hold spells
Saves: As 3rd level Fighter
Morale: 12 (Fanatic)
Treasure: Nil (grave goods destroyed with their undeath)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

These creatures were warriors among the halflings until they were cursed to undeath.  They had high Strength and Constitution scores while alive (16+ each) and were formidable fighters.

They attack with a claw or a rusty sword for 1d6+2 points of damage. They can also summon a spectral blade to attack another opponent at the same level of proficiency. 

These undead creatures have Aura of Fear that acts like the spell Fear 15' Radius.  They are immune to sleep, charm, and hold spells. They are turned as Ghouls.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 16

 This section of the larger area is the home to the graves of the Queen's Elven sacrifices.  Rising from the graves are Alp, the elven undead. 

Alp are the undead forms of elves.

There are at least six here and the potential for many more.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 15

 This section of the larger area is the home to the graves of the Queen's Dwarven sacrifices.  Rising from the graves are Haugbui, the dwarven undead.

 

Haugbui

Armor Class 4 [15]
Hit Dice 6+6 (33hp)***
Attacks 2 × claws (1d6+4), 1 bite (1d4+4) + Ability Drain
THAC0 14 [+5]
Movement 120’ (40’)
Saving Throws D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (6)
Morale 12
Alignment Chaos
XP 1,025
Number Appearing 1d8 (1d8)
Treasure Type None

Haugbui are undead dwarves of fierce warriors cursed to remain in their barrows and underground chambers. 

The attack with a claw, claw, bite routine. On a successful bite attack, they can drain blood at 1 point of Constitution per round. The get these undead unattached requires a strength ability check to pull them off.  

These creatures are very strong; Strength 20 and silver is required to hit them.

These creatures turn as Wights.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 14

 This section of the larger area is the home to the graves of many horses. 

There are Undead Horses and Nightmares here.

Undead Horses

Armor Class 7 [12]
Hit Dice 4 (18hp)
Attacks 2 × hoof (1d6+1)
THAC0 16 [+3]
Movement 120’ (40’)
Saving Throws D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (4)
Morale 12
Alignment Chaos
XP 125
Number Appearing 1d8 (1d8)
Treasure Type None

Undead horses are skeletal remains of normal horses. They attack much as they did in life, only now they can also be turned as Wights.

Nightmares

Armor Class -4 [24]
Hit Dice 6+6 (33hp)
Attacks 1 bite (2d4), 2 × burning hooves (2d4+2); Breath smoke
THAC0 14 [+5]
Movement 150’ (50’) / Fly 360' (90')
Saving Throws D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (4)
Morale 12
Alignment Chaos
XP 1,025
Number Appearing 1 (1)
Treasure Type None

Nightmares are the steeds of night hags and other demons, black horses with flaming hoofs and mane. Their breath is a cloud of brimstone smoke, which causes any nearby opponent to attack at –2 (saving throw applies). These horrible creatures can become incorporeal and travel between the planes of existence, bearing their evil/chaotic riders.

(Section 15: Nightmare, Swords & Wizardry SRD)

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Again, GMs choose as many as they need to challenge the PCs.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 13

 Moving into the larger area of Encounter Area 12.  These are the graves of the human sacrifices. There are 666 total graves, from these rise a horde of zombies.

--

How many zombies?  All of them. The idea here is to overwhelm the PCs to keep them from going forward. Indulge your little black heart. 

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 12

 The hallway of Encounter Area #11 opens up to a massive room filled with stone sarcophagi.  A plaque as the PCs enter describes this as the Hall of Sacrificed Dead.

These are the final resting places of the followers of the Vampire Queen. She sacrificed them to further her own power and appease her demonic lords.

There are 1,000 sarcophagi here, divided into groups.

• Group 1 (Encounter Area 13): Humans (666 total)
• Group 2 (Encounter Area 14): Horses (180 total)
• Group 3 (Encounter Area 15): Dwarves (55 total)
• Group 4 (Encounter Area 16): Elves (54 total)
• Group 5 (Encounter Area 17): Halflings (45 total)

This room is guarded by the undead temple guardians, 10 Huecuva.  They will wait until the characters enter the room and attack them from all sides.

Huecuva

Armor Class: 3 [116]
Hit Dice: 2*** (9 hp)
Attacks: 2 claws or 1 weapon (1d6 x2 or 1d8), ability drain
THAC0: 18 [+2]
Movement: 90’ (30’)
Saving Throws: D11 W12 P13 B14 S15 SS14 (Cleric 2)
Morale: 12
Alignment: Chaotic
XP: 35
Number Appearing: 1 (0) (see below)
Treasure Type: C
Turn As: Wight (Type 5)

A huecuva is a Cleric who has been cursed to undeath for their faithlessness. It resembles a skeleton wrapped in old, tattered robes or rusting armor. Small points of red light can be seen in each of its empty eye sockets. A huecuva speaks and reads all the languages it knew in life.

 A huecuva is a cowardly combatant, preferring to set up traps and ambushes for potential interlopers. It will attack Clerics before anyone else. Those struck by the huecuva's claws must save vs. Poison or contract a terrible wasting disease. Each day the target takes 1d3 points of Constitution damage. Those reduced to 0 Constitution die, and rise as a zombie on the following day, under the control of the huecuva. A cure disease spell must be used to prevent death. 

Ability points lost due to a huecuva's disease return at a rate of 1 per day of complete rest. All huecuva can cast spells as a Cleric (level 1d4+1). However, these spells are always reversed.

A huecuva can only be harmed by silver or magical weapons. In addition, it takes 1d6 points of damage from the touch of a holy symbol. A huecuva can be Turned by a Cleric (as a wight), and like all undead are immune to sleep, charm, and hold spells.  

They are turned as Wights.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 11

 Past the tomb is a long hall leading deeper into the complex.  This hallway is filled with traps.

The hallway is 120' long, and there is a trap trigger every 5'.  Each trap, once triggered fires 1d4+2 darts.  They attack as a 5-HD monster. There are 24 total traps.  

Each dart has a paralytic poison. Save vs. Paralysis or fall into a paralyzed stupor. One round later the victim must save vs. Death or die.  If the first save is successful then the second save is not needed. 

A thief can find the traps easy enough. Each one they discover increases the chance of discovering the next one by 1% for the first 5 and then 5% per addition for each one after. 

The traps are not a serious threat once they are figured out. It is harder to deal with if the mummies from Room 10 are chasing the PCs.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 10

 This first tomb features the sarcophagi of eight of the Vampire Queen's lesser servants. 

Each of these sarcophagi contains the mummies of her dwarven servants. These were dwarves who betrayed their kinsmen to aid the Vampire Queen. She repaid their loyalty by sacrificing them and intering them here.

These mummies will attack any who enter, such is their anger even after death.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 9

 The PCs enter the foyer of the grand tomb. This area is 10 feet wide and 60 feet long.  In front of the party at the end of the 60 feet is a large set of double doors. There is no lock and no mechanism for turning to open the doors.  As the party approaches the door a voice can be heard and even though it is not loud it echoes throughout the darkness.

"From where does the Vampire Queen gather her true power?"

There are four floor-to-ceiling portraits of the Vampire Queen at various stages in her life. In front of each is a small brass brazier with a small hole in the bottom.  Examination will show there are blood stains on and around all the bowls. There is no way to see if one is bloodier than the others.

The four paintings are: 

1. The Vampire Queen when she was young and alive. It shows her making her deal with Akelarre.

2. The Vampire Queen at a little older making her deal with Orcus.

3. A portrait of the Vampire Queen alone.

4. The Vampire Queen at the front of a large army of demons and undead, a Death Knight at her side.

The correct answer is #3. The Vampire Queen relies only on herself. A character must cut themselves and bleed into the brazier in front of Portrait #3.

Doing so to any of the others will result in the release of a Bronze Golem fashioned to look like her companion in the portrait (Akelarre, Orcus or the Death Knight). 

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 8

 Going past the magical mirror, the party finds a huge pit in the ground.  This pit is 50' radius and descends into darkness.  There is no obvious way down.

The pit goes to a depth of 720' into a large cavern. That cave then opens up into an even larger cavern.

This large cavern has been carved into a building façade.  

This appears to be the entrance to the tomb proper. 

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 7

 Past the necrotic slime, the party comes to an opening leading to a single circular room some 50' in diameter.  The floor of the room is a reflective, mirror-like black stone. The far wall is dominated by a large blood-red mirror.

Once a character sees their own reflection in the mirror out comes a Fetch. 

A fetch is an undead reflection of the character. They have all the same abilities but appear as corpse versions of the characters. They fight as monsters with the same HD as the character's level, but only half their hit point total.

The mirrored floor has similar magic. When the fetch of the character is freed then a Shadow of the character also comes up from the floor. They are normal shadows, but neither they nor the fetches can be turned. 

Whatever weapons the characters have their Fetch and their Shadow will have similar ones. Both monsters use the opposite hand of the characters.  The Fetch appears as an undead version, the Shadow is a shadowed version.

Once both the Fetches and the Shadows are defeated they will crumble to nothing. No treasure. 

The mirror on the wall will likewise crumble and reveal a passageway beyond.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 6

 Once the doors to this tomb are open, the party will see a hallway with many alcoves. When the party enters the hall, green slime begins to pour in.

This slime looks like Green Slime and has many of the same properties, but this is Necrotic Slime. Instead of eating flesh, it eats "life."

Necrotic Slime

Armor Class: 10
Hit Dice: 12* (54 hp)
Attacks 1 × touch (consume life energy)
THAC0 8 [+11]
Movement 3’ (1’)
Saving Throws D6 W7 P8 B9 S10 (12)
Morale 12
Alignment Chaotic
XP 2,700
Number Appearing 1 (0)
Treasure Type None

The slimes can reach 5' with a pseudopod. If the Necrotic slime touches a character, it drains 1 level or 1 point of Con (GM's choice).  

They can be destroyed by fire and are immune to lightning attacks. 

There are four Necrotic Slimes here. 

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 5

 The passageway has a slight (5 degrees), which can easily be detected by a dwarf, gnome, or other subterranean species can easily detect. At the end of the mile, the characters have descended an additional 460 feet.

All along this passageway, the characters will encounter the ghosts of the servants she killed to ensure they would protect her. There are also thousands of bats flying hidden in the darkness above. 

At the end of this passageway, there is a large set of double doors. These doors are decorated with many bats.

The bats will speak once the characters approach. Their voices are high-pitched whispers, but there are so many that the volume is loud and seems to come from everywhere, echoing in the passageway. 

They ask, "What does the Queen desire?"

To open the doors, two characters must put their hands into the mouths of the only two bats with their mouths open.  Once they put their hands in, the bats will bite and draw blood. The characters will take 1d4 hp of damage.  This damage cannot be healed via magic, only through natural healing. If the characters leave this level then they can heal via magic, but not while here.

One they have their blood the doors open as thousands of bats fly out.

Monstorus Mondays: Saving Throw Clarifications

 Just a quick on today. Really busy.

I got an email over the weekend asking me to clarify some of my Saving Throw notations on my various monster stat blocks.

I can't say that I am surprised. I post a lot of monsters here for a variety of games, and sometimes I do hybrid stats without really thinking about them.

For example some of my recent demons I have posted for my Tomb of the Vampire Queen have OSE style saving throws, with the addition of another type of save, "SS."  In this case SS is "Single Save" and is the saving throw you roll if there is no other category that makes sense. These numbers are from Swords & Wizardry's saving throws.

Some recent examples:

• Labyrinthine Lurker
• Mezzalorn Demon (Wasp Demon)
• Mezu Demon (Yokai)

I hope that clears things up.

Deities & Demigods II Updates

Still working on the PDF. Hope to get it out to you all for Christmas. A reminder this is will be a free product.

I was visiting my parents for my Dad's 94th birthday and his and my mom's 55th wedding anniversary this past weekend. Had a great time see family. My mom had a stack of books for me and in it was this copy of Edith Hamilton's classical work "Mythology."  

This was not my original, I think my cover was black, but this the same book I had. I thought this might have been the book I remembered that had Greek and Norse myths as well as Beowulf, but this one only has Greek and Norse.  Still. Wonderful to have again.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 4

 Entering the mausoleum proper, there are statues of the chief servants of the Vampire Queen lining the walls.  An inspection by a magic-using class or using means to detect magic will reveal that these statues are in fact her former servants turned to stone.

If a character casts "Stone to Flesh" or similar magic the targeted statue/servant will return to life, but will gasp and die of old age. If they do enough of these (at least 3) they will learn that the Vampire Queen took her servants with her to her final death.

Ahead of the characters is a long hallway.  The hallway is long, 1 mile, and descends deep into this structure. There are arcane lights that flicker and glow every so many yards. There are shadows that flicker and dance in the corner of their eyes. These are the ghosts of the servants. They are powerless to attack the characters.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 3

 The party moves towards the only structure on this plane. The large mausoleum of the Vampire Queen.

The large double doors are trapped (normal rolls to remove) and double locked.

The entry way is guarded by two large iron golems. They attack any who enter the entry way.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 2

 The portal takes the party to large and mostly empty expanse. 

Everything is predominantly gray. The sky is dark and a lifeless moon hangs in the sky. The light is roughly twilight and there is no sun in the sky. 

On entering this plane all characters must make a saving throw vs. Death. Failing means they lose 1 point of Constitution and 1d6+2 hp of damage permanently.  A successful save means the loss is only 1d4+1 hp of damage, but this is permanent also.

There is a dark castle in the distance.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 12, Room 1

 As the party exits this layer following a grand flight of stairs they see a large glowing portal before them.

This portal will transport the characters to the Tomb of the Vampire Queen.