Contents
- 1Introduction–A Collection of Heists
- 2The Murkmire Malevolence
- 3The Stygian Gambit
- 4Reach for the Stars
- 5Prisoner 13
- 6Tockworth's Clockworks
- 7Masterpiece Imbroglio
- 8Axe from the Grave
- 9Vidorant's Vault
- 10Shard of the Accursed
- 11Heart of Ashes
- 12Affair on the Concordant Express
- 13Party at Paliset Hall
- 14Fire and Darkness
- 15Credits
Tockworth's Clockworks
An Adventure for 5th-Level Characters
The clockwork automatons that guard the svirfneblin town of Little Lockford have attacked the very residents they were meant to keep safe, forcing a town-wide evacuation. At the heart of the matter is Security Overseer Tixie Tockworth, a tinkerer who has turned malicious.
In this adventure, the characters must enter Little Lockford, recover a security key, and use it to activate a fail-safe device that shuts off the automatons.
[image: The svirfneblin town of Little Lockford holds many wonders—and many hidden dangers]
Adventure Background
The clockwork automatons that protect Little Lockford are the creations of a gnome tinkerer named Tixie Tockworth, who recently decided to become a mechanical being herself. She began with a series of procedures whereby she replaced parts of her body with machinery created in her workshop. At some point, Tockworth lost all compassion and empathy for her fellow townspeople. Her fellow tinkerers urged her to stop what she was doing, but she refused. When the militia tried to shut down her workshop, Tockworth unleashed her automatons on the citizens of Little Lockford, many of whom were killed. The survivors fled and regrouped outside the settlement in a nearby network of Underdark tunnels and caverns. The survivors then magically sealed the doors to Little Lockford to keep Tockworth's automatons from escaping.
Tockworth's painstaking transformation into a machine has occupied her for the past few weeks, during which time the other residents of Little Lockford have been searching for adventurers to help them reclaim their settlement.
Little Lockford's mayor, Braith Broadfoot, asks the adventurers to infiltrate the town and retrieve a security key last seen in Tockworth's possession. When used to activate a fail-safe device in Tockworth's workshop, the key permanently shuts down the automatons, rendering them harmless. How the characters deal with Tockworth is left up to them.
Using the Golden Vault
If you're using the Golden Vault as a patron, a golden key is delivered to the characters in whatever manner you deem fit. When the characters use this key to open their music box, the lid pops open and a soothing voice says the following:
Closing the music box causes the golden key to vanish.
Into the Underdark
Little Lockford is situated in the Underdark, but the tunnels leading to the settlement are well traveled and relatively easy to navigate. Stone signs illuminated by continual flame spells can be found at every junction, pointing the way to the settlement.
If you want to make the journey to Little Lockford more interesting, you can insert a random encounter or two as the characters make their way through dark tunnels. To determine what the characters encounter, roll on the Underdark Encounters table.
Underdark Encounters
| d12 | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 1 | Two grells drop on the characters from above. |
| 2 | The characters hear the clicks and clacks of three hook horrors several minutes before these predators appear and attack. |
| 3 | A galeb duhr reveals itself and tries to converse with the characters in Terran. The creature is bored and eager to strike up a conversation, if only to ask about the weather. |
| 4 | A black pudding oozes from a hole in the wall and attacks. |
| 5 | The characters find a Tiny clockwork device that was left behind by a svirfneblin miner. The device produces a miniature flame that can be used to light a candle, torch, or campfire. Using the device requires an action. |
| 6 | The characters enter a small cave containing a stone throne fit for a gnome. The throne, which looks like it was carved from a stalagmite, is a mimic that attacks anyone who sits on it. |
| 7–12 | A deep gnome named Nyx Riddlestone is on the lookout for adventurers heading to Little Lockford. Nyx speaks Common, Gnomish, Terran, and Undercommon. She greets the characters curtly and offers to escort them to Mayor Broadfoot without delay. |
Meeting the Mayor
Mayor Braith Broadfoot (neutral good, deep gnome commoner) speaks Common in addition to Gnomish, Terran, and Undercommon. She and her fellow gnome exiles are gathered in a cavern not too far from the front gates of the Little Lockford. If the characters say they've come to help, the mayor eagerly gives them an overview of the situation:
Mayor Broadfoot provides a hand-drawn map of the town (give your players a copy of map 5.1). In her haste, the flustered mayor has flip-flopped the locations of the infirmary (x) and the jail (x) on her map.
Mayor Broadfoot also tells the characters about some useful items hidden under her desk in the town hall (x). The characters are free to claim the items for themselves. If asked why the items were left behind, Mayor Broadfoot admits she forgot about them in her rush to evacuate Little Lockford. The items are as follows:
- Four potions of healing
- A packet of dust of disappearance
- Two flasks of alchemist's fire
[image: Map 5.1: Players' Map]
Planning the Heist
[image: Tixie Tockworth]
Armed with Mayor Broadfoot's map, the characters can begin planning their heist. If they do so in the company of Mayor Broadfoot and her advisers, these deep gnomes share the following useful information:
- Features. The gnomes can share the information in the "x" section. The "x" and "x" sections are especially important when it comes to planning the heist.
- Tockworth's Automatons. If the characters request more information about Tockworth's automatons, use the information in the "x" section to describe them.
- Tixie Tockworth. The trouble began when Tockworth began performing magical procedures on herself, replacing parts of her body with machine parts. Her fellow tinkerers urged her to stop these procedures, but she refused. The mayor ordered the militia to shut down Tockworth's workshop, but the militia was unable to get past the shield guardian stationed outside the workshop. After the militia was rebuffed, Tockworth instructed her automatons to attack everyone else in Little Lockford.
- Warehouse Contraption. Warehouse 6, in the Cavemouth district, contains a magical drilling machine big enough to hold two characters (see x for details). The svirfneblin have no clue what the characters might use it for, but it could come in handy.
Rewards
If the characters retrieve the security key and shut down Tockworth's automatons, Mayor Broadfoot promises to award the characters the following treasure:
- Ruby ring worth 5,000 gp
- Boots of striding and springing
- Driftglobe
- Stone of good luck
If the characters make the case that one or more of the magic items might help them accomplish their mission, Mayor Broadfoot agrees to give them one magic item as a down payment—though if the characters abandon the mission, she expects them to return the item.
Shown the Door
When the characters are ready to enter Little Lockford, they're led to the town's fortified entrance by Sergeant Yombad Cragknuckle (neutral good deep gnome), the highest ranked of the surviving militia members. Stern and scowling, he walks with a slight limp and has a heavily bandaged arm, both the result of injuries he sustained during the evacuation.
Sergeant Cragknuckle speaks Gnomish, Terran, and Undercommon, but not Common. If asked for advice on the mission, the sergeant offers the following information and guidance:
- Friendly Advice. The sergeant urges the characters to move quickly and quietly through the town, doing their best to avoid Tockworth's automatons.
- Avoid Cavemouth. The sergeant suggests the characters avoid the Cavemouth district due to the likely presence of monsters there. (Normally kept at bay by the clockwork automatons, monsters are likely to have ventured from their hidey-holes and into the streets. Gricks are a particular nuisance.)
- Healing Aids. The sergeant recalls that potions of healing and healer's kits can be found in the city infirmary in Turbine Heights.
Additionally, if the characters show Sergeant Cragknuckle the map of Little Lockford provided by Mayor Broadfoot, the sergeant points out that the map flip-flops the locations of the infirmary (x) and the jail (x).
Little Lockford Overview
Due to its strategic location and proximity to valuable resources, Little Lockford has been a consistent target of attack. As a result, the deep gnomes have fortified the town, which is described in greater detail below.
General Features
The town is situated in a vast cavern tinged red by the magma that flows through the channels that separate the various districts. By and large, the town is well maintained, with streets and buildings composed of gray stone bricks. Other noteworthy features are summarized in the sections that follow.
Bridges
Bridges made of wood and metal span the magma lake at various points, connecting the town's various districts to one another. Consoles in the power station (x) and the security center (x) enable these bridges to be raised or lowered, much like a modern-day drawbridge that spans a waterway.
To control the flow of traffic through town, Tockworth has raised the following bridges: the Old Lockford–Cavemouth bridge, the Cavemouth–Smoldertown bridge, one of the two Smoldertown–Turbine Heights bridges, and the two bridges leading to the Overlook from Old Lockford and Turbine Heights.
Buildings
Most of Little Lockford's buildings are single-story stone structures (about 12 feet high) with stone doors that are 5 feet high and 3 feet wide. Building interiors tend to be unlit (which is of little concern to deep gnomes, who have darkvision), and they contain furnishings sized for gnomes.
Little Lockford contains many buildings not described in the adventure. If the characters investigate one of these buildings, roll on the Buildings of Little Lockford table to determine what kind of building it is. Each building's occupants took everything of value before fleeing Little Lockford, leaving nothing of value for characters to find.
Buildings of Little Lockford
| d100 | Building Type |
|---|---|
| 01–25 | Residence, squalid (quarters for 4d6 gnomes) |
| 26–40 | Residence, modest (quarters for 2d6 gnomes) |
| 41–50 | Residence, wealthy (quarters for 1d6 gnomes) |
| 51–53 | Alchemist's workshop |
| 54–56 | Bakery |
| 57–58 | Bathhouse |
| 59–62 | Brewery |
| 63–64 | Cartographer's workshop |
| 65–66 | Cobbler's workshop |
| 67–69 | Empty building (with a for-sale sign on the door) |
| 70–72 | Fungi restaurant (with a menu by the door) |
| 73–76 | Gemcutter's workshop |
| 77–78 | Haberdashery |
| 79–82 | Jeweler's shop |
| 83–84 | Scribe's workshop |
| 85–88 | Smithy |
| 89–92 | Tavern |
| 93–96 | Tinker's workshop |
| 97–00 | Wizard's domicile |
District Elevations
While most districts sit 150 feet above the magma lake, two do not. The Overlook, built into a rock formation at the center of the cavern, sits 170 feet above the magma. Cavemouth is 120 feet above the magma.
Exterior Lighting
The roof and walls of Little Lockford are bathed in a fiery hue, thanks to the magma that fills the lake and heats the town. The town's power station (x) generates electricity that powers streetlamps in every district, although the streetlamps have gone out in Cavemouth. These lights can be switched on or off from control consoles in the power station and the security center (x).
Magma
Any creature that falls into Little Lockford's magma lake is likely to be killed instantly unless that creature is immune to fire damage. Any creature that enters the magma for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there takes 55 (10d10) fire damage.
Slagline
Suspended above the magma lake is a carousel-like chain of dangling steel buckets called the Slagline. The buckets are spaced 15 feet apart. Roughly half of them contain ore and uncut gems from the mines; the rest are empty and big enough to carry five Small creatures or two Medium creatures each.
The Slagline is automated so that the buckets move counterclockwise around the town. (Normally, ore and gems from the Cavemouth district are received at the foundry in the Smoldertown district for smelting and refining. The processed materials are then transported past Turbine Heights to Old Lockford, where they are sold by merchants and guild artisans.) The Slagline alternates between running for 1 minute and then pausing for 1 minute to allow time to load and unload its buckets. Whenever the Slagline stops, the buckets suspended above the magma bob and sway slightly—not so much that they spill their contents, however.
Creatures can safely climb into buckets at one of four loading stations (two in Cavemouth, one in Smoldertown, and one in Old Lockford) and ride the Slagline from one district to another.
Security Forces
Tockworth created two primary types of automatons to protect Little Lockford:
- Clockwork Defenders. Little Lockford has twenty clockwork defenders (see their description and stat block at the end of the adventure), not including ones that were destroyed during the town's evacuation or the damaged one in x.
- Clockwork Observers. Little Lockford has eight clockwork observers (see their description and stat block at the end of the adventure). The observers are tasked with monitoring the streets to ensure nothing has penetrated the city's defenses. If an observer detects intruders, it contacts Tockworth telepathically, letting her know where the intruders are. Tockworth then orders the observer to use its next action to emit a piercing shriek, which is loud enough to summon 1d4 clockwork defenders (see their description and stat block at the end of the adventure). These reinforcements arrive 2 rounds later. If the number of clockwork defenders summoned is greater than the number left in Little Lockford, adjust the number of reinforcements accordingly.
Other Constructs under Tockworth's control include two suits of animated armor (see x) and a shield guardian that lost its master and its control amulet. The shield guardian stands guard outside Tockworth's workshop (x).
Wandering Monsters
Each time one or more visible characters exit a building or enter a new district, roll a d6. On a roll of 1 or 2 (or just 1 if the characters are trying to be stealthy), they attract the attention of one or more wandering monsters determined by rolling another d6 and consulting the Wandering Monsters table. See "x" above for more information about how many clockwork defenders and clockwork observers are present in Little Lockford.
In the Cavemouth district, the monsters encountered have all crawled from the mines. The characters encounter Tockworth's automatons elsewhere.
Wandering Monsters
| d6 | Encounter in Cavemouth | Encounter Elsewhere |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 darkmantles following 1 grick | 3 clockwork defenders |
| 2–3 | 2 gricks | 2 clockwork defenders |
| 4–6 | 1 shambling mound made of fungi | 1 clockwork observer |
Little Lockford Locations
The following locations are marked on map 5.2.
Old Lockford (Areas L1–L2)
Old Lockford is the oldest part of the town. The cobblestones here have been worn smooth over the centuries, and the streetlamps are wrought in a more ornate style than those in the rest of Little Lockford. A few dead deep gnomes lie in the streets; most wear the weapons and armor of the militia.
L1: Entrance and Gatehouse
When the characters are ready to enter the town, read or paraphrase the following:
The outer gates lock automatically when they close. The two gnome mages on duty have prepared knock spells, which they use to circumvent the gates' complex locking mechanisms. It takes two knock spells to open the gates.
Sergeant Cragknuckle goes no farther. In Gnomish, he wishes the characters good luck, instructs them to knock on the gates seven times to signal that they're ready to exit, and assures them he will be here waiting for them. (If the characters don't speak his language, the sergeant raps his knuckles on the outer gates seven times to explain what they must do to signal for the gates to be opened.)
As soon as the characters enter the town, the gates lock behind them. True to his word, Sergeant Cragknuckle instructs the mages to open the gates if he hears someone on the other side knock on the gates seven times.
Gatehouse
A modest gatehouse stands inside the gates. Map 5.2 includes an inset map that shows the interior of the gatehouse, which the characters can use as a place to rest or regroup. The gatehouse contains sleeping quarters and an armory that was cleaned out during the evacuation.
L2: Town Hall
The town hall features a spacious chamber for large gatherings and has three small offices at the back.
Treasure
From Mayor Broadfoot's office, characters can retrieve four potions of healing, two flasks of alchemist's fire, and one use of dust of disappearance in a small packet. These items are kept in an unlocked footlocker under the mayor's desk. On the desk is a calligraphy set.
Halfway Isle (Area L3)
Halfway Isle used to be a giant stalagmite until the gnomes sheared off the top of it to create a plateau, atop which they built the Abbey of the Deep Brother (area L3). Bridges connect Halfway Isle to the neighboring districts of Old Lockford and Turbine Heights.
L3. Abbey of the Deep Brother
Map 5.2 includes an inset map that shows the interior of this building.
A character who examines the golden pick and succeeds on a DC 13 Intelligence (Religion) check recognizes it as the symbol of the Deep Brother, Callarduran Smoothhands, a god worshiped by svirfneblin (particularly miners and stone carvers).
Abbey Interior
A 4-foot-tall statue of Callarduran, his face and figure hidden under a cowled robe, stands in an alcove just inside the entrance. The statue's right hand is held out, displaying stone-carved rings on every stubby finger.
The largest room in the abbey, directly across from the entrance, serves as a place of worship. Low benches face the middle of the domed chamber, where every word spoken—even a whisper—can be heard throughout the space. Skulking in the dark corners of this room are two prisoners who escaped the custody of their guards as they were being led from the jail (x) during the evacuation of Little Lockford. The two prisoners—a goblin boss named Slonk and a bugbear named Yuzzik—have manacles on their wrists and carry no weapons. Slonk was the leader of a gang of goblin brigands that preyed on travelers in the tunnels near Little Lockford. Yuzzik is Slonk's sole surviving bodyguard. Both are unscrupulous and will do almost anything to survive, short of betraying each other.
Other rooms in the abbey include sleeping quarters for svirfneblin monks, a private chamber for the abbot, and a privy. A search of these areas yields nothing of value.
Abbot Kavoda
The abbot Kavoda tried to flee Little Lockford with his fellow monks, but he didn't get far before one of Tockworth's automatons chased him back to the abbey. Minutes after Kavoda returned to the abbey, Slonk and Yuzzik showed up. Kavoda avoided them by casting meld into stone. He has been using meld into stone spells to hide ever since. As the characters explore the abbey, Kavoda hears one of them and emerges from a nearby wall when he thinks it's safe to do so.
Kavoda is a chaotic good deep gnome who speaks Common, Gnomish, Terran, and Undercommon. His Innate Spellcasting trait includes the ability to cast meld into stone three times per day. He wears a gray robe instead of armor (AC 12) and carries a spell scroll of magic weapon and a potion of giant strength (hill).
Kavoda doesn't want to stay in Little Lockford any longer. Desperate and hungry, he begs the characters to escort him safely to Little Lockford's outer gates (x), offering his magic items if they accept the quest. He insists they deliver him to the gates by the most direct route without delay, and he protests loudly if they dawdle or deviate from this course of action. If he is separated from the characters or wounded, Kavoda runs back to the abbey, crying "Callarduran, protect me!" all the way.
Turbine Heights (Areas L4–L6)
Turbine Heights is where members of the militia and their families lived. This district also contains a power station and an infirmary.
When the characters first arrive at Turbine Heights, read the following text:
The electrically charged metal tower is attached to the roof of the power station (x). Due to a backup at the station, steam has overflowed into the streets of Turbine Heights. Consequently, the district is lightly obscured, as if by fog. A gust of wind spell rids a street of steam for 1 minute.
L4. Infirmary
Beyond the double door is a long, dark hallway with three small examination rooms on one side of it and three small storage rooms on the opposite side (see "Treasure" below). At the far end of the hall, behind another double door, is an operating room. Characters who search the infirmary thoroughly can find crutches and wheelchairs sized for gnomes, as well as bandages and other mundane medical supplies.
Treasure
Characters who loot the storage rooms find six healer's kits and six potions of healing.
L5: Jail
The dead gnomes lying in the street are prison guards who were killed by Tockworth's automatons. The guards managed to destroy one of the clockwork defenders that attacked them, but the prisoners they were escorting slipped away (and ended up in x). Characters who search the corpses find a small ring of keys. These keys unlock all the cells in the jail.
Building Interior
Map 5.2 includes inset maps that show both floors of this two-story building. The lower floor contains a kitchen and mess hall for the jailers and an office reserved for the head jailer. A spiral staircase connects to the upper level, which contains prison cells.
L6: Power Station
The power station generates electricity that powers the bridges, the Slagline (see "x" earlier in the adventure), and various workshops scattered throughout the town. The electricity is transmitted through arc towers like the one rising from the power station's roof.
Building Interior
Map 5.2 includes an inset map that shows the power station's interior, which you can describe as follows:
Damaged Turbine
A power station worker was cornered by a clockwork defender at the north end of the balcony and shoved the automaton off the balcony into the northwest turbine. One of the clockwork defender's hind legs became stuck in the turbine, causing the turbine to malfunction. Characters within 10 feet of the northwest turbine can see the damaged clockwork defender, which has 24 hit points remaining. This defender is restrained and unable to free itself, but it can attack creatures that come within reach of it.
Once the clockwork defender is defeated, a character can use an action to try to dislodge it from the turbine, doing so with a successful DC 17 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. Removing the clockwork defender's mangled leg from the turbine's machinery causes the power station to stop spewing steam, with the steam throughout Turbine Heights dissipating 1d10 minutes later.
Control Console
The metal console overlooking the turbines is inscribed with a map of the town. Next to this map are several switches: one for every bridge and district, one for the Slagline (see "x"), and one for the power station. All are described below:
- Bridge Switches. There's one switch for each of Little Lockford's nine bridges. A bridge can be raised by turning its switch to the left or lowered by turning its switch to the right.
- District Switches. There's one switch for each of Little Lockford's six districts (Cavemouth, Halfway Isle, Old Lockford, the Overlook, Smoldertown, and Turbine Heights). The streetlamps in a district can be shut off by turning that district's switch to the left or switched on by turning its switch to the right.
- Slagline Switch. There's one switch for the Slagline. Turning it to the left shuts off the bucket chain. Turning it to the right switches the bucket chain on.
- Station Shutdown Switch. Turning this switch to the left shuts down the turbines in the power station, causing the streetlamps to turn off throughout town, shutting down the Slagline, and preventing the town's bridges from being raised or lowered. Turning it to the right switches the power back on.
Smoldertown (Areas L7–L9)
When the characters first enter this district, describe it as follows:
Smoldertown, with its many workshops and smithies, is the industrial heart of Little Lockford. Tockworth's workshop (x) is located here, but Tockworth herself is taking a break at the Motherlode Tavern (area L8).
L7: Foundry
Map 5.2 includes an inset map that shows the foundry's interior, which is one large, open space. The building has no ceiling, allowing heat and smoke to escape. Ore from the Slagline's buckets can be dumped via chute into any of the foundry's five large furnaces.
Treasure
Characters who loot the foundry find three sets of smith's tools and two sets of tinker's tools.
L8: Motherlode Tavern
Map 5.2 includes an inset map that shows the tavern's interior, which consists of a cellar and a taproom.
Cellar
The cellar contains crates of worthless supplies, several kegs of a locally brewed mushroom beer called Rubbleclub Classic (named for its brewer, the svirfneblin Glyphy Rubbleclub), and several more kegs of an oaky whiskey called Oofenklanger's Finest (named after the family that originally distilled it).
Taproom
The taproom contains seating areas, including a row of stools next to a low bar made of carved basalt. Hanging above the bar are two soot-stained lanterns with continual flame spells cast inside them. Half-drunk flagons of flat mushroom beer rest on the bar and on the tables, abandoned by patrons in their haste to evacuate Little Lockford.
Tixie Tockworth
Unless she was defeated elsewhere, Tixie Tockworth (see her description and stat block at the end of the adventure) sits on the barstool farthest from the entrance, cradling an empty flagon while mumbling to herself.
The presence of intruders confuses, disturbs, and annoys Tockworth. If she is confronted by the characters here or if the alarm spell triggers on the safe in x, she casts dimension door and steps through the spell's magical doorway into area L9b. As she leaves, she says, "Break time's over, Poots!" (The characters have no way to know this, but Poots is the name of an imaginary friend Tockworth invented in her childhood. This long-lost imaginary friend has resurfaced recently in response to Tockworth's mounting loneliness.)
L9: Tockworth's Workshop
Shield Guardian
The construct blocking passage into Tockworth's workshop is a shield guardian that lacks the Spell Storing trait. Its creator and control amulet were destroyed long ago. Tockworth found a way to reanimate the shield guardian without having to create a new amulet, rendering the shield guardian autonomous. The shield guardian has been loyal to Tockworth ever since. It defends itself if attacked and attacks anyone who tries to slip past it. It is too big to fit through the workshop's front door.
Workshop Interior
Map 5.2 includes inset maps that show both floors of Tockworth's workshop, which are described in areas x and x.
[image: Animated suits of armor do much of the assembly work in Tockworth's workshop]
L9a: Workshop, Lower Floor
This workshop is where Tockworth creates her clockwork automatons. Two suits of animated armor named Rack and Pinion serve as her assistants and perform most of the hands-on work. These Constructs attack intruders on sight.
The workshop contains a smelter used to fabricate parts and tools. There are enough tools here to assemble one set of smith's tools and one set of tinker's tools.
The trapdoor in the ceiling opens into area L9b.
Geometric Design
A detect magic spell reveals an aura of abjuration magic around the complex geometric symbol inscribed on the floor. When a creature other than Tockworth enters the space above the symbol for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, that creature becomes the target of a crown of madness spell (save DC 15) that has a duration of 1 minute.
Fail-Safe Device
If Tockworth's security key is inserted into the metal box embedded in the floor and turned counterclockwise, Little Lockford's clockwork defenders and clockwork observers are rendered unconscious indefinitely. Turning the key clockwise deactivates the magic of the geometric design on the floor and ends any ongoing effects of its magic. The security key is kept in Tockworth's safe (in area L9b).
L9b: Workshop, Upper Floor
Safe
The safe can't be moved, and a detect magic spell reveals an aura of abjuration magic around it.
A character equipped with thieves' tools can spend 1 minute trying to crack open the safe door, doing so with a successful DC 20 Dexterity check. Alternatively, a character can spend 1 minute pressing their ear to the safe's door while trying to delicately pick its combination lock, opening the door with a successful DC 16 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) or Wisdom (Perception) check. The safe door also opens when the proper command word ("Poots") is spoken within 5 feet of it. A knock spell or similar magic also opens the safe.
Tixie Tockworth
If the safe door is opened by any means other than speaking the proper command word, a mental alarm spell alerts Tixie Tockworth (see her description and stat block at the end of the adventure). Unless she was defeated in x, Tockworth uses a dimension door spell to appear in the middle of the room and attacks any burglars she sees.
If Tockworth is reduced to 40 hit points or fewer, she uses her next action to cast dimension door again, then steps through the doorway into x.
Treasure
The safe contains an onyx-studded jewelry box worth 250 gp. The box is unlocked and holds the following items:
- Zircon ring (60 gp)
- Three amethysts (100 gp each)
- The security key to the fail-safe device in x (the key is 8 inches long, made of brass, and decorated with clockwork designs)
Cavemouth (Areas L10–L11)
When the characters first enter Cavemouth, read the following text:
The Cavemouth district is where most of Little Lockford's miners live and work. Two roads lead to the mines, which are not shown on map 5.2.
The bridges to Cavemouth have been raised, and the streetlamps throughout the district have been shut off. The characters can lower the bridges and turn on the streetlamps using a control console in x or x.
Mines
The mine entrances, once protected by Tockworth's automatons, are now unguarded. The mines are beyond the scope of the adventure. If the characters insist on exploring them, they eventually attract the attention of a wandering cloaker that tries to frighten them away with haunting moans.
L10: Miners' Guildhall
The miners' guildhall has offices for senior guild members, stout metal lockers where miners can store their gear, and functional showers. Most of the building's former occupants vacated in a hurry, leaving sundry equipment scattered about.
Guildmaster Deepdelve
A thorough search of the building reveals the corpse of a robed deep gnome named Schnella Deepdelve, the master of the town's miners' guild. Schnella refused to leave and died fending off Tockworth's clockwork defenders. Her restless soul lurks in this building, manifesting as a troublesome specter known as a poltergeist (see the "Variant: Poltergeist" sidebar in the "Specter" entry of the Monster Manual).
Characters who disturb the body or spend more than 1 minute in the guildhall anger the poltergeist, which hurls picks and iron spikes at them until they leave or until the poltergeist is destroyed. The poltergeist is invisible and can't speak.
L11: Warehouse 6
If the characters slide open the doors, read:
The dead gnomes are two mimics that attack anyone who touches or otherwise disturbs them. The mimics are working with a psychic gray ooze (see the "Variant: Psychic Gray Ooze" sidebar in the "Oozes" entry of the Monster Manual)—the "puddle of oil" mentioned above. The gray ooze and the mimics recently crept into the warehouse and are waiting for food to come to them.
Contraption
The vehicle in the warehouse is a Large, magical drilling machine used by the miners of Little Lockford to burrow new tunnels. The vehicle has the properties of an apparatus of Kwalish, with these changes:
- Treads. Instead of legs and a tail, it has treads that give it a walking speed of 30 feet.
- Burrowing Speed. Instead of a swimming speed, it has a burrowing speed of 10 feet. Using its drill, it can burrow through solid rock, leaving a 10-foot-wide, 10-foot-high tunnel behind it.
- Lever 1. Moving lever 1 to the up position starts the drill. Moving the same lever to the down position shuts off the drill.
- Lever 9. Moving lever 9 to the up position causes the contraption to move backward at its walking speed. Moving the same lever to the down position stops its backward movement.
Ignus Flint
An inventor named Ignus Flint (lawful neutral, deep gnome mage who speaks Common, Gnomish, Terran, and Undercommon) built the contraption and recently locked himself inside it with enough food and water to keep himself alive for 1 week. A metal hatch at the back of the vehicle is the only entrance, and Ignus used a spell scroll of arcane lock to seal it. A character can use an action to try to pull open the magically sealed hatch, doing so with a successful DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check. If the characters knock on the contraption, they hear Ignus's muffled voice shout, "Go away!" in Gnomish. Ignus attacks anyone who breaks into his contraption but surrenders if reduced to 10 hit points or fewer.
Ignus and Tockworth are rivals, and Ignus long suspected Tockworth's experiments would prove troublesome for Little Lockford. His public warnings about Tockworth went ignored, however. A character can use an action to try to convince Ignus to help them, first by impressing on him the importance of freeing Little Lockford from Tockworth's control and then by succeeding on a DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) check. Once coaxed into helping the characters, Ignus pilots his contraption anywhere they need him to go. The vehicle has enough space inside for Ignus plus one other passenger. If a character asks Ignus to allow the party to drive the contraption, he adamantly refuses to part with his prized invention.
Questioning Ignus
Ignus knows the following useful information about Tockworth and her workshop, which he shares with characters who befriend him:
- Animated Armor. Two suits of animated armor help Tockworth assemble her other contraptions.
- Safe. Tockworth has an iron safe on the upper floor of her workshop.
- Shield Guardian. Tockworth found a way to animate a derelict shield guardian and now uses it to guard the front door to her workshop. The guardian is too big to fit through the door. (Ignus covets the shield guardian and wishes he had one of his own.)
- Who Is Poots?. When Tockworth is upset, she speaks to an imaginary friend named Poots—as if Poots were standing right next to her. (Ignus doesn't know that "Poots" is also the command word to bypass the alarm spell on Tockworth's safe.)
The Overlook (Area L12)
When the characters are close enough to see the Overlook, describe it as follows:
The Overlook's clocks are mechanical wonders illuminated by magic. They keep perfect time.
A hollowed-out central chamber in the Overlook contains Little Lockford's security center (area L12). This facility is surrounded by rough-hewn chambers containing magnificent fungi gardens and open windows overlooking the town. Residents of Little Lockford used to come here to wander the gardens, pick mushrooms, and enjoy the views.
Characters can use the control consoles in areas x and x to raise and lower the bridges that connect the Overlook to the districts of Old Lockford, Smoldertown, and Turbine Heights.
L12: Security Center
The cavern is home to six giant lizards and hundreds of ordinary lizards, all of which are docile but skittish. The giant ones are trained to serve the svirfneblin as pack animals. A character who approaches a giant lizard can use an action to try to keep it from running away, doing so with a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. A giant lizard that doesn't run away can be used by that character as a mount.
Domed Building
Map 5.2 provides an inset map of the security center. Spiral staircases on the north and south sides of the building climb 15 feet to a circular chamber, which you can describe to the players as follows:
Control Console
The console functions like the one in the power station (x).
Magical Projection
The projection of Little Lockford is a harmless illusion that changes to match the current state of things in town; for example, if a bridge is lowered in Little Lockford, the projection's version of the bridge lowers as well. The projection has no substance, allowing creatures to pass right through it.
Tixie Tockworth
If she fled to this chamber using dimension door, Tixie Tockworth (see her description and stat block at the end of the adventure) is next to the console. She has attached an experimental jet pack to her body, giving her a flying speed of 30 feet and the ability to hover. She accuses the characters of being pawns and mocks their heroics. She occasionally speaks to an imaginary friend named Poots, saying things like, "We'll show them, Poots!" and "No one can stop us!"
If Tockworth is reduced to 0 hit points, her jet pack explodes in a 20-foot-radius sphere, blowing Tockworth to smithereens. Every other creature within that sphere must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 16 (3d10) piercing damage from flying shrapnel. If the explosion occurs under the crystal dome, the dome shatters, showering creatures in the room with harmless, confetti-sized quartz particles.
Conclusion
Once the characters use the security key to activate the fail-safe device and shut down Tockworth's automatons, the major threat to the city is ended.
Little Lockford's residents feel a mixture of grief and relief when they return to the town. They are grateful to the characters for saving the town and raise statues in the characters' honor. Furthermore, Mayor Broadfoot gives the characters their promised rewards (see "x" earlier in the adventure), and invites the characters to stay in Little Lockford as long as they wish and return as often as they can.
For the Golden Vault
If the characters are working for the Golden Vault, the organization's representative is waiting with Mayor Broadfoot to confirm the automatons were shut down. Once the representative confirms the characters' success, the organization rewards them with a rare magic item of their choice (subject to your approval) as payment. The item is delivered to the characters the next day. This reward is in addition to the treasures promised by Mayor Broadfoot.
Stat Blocks
This section provides stat blocks for new creatures encountered in this adventure.