Tales from the Yawning Portal: Tomb of Horrors

Ceiling Trap

If the ceiling is prodded with any force, or if the doors are opened, the ceiling of the tunnel collapses. Creatures under the collapse must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 27 (5d10) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The trap mechanism is beyond the doors and inside the ceiling, so it can't be disabled from outside.

Sliding Block Trap

If the paving stones shift when someone moves across them, a 10-foot-thick block of stone emerges from the midpoint of the eastern wall and begins to slide into the corridor. Have the players roll initiative. On each initiative count, the block slides 6 inches to the west, until at initiative count 1, it completely blocks the corridor. The block's movement can be stopped by using an iron bar or a similarly sturdy normal object, but only if the object is placed on the floor where it can be wedged into the space between the block and the floor. If the block moves far enough to prevent the characters from escaping, they have to devise a means to bypass it. It can't be moved or forced backward.

The doors at the end of the passage are false ones.

Message from Acererak

If the path of red tiles on the floor is carefully observed and studied all the way from the entrance to where the path forks toward areas 5 and 6, the individual with such perseverance will be rewarded by suddenly understanding that a message is contained in barely noticeable runes in the mosaic floor.

The message reads:

Poison Needle Trap

If the chest is examined closely, the viewer will note that it is hinged on the bottom so as to allow the lid to swing down if a catch on the top is pressed. The catch has an easily seen poison needle trap—the needle sticks 3 inches out of the wall—and the needle can be avoided easily by pressing the catch with the pommel of a dagger. Disabling the trap by taking the needle out of the mechanism requires the use of thieves' tools and a successful DC 10 Dexterity check.

The needle deals 1 piercing damage and 11 (2d10) poison damage if it hits someone. Someone who takes this poison damage must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 hour.

Deep Covered Pit

If the chest is opened, it appears to be empty, but a character who actually feels inside the chest will find a rod that protrudes vertically from the bottom. This lever moves easily, and if it is pulled with any force it will open a trapdoor in this square that covers a 30-foot-deep covered pit (see the sidebar). Someone who falls in takes damage from a 30-foot fall as well as from the spikes and the poison.

The trapdoor over this pit is 3 feet thick and can't be detected by sounding, and it is technically not a trap, so a find traps spell doesn't reveal it. A true seeing spell reveals a tiny rectangular gap where the door meets the floor. Once the trapdoor falls away, the pit remains open thereafter.

Aura

The devil face radiates an aura of transmutation magic if detect magic is used on it, and a casting of detect evil and good or a paladin's use of Divine Sense reveals it as a desecrated place.

Mouth Trap

The mouth opening is similar to a sphere of annihilation, but it is about 3 feet in diameter—plenty of room for those who wish to leap in and be completely and forever destroyed. A character who examines the mouth and succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check identifies the trap for what it is.

Levers

The iron levers can be moved horizontally or vertically, singly or in combination. Only the act of moving all three together upward or downward has any results. Moving them up opens a small trapdoor in the center of the ceiling 10 feet above. Pushing them simultaneously down opens the entire floor to a 100-foot-deep pit with no exit. The floor returns to a closed position in 10 minutes, sealing any victim inside the pit until another creature triggers the floor trap again.

Crawl Space

The ceiling route is a crawl space some 3 feet square. At the place it turns east there is a plug in the ceiling, which can be detected only with magic or if a character has sense enough to check for secret doors. A character who succeeds on a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check can find the door. Also, anyone who raps or sounds on the ceiling in the door's area hears it is hollow, indicating a space beyond. Eventually the small tunnel leads to a magical one-way door, which opens in the pit side as shown, and players are back to square one.

Creature

A mutated, four-armed gargoyle attacks anyone who enters its lair. This creature uses Multiattack to make three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.

Treasure

Around the creature's neck is a collar studded with ten gleaming gems (blue quartz stones of 100 gp value each).

Hidden in a secret compartment of the collar is a slip of parchment with the following written on it in magical code (requiring comprehend languages to understand): "Look low and high for gold, to hear a tale untold. Take the archway at the end, and on your way you'll wend." Beneath the runes, the initial "A" is inscribed.

Bolts from Above

Each round that characters are in any of the rooms inside the complex of secret doors, a number of bolts will be fired into the area from hidden devices in the walls and ceilings, and there is a 50 percent chance that one character, randomly determined, in each such area must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take 5 (1d10) piercing damage. There is no way to prevent the bolts from being triggered.

Magic Archway

On the south wall is a stone archway similar in appearance to area 5, also filled with cloudy vapors that block vision or detection of what lies beyond. When a character moves to within 3 feet of the arch, read:

No matter how the stones are manipulated, the archway remains clouded and veiled with a haze which nothing can enable the onlookers to see through. All living matter which goes through the arch will be teleported to area 3, while nonliving matter is teleported simultaneously to area 33—meaning that characters stepping through will appear at the start totally nude, while everything else with them will go to the crypt of the demilich. (Cruel, but most entertaining for the DM.)

Ten Gems for One

A close look at the open and outstretched hands of the statue will determine that a large gem (a 100 gp blue quartz fits perfectly) will fit in a carved depression in each of the three remaining hands, while the broken one has no such concavity. If three large gems of any sort are placed within the hands, the stony digits will close and crush them to powder, dump the remains on the floor, and return to their normal positions.

If this process is repeated until ten gems (or more) are crushed, a magic mouth spell is triggered and speaks the following words: "Your sacrifice was not in vain. Look to the fourth to find your gain."

As these words are uttered, an invisible gem of seeing will come into being in the palm of the broken-off arm. The gem must be found, and the character so doing will need to wipe it free of a magical substance before it can be seen or used. Note that if the arm is carelessly moved, the gem will fall out and roll away. See invisibility or any other sort of searching except by careful feeling will be useless. Describe the gem, once it is wiped clean and visible, as an oval diamond, with two flat and polished sides, very clear, and about 1 inch in diameter by a quarter-inch thick. It will operate only twelve times, then shatter.

Gold

Opening the gold chest releases a swarm of poisonous snakes that slither out and attack next round. They continue biting until all are killed.

Silver

Inside the silver chest is a clear crystal box (worth 1,000 gp) that holds a ring of protection. Someone who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check while examining the box and the chest notices the box is set into the chest bottom. When this box is lifted from the supposed bottom of the chest, eight darts will fire upward, and the one or two characters leaning over the chest so as to be in the line of fire will take 1d4 attacks each if they are exposed to the path of these missiles. The darts have a range of 60 feet, a +11 bonus to hit, and deal 3 (1d6) damage on a hit. The trap mechanism is under the crystal box and can't be disabled without first removing the box.

Oak

When the lid of the oak chest is opened, an animated giant skeleton (see appendix B) will be instantly teleported into the room, and it strikes with surprise.

Aura

A casting of detect evil and good or a paladin's use of Divine Sense identifies the chapel as a consecrated place. (What a puzzle! Could the demilich actually have been of good alignment?)

Pews

Simple examination indicates that all of the benches have hinged seats. If a character examines either of the pews in the front row before opening the lid, a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals that the hinges on this pew are larger than the ones on the pews in the other rows.

Gas Trap

The hinges on the front pews are larger and stronger because they include rods that are connected to valves inside the pew. If the seat on either of the front pews is lifted up, a cloud of poison gas fills the whole room in 2 rounds. A character caught in the gas must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 48 hours.

If the hinges are noticed and then disassembled, requiring 1 minute and a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools for each hinge, the trap can't trigger. A failed check results in no progress at the task, but if the check fails by 5 or more, the trap goes off explosively, blowing the lid open.

Treasure

The back pair of pews have 4,000 sp each hidden therein, the next pair have 3,000 ep each, and the pair closest to the trapped pews have 2,000 gp each.

Altar

The centerpiece of the chapel is a block of strange material that glows with an inner light of opalescent blue. (If the altar is specifically targeted by a detect evil and good spell, it registers very faintly as a desecrated object.) If the altar is touched by living matter, a lightning bolt spell (save DC 15) will streak down the center aisle. After this bolt comes forth, the altar turns a fiery blue-red, and if it thereafter is touched by any object it will explode as a fireball spell (save DC 15).

Archway

Just as in other locations around the tomb, the mists that obscure the archway can't be penetrated with any sort of vision or magic. (If a character moves close to the archway and asks about it, explain that none of the stones of the arch glow.) The skeleton, of course, misleads the party, for any character passing through the portal will enter a 10-foot-by-10-foot room where their sex and alignment are reversed by a powerful magic. Exiting the room and reentering the archway will restore original alignment, but also deals 3 (1d6) psychic damage. Going back a third time will reverse sex again, but the individual will be teleported in the manner of the archway in area 10. Only a wish spell will restore both alignment and sex. If alignment is restored by entering the orange portal, a remove curse or greater restoration spell will then restore original sex.

Wall Slot

A character who inspects the eastern wall directly opposite the archway and succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check finds a small slot with the letter O faintly traced above it. This is the location of a moving stone block described below. The block can't be magically detected, nor will it open by physical or magical means other than the method given in area 15.

Doors and Pits

Beyond the gate stone, the corridor widens to 10 feet and turns southward where steps lead down steeply to a corridor that goes west. Each of the three doors in the corridor opens easily if any pushing force is applied to it, and a creature that does so stumbles into the pit on the other side unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. If a door isn't violently pushed against, it can be opened safely by pulling it inward, and the party will have standard chances of falling in when the characters leading the way step on the pit cover.

By the time the westernmost door and pit have been reached, the characters will certainly expect the pit, and will be likely to bypass and ignore it. This carelessness would prevent them from examining the pit from within. On the south wall of the pit is a wooden door painted to look like stone, which is easily discovered by anyone who looks at this wall while inside the pit or who makes a tactile investigation of the wall from outside the pit.

Crawl Space

Beyond the painted door is a narrow passage that emerges at the top of a short flight of stairs leading down.

Aura

The door is found to radiate an aura of abjuration magic if a detect magic spell is cast upon it.

Sounds from Beyond

A character who listens with an ear to the door will hear far-off music and happy singing, obviously coming from the other side of the door.

No amount of forcing or spells will open the door. The only way to continue northward is to use a disintegrate spell on the door or physically destroy it (it has 100 hit points).

If the characters destroy the door, read:

The destruction of the door triggered a minor illusion spell that produced the noises of distress, which are designed to lure the characters onward.

The tunnel floor is a counterweighted beam. Its overbalancing point is the third square north of the door. When one or more characters move there, the floor beyond the door will begin to tilt downward, with the north end slowly sinking. If this occurs, quickly state how the floor is beginning to slant, and have the characters roll initiative. On initiative count 10, all characters north of the door fall prone and slide 10 feet to the north.

A character can attempt to scramble back up the ramp to the south by making a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check, or two successful checks if using the Dash action. Those who succeed still slide 10 feet north on initiative count 10 in each round, but they can also climb upward according to the normal rules for doing so. A character whose check fails by 5 or more slides an extra 5 feet to the north. Those who slide to the fourth square north of the door take 3 (1d6) fire damage, then 11 (2d10) fire damage in the fifth square. Characters who slide farther than that are plunged into a pit of molten lava which will absolutely snuff them out.

Creature

The false crypt is the home of a false lich that is actually a magically prepared greater zombie (see appendix B). Between strikes the creature will gesture with its hands as if readying a spell. If it is struck by the golden mace it will make a roaring bellow (produced by a magic mouth spell), and the weapon will obviously stagger it (roll dice and shake your head ruefully) every time the mace is used. The third time it is struck by the glowing mace, the false lich will instantly wither and disappear in a puff of dust, and the mace will shatter.

If the characters investigate the room's contents, they can see a jade coffer, the dead monster's fallen crown, and a fine leather bag (its condition is a give-away—it isn't rotten) all within easy reach. The furnishings and decorations are of no value.

Collapse

At the moment when the false lich disappears, the room will start to shake and stones will begin to come down from the ceiling. Obviously the place is beginning to collapse, but take your time detailing the increasing rumblings, tremors, grinding noises, falling hunks of ceiling, and so forth to the players.

Now begin counting slowly to 10, and it is odds on that there will be a stampede up the stairs to get away! A programmed illusion spell affecting the entire false crypt will produce the full effects of a cave-in, complete with tactile components. Actual dust will billow up the stairs, while bits of stone begin to fall in the east–west tunnel and then in the north–south tunnel and the stairs reached from the pit. If the party runs out, ask them if they thought it was too hard a dungeon.

Treasure

The jade coffer is worth 5,000 gp and contains six potions of healing. The crown is set with gems and worth 25,000 gp. (The gold that makes up the couch is worth 50,000 gp, but it can't be moved or damaged.) The small sack holds 278 pp, twenty-nine gems worth 10 gp each, seven spell scrolls (all of 1st- and 2nd-level wizard spells), and a map showing a location several hundred miles away that supposedly has a rich treasure (it is a fake, naturally).

False Ending

If this outcome doesn't make the players suspicious enough to take another run through to check things out, put the adventure away for use when you have a different group (or the same ones) inquiring about one of the references in the "Legend of the Tomb." Note that something so simple as a commune spell will reveal that the demilich has not been destroyed.

Vats

In the south part of the room are three vats of about 7 feet in diameter and 4 feet in depth that contain murky liquids. The vats are affixed to the floor and too heavy to move. The western one holds only dirty water.

The middle vat contains a slow-acting acid which will deal 3 (1d6) acid damage on the round after a creature's flesh comes into substantial contact with it (by immersing an arm, being splashed on, and so forth)—minor contact (dipping a finger) will cause only a mild itch. At the bottom of this vat is one-half of a golden key.

The eastern vat contains a grayish substance that is actually an ochre jelly that sits atop the other half of the golden key.

Treasure

The key parts are magical and will not be harmed by anything. If the parts are joined together they form one solid key, hereafter called the First Key. Because the acid will harm even magic weapons, the players will have to figure some way to neutralize or drain off the contents of the second vat to acquire the key, as a reach-in-and-grope-for-it technique has only a 1 percent cumulative chance per round of being successful.

Spike Trap

The characters might deduce that the pit can be crossed by climbing down and walking across the bottom, then climbing up the other side. Simple! Wrong—any footstep upon the last 5 feet (east portion) of the pit presses a pressure plate, causing a volley of spikes to discharge upward. If the plate is triggered, each person in the pit or leaning over its edge is likely to be struck by the spikes, which have a +11 bonus to hit and deal 11 (2d10) piercing damage. New spikes will come up out of the floor every time if the plate is pressed more than once.

A character who succeeds on a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check discovers the pressure plate. It can then be wedged shut by a character who is adjacent to the plate and succeeds on a DC 20 Dexterity check while using thieves' tools. On a failed check, it's apparent that the block didn't work—unless the check fails by 5 or more, in which case the job seems solid but fails when someone walks on the plate.

Heaving Floor

The weight of the characters upon the balanced floor of this room sets a mechanism into motion. Each round they remain in the place, on initiative count 0, roll a die. An odd-numbered result means that the floor of the room will jump and buck up and down violently. When the floor does so, each creature in the room must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone and take 1 bludgeoning damage from abrasions and contusions.

Tapestries

The wall hangings, which depict weed-grown rocks and green and golden tan scenes of undersea life, are special, antimagic-treated creations made of green slime and brown mold (see "Dungeon Hazards" in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide).

If either tapestry is torn down, it instantly turns into green slime and covers a 20-foot-long, 10-foot-wide area of floor when it falls. Note that the tapestries can be handled normally without risk, just not yanked so as to tear them (and they are well affixed at the top); if any character is holding one when the room becomes agitated, however, it is 75 percent probable that the jerking motion will tear the thing.

If these hangings are subjected to burning, they instantly turn to brown mold that covers the same area.

The secret door behind the tapestry on the west wall requires the tapestry to be removed, but thereafter can be found as easily as the entry door.

Treasure

The trunks are empty, but the smaller coffers hold various items. Roll a d6 each time one is opened. On a roll of 1–3, the coffer contains 1d3 poisonous snakes. On a roll of 4–5, 8d10 pp are found. On a roll of 6, the coffer holds 2d4 gems (worth 10 gp each).

Creature

At the center of the cavern is a small grotto in which dwells the fey being Siren (see appendix B). As a private joke, Acererak placed her in this cavern under an enchantment. She must be asked to come out of the chamber in order to break the spell, and she can give no clues as to the nature of her durance. If the characters come close enough, they can see that two sacks, a large one and a small one, are lying on the floor next to her.

Siren will converse in a friendly fashion, asking how characters are and if they find the going hard in the tomb. Because of the enchantment, she will answer any direct questions with an evasive reply: "I cannot say," "That is unknown to me," "Possibly," and so forth unless she is freed. She knows nothing of the tomb in any event.

If the characters ask her to come with them and are kind, she will do so and stay with them through the rest of the adventure.

Treasure

Both of Siren's sacks contain treasure, but it isn't possible to acquire more than one of hem—and in fact both of the sacks will disappear if she is asked to accompany the party. If a character touches one of the sacks before she is asked to come along, she and the other sack immediately disappear.

The large sack contains 50 pieces each of copper, silver, electrum, gold and platinum. It appears to be a normal sack, but it has a magical aura if it is checked, for it is a bag of holding.

To determine the contents of the small sack, roll a d10:

It isn't possible to gain both the large and the small sacks by any means. If a character or characters state they will grab them simultaneously, roll dice to see which sack is touched a fraction of a second sooner. The other disappears—along with Siren—forever.

Secret Trapdoor

On the other side of the secret door is a secret trapdoor in the floor of the corridor, requiring a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check to find. The trapdoor opens onto a steep flight of narrow stairs that spiral down to a 5-foot-wide tunnel which emerges at area 24.

Rolling Stone

Every 10 minutes after the gas is released, roll a d4. On a roll of 4, a stone juggernaut (rather like a steam roller) comes out of the 20-foot-square room to the north and rolls 1d6 × 10 feet south, then west. Everything it rolls over is squashed to a pulp. There is no appeal.

Aura

Each of the 3-foot-diameter pillars radiates an aura of transmutation magic when such is detected for.

Upwardly Mobile

Any character who touches a pillar with or without intent will uncontrollably float upward (as if affected by a levitate spell), then bounce gently around on the ceiling, 30 feet above, just as a helium balloon. To stop this effect, a dispel magic or remove curse spell must be placed upon each such individual.

There seems to be a gentle breeze in the room, for any character floating among the many-hued columns will begin drifting toward the northwest or northeast corner of the room. From the entry an observant character with a suitable light source will be able to observe part of the dais on the south wall and the door at area 27.

Northwest Devil Face

About 24 feet above the floor in the northwest corner, on the north wall, is a mosaic relief sculpture of a green devil's face which appears to be exactly the same as that first encountered in the entrance hall to the tomb (area 3). Any creature that comes within 3 feet of its gaping mouth will be sucked in and instantly teleported, to be "spat out" nude at area 6, while all non-living matter in the character's possession goes to area 33.

Northeast Devil Face

The sculpture in the northeast corner is identical in size and placement to the one in the other corner, but it is tinged with a bluish color over the green. Any character that enters the mouth opening of this devil face is teleported to area 27A.

Charred Remains

Strewn near the southeast corner is a heap of charred bones and skulls, plus the crisped and blackened remains of clothing and gear, arms and armor—a thoroughly awful and frightening sight. A character who comes close enough to examine the remains will find a huge, glowing orange gem at the center of the destruction.

Cursed Gem

The gem can be easily claimed. Casting a detect evil and good spell reveals it to be a desecrated object. On a casting of detect magic, the gem gives off a strong aura of conjuration—so strong that the detecting character will get the vague feeling that the wish spell is involved in the gem's magic.

The gem is actually a cursed magic item. If any character touches it and attempts to cast a wish spell using it, a reversed or distorted version of the wish's fulfillment will bring harm to that character and all named in the wish.

Then, immediately after the evil wish spell has transpired, the gem begins to pulse with reddish lights, growing progressively stronger, brighter and hotter. Roll initiative. On initiative count 1, the stone explodes, absolutely killing any character within a 15-foot radius in a wave of searing radiation and flames. The gem remains as a noisome mass of stinking purplish mold which bubbles and chuckles. In one week the mass will again re-form as a glowing orange gem.

Ebony Dais and Silver Throne

When the characters come close enough to see the details on the dais, read:

Aura

The crown and both ends of the scepter prove to be magical if such is detected for. In addition, the crown and the gold knob of the scepter radiate an aura of abjuration magic, and the silver end of the scepter has an aura of necromancy magic.

Crown and Scepter

The crown negates the pillars' levitation effect for anyone who dons it and enables the wearer to see within the hall as if in normal daylight—but outside this place the wearer is blind. As soon as a creature puts on the crown, the wearer knows that the crown can be removed only by touching the scepter to it, but doesn't find out the exact procedure.

If the golden knob is touched to the crown, the wearer can remove the headgear. If the silver end of the scepter is touched to the crown, the wearer is instantly snuffed out, turning to a fetid powder that can't be brought back to life no matter what (wish spells notwithstanding).

Treasure

Each of these items is obviously valuable (25,000 gp for the crown, 12,500 gp for the scepter), but both are cursed. If they are removed from the tomb, the possessor of either item will be visited by a vrock sent to reclaim the item and return it to the throne room—or by two such demons if a single character has both items.

Throne Passage

A character who examines the throne and succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check discovers a small replica of the crown inlaid in silver on the lower front panel of the seat. If the silver end of the scepter is applied to this inlay, the throne sinks down and reveals a 5-foot-wide passageway that leads south.

Treasure

A huge amethyst, worth 5,000 gp, is barely visible between the wrappings that cover the mummy's head. A character who examines the mummy and succeeds on a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check can discover it in one of the eye sockets.

Creature

The gem has an evil magic placed upon it, and if it is removed from the mummy, the remains become a true mummy lord that has no spells and no legendary actions (defeating it awards half XP). Magic upon the mummy lord's wrappings makes them nonflammable, and the creature wears a ring of resistance (fire).

Creatures

If the threshold of the chamber is crossed by any creature, one set of swords will fly off the wall and attack the individual so doing. The two flying swords will both attack, and the shield (statistics as the swords, but no attacks) will interpose itself to take hits meant for the swords. This trio will attack until they are destroyed or the one who violated their area is dead. Surviving weapons and shields return to their former positions after the offender is hacked to pieces.

Worse still, if the threshold is crossed a second time, another pair of blades and a shield will attack, and each set gains a cumulative +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, as well as 1 hit point more than the previous set.

Only the following spells will affect these items: telekinesis sends all three items of a set back to their original position; heat metal will cause one item to fall to pieces; disintegrate will destroy all items of a set; magic weapon will cause a sword to become a plain iron weapon.

Fountain

A small stream of water spills from a wall outlet into a basin and drains away through side holes, so there is always plenty to drink. (It is impossible to flood the place, for there are hundreds of small drain holes in the walls and floor.)

Treasure

There are numerous skeletons here, rotting equipment, and 30d10 each of sp, ep, gp, and pp hurled about. Searching through the remains will yield 2d10 gems (worth 10 gp each), a potion of diminution, and a +1 flail.

Swords and Shields

If the door to the south is opened from this side, all the swords and shields in area 27 swoop from the walls to attack, but they cease as soon as the door opener retreats into the chamber to the north.

Keyhole

Where these valves meet, at about waist height, is a cup-like depression, a hemispherical concavity with a central hole. The hole appears to fit the Second Key, but if it is inserted, the character so doing will take 5 (1d10) lightning damage. Anyone so foolish as to insert the First Key (from area 19) will take double that amount of damage.

True Key

The real key to these great gates is the scepter from area 25. If the gold knob is inserted into the depression, the mithral doors will swing silently open. If the silver end of the scepter is touched to the hemispherical cup the holder of the instrument will be teleported instantly to be spat out of the devil's mouth at area 6, nude, while all non-living materials with the individual go to area 33, and the crown and the scepter reappear on the throne.

Blood Trap

If the door is attacked by force it will not budge, but if it is scratched or nicked it will turn red in that spot, and if it is cut by a sharp weapon it will begin to gush forth blood—the blood of all those who have died within the tomb! The red flow will cascade down the steps and fill the area to the top of the southernmost step in 6 rounds, and each round thereafter it will rise higher and encompass one more step. If unchecked, the flow of blood will fill the foyer to the ceiling in 20 rounds.

Fire of any sort, magical or otherwise, turns the blood to a poison gas, which is fatal, and all characters in the foyer area are dead, with no saving throw, while any in the 5-foot-wide passage to the throne room are slain unless they succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw.

Casting one or more cure wounds spells on the door in any combination that expends four spell slots (such as four 1st-level castings, two 2nd-level, or one 4th-level) will stanch the flow of blood, as will a heal spell. If other magic is used against the blood, only the following spells will have any effect:

Cone of cold freezes the blood and halts the flow for 3 rounds.

Create or destroy water turns the blood to water.

Disintegrate destroys all the blood.

Levitate coagulates the blood and causes it to rise up as a Huge red ochre jelly.

Polymorph changes the blood into seven wights, which attack immediately.

Purify food and drink turns all the blood to poison gas. A character caught in the gas must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 48 hours.

Raise dead or resurrection destroys all the blood and causes a shade to appear on the top stair. The shade blesses the characters so that they benefit as if they had just finished a long rest.

Statues

Each statue has a magical aura, but they are merely hunks of metal; they do nothing. Each registers to the casting of detect evil and good as a desecrated object, and the visage of each of these iron statues is most fearsome and terrifying.

Moving a statue can be done, but it requires a combined Strength of 48. Moving the statue in the northwest corner reveals a ring pull in the western wall which will raise a small plug of stone and enable the party to enter a small chute which takes them into the corridor that goes west.

Bronze Urn

A character who examines the urn can use an action to pry loose the stopper. If the stopper is removed, an efreeti will come forth. If the urn has been battered, knocked about, shaken, overturned, or otherwise roughly handled, the creature will be in a fury and will attack. If not, it will grant three wishes for the party and then depart.

Sarcophagus

Examining the lid of the sarcophagus reveals that glyphs spelling "ACERERAK" are inset on it in platinum. (The metal, worth 100 pp in total, can be pried out.) The end of the thing nearest the wall is stove in and shattered. Inside can be seen bits of a wooden inner shell, a few bones, destroyed jewelry (the stones pried out), torn bits of robes and windings, dust, and a broken staff of the magi (evident from the runes upon it). A shattered skull will roll out if the contents are moved around. (Why, the demilich has long been destroyed, but his magical traps somehow survived!)

Iron Chests

Each of these massive boxes is embedded into the stone. Neither can possibly be moved, and both show marks of prying, battering, and similar treatment. Each chest is triple-locked, and each lock contains a poison needle trap (see "Sample Traps" in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). If the trap is triggered by a failed check, it deals 1 piercing damage and delivers a dose of purple worm poison (see "Sample Poisons" in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master's Guide).

Treasure

Both chests have treasure, the true nature of which doesn't become apparent until the spoils are moved at least 13 miles away from the tomb.

The eastern chest holds 10,000 gems, which will initially appear to be of not less than 50 gp value each. Each is actually a 1 gp piece of quartz. The other chest contains 10,000 copper pieces magicked to appear as platinum when they are first discovered.

Phasing Pit

The covered pit depicted on the map doesn't exist until someone opens either of the one-way doors or opens the door in the corridor while traveling east to west. When one of those events occurs, the covered pit comes into phase where shown. This pit is otherwise exactly the same as others in the place.

Creature

The skull belongs to Acererak, the demilich who lies in wait for the characters. When they joined the halves of the First Key, that act called his soul back to the Material Plane, and their use of the Second Key to enter the vault alerted him that he must be prepared to do battle in order to survive yet more centuries.

All that now remains of Acererak the lich are the dust of his bones. This bit is enough! If any of the treasure in the crypt is touched, the dust swirls into the air and forms a man-like shape. If this shape is ignored, it will dissipate in 3 rounds, for it can only advance and threaten, not harm. Any physical attack will give it 1 point of energy, however, and a damaging spell cast on it gives it a number of points of energy equal to the level of the spell slot expended (1 point for a cantrip). Each point of energy is equivalent to a hit point, and if 50 hit points are thus gained, the dust will form into a ghost controlled by Acererak, and this thing will attack immediately. (The dust will seem to waver and fall back if it is struck by blow or spell, as if suffering actual damage, so formation of the ghost isn't too improbable.)

If any character is so foolish as to touch the skull of the demilich, a terrible thing occurs. Acererak rises into the air upon the touch, and it slowly scans the party prior to attacking. The demilich has the Trap the Soul action and access to its lair actions, but not lair traits. It can tell which members of the party are the most powerful, and it uses Trap the Soul on them first.

There are two jewels set into the skull's eye sockets (50,000 gp rubies) and six pointed (marquis cut) diamonds set as teeth in the jaw (each diamond is worth 5,000 gp). If all these gems are filled with souls and the skull is still intact and still being opposed, it will pronounce a curse upon the remaining characters which will teleport them randomly in a 300-mile radius, each subjected to a bestow curse spell (save DC 17) that lasts until dispelled. If the curse is removed, the character must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the character must permanently decrease one ability score by 2, or two ability scores by 1 each. This secondary effect is instantaneous and can't be dispelled.