TOMB OF THE SERPENT KINGS INTRODUCTORY MODULE FOR CHARACTERS LEVEL 1-3

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Marlene Stevens
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1 TOMB OF THE SERPENT KINGS INTRODUCTORY MODULE FOR CHARACTERS LEVEL 1-3

2 LEVEL 1 The False Tomb Written by Skerples@coinsandscrolls.blogspot.com, compiled and edited by Erasmus. The Tomb of the Serpent Kings is designed as a "learning" dungeon for new players. When you first start up Super Mario Bros, the game doesn't give you any instructions. The first level is cunningly designed to teach you the rules: jump on enemies, pick up mushrooms, look for secrets, get coins, avoid pits. There is no tutorial. The game itself is the tutorial. This dungeon is designed to take a group of non-gamers and teach them the basics of dungeoneering. Level 1 lessons: Burial chambers 2A and 2B teaches that dungeon is organized, that there are patterns, that there is hidden treasure, and hidden dangers. Cursed ring teaches that hidden treasure can be magical, and sometimes cursed. Barred door teaches that there are deadly traps, and that the dungeon can be lethal. King and brides teaches that there are undead in the dungeon, and that they can use the environment against them (lure them into hammer trap). The room with the statue teaches that there are secret passages, and that they are associated with statues. Level 2 lessons: Room 10 teaches that hidden rooms have more treasure. Pit chamber 11 teaches there are hidden monsters. Some monsters deal damage and inflict diseases. It's hard to hit a monster clinging to your friend's throat. Look for treasure at the bottom of pits and pools. Magic items can solve problems Lightning bolt trap in room 12 teaches that sometimes the floor is trapped. Traps are deadly. Approach unknown rooms with caution. Noise from mummy in collapsed tomb chamber (13) teaches that you can hear some monsters before you see them. Some rooms are best left alone. Oozes live in dungeons. They are difficult to bludgeon, just as the skeletons were difficult to slash.

3 1. Entrance Hall (Empty): Sounds of dripping water. Openings lead to rooms (2A), (2B), (3) and (4). Stone door at end of hallway leads to room (6). 2. Warrior Burial Chambers (Trap & Treasure): Sharp smell. Wooden coffin; clay statue of snakeman warrior inside. Statue is hollow; contains gold amulet (50 sp), dried snake skeleton, poison gas cloud (Save vs Non-Magic or take 1d6 damage). 3. Scholar Burial Chamber (Trap & Treasure): Wooden coffin; clay statue of snake-man scholar, scrolls (crumbles to dust if touched). Amulet and poison same as in room (2). 4. Sorcerer Burial Chamber (Trap & Treasure): Wooden coffin; clay statue of snake-man sorcerer, silver ring on right hand. Prying of ring breaks statue; amulet and poison same as in room (2). Ring is cursed; If worn on a finger, turns fingernail long and pointed like twin fangs (count as poison dagger). Every morning while wearing ring; save vs magic or finger falls of and turns into snake. 5. Barred Door (Trap): Heavy stone bar; hangs off two iron pegs, requires 3 PCs to lift (or +1 STR for each missing PC). Lifting bar presses button on wall; huge stone hammer swings down from ceiling, save vs non-magic to dodge or take 1d10 damage. Shoving another PC gives +2 to save, but gives that PC -2. Hammer breaks door to room (6), then retracts into ceiling. 6. King and Brides Burial Chamber (Monster): Large chamber, stone coffins (3); skeleton of snake-man king and two brides, if disturbed will animate and attack. Sharp weapons deal half damage. Snake-man king and brides (2): AC 12, HD 1, Fangs (1d6), Ml Large Statue (Empty): Giant statue of an ugly snake-man god. Water leaking in from ceiling; pools of water on floor. Floor has eroded; revealing a staircase underneath statue leading to level 2.

4 LEVEL 2 The Lower Tomb 8. Alcove (Empty): Directly under the statue in room (7). Narrow (5 '), only fits one PC at a time. Water on floor. 9. Hall of Statues (Empty): Six huge snake statues overlooking the PCs. One can be moved to reveal room (10), requires 3 PCs to move (or +1 STR for each missing PC). 10. Assassin 's Guard Room (Treasure): Fragments of rotten furniture; Fang shaped silver coins in remains of drawer (50 sp). Mural depicts snake dripping poison from its fangs. Two polearms hooked on wall. 11. Pit Chamber (Monster): Stone statues encircles room as in (9). Pit in middle of room; water trickling down from stairs (7) and alcove (8) has filled pit with black oily water (smells like licorice). Pool; contains 2 mummy hands (crawling claws), insane mummy 's head (spouts gibberish), heavy cold chain (100 sp), and a magic silver ring. Magic ring; while worn, causes one eye of wearer to pop out of their skull and turn hard as glass (eye still sees normally). Important: Pool must be emptied before any treasures can be retrieved. Mummy hands (2): AC 16, HD 1 /2, Claw (1d4, save vs non-magic or disease), Ml Brides Tomb Chamber (Monsters & Trap): Sealed with thick stone door, can be levered open. Pressure plate at passage into room; triggers a lightning bolt spell from electrum plate inside room (plate fires once, worth 200 sp). Room contains 3 stone coffins; Two snake-brides remain (corpses), third coffin is empty (snake-man has wandered off into the pool in room (11) and dissolved). Brides attack if disturbed. Their coffins are empty of treasures. Snake-bride corpses (2): AC 12, HD 1, Fangs (1d6), Ml 12

5 13. Collapsed Tomb Chamber (Monster): Collapsed roof; debris can be removed by excavating. Inside room is snake-man mummy wielding great-axe; will attack and make noises as soon as head becomes visible through rubble. Funeral trinkets; Gold chain (100 sp), clay snake-man servants (empty), spell scroll (of referee's choosing), ring with emerald stone (300 sp). Snake-bride corpses (2): AC 12, HD 1, Great axe (1d8), Ml Primitive Tomb (Monster): Sealed with thick stone door as in (12). Crude carvings and paintings on walls depicting snake-men civilization (workers building monuments for rulers). Single stone coffin contains badly mummified remains turned ooze. Grave goods are clay copies of workers and builder 's tools (hollow and empty). Bludgeoning weapons deal half damage vs oozes, fire deals double damage. Black ooze: AC 12, HD 1, Constriction (1d6), Ml Priest Common Room (Treasure): Wooden door. Three beds, rotten shelves; scrolls record the ravings of trapped mummies. Snake-god icon carved into green-painted walls. 16. Unfinished Tomb (Empty): Sealed with thick stone door as in (12). Room has been half carved out of the rock. Nothing of interest. 17. Clay Army (Treasure): 18 clay snake-men warriors, holding rusty swords or wooden bows. Statues are hollow and empty. One statue has quiver with 3 magic arrows (+1 damage bonus, tip glows when readied on a bow). Another can be moved to reveal Basilisk Hall (level 3). 18. Slanting Stairs (Trap): Protected by very ornate stone door (braided snakes in twisting partners). Faint wind. Third step triggers trap if weight put on it; stairs tip to become smooth stone ramp. Bottom of ramp has spike pit. Trap resets 5 rounds after it has been triggered. Ramp is easy to slide down safely if PC is aware it 's there. 19. Shield Arena (Monster): Arena-like, high ceiling. Walls entirely covered in shields in different shapes and sizes (from tribes defeated by the snake-men). Most shields are rotten, but some are still usable. If wall is searched, find; renowned knight's shield (broken, 500 sp if fixed), dust covered mirror shield (sunder to reflect a spell that targets wearer), lizard chieftain s shield. Arena opens into narrow path along bottomless chasm. Stone Cobra Guardian waits here. Stone Cobra Guardian : A stone knight clad in carved armor (braided twin snakes), wielding a huge dented sword. Wants to protect the tomb and kill any interlopers. AC 14, HD 2, see below, Ml 10 Attacks patterns (Use one per round): 1. Shield Draw: Shield flies from wall towards guardian; deals 1d6 damage to anyone in its path. Save vs non-magic avoids damage. Guardian can sunder shields (take half damage). 2. Leap and Slam: Guardian leaps into air, slams into ground. Adjacent PCs takes 1d4 damage. 3. Twin Slash: Swipes with sword at two adjacent targets on the same facing (front, side, or rear). Two attack rolls, 1d8 damage on hit.

6 Dungeon level 3 coming soon.

7 Dungeon level 3 coming soon.

The dragons also have breath weapons and their bite is poisonous. (See Player's Handbook)

The dragons also have breath weapons and their bite is poisonous. (See Player's Handbook) A. - Heal Potion B. - Heal Potion C. - When the Heroes search for treasure, ask them if they want to open the tomb. If not, all they find is 300 gold in the chest. If they do open the tomb, they find another