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ItDR conversion: Tomb of the Serpent Kings (by Skerples)

One of the adventures that were used to playtest Into the Dungeon: Revived.

See also: Italian translation.

The Source

Tomb of the Serpent Kings1 — a “learning” module in an old school style, designed to help new players and GMs learn the basic elements of classic dungeon crawling and tomb robbing, written by Skerples2.


The Conversion

Released under the Creative Commons — Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).3

Since the adventure is system-agnostic, the only parts that need to be adjusted are listed.

Treasure conversion: 1gp = 10s.

Contents


The False Tomb

4. Sorcerer Tomb

Poison Ring

The ring is a magical, but also cursed. If worn on a finger, the fingernail becomes long, bifurcated, and pointed like twin fangs, granting bonus d6 unarmed Damage. If the attack reduces STR score, the target suffers d4 DEX Loss as well. Each morning, the wearer must succeed on a STR Save versus poison or take d6 Damage. If they take 6 Damage at once from the poison ring, their finger falls off and turns into a snake.

Snake, Venomous

DEX 16, WIL 3, 3hp, d6 Venomous Bite.

Venomous Bite: if the bite reduces STR score, the target suffers d4 DEX Loss as well.

5. Door/Hammer Trap

Hammer deals d12 Damage (roll for each affected).


The Upper Tomb

11. Tomb Atrium

Mummy rot

Lose d4 STR and maximum HP right away and each following day until cured by removing the curse or a week of conventional healing.

12. Tomb of Xisor the Green

Lightning bolt deals d8 Electricity Damage to all in a line ignoring Armour.

18. Stairs

Spikes deal d6 Damage.


The Lower Tomb

22. Stone Door

Hammer deals d12 Damage (roll for each affected). Succeed on a DEX Save or be flung into a chasm.

25. Pit Trap

Succeed on a DEX Save or take d6 Damage from the fall, and Save again or take a further d6 Damage from the spikes at the bottom.

30. Sacrifice Pit

Creatures inside the pit must Save each turn or take temporary d6 DEX damage. Unconscious PCs slide down to the flame and take d8 Fire Damage per turn.

32. Summoning Room

Magical Dagger (d8) ignores supernatural resistances.

33. Shrine Alcove

Poison gas deals d6 Damage, Critical Damage affects DEX instead of STR (no Save needed).

35. Blade Trap Hallway

DEX save or take d6 Damage and don't move that turn. Any movement through the two 10' squares requires another DEX Save for three turns after the trap activates. PCs who stand still don't take any damage. On the fourth turn, the entire trap comes crashing down in a tangle of stone, blades, and springs, dealing d8 damage to anyone in the two 10' squares.

42. Cylinder Door

Stabbing spear trap deals d6 Damage/person/turn until rotated to safety.

45. Potion Brewing Room

  1. 2 (sparkling misty) potions of spell mutation (change one thing about your next spell: Damage type, Raise Damage die by one, etc.)
  2. 1 (pulsating pink) potion of moderate immortality (extra 20+d100 years of natural life)
  3. 1 (transparent) potion of undetectable poison (tastes like water, kills, no Save, in 1 minute)
  4. 2 (sparkling red) health potions (restores d6 STR Loss)

Monsters

Black Pudding

WIL 1, 10hp, d6 Acid to all adjacent opponents, immune to bludgeoning attacks, slow.

200lbs of black slime, thick as treacle. Can travel on ceilings and walls, and can pass through small openings. Wants food, cornered food, fears fire. If killed, will regenerate in d20 hours unless burned.

Absorbtion: If pudding corners a creature, it begins to absorb them, dealing d12 Acid Damage per turn.

Corrosion: Metal or wooden weapons strinking the pudding have a 10% chance to dissolve.

Mummy Fragments

WIL 3, 2hp, d4 Claw, Strangle.

Decayed black arms with clawed fingers. Wants to strangle things, crush the living. They flop, climb your body, and try to strangle you.

Strangle: d6 Damage per turn, spend an action to break away.

The Stone Cobra Guardian

STR 18, DEX 8, WIL 7, Armour 2, 6hp, huge sword (d8), Shield Draw, Leap and Slam, Twin Slash, Indomitable.

A stone cobra-headed knight clad in carved armour. It wields a huge dented sword in one hand. Its other hand is empty when combat begins. Wants to protect the rest of the Tomb of the Serpent Kings and kill any interlopers.

Shield Draw: The Guardian calls to a shield attached to the wall of the arena. The shield deals d6 Damage to any creatures between it and the Guardian. The Guardian holds the shield in its empty hand (+1 Armour). The shield can be used to reduce incoming damage by d12, destroying the shield.

Leap and Slam: The guardian leaps into the air and slams down 5-20 ft away from its starting position. It will not land directly on creatures, but any adjacent creatures take d4 Damage and must succeed on a STR Save or be knocked prone.

Twin Slash: The Guardian swipes at two targets with its sword. The targets must be on the same facing and must be adjacent to the Guardian.

Indomitable: Once per Rest, when taking Critical Damage, the Guardian continues to fight as if it succeeded on this Save.

Succubus (Baltoplat)

STR 8, DEX 17, WIL 20, 8hp, Armour 2, Kiss, Teleport, petrification immunity, Advantage on DEX Saves.

Kiss: STR Save or die. Otherwise permanently lose d6 HP and STR, and age d10 years. Save with Advantage if she likes you.

Teleport: can teleport 10ft as an action.

A young botanist of an amenable gender in an ankle shackle. Isn't hostile to the party, but will try to isolate and kiss one of them so she can refuel and fly away. Will immediately flee from any conflict. If made to bargain, she can detect poison, reveal ancient secrets, or agree to kill any one mortal the characters can name. She is patient and cunning, but true to her word.

Skeletons

DEX 14, WIL 5, 2hp (3 if Sparamantur), Armour 1, d6 Fangs, sword (d6) or greataxe (d8, 2h), piercing attacks are Impaired.

Fanged human skeleton wrapped in bangles, with a rusted metal weapon Wants to protect the rest of the Tomb of the Serpent Kings and kill any interlopers.

Skeleton Jellies

DEX 14, WIL 1, invulnerable and fearless, d4 Squish, to dumb to live and too stupid to die, slow, but can move up the walls.

A skeleton covered in orange ooze. Immortal and nearly indestructible. Any attack that would normally deal 4 or more damage just knock them back 5'. Wants to squish heads and make more skeleton jellies.

Any living creature killed by a skeleton jelly rises as a new skeleton jelly
in 10 minutes (fungus goblins are immune to this).

Fungus Goblins

STR 8, DEX 14, WIL 8, 1hp, d6 (sword, teeth, claws, or cutlery), sticky.

Pale, stunted creatures with huge oval heads full of teeth and two tiny red eyes way too close together. Texture like baked potato mixed with white glue. They wear cutlery and desire food. Wants a king, food, shiny objects, more food.

Xiximanter

DEX 16, WIL 16, 12 hp, Armour 2, d6 Fangs or Claws, Mystic 4, Fearsome, Spell Immunity, fast.

Upper body of a desiccated human wrapped in robes, lower body of a skeletal snake. Magical charms and trinkets around his neck. Two red eyes, burning like needles of fire. Snake fangs. Never rude. Wants living beings, spells, rare ingredients for his various potions.

Fearsome: When Xiximanter becomes enraged, his flare of magical power and ancient madness require observers to succeed on a WIL Save or flee.

Spell Immunity: Xiximanter casts as a horrendously powerful Mystic. He has a 1-in-6 chance of ignoring any spell that targets him. He is immune to all mind-affecting spells. He can see through illusions, though he will be amused to pretend otherwise. If he ignores a spell, he also has a 50% chance of reflecting it back at its caster.

Spell Tome (^ - signature spell, * - prepared spell):
C: daze, detect magic, detect poison, disrupt undead, resistance
1: charm person*, hypnotism, magic missile*, obscuring mist, sleep^, swarm
2: darkness, ray of enfeeblement^
3: deep slumber*, vampiric touch^
4: animate dead^, wall of fire*

Basilisk

STR 20, WIL 12, 8hp, Armour 3, Stare, Charge, Lizard Frenzy, Tail Strike, fast, sense of smell.

A giant, gray, eight-legged lizard with a flat crocodile head full of teeth. It has a visor made of brass bolted to its head, and a collar around its neck, just in front of the first set of legs. Wants food, warmth, to be free of the chain.

Unique Death Conditions: Unless the basilisk is completely burned, dissolved in acid, or separated from stone, a random stone larger than a fist touching some part of the basilisk's corpse has a 1-in-6 chance per year of becoming a basilisk egg and hatching in 1d6 years. Only one egg will be created in this way. The reincarnated basilisk grows to its original size+20% in a year, if well fed, and remembers its previous lives. Almost no one knows about this, but some wise old wizard, hearing the party's tale many years later, might lurch to his feet to warn them.

Stare (passive): The basilisk can only stare at targets directly in front of it unless its visor is removed. The effect has a 20' range. More than one target can be affected, but they must be very close together. Saves are rolled at the start of each round, before initiative order is determined. The effect is not reflected by mirrors. If the basilisk just glances at a creature, the only effect is a slight sensation of pressure. If it focuses on a creature for one round, the target's limbs become heavy, slow, and grey. Their thoughts move like treacle. The target must succeed on a STR Save to restore movement, or stay rooted in place otherwise. This effect ends immediately if the basilisk looks away. If the basilisk stares at a target for a second round, they must succeed on a second STR Save or turn to stone. If they pass, they are still rooted in place (as above). Saves rolled at the start of each turn.

Charge: The basilisk will try to charge partially petrified targets first, but if blinded or annoyed, it will charge almost anything. It moves twice its usual speed straight ahead, ignoring fallen pillars, and snaps at the target. It can maintain its Stare during the charge. If maded of stone, the target shatters and is devoured. If made of flesh, it takes  d8 Daamage and is knocked prone. If the target was not aware the basilisk was in the room they must succeed on a WIL Save or panic.

Lizard Frenzy: If surrounded or threatened, the basilisk thrashes wildly. All adjacent creatures take d6 damage and must succeed on a DEX Save or be knocked prone. The basilisk can't stare at a target this round.

Tail Strike: The basilisk does not like being flanked. While pretending to focus elsewhere, it whips its tail at a target for d8 Damage and is flung 10' in a random direction. Basilisk can maintain its Stare at a different target during this attack.

Basilisk Behavior and Other Information: as per the original.

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end illustration

  1. https://coinsandscrolls.blogspot.com/2017/06/osr-tomb-of-serpent-kings-megapost.html

  2. https://coinsandscrolls.blogspot.com/

  3. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

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