D&D Tomb of Annihilation

DC=DifficultyClass

NG=Neutralgood

XP=experiencepoints

LN=Lawfulneutral

pp=platinumpiece(s)

N=Neutral

sp=silverpiece(s)

CE=Chaoticevil

cp=copperpiece(s)

NE=Neutralevil

NPC=nonplayer

character

AdventureSummary...................................................................................................................................................................

Theadventureislikelytoplayoutasfollows.
TheadventurersareteleportedtoPortNyanzaru,theonly
majorsettlementinChult.Afterexploringthecity(chapter 1 ),
theyembarkonanexpeditionintothewildsofChult(chapter
2 ),eventuallyfindingtheruinedcityofOmu(chapter 3 ).The
charactersdon’tknowthatOmuistheirultimatedestination
fromtheoutset;theymustfindcluesorevidencepointingin
thatdirection.
Inthisadventure,threecreaturesknowthatthecauseof
thedeathcurseliesinOmu:GrandfatherZitembeinPort
Nyanzaru,ValindraShadowmantleintheHeartofUbtao,and
SajaN’bazainOrolunga.SeveralcreaturesknowOmu’s
location:theguidesEkuandSalidainPortNyanzaru,Valindra
ShadowmantleintheHeartofUbtao,theaarakocraofKir
Sabal,ZalkoréofNangalore,SajaN’bazainOrolunga,andthe
reddragonTzindelorinWyrmheartMine.Ifthecharactersare
unabletolocateOmuorascertainthesourceofthedeath
curse,thefollowingadditionalcreaturesmightpossessthe
knowledgetheyseek,atyourdiscretion:Krr’ookin
Dungrunglung,NephyrinFirefinger,NannyPu’puinMbala,
BwayesO’tamuinthewreckoftheNarwhal,thesurvivorsof
theStarGoddessshipwreck,andRedWizardsunderValindra
Shadowmantle’scommand.
AstheadventurersexploreOmu,theyareeithercapturedby
yuan-tiorforcedtoconfrontthemintheirunderground
temple(chapter 4 ).Notfarfromtheyuan-titempleisthe
entrancetotheTomboftheNineGods(chapter 5 ).The
Soulmongerliesdeepwithinthetomb,whichisriddledwith
puzzles,traps,monsters,andmagicalwards.Bestcase
scenario:theadventureconcludeswiththedestructionofthe
Soulmongerandtheheroes’daringescapefromthetomb.
Worstcasescenario:thecharacterssuccumbtotheevilof
Acererak,andtheirsoulsaredevoured.

WHOISACERERAK?

Acererakisapowerfullichknownandfearedthroughout
themultiverse.Muchofhispastisforgotten,butancienttexts
assertthathecomesfromaworldcalledOerth.
Acereraktravelstheplanesinsearchofartifacts.Whenhe
findssomethingusefulorinteresting,helocksitaway.
Althoughhe’spowerfulenoughtopursuegodhoodasother
licheshavedone(Vecnabeingaprimeexample),Acererakhas
nointerestinbeingagodorbeingworshiped.Heprefersto
createevilgodsandunleashthemonmortalsandimmortals
whoopposehim.
Despitepassingupopportunitiesforgodhood,Acererak
attractshisfairshareoffollowersandworshipers.Hedoesn’t
grantspells,nordoeshegivehisdevoteesmuchofhis

precioustime.Mostlyhelikestowatchthemsufferanddieas

aresultoftheirmagicalpursuitsandfolly.

Althoughhehaslivedonmanyworldsandcrafted

countlessdemiplanes,Acererakspendsmostofhistime

buildingtombs.Hefillseachonewithtreasuretoattract

powerfuladventurers.Hethenkillsthemoffinterrible

fashion,usingdeadlytrapsandmonsterswhilebaitingand

ridiculingthem.Theterrorheevokesscarstheirsouls,which

hetrapsinhisphylactery,thelocationofwhichisoneofthe

multiverse’sgreatestsecrets.

Nottoolongagobyhumanstandards,Acererakfoundan

atropaladriftattheedgeoftheNegativePlaneandbuiltthe

Soulmongertonourishittogodhood.Thelichchoseoneofhis

tombs—specificallytheTomboftheNineGodsonToril—to

serveastheatropal’snursery.

FormoreinformationonAcererak,includinghisstatistics,

seeappendixD.

DeathCurse..................................................................................................................................................................................

UnderstandinghowAcererak’sdeathcurseworksisvitalto

runningtheadventuresmoothly.

TheSoulmongerwasactivated 20 daysagoandremains

activeuntilitisdestroyed.WhiletheSoulmongerisactive,the

followingeffectsareinplay:

Anyhumanoidontheplanetthathasbeenbroughtback

fromthedeadbeginstowasteaway.Itshitpointmaximumis

reducedby 20 ( 1 foreachdaytheSoulmongerhasbeenactive)

anddecreasesby 1 everymidnightuntiltheSoulmongeris

destroyed.Ifahumanoid’shitpointmaximumdropsto 0 ,it

dies.Travelingtoanotherworldorplanedoesnothingtohalt

thewastingeffectonceithasbegun.

Ahumanoidwhosehitpointmaximumisreducedcan’t

increaseorrestoreit.Thisistruewhetherthecreature’shit

pointmaximumisreducedbytheSoulmongerorbysome

otherlife-drainingeffect,suchasthetouchofawight,wraith,

orsimilarcreature.

Ifahumanoiddiesanywhereontheplanet,itssoul

becomestrappedinsidetheSoulmonger.Onlythedestruction

oftheSoulmongercanfreethetrappedsoul.

Anyspellthatbreatheslifeintothedead(including

revivify,raisedead,resurrection,andtrueresurrection)

automaticallyfailsifcastonahumanoidwhosesouliseither

trappedintheSoulmongerorhasbeendevouredbythe

atropal(see“SoulDevouring”below).

TheSoulmongerdoesnotaffecttheworkingsofspeak

withdeadspellsorsimilarmagic.Thedeathcursehasno

effectonpreexistingghostsorspirits.

MeatGrinder

TombofAnnihilationcanbeplayedaswritten,oryoucan

makeitevenmoredifficultbyrunningitasameatgrinder.

Thismodeofplayissuitableforexperiencedplayerswhohave

highlyoptimizedcharactersandwhodon’tmindputtingthose

charactersinjeopardyforthesakeofagoodchallenge.Itis

lessidealforplayerswhoareinexperiencedorgetanxiousat

thethoughtoflosingtheircharacters.

Youmustchoosetoruntheadventureasameatgrinder

fromtheverybeginning.Inthismodeofplay,theSoulmonger

gainsthepowertodrawcharacterswhoareclosetodeath,

andthefollowingruleapplies:

 Adeathsavingthrowsucceedsonarollof 15 orhigher

(insteadof 10 orhigher).Thiseffectendswhenthe