Decor. Hanging on the wall between the beds is a
7-foot-diameter sandstone disk carved with a medu-
sa's glaring visage.
- SLAAD IN THE 0CTOBASS
The door to this room is locked, its key lost.
Windows. Two crystal-barred windows look out over
the courtyard (area 23).
Furnishings. Four overstuffed chairs face each other
with a low circular table between them.
Octobass. An octobass, a 12-foot-tall fiddle, leans in the
northeast corner, its bow on the floor nearby. Trapped
in the octobass is a naked old man (a shapechanged
gray slaad).
Maddgoth removed the slaad's control gem and, for
fun, ordered the creature to crawl inside the octobass
and remain there.
The old man claims to be Zartem, a wizard whom
Maddgoth invited to the castle for dinner. He further
claims that Maddgoth stole his spellbook and used
magic to trap him inside the octobass. If the characters
shatter the fragile instrument, the slaad is no longer
bound by Maddgoth's parting instructions and attacks
its liberators. The slaad prefers to fight with its great-
sword (which is hidden from view while it's in the octo-
bass) or catch multiple foes in the area of a fireball spell.
- MADDGOTH'S SUITE
The frame of the outermost door has a platinum coin
wedged into it (see area 19). The door has a stained
glass "M" worked into its design. Anyone who listens at
the door hears deep snoring coming from beyond it.
34A. MASTER BEDCHAMBER
Maddgoth slept as little as possible and spent almost no
time here. The room's features are as follows:
Decor. The wood-paneled walls are decorated with six
framed portraits of a fat, smiling wizard clutching
a wand. A thick, brown, wall-to-wall carpet covers
the floor.
Game. In the southwest corner, two wooden thrones
face an impressive Dragonchess set on a table.
Bed. A large four-poster bed stands against the west
wall between two crystal-barred windows. A hefty fig-
ure sleeps under the covers, snoring loudly.
The snoring lump under the covers is an illusion.
If the covers are pulled back, the snoring stops as it's
revealed that there's no one in the bed. Casting dispel
magic on the bed also ends the illusion.
A detect magic spell reveals an aura of conjuration
magic around each framed portrait of Maddgoth. When
a creature casts a spell in this room or disturbs the fig-
ure in the bed, the six wands depicted in the framed por-
traits magically spring from their paintings, gaining the
statistics of flying swords, and remain detached from
the paintings thereafter. Replace the wands' Longsword
action option with the following:
Magic Missile. The wand shoots a dart of magical force at one
creature that it can detect within 60 feet of it. The target takes^3
(1 d4 + 1) force damage as the dart hits it unerringly.Treas ure. The Dragonchess set weighs^30 pounds
and has beautifully carved and enameled pieces. A char-
acter who succeeds on a DC^25 Intelligence (History)
check realizes that the set is one of four made by Em-
peror Umyatin, who ruled an ancient human civilization
called Imaskar that spanned much of Faerfin ten mil-
lennia ago. Collectors aware of its history will pay up to
2,500 gp for the set.34B. CLOSET
This closet is stuffed with robes, sleeping gowns,
shoes, and slippers hanging on racks or stacked neatly
on shelves.- CLOAKROOM
Apparel. Coats, cloaks, robes, wizard hats, and other
apparel hang from hooks on the walls.
Mind Flayer. Standing north of the door is what ap-
pears to be a mind flayer.
Most of the apparel on display was taken from wiz-
ards whom Maddgoth killed. Consequently, they come
in all sizes and fashions. Many of these items have ob-
vious burn marks, tears, bloodstains, and other defects
suggesting how their previous owners met their ends.
MIND FLAYER COSTUME
Closer inspection reveals that the mind flayer is a fea-
tureless wooden mannequin dressed in a convincing
mind flayer costume, complete with black robe, cowl,
and rubber mask. A Medium character who wears the
costume can make Charisma (Deception) checks to
impersonate a mind flayer. Such checks are made with
advantage if the costume is viewed in poor lighting or
from more than^15 feet away. A character who wears the
mask has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks.
A character who wears the robe and cowl has disadvan-
tage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. The robe and cowl
can't be worn over heavy armor.Maddgoth gathers intelligence on wizards across
Faerfin, prepares dossiers on several "promising" ones,
and stores these records here.36A. GATHERED INTELLIGENCE
This room contains rows of wooden cabinets stuffed
with disorganized files chronicling the magical exploits
of thousands of wizards dating back hundreds of years.
Half of the dossiers are so old that they've crumbled
to dust. Scrawled on most of the remaining ones is the
word "DECEASED" in Maddgoth's hand, while a hand-
ful of dossiers bear the word "LICH" instead.36B. SECURE RECORDS
The door to this room is locked and trapped with a glyph
of warding spell. Maddgoth took the key with him, and
opening the door by any means other than using the
proper key triggers the spell. Picking the lock requires
thieves' tools and a successful DC 15 Dexterity check.
An examination of the door accompanied by a suc-
cessful DC^19 Intelligence (Investigation) check detects
the nearly invisible glyph, which is scratched into oneLEVEL 7 I MADDGOTH'S CASTLE 105