manipulated Disintegration Ray, but the rough sculpture
is clearly the work of a talentless amateur. Each chain
has AC 19, 2S hit points, and immunity to poison and
psychic damage. Breaking all three chains causes the
statue to fall and shatter on the floor.39B. SECRET TuNNEL
This dusty passage circumvents the adamantine doors
to Netherskull's lair (see area 39c) and is hidden behind
two secret doors. The death tyrant uses its Telekinetic
Ray to open and close the secret doors when it comes
and goes through this tunnel.39c. DEATH TYRANT
All doors leading to this area are I-foot-thick, 7-foot-di-
ameter adamantine disks molded to look like concentric
rings of bones with a leering human skull at the center.
The skull's nose cavity contains an adamantine keyhole.
When one of Halaster's bone keys (see areas 19 and
30b) is inserted into the lock and turned 90 degrees
clockwise, four bolt locks slide back from the surround-
ing walls, and the door swings inward on adamantine
hinges. The door remains open until it is closed, and the
key can be removed at any time. Without the proper key,
it takes four separate knock spells to open one of these
doors, each spell causing one bolt to slide back. The
doors are otherwise impregnable.
There is no keyhole on the inside of the doors. Instead,
each door has an adamantine wheel in the middle of it
that must be turned counterclockwise to slide back the
bolts. This wheel can also be used as a handle to pull
the heavy door open. When Netherskull wants to leave
the room through a door, it uses its Telekinetic Ray to
turn the wheel and leaves the door open until it returns.
NetherskuJJ. Unless it has been defeated elsewhere,
the death tyrant fl.oats 30 feet above the stone-tiled floor
of this 40-foot-high chamber. Netherskull seeks to de-
stroy intruders and animate their corpses, turning them
into zombie thralls. It calls forth the zombies in area 38
(assuming they haven't been defeated) and commands
them to attack all intruders.
If the characters haven't silenced the level's play-by-
play announcer (see "Halaster's Play-by-Play," page
194), it becomes increasingly excited as the battle with
the death tyrant unfolds. If they defeat Netherskull, the
announcer screams, "How could this happen?! This is
unbelievable! This might be the greatest upset in the his-
tory of Undermountain!" It then falls silent for the rest of
the time the characters spend on this level.4 0. N ETHER SKULL'S CHASM
The death tyrant carved out this immense chasm using
its Disintegration Ray, and Halaster added his own
touches by flooding it with lava and confounding magi-
cal flight within the chasm.
Spells and magic items that allow creatures to fly are
suppressed within the chasm. Any character who enters
the chasm under the effect of a fly spell or similar magic
goes hurtling down into the Java. Spells that slow one's
fall (such as feather fall) function normally.
LEVEL 15 I OBSTACLE COURSE
Creatures who spend 1 hour or longer in the chasm
or in any of the areas open to it are susceptible to the
effects of extreme heat (as described in chapter S of the
Dungeon Master's Guide). The chasm is brightly lit by
the lava, which fills the bottom of the chasm to a depth
of 20 feet. A creature that enters the lava for the first
time on a turn or starts its turn there takes SS (lOdlO)
fire damage.
The surface of the lava is 30 feet below the floor level
of the Obstacle Course. The walls in between are sloped
and have abundant handholds and footholds. Climbing
them requires a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics)
check; on a check that fails by S or more, the creature
slips and falls into the lava.40 A. MAGMA MEPHITS
Four magma mephits lounge in this small lava pool.
If the characters parley with the mephits in a language
they understand, the mephits try to lure the characters
toward area 39c, hoping they'll either kill Netherskull or
die in the attempt. The mephits detest the death tyrant
and care only about their own well-being.4 0B. L AVA CHILDREN' S POOL
Eight lava children (see appendix A) swim and play in
this lava pool. They also climb up to area 36d and do
cannonballs into the lava from the top of the 30-foot-
high ledge.40c. TELEPORT TRAP DESTINATION
A creature teleported to this location by another teleport
trap appears 30 feet above the lava and immediately
plunges into it unless the creature has some way to stop
the fall. (Remember that spells and magic items that al-
low creatures to fly are suppressed within the chasm.)
Unlike other teleport traps in the Obstacle Course,
this trap doesn't teleport creatures to other locations.40D. MAGMA MEPHITS' POOL
Six lava children (see appendix A) and seven magma
mephits frolic in this lava pool and watch for intruders
in areas 18 and 21. If intruders are detected, the me-
phits incite the lava children into climbing up the walls
to attack the new arrivals, while the mephits use their
breath weapons and keep their distance.Aftermath
Netherskull's regional effects end with the death tyrant's
destruction, and Halaster takes his time replacing the
creature. Eventually he settles on abducting several
beholders, releasing them in the Obstacle Course, and
Jetting them vie for control of the level until only one
remains. Halaster plans to help the winner transform
itself into a new death tyrant.
Although most of the Obstacle Course's remaining in-
habitants have no intention of leaving anytime soon, the
githzerai stay only as long as they must to reunite with
their missing comrade and ensure the destruction of the
mind flayer colony on level 17.