Statue. A 3-foot-tall, S-foot-long statue of a giant toad
sits beside a 10-foot-square, SO-foot-deep open pit in
the southeastern part of the room.
Alcove. An empty alcove to the north contains a teleport
trap (see "Teleport Traps," page 194).BRAZIER
The eight embers swirling above the brazier radiate
auras of conjuration and transmutation magic under the
scrutiny of a detect magic spell or similar magic.
The embers easily slip through the grasp of mage
hand s pells and other magical effects, but a creature
within reach of tbe brazier can use an action to try to
catch an ember, doing so with a successful DC 20 Dex-
terity check. Catching an ember causes it to vanish and
triggers a random magical effect, determined by rolling
a d6 and consulting the Magic Embers table. Any crea-
ture that gains a benefit also gains awareness of that
benefit. Embers that are caught do not reappear.MAGIC EMBERS
d 6 Magical Effect
The creature that caught the ember gains immunity
to fire damage for the next 24 hours.
2 The ember becomes a single bead from a necklace
of fireballs.
3 The creature that caught the ember gains the abil-
ity to speak and understand lgnan for the next 24
hours (useful for communicating w ith t he mephits
and lava child ren on this level).
4 The ember becomes an elemental gem (fire).
5 The ember becomes a diamond worth 5,000 gp.
6 The ember becomes a tiny iron key that unlocks
the jaws of the giant toad statue.GIANT TOAD STATUE
The giant toad statue merges seamlessly with the floor
and can't be moved. A character who inspects the statue
and succeeds on a DC lS Wisdom (Perception) check
notices two things: the statue's jaws are hinged but
locked shut, and a tiny keyhole is positioned just above
its bulbous eyes. Inserting the proper key into the key-
hole causes the statue's hinged mouth to open, as does
a knock spell or similar magic. The mouth can also be
opened by a character using thieves' tools who succeeds
on a DC 20 Dexterity check.
Opening the statue's mouth causes a SO-foot rope
ladder to tumble out, extending all the way to the bottom
of the pit. The ladder is securely attached to a stone bar
lodged in the toad's throat, and characters can use it to
safely climb in and out of the pit.OPEN PIT
This SO-foot-deep pit has walls too smooth to climb
without climbing gear or a special climbing trait such
as Spider Climb. An antimagic field like that created by
an anti magic field spell fills the uppermost 40 feet of the
pit, leaving a 10-foot cube at the bottom unaffected.
Treasure. Any magic items teleported away by the
statue of Vergadain in area 23 or by the teleport trap in
this room lie unharmed at the bottom of the pit.
LEVEL 15 I OBSTACLE COURSE
ThLEPORT TRAP
This trap fills the alcove. A creature teleported by this
trap arrives at a location determined by rolling a d20
and consulting the following table:
d 20 Telepo rt Destination
1- 12 The teleport trap in area 26
13-20 The teleport trap in area 36aAdditional Effect: Magic Item Theft. When a crea-
ture is teleported to this location from another teleport
trap, any magic items in its possession are teleported to
the bottom of the pit in this room.32. EMPTY ]UNCTION
Scrawled in chalk on the west wall is the word "LOOT"
in Dwarvish, with an arrow pointing toward the south-
west tunnel.33. SHOTS I N THE DARK
This room is empty except for a pair of loaded wooden
ballistae aimed squarely at the doors. When either door
is opened, magic causes the ballista across from the
door to discharge its wooden bolt, targeting the first
creature in its path. Each ballista has a +6 bonus to hit
and deals 16 (3d10) piercing damage on a hit.
The ballistae are securely bolted to the floor, and each
comes equipped with one bolt.- CHASM'S EDGE
This hall terminates abruptly at the edge of the lava-lit
chasm. If the characters make a lot of noise here, they
attract the attention of Netherskull in a rea 39c, who flies
into the chasm and attacks them.
35. SCYTHE-SEEING
Chasm. The southern end of this chamber has col-
lapsed into a lava-filled chasm (see area 40). Swelter-
ing heat from the lava fills the room.
Doors. The northern half of the room is empty except
for two doors. T he door in the north wall is round and
made of adamantine (see area 39c).
Corpse. Between the northern and southern halves
of the room, where the room is narrowest, a female
dwarf has fallen prey to a scythe trap, her dead body
pinned between the trap's blades and the western
wall. Halaster has placed a teleport trap (see "Teleport
Traps," page 194) just south of the scythe trap.SCYTHE TRAP
If the dead dwarf is disturbed, the scythe blades shatter
due to the built-up pressure from the gears hidden in the
walls. Any creature within S feet of the broken trap must
s ucceed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or be struck
by flying broken blades for 9 (2d8) slashing damage. A
character proficient with thieves' tools can use them to
try to safely release the pressure and render the trap
harmless, doing so with a successful DC 20 Dexterity
check. If this check fails by S or more, the trap flies
apart as described above.