13A. UPPER DECK
Ballistae. Three ballistae are mounted on the forward
deck, and a fourth on the aft deck. Four gray slaadi
shapechanged into orogs operate the ballistae, one
per weapon.
Hatch. Not visible from the floor of the cavern is an
open hatch with a ladder that descends to area 13b.
A ballista is a Large object with AC 15, 50 hit points,
and immunity to poison and psychic damage. Before it
can be fired, a ballista must be loaded and aimed. (The
ballistae are loaded when the characters first arrive.)
It takes one action to load the weapon, one action to
aim it, and one action to fire it (+6 to hit, range 120 / 480
ft. , one target). On a hit, a ballista bolt deals 16 (3d10)
piercing damage.
Each ballista comes with ten bolts stored in a rack
built into the weapon's stand. A swivel base gives each
ballista a firing arc of 180 degrees.
The slaadi have been trained to load, aim, and fire the
ballistae. They defend the deck against all boarders, re-
lying on their darkvision to keep watch.13B. CARGO HOLD
Ladder. A ladder bolted to a wall climbs to the upper
deck (area 13a). Hanging upside down on the ladder is
a dead orog in plate armor.
Crates. A second dead orog in plate armor, along with
its greataxe, lies amid the wreckage of several wooden
crates. Toward the back of the hold are five intact
wooden crates and five wooden chests secured under
heavy cargo nets.
Dead Cook. The hallway leading toward the lower
deck's forward sections contains a third dead orog,
this one wearing a bloodstained apron and no armor.
The dead orog on the ladder hangs by one of its spiked
boots. A character can use an action to dislodge the dan-
gling fellow. Examination of all three orogs reveals that
their skulls were cracked open and their brains sucked
out- the hallmark of a mind flayer attack. The orog in
the apron lies outside the door to area 13c.
Treasure. The crew plundered most of the food sup-
plies before fleeing the ship, leaving behind five treasure
chests and five intact crates (numbered below for ease
of bookkeeping). The chests are unlocked, their locks
broken off.
Chest 1 contains 400 sp, 180 gp, and three gold brace-
lets (25 gp each). Half buried by coins is a 5-inch-diam-
eter miniature beholder made of enameled gold with a
black pearl central eye and multicolored spinels at the
ends of its eyestalks (2,500 gp).
Chest 2 contains six bolts of elven silk (50 gp each)
and an engraved box containing five 3-inch-tall figu-
rines-each one depicting a kind of metallic dragon and
made of the appropriate metal (250 gp for the set).
Chest 3 contains six vials of stardust that radiate an
aura of illusion magic under the scrutiny of a detect
magic spell. An identify spell or similar magic reveals
that the dust has a singular magical property. Any crea-
ture that sprinkles the dust over itself gains the ability
to cast the dream spell once as an action (spell save DC
15), requiring no components.
Chest 4 contains 320 gp and a silk pouch holding four
blue pellets, each of which reproduces the magical prop-
erty of a potion of healing when swallowed.
Chest 5 contains a matching set of five copper goblets
with silver filigree (25 gp each), a black coral necklace
(250 gp), and a mummified elven hand wearing two
gem-studded gold rings (250 gp each).
Crates 1 through 3 contain poisoned rations. A char-
acter who inspects these rations and succeeds on a DC
10 Wisdom (Survival) check can tell that they're unfit
to eat. Any creature that ingests a helping of poisoned
rations must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving
throw or be poisoned for 24 hours.
Crate 4 contains 60 days of edible dry rations.
Crate 5 is stamped with the symbol of a smiling
gnome face encircled with the words "KRICKENHOF'S
KRAFTWERKS" in carnival letters. Packed in pea-
nuts are three gnome inventions: a spring-loaded pogo
stick (25 gp), a wind-up tomato masher (125 gp), and a
strap-on helmet with a wooden propeller mounted to the
top of it. This propeller helm is an uncommon wondrous
item to which only a Small humanoid can attune. While
worn, the helm allows its wearer to use an action to cast
the levitate spell, requiring no components. The helm's
propeller spins and whirs loudly until the spell ends.
Each time the spell ends, there is a 50 percent chance
that the helm loses its magic and becomes nonmagical.13c. GALLEY AND MESS HALL
This room contains a dining table, six stools, and a
small iron stove. Cupboards built into the walls have
been thrown open, their contents (utensils and dish-
ware) scattered across the floor.
Casting a detect magic spell in this cabin reveals an
aura of evocation magic emanating from inside the wall
that separates this room from area 13d.
Treasure. Characters who search the cabin and suc-
ceed on a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) spot a tiny hole at
the base of the wall that separates this cabin from area
13d. Two feet above this hole, lodged inside the wall, is
a sending stone. (The matching stone can be found with
the orog first mate in area 2.)
If a character removes the sending stone from the
wall, a miniature giant space hamster scuttles out of the
hole in the base of the wall and looks rather put out. The
space hamster looks remarkably like a normal hamster.
It has the statistics of a rat but no attacks (and is worth
0 XP). It has made a nice lair for itself in the walls of the
ship but poses no danger if it's disturbed. A character
can befriend the hamster by offering it food.13D. CAPTAIN'S STATEROOM
Walls. The resin walls are sculpted and painted to look
like glossy black tentacles entwined around one an-
other and the screaming elves in their grasp.
Easel and Paintings. Resting on a wooden easel in the
middle of the cabin is a half-finished canvas painting
of a colorful alien landscape. Next to the easel, several
paintbrushes and jars of paint lie on a small table.
Five finished paintings of other alien landscapes are
leaning against the back of the easel.L.EVEL 19 I CAVERNS OF OOZE