- HIDDEN HELM
A 10-foot-square, 1-foot-thick secret door conceals this
room. Despite its size, the door swings open easily.
Beyond the secret door is a circular room with a
20 -foot-high, domed ceiling. It has these features:
Spelljamming Helm. In the middle of the room is a
gilded wooden throne with a cushioned seat and back-
rest covered in black velvet sewn with silver stars.
This high-backed, 200-pound chair is the helm of the
Scavenger, which was stolen by Halaster from the ship
of the same name (see level 19, area 13).
Sensors. Near the ceiling float four invisible scrying
sensors created by the four ultroloths in area 21a us-
ing clairvoyance spells. If the ultroloths spot intruders
in the room, they teleport to this location and attack.
HELM OF THE SCAVENGER
Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by a
spellcaster)
This ornate chair is designed to propel and maneuver a
ship through space.
Passive Properties. The following properties of
the helm come into play even when no creature is at-
tuned to it:- When placed aboard a vessel weighing between 1
and 100 tons, the helm generates an envelope of fresh
air around the ship while it is in the void of space
(but not underwater). This envelope extends out from
the edges of the hull in all directions for a distance
equal in length to the vessel's beam, so that creatures
aboard and near the ship can breathe normally in
space. The temperature within the air envelope is 70
degrees Fahrenheit. - When placed aboard a vessel weighing between 1 and
100 tons, the helm generates an artificial gravity field
while the ship is in the void of space, so that creatures
can walk on the ship's decks as they normally would.
Creatures and objects that fall overboard bob in a
gravity plane that extends out from the main deck for
a distance equal in length to the vessel's beam.
Active Properties. The sensation of being attuned
to the helm is akin to being immersed in warm water.
While attuned to the helm, you gain the following abili-
ties while you sit in it: - You can use the helm to propel the vessel across or
through water and other liquids at a maximum speed
in miles per hour equal to your highest-level unex-
pended spell slot. - You can use the helm to propel the vessel through air
or space at a maximum speed in miles per hour equal
to your highest-level unexpended spell slot x 10. - Provided you have at least one unexpended spell slot,
you can steer the vessel, albeit in a somewhat clumsy
fashion, in much the same way that oars or a rudder
can maneuver a seafaring ship. - Whenever you like, you can see what's happening on
and around the vessel as though you were standing in
a location of your choice aboard it.
Drawback. While attuned to the helm, you cannot ex-
pend your own spell slots.- DISPLACED VAULT
These chambers were built by Melairkyn dwarves on
another level. Halaster moved them here.
21A. ACID AND GLASS
Ultroloths. Four ultroloths (each marked with a U on
map 23) lurk in alcoves along the north and south
walls of this 30 -foot-high room.
Glass-Covered Acid Pit. The floor is a 6-inch-thick
sheet of transparent glass, below which is a 30-foot-
deep pit containing a 20-foot-deep pool of yellow acid.
Visible through the churning, translucent acid are
three I-foot-diameter pitted iron wheels affixed to the
pit floor in a triangular formation.
Secret Door. A secret door in the east wall is locked.
The ultroloths spend most of their time using clair-
voyance spells to scry on area 20, but they emerge from
their alcoves to attack anyone other than Halaster who
enters this room. Their purpose here is to guard area
21b. The acid pit doesn't concern the ultroloths, since
they have immunity to acid damage.
Each 10 -foot-square section of glass floor has AC 13, a
damage threshold of 10, 25 hit points, and immunity to
poison and psychic damage. Destroying three or more
10 -foot-square sections causes the remainder of the
glass floor to shatter, dropping all creatures standing
on it into the acid. Any creature that enters the acid or
starts its turn in it takes 33 (6d10) acid damage.
A character can use an action to try to turn one of the
iron wheels at the bottom of the acid pit, doing so with
a successful DC 16 Strength (Athletics) check. A wheel
can also be turned by a character using a telekinesis
spell or similarly powerful magic. Turning all three
wheels unlocks the secret door to area 21b.
The secret door is above the acid and held shut by
three internal sliding bolt locks, each of which is at-
tached to one of the submerged iron wheels in the acid
pit. In lieu of turning those wheels, characters need
three separate knock spells to open the door (one per
lock). The door can't be forced open otherwise. Once all
three bolts are slid back, the door pushes open easily.21B. N IMOAR^1 S S HIELD
This room appears empty except for dust and cobwebs.
A thorough search reveals a stone peg protruding from
the middle of the east wall at a height of 6 feet.
Treasure. If the word "xunderbrok" is spoken aloud
anywhere in this room, a wooden shield materializes
on the stone peg. Iron spikes protrude from the shield's
edges, and a cracked ore skull is painted in black on its
outer surface. A legend lore spell reveals that the shield
was crafted for Nimoar, a legendary human warlord who
died in 936 DR. After his death, the shield disappeared
from Nimoar's Hold (a fortress that stood where Castle
Waterdeep stands today), only to find its way here.
Nimoar's shield is a +3 shield with no additional magi-
cal properties.LEVEL 23 I MAD WIZARD'S LAIR 297