The Caves of Deshault
Waytravel to the Caves of Deshault
A s the crackling of the waygate settles, the sound of dripping water and the howling of a bonechilling, eerie draft greets you. A few moments pass and the waygate's energy disperses, plunging the cavern into darkness. Though mostly quiet, the occasional scratching, scurrying, scuttling, or screeching signify that you're not alone in the freezing Caves of Deshault. The dwarven city of Therfarum also resides within this cave system, about one day's travel from the waygate. Tier III Waypint | The Iron Coin will not allow anyone through of 10th level or lower. The monsters present flee instinctively should anyone of 16th level or higher arrive.Extreme Cold
This location suffers from extreme cold. Whenever the temperature is at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, a creature exposed to the cold must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw at the end of each hour or gain one level of exhaustion. Creatures with resistance or immunity to cold damage automatically succeed on the saving throw, as do creatures wearing cold weather gear (thick coats, gloves, and the like) and creatures naturally adapted to cold climates.The Caves of Deshault Special Encounters
The following encounters appear only once. When they have been slain and their rewards taken, they do not return. Notify a DM, so that they can list the slayer.Plaguebreather
| CR/Monster | Reward Type | Soloable? | Slayer(s) | Date Slain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CR 12: Oinoloth | Treasure Hoard | Yes | N/A |
WANTED: Plaguebreather A hideos creature of death and decay was loosed by one of Therfarum's enemies some centuries ago. The creature was thought to have been thwarted but appears to have only delved deep into the caves. An unfortunate miner returned to his encampment detailing what he saw before the boils consumed his body. The contagion spread and claimed the lives of those miners. We had to put the pieces together from the discovered ruins of their camp...
Prerequisites
- Expend 5 Lore, Divine Favor, Middle- or Upper-class Contacts.
- Travel 5 days in the subterranean caverns. 6d100 per day, 76+ resuls in a wilderness encounter.
- Complete 3 Medium encounters. Add a cave fisher onto that encounter (if a medium encounter is a CR 3 and 2 CR 1/2, you ADD a Cave Fisher onto that).
- You run into the cave fisher lair the Plaguebreather uses as a cover for its own lair; you must defeat twenty cave fishers in one encounter.
- While you are looking for The Plaguebreather, you must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity Saving Throw, Initiative Check, or Perception Check to spot it. Failure means it gets a free claw attack against you; it remains untargetable until you pass this check.
- If more than one individual shows up to hunt the Plaguebreather, the gases in its lair increase, causing hallucinations, and there are now two Oinoloth's that join initiative.
Encounter Notes
!i madd oinoloth -name "The Plaguebringer" -hp 180 adv !i add 0 "Lair Action" -p 100The Plaguebreather has advantage on initative checks and starts off with 180 hit points. If more than one individual shows up to hunt the her, both hallucinations have 180 hit points and roll advantage for initiative. The Plaguebringer has already blighted the entrace to her lair. The moment you begin the encounter, you must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a successful save, the creature is immune to the oinoloth’s Bringer of Plagues for the next 24 hours. On a failed save, the creature takes 14 (4d6) necrotic damage and is poisoned. She begins the encounter with Bringer of Plagues recharged. Her lair is a large cavern, 120-foot radius, with stalactites and stalagmites--plenty of obstacles for her to hid behind. If she is dealt more than 25 damage in one turn, she will use an action to teleport to a random location near a stalagmite and then utilize a bonus action to hide. While outside of your range, she will cast her spells. On her lair action, she can utilize her teleport action. If she falls below 50 hit points, she will use Corrupted Healing on herself.
Loot
- Coins: 1,800pp 9,000gp
- Art Objects: Lost Therfarum Goblet (1750gp), Vial of Oinoloth Pus (1750gp), Oni's Marriage Band (1750gp)
- Items: Dwarven Plate, Nine Lives Stealer, Widow Maker (Rapier, +3)
Qaldryr
| CR/Monster | Reward Type | Soloable? | Slayer(s) | Date Slain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CR 13: Beholder | Treasure Hoard | Yes | N/A |
Rumor: Qaldryr There do be rumors o' the destruction o' Kutiir. Beams o' death an' destruction rainin' from the sky durin' a storm. Nonsense if ye ask me. Probably jus' a freak lightnin' storm.
Prerequisites
- Expend 10 Lore, Divine Favor, Middle- or Upper-class Contacts.
- You may only discover Qaldryr's existence after succeeding on three Hard, Slow Skill Challenges.
- You must complete 5 lines of dialogue with a shady figure to learn of Qaldryr's whereabouts followed by fast medium skill challenge.
- The shady figure will then try to assassinate you. It is an assassin. Make a DC 15 Dexterity Saving Throw. Failure means the assassin gets a surprise round.
- Travel 3 days in the subterranean caverns. 6d100 per day, 76+ resuls in a wilderness encounter.
Encounter Notes
!i madd beholder -name "The Qaldryr" -hp 225 !i add 0 "Lair Action" -p 20 !i add 50 dm !map dm -bg https://i.redd.it/5q1moh5xexw61.png -options c60d -mapsize 34x34 !map -t qal|ac27|l|w||40You start at F6.
- At the conclusion of your third day of travel (before you've taken a long rest), you stumble into Qaldryr. !heydm is Qaldryr doing anything to draw my attention? unlikely. If the answer is no, then you must pass a DC 22 stealth check to prevent Qaldryr from gaining a surprise round. This roll is required for each member of your party. Those who pass are not surprised.
- For each member of your party, Qaldryr gets one Legendary Action that happens at the end of your turn, up to a maximum of three legendary actions.
- You are required to roll a d10 to determine which eye ray is used, rerolling duplicates. This must be visible for the DM to see. The number rolled is the associated eye ray on the Beholder monster block.
- Qaldryr will always keep distance from you. The lair is a massive cavern with a ceiling 150-feet high. If you have magical flight, you can count on it using its anti-magic field to suppress it.
- Qaldryr has lair actions every turn and will use them.
- If paralyzed, put to sleep, or telekineticked, Qaldryr will try to drop you into the bottomless pit with a telekinesis ray in which you'll fall forever or be devoured by the walls of writhing tentacles.
The Lair
A beholder’s central lair is typically a large, spacious cavern with high ceilings, where it can attack without fear of closing to melee range. When fighting inside its lair, Qaldryr can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. Roll a d3. If no one is within 10 feet of a wall, roll a d2 and exclude the grasping appendages as an option.- A 50-foot square area of ground within 120 feet of the beholder becomes slimy; that area is difficult terrain until initiative count 20 on the next round.
- Walls within 120 feet of the beholder sprout grasping appendages until initiative count 20 on the round after next. Each creature of the beholder’s choice that starts its turn within 10 feet of such a wall must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be grappled. Escaping requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
- An eye opens on a solid surface within 60 feet of the beholder. One random eye ray of the beholder shoots from that eye at a target of the beholder’s choice that it can see. The eye then closes and disappears.
Loot
- Coins: 1,200pp, 12,000gp
- Gems: 2x Black Opal, 2x Blue Sapphire, 3x Opal, 2x Star Ruby, 1x Star Sapphire, 2x Yellow Sapphire
- Items: Potion of Cloud Giant Strength labeled in Leonin
Rethokseza
| CR/Monster | Reward Type | Soloable? | Slayer(s) | Date Slain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CR 14: Death Tyrant | Treasure Hoard | Yes | N/A |
Ambush: Rethokseza Rethokseza was slain by King Bifund Frosthand and his troup of elite battlemages, of whom three fell. The beholder's redemption from death is currently unknown by any and will appear only when it senses the presence of two or more very rare items...
Prerequisites
- Expend 10 Lore, Divine Favor, Middle- or Upper-class Contacts.
- You may encounter Rethokseza only after wandering in the Caves of Deshault for 15 cumunalitve days with at least two very rare magic items on your person. At the close of the 15th day, before you long rest, it finds you. 6d100 per day, 76+ resuls in a wilderness encounter.
- Complete 5 lines of dialogue in which your character speaks of feeling as if they're being watched even when they aren't.
- At the end of the 13th and 14th days, roll a d20 for each member of your party. On a result of 10 or lower, the creature is subjected to one random eye ray of the tyrant.
- After the fight, you must journey home for at least two days. 6d100 per day, 76+ resuls in a wilderness encounter. At the conclusion of each day, roll a d20 for each member of your party. On a result of 10 or lower, the creature is subjected to one random eye ray of the tyrant.
Encounter Notes
!i madd "Death Tyrant" -name "Rethokseza" -hp 300 !i add 0 "Lair Action" -p 20 !i add 50 dm !map -options c65d -mapsize 65x95 -bg https://i.redd.it/aujcdqpjmgm71.jpg -view m66:46x25
- At the conclusion of your fifteenth day of travel (before you've taken a long rest), you stumble into Rethokseza. !heydm is Rethokseza doing anything to draw my attention? unlikely. If the answer is no, then you must pass a DC 22 stealth check to prevent Rethokseza from gaining a surprise round. This roll is required for each member of your party. Those who pass are not surprised.
- For each member of your party, Rethokseza gets one Legendary Action that happens at the end of your turn, up to a maximum of three legendary actions.
- You are required to roll a d10 to determine which eye ray is used, rerolling duplicates. This must be visible for the DM to see. The number rolled is the associated eye ray on the Death Tyrant monster block.
- Rethokseza will always keep distance from you. The lair is a massive cavern with a ceiling 150-feet high. Dying in its Negative Energy Cone, even with insurance, turns you into a zombie under the death tryant's command. You may return as an Awakened Undead: Revenant, automatically at level 5. You may keep your class or choose a new one. You keep one of the items you previously had. Rethokseza is your master now, and you will participate in any future attempts in heroes trying to slay Rethokseza, fighting on Rethokseza's side. If Rethokseza is slain before you, you are free of his control.
- Rethokseza has lair actions every turn and will use them.
The Lair
A death tyrant's central lair is typically a large, spacious cavern with high ceilings, where it can attack without fear of closing to melee range. When fighting inside its lair, Rethokseza can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. Roll a d4. If no one is within 10 feet of a wall, roll a d3 and exclude the grasping appendages as an option.- An area that is a 50-foot cube within 120 feet of the tyrant is filled with spectral eyes and tentacles. To creatures other than the death tyrant, that area is lightly obscured and difficult terrain until initiative count 20 on the next round.
- Walls sprout spectral appendages until initiative count 20 on the round after next. Any creature, including one on the Ethereal Plane, that is hostile to the tyrant and starts its turn within 10 feet of a wall must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or be grappled. Escaping requires a successful DC 17 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
- A spectral eye opens in the air at a point within 50 feet of the tyrant. One random eye ray of the tyrant shoots from that eye, which is considered to be an ethereal source, at a target of the tyrant’s choice. The eye then closes and disappears.
- Globules of blood hang suspended in the air at 1 - Z79, 2 - AR79, 3 - Y68, 4 - AS68, 5 - AD73, 6 - AM73, 7 - O87, 8 - BC85, and 9 - AG78. Roll a d10, rerolling twice on a result of a 10. Those globules explode, causing 8d6 acid damage to anyone within 20 feet, or in the case of 1, 2, or 9, 10d8 acid damage to anyone within 30 feet.
Loot
- Coins: 2,000pp, 18,000gp
- Art Objects: A scepter made of solidified blood worth 1,125gp, The Sword of Dhahkir worth 1,125gp, The Swin-rah Painting worth 1,125gp, matching platinum eye stalk bookends worth 1,125gp
- Items: Ioun Stone of Agility, Oathbow
Aro, Dwarfbane
| CR/Monster | Reward Type | Soloable? | Slayer(s) | Date Slain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CR 15: Adult Sapphire Dragon | Bounty: A King's Reward | DM Adventure | N/A |
Contract: Aro, Dwarfbane The dragoness Aro has been a constant thorn in our side. Much of our wealth and strength as a nation comes from the channeling crystals we mine from these caverns. Aro has decided to build herself up a hoard of these wondrous stones, piling them up as if hoards of treasure. She's reached the point of aggression and theft; such an act cannot go unpunished. If she's willing to parlay, so be it. She does help to keep The Tunneler at bay. If you do slay her, you'll also be rewarded. Though know the caverns will be significantly less safe...
About Aro
Personality. I cannot resist a game of dragonchess—which, I will have you know, my ancestors probably invented. Give me a storied helmet or scimitar over a pile of gold any day.Ideal. Knowledge. The stories surrounding every piece in my collection are as important as the treasures themselves. (Any)
Adventure Hook. A village is beset by swarms of giant spiders drawn to the area when a sapphire dragon took up residence nearby. Ridding the village of the spiders means tampering with the dragon’s food supply.
Dragon Connections. An adult sapphire dragon and an aboleth psychically face off for control of an area of the Underdark. The constant bombardment of psychic forces has begun to affect the local fauna in strange ways.
Prerequisites
- Expend 10 Upper-class Contacts.
- Roleplay a five-dialogue scenario in which you speak with King Bifund Frosthand to receive the quest to slay Aro
- Utilize the travel system to discover a subterranean settlement (it's a village). This village has been beset by giant spiders; ignore the Caves of Deshault monster list and instead fight spiders of the appropriate difficulty. You must complete a medium quest to clear the village of the spiders. Roll 6d100 to check for random wilderness encounters each day (encounters on 26 or below) until you discover the settlement.
- The village had barred your way to the direction of your hunt. Occasionally you hear roars and the tunnels quake. The fungal plant life in the region has come alive. You must complete a hard quest against plant-type creatures that have been awakened by the aboleth/dragon showdown.
- Roleplay a five-dialogue scenario in which you witness Aro catch and destroy a purple worm. Nope out of there and leave to recruit friends--now that you know the location of its lair.
Encounter Notes
!i madd "Adult Sapphire Dragon" -name "Aro, Dwarfbane" -hp 324 -ac 20 !i add 0 "Lair Action" -p 20 !i add 50 dm !map dm -bg https://i.redd.it/p0y1z74is6k61.jpg -options c72d -mapsize 22x33
- Up to the running DM
The Lair
- Up to the running DM
Loot
In addition to the rewards dealt out by the running DM, the following rewards are guaranteed.- Coins: 2,100pp, 14,000gp
- Gems: 2x Black Opal, 5x Blue Sapphire, 4x Emerald, 1x Fire Opal, 2x Opal, 2x Star Ruby, 1x Star Sapphire, 1x Yellow Sapphire
- Items: Potion of Stone Giant Strength labeled in Common, Potion of Clairvoyance labeled in Halfling, Potion of Superior Healing labeled in Common, Spell Scroll of Insect Plague labeled in Goblin, Spell Scroll of Cloudkill labeled in Draconic
The Tunneler
| CR/Monster | Reward Type | Soloable? | Slayer(s) | Date Slain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CR 15: Purple Worm | Bounty: A King's Reward | DM Adventure | N/A |
Contract: The Tunneler A beast of incredible size and power haunts the far reaches of our caverns. The cave system goes uncharted to the east, past Antilda's Watch, and the west past Hogan's Stand. We cannot tell if there is one or many; we only know that all who venture past these far outposts never return. It seems to listen to the vibrations in the earth and know when its prey is near. After hundreds of years of recording, we've noticed that it seems to steer clear of Aro's lair.
Prerequisites
- Aro has been pacified or slain.
Encounter Notes
!i madd "Purple Worm" -name "The Tunneler" -hp 390 -ac 20 !i madd "Purple Wormling" -name "# Tunneler Wormling" -n 4 -hp 65 !i add 50 dm !map dm -bg https://i.pinimg.com/originals/39/47/5f/39475f9f74e00ddb727393e0467d346a.jpg -options c60d -mapsize 58x58
- Four join the encounter with max hit points. They have a 30-foot burrow speed and a 50-foot movement speed. They benefit from Pack Tactics while two or more remain alive.
- The rest is up to the running DM
The Lair
- The tunnels are its lair; it gets lair actions that are:
- Up to the running DM
Loot
In addition to the rewards dealt out by the running DM, the following rewards are guaranteed.- Coins: 1,300pp 15,000gp
- Art Objects: Petrified Purple Worm Eye worth 875gp, Purple Worm Tooth Necklace worth 875gp, Dead Hero's Grail worth 875gp, Stomach-acid etched ironwood haft worth 875gp, 2x Therfarum Crystals worth 875gp each
- Items: Spell Scroll of <> labeled in Draconic, Potion of Healing labeled in Undercommon, Potion of Climbing labeled in Sylvan, Potion of Healing labeled in Goblin, Spell Scroll of <> labeled in Gnomish, Dust of Sneezing and Choking (Unidentified), Cloak of the Manta Ray (Unidentified)
Natural Resources
Creatures of CR 2 or higher may be in the area of units of Ebrium Fungus, which can be harvested in this region. New World Harvesting GuideEbrium Fungus
This brown fungus is known by its strong odor and potent poison when dried and ground. Unit value: 10 gp
Bomb effect: Bomb (poison)
Poison effect: Weakness (Strength)
Potion effect: Resistance (thunder)
Mithril
This white-silver metal is lighter and flexible than common steel. Unit value: 250 gp
Armor: Used to craft mithral armor
Weapon: Two-handed weapons made with mithral lose the heavy property and all other weapons gain the light feature.
The Caves of Deshault Solo Encounters
CR ¼: TroglodyteCR ½: Firenewt Warrior
CR 1: Fire Snake, Firenewt Warlock of Imix, Duergar
CR 2: Adult Kruthik, Duergar, Gelatinous Cube
CR 3: Cave Fisher, Hook Horror
CR 4: Black Pudding, Barghast
CR 5: Roper, Earth Elemental
CR 6: Duergar Warlock, Gauth
CR 7: Mindflayer, Stone Giant, Warlock of the Fiend
