Tomb of the
Dusk Queen
CREDITS
Design
Sersa Victory (sersavictory.itch.io)
Illustrations
Front Cover by Jenn Mansell
Dusk Queen Illustration © Cattallina / Adobe Stock
Card Borders © Tartila / Adobe Stock
Other illustrations from Pixabay and game-icons.net
LICENSE
Tomb of the Dusk Queen is an independent product published under
the Shadowdark RPG Third-Party License and is not affiliated with
The Arcane Library, LLC. Shadowdark RPG © 2023 The Arcane Library,
LLC. Module text © 2023 Trident Gamebooks, LLC.
1
ADVENTURE BACKGROUND
Beneath a colossal tree of golden leaves lies a maze of root-choked
catacombs. It is in these catacombs that the Dusk Queen of legend is
entombed with her royal treasures. However, deathless guardians
and devious tricks await any who would intrude on her sleep…
CHARACTER LEVEL
Tomb of the Dusk Queen is a simple but deadly dungeon delve
designed for 1st-level characters.
DANGER LEVEL
Unsafe. Check every 3 crawling rounds for random encounters.
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
d6
Details
1
1d6 war-maiden skeletons rise from rubble and attack
2
Ghost (female elf) of enchanted sword’s original owner
appears to reclaim sword—by force if necessary
3
NPC thief (female human) flees from chamber further into
Dusk Queen’s tomb—roll reaction as normal
4
Cave creeper scuttles down from shadowy ceiling
5
Mithril suit of animated armor reforms and attacks
6
Golden roots snake down from ceiling and seal off
passageway of GM’s choice for 3 crawling rounds
2
DUNGEON KEY
1. BURIAL MOUND
Pillars: Covered in roots from aboveground, sickly yellow flowers
bloom from the roots. Burial Mound: Nearly reaches the ceiling.
•
Mound: Disturbing mound causes six war-maiden skeletons to
rise and attack.
•
Rotted Coffin: Buried in mound. Contains moldering bones,
mithril bracelet worth 25 gp, enchanted mithril longsword, scroll
of fireball, scroll of invisibility, and full moon guidance stone.
RUMORS
d6
Rumor
1
A young woman claiming to be the great-granddaughter
of the Dusk Queen went missing in the tomb
2
A false scepter lures thieves to an agonizing death
3
The ghost of an Elvish warrior buried in the tomb haunts
those who steal her secret door-detecting sword
4
Those who harvest sacred wheat keep a secret
5
A scroll of fireball in the tomb is cursed to incinerate the
caster instead of her targets
6
The gelatinous cube cannot harm someone carrying the
Dusk Queen’s holy symbol
3
4
2. SEALING CORRIDOR
Walls: Sagging and covered in roots.
•
Pressure Plate: Obvious to characters, marked “T” on map.
Applying force or weight to pressure plate causes wall to slide
shut over area marked “X” on the map.
•
Slow Grinding: Characters triggering trap have time to choose
between staying in this area or jumping back to area 1.
3. RUINED IDOL
Rubble: Toppled remains of Dusk Queen idol. Centipedes: Pick at
smaller vermin in rubble. Broken Down Wall: Leads north into cave.
•
Mold-Covered Portcullis: Rusted shut and covered in yellow
mold. Characters can see area 6 beyond. Characters disturbing or
burning mold must roll DC 21 CON or die after 1 crawling round.
4. TWILIGHT GROTTO
Twilight: Falls in dim shafts through cracks in ceiling. Bones and
Feathers: Carpet ground. Silver Chest: In center of grotto.
•
Owlbear Zombie: Lairs in cave and attacks.
•
Halfling Youth: Appear on round 2, throw rocks at characters,
owlbear, or both.
•
Open Chest: Contains shiny stones, bird eggs, trinkets worth 10
gp, and mud-caked holy symbol bearing image of golden tree.
5
5. HEROINE’S TOMB
Murals: Depicts Elvish warrior-woman in scale armor riding basilisk
into battle. Ceiling: Dark, high. Sarcophagus: Atop tier, polished.
•
Search for Traps: Mithril arrowheads scattered across ground. No
apparent trap on exterior of sarcophagus.
•
Open Sarcophagus: Heavy, requires combined STR of 30.
Magnetic arrows fire from dark ceiling high above at all in
chamber. DC 15 DEX or 1d4 damage and magnetic arrowheads
embedded in flesh until end of adventure.
•
Look In Sarcophagus: Empty. Hidden crawl at bottom to area 6.
•
Magnetic Arrowheads: If lightning bolt cast in presence of
character with magnetic arrowheads embedded in flesh, 50%
chance bolt will target them instead.
6. OBELISK AND SCEPTER
Obelisk: Preserved body of Elvish warrior woman in scale armor
stands within obelisk. She holds scepter and wears scarab.
•
Reach into Obelisk: Blades scythe across opening, +5 to hit, 2d6
damage. If reduced to 0 hp, hands severed and scuttle away
through cracks in walls. Will return later at inopportune time
(GM’s discretion) to steal item character is about to use.
•
Search for Traps: Withered and greedy severed hands in dirt in
front of body. DC 18 DEX to disable blades; failure triggers attack.
•
Treasure: Scepter of the Dusk Queen, scarab of drain resistance,
and mithril signet ring worth 50 gp.
6
7. SCOURED PASSAGEWAY
Corridor: Narrow with moist walls. Remarkably free of debris.
Skeleton: Human, appears to float halfway down passageway.
•
Gelatinous Cube: Lurks invisible in middle of passageway.
•
Keepsake: Locket on skeleton inside gelatinous cube. Contains
painted portrait of young human male and Elvish woman. If
returned to Morwen, she rewards them with Elvish word to
activate random utility item on her corpse in area 8—“vála.”
8. HALL OF PLASTER
Ceilings: High and vaulted. Braziers: Cast iron, cage-like, hang at 10’
intervals from ceiling. Walls: Covered in plaster murals depicting
women harvesting wheat by light of colossal golden tree. Sound:
Faint sound of women singing harvest hymns.
•
Secret Door: Behind image of Dusk Queen painted in mural.
Opened by pressing stone button in crown. Found by explicitly
searching queen’s image, wielding secret door-detecting sword,
or heeding rumor about women who harvest wheat.
•
Collapsed Stairway: Through archway in southeast wall. Ghost of
Morwen lingers 30’ down above her broken and buried corpse.
•
Morwen, Descendent of Dusk Queen. Young female elf thief.
Laments she did not perish in sight of her love. Random utility
magic item on corpse, offers activation word if characters bring
her keepsake of her beloved. Also has fragile silver spear.
•
Dimension Door: Green misty portal leading to area 13. Cast by
Morwen using scroll. She has knowledge of area 13’s layout.
7
9. FALSE CROWN
Walls: Rounded, decorated with mithril plates depicting Dusk Queen
on her throne. Ceiling: High above, crescent moon-shaped opening.
Moonlight: Shines on crown on pedestal. Smell: Spoiled meat.
•
Cave Creepers: Mated pair ambush characters entering chamber.
•
Inspect Crown Up Close: A fake—it’s rotted wood painted gold.
10. ENCHANTED MOSAIC
Walls: Mosaic of painted stones depicting robed woman facing
mountain peaks, raising her arms in jubilation toward colossal
crescent moon rising above horizon.
•
Oracle of Dusk: If mosaic is touched, stones rearrange
themselves to show robed woman beckoning characters. She
identifies herself as Oracle of Dusk and offers to truthfully answer
one “yes-or-no” question about dungeon.
11. BONFIRE
Cave: Cramped, damp, mossy. Bonfire: Some kindling remains.
•
Light Bonfire. Once per adventure, restores all hit points and
expended spells. Must be lit and used as group.
•
Roleplaying. Ask each character what they are thinking about
while resting in silence around crackling fire.
8
12. CHARNEL BASILISK
Stalagmites and Stalactites: Dot chamber like fangs of some great
behemoth. Rainwater: Runs down in rivulets from ceiling. Urns:
Overflowing piles eroding in rainwater puddles. Smell: Reeks of lizard
and rotten eggs. Sound: Crunching rock.
•
Spilled Urns: Wedding bands worth 25 gp and matched pair of
rings of protection. Elvish marriage vows engraved on both rings.
•
Basilisk: Devours stone urns, defends nest.
•
Search Urns: If searching after defeating basilisk, characters find
Crown of the Dusk Queen. Searching during battle takes an
action, 1-in-6 chance of finding crown.
13. ROYAL HALL
Statues: Armored Elvish women holding up holy symbols debossed
with moon and colossal tree symbols. Double Doors: Sealed, no
handles, engraved with stylized colossal tree and mourning Elvish
women. Smell: Baking cinnamon.
•
Dimension Door: Created by Morwen, leads back to area 8.
•
Sealed Door: Raise holy symbol found in area 4 to open doors.
•
Trap: Attempting to open doors without first raising holy symbol
from area 4 causes images of burning great tree to cover doors.
Heat swells. Each character must roll DC 18 CON or take 1d6
damage per active light source. Fell wind puts out flames and
extinguishes all light sources afterward.
9
14. GRAND TOMB OF DUSK
Ceiling: Stretches into gloom above. Columns: Massive, round,
covered in shifting roots thick as sea serpents. Roots: Glow from
within with golden light that pulses like heartbeat, motes flit like
fireflies between roots.
•
Well: Filled with brackish water, 20’ deep. Rusted iron door at
bottom of well is locked. Darkness and water pressure makes
lock picking extremely difficult (DC 24).
•
Throne: Chiseled from coal-colored marble. Dusk Queen statue
sits 10’ tall on throne, missing crown and scepter. Half-moon
tapestries frame her artfully sculpted flowing hair and stern gaze.
•
Replace Scepter and Crown: Throne retracts to reveal Dusk
Queen’s sarcophagus beneath. Chiseled from onyx and glitters
with first stars of twilight.
•
Open Sarcophagus: Contains exquisite jewelry worth 600 gp,
potion of extra-healing, scroll of lightning bolt, and well-gaol key.
Also contains Dusk Queen mummy, who rises and attacks.
ENDING THE ADVENTURE
The Dusk Queen’s scepter and crown fetch 300 gp if sold as a pair.
The locked steel door at the bottom of the well can be opened with
the well-gaol key found in the Dusk Queen’s sarcophagus.
Doing so causes the water in the well to drain away, rushing down a
flight of spiral steps deeper into the mysterious underworld beneath
the colossal golden tree…
10
MONSTERS
WAR-MAIDEN SKELETON
The animated remains of a warrior-maiden who served in the Dusk
Queen’s royal guard.
AC 13 (ring mail), HP 11, ATK 1 crescent moon sickle +1 (1d4), MV near,
S +1, D +0, C +2, I -2, W +0, Ch -1, AL N, LV 2
Undead. Immune to morale checks.
Pollen. Roll 1d6 in open at start of turn (only roll once for whole group
of skeletons). On a 1–2, near characters roll DC 15 CON. On failure,
warn character they are “susceptible to the enchanting gaze of fey”
until end of adventure.
OWLBEAR ZOMBIE
The shambling corpse of a ferocious beast of the forests.
AC 13, HP 25, ATK 2 claw +4 (1d6), MV near (climb) S +4, D +1, C +3, I -2,
W +1, Ch -2, AL N, LV 5
Undead. Immune to morale checks.
Elite (1/day). Cancel harmful effect affecting owlbear zombie.
Rend. Deals 1d6 extra damage if it hits same target with both claws in
same turn.
11
GELATINOUS CUBE
A translucent cube of slime that silently mows through cramped
tunnels, slurping up debris.
AC 11, HP 24, ATK 1 touch +4 (1d6 + toxin), MV near S +3, D +1, C +2, I -4,
W +1, Ch -4, AL N, LV 5
Engulf. Absorbs paralyzed creatures in close range into its body,
automatically hitting with touch attack on its turn.
Toxin. DC 15 CON or paralyzed 1d4 rounds.
CAVE CREEPER
Chittering centipedes the size of horses with grasping tentacles.
AC 12, HP 18, ATK 1 bite +3 (1d6) and 1 tentacle +3 (toxin),
MV near (climb), S +2, D +2, C +0, I -3, W +1, Ch -3, AL N, LV 4
Toxin. DC 12 CON or paralyzed 1d4 rounds.
BASILISK
A giant lumbering reptile that turns enemies to stone with its gaze.
AC 15, HP 28, ATK 1 bite +5 (1d10) and 1 gaze (near), MV near (climb),
S +3, D +2, C +2, I -2, W +0, Ch -2, AL N, LV 6
Elite (1/day). Cancel harmful effect affecting basilisk.
Gaze. DC 15 CON or be turned to stone. Characters averting gaze roll
attacks and hostile spells with disadvantage.
12
ANIMATED MITHRIL ARMOR
An animated suit of mithril scale armor once worn by the Dusk
Queen’s most faithful knights.
AC 15, HP 11, ATK 1 longsword +3 (1d8), MV near, S +3, D -1, C +2, I -1,
W +1, Ch +0, AL N, LV 2
Polished. 1-in-3 chance to reflect spells at random character.
DUSK QUEEN MUMMY
The mummified remains of a fearsome fey queen who once ruled the
lands under the colossal golden tree.
AC 17 (talisman), HP 40, ATK 1 slam +5 (1d12) plus 1 curse (near, life
drain), or 1 slam plus 1 spell, MV near, S +3, D +0, C +1, I +0,
W +1, Ch +5, AL C, LV 7
Greater Undead. Immune to charm, poison, and morale checks. Half
damage from non-magical or non-silver attacks.
Legendary (2/day). Cancel harmful effect affecting Dusk Queen or
re-roll failed spellcasting check.
Life Drain. DC 15 WIS or 1d4 CON damage. Death if reduced to 0 CON.
Charm (CHA Spell). DC 11. Target charmed for 1 round. Characters
affected by war-maiden skeleton pollen charmed for 3 rounds.
Mirror Image (CHA Spell). DC 12. Creates 3 illusory copies of self.
Sticks to Snakes (when first reduced to 20 HP). Summons snake
swarm [AC 13, HP 14, ATK 2 bite +3 (DC 15 CON or 1d4 STR damage)].
13
DUSK QUEEN MUMMY TAUNTS
Rise from Sarcophagus. “The hour has come, where the true queen of
this land wakes. Your kind shall kneel to me once more!”
Life Drain. “Your weak flesh will rot. You are fit only to nourish my
Great Tree of Gold.”
Charm. “Behold my eternal beauty and fall to your knees!”
Mirror Image. “Abandon your absent gods and your feeble kings, for
you are mine now!”
Sticks to Snakes. “O, Great Tree of Gold! Aid your chosen daughter!”
14
TREASURE
ENCHANTED MITHRIL LONGSWORD
A rune-etched mithril longsword with an amethyst pommel.
Bonus. Grants +1 to attack and damage rolls.
Benefit. Amethyst glows when secret doors/hidden crawls are near.
SCROLL OF FIREBALL
An infernal vellum scroll in a charred glass tube.
DC 13 INT. Hurl small flame that erupts into fiery blast. All creatures in
near-sized cube around where flame lands take 3d6 damage.
SCROLL OF INVISIBILITY
A rolled-up sheet of tree bark inked with arcane runes.
DC 12 INT. Become invisible until next hostile action or failed check.
15
FULL MOON GUIDANCE STONE
This glowing moonstone cut into the shape of a stylus is wrapped with
silver ribbon and engraved with Elvish writing.
Benefit. Once before end of delve, use stone to scribe helpful (or
misleading) two-word message at any spot in dungeon. This
message will appear in glowing moonlight runes at same spot in
dungeon next time GM runs this delve for another group of players.
FRAGILE SILVER SPEAR
This once-lustrous silver shortspear is on the verge of shattering.
Benefit. Functions as silver weapon. Breaks after two successful hits.
Repair (DC 18 INT). Add two more hits before shattering. Time taken
to repair triggers random encounter check. Max one attempt.
SCARAB OF DRAIN RESISTANCE
A polished jade scarab on a brass chain. Gifted to an Elvish knight
from a far-away desert princess.
Benefit. Absorbs 10 points of life drain before turning to sand.
RING OF PROTECTION
A polished wedding ring decorated with a shield crest and gold tree.
Benefit. Shatter ring to cancel one attack made against you.
16
SCROLL OF LIGHTNING BOLT
Anyone opening this scroll tube gets a static shock.
DC 13 INT. One creature within near range takes 5d6 damage.
POTION OF EXTRA-HEALING
A glass bottle with a fizzy, lemon-vanilla liquid inside.
Benefit. Regain 10 HP.
17