The Fountain of Health
DM information
for the DM
Monsters, ruins, & rubble:
the ruins
Ruins information
wandering monsters
The temple
climbing the walls
rubble
gargoyle pendants
for the players
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22
Concluding the adventure
11
12
DM Information
“The Fountain of Health,” is this adventure. This is an AD&D adventure set in the World of
Greyhawk in hex location L3/53. This is the northwestern borders just beyond the Bandit Kingdoms.
This is for a group of 4 to 6 characters of 1st level. There should be no more than 6 total levels in the
party. This adventure takes place in a remote location without any clerics in the area. The party
should contain at least 1 thief and 2 fighters. The characters should be good in alignment or at worst
neutral. The primary goal of the characters is to save the life of a dying villager.
This adventure can allow a good cleric to find the “right god” for game purposes.
For the DM
This adventure takes place in the ruins of a temple built around a magical spring of healing
waters. The temple was dedicated to Diancecht, the Celtic deity of healing. The temple was a hospice
run by the clerical Order of the Golden Fountain. For 200 years, local people flocked to the temple to
benefit from the healing powers of the magical spring. A single cup of the water could heal wounds,
cure diseases, or heal the blind and lame. It was even said the water could bring the dead to life, if
the recipient was worthy.
More than a century ago, a warlord demanded that the Order of the Golden Fountain reserve
their healing waters for his army. The Supreme Waterbearer, head of the clerical order, refused the
warlord’s order. The gift of Diancecht was not meant to be a tool for bloody warfare.
Enraged, the warlord tried to claim the spring for himself and sent an enchanted monster, a
stone golem in the shape of a minotaur to destroy the temple and all within it. The priests died as the
creature knocked the temple down around them, but the Supreme Waterbearer laid a curse upon the
healing waters with her dying breath. Until the warlord no longer coveted the Golden Fountain for
his evil purposes, its waters would be poisonous to all.
The death of the warlord lifted the curse decades ago. Unfortunately, the return of the healing
waters remained undiscovered. The few people who visited the temple ruins encountered dangers
they could not overcome. Since the temple’s destruction, various forms of wildlife have made the
ruins their home. And the monster still remains, following its orders to destroy all intelligent life
within the walls of the temple of Diancecht.
Monsters, ruins, & Rubble
The ruins
The walls of the temple are made of cut blocks of stone mortared together. The outer walls
were originally 2’ thick. The inner walls are made of smaller stones and are roughly 1’ thick. Before
the destruction of the temple, these walls stood about 20’ high, with stone debris crumbled at their
bases.
The temple’s 2nd story was demolished by the warlord’s stone golem. The wooden floor and
support beams, as well as the timber and thatch roof that once covered the temple, now block
passages with fallen timber and blanket the floor as rotted debris. The main entrance and sanctuary,
areas #1 & #2, didn’t have a 2nd story; they were open to the roof.
If the DM wishes to expand the adventure, some of the 2nd story in the temple could be still
intact. Exploring these areas could be dangerous to the characters, especially at 1st level. There will
be many natural pits, traps, and hungry scavengers lurking in the shadows.
Climbing the Walls
The characters can try to climb the walls, but the DM should discourage this. The walls have
spent many decades after being severely damaged and are in very poor condition. Many of the walls
are unstable and could easily fall if climbed on. If a character tries to climb the wall, the DM should
tell them that the debris at the base of the wall shifts alarmingly when stepped on. If the character
continues, a rough stone that the character grabs to start climbing will come out and shift the
character off balance. The characters will need a dexterity check to remain standing, but falling
causes no damage unless this is the 3rd or more try. If this doesn’t work, a thief has a -25% penalty to
climb the wall, and a non-thief will have a 35% chance to climb the wall. Falling results in 1d3
points of damage, but no character should died from this unless they will not stop trying to climb the
wall.
If a character climbs a nearby tree or the wall to gain an overview of the ruins, let the player
glimpse the map, but do not let the player see area #22, which is hidden under a slate roof. The DM
should answer up to 3 questions for the player whose character is viewing the area before the branch
or wall area gives way and the character tumbles to the ground. If the characters if a thief or halfling,
they take 1 point of damage, and all others take 2 points of damage. A dexterity check reduces the
damage taken by 1 point.
Characters on top of a wall will meet either a collapsing wall section or a wandering monster
each turn they are on the wall. Roll 1d4 to determine what the encounter is.
1) Collapsing wall:
characters standing on the wall fall, taking 1d3 points of damage each. The
collapse creates a 10’ wide gap in the wall section filled with 4’ of rubble. If
the characters are on the walls of the inner sanctum, ignore this result. The
characters can try to climb over the rubble, but this can be dangerous as
described below.
2) Wobbly Stone:
One character standing on the wall must make a dexterity check or fall and
take 1d2 points of damage. The victim is left up to the DM.
3)
Robber Fly
FLY, ROBBER:
4)
STIRGE:
hd 2 hp 11 thaco 19 morale 8 int non- 0 align neutral
ac 6 move 9” ground / 30” fly class “D” #att 1 bite exp 45
damage 1d8 information a robber fly is a 3’ long giant fly with black &
yellow stripes. From a distance it looks like a giant bee. The robber fly is a
patient hunter. It will often hide in shadows to surprise prey 67% of the time.
It can leap up to 30’ to attack with a bite
1d4 stirges
hd 1 +1 hp 5 thaco 17 morale 8 int animal 1 align n/a ac 8
move 3” ground / 18” fly class “C” #att 1 damage 1d3 1st hit then each round
drains 1d4 points of blood size small 2’ wingspan exp 175
Rubble
Many areas within the temple are heaped with rubble from the demolished walls and floor of
the temple’s 2nd story. This rubble is typically 3’ to 5’ high, and very dangerous to walk or climb on.
Roll 1d6 for each character that tries to walk on the rubble. On a roll of 1, the rubble shifts and traps
the character’s leg. This does 1 point of damage and requires 1 turn to free the leg. The DM can
apply other results if they wish. Some of these could be tripping the character, more of the wall
coming down. These results should not do more than 1 point of damage or delay the characters more
than 1 turn or both.
Two piles of rubble are especially dangerous. These are area #2 in the southeast corner and
the center of the north wall. Anyone climbing on one of these heaps will automatically cause the
heap to slide and collapse. This will bring down some precariously placed timbers down as well.
Even if the party merely walks by the pile, there is a 1 in 6 chance of the pile sliding some. Every
character within 20’ of a debris pile that shifts must make a dexterity check or take 1d2 points of
damage. Characters struck by falling debris will be trapped and require 1 turn to extract. The DM
should feel free to make other dangerous piles of rubble.
Doors: Most of the doors in the temple were wooden, and now lie smashed or rotting in the
doorways. The characters will have no problem stepping over or on top of them. A few doors
were made of stone and still remain relatively intact. This includes area #1, the 2 concealed
stone doors leading to areas #8 and #19, and the great white marble doors leading to area #22.
The inner sanctum: This rectangular structure, area #22, was the original temple. The order built
the rest of the buildings around it when the founded their hospital. The inner
sanctum’s walls are 3’ thick, 12’ tall, and made of smoothly polished black
marble. The area has a flat slate roof, quite different from the wooden 2nd
story, now demolished, over the rest of the temple. The minotaur stone golem
was unable to damage these walls, although it did batter the mortared stone
walls that once extended up from the top of the inner sanctum’s walls to the
timber roof. Jagged remnants of these upper stone walls remain, standing 2’ to
3’ above the slate roof.
Light Sources:
Weather:
Most of the temple is open to the sky, so the characters will not need any light
unless they go exploring at night. This will not be the case if the DM expands
the adventure to include a 2nd story on one or more buildings. The corners of
the rooms and any areas with rubble will remain in shadows. The characters
will not be able to see into these areas unless they shine a light source into the
shadows. Standing in normal light negates infravision when attempting to peer
into darkness. Any monsters hidden in shadows will gain surprise 33% of the
time.
For simplicity, you may decide that it’s a nice sunny day with no threat of rain or
wind. But some interesting things can happen with the weather. Strong gusts of wind
may suddenly cause dried leaves and other debris to rustle and rise up in a small dust
devil, startling the characters. “Suddenly you hear crackling and see something
moving out of the corner of your eye. Oh, never mind, it’s just the wind kicking up
some dead leaves.” In cold seasons, ice or snow may add to the dangers of the ruins.
This will double the chance of a character losing their footing. Rain will make the
walls slippery, and mire the characters in muddy spots. Even a light drizzle can make
characters miserable, dampening all their gear and making torches hard to light. And
even on a bright day, the sun may disappear behind a cloud at an ominous moment.
Wandering Monsters
The DM should roll 1d6 every other turn. A roll of 1 means the characters have encountered
a monster. If the characters are injured to only 1 or 2 points each, there should not be any encounters
introduced. The DM shouldn’t have any encounters but should still roll for them just to keep the
characters on their toes.
Roll 1d6 to determine what monster the characters will encounter. None of these monsters
have any treasure on them or in their lair.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
1 giant bombardier beetle
2d4 giant rats
2d4 giant centipedes
1d4 stirges
1d4 x10 normal bats
1d4 robber flies
BEETLE, GIANT BOMBARDIER: hd 2 +2 hp 17 thaco 19 morale 13 int non- 0
align neutral move 9” ac 4 #att 1 mandible damage
2d6 sp att fire from the rear an acid cloud 8’ in diameter
doing 3d4 points / sound caused by this has a 20% chance of
stunning any creature in 20’ of it for 2d4 rounds. They can do
this every 3rd round exp 120
RAT, GIANT: ac 7 hd ½ hp 2 each #att 1 bite damage 1d-3 sp att diseased bite 5%
chance per bite exp 7 + l/hp thaco 20 morale 5 move 12” ground / 15”
swim
CENTIPEDE, GIANT:
STIRGE:
hd 2 hit points thaco 20 morale 7 int non- 0 ac 9
move 15” #att 1 bite damage 0 sp att poisoned bite, save vs
poison at +4 or be paralyzed for 2d6 hours and be devoured
vulnerable –1 to all saves size tiny 1’ long exp 35
hd 1 +1 hp 5 thaco 17 morale 8 int animal 1 align n/a ac 8
move 3” ground / 18” fly class “C” #att 1 damage 1d3 1st hit then each round
drains 1d4 points of blood size small 2’ wingspan exp 175
BAT, COMMON:
hd ¼ hp 1 thaco 20 morale 3 int animal 1 align neutral ac 8
#att 1 bite damage 1 point move 1” ground / 24” fly class “B” sp att
swarming will put out torches 1% chance per bat per round size tiny 1’ long
exp 15 information the characters have disturbed these normal bats in their
roosts among the fallen timbers. The bats will flap about erratically, doing no
damage but causing a great deal of confusion. The characters suffer a -2
penalty to all of their attack rolls and are not able to cast spells when the bats
are flying. The entire group of bats will fly off when they fail their 1st morale
check.
FLY, ROBBER:
hd 2 hp 11 thaco 19 morale 8 int non- 0 align neutral
ac 6 move 9” ground / 30” fly class “D” #att 1 bite exp 45
damage 1d8 information a robber fly is a 3’ long giant fly with black &
yellow stripes. From a distance it looks like a giant bee. The robber fly is a
patient hunter. It will often hide in shadows to surprise prey 67% of the time.
It can leap up to 30’ to attack with a bite
Gargoyle Pendants
These holy symbols of the Order of the Golden Fountain are molded and engraved in the
shape of an ugly, winged creature. These golden pendants are worth 100gp each, but their real
function is to protect their wearers from the gargoyles guarding the Fountain of Health. The gargoyle
ignores anyone wearing one of these pendants in plain view. This means on the outside of the
clothing and armor. There are 3 gargoyle pendants hidden in the temple that can be found.
For the Player Characters
DM:
Read or paraphrase the following player character information block to the players at the start
of the adventure. The DM can role play the events leading up to the characters arriving at the
temple ruins including their stay at the village and their trek through the wilderness to the
Temple of Diancecht.
PC’s:
Your party is fairly new to the adventuring business. So far, you haven’t visited many distant
lands, rescued any princesses, battle many fearsome magical beasts, or done any of the hundreds of
daring deeds you envisioned when you set off in search of adventure.
In fact, you latest “adventure” barely qualifies for the term. A merchant hired your party to
deliver an important package to a blacksmith living in a distant village. Reports of bandits in the area
had him worried that the package might now arrive with out a strong party of experienced
adventurers to transport and guard it. But you came all this way, through a forest reportedly teaming
with ferocious beasts and cruel outlaws, without encountering anything more dangerous than a fox.
When you arrived at Wood’s Hollow, the blacksmith, Hugh Grossman, was relieved to see
you. The package you carried contained a potion of healing for his daughter, who had suffered grave
wounds in a battle with orcs who had raided the village a week before. The village priest was slain in
the fight, and Alise Grossman’s injury hadn’t responded to normal treatment. Hugh hoped the potion
would cure her.
But it failed. The orc who attacked Alise apparently had a poisoned blade, and the poison
interfered with all attempts to heal the young woman. Bowing his careworn face in his hands, Hugh
told you there was only 1 chance left for his daughter. A ruined temple, half a day’s walk from
Wood’s Hollow, had once housed an order of healing clerics. There were tales of a golden fountain
of miraculous waters that could cure anything, even death itself. If the tales were true, and someone
could bring back the healing waters to his daughter, Alise would be saved.
But there were dangers, Hugh went on. People stayed away from the ruins, fearful of the
shadowy creatures and fearsome beasts that visitors had caught glimpses of. 4 brave villagers had
ventured to the ruins 3 days before; afraid the potion of healing would not arrive in time and hoping
to save Alise with the healing waters. They had not yet returned; the other villagers were sure they
had perished.
This is what you have been dreaming of! A chance to explore ancient ruins, brave unknown
dangers, and save someone’s life! While the villagers can’t afford to pay you for this task, there may
be untold treasures within the old temple. The temple isn’t far, only about 7 miles from the village,
along a rough and overgrown track. You arrived without incident and stand now at the main entrance
to the once fine temple. A quick circuit around the building showed it to be roughly 100’ by 150’.
There is 1 other entrance, in the middle of the south wall. The surrounding forest has encroached
upon the temple’s clearing, and some small trees now grow within 30’ of the ruined walls. The
temple’s outer walls still stand to a height of 8’ to 12’, but the rubble and debris at their base attest to
the fact they once were at least twice that height.
Your chance to make a name for yourself lies within those crumbled walls.
The Temple
Each area of the temple is both similar and different. There is usually debris in all areas, but
most are different in shape and size. The area description for the characters can be gleaned from a
quick look into an area. This means the characters will usually not have to enter the area, but only
look into the area to see what is there.
1)
Main Entrance Hall
PC’s: This was once the main entrance to the temple’s sanctuary. One stone door leans against a
pile of rubble on the north side; the other lies flat and broken where it fell. The floor is
littered with leaves and other debris. Ahead, you can see the sanctuary’s lovely marble
columns lying in ruins. There doesn’t appear to be anything of interest in the immediate area.
DM:
The debris on the floor include many years’ worth of rotting leaves, dust, dirt, and animal
droppings, as well as small chucks of stone that were once part of the temple’s walls. Beneath
all this debris are beautiful marble tiles. If a character carefully examines the floor, spending
a full turn doing so, he will find recent prints of 2 pairs of booted feet. Adventurers who look
into area #2 can see the top half of a stone statue of a bull headed human.
2)
Sanctuary
PC’s:
This once beautiful sanctuary is now a shambles. Marble columns that once marched down
its sides lie strewn about the floor. Some of them crashed into the walls as they fell, and lie atop
enormous piles of rubble.
Toward the far end of the room, in the center of the only clear area, stands a large stone statue
of a bull headed man. A mighty stone battle axe rests in its hands. Its head is bowed as though weary.
DM:
The characters can’t see the statue better until they go around or over the fallen columns. The
columns were originally 4’ wide. Treat any attempt to climb over a fallen column as climbing over
rubble. See monsters, ruins, and rubble section for more information.
When the characters get within 20’ of the statue, they can see a human form lying at its feet.
This is one of the villagers that came in search of the fountain of healing. When they are 10’ from the
villager, the characters will see that he has a deep chest wound and is obviously dead. One hand
clutches an old, broken sword; the sword point is on the floor a few feet away.
Any character who gets within 5’ of the statue can see that the stone battle axe is not actually
part of the statue itself, and has an ornately decorated wooden shaft. There is blood on the stone ax
head. Just as the character notices this, he also notices that the ax is swinging at him. Roll for
surprise. The character is now under attack.
The warlord sent this magical creature to destroy the Temple of Diancecht. Although it
succeeded, it has been badly damaged. Cracks now riddle its surface, and it has only 8 hit points left.
It still attacks as a 7 hit die monster, even though it is very weak now. It wields a +1 battle axe. This
is still a dangerous monster, and it can kill a character in a single blow.
Even though it is still strong, it is also not invincible, even against 1st level characters. Unlike
normal golems, this minotaur statue is not immune to most normal weapons. The characters can
harm it with any stone or metal weapon that can smash it, but cutting it will not work against it. The
characters can throw large rocks at it, doing 1 point of damage per hit. If the minotaur chases a
character, it has the same chance of being hurt in rubble as the characters do.
As soon as the minotaur takes 8 or more points of damage, it will stop in its tracks and begin
to fall apart. Nothing but the battle axe and the head will remain, but the head will be worth 50gp to a
magic user or cleric.
The battle axe is a magical axe that is +1 under normal circumstances, but is +2 against stone
monsters such as golems, gargoyles, earth elementals, and the like. On a natural 20 roll, the axe does
double damage against a stone monster, or destroys a 10’x 10’ x 10’ section of stone, including a
wall section. If the DM thinks that the axe is too powerful, then the DM can limit the special damage
to 1d6 charges, and then it is only a +1 axe.
The minotaur has no treasure. The dead villager has a pack with 2 days worth of rations that
are now spoiled, a wine skin with a quart of wine, and 30’ of average quality rope. There is nothin
else of value on the dead villager, but the other villagers will wish to give the dead man a proper
burial, and wish the characters to return even the worthless trinkets to the villager’s kin.
Hidden behind one of the fallen columns in the northeast corner of the stone minotaur’s room
is a large nest of giant rats. These rats attack any character entering their corner or climbing over the
rubble of the eastern wall. They will not venture out to attack a character anywhere else in the temple
grounds.
The nest is made of heaps of old rotting clothing, dead leaves and grasses, and other soft
debris. Hidden in it are various items the rats have collected over the years. If the characters search
for 1 turn, they will find a large topaz worth 500gp, a gold bracelet studded with tiny rubies worth
700gp, a diamond necklace worth 1,100gp, and an emerald pendant on a gold chain worth 1,300gp.
Searching for an additional turn reveals a garnet gem worth 50gp and a small pearl worth 100gp.
Also the characters will find 185cp, 56sp, and 18gp, a rotting leather scroll case amid now
unidentifiable contents that are squishy. Inside the leather scroll case is a bone case worth 10gp with
a love letter inside it. The parchment is worthless.
Minotaur Golem:
status lesser stone golem hd 6 hp 26 originally, but only 8 now from
damage thaco 13 morale 20 never fails int non- 0 align neutral
Ac 5 move 12” magic items +1 battle axe #att 1 +1 to hit axe
Damage 1d8 +1 axe vulnerable rock to mud slows it for 2d6 rounds / mud
to rock heals it of all lost hit points / flesh to stone makes it vulnerable to
normal weapons exp 800 size large 7’ tall
RAT, GIANT: ac 7 hd ½ hp 2 each #att 1 bite damage 1d-3 sp att diseased bite 5%
chance per bite exp 7 + l/hp thaco 20 morale 5 move 12” ground / 15”
swim
3)
Infirmary
This room is jumbled with thick wooden timbers that must once have been part of the roof or
second story. A broken wooden stairway leads part way up the south wall, only to end in a pile of
debris. It is difficult to tell what purpose this room had, although beneath the fallen timbers are vague
shapes that may once have been tables or beds. Accumulated rocks, rotted wood, and other debris
raise the level of the floor nearly 2’ above that of the sanctuary.
This was the hospital’s infirmary, where clerics of the Order of the Golden Fountain tended
the sick and injured. There are 5 giant centipedes concealed in the debris. As soon as a character
enters the room, roll for surprise. The 3 centipedes in the southern half of the room attack
immediately while the other 2 join the fight 2 rounds later.
Any character bitten by a centipede must save vs poison or be stricken ill for 10 days. This
will halve movement and limit the victim to no physical activities during this time. If the centipedes
fail a morale check, they will flee into the crevices where the characters can’t get to them. They will
not venture out until the characters have been gone for at least 1 turn.
Once the centipedes are out of the way, the characters can explore the room. There were
originally 12 beds in this room, arranged in 2 islands of 6 beds each. If the characters poke around
among the fallen timbers and other debris, they will find scattered bones and 2 mostly intact
skeletons. These skeletons are the remains of the patients that the minotaur golem killed in their
beds. There is a 1 in 6 chance that a character will move a timber that will cause timber and debris to
fall on the party for 1d2 points of damage. Spending an entire turn searching the room reveals 32cp,
8sp, and 1gp in coins that once belonged to the patients.
The broken stairway will collapse under the weight of anyone trying to climb it, spilling the
characters onto the floor for 1d4 points of damage. If the adventure has been expanded to include a
2nd floor, this stairway is intact and leads upward with little blockage.
CENTIPEDE, GIANT:
hd 2 hit points thaco 20 morale 7 int non- 0 ac 9
move 15” #att 1 bite damage 0 sp att poisoned bite, save vs
poison at +4 or be paralyzed for 2d6 hours and be devoured
vulnerable –1 to all saves size tiny 1’ long exp 35
4)
Hallway
PC’s: A pile of debris, including the broken top of a column from the sanctuary, partially blocks
this hallway. Elsewhere, fallen timbers lean haphazardly against the walls or are wedged onto
the top of the walls overhead. The debris makes walking down the hallway difficult.
DM:
The rubble in the middle of this hallway is particularly dangerous. Characters may start a
rock slide simply by walking by.
As the characters approach the eastern end of the hallway, they can hear horrendous buzzing
and crunching noises. These noises is a battle between a giant beetle and a robber fly, see area #7.
Characters at the eastern end of this hallway will notice that the wall surrounding the inner
sanctum, area #22, is different from all of the other walls. This wall is made of enormous blocks of
black marble, and it seems undamaged, with almost no debris at its base.
The eastern end of the hallway’s north wall has a concealed stone door leading into area
#8. The concealed door’s color and pattern of mortared stone is similar to the surrounding wall, so
the door is not immediately noticeable. Any character examining the wall automatically finds it. The
door is hinged on the right and opens away from the hallway simply by pushing against the left side
of the door. This door is stuck and requires a roll of 5 or 6 on a d6 to force the door open. This is
modified by the strength score of the character trying to open the door. Each character can try as
many times as they want, but each attempt requires 1 full turn.
A thief successfully examining the door for traps will realize that the door is stuck due to the
debris wedged near the top of the wall on the other side of the door. A successful opening of the door
may cause more rubble to fall. A thief successfully removing traps will allow the door to be opened
without causing any rubble to fall in room #8.
If the characters try to break down the door, with the minotaur’s axe, the axe does 2 points of
damage per hit and the door has 20 hit points. The door shatters to rubble immediately if the
character attacking it rolls a natural 20.
If the party goes south to the large pile of rubble between areas #2 and #22, they may climb
onto the slate roof above area #22. The DM should remember to check for shifting rubble if needed.
5)
Sick Room
PC’s: This room has the same jumble of debris and fallen timbers as the rest of the building. Part of
the upper floor remained pretty much intact as its eastern half fell. The timbers and floor
boards now form a sloping wall that blocks your view of the far corner of the room.
DM:
This was a private sick room, for patients who needed more than one dose of the fountain’s
healing waters. Behind the wooden floor, now a wall dividing the northwest corner from the rest of
the room is a bed. Although its wooden frame is partially rotted and ridden with termite holes, it is
relatively intact. Lying on the bed is an old skeleton, still in rotting clothing.
Another skeleton lies crushed beneath the eastern end of the fallen floor. Only its skull and
right arm and hand are visible. The bony fingers clutch a gargoyle pendant. This skeleton was one of
the temple priests.
6)
Sick Room
PC’s: The wall separating this room from the room to the east has a large gap, filled with debris.
DM:
7)
There was nothing in this room for the minotaur to kill when it demolished the temple,
though it wrecked a bed that now lies in flinders against the north wall. If the characters have
not yet fought the giant bombardier beetles in area #7, they can hear them now and see one of
them over the pile of debris in the gap in the wall.
Sick Room
PC’s: You see 2 giant beetles munching away on a giant bee. One of them turns its attention to you
and races swiftly across the floor, clacking it mandibles the way a butcher might wield his
knives.
DM:
Only 1 beetle will attack the characters. The other beetle will continue to eat the robber fly, or
the giant bee, unless the characters get within 5’ of the beetle. If the characters come within 5’ of it,
the beetle will attack.
The beetles were slightly injured in their battle with the robber fly. Each has lost 5 hit points
but is still dangerous. A single bite from a beetle can kill a 1st level character. The beetles are of a
normal size for their species. If the DM thinks that the characters will be badly beaten by this
encounter, the DM should “fudge” the beetle damage rolls in favor of the characters. It is pointless to
kill several characters for no gain. If the characters are being hurt badly, they may retreat and think
of a better strategy. The beetles will go back to their meal rather than chasing the characters.
After the battle, the characters can examine this room thoroughly. The 1st thing they will
notice is the half eaten body of another villager. Next to the body is the carapace of a dead
bombardier beetle, killed by the villager’s stout club.
If the characters search this room for 1 turn, they find a sack that appears empty. If a
character sticks their hand into the sack, they will discover that it is a bag of holding. The bag of
holding weighs 15 pounds and can hold 200 pounds of material. The bag contains a large gold belt
buckle that is ornately carved into the shape of a dragon’s head and is worth 100gp, and a plain silver
necklace worth 20gp.
BEETLE, GIANT BOMBARDIER: hd 2 +2 hp 17 thaco 19 morale 13 int non- 0
align neutral move 9” ac 4 #att 1 mandible
damage 2d6 sp att fire from the rear an acid cloud 8’ in
diameter doing 3d4 points / sound caused by this has a 20%
chance of stunning any creature in 20’ of it for 2d4 rounds.
They can do this every 3rd round exp 120
8)
Secret Entrance Hallway
PC’s: This narrow room is nearly filled with debris and fallen timbers.
DM:
If the characters enter this room through the concealed doorway, they walk into a trap.
Pushing open the stuck door disturbs the rotted timbers wedged above, unless a thief has successfully
removed the trap, see area #4. A portion of the 2nd story’s old floor falls on the 1st character to walk
through the concealed door, inflicting 1d6 points of damage and burying the character. The victim
can make a dexterity roll for ½ damage. It will take 1 turn to extricate the victim. If the characters
break down the door with the minotaur’s axe, the rubble falls to the floor before a character can enter
the room. This prevents harm to any character.
The entire room is filled with rubble and may trap others as well. The Dm should remember
to check for injuries to any character crossing the rubble.
The concealed door can’t be opened from inside the room unless the characters spend 1 turn
clearing rubble and fallen timbers and other debris away from it.
9)
Side Entrance Hall
PC’s: Just inside the doorway, a flight of stairs leads half way up the wall to end in jagged, broken
wood. Debris heaped beneath the stairs reaches nearly 5’ high. More debris litters the floor
and piles up against the base of the interior walls. In the center of the hall lies the broken top
of a once beautiful marble column. Ahead, the corridor is completely blocked with stone
rubble and debris.
DM:
The priests used this entrance to get to their quarters, and these stairs one led up to more
rooms and storage areas. These areas still exist if the adventure has been expanded to include a
partially intact 2nd story.
A huge spider watches the characters through the doorway from its hiding place behind some
debris in area #10. If the characters enter its lair, the spider attacks immediately. Otherwise, it stalks
the characters as they leave area #9, attacking without warning from behind, 67% chance of surprise,
unless the players specifically state that one of their numbers will guard the rear. See area #10 for the
spider’s statistics.
The rubble spilling over from the southeastern corner of the main sanctuary, area #2, is
particularly dangerous.
10)
Dormitory
PC’s: This room is filled with a jumble of fallen timbers, crushed rock, and rotted floorboards from
the temple’s demolished 2nd story. Piles of wood that once may have been bunkbeds line
what is left of the walls. The jumble of debris makes it difficult to make out many details. It
also offers plenty of hiding places for small scurrying things, or perhaps large scurrying
things.
DM:
If the characters haven’t already dealt with the huge spider, the spider will attack them here.
The DM should roll for surprise against the characters. If surprised, the lead character doesn’t get a
chance to avoid the web.
This 5’ long spider is yellow with black spots. The web is nearly invisible from the doorway,
and covers the entire entrance to the room. Any character in the web must save vs poison or be
caught in the web. A character with great strength can break through the web in 1 round, but weaker
characters are caught and could be totally incapacitated.
The spider will follow the characters through the ruins attacking them from the rear when
possible. If the characters kill the spider, they can examine its body. The spider has 6 pearl white
eyes and a tough fluid filled sac suspended from its thorax, just behind its jaws. If the characters
carefully remove the sac, they will have access to pure silk. The sac can be sold in a large city to an
alchemist or magic user for 100gp if kept fresh. If the characters examine the spider’s lair, they will
find a fairly fresh web covered bundle in the northeast corner of the room. The bundle contains
Joseph Bauer, one of the villagers who ventured into the temple 4 days ago. He is alive, but just
barely has 1 hit point. He is unconscious, poisoned, and paralyzed from shock. He can’t recover
without magical help. If the characters manage to save Joseph, they should get a 200 experience
point award for that. Finding the healing fountain could save Joseph.
Searching the lair for 1 turn reveals the remains of other victims, both human and animal.
The characters will also find 23sp, and 6gp.
SPIDER, HUGE:
hd 2 +2 hp 14 thaco 19 morale 8 int animal 1 align neutral ac 6
exp 270 move 18” #att 1 bite damage 1d6 sp att poisoned bite save
at +1 or suffer 15 points of damage / jump up to 30’ through the air getting +6
to surprise size mansized
11)
Main Hall
PC’s: This hallway once ran the length of the temple. Now, much of it is choked with debris. At
one point, the hallway is entirely blocked by fallen stones and wooden timbers piled 5’ high.
DM:
Any character in the eastern end of this hallway will notice that the wall surrounding the
inner sanctum, area #22, is different from all the other walls. It is made of enormous blocks of black
marble, and it doesn’t seem damaged. There’s much less debris at its base, as well.
The rubble spilling over from the southeast corner of area #2 is actually a trap of sorts, and
may turn into a rock slide at any moment. See “Monsters, Ruins, and Rubble.”
If the characters make it past the rock slide to the large pile of rubble between areas #2 and
#22, they may climb onto the slate roof above area #22. The DM should remember to check for
rubble shifting beneath their feet, and for their chance to climb the wall without getting hurt. See the
description of area #22.
Adventurers climbing over the other rubble in this hallway have the normal chances of
getting hurt.
12)
Pantry
PC’s: Wooden shelves that once lined this room now add to the general mess of rotten wood and
other debris littering the floor. There doesn’t seem to be anything of interest in here.
DM:
This was once a pantry with a trapdoor entrance to the root cellar below. Now the dangerous
hole is covered with debris. The 1st character to step on the indicated area must make a dexterity
check or fall into a pit trap, taking 1d4 points of damage and becoming partially buried under the
heaps of debris that follow him in. It will take 2 turns to extricate the trapped character.
The fallen character has a 50% chance of landing squarely on a small locked chest. The iron
chest contains the cook’s supply fund of 600gp and a parchment bearing a shopping list. The chest
can also be found by climbing down into the root cellar and searching the debris for 1 turn.
If a thief successfully makes a find traps check, this trap can be avoided. It cannot be easily
removed. If the characters haven’t yet dealt with the huge spider from area #10, it will take this
chance to attack the characters.
13)
Kitchen
PC’s: This room contains the top half of a column that fell over the north wall of the main hallway.
The south wall has an enormous fireplace, partially hidden behind a mound of demolished
chimney bricks. There seems to be little else of interest here.
DM:
14)
This was the temple kitchen, where the cook prepared food for all the clerics of the order and
their patients. Characters investigating the fireplace find nothing but soot, which promptly
covers them from head to foot, and a heavy iron cauldron that weighs 90 pounds.
Dining Hall
PC’s: This large room was once a dining area. Large wooden tables and long benches can still be
seen beneath the boards and timbers of the collapsed upper floor. You hear a squeal as
something charges toward you from the southwest corner of the room.
DM:
Roll to see if the characters are surprised. The characters have stumbled into the territory of 6
giant rats who are now defending their nest in the southwest corner of the room.
The nest is made of heaps of old rotting tablecloths, dead leaves and grasses, and other soft
debris. Hidden in it are various items the rats have collected over the years. If the characters search
for 1 turn, they will find: a turquoise gem worth 10gp, a piece of amber worth 100gp, a 2nd piece of
amber with a tiny flower preserved inside it worth 500gp, and a finely cut onyx worth 75gp. There is
also an incomplete collection of silverware consisting of 3 forks, 2 knives, and 7 spoons worth 50gp
total. There is also a gargoyle pendant in the nest.
RAT, GIANT: ac 7 hd ½ hp 2 each #att 1 bite damage 1d-3 sp att diseased bite 5%
chance per bite exp 7 + l/hp thaco 20 morale 5 move 12” ground / 15”
swim
15)
Dormitory
PC’s: Smashed and half buried bunkbeds line the perimeter of this room. You notice something
metallic poking out of the pile of rubble by the door.
DM:
A small chest that once belonged to a temple cleric has survived a recent fall of some heavy
stones. The chest is not locked, but a large dent has stuck the top closed. To open the chest, the lid
must be wedged open like from a pry bar, or the character must make a roll as if forcing a stuck door.
The chest contains 27sp and a leather bound book wrapped in velvet. This book is a first aide manual
carefully illustrated with many drawings of common injuries and their treatments. It would be very
valuable to any physician or healer, worth 250gp.
The only other thing of interest in this room is a nest of normal rats in the northeast corner. If
the characters approach within 10’ of their lair, the rats flee into the cracks and crevices; a few even
run up and over the outside wall.
16)
Dormitory
PC’s: This room was evidently a dormitory, as broken bunkbeds line the walls. Its most interesting
feature is the very large snake basking in the sun on top of the east wall.
DM:
This is a 6’ long young giant constrictor snake. It will remain on the wall unless it feels
threatened. If a character approaches within 10’, the DM must check for the morale of the
snake. If the morale holds, the snake will try to bite anyone near it, and if the morale fails it
slithers down the outside wall. The snake has no treasure and there is nothing else of interest
in the room.
Snake, Giant constrictor:
17)
hd 2 hp 12 ac 6 move 9” thaco 19 int animal
size 6’ long #att 1 bite
damage 1d4 exp 200 morale 7
Hall
This hall leads north to a dead end. Characters walking along the hall see that the west wall is
a continuation of the black marble wall they saw in the main hall, area #11.
The northern end of the hallway has a concealed stone door leading into area #19. The door is
the same color and pattern of mortared stone as the surrounding wall, so it is not immediately
noticeable. Any character examining the wall automatically finds the door with no roll required. It is
hinged on the left, and opens away from the hallway simply by pushing against it on the right side.
The rubble on the other side partially blocks the door requiring a strength roll to force the door open.
Each character can try as many times as they want, but each attempt requires a full turn.
Supreme Waterbearer’s Quarters
18)
PC’s: This room contains a jumble of broken and rotted floor boards and timbers, just like much of
the rest of the temple. There doesn’t seem to be anything moving in here.
DM:
If the characters search through the rubble and debris, they can find parts of a large bed, a
wooden dresser; its smashed drawers still contain bits of frayed and rotted clothing, a chair
leg, and a few broken personal items. The only thing of value here is a silver comb worth
5gp.
19)
Secret Entrance Room
PC’s: This room is almost entirely filled with rubble and debris; it may be difficult to get to the
other door.
DM:
This is one of the 2 rooms to go through to get to area #22. If the characters got through room
#8, this room would be a waste of time and effort. Anyone moving through the room must
roll to see if they are injured by shifting rubble.
20)
Vestment Room
PC’s: This large room still has a partially intact ceiling over much of the northeast corner. You hear
an ominous buzzing sound from the shadows.
DM:
2 robber flies are lurking in the shadows here, so roll for surprise for both the characters and
the monsters. The robber flies will attack the characters. They are hungry, and a good meal just
walked into their lair!
Robber flies can easily kill a 1st level character with a single bite. If the characters look like
they are going to be defeated outright, the DM should fudge rolls in favor of the characters.
True to their names, the robber flies have mindlessly collected some shiny objects. Scattered
about their lair are 50sp, some smoothly polished pebbles, and a gargoyle pendant.
Hanging in shreds against the east wall, partially protected by the sagging floor above, are
three long robes of cloth made of gold. They are badly chewed and torn, and no longer have any
monetary value. The hooks they hang on are made of gold plated brass worth 2gp each.
FLY, ROBBER:
hd 2 hp 11 thaco 19 morale 8 int non- 0 align neutral
ac 6 move 9” ground / 30” fly class “D” #att 1 bite exp 45
damage 1d8 information a robber fly is a 3’ long giant fly with black &
yellow stripes. From a distance it looks like a giant bee. The robber fly is a
patient hunter. It will often hide in shadows to surprise prey 67% of the time.
It can leap up to 30’ to attack with a bite
21)
Antechamber
PC’s: The 1st thing you notice in this large area is the body of a woman, lying as though she fell
while running across the room. The next thing you notice is a 2nd body, now nothing more
than a skeleton, stretched out in front of 2 huge doors made of white marble.
DM:
The woman was one of the villagers. Though strongly muscled, she was unable to overcome
the gargoyle in the inner sanctum, area #22. The monster mortally wounded her, but she managed to
run out into the antechamber before collapsing. Terrible claw and fang marls scar her face and back.
The waterskin clutched in her left hand is uncapped and empty. Her right hand grasps a battered
sword, its once fine blade dented and dulled.
The ancient bones are all that is left of the Supreme Waterbearer, who died defending the
entrance to the inner sanctum. A battered and rusted mace lies beneath the remains.
The doors to the inner sanctum, area #22, are fastened with golden hinges and have huge,
solid gold handles on them. The doors swing outward into area #21. If left to themselves, they slowly
swing shut in 6 rounds.
22)
Inner Sanctum
DM:
The sanctum’s flat slate roof is still intact and entirely covers the room. The sanctum once
had mortared stone walls extending up to the timber and thatch roof of the temple, creating a sort of
attic above the slate roof. The bottom few rows of stones still stand on top of one another. The upper
portions of the walls have collapsed onto the roof, along with timbers and long decayed thatching
material.
If the characters climb onto the slate roof of the inner sanctum, they’re attacked by 1d4
stirges from the wandering monster list. After that, the roof is fairly safe to walk around on. You may
plague the party with more stirges or a robber fly if you think they are strong enough to fend it off.
The DM can also have the characters be plagued by shifting rubble. But the characters should get 1
or 2 turns of peace after the stirges are defeated.
There are plenty of secure, protruding stones the characters can tie ropes to if they wish to
climb down into surrounding areas.
When the characters 1st enter the inner sanctum itself, through the white marble doors, read
the following description to the players.
PC’s: You can’t see much of the interior of this structure. The sunlight shining through the doorway
doesn’t carry very far. The walls to either side of the entry seem to be made of smoothly
polished black marble, with the glint of a golden candle sconce here and there. The floor is
made of square gray tiles. Though the room is a bit dusty, there’s no rubble or debris in sight.
DM:
The party must provide illumination or some sort, such as torches, lanterns, or the candles in
the sconces, before they can see the southern half of the room very well. Once the characters
are close enough to see the southern end of the room, read or paraphrase the following to the
players.
PC’s: Before you, an ornate golden fountain rises from the center of a circle of marble steps leading
down to a pool at its base. A hideous creature carved from black marble squats atop the far
side of the fountain’s basin. Its horned head juts out between shoulders that sprout batwings,
while the creature’s clawed hands and feet grip the golden rim. Although the statue’s mouth
gapes open as though to spew forth the fountain’s waters, the pool is nearly empty.
DM:
The ugly statue is actually a gargoyle much like the minotaur stone golem. The gargoyle was
placed here centuries ago as the fountain’s guardian. It remains perfectly still until a character
descends the 1ststep leading to the pool. Unless a character approaching the pool is wearing a
gargoyle pendant, the gargoyle will leap to attack the character with a 67% chance to surprise. Once
the gargoyle is awakened, it will attack anyone in the room who is not wearing a gargoyle pendant.
GARGOYLE:
hd 4 +4 hp 16 thaco 15 morale 11 int low 6 align chaotic evil
ac 5 move 9” ground / 15” fly class “C” #att 2 claws / 1 bite / 1 tail sting
damage 1d3 claw / 1d6 bite / 1d4 tail sting sp def +1 weapon to hit
size mansized 6’ tall exp 420 immune to sleep and charm spells
With 4 attacks per round, this is a very dangerous creature for the characters to fight. It can’t
fly at top speed because of the small area, but still flies about comfortably.
The characters will need to have at least one of the following items to have a fair chance of
success. The web sac of the spider, a gargoyle pendant, or the minotaur’s magical battle axe. If they
don’t have any of these, it would be best if they just flee.
The magical axe is very effective against the stone gargoyle, especially with the +2 bonus to
hit and damage. If the characters use the web sac, they can squirt the silk web fluid onto the
gargoyle. This will cause the gargoyle to become stuck to the floor for 1d4 turns. After that, the
gargoyle will break free and continue to attack the characters in the room, except for those wearing a
gargoyle pendant.
At first glance, the fountain looks as though water should spew from the gargoyle’s mouth
into the fountain’s basin, and from there spill over into the pool at the bottom of the circular steps. In
fact, the healing waters seep up through the ground beneath the basin. When the Order of the Golden
Fountain was at its height, the natural spring would fill the pool with up to 30 doses of healing water
per day. Now the pool at the base of the fountain contains only enough healing water for 10 doses.
The characters will undoubtedly have some injured people, as well as Joseph Bauer from area #10.
One dose of healing waters will do 1 of the following:
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
bring a dead person back to life at 1 hit point
neutralize poison
cure disease
remove paralysis
heal 1d6 +1 hit points
Patients suffering from multiple effects will have to take multiple doses. A dose only works
on one specific problem in a 24 hour period. Joseph Bauer will need a dose to neutralize poison, then
a 2nd dose to bring him back to life, and a 3rd dose to heal 1d6 +1 points. This can be three doses back
to back.
The healing waters can bring a person back to life only if they are less than 24 hours dead.
The healing waters can’t work on someone that has suffered damage equal to or greater than that
bringing them to negative 10 hit points. The healing waters will bring a person back to life, but they
will not restore any hit point healing after that until they have regained all lost hit points and then
suffered damage. Those brought back to life must rest and recuperate or an extended time to heal
totally.
The only treasure in the inner sanctum, other than the healing waters, are the golden candle
sconces set into the walls. There are 16 of them, spaced every 10’. They are each worth 50gp if
carefully pried out of the walls.
The healing waters are only potent while they are within 1 mile of the golden fountain
indefinitely. If taken out of the area, they lose their potency after 3 days.
Concluding the Adventure
Once the characters manage to get the healing waters, the way out of the temple should be
safe and easy. They might meet a remaining monster or a wandering monster. Once they get the
water, the characters should not spend any more time examining the ruins, but hurry to save the
young woman. The characters can come back here at any time in the future for additional exploration
and cleaning up of the ruins.
Award the players 1,000 experience points for getting the healing waters and saving 1 dose
for Alise, and getting it to her. Award 800 experience points for not stealing the golden sconces in
the walls of area #22. Award 500 experience points for returning the dead bodies of all the villagers
they have encountered during the adventure. Award 300 experience points for saving Joseph during
the adventure.
If the characters suggest re-establishing the Temple of Diancecht and its hospital to the
villagers, reward them another 1,000 experience points. The characters are not likely to stay and do
the work themselves, but if they stay for a week while the villagers feast and celebrate, making much
of the heroes, they can depart with three doses of healing waters collected from the fountain by the
villagers. These will be placed in enchanted containers to remain fresh forever.
The hospital will grow and in time be a renowned place for healing. After 1 year, there will
be a group of clerics worshiping Diancecht and running a hospital for all who are in need.