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TOMB OF HORRORS
INTRODUCTION
In the far reaches of the world, under a lost and lonely
hill, lies the sinister Tomb of Horrors. Terrible traps,
strange and ferocious monsters, rich and magical treas-
ures, and an evil demilich fill this labyrinthine crypt.
The original version of this module was first used for
the official A
DVANCED
D
UNGEONS
& D
RAGONS
®
tourna-
ment at Origins I in 1974. Next it was published as
Dungeon Module S1 in 1981 using the 1st edition rules.
The module was later expanded in
Return to the Tomb of
Horrors
in 1998 using the 2nd edition rules. However,
the original tomb was never actually updated—it was
reprinted as it originally saw print. Now, twenty-one
years after its first appearance, the original module is
finally being updated to the latest incarnation of the
D
UNGEONS
& D
RAGONS
®
rules (3.5).
An Adventure for Four to Six
9th-Level Characters
CREDITS
Original Design:
Gary Gygax
v.3.5 Update:
Bruce R. Cordell
v.3.5 Editing:
Miranda Horner
PREPARATION
This update requires the use of the
Player’s Handbook
, the
Dungeon Master’s Guide,
and the
Monster Manual
. This
update also utilizes information found in
Libris Mortis:
Book of Undead
. If the Dungeon Master does not have a
copy of
Libris Mortis
, the adventure may still be run by
omitting items and creatures drawn from that resource.
This update of the
Tomb of Horrors
is written for four
to six adventurers of around 9th level. Careful readers
will note several new elements sprinkled into this
t e x t — t h ese minor additions are drawn from
Li b r i s
Mortis: Book of Undead
and serve to complement the
tomb with a dash of contemporary flavor. However,
those without access to
Libris Mortis
or those who would
prefer to utilize the tomb in its original (if updated)
format will be happy to note that these new elements
are presented in such a way that they can be used or
ignored, as the DM desires, with little impact on the
adventure.
To get started, print out the adventure, including the
map. Read through the scenario at least once to famil-
iarize yourself with the situation, threats, and major
nonplayer characters (particularly their motivations).
Some text is designated as player information that you
can read aloud or paraphrase for the players at the
proper times.
Cover Art:
David C. Su t h erland III (orig-
inal) and Jeff Dee (re p r i nt )
Interior Art:
David C. Su t h erland III and
David A. Trampier
Typesetting:
Nancy Walker
Cartography:
Mike Schley
Design Manager:
Christopher Perkins
Web Production:
Bart Carroll
Web Development:
Mark A. Jindra
Graphic Design:
Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege
& Jen Page
Based on the original D
UNGEONS
& D
RAGONS
®
game by E.
Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the
D
UNGEONS
& D
RAGONS
game designed by Jonathan Tweet,
Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison.
D&D, D
UNGEONS
& D
RAGONS
, and D
UNGEON
M
ASTER
are registered trademarks owned
by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The d20 logo is a trademark owned by Wizards of the
Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses
thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
This material is protected under the copyright laws of the
United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use
of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited
without the express written permission of
Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
©2005 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Made in the U.S.A.
This product is a work of fiction.
Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places,
or events is purely coincidental.
ADVENTURE
BACKGROUND
The legend of the tomb is an old story with many parts,
some of which may be lost or obscured. Characters
attempting to glean special information by consulting
sages or through
legend lore
spells may still have
difficulty obtaining as much background as they desire,
This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content.
No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without
written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License
and the d20 System License,
please visit www.wizards.com/d20.
For more D
UNGEONS
& D
RAGONS
articles, adventures, and information,
visit
www.wizards.com/dnd
1
for the scraps of information are often minimal and
mystical.
These bits of information are available as clues, and
characters can make of them what they wish: Ancient
Burial Places; Ancient Tombs; Sorcerous Kings; Chal-
lenges, Surpassing (Certain Death); Soul Eaters; Trea-
sure, Great . . .
The other parts of the legend can be furnished by the
Dungeon Master from the description that follows.
Acererak was a being of surpassing power, holding
secrets over Death itself. As time wore on, a community
of the like-minded grew up around the mound of the
tomb. This was neither a city of pure-hearted seekers of
k n o wledge nor a collection of mere tomb ro b b e r s .
Instead, those who gathered in this new city of grim
aspect sought to understand the forbidden arts of
unlife. They were, in fact, almost all practitioners of the
foul dark arts: necromancy. Thus was Skull City born.
The inhabitants of Skull City were obsessed with the
power that the dark arts can bring them. Following this
p h i l o s o p h y, their re v e rence for Ac e rerak and his
a c h i e ve m e nts developed into a nearly the o l o g i c a l
worship of the powerful lich in his aspect as “The
Devourer.” They have built a massive academy into the
no-longer lonely hill over Acererak’s tomb and engage
in weekly ceremonies to garner the attention and favor
of the demilich below. However, for all their evil rituals
and dark knowledge, and in spite of their professions of
communion with the spirit of the demilich, not a single
resident of Skull City possesses a glimmer of the truth.
Acererak’s true guise, the location of his final strong-
hold, and his ultimate sinister goal remain utterly
unknown—a black mystery to all.
As in
Return to the Tomb of Horrors
, the original tomb
remains sacrosanct—those who built up Skull City and
the Academy around it revere the tomb. Thus, the infor-
mation in this update can be used as is, whether or not
the DM has access to
Return to the Tomb of Horrors
or
prefers not to use it (especially since that product is not
updated to 3rd edition rules, but yet lingers in 2nd
edition status).
THE LEGEND OF THE TOMB OF
HORRORS
Somewhere under a lost and lonely hill of grim and
foreboding aspect lies a labyrinthine crypt filled with
terrible traps and not a few strong and fero c i o u s
monsters to slay the unwary. Rich tre a s u res both
precious and magical fill the crypt, but in addition to
the aforementioned guardians, some say a demilich still
wards his final haunt. (Be warned that tales told have it
that this being possesses powers that make him nearly
undefeatable!) Accounts relate that adventurers have an
extremely low probability of ever finding the chamber
where the demilich Acererak lingers, for the passages
and rooms of the tomb are fraught with terrible traps,
poison gases, and magical protections. Furthermore, the
demilich has hidden his lair so well, that even those
who avoid the pitfalls likely will not locate their true
goal. So only large and well-prepared parties of the
bravest and strongest should even consider the attempt,
and if they do locate the tomb, they must be prepared to
fail. Any expedition must be composed of characters of
high level and varied class. They must have magical
protections and weapons, and they should equip them-
selves with every sort of device possible to ensure their
survival.
NOTES FOR THE DUNGEON MASTER
As clever players will gather from a reading of the
Legend of the Tomb, this dungeon has more tricks and
traps than it has monsters to fight. THIS IS A THINK-
ING PERSON’S MODULE, AND IF YOUR GROUP IS
A HACK-AND-SLAY GATHERING, THEY WILL BE
UNHAPPY!
In the latter case, it is better to skip the whole thing
than come out and tell them that the re are few
monsters. On the other hand, brainwork is good for
players, and they will benefit from playing this module,
for individual levels of skill will be improved by reason-
ing and experience. If you regularly pose problems
better solved by brains and not brawn, your players will
find this module immediately to their liking.
Negotiation of the tomb will require quite a long
time, so be prepared to spend several sessions with this
module. When the game ends for the day, assume the
expedition is spending the intervening time until play
again commences resting and re c o vering fro m
POSSIBLE LOCALE OF THE TOMB
1) In the Bright Desert
2) Somewhere in the Vast Swamp south of Sundi
3) In the Vast Swamp of Cormyr
4) On a small islet, one of many of the Nethlanther Isles
5) In the Crawling Swamp in the Shadow Marches
6) Submerged in the Basura Swamp of Q’Barra
2
WHAT ABOUT RETURN TO THE TOMB
OF HORRORS?
It is an utterly viable option to use this update with the
information provided in the
R e t u r n to the Tomb of
Horrors
. In that adventure, the passage of time saw the
lonely hill become the foci interest for the necromanti-
cally inclined. Those drawn to the area had less interest
in exploring the depths of the tomb. Instead, the legend
of Acererak himself drew them, and by all accounts
3
adventuring up to that point. Allowing actual/game
days on a 1/1 basis gives player characters a chance to
recover some lost hit points, too. Since no monsters are
randomly encount e red within the tomb, the part y
might be allowed to encamp close to the entrance with-
out fear of random encounters, but if you do so opt, do
not inform the players of this.
Please read and review all of the material herein,
thoroughly familiarizing yourself with it, before begin-
ning the module. As players enter keyed areas, note
from the text whether or not the area has one or more
illustrations for visually highlighting play. Read aloud
a p p rop riate sections, but never give any additional
information that player characters would have no way
of knowing, and avoid facial expressions or voice tones
that might provide helpful hints or mislead players. The
real enjoyment of this module is managing to cope, and
those players who do so even semi-successfully will
appreciate your refereeing and allowing them to “live or
die” on their own.
The starting information for the module depends on
whether you are using the tomb as an insertion into
your own campaign, as a section in a published fantasy
setting (such as G
REYHAWK
®
, F
ORGOTTEN
R
EALMS
®
, or the
E
BERRON
®
settings), or simply as a one-shot exercise for
your players. Because of the variableness, the informa-
tion for starting is stated so as to assume the expedition
has arrived at the site of the Tomb of Horrors. As
Dungeon Master, you may fill in whatever background
is needed. If the tomb represents a single arc of a
campaign, players obtain the Legend information above
through research, as normal (such as Gather Informa-
t i o n, Knowledge [history], and Knowledge [local]
checks made on their behalf, consulting bards and
sages, casting
legend lore
spells, or whatever) prior to
arriving at the actual locale of the tomb. (When this
module was used at Origins I, Dungeon Masters were
instructed that the hill had been found in the Vast
Swamp, and the party had arrived there in barges.)
if they attempt an ethereal jaunt while within the hill or
tomb. One or more demons arrive and attack, according
to the following table (roll randomly) every 1d4 rounds
that the characters maintain a presence on the Ethereal
Plane while within the tomb.
The demons also serve as tomb caretakers—because
of the allegiance they owe the balor named Tarnhem in
the Fortress of Conclusion (see
Return to the Tomb of
Horrors
), these demons reset traps, repair damage, and
otherwise return the tomb to a pristine condition in the
event of its invasion by tomb robbers.
d100
Demon/1d4 Rounds
CR
Monster Manual
Page #
01–20
2 babaus
8
40
21–40
2 vrocks
11
48
41–60
1 hezrou
11
44
61–80
1 retriever
11
46
81–90
1 glabrezu
13
43
91–100
1 nalfeshnee
14
45
INTERIOR FEATURES
The stonework throughout the dungeon is mostly gran-
ite unless the description states differently. The floors,
walls, and ceilings are smooth. Unless otherwise noted,
the corridor width remains a constant 5 or 10 feet, as
shown on the map. Height varies where indicated, but
the ceilings are usually 10 feet high in 5-foot-wide halls
and 12 feet high in 10-foot-wide halls. The interior
doors are constructed of metal-bound oak unless the
description says otherwise.
Typical Oak and Iron Do o r :
2 in. thick; hardness 5;
hp 20; break DC 28; Open Lock (when appropriate) DC 30.
Typical Masonry Wall:
1 ft. thick; hardness 8; hp
90; break DC 35; Climb DC 15.
Additionally, magical auras are noted where appro-
priate; DMs should find this helpful should the charac-
ters use spells to detect such things.
A map and all of the graphic illustrations listed
throughout the adventure can be found online at the
Wizards of the Coast website:
h t t p : / / w w w. w i z a r d s. c o m / d e f a u l t . a s p ? x = d n d / a g / 2 0 0 5 1 0 3 1 a
This map has been re p r oduced he r e for yo u r
c o n venience.
KEYED LOCATIONS
The following entries are keyed to the
Tomb of Horrors
map. Areas and items of note are also keyed to a series of
illustrations that you, the Dungeon Ma s t e r, should
show to the players as they adventure. Each illustration
is numbered to correspond to rooms and locations on
the map. The text below instructs you when to reveal a
particular illustration.
Demonic Host
PCs are discouraged from bypassing the material walls
of the world via the Ethereal Plane by a host of demonic
guardians. PCs become aware of the demonic host only
0. In Front of the Hill
The party has arrived at the site of the demilich’s last
haunt.
A low, flat-topped hill, about 200 yards wide and
300 yards long, protrudes from the earth. Ugly
weeds, thorns, and briars grow upon the steep
sides and bald top of the 60-foot-high mound.
Black rocks crown the hilltop
4
1. False Entrance Tunnel (EL 10)
Once the characters clear or crawl through the sand
blocking this tunnel, they can see what it contains.
Show
graphic #1
.
The roughly worked, plain stone corridor is full of
cobwebs. A set of double oaken doors are just
visible at the end of the passageway. The roof 20
feet overhead is obscured by hanging strands.
Trap:
If the roof (composed of badly fitting stones) is
prodded with any force, or if the doors at the far end of
the passageway are opened (onto a blank wall), the
tunnel roof collapses.
Built-to- Collapse Ceiling:
CR 10; mechanical;
location trigger; no reset; no attack roll required (16d6,
crush); multiple targets (all targets in a 20-ft.-by-20-ft.
area); never miss (but DC 23 Reflex for half damage);
Search DC 24; Disable Device DC 24.
2. False Entrance Tunnel (EL 8)
Once the characters clear or crawl through the sand
blocking this tunnel, they can see what it contains.
Show
graphic #2
.
Two separate doors are dimly visible at the end of
this roughly worked, plain stone corridor.
If a perspective of about 200 feet or more above the hill
can be achieved, the resemblance of the hill and black
rocks upon it to a great human skull becomes apparent,
with the piles of rock appearing as eye holes, nose hole,
and the jagged teeth of a grinning death’s head. Adven-
turers at ground level may extrapolate this resemblance
with a successful DC 21 Intelligence check.
A casual, closer inspection of the hill reveals the
following:
Traps:
The ceiling in this hallway is 10 feet high.
When characters move to within 10 feet of the doors at
the end of the hallway, a trigger mechanism in the floor
rolls a 10-foot-wide, 20-foot-long stone partition across
the chamber from where it was recessed in the east wall
(as shown on the map). Characters that react quickly
enough (those who succeed on a Reflex check) can
decide whether to escape to freedom or remain trapped
with slower compatriots. Un f o r tunately for those
who remain behind, the round after the stone partition
traps characters in the hallway, the ceiling begins to
lower over the course of 4 rounds. Those who cannot
free themselves 5 rounds after the stone partition seals
the corridor are dealt crushing damage. Possible ways to
gain freedom include
phase door
attempts,
disintegrate
attempts, a Strength check to push back the partition
(DC 30), and so on. On the other hand, those who
succeed on the first trapping room Reflex DC might
decide to hold the stone partition back through brute
force (requiring a DC 30 Strength check) or with a
metal bar (a DC 27 Strength check); on a failed attempt,
the stone partition is unhindered.
Trapping Room:
CR 6; mechanical; location trig-
ger; automatic reset (1 day); DC 23 Reflex to react (on
successful save, a character may rush north down the
T h e north side of the hill is fro n ted by a 20-f o o t -
high cru m bling cliff of sand and gravel. A low stone
ledge overhangs this eroded area, and shrubs and
b u s h es obscure it from observation at a distance.
The north side of the hill with the sand and gravel cliff
is the area 34 squares wide that forms the east-west axis
of the dungeon map. A complete search of the cliff area
exposes one or more (of three) blocked tunnel
entrances (DC 20 Search check per entrance success-
fully located). Once an entrance is exposed, four char-
acters can thoroughly clear out a passage in about an
hour and a half, but a narrow crawl space can be opened
in just 15 minutes by two characters digging with
swords and hands.
5
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